Z is for Zoo, Of Course!

Z is for Zoo - what else? What is funny about that is I had been struggling with what to do our last Blogging Through the Alphabet post on, and in God's perfect timing, we spent the day at the zoo with friends last week.

Hey, it's the little things, right?

So there were animals...

And children who pretended to be animals...

And then a pack of kids...

Yes, we might have been as big a spectacle as the actual animals.  When you travel in packs that seems to happen!

Yep, that is a big group! But let me tell 'ya, the zoo is much more fun that way!  Thank you T family for spending the day with us!

    Blessings,

     

Y is for You Need to Hear This!

After having a week to settle into the news, as best as one can, of my husband's deployment there has been time to process and think about a lot of things. A few I have already shared with some of you privately, but many I feel the need to say to you as a mass! ;)  After this, we are moving on!  Well, mostly! ;)

Just because I am going through something big does not make what you are going through small.  THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO JUST OUR FAMILY!  Please hear me say this...

I know the human tendency is for us not to want to share our own hard day with a friend when we know they are struggling too.  Our "stuff" just seems to pale in comparison.  Please don't do that.  We all have bad days, and we all need to be able to share with friends.  I used to tell people, it doesn't matter if your husband is gone one day, one weekend, one month, or one year, when YOU are in the middle of it it stinks! Let's don't play the comparison game and please do not feel like you cannot have a bad day just because I am having a bad day.

Please do not be too proud of us!  Seriously.  Some days we will do great (yay us!) and other days we will fail miserably and sometimes publicly.  The pressure to live up to peoples' expectations is a lot of pressure. If you put us on a pedestal, we will all be disappointed when we fall off.  It will happen!

Just because we have done this before does not make it any less painful and scary.  Just have to get that out there.  Yes, this is the third time we have done this.  (one other time for a year and once for 7 months)  As I told my husband, sometimes the fear of the known is actually worse than the fear of the unknown.  'nuff said!

I know it is easy to slip into a conversation about people you know who are going though or who have gone through similar situations.  Unless they have happy endings, please do not share.  I do not want to get into a "who has it worse" conversation, nor hear of all the people who did not make it home.

We are not the only ones going through a hard situation.  All it takes is to step outside your home to see that.  There are people suffering, lonely, scared, and hurting at every corner.  There are people, some of our friends included, that are navigating some pretty hard stuff!  Reach out to those around you and make a difference in their day.

I live in the best community!  I think I have told you that before.  We have people by our sides daily that love us and are taking care of us.  They have won our hearts and we will forever be grateful.

YOUR PRAYERS MATTER!  Really, they do.  Every time I am tempted to sink into fear or despair I remind myself that there are friends all over this world that have committed to pray for us.  Not just say they will, but WILL!  If you are one of those people, thank you.  You are appreciated far more than you will ever know!

God is still in control!  I said it last week, but it remains the same.  And I am reminding myself of it daily.  I pray you are too!

Blessings,

"Trust in The Lord forever, for The Lord, The Lord himself, is the Rock eternal." Isaiah 2:4

V is for Very Blessed

OK, honestly, the V thing was hard for me this week, but I decided I would share with you and tell you how I am counting my blessings this week. The idea actually stemmed from a question our family pondered last night as part of our time together- "What makes you happy?"  As our kids have gotten older, they love to pick a question to talk about.  It started at the kitchen table, but you will often find us pondering life anytime we are all together.

So what makes me happy?

These peeps!

Even Mr. Frowny! ;)

I love my family.  They make me happy.  They bless me.

I love how my 7 year old cracks up about something and will laugh so hard he cannot catch his breath.  He has come from some hard places and it thrills me he can still laugh better than the rest of us.  He is growing up and I am so proud of him.  Adoption is hard, friends, and this kiddo is proving he can handle it and come out on top.

I love to see my 12 year old take interest in his father and how they have found hobbies together that they are passionate about.  Seeing the two of them working side by side thrills me.  Boys need their dads around and I am blessed that we are in a season of our lives that my hubby is around to be an active participant in the boys' lives.

