~~~Ponderosa Hills~~~

Peanut Butter and Jelly!!!

This is the day that the Lord hath made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!!!

We are having an evangelist at our church this week.  Tonight is the last night.  It has been such a blessing.  We know what we are supposed to do and we even get in a rut sometimes.  It is just good to have someone tell it to us again. Someone different and in a different way.  He spoke the other night about peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  Oh how I love a good peanut butter and jelly sandwich, with cruncy peanut butter and homemade blackberry jam.  There's nothing better.  But in our spiritual life are we getting good peanut butter and jelly?  The peanut butter is our daily walk with the Lord.  Are we, am I, spending quality time with God every day.  Reading God's word, praying and praising him.  I had to admit that I do not get may daily devotional time in every day.  With nine children, as soon as my feet  hit the floor I am off and running and don't stop until I crawl back into bed in the evening.  But it is so important to make the time.  I have found that when I put the two youngest ones down for a nap, I sit in my rocker by their beds and read my bible.(they would crawl out of their beds if I didn't sit there until they went to sleep!! little stinkers And then we need to remember when we do get the chance to spend the time with God that it is quality time and not just going through the motions.  I've been asking my family "did you get your peanut butter today?"  They laugh, but they know how important it is.  Now to the Jelly!!  The jelly is our church attendance, our fellowship with other believers.  It is true that we need to be fed and led by our shepherd that God has put over us.  There are all kinds of needs in a church, we need to go to church with that in mind.  What need can you meet today? 

Anyway, I thought it was so good to hear it that way!!!!

I hope you all have a blessed day in the Lord,

God bless,

Mare

Happy Birthday Dear Matt!!!!!

This is the day that the Lord hath made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!!!

I so enjoy reading other's blogs that I forget sometimes that I have my own.  I don't have much time for the computer so I need to make a little time for writing.

Yesterday, May20, my oldest had a birthday!!! He is 20.  I think there is a funny name for a birthday like that.  20 on the 20th, or something.  Anyway, he is no longer a teen.  I have been thinking back over the past twenty years and what has happened.  8 more children have been born, we've moved umteen million times!!! LOL

This young man of mine was the easiest to teach to read, but the hardest to get to, stay to and finish his school work.  He would have rather been outside doing boy things.  He got his first job when he was 15 and has had one ever since.  Got his drivers license when he was 18.  We didn't see the need until then.  Is attending our churches bible college and is so sweet and so stubborn at the same time!!!  I can remember his birth like it was yesterday.  Every detail. I love him dearly!!!

I just wanted to wish him the very best birthday and pray that he has another blessed year!!!

Happy Mother's Day to All!!!

This is the day that the Lord hath made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!!!

I hope and pray that all of you had a wonderful mother's day!!  Mine was a beautiful day.  We didn't do much.  The children cooked lunch, cleaned up and then the older ones took the younger ones out to play.  It was so quiet in my house.  I didn't know what to do with myself!!!  I took my crochet and my iced tea and sat outside in my adirondack chair and watched everyone play!!!

We had a beautiful church service.  A week ago several of our young people and adults went to Laredo, Texas and Neuvo Laredo,Mexico for a mission trip.  We know some people who have a place that helps missionaries go into mexico.  It really touched the kids as they went through mexico and handed out tracks and talked a little with the Mexican people and to see how they live.  Many or most are extremely poor and are hungry for the Word of God.  They all gave a testimony yesterday.  My seventeen year old  feels God is calling him to preach to the Mexican people.  He probably will go back there next year.  What a beautiful mother's day gift.  It just touched me so deep!! 

I heard the other day a message on the radio about mothers and Mary the mother of Jesus.  You know the last thing he did, while he was hanging on the cross, ready to die, was to make sure his mother was taken care of.  He loved his mother and knew how she was grieving and took compassion on her. 

Did we all wish our own mother's a happy day?

God bless you all!!!

Mare

My Weekend!!

This is the day that the Lord hath made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!!!

Now that the living room is done (except for flooring), we moved on to the kitchen and dining room.  I found a beautiful spring green for the walls and we also found a really neat wall paper border.  Kind of a retro 30's kitchen border.  The kitchen and dining room look so neat now.  Bright and springy!!!

It's nice out today so I think that I will have everyone out doing spring clean up.  It is amazing what get's lost under the snow.  Even when you think you've picked it all up before the first snow comes!!! LOL

I've been trying to plan my herb garden.  I am just learning about herbs and how to use them medicinally as well as cooking with them.

So, I want to plant the herbs that I will use as well as some that just look beautiful.

I am also planning my vegetable garden.  I am just itching to get out there and work in the dirt again.  But it will be another month and a half before I can do that.

