Abundant Blessings Homestead

To anonymous, my reply

I wrote a post on how we will not be able to buy used clothes or toys anymore.   I received a reply from "Anonymous"   Here is what "Anonymous has said:

I think its a great idea. I think buying used clothes and toys is nasty and cheap. Do you know everyone single person who get them from. You have no idea what kind people sell this stuff. Do they smoke live on a farm with dirt and animals? Why not just buy stuff at the store that is lead free and made in America? Look for sales and buy it then.  

My Reply:

1. is I am dirty and nasty!  I make my children dirty and nasty because we buy some used clothes! !   Are you dirty and nasty too? Ok , hello wake up anonymous!  Used close is NOT nasty and dirty.  Have you ever used or even heard of soap?  It is a neat thing you can CLEAN with it.  We buy new also, but like to find great deals.  God tells us to be good stewards. Saving money is being a good steward.

2. If the old owner smoked , um here we go again SOAP!

3. Is I am a dirty yup, I will admit it! !  I love to play in my garden, to feel the dirt , dig holes, put plants and seeds in!   I own a FARM I am getting dirtier!!!!!  I raise hogs, poultry, beef, goats,we have have horses and so many animals it will make your head spin!  We run bare foot most of the time on our farm, Even more dirt!!  We live in California and we just do not wear shoes unless we have too.  I know this is a bad habit . but we do it.

My daughter Kristi was verry sick on summer she had pneumonia and Shayna and I along with a hired man where building a barn.  So we set up a tent with a bed and a air cleaner for Kristi.  I went to go check on her and I found her in the pig pen curled up in the pigs bed of straw with her 500lb sow wrapped around her , she kept Kristi safe. So my family is odd.

But guess what all the dirt washes of in the shower/bath.  There is a wonderful new invention called a washing machine.  You add your clothes and SOAP and it washes them , Amazing I know.   Check them out!!

This FARMER is proud to be a FARMER.  I was not brought up that way.  I was brought up a rich *B*.  My dad is a famous singer, guitar player.  I was raised with singers, movie stars and more. 

But you know what makes me happy?? My life as a FARMER , growing thing , animals.  When I am done at the end of the day I take a shower and use SOAP to get clean.  When I am done I slip on my Guess jeans & shirt, la mystere bra.     ok some habits are hard to break !!  

 I do look for  jeans that someone bought and they did not fit , or wore a few times to buy.  why pay $79.00 for my jeans when I can get them for about $20.00 on ebay?!?!? 

Did you know you can find brand new clothes at thrift stores?  Yes, it is true.  We find them all the time.  We like some brands. I love Guess, the girls love Bongo and Candies, Roxy, but we buy them at a way lower prices than we could ever dream of getting at a regular store on sale.

Anonymous get real !  My friends keep looking and buying used.  The other people do not know what they are missing!!

God Bless, mj

Prayers for Israel

    " Pray for peace in Jerusalem: May those who love her be safe. May there be peace within her walls and safety within her strong towers." 

                   ~ Psalm 122: 6 & 7 NCV ~

Like many of you my heart goes out to Israel at this time.  The media has launched an anti-Israel campaign.  They are not telling the truth about what is really going on there.  My prayers are that peace will be in Jerusalem. The bible tells us to pray for Israel and for her peace. I pray the United States may always be counted as one of her allies.  Israel still has a destiny to fulfill and God has His eyes on His people.  His promises will be fulfilled in due time.

Praying,

~ gloria ~

Homeschooling thru the years...

I realized today I have not blogged much about homeschooling.  Our family began homeschooling years and years ago, when my oldest child  ( 15 yrs old now) at the time was getting ready for kindergarten. I remember reading everything I could about home education and then taking the "plunge"!  Of course back then I had just a few little ones to school, and now there are 8 children being homeschooled at home! 

Homeschooling does pose it's challenges --  but overall I have been really pleased with the results.  I can't even imagine putting my kids in the public school system.  I know there are many wonderful & gifted teachers teaching in the schoools, and I am sure many kids are receiving a good education.   The decision to homeschool is much more than "academics" to me.  It's more about "relationship" with my kids then academics. Oh sure, we do have our texts and our projects we are working on, but the focus has never been on the "books" but on character development and relationships. My greatest desire is to keep my kid's hearts and to really lead them to a personal walk with the Lord.  I want our schooling time and our books we use to glorify God and to teach truth not relativism or humanism.