I love to watch the face of my 16 year old light up about anything theater.  To see her face when she walks into a performance of any kind fills my heart with joy.  It is like watching a young child on Christmas morning. To literally feel her joy as tears run down her face in just about every show we see, to hear her belt out Disney songs and to laugh while she quotes whole scenes from movies- she steals my heart.

I love that my oldest daughter is finding her way in the world with such grace and devotion to God and those around her.  Her joy is back and she is walking an exciting path. (more on that soon, I am sure) I love how hard she has pushed herself through school even when things got hard, how she is going to graduate 3 semesters early due to her diligence and perseverance and how she is embarking on some neat, new projects.  She inspires me.

I love that my husband loves and takes care of this family with such amazing devotion.  He is an awesome father and husband.  He puts people first in everything he does.  I love how his face lights up when someone asks about his career and flying helicopters, how he laughs when he plays with the kids and how he gets fired up when he mentors young men and women in the military.  He is my hero on a daily basis.

Yes, I am feeling very blessed.
How about you?  What makes you happy?  We would love to know!

Blessings,

U is for U Picked

So as we are coming close to the end of the alphabet with my friend Marcy at Ben and Me, I knew I was going to struggle with a few letters.  I mean really, who actually uses the letters U-Z?  So I thought I would have a little fun and ask my friends what U is for.  And a few were brave enough to take me up on the challenge.

So this one is for them...

Underwear- This one I will just leave simple- As my momma always said, make sure you have a clean pair on each morning, in case you are in an accident, of course.  ;) Yes, my sons, that means each week I had better see 7 pairs in the laundry that need to be washed.  Why do boys need that reminder? Seriously!

Ultimate utensils I cannot live without- Hmmm, a few months ago I would have said my wheat mill right away, but since I now have a child who is wheat free, times have changed.  I guess I would have to go with my Crock Pot and my paring knife.  And yes, I am sure the crock pot is a utensil.

Utilizing curriculum- Well, most of you know I am a curriculum junkie.  I love reviewing it and using it.  That's often a problem.  Did you know that there are just not enough hours in the day to use all of the great stuff available to homeschoolers out there? Just saying.  Because every once in a while I try to fit it all in and my children threaten to leave home.  Or at least tell the principal on me.

Uniform- We don't have one.  But if we did, we might just school in our jammies all day in front of the fireplace.  I am pretty sure that is what most homeschoolers do, right?  Oh, and if my oldest had had a say in it years ago we would have had uniforms.  She begged- and the principal said no.  True story!

Understanding-  This one made me think, thank you very much. So here goes...  I long for understanding.  I am a people pleaser.  I want people to be happy.  Not necessarily with life in general, but with me.  Well, with life too, but mostly with me.  Sad, but true.  I want people to know my heart and what makes me tick.  I want people to understand me.  We actually lost a few followers after my pig post, and received a few nasty comments (which I deleted because it is my blog and I can do that).  But it really bothered me and I was sorry we lost friends.  However, I am not sorry  for my post. I would only be sharing part of my life with you if I only shared with you the fun and the lovely.  Butchering may not be lovely, but for many of us who eat meat, it is necessary.  And while it may not be my new favorite hobby, I do appreciate the fact that I have the opportunity to know where my meat came from and how it was treated. It is a small comfort.  My prayer is that while you may not love every thing we do or every decision we make, you will appreciate and understand that this blog is full of honesty- what you see is what you get.  I am blessed you are here- I pray you are as well.

Uncomplicated- Ha, right!  See above point.  Blogging IS complicated.  So is life.  Just let me tell you about the past month in my life sometime.  Life pulls us in a million directions sometimes and it is so easy to become COMPLICATED.  I think that is one of the many reasons I love homeschooling.  And one of the many reasons I am such a homebody.  Those things allow me to simplify.  To say no to the extras and yes to my family and the people and things I love.  I desire uncomplicated.  It is a process I am currently working on.

