That God once loved a garden....

....we learn in Holy writ. And seeing gardens in the Spring I well can credit it. ~Winifred Mary Letts

I am sooo happy to say that spring is here and beautiful! I love the sounds of the peepers at night and the smell of the flowers and sweet air of the day! My flowers are a-bloomin' and the kids have lots of fun during the days...riding their bikes and enjoying time outside! :)

I have been staying busy and truly enjoying my time away from the computer. :) The girls have been laying a bountiful amount of eggs.....We have enjoyed eating them as well as giving some away for others.


While I am on the subject of eggs.....I just want to encourage you all to, if you don't already, try and find local eggs to eat from free-range chickens. Some people think eating the grocery store eggs is better than local, small farm eggs. Not true...not true!

Look at this picture below...this is how they create the eggs you buy at the store!!! YUCK! Thousands of chickens stuck in lil boxes and unable to move....just pumped full of food and supplements. Ewwww! I think that is horrible! My girls have water, room to move around, chicken feed and scratch and then free range for a couple hours in the evening! Which sounds better to you? Local, organic, small farm eggs.....or this:

I got this picture from THIS site. It has good info as you scroll down and read. That picture just totally grosses me out. I know they are chickens...but gosh...can you imagine that life? :(

Anyhooooo.....now that I have plugged healthy eggs...hehe....I wanted to share...I got a new desk for in the school room! I got it at an antique shop. It's in great condition and I got a good price. It's solid wood and just what I was looking for!

We've moved some things in the schoolroom and organized more. There is still more I would like to do over time as well! :)

And...I got a pencil sharpener from my grandparents and Chris hung it up for us!!! It works fantastic! (It's brand new!) I love that it is just like the ones we used in school....do they still use those now or did they move to new-fangled ones? lol

I have also been working on a surprise for my sister for a wedding gift. Here it is so far....still a ways to go! She is getting married in less than a month! We are so excited for Cory to be part of the family. He is a wonderful man and he is perfect in our family! :)

Thanks so much for stopping by! :) I will be taking pics of flowers around my home as they continue to bloom and flourish! I will be sure to share them as I do! Happy Wednesday! Have a great rest of the week!!!! :o)

Surprise!!!

Oh what a fun weekend!!! My best friend, Heather, and I planned a big surprise 30th birthday party for our husbands! (My Chris's is in March and her Chris's is in April!) We have been planning this for over a year!!! It turned out to be a gorgeous day (although almost a lil toooo hot...in the 90's!)! But they were definitely surprised!!!

Our pastor (who is Heather's dad) was the one who got them to the party....
My Chris, especially, had no clue since his birthday was a month previous!!! LOL

There were even more people than this there....

Alot of people sat behind where I took the pic where there were trees for shade! It was super hot!

I think everyone had a nice time (I got a nice tan...LOL!). We had a Steeler theme as we live in Western PA and are big Steeler fans here! :) We all cooked hotdogs and my aunt made the cake (pictured with the Chris' in the top pic). We had pop and nachos and pasta salads and meat/cheese trays!

The funniest part of the afternoon...was when Debbie (Heather's mom and our pastor's wife) did the ceremonial ooga booga initiation....(have you ever heard of this?)....

Heather and I soaked sponges while the guys were doing what Debbie told them..."ooga, booga" and such....

Then Heather slipped them in on their chairs while they were standing and when they went to sit back down....here is the result....

It was sooooooooooooooooooooooo hilarious!!! Then, I am there taking pics and laughing and Heather's Chris goes after her with the sponge and my Chris comes after me....I started running..but I was in flip flops and gave up and he got me all wet too!!! LOL Then they both went and soaked Debbie too!!! It was so so funny and everyone was laughing!!!!!! Aren't their faces in that pic sooooooo hysterical???

We have had a beautiful weekend here in PA!!! It's been a lil warmer than I like....but it is suppose to cool down a bit later in the week. I am looking forward to it! I hate having to run fans too much! The kids have been having a blast outside riding their bikes and enjoying the sun and God's beautiful Creation! However, they are each still battling a bit of a cough...so they haven't been as fully active playing as usual!

I hope you all have a wonderful start to your week! Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing in my special weekend with me! :)

"May God give you...For every storm a rainbow, for every tear a smile, for every care a promise and a blessing in each trial. For every problem life sends, a faithful friend to share, for every sigh a sweet song and an answer for each prayer."
~Irish Proverb

The Excitement of a New Vacuum!

I got a new vacuum the other day. The one I had previously was doing "okay"...but really lost it's suction often and we would have to clean out the hose all the time and it would be so frustrating to go to the work of vacuuming...and see you had to redo everything a few times. So...my mom and I were at a store (with my 2 boys....oh what an adventure...LOL) and I saw one of the vacuums pictured above! It was on sale!!! YIPPEE!!! It is a bagless Hoover Windtunnel with a HEPA filter and many attachments! (Mine is actually not purple though...mine is gray.) Chris knew I had been looking for one and when I got home that evening, I was on cloud 9! :o)

I love getting a new appliance. Don't you?? I vacuumed and vacuumed. It does awesome! It even has a light to let you know if the area is truly "clean" that you just vacuumed!!! I love seeing that light turn green! It has a HEPA filter too and is self propelled. The self propulsion is neat...but gives your arm a work out when you pull it back (as it wants to go forward). It also came with a 3 year warranty which I thought was good too!

