Runnels Rhapsody

Middle daughter is debating job? school? both????

Our middle daughter is debating over a job offer and college or just straight college.   For all our girls we offer them a full ride to college , books , all cost, a car, gas, medical & car insurance , spending money , we do it all like we do now.  The only difference is they have to live at home while they go to school, or board at a far school.  They car work part time where dad and I agree they can for mad money, but they are just to focus on school.   Well, Shayna has a great job offer starting off at $10 -$12 an hour with insurance, 401k, retirement and more.  She will still live at home and we will support her still, minus medical insurance ( she has to be in school for 12 units for ours to cover her) and she can go to college at night.

Shayna wants to open a cafe.  So she would be going to school for that and her art as well as her veterinary.  So now she has a choice to make this job where she could just keep advancing year after year and school or just straight school and open her cafe and sell her art there.  The veterinary is just because she is good at it and loves it(she already has college classes in this from high school) , and well it is good to fall back on if she ever needed to.

We tell her what ever she decides is fine, we will support her 100%.

We are praying over this to see what God has to say.

P.s. the joke on dad went good I will tell you all about Mr. Grump Gills (the fish's name)and dad later , also about his wife they are trying to talk us into buying!!!  Some times I wonder if they are Moses, every needs a mate!     LOL.  Help me!!!

God Bless all, mj

Critters critters everywhere...

Well, our critters are getting big and getting to be a lot of work!  LOL

Several of the pigs should be ready for the processor in the next few weeks.

Our meat chickens and several of our other chickens are scheduled for the processor on August 15th.  Just 2 days before we leave for Disney.  I was just glad to get them in before we leave.  I think it would be good for them to grow a week or two longer, but I didn't want anybody to have to care for them while we were gone.  So they might be a bit on the small side, but we won't have to worry about them while we are gone.

We have 19 meat chickens and 6 misc other chickens that we are sending to the processor.  Plus 5 turkeys.  The turkeys will also be on the small side, but they'll be gone and we won't have to worry while we are gone on vacation.  We'll only have about 12 chickens and 5 guineas for Lance's brother and SIL to care for while we are gone.

Ok, maybe less than that.  I have to do a head count today.  Something attacked them last night just before they went to roost.  I'm not sure how many are missing as I couldn't find them all last night.  The girls and I went out after dark and rescued the turkeys and several chickens from the girl's playhouse, where they decided to roost after the attack.  We put them in the coop but we couldn't find several of our laying hens.  I see them out there this morning, so it looks like most of them are ok.  I figure whatever it was caught 4 or 5 of them altogether.  There were feather piles in several places but it was dark and I could have missed something.

I sold our baby goat last week.  A guy came to the door asking for a goat and I told him I had one baby and one doe.  He said they were going to eat it so he wanted the baby (he was 3 months old and ready to wean.  That's the age they like them for eating).  Anyway, I sold him for $40.  The guy wanted more so he went to the fair and bought 5 wethers that were a little larger.  He said he'd sell me one of them if they didn't eat them all.  I would like a companion for my milk goat now that her baby is gone. 

We had to milk her for about  a week since selling the baby.  We just didn't want her to stop cold turkey and get mastitis or an infection.  I'll check her today, but I think she's fine now.  Lance milked her Monday night and she didn't have much, so she should be fine now.  She gave me almost a quart the first two times I milked after the baby was gone.  She is such a good milker, she'd give me a gallon per day if I'd milk twice per day.  I just can't milk right now.  We'd have to have somebody to milk her while we were at Disney and that isn't probable at all.  PLUS I want a home pasteurizer before we start milking again and that costs $400.  I could just put it on credit, as it really is an investment for us, but it's just not a good time for us right now.  Hopefully I'll get one before next year when we start milking again.

The steers are holding their own out in the field.  We still have the heifer but she's going to auction as soon as we can arrange it.  She is just not nice to the other steers.  We are also going to sell the other doe I have and get a companion for my milk goat.  I don't like that doe with the horns, she's hard on Violet (my milk goat).

