I must be bored today, huh?

I start out with "nothing new to post" and here I am on my 3rd post today!  Guess that's how I operate...my mind gets going and zoom zoom zoom!!

Anyway, I realized I don't have pics of my pups on my blog!  What a shame!!
So here is a pic of my Little Chloe and Little Miss Mia.  Chloe is 4 1/2 months, and Mia is 1 year.

Miss Chloe

Never in a million years did I think I would fall in love with a small dog...but I have, and they are a huge joy in my life. 

Little Miss Mia

If anyone has suggestions on eye stain removers, let's hear it.  And NO, Chloe is NOT a rat!!  :O)

A, B, C, D, E, F, G.............

Oh, how these memories need to be cherished.  They grow so very fast.  I hope this works...
Just my darling little nephew James doing one of the things he does best.....BEING CUTE.
I love ya, James!!

Emily's Caterpillar has emerged as a Tiger Moth!!

Here is what Emily's caterpillar turned into.  Pretty cool, eh?  What a neat experience for her.  She has had it since last fall.  She fed it, put it into hibernation, watched it come out of hibernation, build its cocoon, and emerge into a moth.

Good job, Emily!!

Follow the Leader~

Ok, so is he not the cutest 3 year old around?  I better get more pics of my own kids on here pretty soon or they'll get jealous!!  Here are some more pics of James with his furry friends.  What a great experience and memories his mamma is creating for him.  I think its so cool....

James and his duckies

James and Zeuss

Sophie

Daisy

Ah....James LOVES his Easter Outfit!!!!

Isn't he the cutest thing you've seen in a long time??
Poor lil' guy!!

Home from Brainerd~

We got back around 6 last night.  My mom ended up going with us.  Its always nice to get away for a night, but sometimes I think its something that should be saved for when no kids have to come along.  It was a fun time, and I enjoyed Sami, James and her cute little pets, but it was stressful.  It seems whenever I do things like this I usually come back feeling a little disappointed because I see how miserably I have failed in the area of discipline and my kids.  I have a very high spirited child, and along with that comes stuff.  Guess I don't know what else to call it.  And I prove over and over to myself that I am not equipped to handle it, and it has taken control.  At this point in time, I feel I have a child who has no respect for me, and thats a hard pill to swallow because really that is my own fault.  But I don't know how to change that.  Guess I better bury my nose in some books, maybe look at attending a seminar?  And praying some more.  Sitting around feeling bad, or like a failure sure isn't going to help fix this situation, is it?  ;o)

Don't get me wrong.  It was nice.  There were moments that were fun.  And I'm glad I went.
Here are a couple of pics of Emily and Caleb with James.

We watched the movie Tangled, Sami made some great pork chops and potatoes on the grill.  And we got about 2 inches or so of snow.  That melted before we had to leave though.  Her goats are my favorite I think.  I could see myself having a goat.  (No worries....not gonna happen)  But she has one that is a caramel color with a black blaze running down her back and she is as sweet as a puppy! I did enjoy seeing all the babies.   I will say a positive thing I came home with is a goal to someday become as self sufficient as Sami is.  That woman can do anything and everything by herself.  Part of that may be because she's been forced to learn this stuff, but either way, she is to be admired for her abilities!  She can build rabbit hutches, and I mean NICE hutches, she takes care of all those animals, her yard, her house, her vehicle, her child.  She does this all alone.  She does it with a happy attitude, and I admire her for that.  How nice to not have to worry how things will get done because she knows how to do it, and if she doesn't know how, I guarantee you she is going to find out how. She has been through a lot, and has handled it all with such grace.  Amazing.

Have a nice Sunday all.
Kristy

Goin on a field trip!!!

Me, Emily and Caleb are going to Brainerd tomorrow to spend the night at Sami and James house.  I am so excited.  I have never gone with just me and my kids.  Its always been with my parents, my sister, etc...  Sami is an animal lover like me, so since she is blessed enough to have a beautiful wooded lot, she is able to have lots of fun little animals!!  She has bunnies that are due to have babies soon, a cat that is prego and ready to pop, 2 pygmy goats, 2 silky Chickens, some ducks...and Zeus.  I think that's it.  Oh!  And an adorable little monkey named James!  :O)
Here is what we'll be spending time doing things with:

NOW TELL ME THIS DOESN'T LOOK LIKE FUN!!!  And a great learning experience for the kids.
I'll let y'all know how it goes when we get back. 
Have a blessed weekend, and may it be filled with peace and joy to you all.

