How Great Is Our Love For God?

These holidays inspire us to be more in thought of the indescribable grace that our Heavenly Father loves us with. The Bible says there is nothing we can do that is worthy enough for the daily gifts and care from such a Holy and perfect God. Many of them we expect without a thought, such as everything that keeps us alive like breathing, protection from the millions of things that could happen but don't, or even a sunny day. Other times He chooses to make us more aware of His existence and daily interventions, if we are in the mindset to recognize them. There are the times when we feel overwhelmed by God's omnipotence and can't help but spend time in praise and awe as He deserves, though being human it's impossible to do it enough.


by Mercy Me
Atonement: Christianity. The reconciliation of God and humans brought about by the redemptive life and death of Jesus.

Big Root

As I was clearing out a section of our black raspberry patch to put in some red raspberry bushes in their place when I found this really long deep-yellow root. It lifted out of the dirt easily and it trailed all the way into the line of trees that border our yard.

It got to where it was too deep for me to keep pulling it out so I can't tell which tree it is coming from for sure, but maybe this one that has a yellowish hue to it. Does anyone know what kind of tree that is? I can't tell what kind of leaves it has.

I wonder if the tree will die if I cut that root off so I can plant my raspberry bushes?

Facebook Addicts

These are funny, but also makes you think. Be careful how much of your life you waste and how much information you give people on a daily basis.
I do enjoy facebook but just like this blog, I'm not on it that much.

Freedom Isn't Free - Veterans Day

Another Birthday Already?

I don't wanna believe she's 33
Not only are you a great daughter, but it's saying something when your brother thinks you're a great "Sissy".


Happy birthday Deliverance! We love you.

Officially A Country Girl?

Well, maybe not, but I felt like it, a little.
I haven't birthed a calf, plowed the lower 40 or cleaned stables, but Steve taught me how to use the tractor -mower to sweep up leaves. We've had this large yard for a year now so I thought I otta learn how to use it. Steve loves to mow the lawn and it's his new toy so he still considers it fun. Well now I know what he means, I had a blast. When the yard was more than half way done he wanted to finish it up (do ya think I made him beg?).
Most of the leaves come from these 2 huge Maples, and it does cover most of the back yard. There are some small deciduous trees along the sides mixed in with all the White Pines but we don't bother raking under there. All that can grow under them anyway are weeds that the pine needles can't kill off (including poison ivy).

Stevie had to help pick up apples from our tree so the mower wouldn't squish too many of them. I didn't realize there were so many, we've got them piled under the tree, thrown under the pines, in the compost pile (behind the leaf pile), and even in the brush pile that we're trying to clear out by burnings in the fire pit that Josh made.
With this being our first summer here we didn't try to learn about spraying the apple tree so there weren't any edible ones.

Nursing Home Parties

Steve's mom has been in the nursing home for about 6 months now and seems to be comfortable. She doesn't complain anyway but one of us checks in on her every day so we now when something is not good with her. Here she is at a Halloween party there with me and with one of the nurses in costume. Below, she's with Barb and Lee at a Red Hat party (and kissing the guest singer).

We have each taken our turns at being mom's mediator with the dr and nurses. Steve's sister Barb is especially good at making them accountable so I think they now know that we aren't going to let things slack off where mom is concerned.

Her dementia is not bad during the day, but she gets a heavy case of Sundowners syndrome as evening comes on. She's still sweet and polite but during that time she gets so confused you can't really talk with her. There's been occasions where I think she is trying to place my face, though she won't say so, but she is always so grateful for our visits and concern for her. She's been a good mother-in-law to me.

Picture Me...

A woman's work is never done, especially if you're never doing it because you always feel like this.

p.s. this is no-one I know, just an internet photo

BUMBLEBEE!!!

We got our first NEW car ever. It was such a great deal it would have been foolish not to this time.
Anyway, Stevies favorite movie is Transformers but he couldn't find BumbleBee anywhere (yellow Camero). Then when we needed to come back in to the dealership, not only did they have one on the floor, but it had the Transformers logo on it - as you can see Stevie pointing to. To him this meant it was the real Bumblebee. That made his day!

A Trip To See Family

My family is in eastern Michigan, a 4 1/2 - 5 hr trip for us. We usually stay a few days. It's always a nice time of reconnecting.
(Stevie with mom & dad, and his aunt Sue, me with them, my niece Nicci and her grampa, mom & dad's back yard)

Happy Birthday Son

Stevie picked a steak dinner at Chili's for his birthday meal.

He informed me not to call him Honey anymore. I tried Sonny, but that didn't go over to good either.

Buddies and Berries

Stevie and Shawn didn't get together all that often before we moved, and since we've moved even further away it's even less. That means it's the same for Shawn's mom (Bonnie) and I, too. That won't affect our friendship though, we can't afford to lose good Christian friends.
During our first summer here I picked and froze a lot of our wild black raspberries anticipating Bonnie helping me make some jam. She has a big garden and cans lots of stuff.
The kids played Wii while we canned and had a good time. Thanks Bonnie!

Summer On The Deck

Happy, Happy Birthday Baby

Happy Birthday to my college sweetheart, hubby, and best friend of 35 yrs, and you will always be.

Steve doesn't like his picture on the internet so I put up his favorite dog star Petey from the Little Rascals, because he is the same breed as our dog Scooby, Pit Bull.
I chose this song for him this time because he always tells me how much he loves me and needs me.

You are the love of my youth and my old age honey! IOU

Finch Feeder

I moved the bird feeders off of the deck because of the mess they make. That is except for the humming bird feeder and one of the finch feeders, because they are just so pretty to watch.

Maybe since they are little birds they won't make too much of a mess???


We get gold finches and house finches.

Black Raspberries

Our thicket has dried up. The last time I picked, a week ago, I got about 2 handsfull of berries. I'm still learning how to prune them for a better yield and maybe next year I can learn how to keep the bugs from sucking so may of them dry. I heard that a heavy rain we had during the harvest period interfered with the yield also. They are a blessing, and everytime I picked a couple of quarts I thanked God for the gift He was giving us. I have enough in the freezer to make a few jars of jam and maybe some ice cream topping.

Visiting Amish Land

Stevie and I went with my friends Pat and Linda to visit an Amish tourist site near here (though no Amish live on these particular grounds). It was a nice calming retreat to yesteryear, and the tour guide was very informative. Most Amish no longer live in the old style houses that we saw and are allowed more conveniences than they used to, but many of them do still have farms to tend without some of the modern machinery. You can find out more about the Amish here.


We watched a film explaining Amish history, took a walking tour through the various buildings and a wagon tour of the grounds. Stevie wasn't thrilled at all to go see the inside of the school house, he thought graduation was the end of having to go to school.


We then indulged in the Harvest Meal they offer, Stevie's only goal for the trip. The food just kept coming, but we could pick only one dessert from such a big assortment. Needless to say we had to make up for it the rest of the week, but it was worth it.


They are famous for their cinnamon-y apple butter, which we smothered all over their homemade bread and rolls.

After the meal I went straight to their store and bought a jar to take home.