Blessed Country Mama

A Water Garden?

2008-07-24T10:20:00.001-05:00

Some friends of ours put together a beautiful water garden/pond area in their yard this summer, which gave Ashley the idea of doing something similar in our yard. So, when Ashley came back from working at the grooming shop with Jean, she brought home some plants and buckets for the task. Ashley, our younger kids, and my niece and nephew, all pitched in to help. We had gotten the wooden geese at a garage sale for $1 each, and then the kids all pitched in and gathered rocks from our gravel road to add to it. Ashley plans to buy some Goldfish to put to the water, and some flowers to plant around the rocks as well.

A Blessed Opportunity

2008-07-24T09:40:00.006-05:00

I wanted to share about an opportunity I had Sunday night… As I mentioned in my last post, our kids were watching the RAGRAI riders go past our gravel road all afternoon on Sunday (close to 12,000 of them) when one man dumped his bike. The kids all ran over to help him pick up his things, and he just happened to be a Reverend. He gave them his business card and said that if they write to them, he will gladly send them some T-shirts and Bibles for their help. Well that got Mariah (my 11-year-old niece) and Noah (our 9-year-old son) to asking me a lot of questions about God, Jesus, Heaven, what God thinks about being gay or lesbian, etc. Well Noah has always been raised knowing who the Lord is, but to personally give his own heart to the Lord by choice was something I don't believe that he had not done yet. My niece had been taken to church as a tiny baby, but their lives have been anything but for the Lord since then. Well Sunday night, Noah and Mariah both gave their hearts to the Lord! Mariah asked me if I had a kids Bible that she could have, and so I got out a Bible for her, and they both sat and read together (Mariah reading to Noah), about the first 45 pages of it so far. They were so excited and wanted to be left alone to read instead of play with the other kids! That was awesome for me! She asked me if I thought her mom was a Christian. I hadn’t answered yet, but Noah piped up and says, “No, definitely not.” Well she didn’t say anything in reply, and I just said, “I don’t know honey.” Do I personally think so? No. But I cannot see the heart, and can only see from outward appearances, so I left it at that and said that God knows Himself, and it is He who counts. Exciting though, huh?! Maybe my niece will lead her family to the Lord one day?!

RAGBRAI Starts Today!

2008-07-20T20:08:00.006-05:00

Ragbrai is the Des Moines Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. It is our annual seven-day bicycle ride across the state. RAGBRAI is known for being the longest, largest and oldest touring bicycle ride in the world. This year they will start in Missouri Valley, IA (close to where we live on the western border), then go through Minden & Shelby (where we do live), and end in Le Claire, IA along the eastern border by the Mississippi River. Our kids, and my niece, got to sit and watch as the thousands of riders went past our gravel road. There were literally between 8,000 - 12,000 riders of all ages. What an awesome time our kids had as they got to watch them ride by, and the riders were gracious enough to hand out candy, necklaces, keyrings, and even a $20.00 bill for them to split! They even got to help a pastor, whose bike dumped over, pick up all his belongings and then talked to him about the Lord. He promised that if they'd write to him at the address on his business card, he'd send them some t-shirts and Kids Bibles as well. It was especially exciting as the riders who waved, hit their hands as they rode by, and made the kids feel special. They sat there for a couple of hours watching and encouraging the riders as they passed by. It was a real treat for them!

Keith Anderson & Fireworks, All in One Night!

