Our Green Acres

Catching up.....

It's been rather busy around here....and my blogging has gone by the wayside....

It's late..or really early morning..depending upon how you want to look at it. Tonight was my monthly MNO. As always, we had a great time!!! We took our party to Wal Mart....and the fun just continued there.

I'm still up cause it's about time for Honey's alarm clock to ring. It's 1:20am...he's getting up shortly. He has to leave here about 2:20 to be in another town to work 4am - 1pm. He's helping out there...yesterday and today. While he's honored to have been asked to do this, it sure messes with the sleeping! Tomorrow, we return to our normal wake time of 3:30..which seems like almost sleeping in after this wake time of 1:30!

School is going well. I still feel a bit behind and unorganized....but I did some cleaning and purging in the office. That made me feel a bit more organized. Now for some bookshelves for our school books. And a bit more time!!

I've been feeling a bit out of sorts for the last few days...then I realized the reason.....yesterday would have been our due date last year. We miscarried our fifth babe in Feb, 2007. I just keep thinking there should be a little 1 year old around here. Makes me sad to realize there's not. At MNO tonight, there was a tiny babe...oh, how that made my heart ache. Time does help..but I believe the ache will always be there. A good friend of mine told me that she still feels the same way too...

Yesterday also marked two months since my Uncle Wayne died. I still can't believe he's really gone. Since I live far away, I guess it doesn't sink in...course living right there must be incredibly hard too. It sure says something about a person's life when there is such a huge void after they're gone. And Uncle Wayne was larger than life...so that void is also huge.

Songs on the radio bring me to tears. On my way to MNO tonight, I was all alone...a rare instance of complete alone-ness for me. I heard a song on the radio that I'd never heard before. I don't even know the name...all I know is that it touched me and the tears flowed. Maybe it wasn't the song at all...just pent up emotions coming out....

I see and hear others who have tiny babes...and I just want to tell them...REALLY tell them how fleeting this time is. Enjoy it. Soak it up. Relish it. Sure, no housework gets done. SO WHAT?! Those dishes will wait. That floor will wait. But, your babies...they won't wait. You'll blink and they'll be 2...blink again and they'll be 5. Blink a few more times and they'll be 15. Oh, I know they wouldn't listen to me...cause there's always something that seems more pressing. But, truly, there's nothing more pressing than loving on your babes. You won't spoil them. You'll nurture them. And you'll treasure these moments....yep, even those sleep deprived ones. You'll look back and realize how wonderful these days were...and you'll miss them. I know we sure do!!!

There goes the alarm...I'm headed to pack Honey's lunch..and then go to bed for a few hours. Sleep...yep...I think I'm ready for sleep!!

Ssd, sad news....

Another tragedy

9 Things About Natalie

Today is my Natalie's 9th birthday. I still want to know where the time goes!!! Seems only yesterday we were at the birth center in Sarasota, Florida, awaiting her birth.....

9 Things About Natalie

1. She's named after two very important people in our lives. Natalie for Toby's grandmother and Diane for my aunt. I can't think of two people who impacted our lives more.

2. She's loving

3. She's tender-hearted

4. She's caring

5. She loves her family

6. She loves animals

7. She is very artistic

8. She's a great student

9. She's beautiful, inside and out.

How do I stop at 9 things? Natalie is a treasure and she is so very loved!!!

Happy Birthday to our Nanny!!!!

13 Things About Thomas

In honor of my only son's birthday, I'm following my tradition and posting all about him!!

13 Things About Thomas

1. He's loveable, loving and respectful

2. He's handy

3. He's quite capable, whether it's building, fixing or creating.

4. He's very smart

5. He's our only son

6. His birth was our first homebirth...and he was birthed into Daddy's hands...as Daddy was the "midwife"!

7. He's all boy.

8. He's Daddy's right hand

9. He kills bugs for his Mama and sisters.

10. He's confident

11. He's a great big brother to his younger sisters

12. He's outgoing

13. He's my baby....squishy cheeks and all...

Happy Birthday, Thomas...our man....our Thomarom....we love you!!!!

Leaf Crafts PART I

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Mom, I’m Bored!

Leaf Crafts PART I

Autumn is fast approaching. Much of the country will be experiencing the beautiful painting of the leaves, which will eventually fall upon the ground. Over the next few weeks, I will post a few crafts that we have enjoyed, and are not your typical projects. Gather these up and watch the leaves. When the time is right you will be prepared with lots of FUN for the kids!

READ MORE...

Homemade Car Care Products

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Simply Frugal

Car Care Products

I am not a fan of car cleaning. I DO LIKE a clean vehicle, but it is one of those things that I let go in lieu of other more important tasks. However, it has been awfully rainy here lately. Unfortunately, our town has not kept the residential roads up as well as needed, so there are a lot of potholes etc. Pair that with a large amount of cleared land and nothing to handle the water that was once absorbed by plant and tree roots and you have a recipe for a lot of muck on your vehicle.

When I went to wash the vehicle, I realized we were out of almost everything, including tire cleaner! UGH! There was a bit of wax, but that wouldn’t do me any good if I couldn’t wash the van. SO, I came inside and headed to the internet to see what I could find about homemade car care products. I really didn’t want to spend any money (I don’t know why I never looked for these categories of homemade products before…) and I wanted something simple. However, it would be terrible if I tried one of my homemade household cleaners on the vehicle, only to do damage to the paint, tires, or interior.

Read More...

Candles: More than Just Special

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

I Can’t Live Simply Until…

Candles Provide a Simple Light

I have offered many posts recently regarding saving money on electricity. While Wednesday’s posts are typically reserved for ideas and tips on obtaining a simple life, today they cross paths. One thing that I have always enjoyed is candles. Many women use scented candles in their homes, most typically in jars. However a really nice touch to a home is to use pillar candles for a light source.

READ MORE...

Ideas for Organizing

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Keep It Together Girl!

Optimal Organization

Organization is such a tricky feat for most of us. Finding the right container with the right niche for items is always a challenge. There is something you can do that will help you immensely; look to others.

We all have friends who are organized, if not all around, organized in some specific area. Talk with them. I have a special friend, who is can take a small area and PACK it with items and yet you never feel cramped in the space. April has a gift.

READ MORE...

Frugal Freezer Food

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Can I Have Some More, Please?

Frugal Freezer Food

How many times I have mentioned that if you throw food away due to spoilage there was no savings in the item to begin with. This is never truer than in your freezer, especially a second freezer. Using a freezer inventory is a wonderful way to keep track of contents and dates by which the items must be consumed, thus helping you with your menu planning. However there is another little trick that I recommend for those with a chest freezer.

READ MORE...