Saturday's Snapshot

My kids and my friend, Lindsey's kids piled in the van taking a little break from yard sales...
I promise Cameo is a happy child... she just looks miserable here, or maybe she was falling asleep... haha!
Have a great weekend!

My Cup Runneth Over...Chas

10:33 - Friday, May 16, 2008 - comments {0} - post comment

Friday!

Good Morning!

Weather here is still a bit dreary, but is still quite nice.  We have been productive in the house and have tried to stay home to keep from using gas! With prices jumping 12 cents in one evening it is hard to justify going out for much of anything... but today I must.  We like our milk and I need milk so I can make bread, so we must venture out today.  That and it is our annual Antique Alley down our towns main strip and far beyond... it is always great fun and I am getting ready to head that way now.  I don't plan on buying anything unless there is something TOO delicious that I can't pass it up. I wish you all the greatest of days and that this weekend will be terrific for you as well. 

My Cup Runneth Over...Chas

07:08 - Friday, May 16, 2008 - comments {4} - post comment

I love Thursday's

Thursday's are one of my FAVORITE days... I am not sure why.  I believe I was born on a Thursday, I know I was re-born on a Thursday (Thank you Jesus), so there are two pretty terrific Thursday happenings for me...  But other than that, I usually don't go anywhere on Thursdays, I usually make a pretty nice supper, something a little more labor intensive since I am at home all day. I just like Thursday's. 
Today's Thursday, looks to be a nice one as well.  I had my quiet time already... YEAH! The little ones are stirring, and it looks like it will either be terribly dreary or rainy.  Rainy days are GOOD for quilting and embroidery, something I need to be working on... OH and I have a top to make for Cameo, she is so excited about the top, I have to finish it by Sunday.
Here is a little sneak peek at something we have in the works.  We have a rather smallish house and our storage space is EXTREMELY limited.  So my husband and I have been talking about adding something to help with our storage problems, especially since we are planting a garden about 3 times larger than we have EVER planted!  We are working on putting in a Root Cellar We have the hole dug, Thank you Daddy (remember all that equipment in my back yard?), it will be a 12x12.  I am VERY excited about this project, I have been reading up on it and it is supposed to be one of the cheapest forms of extra storage and perfect to keeping excess fruits and veggies and  to keep our canned goods from our harvest.  Plus, should we have any bad storms, it will be an ideal place to seek shelter, a lot safer than our closet.
Because the hole has been there for a couple of weeks now, the children have a NEW favorite place to play.  War commences with a couple of children in the trenches and a couple behind the piles of clay.  They have had lots of fun there.
Well, my friends... I must tarry, I have a quilt to finish, children to love and educate, food to prepare, and a garden to tend...if the rain holds off... and then I need to get started on a wedding gift.  I hope you enjoy your day and appreciate the simple things today...
Love to each and every one!
My Cup Runneth Over...Chas

07:38 - Thursday, May 15, 2008 - comments {11} - post comment

A Day in My Life...~May

A day in my life~May 14th

My day was lovely yesterday, busy... but lovely nonetheless.  I believe that laundry was started as my feet touched the floor.... but it was a gorgeous day for laundry, I was able to wash the sheets and quilts and line dry everything.

I had roasted the chicken bones from Monday nights dinner and had a beautiful stock ready for our Chicken Soup.


I tended to the garden and my plants, I weeded the herb garden and watered my luffa sprouts


The children and I made noodles for our soup.


A rack that I had purchased to use in my cabinet organizing doubled up and became the perfect drying rack for our pasta...
We enjoyed the homemade noodles so much, I plan on making those again and trying my hand at other types of whole wheat noodles.

The worms are doing exceptional and we tossed in some strawberry tops

I helped the children set up a tent for their camp-out. 

With the temperature dipping so low last night, and such a large chance of rain, and the fact that I REALLY didn't want to sleep on the ground last night, I knew quite well that it wouldn't be a real camp-out...
But... I couldn't tell them just yet, look at them, could you?
We had our family devotion after Shannon came in from visitation, I love to hear the children pray.  Abram has been praying for his family and such, but now since there has been heavy equipment working in the future pasture... every night he thanks God for excavators and dump trucks and dozers. 