2008-07-19T20:35:00.008-05:00

Last night our oldest daughter, Niki, and her boyfriend invited us to go with them to a Royals Baseball Game, fireworks, and a concert - all sponsored by the place Dustin works, Werner Enterprises Trucking. Well sadly, the Royals lost by 2 points, but the fireworks were absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!!! I have waited my whole life to actually see fireworks from inside a stadium! Even as a little girl I wanted to go to see them, especially after my sister and my dad went one year. I was so jealous that day! But last night, I got to see them up close! It was awesome!! Then to make the night even better, there was a concert afterward with Keith Anderson! Well my daughter was thrilled beyond thrilled to get to go, but I am just starting to like country music, and so I wasn't even sure who he was at first. Well I wasn't disappointed!! He is a great singer, and we got to stand up beside the stage and lean against the speakers. Well things just got better. When the concert was over, my husband asked if we wanted to go meet him personally?! Well Niki jumped at the idea, I was just sure that they'd arrest us or ask us to leave once we walked behind the stage toward their tour bus, and Dustin walked back there, saw his boss standing close by, and decided to not to try. Well one of the other band members just happened to be walking into the tour bus, so Doug introduced himself and gave him his Budweiser business card. The next thing we know, they were inviting us to come in and sit to visit with them! Doug is really hoping to hire them to play for the Budweiser 50th Anniversary Bash, so it gave us perfect opportunity to meet him! Here we were, it was 85* outside, terribly humid so we were all hot and sweaty...and we get to go in and visit with someone famous! I'm sure I was quite a sight with my hair stuck to the back of my neck and forehead, no makeup, etc., but it was worth it! Plus, it was nice and cool in there, so by the time we left, we were much cooler than when we'd first walked in. They are a really nice group of guys!! Their band has so much enthusiasm! And Keith Anderson is a really nice guy himself!! He has a down home way about him...a kindness...a sincerity. As we were leaving, he gave Niki a hug and a kiss on the cheek too. Now that made her day! Not only that, but come on, you have to admit...he's nice on the eyes too!!!! :+)

Doggie Stairs!

2008-07-17T21:53:00.007-05:00

One of our older daughters (Ashley), and one of our younger boys (Colten), decided to build a set of doggie stairs for her chihuahuas who aren't big enough to get up on the sofa, or her bed, by themselves. They saw a picture in a catalog of what they wanted to make, and went out first thing this morning, measured boards, cut wood, and proceeded to build doggie stairs. Didn't they do a wonderful job?!?!

My Perennials are Blooming!!

2008-07-14T13:06:00.001-05:00

One of my best friends, Debbie, has been giving me, from her own garden, starts of her perennials. Though we have had numerous storms, terrible winds, tornadoes and flooding, my perennials are finally blooming!!!!

We Just Love Having Grandbabies!

2008-07-14T12:17:00.008-05:00

This is Landon (who is 2 1/2) & Alona (who is 4 1/2 mo. old). What happy, smiley little kids they are!

This is Kaden (who is 5 months now) who loves swimming at Grandma and Grandpa's house! He's a happy little boy too with a big smile and lots of kisses!

A Part of Being On a Farm

2008-07-12T10:15:00.004-05:00

Part of the fun of being on a farm is finding "babies" once in a while. We found this baby bunny and have been bottle feeding her (okay, syringe feeding her) for almost a week now. Her poor mama seems to have disappeared. We're enjoying her though!

A Friend & Fellow Dog Breeder

2008-07-10T12:51:00.003-05:00

A friend of mine is the one who blessed me with being able to start my dog breeding business. She and her husband have been wonderful to us, and we have learned so much from them. Jean Flowers has been breeding dogs for 30+ years now. She is a wealth of information, loves her dogs, and takes wonderful care of them! She has an entire house solely devoted to her dogs. It is because of her that I was able to start my hobby business when she asked if I would be interested in working on a new breed of dog with her. I was thrilled and jumped at the chance!! Not only does she sell Petite Le Fleurs, but also Pomapoos, Chihuahuas, Toy Poodles, and Rat Terriers (which are Brian's speciality). She has some wonderful dogs and puppies for sale.

If you are interested, or know anyone who is, please check out her website!
Her business is called, "Designer Pets" and her pictures of her puppies for sale can be found out: http://www.mybpteam.com/designerpets/designerkennel/available.html

Let's Get Organized For The New School Year!