We brought home a kitten from my mom and dad's and he's doing well.  He's adjusting to life on the farm and seems to like it here.  Lilli had named it Boots, but now changed it to Smoky.  I haven't seen him since we returned from GWL so I hope he's ok.  ?

Our other Tom cat, Socks is doing well and hangs around all the time.  He's a hambone and loves to cuddle against your legs when you walk.

RC and Biscuit are doing well.  Biscuit just keeps getting bigger!  He still tries biting your ankles when you walk outside but he is getting a bit better about it. 

The big dogs are doing good but I think we may be selling them soon.  They eat a lot since they are so big and we no longer have a goat herd for them to watch over.  They need a home with a job.  LOL.  We have one goat in there with them and they all get along great.  LOL

The turkeys continue to be the most entertaining critters.  They are just so funny.  They are almost as tall as Lauren so they love to run up to her and see what she has in her hands.  They peck at her clothes and it makes her so mad.  She hollers, "NO...NO BITE".  LOL.  This, of course, does nothing to deter them and really just calls the rest of them over to see what the fuss is about.

Poor Lauren also has to deal with Biscuit who is getting quite big now.  He starts pulling on her her clothes and won't stop until one of us goes and rescues her.  She gets so mad at that dog.  I don't mean to laugh, but it's hard not too.  He just wants to play and he thinks she is the perfect size.  LOL

Lilli is enjoying the critters and loves her puppy and new kitten.  She gets frustrated with Biscuit when he gets to pulling at her clothes and won't stop, but he really is getting a bit better about that...sort of.  The kitten is quite lovable but has scratched her several times when she was holding it and it got spooked by one of the dogs.

CHICKEN PROCESSING:

I don't know what everybody pays for processing, but we go to an amish place in Indiana and they charge $1.25 per bird!  That is so cheap that it is worth the drive down there.  We drop off the night before and then pick up the following evening.  It's worth the drive.  The chickens come ready for the freezer.  We do put them in individual bags, as they bag them 5 to a bag usually.  They are clean and we have always been happy with them.

They charge $3 per turkey under 20 pounds and $5 per turkey over 20 pounds.  I am sure our turkeys will be under 20 pounds.  LOL.  They don't even have all their adult colors yet. 

I was going to keep one male and one female turkey but we decided to just process them all rather than try to keep them through the winter.

That about covers our critters lately.  I'll be glad to have the meat chickens gone...they are getting to be a lot of work now that they are eating so much.  LOL

The still neverending audit...

Yes, it's still not over.  We received our final papers and even came up with the money to pay it.

Our grand total was $3748.34.

H&R Block was covering ALL of our 'amount due' for 2006 as  that is the year we purchased the Peace of Mind insurance.  They also pay all interest for every year we filed with them (2005 and 2006).  We didn't file with them in 2007, but we only owed $314.22 for that entire year, with only $6.22 in interest, so that's not a real big deal.  They also pay the self-employment tax for those years.

Our grand total after H&R Block pays:  $1945.22.

So anyway, I had an appt with H&R Block to give them the final papers and so they could send in their paperwork to pay their share.  We also had to have them file an amendment on our Michigan taxes, as the audit changed our gross income for those years.  So now we'll owe something to Michigan as well, but that should be very minimal, hopefully.

They made copies of all the paperwork and I was told to pay the total amount owed and that H&R Block would reimburse me.  The rep would also refile our Michigan taxes and we'd be called to sign the papers and send them in at that time.

Well, the rep found an error in the audit.  Yes, an error.  She couldn't make the numbers work.  So she called the auditor, who called us.  The auditor made an error.  Go figure!  The IRS makes mistakes too!  Ha.  It's even in our favor!  Woohoo!  I don't know how much it will save us, but anything is better than nothing. 

Somehow the auditor's computer (it wasn't her fault, of course) didn't compute our losses for any of the years in question.  They also charged a self-employment tax because the income went up so much from the original paperwork (because the losses weren't there).  Anyway, it probably won't save a lot, but like I said, anything is better than nothing.

