Stawberries...

YUM! I just love strawberries and picking them, we went to the farm and picked strawberries on Monday! What an adventure! I think we picked 15lbs in total. We picked them in buckets lined with plastic bags, NOT very good for the berries, when we go again I am bringing my own basket and putting the berries in there. They were ready for the jam when I got home. They were all smushed from the bags and being banged around! What were they thinking at the farm? I wonder how many people are not too happy with the way they are having you pick them at the farm down the road... they don't have any flat boxes like they usually do. Oh well, they still tasted great! here are a few pictures!

We enjoyed strawberry shortcakes... fresh strawberries... and of course, I made jam today yum yum yum!!!
I was only able to make one batch of jam so... we will be going again soon, probably early next week! We do love those strawberries!!
Well, off to be a mother... we are having a sleep over tonight, and the girls need to get to bed!!!

Jewelry oh yeah!

Yes, I have been making jewelry... I just haven't been taking pictures of it!
So, I made a "mother's bracelet" for a friend today, my camera isn't taking great pictures these days, so... I will explain it.
I made it with gold filled beads, 4 mm in size and the stones are square 6mm emerald crystal and light amethyst crystal 2 emerald on either side of the amethyst. I think it came out nice, if I do say so myself! I don't usually make them in gold, it is a lot more expensive. I do them only when I am asked to make them in gold.
I am going to be doing a few "home shows" this summer! I am a little nervous but, I am very excited about it! So, Let me know what you think of the bracelet and whatever other jewelry that you have seen on here! Thanks have a GREAT day!!



you can click on the image to enlarge it!

I'm bored!!...

Summer vacation! Ahh, remember sipping lemonade under a big shady tree, riding your bikes all day long, playing in the sprinkler... Where did the "good old days" of summer go? Oh,to be carefree, not worry about the stranger walking down the road, you could be gone until dinner. And there was no search party for you. Why are the kids afraid to play outside today? Where do they ride there bikes? up and down the driveway, and oh, if they don't have a helmet on you are a bad parent. I think that we made it just fine with out the helmet. twitch twitch
Are we really in such an electronic age that the computers and TV's need to tell the kids what to do, and we don't even have a playstaion or xbox or whatever else those things are called. Not even television, nope not in our house. Well, we do BUT it is only for family movies, at night! That is all it is for, so... Why do the kids come in and tell me they are bored, what is there to do these days? any ideas I hear on a regular basis that we are the only ones around who don't have a pool, doesn't the kiddie pool count?
OK, so we are off to soccer... yeah, the weekly scheduled things... I think we need one every day for all the kids, and maybe just maybe I won't hear "I'm bored!"

Wise Words from a Wise Friend

The older I get the more that I realize that the information that you receive from people to help you grow and mature "mentor" as you will...Does not necessarily have to be older than you! I have been reading through blog posts... Checking out web sites, talking to people... ect ect ect. The words "reformed" "dispensation" "Calvinist" "covenantal"... And so on well... This is what I found and truly believe is what we are all trying to get to in one way or another and it really doesn't matter what the title is that we have on us does it? If we believe the same thing and are working to serve the same God and one day we will bow down and worship HIM! ahhh... The day!
This is what I found and yes, this is how I feel... I think the semantics of "Reformed", "Covenantal", "Dispensationalist", "Calvinist" purpose is only to let people vaguely know where you are coming from without having to explain everything every time. If you don't know where you are- definitely don't start labeling yourself. I notice that very few theologians like putting themselves in a category. I thought I was reformed last year- but then I realized all it entails (not just a Calvinistic view of the gospel- but lots of other stuff too). Now I'm realizing I'm not. It is important to be a Berean- when you hear teaching or teaching- go look it up in the Bible on your own. There is definitely false teaching and heresies being taught out there, and we are responsible as believers to recognize it. We are told to do so repeatedly in the Bible.
Wise words from a wise and yes younger friend!
That is my soap box and I am getting down now!!

It's a BOY!

I know, they are hard to come by around here!
I have no weight stats... BUT he is keeper, we aren't sure on the name yet, we need a little help. The mom's name is Shemariah, we need a good strong masculine name to follow. He will be a registered bull so, it will need to "look good" on the papers...
The name on the certificate will look like this: Old Homestead Name
So, Old Homestead Scotty was our first bull. You get the picture? We need your help!!
Here are a few pictures of the addition. Beth aren't they cute!! ;)



AND


Click on image to enlarge

So, is anyone up for the challenge? We need a good name, give us your thoughts, and ideas!
Thanks!! I told you there would be cows!