2008-07-08T21:40:00.001-05:00

"Would you love to spend an afternoon--or a week--with another homeschool mom and plan out the details of your school year? Wouldn't it be great to have someone take you step-by-step through planning out your goals, choosing techniques for teaching those new studies, deciding upon your curriculum selections, setting up your daily schedule, and fitting in REAL LIFE? Well, beloved, this could be the most valuable resource you'll ever find, read on..." (Cindy Rushton)

If this sounds like something that you'd be interested in attending this coming Friday and Saturday, then this is where you need to be... http://www.cindyrushton.com/LGO2008.html

I can personally guarantee that it will be well worth it!!!

A Late Summer Garden

2008-07-08T20:52:00.005-05:00

We are blessed to have a late summer garden this year after all!! As I am sure that you all know, IA has had so much flooding, rain, thunderstorms and tornadoes this spring and summer that many crops and gardens have had little or no chance to grow. Well Ashley, our 18-year-old daughter, and two of our younger kids, decided to plant a garden and see if they could get anything to grow, even if it was late in the summer. Well they were successful! It's growing beautifully! They actually tilled up the area of ground themselves, planted, watered, and have been weeding it all themselves! I am so proud of them!! They planted corn, carrots, yellow squash, cucumbers and pumpkin. Next year, weather permitting, we plan to double or triple the size of the garden. What a great blessing this is! God is ever faithful to provide.

A New Motto...

2008-07-02T18:57:00.004-05:00

Our home is clean enough to be healthy,

Organized enough to be peaceful,
And blessed to know its ALL
God!

New Puppies!!

2008-07-02T18:14:00.005-05:00

We have three new arrivals here this week. One of my Petite Le Fleur dogs has 3 new babies (2 males and 1 female), and I have two more pregnant mommies due in August! What a blessing for my new breeding business!

Updates On Our Family

2008-06-20T23:23:00.011-05:00

Well things are still crazy around here, which I guess you could say is a "norm" with our family, and something I just need to accept as a part of our lives. :+) The twins, Anja and Alara, were here for 2 1/2 weeks this time. Then last night their parents, and the girls, were in a bad car accident. Both of their parents are in the hospital, and right now the girls are with their great aunt. We will probably have them here with us while their parents recover. The next thing is that we got a big swimming pool for the kids here at the farm. It's plenty big enough for the younger ones and the teens (and takes 2000 gal. of water to fill each time). As a matter of fact, we had 20 kids here to play in the pool on Monday between our neighbor kids (who are also a family with 10 kids), my nieces and nephews, and my kids! Do you know how much it takes with to feed that many kids? Precisely 4 loaves of bread, 1 1/2 jars of peanut butter, and 3/4 jar of jelly! :+)

Along with the swimming pool comes sunburns. My poor Sheyenne is by far the worse. She has burned on her arms, shoulders, and chest and back. She also has blisters the size of quarters. We have her on special creams, Aloe Vera gel, Ibuprofen, Tylenol, etc., but she is still miserable. She had sun block on, but apparently, it didn't help enough. She is just like me in this I'm afraid. I can remember many Track and Field days at school and the terrible sunburns I used to get, then topped off with numerous vinegar baths I used to soak in trying to ease the pain. Doug tried taking all the kids to see the movie "Kung Fu Panda" tonight, but Sheyenne is so miserable that they are coming home early. I hurt for her.

Well today is the day that Samuel, our baby boy, was due to be born. This has been a hard day for me today. I know he is safe in God's loving arms, but I still want to hold him and be able to kiss his tiny face. I will always miss him and love him. Does the pain ever really go away?

My dog breeding business is doing well. I am glad to have my dogs here and now have two dogs that are bred and another one being bred. I have one litter due in 2 weeks, and one due in mid August. Prayerfully, I will have a third one due by the end of August as well.

