Our blog is going to be "out of order." It's time consuming for me and something (or someone) always seems to get neglected because of it. While it's fun to do and share with everyone what's going on around here I feel the Lord is showing me I must back away. The computer can be addicting for me, so I'm trying to limit my use as much as I can. I'm also trying to be an example for my children. It's hard to tell them they are spending too much time with the electronic things in our home if I'm saying it while peeking up over the laptop screen. :)

Perhaps I'll post occasionally, but I'm going to be trying hard to keep my priorities straight so that my family and home doesn't become "out of order."

"Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness."

Proverbs 31:10, 27

Sisters

Naomi loves to spend time with Cassidy, especially when she takes her to see the horses.

They started the afternoon by giving Naomi a ride on Missy.

Missy is such a gentle horse. She's pretty old too, so she doesn't have much "get up and go."

Naomi doesn't have much balance yet. When the horse is actually walking, I'm standing beside her holding her leg.

Later on, Cassidy got on Trissy. Trissy is young and has a lot of "get up and go!"
That's why Cass has her helmet on and Naomi is no longer in the round pen.

Do you remember the children's books that have something the same on every page and the child has to find it; like a duck or a ladybug? Well, these pictures of Cassidy on Trissy remind me of that. Can you spot the dog in every picture?

There she is.

And there she is again.

Can you spot her?

She has such an obession with this horse.

Trissy is the horse with the most energy. She can keep Sky very busy.

Sky just won't leave her alone.

It's amazing she hasn't gotten trampled, because although she's outside the pen now, most times she is right under Trissy's feet.

In the evening Cassidy and Naomi went to brush the smaller horses, Peyton and Cowboy.

Naomi's holding Cowboy while Cassidy cleans out his feet.

"Aww, cute horsie."

"Let me give you another kiss."

Cassidy let Naomi lead him around. Naomi thought this was great.

"Come on, horsie, follow me."

"Isn't this fun?"

"Whoa, slow down!"

They had a nice time together. It's good they did this yesterday because as I'm writing this today it's snowing. Yes, that's right....snowing.

"In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever."

Psalm 44:8

Dirt Road

If you continue down the road we live on you'll pass one house and then it will turn into this. A dirt road!

Our house sits on a gravel road. Back East they might call our road a dirt road, but they would be wrong because THIS is a dirt road.

Notice at the top of the picture there is a street sign for the dirt road. :)

I took this picture last week. Before we had any snow. In fact we hadn't had any rain in awhile so we thought this part of the road might be passable.

The kids and I took the 4-wheeler and the golf cart hoping to drive around and maybe see some game.

When we got to this point we sent Ezra up ahead to see if he thought the golf cart could make it across.

He came back with a verdict of "I don't think so, Mom."


So we turned around, went the other way past our house and looked at the cows. :)

It's Gonna What?!

That's what I said at the beginning of the week when I heard it might snow. I was really hoping it would pass over us but it didn't. Thankfully, we probably won't get more than an inch and a half. Tomorrow it's supposed to be 50. Can you say mud?

I'll admit I'm not crazy about getting snow at the end of March, but it could be worse.

And just the way God gave us warm days in January He can give us days of snow at the end of March.

It's His creation. I'll let Him decide what's best. And I'll do my part and count it all joy.

"The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein."

Psalm 24:1

"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience."

James 1:2-3

For Fun

Below are some pictures that I took and then, using photoshop, I added the verses.

I took this picture one morning from the front porch. I love how the sunlight is just beginning to peek over the horizon. It brought to memory this verse. I mess up every day so this verse encourages me that each day is a new day full of God's mercy and faithfulness.

I was lucky to get this picture of the butterfly in our yard last spring. Butterflies always remind me of this verse because the caterpillar becomes a new creature when it emerges from the cacoon; just like we become a new creature after salvation.

This picture shows the sun setting behind the house. I made this picture for Ezra. He likes this verse and wanted a reminder of it to hang in his room.

3 Going on 16

Here's what Naomi looks like after she's gotten into mommy's makeup. This is her attempt at putting on eyeliner.

Don't rush things, Omi. That time will come soon enough.

Youth Night At Our House

Friday night we had our teen class from church over to our house for some fun and fellowship. The girls and I started out by making some cupcake pops that I found on a website called Bakerella.

First they shaped a mixture of cake and icing into a ball.







It was pretty gooey.



And made their hands quite messy.

After they shaped them into cupcake form (easier said than done), they dipped the bottom half in chocolate and poked in a lollipop stick. (Note to self: do this before the chocolate hardens)

After those set, the next step was to dip the top half in pink chocolate to look like icing.

Add some sprinkles and a m&m....

and voila!! Cupcake pops.

From left to right: Naomi, Stephanie, Bethany, and Cassidy

Meanwhile the boys (Levi, Ezra & Owen) were outside doing boy stuff. Things that had to do with bb guns and climbing trees.

Around supper time Bethany's friend Chelsea came. I made pizza and salad and of course had plenty of pop. Stephanie brought some brownies too. Yummy.

As the sun went down, Matt prepared our campfire. We roasted marshmallows and made smores.

These pictures were taken without a flash.

These were taken with the flash.

Daisy was chasing the sparks from the fire.

She was also ready to eat any marshmallows that fell on the ground. It didn't matter to her if they just came out of the fire. She'd gobble them right up.

Matt decided to keep her with him before she really hurt herself.

When we went back inside Matt gave a Bible challenge. He started out by having each of them squeeze out all the toothpaste from a small tube onto a paper plate.

He told them to get every little bit out.

And they squeezed and squeezed until they finally got all the toothpaste out.

After they achieved that, Matt read from the book of James about the tongue. He reminded them how powerful our tongues can be even though it's a very small part of our body. He encouraged them to be careful with the words we speak.

After sharing these and other things about the tongue, he told them he would give $20 to anyone that could put all the toothpaste back into their tube.

They tried and tried.

Some were very determined to get the toothpaste back in.

But, as you can figure, it's impossible.

Matt told them the tube was like our mouths and the toothpaste our words. Once our words come out you can't put them back into your mouth.

It was a good challenge for all of us. One I hope we remember.

We finished the night up with some crazy games - Signal, Spoons and the Pen Game.

I didn't get any pictures of the games....I was too involved. :)

"Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be."

James 3:5-10