So our neverending audit is still neverending.  We were told not to do anything until we receive yet MORE paperwork from the IRS noting our final amount due...again.  LOL

Great Wolf Lodge :)

I thought I'd post about our 'mini' vacation at Great Wolf Lodge earlier this week.  We had a great time and we were all sad for it to end.

We drove in separate cars as Lance had to come home early to go to work on Tuesday.  Our reservations were for Sunday and Monday nights and I didn't want to cut the trip short for the girls, so the three of us stayed until check-out on Tuesday.  Lilli stated that it just wasn't the same without papa.  :)

If you've never been to a GWL or similar, I highly recommend it.  There is so much to do, it's fun for children and adults, age doesn't matter.  If you shop for your reservations online, you can usually find a pretty good deal.  I found our room for $150 per night.  That really isn't bad when a standard hotel (a reasonably clean one anyway) is near $100 anyway. 

Anyway, there is the entire indoor waterpark that is great for all ages (kiddy area for young ones, pools, water slides, climbing and play area, lazy river and hot tubs...not to mention an outdoor pool and miniature golf.

When you are tired of swimming, there is a game called MagiQuest.  It costs extra, so be prepared for the extra $$ if you plan to play (I definitely suggest playing).  You buy a magic wand and pay to have it activated while you are there (you save your wand for the next trip and then just pay to have it activated again).  Then you go on a quest with your wand and find all these hidden clues that are along the hallways.  You zap these items with your magic wand and they light up or treasure chests open, or or or...Then you can go on adventures and fight goblins and dragons with your wand.  It really is a lot of fun.  I believe the wand is about $20? (we bought ours last time) and then it's $10 for activation.

Now on top of all that, there is the Cub Club.  They have crafts for the kids to do throughout the day.  Some are free and some cost a little $$, depending on what they are.  We didn't even make it to the Cub Club this time, we were so busy with swimming and MagiQuest.

At 8 and 9PM they have story time in the lobby.  They have a large display of animals and the animals 'come alive' and sing and talk.  Then somebody reads a story to all the kids in the lobby.

At 9AM they have a kid's 'critter walk' around the lobby and talk about all the different animals on display.

I always pay extra ($15 per night) to have warm cookies and cold milk delivered to our door at bedtime.  This is pretty pricey, but it is truly a highlight of our trip.  Their mascot (in costume) brings the bedtime snack and the girls just LOVE it.

Lilli really wasn't into the slides this time.  She was much more excited to play in the pool and practice swimming, and I'm happy to announce she has almost mastered the doggy paddle.  :)  She loves to go under water with her goggles on, and she loves to jump into the pool.

Lauren loved it all.  There is no fear in that child and we are really going to have to watch her around water.  She saw Lilli jumping into the pool so she had to do it too.  She would just step right into the pool, go under water (I was holding her hand and she had a life jacket on), and she'd come up smiling and laughing and saying, 'more, more'.  I cannot believe her.

We had bought her a wand last time we were there (so I could use it since she was only 4 months old...ha).  Anyway, we didn't activate hers this time, but she opened several treasure chests as we were passing by them in the hall.  At first Lilli and I thought Lilli was doing it, but then we realized that Lauren was waving her wand around (copying Lilli) and actually doing it herself.  LOL

It was actually 'Christmas in July' while we were there, so it snowed in the lobby in the evenings after story time.  It was very cute and the girls loved it.  We also had cookies and chocolate milk w/ marshmallows in the lobby in the early afternoons.

The drive is a long one though.  It takes us about 5 hours to get there with our stops.  Probably just over 4 if we drove without stopping.  We usually take back roads into Baldwin and then up to Traverse City.  I took 31 home as I didn't want to take a chance on getting lost, I really don't know those back roads as well as Lance.  It's about 220 miles for us (one way).

I have heard that there is an indoor waterpark in Indiana and I think we'll look into that.  Gas prices are just so expensive to drive such a long ways.  We do only go once a year, so we may still do it anyway, we'll just have to see.  It is a nice 'mini' vacation and Lilli really looks forward to it each time.