I humbly introduce my newest addition~

I know!  I know!  Crappy picture, but I don't know how to put pics from my camera into the computer....
Last night my wonderful husband decided on his own accord, to trade his Mustang for something a little more useful for a family of 6.  Five if you don't include Michael, and I guess I can't include Michael so there ya go.  Family still at home of 5...  :O)
No car payment.  Just a straight up trade.  Its a souped up 2004 Tahoe.  I feel like a spoiled bratty brat having this car, but man oh man am I psyched!!  It is sooo nice.  It has a dvd player in it, Bose sound system, 3rd row seats, heated seats, leather seats, and lots lots more.  It is going to work out great for winter driving, and when Troy goes hunting, hauling things, etc....so thank you Lord for my newest addition. 

We have also ordered our parts for the privacy fence.  It is being delivered tomorrow, I have the permit in hand from the city, and we are going to get started on Monday!!  Again....thank you Lord for another new addition. 

Guess I just wanted to share my excitement, even though the pic bites.

Take care!
Kristy

Selfishness or Selflessness

Which do you want to be?  Do you want to be the person who gives of him/herself to others and reap the gifts you will receive in heaven?  Or would you rather be selfish and reap the temporary evil rewards the world will offer you while you're here?  I'd say its tempting to live selfishly.  I'd say a lot of people do.  But I guess my question is how?  How do they do it and not feel guilt?  Do they not feel the tug of God telling them they might be doing the wrong thing?  That maybe that choice is going to permanently damage someone else who doesn't deserve it?  I know when I've been selfish, I feel it, I know it, and I quickly try to change my attitude, repent, and do what's right.  I look at my parents.  How selflessly they live their lives.   They live quietly, peacefully, and the rewards they will reap one day will far outweigh the hardship, pain, and devastation that have happened in their lives, and I pray that they truly know that deep down inside that someday its going to all pay off.  They are not greedy people.  They don't complain.  They do what's right.  That is how I want to live my life.  That is how I want to train my children to go.  When you think about it, think of one selfish person you know and look at their life.  I bet they aren't happy.  I bet they feel alone.  I bet they are miserable, even if they don't act like it.  But you can't tell me that at night, when they go to bed they can honestly say they like who they are and what they have done.  I know I don't like myself very much when I live like that.  Kids, by nature are selfish.  As they grow older, most of them learn that its not OK to be that way.  Sometimes they don't.  Than they turn into selfish adults who care about nothing more than what is theirs, and it makes no difference whose in the way.  They will scream, shout, pout, and throw fits to get their way.  Leaving behind a path of destruction, not caring who they have hurt along the way.  As long as the end result is what they wanted, than who the heck cares if someone suffers because of it.  *sigh* they have so much to learn...
I guess the most important thing to remember is that we cannot change others.  All I can do today is what I know is right.  What I know God wants.  What I know is pleasing to Him.  I can't carry the burden of other peoples atrocities anymore, can I?  Certainly God doesn't want that for me either.  He carries out just punishment, and it is not for me to worry about or carry with me.  How can I live my life selflessly if I am allowing others to dictate how I feel today?  I can't.  So Lord....take it.  Its yours.  You and only You are able to handle these things and deal with them accordingly.

I am grateful to be a selfless person. (usually)
I am grateful to have parents who have taught me so well. (thank you mom and dad.  I love you!!)
I am grateful that when I die my reward will far outweigh anything this world has to offer me.
After all, this world is not my own.  I am only passing through.

I will continue to pray for the selfish people out there.  I pray that they will someday find the meaning of real joy.
And that  it is not in material worldly things that you can't take with you.

Sorry for the "downer" blog, but its mine and I can write what I want. This is how I work through things. 

God Bless You All!
Kristy

You of such little faith~

I checked my mail today and received such an awesome letter from my nephew, Josh who is in Marine Boot Camp right now.  His injury is healing nicely, and he hopes to be back at it within the next 2 weeks!  He has spent the majority of his down time reading his Bible, and I was amazed at how much he has grown spiritually while there. 
His faith in God is HUGE, and that is exactly what he needs to get him through this.  Come to think of it, isn't that what we all need to get us through our trying times?  I learned a good lesson from him. 

In essence, he was talking about when Jesus' disciples were out of food and they were so worried about how they were going to eat.  Jesus told them "you of such little faith.  Worry not, I will provide for you."

