Pictures-Healthy Living Advertisement

So tonite we have advertisement from the monkies:

#1-Great exercises/workout sessions for monkies of all ages ;)

If you want to warm up a hard heart, this is what you do:

Great way to lose weight.....wrestling matches on living room floor: Will burn calories FASTLY!

Everyone should buy a Dodge Caravan.....the windows go down in the second row!!!! What more can some country bumpkins ask for?!?!?!?!?

COUNTRY AIR = SPARKLY EYES/ROSY CHEEKS---free makeup

Many hugs throughout the day is good for the heart and soul....

And lotsa wet, slobbery smooches make the bones healthy....

And flying thru the air at rapid speed in Mama's kitchen will always bring forth laughter...

which is the best medicine for the body.....

Then of course, we have good ol' H2O......drink lots and live long life!

Tuneful Thursday

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8fSjtPLuBQ

WHAT DO I KNOW OF HOLY.....By Addison Road

I made you promises a thousand times
I tried to hear from Heaven but I talked the whole time
I think I made You too small, I never feared You at all, no
If You touched my face, would I know You?
Looked into my eyes, could I behold You?

What do I know of You who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood but the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury? Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of holy?

I guess that I though I had You figured out
I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about
How You were mighty to save
Those were only empty words on a page
Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be
The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees.

What do I know of holy?
What do I know of wounds that will heal my shame?
And a God who gave life it's name?
What do I know of holy of the One who the angels praise?
All creation knows Your name on earth and Heaven above
What do I know of this love?

What do I know of holy?

Pictures-Pecatonica Rodeo-Part 2

Summer Yumminess

We bought some yummy Indiana blueberries and I found some great recipes.....I made blueberry dessert for Gabe (altered with all the ingredients he can only have)

Blueberry bread for us.......that I took today and suprised Jason at work with a morning treat

and my brother at work with his co-workers. I was declared the world's bestest wife AND was told at my brother's farm anytime I wanted to try new recipes on them I was welcome to it!

The kids of course got to visit the baby calves so that was part of the plan ;)

Blueberry Bread

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 tsp soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1 c oil (or applesauce as I did)

4 eggs

2 pkgs of frozen strawberries OR blueberries (I used fresh)

~Combine flour, sugar,soda,cinnamon,salt. Make a well; pour in oil,berries,

and well beaten eggs. Mix by hand. Use 2 loaf pans, greased (and I coated them with

a cinnamon & sugar mixture) bake at 350 for 1 hour. Enjoy!

Then I made another dessert last night for Jase and I after we put the kids to bed.....he also declared it was the best cake ever....I think his exact words were: "It's so good it's wrong!"

I actually created this recipe in a way....so I think I will keep it a secret and you have to come to my house to have some ;)

Then we have some yummy zucchini......fried up with onions,butter, garlic salt....hmmmmmm....

we have been eating this at every meal (well okay, Jason isn't so fond of it, but Ellie is!!!)

What yummy things have you

been eating this summer???

Monday Monday

So I slept in this morning with the kids and woke up with high expectations in getting LOTS accomplished on my HUGE list....


#1-Attack the clean laundry mountains that have overtaken our bedroom.....starting to drive me crazy that I can get the laundry clean but not put away.....
AKA: Too much gallavanting around during the beautiful summertime!!!


But when I got up I realized quickly after vaccuming the kitchen that my back was outa wack again......*sigh* I have been doing sooooooooo good for a couple months now. I realized quickly that #2 on my list ( scrub all hard carpetless floors) was not going to get accomplished unless I wanted to spend the rest of the day flat on my back again.


Jason happened to call at lunch time and prayed with me over the phone for my back AND the constant nausea that comes with having a preggo eggo. (for me at least)


Mom happened to stop by to visit and ended up taking Gabe home with her. All of a sudden there was this quiet peace in our house. Now, don't get me wrong.....I love each one of our monkies with a deep passion, but sometimes ALL THEY WANT TO DO IS FIGHT!!!!!! This morning wasn't too bad, just lotsa bickering. So when lunch was over and Mom and Gabe were gone, I thought hey, I'll clean up the kitchen before putting Ellie down for her nap so when she's sleeping, I can maybe take a break!! Let me tell you.........what a transformation in that little chick!!! She was as good as gold, went all around the house humming and playing as happy as can be.......and all I could do was watch her in amazement.

And laugh and smile.......she is a hoot!!!!

I quickly called Mom to tell her I was seeing a whole new side to this girlie.....

*sigh* Sooooooooooooo.........after having some fun with her......I sat down and realized....

despite my back pain today, I have gotten this accomplished:

NOT #1 yet.......

NOT #2 yet....

BUT I did get #3.......Some floors vaccumed

#4......Bathroom cleaned

#5.......Stovetop cleaned

#6........Yummy lunch of fried zucchini and sausage made w/ fresh blueberries for dessert!

#7........5 more loads of laundry washed/dried

#8.......House straightened up after kids playing all morning

#9.......Constant Common tea made that I crave every day

#10....Getting ready to read more chapters in Captiving for Book Study tomorrow night.

#11......Supper set out thawing and getting ready to make blueberry muffins and a dessert

And even though the nausea still comes and goes and makes me so grouchy........and even though my back is killing again.....I'm sooooooooooooooo thankful for our healthy kids and so thankful for my wonderful husband who knows just what I need when I'm down and out.

And sooooooooooo thankful for a Father that loves me for who I am......knows me inside out and loves me just the same.

Please Pray

Please go here and read his story http://www.mycharmingkids.net/
.....and please pray for this family.

My heart just aches and aches for them.....they have been thru so much with this little guy...
ups and downs......and now here they go again. Please lift them up to Jesus.

Pictures-Pecatonica Rodeo-Part 1

We headed up to Pecatonica last night for another rodeo of Jacob's. We had tons of fun going in a big 15 passenger van with some friends and some of my brothers. We met Dad & Mom up there too. Ate an amazing supper at The Machine Shed then got to our destination....the kids did great traveling and we had beeeeeeeeeeeautiful weather as you can see in the pictures.

This particular rodeo had a prayer before it started...and that is always cool.

The first event was for little kids called Mutton Bustin'......they ride sheep outa the chutes just like you would a bull but they get to lay on the sheep and hold on for dear life! There was even a 3 yr old boy that did it! There's no way I would have had Gabe do it this young!

I didn't get a very good picture, but you can kinda tell how they ride....

Our friend's son, Klint, got 1st place and a HUGE trophy!!!

His younger brother, Eric, got 3rd place......

Then they had tie the ribbon on the goat.....talk about hilarious....this is what Ranch Rodeos are all about.....the fun stuff!!!

Jacob got to assist the craziness!!!

Shovel riding.......the horse and rider pull their teammate on a corn scoop....hilarious!!! Looked alot like tubing on water but yet a little bit rougher on the body.

Dad and our friend Alan got to go behind the chutes and help out.....

Jacob gettin' ready for the big ride....

I got so many pictures of him beforehand but wouldn't you know I didn't get one of him on the bull riding cuz my camera malfunctioned at last minute.....but here is right when the gate opened.

And afterwards....I never heard how long he rode but he did good and he was safe......and that's all that matters!!!

His buddy Evan who is gonna be a freshman in highschool.....had a great ride too!