VACATION!!

Well, it is here...... SUMMER VACATION. Tomorrow is the LAST day of school, then as I have been reminded of for the past several days,I will have a daughter in JUNIOR HIGH!!!! No, not me, I am truely not old enough for that. Lots of BIG plans this summer, but I think that the most important ones are... memorizing...
I figure, if they can memorize chapters of the Bible at school. (BIG ones at that) I figure, that we can work on a few this summer, the first one will be an easy one, to see just how they all do, and to remind me why we pay the big bucks to send them to school, and don't give into the peer pressure of (ahem) the home school scene. ;-)

Our first verses will be...
Proverbs 15 1-5
1.A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. 2 The tounge of the wise uses knowledge rightly, But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness. 3.The eyes of the Lord are in every place keeping watch on the evil and the good. 4.A wholesome tounge is a tree if life but perseverence in it breaks the spirit. 5.A fool despises his fathers instruction, but he who received correction is prudent.

We will work on these few verses, and see where it gets us. Our family devotions are in Proverbs right now, so I thought it would be a great idea to memorize them while we are studing them!

Well, beach days are ahead! and lots of family time, I can't wait!!

Hopefully there will be no trips to the ER. I would like to be done with them!! Oh, the stitches came out today, her toe looks great!! hip hip hooray!!
Well, that is all for tonite, big day at the field day tomorrow!!

The Eagles have landed...

The Eagles have landed and not where we thought they would. The game was called tonight due to the thunderstorms that rolled in... I am not sure what the score was, but does that really matter? I mean what does a score tell you anyway? you lost? Well, I think that the girls did a great job, they sure have come along way since their first game, and a bunch of people who have seen them play along the way, have commented on the progress of the girls.
They did a GREAT job, if I do say so myself, I mean they played against 15-16 year old girls, most of those girls have played together since t-ball... Our team has been together for 3 months. GOOD JOB EAGLES! I must say, I am looking forward to next year! I can't wait to see what they do! I don't have any pictures to put in the blog, but I will try to get a picture of Abby in her uniform and put it on here for you to see! I guess there is a "pick up" game on Thursday, I am not sure who we are playing against, but I know the girls will do a great job!
So, that is the end of the story of softball for the 2005 season.
Who knows what the next blog will bring!!!
Phil is putting his traps in tomorrow, maybe a picture of a lobster or two! HAHA

the BIG field trip!

So, we went to Boston yesterday. The BIG field trip. Boston is a great city, but when you go and are responsible for other peoples children walking around, it gets a little hmm.... unsettling! We did have a great day, I would do it again! Well, I guess as all the kids get into that class, I will do it! :)
We went to see the USS CONSTITUTION. What a ship. We were unable to have a tour of the ship, time constraints you know! And the "hands on" Museum was closed for renovations. So, the hour that we had planned there was more like 20 minutes! Oh well, it was a beautiful sunny warm day to walk around Boston, and get a sunburn! oops!!!

We really went down for the kids to walk through the Holocaust Monument which is at the end of the Freedom Trail in Boston, we were unable to do the whole Freedom Trail. That would take far too long by ourselves, let alone having to keep track of 30 kids! The monument was sobering to say the least. If you ever have a chance to go and see it I would highly recommend it. And, you may need to bring some tissues, I forgot them and was sorry. They did an incredible job with the monument. There were 6 Plexiglas columns, I am not sure how tall they were, but in the glass of each column they have the numbers of each person who was in the camps, etched into the glass. Each column represents a concentration camp. There are quotes of people on the ground and on the doors of each column. It was a very sobering thing to see.
There were other schools there as well. It was amazing seeing how each person was affected as they walked out of there. I would like to go back down and be able to really spend the time reading all the quotes and sayings they have etched in the path along the way. I am going to try to get some of our pictures on here for you to see, I didn't have my camera, has anyone seen it? It is gone! so, we used Phil's, and it is at work with him, which means that I am unable to put them on here for you to see. SORRY!! you can check it out on the side bar to the left.

Well, I guess that sums up the field trip! What is up next? WHO KNOWS!!