So we continue to homeschool. Some days I am tired. Like many of you I deal with the yearly "burn out" syndrome, and the days do come where I ask myself "why am I doing this to myself"!   But when I stop to really think about things and look into my kid's faces and eyes..... there is NO way I could put them in the local school.  I just can't. 

Does that mean homeschooling is a "perfect" fit? No! I am sure that there are many things I could be doing better as their teacher and there are hard days when I am struggling along with a child and something they are trying to understand or learn.  But overall, homeschooling is so much more than academics. ... it's a way of life...... our life does not revolve around "school" ........ we do have a time set aside each day for doing the math, the grammar, the spelling, etc. But we have learned to be flexible and to keep the "big picture" in mind.

Recently I found out a good friend of mine has quit homeschooling her kids after years of doing so. It just broke my heart.  She has beautiful children and for the life of me I don't understand why she would make that choice. But regardless of how I feel about homeschooling, I know it's not for everyone.

One of the things I really love about homeschooling is the ability it gives me to really *know* my kids.... there is no "guessing" what is going on in their minds...... everything is revealed and there is nothing hidden....if there is a problem, it's evident..... if there is an attitude that needs to be adjusted that is known too...... it's all up front and open....... no hiding anything... that can be tough, especially when mom's flaws are "open" too!  So I openly admit, homeschooling is a "stretch" for mom, and it certainly does keep me on my toes!  ( no hiding my sins behind closed doors around here!!)

I wanted to share one aspect of homeschooling that I really, really love and that is the opporotunity that homeschooling can give to really develop a love of learning in our children . By that I do not mean learning their math facts or spelling words -- what I mean is loving to learn about something for the sake of loving to learn!  Each month my kids choose a topic that they wish to study and dwelve into.... it can be anything........ and believe me we have had some interesting topics thru the years. :)  After their assigned subjects are completed they can spend as long as they wish studying their "topic of choice".   At the end of the month we have a "report night" where each child writes up a report on their topic, presents an oral report ( they hand in a typed report for me to file) and can also share a display board with drawings or print outs.  The kids really look forward to this night!  They enjoy sharing their knowledge with the rest of the family.  It gives them a sense of accomplishment.   My husband & I also enjoy hearing about what they are learning and what they have gleaned from their in depth study. 

Here are some snapshots of  our report night we held a few nights back.  As always the reports were interesting and varied.  :) 

This past month we had:

Sarah studied  about the Pilgrims.  Big sister Hannah, helped her put a display board together. :)  She loves to give these reports, even though she is just 6 yrs old and needs help reading her report a loud. :)

Paul learned about Abraham Lincoln .  The twins are getting much better with their reading and didn't need much help giving their reports!

Peter gave a wonderful report on Martin Luther King Jr.

Rebekah studied about Anne Frank.....

Samuel gave a wonderful report on William Penn -- the founder of Pennsylvania ....I learned a ton just by listening to his report!

Rachel enjoyed learning about the "maide of Louraine"....Joan of Arc.......

Hannah studied up on Mary Queen of Scotts......... what a sad and interesting life she led.....Hannah loves to study about famous women in history....... she's a lot like her mom. :) I too love studying the lives of famous women -- right now I am reading about the life of Susanna Wesley the mother of Charles & John Wesley.

Last but not least, Jacob gave us a very detailed report on the Vietnam War.......he loves to study wars, and he really learned a lot. This month he has chosen to study  the Korean War, so he really is into this "war" studies lately!  He loves history and mostly chooses historical topics of interest.

This coming month the kids have chosen the following topics to study:

Jacob: Korean War, Hannah : Christopher Columbus, Rachel: Eleanor Roosevelt, Samuel: Lightening, Rebekah: Horses, Peter: George Washington ( again!), Paul: Trains, Sarah : Dogs

I hope my kids can look back upon their years homeschooling with fondness. :)  I know I will have many many memories to look back upon.  No regrets here, even though there are the the "days" I wonder what on earth I have done to myself!

~ gloria ~

Thoughts on children and life

I’m getting lots done around here.