We had a great time, but were bummed that Lance had to leave early.  Hopefully he can stay the entire time next time :)

Playing a joke on dad

The girls are playing a joke on dad, the poor guy.  They just left to go to the fresh food market to go see about getting a catfish or a carp to put into our natural swimming pool.   Last night dad said he wants to go fishing , so our smart butt daughters are make sure he can go fishing.  

They plan on giving him a fishing pole when he gets home and tell him to go fishing , then they will take him to the back yard and show him the pool.

The only thing is the fish is going to be a pet, No Dinner!!!

I will let you know if they do it and how it goes if they do.  They can only do it if the fish will live in our natural pool.

God Bless all , mj

Debating about our dinning room

I am debating if I should move our kitchen table or just take it down.  We have the grand-babies here so much I want to make a play room for them.  Our dinning room is half a family room.  We put the computer in there for the girls.  I have a large kitchen and I am thinking of putting the table in there.  But we do not eat at the kitchen table, we eat at our coffee table, so should I just take it down??

So I am thinking of putting in the tv and it's entertainment unit in the dinning room and adding the babies toy box and a couch in there.  What do you guys think ? 

God bless you all and thank you for your prayers for Michelle and the grand-babies.   Mj

A new Grandchild

Michelle came over this morning to talk to dad and I.  She told us that she is 3 weeks pregnant.  We are not shocked, but then again we are.  Michelle has been dating Gill for 4 and 1/2 weeks now.  They live with his parents.  Michelle told us that she and Gill will get married soon, but her divorce needs to be done 1st.   She also told us she is going to keep looking for a job and try to go to school too.   We will see.  Michelle has not worked a day since she has moved back down here months ago.  Everyone has been supporting her and the babies.  We will love and welcome any grandchild, we just wish she was on her feet taking care of the babies she has now before adding more.     Michelle's sisters are upset and disappointed in her because they have raised Jeffie and Maddie as much as Michelle has.   We need to keep this in prayer and Gods hands where they belong. 

God Bless, mj

This up coming week & windows

This up coming week  I am going to try to get 3 rooms all cleaned out.  I need to go through every thing and find a new home for the items we do not use any more.   I am going to start in the kitchen and then move to the family room and the girls bathroom last.   I also want to go through the garage and start un-packing some of the boxes.  Most of the item will be going to a new home.  I have sooo many boxes of homeschooling books and item that I did not use or will not use again, I will be selling them on ebay.  I am giving my self a month to empty out our small rented storage unit and keep what is needed and find a new home for the rest.  On the farm/ranch we have a huge storage unit that we keep our tack and supplies in.  I have filled it up half way with item we no longer use or need, they will be sold at a huge yard sell once I have it filled with sale items.   I will let you all know when I will list all the home school books and stuff on ebay.

We ordered new windows for the house!  We are soo excited!!!  We have been wanting to get them for years but always did some other project instead.   But this year we did it.  They will be here in 3-4 weeks.  The house will be sooo much cooler and then the air will not be on 24 hours a day.   I will take pictures after they are in.

Today was the last day of vbs.  I had so much fun teaching this week. We had sooo many kids give their hearts to the Lord, it was amazing. I can't wait until Christmas vbs!  

God Bless, mj

A Great Summer Day...

Our day started slowly today.  Lauren woke early (before 7AM) and then went back down for a nap from 8-10.  Lilli woke at about 9:30ish.  When Lauren woke from her nap we all had breakfast (Cheerios for Lilli and Raisin Bran for Lauren and I) and I started a load of laundry.

We all got dressed and did our hair and then it was time to hang the clothes out to dry.  The girls played outside while I did that. 

Once that was done we had to do our morning chores.  Morning chores consist of:

*Letting the chickens, turkeys and guineas out to free-range for the day (we don't do this too early or we don't get any eggs...they hide them and we  can't always find them).

*Watering the chickens, turkeys and guineas (they free-range all day and we feed them in the evening).

*Feeding and watering the meat chickens.