Shannon and I watched the last bit of Braveheart last night.  You know you are getting pretty old when it takes you at least 5 separate nights to watch a 177 minute movie... It is Shannon's ALL time favorite movie, and it is very good.  Gruesome at times, where I hid my head, but very good. 
While I watched the movie I worked on my quilting...
Finally, I laid wearily down beside my favorite person in the whole world... Shannon and I talked and snuggled and then I prayed and went to sleep, it was a beautiful day and I am thankful to have lived it.

06:27 - Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - comments {9} - post comment

A day at home...

Good Morning!  I love my home so much.  I love being a keeper of the home.  Yesterday was just glorious all the way around.  We worked out in the yard, we baked and worked in the house, we learned and loved and just enjoyed all of God's goodness. 
We plowed up another garden spot, it still needs some more work to be done on it, because it has a LOT of grass.
I want to put some more corn out but I don't know if I will be able to get it ready for this years planting.
Here Eli is working on weeding the cucumber and squash row.
We have finally found our baby kittens and my son loves to bring them to me while I am working in the garden.  He likes for me to put them in my apron...
The rest of this week will be fun, I am going to post a homemade mayo recipe, I have A Day in My Life post tomorrow, I will update about my worms and taters...  so stay tuned...
Have a great day!
My Cup Runneth Over...Chas

07:33 - Tuesday, May 13, 2008 - comments {9} - post comment

Mother's Day Memories

Good Morning Friends!
I truly hope that you enjoyed your Mother's Day Weekend.  We certainly did.  It was such a great time together.
Friday night we had a special dinner here at our home for my Mother and my Sister's families and then Saturday we worked around the homestead and then Sunday we went to church and spent the rest of the day being a family.
We went to lunch at a restaurant!!!
Such an event, we had to take a picture!
After lunch we went to our favorite creek and had some fun wading and playing about...
My beautiful girls
My wonderful boys
My Beloved Me...We had a truly lovely day and I hope you did too...
Have a great week!
My Cup Runneth Over...Chas

07:57 - Monday, May 12, 2008 - comments {6} - post comment

Saturday's Snapshot

I am beginning a new project... since I usually do not have time to blog on the weekends, I am going to be posting Saturday's Snapshot!
So even if I don't have any thrilling stories (haha) I will be posting a snapshot from our lives...

Here are my BEST Mother's day presents EVER!!!!!

Have a beautiful weekend, and Happy Mother's Day!
My Cup Runneth Over...Chas

11:44 - Saturday, May 10, 2008 - comments {7} - post comment

Vermicomposting

I have been promising pictures of my worms for a while now, this is a new adventure for us.  I can't say as I know all about it, but if you ask any questions, I will try my best to get an answer for you. 
First off vermicomposting is
Composting + Worms = Vermicomposting
Many of us have a compost pile already.  Compost is a wonderful way to recycle your leftovers and enrich soil for your garden.  With Vermicomposting you are doing it even more so.  The worms multiply they shed and they create a worm tea, which is a beautiful organic fertilizer... but that comes later.
First off, let's talk about how to set up your worm farm... small scale.  We are going to be moving our worms to a bathtub soonly, but for now we are using just a plain ole rubbermaid tote box.
Then once you get your tote, drill or cut some small air holes.
Then you want to take shredded paper, newspaper, cardboard and get it moist.
Next, fill with some good soil.  Now you want this place moist but not soggy, you don't want to drown your little fellas. Sorry, I don't have a picture of adding soil.
Then your worms...
You know that you have really started to change when you go online to buy worms rather than shoes or clothing... Here is what my worms looked like when they arrived.
"You mean to tell me you BOUGHT  worms???" A question from my sister Yes, I did buy these worms.  You can't use just any ole worm for this, you want a composting worm, and red wrigglers are just right for the job.  You can't just dig up worms in your backyard for this one.
Here is a close up shot, just for your enjoyment.
Nice, eh?  That is 1000 of those little guys.  
Now what do you feed them???
Anything that was once alive... fruit scraps, veggies, dead plants, paper, hair, the lone sock you find in your dryer, eggs and so on.  Be sure to limit citrus peels and onions, they are quite strong.
Our little guys are getting an old sock and some dead flowers, oh and an apple core...
It is better to cut up the food that you are giving them, it helps them to break it down faster... but I am just eager to see that sock go from a full sock to no sock... so that is why I left it in one piece!
Bon appetit
You want to dig the food down in there with them a bit, and stir them up when you feed them.
Also be sure to keep the farm humid and moist.  Don't let them dry out, a spritzer bottle would be a good thing to have on hand.
Finally take some sheets of newspaper and lay them across the top and moisten them, it helps to keep them down in the bin, so they can do their job. 
Then you can add your lid, and voile you have your worm farm!!!
When I transfer them over to the bathtub, I will make a new post with pictures on that too. 
And that is when I will be able to share with you about worm tea!!!
Have a great day friends!!