Anyway, I'd better get going and get my clan moving.

God bless to you all,

Mare

Saturday Ramblings

This is the day that the Lord hath made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!!!

Hello and Happy Saturday to you all!!!

Today is just a beautiful day.  The sun is shinning, the kids can go out and play.  The snow is gone.  It seems like this past winter was extra hard.  I am so glad for the warm weather!!!  To be able to open the windows and let the warm breeze come through.  Now I am itching to ge my garden going.  Yes, I think I will still plant one.  Even if we sell the house, I will probably still be able to get some things out of it.

Just found out that my brother is going to take the four oldest boys back-packing this July.  My brother and father go every summer into the Marble Mountian Wilderness Area.  It is located in Northern California.  Very beautiful and rugged.  They are so excited.  So they will be gone for about a week and a half.   Then in May they are going to Mexico again on a mission trip with our church.  They will be gone seven days then too!!!  I am missing them already!!!  But they have such a great time in Mexico and it is such a great opportunity to witness to the Mexican people and to help out other missionaries.  I think it is good for them to see how other, less fortunate, people live and how blessed we really are.

School is going good.  We are working really hard until mid June and then we will take a couple of months off and then start up again.  Even if we don't finish what we have.  It is just too hard to keep going during the garden months and hauling wood.

Well, I'm off to tend to this house.  The guys are out hauling wood today.  Hopefully we will find someone to buy it.

God bless to you all!!!

Mare

Puppies!!! Puppies!!!

We have five new additions to our canine family.   Our mama dog, Kita (Siberian Husky) had five beautiful babies.  They are three and a half weeks now. We have two all white, two black, sliver and white and 1 brown and white.  Beautiful little masks.  Two are sold.  They were sold before they were born.  So I need to sell the other three.  They are so cute, I don't think I will have a problem with it!!! LOL

We talked with a realtor and the house is going up for sale in a couple of months.  I am excited and scared at the same time.  We have never sold a house before.  Anyway, we are working at getting it all fixed up.  Painting, putting flooring down, doing finishing work.

Almost all of the snow is gone.  It has been a long winter.  I am longing for warm long days.  I can't wait to put the garden in.  I almost think I shouldn't.  What if the house sells? LOL  But it will keep me busy outside.  Goodness knows I have enough to keep me busy through the day inside the house.  So I need something to get me outside!!!

Anyway, got to go and fix breakfast for this clan!!!

God bless to all

Mare

!!Happy Spring!!

Happy Spring Everyone,

Finally we have some warm weather here in northern Idaho.  Our snow is almost gone, there is even some new green grass springing forth!!  I have been able to open the windows for a few hours in the day and let in that fresh spring air.

Dh has been working on the house once again.  We got the knotty pine up on the ceiling and walls.  He also got the 'brick' paneling behind the wood cook stove and the propane cook stove.  It looks so neat.

The older boys are working more now that the weather has warmed a little and the snow is gone.  They work for a friend in our church doing yard cleaning and maintenance.  Our oldest works building and maintaining log homes.  He really likes the work.

Our 17 and 18 year olds are working on getting their drivers licences'.  We have found that they don't even need the things until this age.  Of course, we don't have enough vehicles for everyone to drive, but at least there will be extra drivers!!!

I'd better get back to this crew!!!

God bless to you all,

Mare

New Here!!

Hello Everyone in Blogger land!!

I am new to this blog site but not new to homesteading!!  We live in Northern Idaho about an hour from the Canadian border.  Right now we live in  five acres, mostly wooded.  But we do have chickens and had a good garden last year.  Right now the chickens arn't doing too well but just wait until spring!!! OOOOOohhhhhh I just can't wait for warm weather again!!! Must be old age or something, but I just don't like winter anymore!!! LOL

Anyway, When we first moved to the area we lived in an old house built around 1914 on almost 10 acres.  We had pasture for 6 cows and a pony.  We also raised lots of pigs.  We would go to the local auction and bring home little  piglets and raise them and sell them.  It was good, but it was smelly!!  Two of our cows were milk cows.  One was a Jersey (Rosie) and the other was a holstein (clover--she would always pick out the clover in her hay first and then eat the rest!!!)  We don't have cows now, and I sure do miss the fresh milk and butter.  It was fun.  We are working on clearing land so that we can again have those marvelous cows.

We also homeschool 5 of our 9 children.  The two oldest are done and are working full time. 

They are ds 19, ds 18, ds 16, dd 13, ds 10, ds 8, ds 6, ds 3, and last but not least ds 20 months.  Yes there is only one girl in the bunch!!!  At least I have this one aly!!!

I look forward to reading other's blogs and getting to know you all!!!

God bless,

Mare