That is not the verse, but that is how Joshua wrote it, and I think you know what the point is.
We are fools with little faith, aren't we? 

So thanks for the lesson today, Josh.  I'm proud of you, and I love you very much.

I hope these words are able to help you as well.

Take care, friend!

Happy 8th Birthday Caleb!!

Caleb on 8th birthday right outta bed~

Today was going to start out on a bad note I could just tell it was going to be one of those days.  I slept "in" until 7:00, and Caleb was up ready to go.  Since last night he has been like one of those rubber bouncy balls that you throw against the wall?  Yeah, that is how he's been since yesterday evening.  So I decided I would go to Carbou to get a cup of coffee, hopefully help me chill out so I'm not too crabby.  As I was waiting in line at Caribou, I am thinking about how can a day start out so crappy so quickly...I better try to change my attitude and go home with more patience and try to get the house put together and have a nice lil talk with Caleb about how he better try to settle down so we can all have a good day....blah blah blah.  I get up to pay for my 5 dollar cup of coffee and as I hand the check card to the cashier he says "The person in front of you told me to tell you to have a great day and the coffee is on her today."  Holy crap!!  That has never happened to me before!!  Never Ever Ever.  So that was my sign to change my attitude.  And it worked.  I left with a big goofy smile on my face.

So back to Caleb.  Life has been one giant adventure since having Caleb.  He is one of a kind for sure.  He is full of energy, more energy, and than a little bit more.  He is full of wonder, fun, spunk, curiosity, love, and empathy.  When my labor started with him, it took about 2 hours or so from beginning to end for him to arrive.  He grabbed the scissors from the nurses and they had to pry them out of his hand.  That is my Caleb.  He has big puppy dog eyes, big pouty lips, and personality to boot.  He always makes us laugh, and he's also the one who can make me want to cry, scream, and wonder why what I try doesn't seem to work.
His mind is very busy, and I hope to see him do big things some day.  He cries when others hurt, he defends those who are weaker than he.  He sings his heart out in the shower, (and he has a GREAT voice).  He is awesome at football.  He starts baseball this year.  I'll let you know how he is with that..  ;O)
He is working on hard on reading and slowly, but steadily making progress on getting to where he needs to be.  He excels in math.  He is an all around amazing little boy.

So today, Caleb, my baby boy....
Happy Birthday.  Remember that we are learning together.  Each child is a gift from God, and each child is unique in his/her ways.  I am glad that God saw me fit to be your mother.  I know I fail in many ways, but I like to think I excel in more...  :O)

I love you to the moon and back Lubber.

Mamma

Memories~

There are always a few things that stand out in your mind from your childhood that bring back either good or maybe not so good memories.  I firmly believe in trying to relish in the ones that make you smile when you think back rather than focus on the bad ones.  I'll never forget the cruel people who picked on me relentlessly as I grew up, or the pain it caused me, but I don't focus on that anymore.  Every person does the best with what they have at that moment, and there isn't anything more to say about it really.  Who knows what happened to the bully before he/she became a bully....I do know one thing.  Those bullies can change.  One of the worst ones I encountered as a child is now a youth leader in her church.  People change.

Anyway, I remember Sunday mornings, my dad would always make pancakes for breakfast.  He would wake us up by opening up the shades in our room and saying "Rise and Shine!!  The sun is up!  Its a beautiful day!!"  I loved that!!  Plus the pancakes were great.

My dad would take us kids fishing at the "Landing".  Or sometimes we'd go to this other place where we had to drive to, but the memories are nice to fall back on.  I remember going to Grandma Lillie's house quite often.  She always had the best potatoes and gravy.  And sugar cookies.  Easter Egg hunts at her house for Easter.  Staying with her for a week while we went to Bible School.  Grandpa Claris doing "tick tock".

When I was sick, it didn't matter what time of night it was, my mom always managed to keep my wash cloth warm to keep on my ear when it was infected.  (this happened all the time).  She would tickle my arm or my back every time I asked her to.  We always ate dinner every single night as a family, and it was always a home cooked meal. 

I also remember Friday nights with our family friend, Sheri.  She'd come over almost every Friday night, and we'd eat Keno's Pizza and just all hang out.  She was a part of our family.  I don't talk to her much, but some friendships are just like that.  They grow inside your heart, and it makes no difference if you don't talk for a long time.  You pick up right where you left off.  She's one of those.  :O)
I remember one Sunday singing a song with Sheri and another gal, Michelle called "He's Still Workin On Me."  We sang that song over 20 years ago!!  Some of they lyrics are "He's still workin on me, to make me what I ought to be.  It took him just a week to make the moon and stars, the sun the earth, and Jupitor and Mars.  How loving and patient He must be, He's still workin on me."
Well....like I said.  We sang it over 20 years ago.  Guess what?  He's STILL workin on me!! 