Now, technically, I would love to have a Dyson...as I hear they are like the SUPER-VACS...LOL...but they are a bit out of my price range as far as a vacuum goes. What kind of vacuum do you have? Do you like it? What would you get if you could? :)

Thanks for sharing in my vacuum excitement with me!!! Hope you all have a wonderful rest of the week!!! :)

A New Bathroom Cupboard...and Thoughts...

I don't know why I didn't do this a long time ago...this is a simple cupboard from Walmart. Not awesome quality...but still okay. It works perfectly in my Mary Engelbreit bathroom! It is smaller than the other lil cupboard thingy I had there and works really well! I am super pleased with how it turned out and wanted to share!

And....although many believe I am super mom and such a great homemaker...the truth is that I am sooooooo far from perfect and had previously convinced myself that it was OK to slack some. Last night while praying, I asked God to mold me and make me into a pleasing, selfless wife and mother. Today...for some reason (I believe an answer to prayer) it kinda hit me like a ton of bricks. The more time I spend on the computer, knitting (when other chores need done) etc...I am not truly using my time and energy wisely. I am not prioritizing correctly. Sure...there is a time and place for knitting and reading...such as when the kids are napping or in the evenings after supper is cleaned up and all is *relaxed* and *still* in the home.

Now...by no means is my home completely trashed or unkempt. But what I am trying to say is that I could definitely be keeping up with it *better*. I would never want to be a lazy or *idle* person...or even *shudders to type it* selfish! But that is what I am if I am not being a wife and mother first and to the best of my ability.

I wanted to share some *reality* of me. Although perfection is not truly obtainable...I do desire to *try* to be all that God has made me...for the time He has given me. So....as I prioritize and really focus on what is important....my posts may be a bit scattered. Don't be alarmed if I have days of not posting or answering emails. I *may* have the time to do it daily....but if I don't...I don't want to feel the *need* to get on the computer to check things.

Actually living life is much more important than being on the computer or living in a book. Not that I spent a *ton* of time doing either each day..but probably more than what I should. Along with being a wife and mother....I wear sooo many other hats...daughter, granddaughter, sunday school teacher, youth group helper, Christian, friend, patriot etc. These are all such important things in my life as well....and I need to make sure that everything is prioritized in my life.

My walk and relationship with God comes first...Chris comes second...my children come third....family and friends....and so on. Sometimes it is hard to admit stuff like this....and the question passed through my mind if I should even share this. But then I realized what dear friends you are and that most of you will probably understand how I am feeling. Since I am usually posting daily...I wanted to give my friends a heads up! :) I want to use the time God has given me on this Earth, wisely. I will still blog...but just when there is time! :) I hope you all understand! I hope to still blog a few times a week....but I need to see how time allows!

Please feel free to share your thoughts with me via comments and also feel free to email me. My link is in the left sidebar. I will reply as time allows as well! :) Thank you so much! I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday!!!

True Inspiration

I am sure most of you have seen THIS video of Susan Boyle singing at Britain's Got Talent. But for those of you who haven't....you totally need to! It is one of the most beautiful and inspirational moments!!! :)

I have caught my boys' cold...I'm not hacking and coughing but I am stuffed up! I will have stuff to share tomorrow! If you haven't seen my post from yesterday...check it out! Hope you all have a wonderful day!!! :)

Homeschooling...Day 155

I finished an order of 5 dishcloths this weekend. A friend ordered them to give to her mom for Mother's Day! :) On top of that...Saturday was a workday at church. Wowza....cleaning out closets, painting, building shelves etc.....it was like a massive spring cleaning!!! :o) Madelyn was spending the day with my mom....so Chris went into the church in the morning for a Men's Breakfast and then the boys and I came in a lil later. Jaxson had (and still has) a pretty bad lil cough...so the boys and I came home soon after lunch and I layed them down for a nap.

Sunday night (last night) we had our first fire of the year....out back in our fire pit area behind our house. It was fun...although sprinkled some. Our friends, Chris and Heather were there and Chris's parents came too. After supper, Chris's parents left and after the kids were in bed, the 4 of us sat up listening to music that reminded us all of our teenage years....we were laughing and trying to remember song titles, lyrics and bands. It was fun!

X has a bit of a cough now too....so both boys are a lil sick...here are my boys this morning....

Madelyn and I worked on some schooling....

Below is a pic of last week's science lesson that she sketched in her science notebook....I thought she did such a good job with it (except getting a lil careless with her coloring....) and I wanted to share it....

She read from her Bible Reader (which we are almost finished with!) and summarized the story and drew an illustration in her Bible Notebook....


And today's science lesson was on Trees....