*Putting Violet (our milk goat) and her buckling out in the field for the day.  They stay in a stall in the barn at night and we move them out to the field each day.  They have a nice size yard attached to their stall so they are fine if we don't get them out to the field, but there is much more for them to eat and much more room to play in the field than in their yard, so we put them out everyday it's not raining.

*Feeding and watering the dogs and cats. 

Once that was done, we headed out for our weekly errands. 

First on the list, not so fun.  I had to go to the credit union to file a dispute.  Somebody is taking money from my checking acct each month to make an AT&T payment.  I don't even have AT&T, I never have, and I don't even know anybody who does.  I tried calling AT&T but they said to leave a message and to file a dispute.  So I did.  I have no doubt that my money will be returned.  I love my credit union.

Then we headed for the nearby grocery store.  We picked up picnic foods and a few necessities.

Then we headed for the nearby park.  It isn't a park we go to often, so it has a lot of different things to play and climb on than we are used too.  We had a blast.  We ate our picnic lunch of deli meats, sandwiches, chips, and blueberries and then we headed for the play area.  Lauren had so much fun and there really was a lot she could do.  Usually she's too small to get up high, but this one is made great for that...very safe.  Lilli had a great time running through all the different wooden areas too.  It was just an enjoyable time for all of us.  We ate a few cookies on the way home.

Lauren barely made it out of the park parking lot before falling asleep.  LOL.  It's about a 15-20 minute drive home and we had to stop at the feed store for chicken feed (100# chick feed=$30) and the post office.  I drove really slow and took a back road home as both girls were sleeping by that time.

We came home and had a snack and Lilli and Lauren watched a movie while I tried to straighten the kitchen (why can't you tell it now?) and start supper.

Lance had called and said he had to come home, go to the bank and get pig feed, and then go back to work...so we only saw hime for about 2 minutes in between.  He just called again and thinks he'll be home about midnight.

The girls and I had supper...BBQ Chicken, broccolli, mac and cheese, and crescent rolls.  Both girls ate great all day today!  YAY for that.

After supper, the girls put their swimsuits on and I put water in the turtle pool for them to play a bit while I did evening chores.  They had a fantastic time and it was about 7:30PM by then.

Evening chores consist of:

*Feeding and watering the chickens, turkeys,  and guineas

*Feeding and watering the meat chickens (or just checking that their feeder/waterer is still full from morning)

*Feeding and watering the cats.  (The dogs get fed and watered throughout the day, but not after 6PMish as we are still potty training the puppy and we like him to make it all night without accidents).

*Bringing Violet and her buckling back in from the field and putting them in their stall with fresh water.

*Locking the chickens, turkeys and guineas inside the coop for the night.

I should note that these are MY chores only...Lance feeds and waters the pigs and cows in the morning and the evening as well.

After swimming and chores we headed in the house and a nice warm bath for the girls.  They played in there for about 45 minutes (They LOVE water...LOL). 

After tubby they had a snack and watched Scooby Doo before it was finally PAST time for bed. 

We all went to bed at around 10PMish and the girls fell fast asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow.  I got back up and am on the computer while waiting for Lance to get home.

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Tomorrow looks like another great day.  We are heading to the beach with SIL and niece.  Another day of swimming...yay!  :)

Vbs & Chicks

I am teaching 2nd grade this week at our churches vbs.  It is a blast!  They are so much fun.  Today we were teaching about being thankful.  I told the story of the leper's and Jesus.  To make it more real to them I put spotted stickers on them and quarantined them with caution tape.   When I pretended I was Jesus and healed them I waited to see if any one said thank you.  Only 2 did out of the 4 classes I taught.  So then we talked about being thankful.

We had 16 chicks hatch and 3 have been killed by some thing so we brought them in the house.  At this moment I have 13 chicks running around my kitchen.  We have a hen on a nest due to hatch any day and Sweet Pea a goose sitting on a egg due to hatch in a few days also.

It did no good telling the girls to not let the hens make a nest, we are trying to cut down on the animals!  We were down to like 30ish birds from 80, now they added more!!!   I must night speak good english. 

God Bless all,  mj