We went to the Exotic Animal Swap Meet in Allen, NE again this past weekend. We had a wonderful time!! And no rain! YEA! There were people there from ND, SD, IA, NE, MN and WI with numerous animals for swap and/or for sale, such as: camels, llamas, goats, pot bellied pigs, dogs, cats, ferrets, bunnies, baby calves, guinea pigs, donkeys, mini ponies, horses, peacocks...you name it! We brought home 3 more laying ducks (now giving us 4 females and 1 male), since I love cooking and baking with duck eggs over chicken eggs whenever I can. And of course we also brought home two bunnies! Ashley has named hers Issac, and Zach has named his Leah. I am praying for no baby bunnies however! Dogs yes, but I really don't want oodles of bunnies! Can you have a bunny spayed or neutered?!

Ashley and the younger kids planted a garden this week. I pray that we won't have so much more rain that it washes it all out. They planted corn, carrots, pumpkin, yellow squash and cucumbers. IA is in a constant flood state this spring, with so many of the fields being washed out, so I am praying that we are past some of this and that all will grow well, even if it is later this summer that we reap the harvest. With grocery prices going higher and higher, it's certainly worth trying.

Well I think this is basically all that's basically been going on at our house the last week or so. More later, and I hope pictures too!

Storms and More Storms

2008-06-06T23:16:00.005-05:00

It has been storming off and on for the last two or three weeks now here in IA. Not surprising, as it is spring, but the winds have been just terrible lately! We have lost two windows on our back porch (at different times), one of our gas grills, and now the dog kennel! Thank God that the dogs weren't in it at the time!! I don't know where they would have ended up as little as they are!

The kennel was over the dog house!

Our Dogs Are Here At Home Now!!

2008-05-25T13:09:00.015-05:00

Yesterday we were able to bring our breeding dogs home after two very long months of waiting. We are all so happy to have them here! We have missed seeing them and playing with them so much! Long story short, after our son-in-law's mother tried to cause us much grief in several areas when the kids first talked divorce (which is no longer their plan), his mother was then determined to close down my new dog breeding business before I even got my feet wet (she didn't like the idea of "our" grandson being raised around dogs, especially ones for dog breeding, though she has never stepped foot on any of our properties in the 5 years time we have known them to even know what she is talking about), we decided to send the dogs to stay with a friend of ours, and started applying for everything we could to make it safe for the dogs to be here and not be doing anything that she could use against us. We got a Kennel License, even though the man who came out from the Dept. Of Agriculture didn't see our need to have one yet. And, even though we are already zoned for farmland, cows, horses and pigs where we live, we even went before the Board of the Zoning and Planning Commission and requested that my dog breeding business be added to the zoning area. PTL the board voted a unanimous yes to it, even though, as one member put it, "It is silly to have to do this." It has been a very costly endeavour for all of this as each individual application costs between $40.00 - $260.00, it will be well worth it to know that we are covered 100% in any way that we can think of. Our dogs had all been licensed (even dual licensed in the same county), had their vaccinations all up-to-date, etc., but none of that mattered to our SIL's mother as she considers "dogs to be dirty animals." His family will not like knowing that I have chosen to still pursue this business, but there is nothing else that can say about it that will change my mind. The Lord blessed us with Sheeba, our pet Yorki-Poo, having a litter of two pups ready to sell just at the time we needed the money to do all of this. He is so good!! I am blessed that He has granted us his favor in all of this, and that things have gone well for us. I am wanting a small hobby business, and to breed tiny little dogs around 6 lbs. in size when full grown, not to build a whole new building and have several hundred large breed dogs!! BUT, PTL, God knows the desires of our hearts, and has blessed us!

So, welcome all to my 'official' dog breeding business,

"Heaven's Tiny Petals."

(The Chihuahuas pictured are not mine, but our daughter's dogs.)

:+)

Our 16th Year of Home Schooling is Almost Upon Us!!!

2008-05-18T11:50:00.003-05:00

Wow!!!! Where do I begin?! I have been contemplating school for next year. It has been such a long three months since our baby Samuel died, and I am just finally getting back in to the groove of things, somewhat anyway. What has been a huge blessing to me was the Homeschool Expo sponsored and put on by Cindy Rushton. I love Cindy!! I have always enjoyed her website, blogs, ezines, etc., but was especially blessed when she helped encourage me through her emails (being able to relate with me after losing a baby/babies) herself. She blessed me with a special opportunity to join the Expo a couple of weeks ago. I needed that burst of excitement and encouragement again! It was like a breath of fresh air for me! I had a great time visiting with all the other moms there, sometimes there were as many as 200 of us at a time for one class! That was awesome!!! At any rate, I enjoyed the Expo very much!!!! If you happen to read this, thank you again Cindy!