I can't believe we only have 25 school days left! It seems like not that long ago I was questioning the choice to homeschool or not! Some of you may even remember those posts!! Like I have said previously...we have our moments of frustration, crying, attitude etc....but overall...the homeschooling experience is wonderful. I love her being home so much and having our own schedule! :)

Finally....I wanted to share what a friend made me. She sent it to me as a surprise! A family friend named Linda (who reads my blog but doesn't have a blog) made me this bag.....


Isn't it fantastic??? AND she even put a M.E. liner in it!!!!

I absolutely LOVE it and hope she received my thank you in the mail!!! She also made a small quilt/blanket for Madelyn's baby dolls and also sent me a HUGE skein of yarn!!! It was sooo incredibly thoughtful. Thank you Linda!!!!! The generosity that people have bestowed upon me through my life is just astounding. In a world where so much is focused on the bad....know there are soo many kind and giving and loving hearts out there. I am constantly humbled by the kindness of others. I just hope that I, too, can be as kind, giving and loving as all those who have touched my life! :)

It's a rainy day here in PA....but another day nonetheless. A day for cleaning and reading, knitting and playing. I have a bunch of eggs to wash as well...that our *girls* have so generously left for us! :) Happy Monday everyone! I am soooo glad you stopped by!! :o)

America United!

So...I attended a Tea Party yesterday. It was great! Although rainy and icky out...lots of people from our small town attended!!! They are guessing 400+! There were thousands of these held nationwide and hundreds of thousands of people in attendance! :)


Some call us extremists or fanaticals....honestly...I just want this country to go back to it's core beliefs and roots. I don't want my kids and grandkids trying to pay off all the debt this country has incurred. So...if that is the definition of an extremist...I guess I am one! :o)

If you are not following this....you really should be. It isn't about politics. It's not about democrats and republicans. It's about spending toooo much money that our country doesn't have. It's putting generations into debt. It's about keeping government from getting bigger. It's about wanting the government to follow the Constitution! Do you realize this affects you...and your kids...and your grandkids? Freedom is being lost and many are just letting it happen. The government works for you....not the other way around! :)

Watch this short lil highlight video from Fox News. Be inspired. Know your rights! Thousands upon thousands of brave men and women have fought and died for our freedoms that we all enjoy. Lets not let their fighting be in vain.


My little patriots.....


Stand up for your rights and beliefs! :)


Our mock "Boston Tea Party"....

It's Amazing What A Little Cupboard Can Do!

In efforts of organizing our schoolroom a little more...I got a cupboard from Walmart. Of course, there have been nicer ones I have seen...but they have just been too pricey. This one works and serves its purpose well! It's amazing how that little cupboard makes the room look sharper! :)

Today is Tax Day *Tea Party Day*!....and also my dad's birthday! :)
He turns 50 today!!!

In schooling...we are working on the application and memorization of Proverbs 11:3o. Madelyn read her Bible Reader and with that summarizes the story she has read and illustrates a picture about it. She works on math...which is focusing on giving and receiving direction from a location. We have also been discussing the Constitution (I have been explaining why we are going to this tax day Tea Party today). So far....she has most of our 50 states memorized in alphabetical order and we are almost done learning about all our pasts U. S. presidents. (Of course, this was an introduction to it and she will learn more about them in history lessons in higher grades.)
It's been going well...although we *do* have our days that aren't so good....but I believe the benefits of homeschooling outweigh the bad points! :)

And...I have finished up a couple dishcloths for my aunt....I think this color of blue is so pretty, don't you?

Well, I have things to do...so I should skeedattle....our local Tea Party starts at 3 pm in town...so I gotta get ready to go to that and then afterwards, we are going to my mom's house for supper to celebrate my dad's birthday! :) Hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday...and if you can...go to a Tea Party!!! :)

A New Dining Room Table!!!

Oh goodness...was I ever thrilled yesterday. Before going to tan (for my sister's wedding)...I stopped in a cute country store in town. Just looked around for a bit....(drooling..LOL)...and saw the table pictured! I LOVED it....and it was a great price as well! I have been wanting a table we could all sit around more comfortably...the oval one we had before was hard to seat 5 at.

It even has storage! The box area under the table opens up and provides storage!! I will probably put place mats, table runners and table cloths in there! :)

I would also like to get (at some point) one or two benches for the longer sides!!! YIPPEE! I am just so excited about it!!!!


The girls have been laying quite well lately! I got 15 eggs yesterday!!! I was really thrilled about that. I love when we have more eggs than we need...because then I can give them away! Sometimes we sell them...but sometimes we just give them to Chris's parents! I can't even describe what a blessing it is to always have fresh eggs! :)

I had things planned for today...but Jaxson has a fever and a cough...so today may be more of a down day. I have things to get done still....but things will probably move slower. Getting him to take the cough syrup is extremely difficult...luckily getting him to take children's tylenol meltaways isn't as hard. So he is taking something for the fever....hopefully I can get him to take some more cough syrup to help with his cough too. Please remember him in your prayers today. It's never fun when a child is sick!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I appreciate each visit and comment! :)

"Strangers are just friends waiting to happen."