So that sums it up.  Silly but fun.  The letter U, brought to you by friends (you know who you are)!  Love you guys!

Blessings,

T is for Tea Tree and other essential oils!

Hi, I'm Michele and I love essential oils.

Ok, now that we have that out of the way- let me tell you the whos, whats and whys of our family's essential oil use!

I honestly do not even remember how we got interested in essential oils around here.  I do remember being skeptical, but at the time I was looking for an alternative to candles due to allergies, and for natural cleaning solution recipes.  I was the queen of candles.  Yankee candle and I were best friends.  But I knew that as our allergies got worse, I needed to walk away from the addiction.  I also was made, bullied, ok, encouraged by my oldest to stop using chemicals in our cleaning products.

Enter this-

Actually, I started with just a few- peppermint, lavender and tea tree were probably the first.  The rest, as they say, is history.

Tea tree- antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial.  I use it in my everyday cleaning spray, diffuse it in flu season and add it to a bath when someone feels sick.

My favorite bath for colds or flu like symptoms- 

    5 drops of tea tree

    2 drops of lavender

    2 drops of thyme

Peppermint- anti inflammatory  and great for respiratory systems.  We put this on our heads for headaches, diffuse just because it smells good and it is good for allergies.

Our favorite way to fight allergies in a diffuser-

     2 drops of peppermint

     2 drops of lavender 

     2 drops of lemon

Lemon- Great water purifier, we add it to water a lot!

Lavender- This is one of those oils that does just about everything!  Use it on burns to help healing, insect bites to stop itching, behind your ears to help with sleep, in a bath for calming.  I bet this one gets used in our house daily!

Others we use a lot- Chamomile, Eucalyptus, Thyme, Geranium and orange!

If you look carefully at the pictures, you will see that not all of our oils are the same.  I buy them from different places depending on what they are.  I do have a Young Living account that I use to share my discount with friends.  I have found some of their blends to be the best out there.

Valor- Great for ADHD and also anxiety in my dogs!  Yes, we have wimpy dogs that get sprayed with Valor when a storm comes.

Peace and calming- We use this on our little guy, age 7, every night before bed.  We started using it when he was having difficulties going to sleep at night due to fear and if we forget at night, he will remind us.  Every night!

Panaway- Great for muscle aches and pains, even growing pains.  No more tylenol for my boys!

We also use and love oils from Beeyoutiful!  If you are looking for a family run company that loves its clients, check them out!  We also get elderberry syrup from them and a face cream called lavishmint that is to die for!

And yes, I even get a few off Amazon. ;)  I would just advise you to do your research and choose wisely.  You want to find  the best quality out there while trying to not break the bank.

What about you?  Do you use essential oils in your house?  I would love to know what your favorite is!

Blessings, 

Join us as we continue to blog through the alphabet with Marcy at Ben and Me!

Q is for Quiet Time

Sometimes life gets a little crazy and we need to stop, be still, and reset.

Our family kind of hit that point this past week. There have been a lot of things going on in our lives, Not particularly bad things, but just lots of things- distractions that we allowed to take away our peace and our quiet.  

So we headed off last week to find it.  Quiet, that is!

In the past our family refuge has been the beach.  But, hey, times change and well, we are living in South Dakota now.  So off to the hills we headed!  The Black Hills.

This is our third trip there.  Our second staying with an old friend and her husband.  Darryl and Christy own and operate Spokane Creek Cabins and Campground.  Whether you tent, RV or are looking for a cute little cabin to rest your head at night, this is a place you will want to visit.  Thank you, Darryl and Christy, for once again giving us a place to reset and find some quiet!

Despite having to come home a day early due to one family member being sick, we managed to have a great time.  Good thing, because as of the writing of this post Sunday night (yes, I am a little behind) 4 out of six family members feel like death warmed over.  I think I need another vacation.