This is what brings me to my thinking here. God continually keeps bringing me back to this one path over and over again. I have been reading (as often as time allows me to) anything I could find and devour on the subject. You could say that it is a philosophy...a way of raising children...the Charlotte Mason way!! :+)

Charlotte Mason was a British Educator who was born in the 18oos. Her Victorian style of writing often throws people for a loop in today's world, but her ideas deserve a second and third look. First, she begins by reminding mothers that there is no higher calling, no greater responsibility, than raising a child. She believes that, "Education is an Atmosphere, a Discipline, a Life." She uses a literature-based approach to education and believes in using few textbooks or workbooks (though we will be using them for math at least for this coming year), there are oodles of interesting books to read and/or have read to our children. Every day there are art projects, nature walks, music or some sort of activity to do. She believes that children of all ages should have plenty of play time outdoors whenever absolutely possible. She believed that fresh air and sunshine are so important for our children. Freedom to run, play and go where their imagination takes them. She truly believed that wholeheartedly. So do we. That's one reason we moved out to the country in the first place 7 years ago , and why we moved back out to the country a year ago, this time to stay, after a short period of five months in town again. Our hearts belong in the country!!! Ask any of our children and I think they would all agree (except for maybe our oldest son Zach right now). (grin)

So, as far as our 4 youngest children, and God willing, will be using the Charlotte Mason ideas and principles of schooling this upcoming school year. There are several curriculum websites geared toward helping someone who wants to school this way, to set parents on the right path, and we are checking into which ones we want to use. Right now we are vacillating between AO (Ambleside Online), or OFE (Old Fashion Education). I am praying for God's guidance on which to use. There are a couple of others as well, so time will tell where God will lead.

Two Special Little Girls

2008-05-18T09:15:00.006-05:00

These two beautiful little girls are twins, Anja and Alara. We have done foster care for several years now, and when these two little girls came to live with us, they were an immediate hit with our whole family, tiny as they were! They have now been home with their parents for quite some time, but we still consider ourselves blessed to be a part of their lives, and to get to see them and spend time with them. They are here this weekend visiting us for four days. Their parents are taking a much deserved mini vacation for a few days. Between working, school, and also their two other children, they are continually busy people. They are wonderful parents and are doing a wonderful job raising their children. It is amazing how much the girls have grown, and how much they can now talk, talk, talk. They are such sweet little girls!! Many times, when you have little ones in foster care, and the time comes to say good-bye, it is one of the hardest things you will ever have to do. That is why we are so blessed that we get to see and spend time with the girls, and keep in touch with their family. Aren't they just beautiful?!?! :+)

My How Spring Has Changed Them!

2008-05-16T17:53:00.001-05:00

On April 1st, Doug brought home two baby geese. They have really grown the last six weeks and are almost completely white now! They will still come up to us to pet them, but have decided that chasing the little girls is quite fun!!

Who Says He's Not a Couch Puppy?

2008-05-16T17:09:00.004-05:00

Well he's not really a "puppy," that's for sure! And he does weigh 200 lbs. now, but he thinks he's still a "baby." He's actually almost 6 years old now. You'd think he was a baby when a thunderstorm hits though. He'll tear down a door to get in the house if it even looks like rain (and I mean literally as he tore a huge hole in the garage door to get in to the house one night!). He loves to play with our kids though, and makes such a great pet and watch dog!

(Bo is pictured here with John, one of our oldest son's best friends.)

Duggers Expecting Baby # 18!