My Cup Runneth Over...Chas

07:31 - Friday, May 9, 2008 - comments {14} - post comment

Growing your own food...

Good Morning! 
One of my favorite things is growing our own food.  I love going out and planting, watering, tending to it and then finally seeing the beauty of the harvest.  It is a joy to go out and gather food from your own garden.  We started small many years ago, we planted a couple of tomato plants and the gardening bug bit me hard.  Since then we have added much to our garden.  I enjoy my time out there.  I know my food is not tampered with, it is not 'genetically enhanced' it is clean and good, if my children were to go and eat the strawberries off the vine, they might get a little dirt in their mouth along with the strawberry, but nothing more.
 So if you are a beginning homesteader or just a gardener wanna be, try something small and plant something this year.  Be it one tomato plant, strawberries in a pot, your own herbs, whatever. Just try something and see what happens, it is a wonderful thing to eat the food that has grown in your own back yard...
 We also need to be careful of this mass produced food, so if you don't grow your own at least you can buy locally from someone who does. 
Well, I am off to play in the dirt we have rain coming in this afternoon.  Have a wonderful day!

My Cup Runneth Over...Chas

07:07 - Thursday, May 8, 2008 - comments {3} - post comment

Spring Time Homeschooling

If you are like me the lovely spring weather calls to you, aches for you to 'come play outside'!  As homeschooling Mom's we can feel guilty for our desire to be outside when, we have to school the children.  We need to be doing school for X amount of time a day and yadda yadda...  Don't get me wrong, I am not saying we don't need to be schooling, that is not it at all.  What I am saying is while we have this glorious weather take advantage of it and make sure your kids do too! 

School is not a set environment, when it is a beautiful day get out in the sunshine!  Grab your kids sketch books and run!  Find a spot, have them look for anything that is interesting to them, a bird, flower, rock, tree, clouds, bugs, how something is built... whatever!  Let them draw what they like, and then talk about it together, what is it, if it is something that needs classification, classify it!  Learn about it together! 
If it is planting time, grab your plants and set out to the garden together.  Teach them how to plant, what they are planting, when it should be planted, how far away they should be planted from one another, when you should expect a harvest, how often you should water.  This is learning at its BEST!!!
If it is laundry day, take your laundry out with your littles, have them help by handing it to you while you pin it on the line, talk about how long it takes to dry in the sunshine, how much energy your dryer uses when you run it, how much money this is helping to save your family if you do this all month,  how warm is it outside today?  So much to be learned from Mom and Dad... So much can be learned from our little ones.  They have a natural God given desire to learn, a natural inclination to help if we would just cultivate it!
My challenge to each of you as well as to myself is to include your children, let them learn alongside you, learn to love and appreciate them as little ones.  We should teach ourselves to be patient and kind with our words, to instruct with love.  I know it seems easier to say, now you go play over there while I do this.  They are out of the way, you can surely get things done much faster by yourself, right?  We are robbing our children and ourselves when things are handled this way.  These are precious moments that we will never get back and these are prime opportunities to 'school', nurture, grow, love and make memories...
So don't feel guilty when the gorgeous sunshine is beckoning you out of doors or your plants are needing tending to in the garden...  Grab your things and your children and go school!  Some of the best times will be for the making!

My Cup Runneth Over...Chas

07:26 - Wednesday, May 7, 2008 - comments {3} - post comment