Day one was all about Custer State Park and the Wind Cave.  CJ's one mission was to see Bison and some wild burros!  Seriously, he is easily entertained.  Especially when the burros will eat out of your hand and, I am pretty sure, would climb in your car if you let them!

Saw some pronghorn antelope as well, just like the ones in our yard in Wyoming!

Salem just wanted to see a different cave.  This one did not disappoint.  Since the Wind cave is a mostly downhill journey with only 11 stairs up, even I got to enjoy it.  And the elevator ride back up!

The 7 year old was just a tad tired, can 'ya tell?  

Back at camp the boys played by the creek and that night we enjoyed s'mores by the campfire, of course.

Day two was spent at Sylvan Lake.  Oh. My. Word!  That could be one of my new favorite places.  Pictures just do not do it justice.  So beautiful!

 

Do the rocks look familiar to any of you?  Yes, that is the place where parts of National Treasure 2 was filmed.

In addition, one can climb 'til you drop...so that is what the olders did.  Have I mentioned these kids are slightly obsessed with rock climbing and bouldering?

Luckily, there is also a great little "beach" area where CJ could swim while we waited.

Day three- well, the drive home was not thrilling but necessary.  And still quiet, since everyone was worn out from our two quick days.

We enjoyed our quiet time, are laying low for the week recovering from illness and then forging ahead next week with our new school year.

I pray you have had a blessed weekend as well, my friends, and that you too will seek quiet time when you need it.

God will refresh our souls, if we will just allow Him to.  And He doesn't need the beach or the mountains to make that happen!

Blessings,

I never thought I would have so much fun Blogging Through the Alphabet!  Hope you will join my friend Marcy at Ben and Me, along with many others as we have 9 letters to go!

P is for the Piggy's Turn

First it was the cows.

Then the chickens.

And now, yep, you guessed it, the pigs!

We are not vegetarians, and no meat is safe with us!
Sorry.

Once again, Farmer Dan and his lovely family humored us and allowed us to butcher two pigs with them.  My freezer is filling up!

And I am going to just be honest here- this is the one I was worried about  the most.

Why?

Because baby piggies are just so cute.  I mean, really, people keep them as pets, right? (bad idea for us animal loving wimps, just saying.)

So it did help that I never saw these guys as babies.  We, that being NOT me, went to a neighboring farm to get them.

And my 12 year old son got the honor of shooting them.  Before I get hate mail, he had begged.  He knew it would be hard, but he really wanted the chance to try.  And I hear he did just fine.  I also hear rumors of the men at the farm handing him a random gun, with no directions on what to do or how to work it and pointed to the pig while dad was not close by, plus rumors that Farmer Dan has more confidence in him that I do, but hey, that is just a rumor since I wasn't there.

Anyway,

They brought back two pigs and the fun began.

See, I can call it fun, because I was absent for most of it.  It really is not because it bothers me, but because when you are just standing around taking pictures you get in the way and kind of bored.  Ok, mostly bored. So we woman folks worked inside.  Yeah ok, we mostly visited. (so Ashton and Salem took most of the pictures.)

In just a few hours the pigs were skinned, gutted and split in half and then put into the cooling area for the next day.

Yay Farmer Dan!

The next day, you will be glad to know, I actually did something.

As Farmer Dan cut meat, we packaged, hauled stuff back and forth for him, and ground pork.

Actually, the grinding is my hubby's job.  I think he likes that big machine.

He also got cold in the cooler room, so he entertained us by dressing like this-

Trust me, we were entertained...

And what did we end up with? Yummy pork from a healthy source.  Lots of it-
3 Hams
2 porkloins
3 large packages of ribs
12 packages ground pork
8 packages of sausage
6 packages of pork chops (8 each!)
9 pork roasts (the biggest you have ever seen!)
22 pounds of bacon!

Thanks for the picture, A!

May not excite anyone else, but made my day!

Thanks H family!  We love you all and are thrilled to be a part of this learning journey with you!

Blessings,