I am going out to get my Lubber a birthday present today.  He turns 8 tomorrow.  Wow.  I'll write a tribute to him tomorrow.  Caleb is my baby.  :O( 
Time goes too fast sometimes, and sometimes it just doesn't go fast enough.

Enjoy the beatiful day the Lord has made.  I know I will rejoice and be glad in it.  (another song)

God Bless!

Being a child can be so tough!

Last night, Emily, Caleb, and their friend Koriah spent a couple of hours working on their fort in our back yard.  They have made many "rough drafts", but last night they finally got it.  They knew what they wanted, and they worked long, and they worked diligently.  They constructed this awesome looking tepee type fort.  It was wrapped in tarp, had a door, and lots of space inside to sit in.  They wrote that it is "Fort Coolsville" population "us" on it.  (that is from the movie Iron Giant.....great movie by the way)

So when I got home from going out to dinner with my mom....(er...should I say helping her clean??!!) they were so psyched for me to see it!  So I went into the back yard, proudly praised them for their hard work, and started looking to help find a make shift table for them.  During all this process, somehow one of the main pieces of wood holding it together moved just a little bit, so we decided since its windy we better get it back to where it needs to be!!

Now mind you, 3 kids under 10 constructed this with no major problems until I got there..  :O(
So I am holding up 3 pieces of wood as Emily is slowly moving the 4th back into place.  Don't ask me why, don't ask me anything...otay?  But I let go of those 3 pieces and the whole dang tepee crashed to the ground.  I believe Emily had a nervous breakdown.  I truly do.  Her tears came from deep inside herself, crawled up her throat, out her mouth alerting our entire neighborhood of her distress.  All she could muster up was "it took us 2 hours to make this and you ruined it!!!!  Why?????"  Than she got out of control and continued to share that she hated me and threw something at me.  So not only did her heart get broken, she also ended up in trouble for speaking to me that way and throwing whatever it was she threw.  After about 45 minutes in her bedroom she was calm enough to apologize, and I did as well.  I explained it was an accident, and that no matter how angry a person gets, you never ever talk to your mom like that, and especially never hit her with her hands or anything else...  She went to bed with dry eyes and a calm sense.

I think with the nice weather today I will go out there and see if I can't try to reconstruct it for her and the other children so they can be surprised when they get home.  If I can do it that is.  I just have no talent for stuff like that....I never have.  I can sing, I can write poetry, but give me something to put together, even with instructions, and I have a very, very difficult time doing it.

So, Emily learned a good lesson last night.  And she also learned that being a kid can be tough at times...

:O)

Have a good day everyone!

OH!  And just for fun, because we live in a world where every other day we're being told that eating this causes that, not taking this will give you that..etc...
A quote from Mark Twain:

"Be careful about reading health books.  You may die of a misprint."

Happy Birthday, Troy!

Today is my hubbies 38th birthday.  Time goes so fast.  Its weird, because it doesn't matter that you are a year older, you just always look the same when you look in the mirror...at least for now anyway!!

We are going to go out to lunch at Famous Dave's cuz Troy loves that place.  After that we are going to go to his brother's house for dessert and spend some time with his family.  Here's hoping for a nice day.

I am enjoying the nice weather.  Its about time!!  Went for a long walk with my kids, sister, and mom yesterday, than spent most of the day out in the yard.  The kids played with side walk chalk, and did some more work on the fort they are making.  Thursday night we went to Emily's school to view all of the "inventions" that the students in her class made.  She made "Message -A- Pet".  It was a cute little dog/cat bed with a night light and built in massager.  She didn't win, but that's OK.  She put time and effort into it, the idea was good, and that is what matters most.

Michael came home for the weekend.  He was needing a break.  Always nice to see him.  Jon's been hangin out too.   Always nice when I get to see all 4 of my brood in 1 place! 

As far as I know Joshua is doing OK.  God has a plan for him, and whatever it is will be played out in His time.  Keep praying for quick healing and a positive attitude.  I imagine its hard to remain positive right now for him, but he's a smart kid, and I know his faith in God will get him through this "bump."

Guess that's it for now.


Have a wonderful Sunday!