I made some diaper rash ointment for the boys yesterday in my baby crock-pot. I don’t remember who gave it to us when we married, but it’s the perfect size for my herbs and salves and tinctures. The four of us have pretty much out-grown it, though, and it never EVER was big enough to hold a whole roast. Back in my more primitive days, I once sawed a roast in half to wedge it in there.

That’s okay, though. In a step of faith that our family size will one day be worthy, I now own a 22-quart roaster. Did you know these work as mini ovens? You can even make bread in them. And they can also serve as a really large crock-pot for big families? One of these days, I’ll have three teenagers (or possibly even more!!!), Lord willing, and I have a feeling that the capability of making three gallons of chili at a time might come in handy! lol

I’m getting so much de-cluttered that it’s wonderful! I might actually get to some deep cleaning soon. Or even surface cleaning. I don’t like clutter, so cleaning is what gets pushed to the back burner around here. Who cares what the mirrors look like if I can’t walk for toys?

When I first came off of bedrest, it really seemed to stress my body to “do stuff”. Several times I had contractions 5 minutes apart for hours. At this point, things have calmed down to the point that “Hey, you want to work hard? Go for it!” and I might get them 15 minutes apart.

So, yes. It feels as if I could be pregnant forever. But, also, it’s lovely to get caught up and reign as Queen of My Own House again.

Last I knew, about a week ago, the baby was only a -3. I must carry my babies really high, or at least this one; because the little feet haven’t been under my ribs for a while now. It was kinda a neat feeling – and it was unique to this pregnancy. I miss it. I almost wonder if the baby is a -2 now, but I’m too nervous to hope. I go back to see my midwife tomorrow – I’m sure she thought I’d have this baby by now, but like I said, my body seems to have adjusted to the strain of going from comatose to active. It’s been the calmest week ever! *sigh*

Still, I trust God’s timing. And I’m willing to wait for it, really. That actually has something to do with why I’m due with another munchkin when my sweet Elijah just turned 15mo yesterday. His spacing, not mine. I do happen to think it’s delightful to be expecting a baby just when my last baby is suddenly becoming very Mommy-independent! Would I be as happy if I thought their spacing was just a fluke? Maybe, maybe not.

Of course, there are those that would say that he’s becoming independent because suddenly I’m not going to have the time for him like I used to; bosh! I’m with my babies 24/7. I do all the clothing, feeding, kissing boo-boo’s and wiping noses, singing, reading, counting, laughing, scolding, praising . . . they get a whole lot more of me than they would if I were working!

So, soon there will be three of them sharing me. Oh, the horror! But how many share one teacher in school? How many children share one day-care worker? Honestly, is a one-to-three ratio that dreadful?

Maybe it’s the close spacing that’s bad. Who can cope with three little ones pulling in different directions? But it’s closer to the spacing which is “ideal”, which is all the 5yo together, all the 6yo together, etc. It means they have very similar interests. Surely it’s somewhat easier to have one almost 3yo, one 15mo, and one newborn rather than 3 newborns, or three 15-month olds, or three 3yo?

Yes, no? These are just thoughts I ponder occasionally. Where do we get the idea that a young mother of three little ones is a stressed out mess (not to say I’m sometimes not) but that a child-care specialist with 8 of the same age is somehow more capable?

Here is an excellent blog that puts so much more into perspective than I can. From a mom of fourteen:

“. . . you may have gotten the impression that I think that having a large family has been the driving force in my life. This is so far from the truth.

The message, if any, that should be drawn from the testimony of who I am is this: She trusted God and surrendered, and it was good.”

Amen. That’s what it is all about . . . . it isn't about hitting a certain number of children. It's about letting go of my ideas and plans. Finding joy in God's design - surrender. Trust. Faith. Hope. The whole article is so good. You should really take the time to read it. I want to be like her when I grow up! *smile*

~Ashley~

Keep Your Kids New Games in Tact

Likely you have taken down your Christmas decorations and are in full swing of getting your kids to get their new items put away. This is always a good way to get the year started. If you are finding it hard to find space for those items, consider joining the Total Home Overhaul which will be unveiled today! But here is an essential way to help keep those new gifts fun and entertaining!

Read More...