2008-05-14T13:05:00.002-05:00

Duggars Expecting #18
Posted in Quiverfull
The Duggar family just keeps on growing! Michelle and Jim Bob announced live on The TODAY Show that Michelle is pregnant with baby #18, and they’re very excited for the new addition to their family. The new baby is due on New Year's Day, Jan. 1, 2009.....

They are so inspiring to me!! I love to keep up on what's going on in their lives and their home school!! See them here!

http://www.duggarfamily.com/photos.html

A True Definition of a Woman

2008-05-13T22:43:00.008-05:00

"Now this is the true definition of a Woman!"

One Flaw In Women
By the time the Lord made woman,
He was into his sixth day of working overtime.
An angel appeared and said,
Why are you spending so much time on this one?'
And the Lord answered, 'Have you seen my spec sheet on her?
She has to be completely washable -- but not plastic, have over 200
movable parts -- all replaceable, be able to run on diet coke and
leftovers, have a lap that can hold four children at one time, have a
kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart --
and she will do everything with only two hands.'
The angel was astounded at the requirements.
Only two hands!? No way!
And that's just on the standard model?
That's too much work for one day.
Wait until tomorrow to finish.'
'But I won't,' the Lord protested.
'I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own heart..
She already heals herself when she is sick AND can work 18 hour days.'
The angel moved closer and touched the woman.
'But you have made her so soft, Lord.'
'She is soft,' the Lord agreed
'but I have also made her tough.
You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish.'
'Will she be able to think?', asked the angel.
The Lord replied,
'Not only will she be able to think,
she will be able to reason and negotiate.'
The angel then noticed something,
and reaching out, touched the woman's cheek.
'Oops, it looks like you have a leak in this model.
I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one.'
'That's not a leak,'
the Lord corrected,
'that's a tear!'
'What's the tear for?' the angel asked.
The Lord said, 'The tear is her way of expressing her joy, her sorrow,
her pain, her disappointment, her love, her loneliness, her grief and
her pride.'
The angel was impressed.
'You are a genius, Lord.
You thought of everything!
Woman is truly amazing.'
~~~
And she is!
Women have strengths that amaze men.
They bear hardships and they carry burdens, but they hold happiness,
love and joy.
They smile when they want to scream.

They cry when they are happy
and laugh when they are nervous.
They fight for what they believe in.
They stand up to injustice.
They don't take 'no' for an answer
when they believe there is a better solution.
They go without so their family can have.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.
They love unconditionally.
They cry when their children excel
and cheer when their friends get awards.
They are happy when they hear about
a birth or a wedding.
Their hearts break when a friend dies.
They grieve at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when
they think there is no strength left.
They know that a hug and a kiss
can heal a broken heart.
Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.
They'll drive, fly, walk, run, or e-mail you to show how much they
care about you.
The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning.
They bring joy, hope and love.
They have compassion and ideals.
They give moral support to their family and friends.
Women have vital things to say and everything to give.

HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN...
IT IS THAT THEY TRULY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

Dining Room/Living Room - During & After

2008-05-13T20:10:00.001-05:00

Here is a picture of some of the work that we have done on the house. It's hard to explain the extent of all that we have had to do without just showing pictures. This is the same room, a little different angle, but it is mostly done except for the trim around the windows. Someday, maybe someday, it will all be done. :+)

Even More Current Renovations Under Way

2008-05-11T01:30:00.001-05:00

This is the girl's room. Right now Ashley pretty much has the room to herself unless we have company, or for Saph and Kaden. Eventually both girls who still live at home (Ashley and Sheyenne) will share this room. Sheyenne is a neat person like Ashley, and they both love animals, so they should make good roommates. ~~~ This is a before picture and now two after pictures.

Continually Working on Renovations

2008-05-11T00:16:00.004-05:00

We have just today gotten closer to finishing the remodeling of the bedroom for our boys. Yes, they will all four be sharing one bedroom, but they have plenty of space as they have the biggest bedroom in the house. We still have little things like trim around the windows to put up, and the ceiling vents still need to be put up, but it's slowly coming along.