Time to Save on Christmas

Most everyone knows that there is an abundance of great sales AFTER Christmas on wide variety of items. This year is a banner year for savings. With profits down for retailers they are sales abound. However, seasonal items are more deeply discounted. This is a wonderful opportunity for you take use a small amount of money to begin to prepare for next Christmas. These amazing sales can b e very enticing and often times I have found years when I have spent more than I had originally intended because I have found SO many great buys. This year we all need to focus on controlling our frugal purchases and there is a simple way you can score BIG on the savings without going overboard.

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We made butter

One day last week I remembered that I had bought some heavy cream over the holidays for Moma's Favorite Cookie, which I am GOING to post the recipe for! REALLY! :)  Well, I thought with this much cream, it would be a good time to show the children how to make butter... well the easy way to make butter.
We pulled out the ole food processor.
Poured in all that cream and turned it on...
There were a few different stages that I told them we would see...
First of all we saw it just as a liquid, as it is as cream.
We would start seeing the cream slowly becoming thicker, until we had it at the whipped cream stage.
They all tried it at this point and sneered... sadly they thought it would taste like cool whip.  Pitiful, huh? I told them at the enormous amounts of 'stuff' added to cool whip and this was so much better, and that we could add a little sweetner if we wanted whipped cream, but we want butter!
Keep it moving, keep it moving...
FINALLY!
BUTTER! :) HURRAH!
Please forgive the skunk stripes down my child's hair... our New Years Party got a bit crazy! :) haha
Mmm... this butter is good, Mom!
We even took the buttermilk and put it in a jar to use later and washed the curds with ice water to help get all the milk off so the butter would last longer.
Now a solid. How crazy are we? Doing school when we are supposed to be on holiday? haha... so is the life of a homeschooler.
I hope you have a great day friends.
My Cup Runneth Over...

I did IT

What I did may be no big deal to you but for me and hubby, it is great.  What is it??  My marketing cost.  I usually  spend about $1000 to $1500 a month of food for our family.

What I did is make a list of dinner from meat we have on hand. So them I made a list of what I need to complete each meal.  Guess what I spent a $118.00 to make 25 dinners!!   I am so happy!

The dinners are:

1. Corn beef cabbage  Tonight's dinner.

2. Taco's

3. Baked chicken , green beans, rice rolls.

4. Steak sauce over rice, corn , rolls.  Made

5. Beef stew, salad , corn bread.

6. Egg plant pasta, salad, rolls.

7. Steaks , bake potatoes, salad , veg.

8. Breakfast.

9. Mexican dish, rice , beans.

10. Meatballs, mashed potatoes, rolls.

11. Chicken bake dinner, salad, rolls.

12. Pork steaks , mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls.

13. Green bean casserole, salad, rolls.

14. Hamburger helper , mac~n~cheese

15. Pork chops, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls.  Made

16. A BBQ baked chicken, baked fires, beans.

17. Leek soup, corn bread.

18. homemade pizza's.

19. Chicken pot pies, salad, rolls.

20. Veggies beef soup, corn bread.

21. Beef pot pie, corn bread.

22. Chicken ~N~ dumplings, salad

23. Pasta dish,  salad ,  Garlic bread.

24.  Beef roast, salad, rolls.

25. A Mexican dish from left over roast, rice, beans.

This is the list of dinners I made.  What I do is ask hubby what he wants for dinner the night before.  Then we defrost it in the morning unless it is a roast then we start it the night before.

Please check out my other blog there is some info on how we are not going to be able to buy used clothes anymore, it is a new law.

God Bless, mj

I was Tagged and I Didn't Even Know it!

Carrie Ann got me and I didn't even know it.   If it hadn't been so long since I'd visited her page (sorry Carrie!) I would have known sooner.  She has a beautiful new site and I recommend you paying her a visit (Plus I love the new picture of her and her husband!)   I have never been tagged before, but I feel honored! 

This picture was taken at Lane Packing Company shortly after we moved here last year.  We went out for the Fall Pumpkin Harvest thinking that we'd get to pick our own pumpkins, but it ended up being a disappointment.  It was just a pile of pumpkins in a field, already picked for us.  The girls still had a good time at the park they have on the premises!

So, I had to post the 5th photo out of my 5th folder of the "pictures" folder on my desk top.  Now, it's my turn - I tag Gloria, Alex,  and Amy Jo.  You won't be disappointed when stopping by their blogs!

A MUST READ FOR ALL OF US