Update! It's still cold outside, BUT....

I just had to run out and snap these pictures!!! Michael was unloading, uh...I don't know what it was but it was REALLY heavy!!! He knew the tractor wouldn't pick it up very easily, Ya think?!!! A few seconds later he was down and moving the box out of the way. He knows I know he is in complete control of everything! :-) Although, He said "Don't post those on your blog....Katie!!" as I ran back into the warm house! He knew I would, he won't be mad. I don't think!~! Hehehehehehe! So, What's your husbands "up" too? ;-}

How much wood can a woodchuck chuck.....

It's been really cold the last few days. When it is cold we go through a ton of wood to keep the house warm!! Some days I really wish I could just turn the thermostat up and be done with it, but then I talk to a few friends and they start complaining about the electric bill or the gas bill and I'm very thankful for the wood heat!! At least it warms ya twice! Once when ya cut and haul it in and then when ya burn it! LOL! Thankfully though, knock on wood :-D, we haven't had an ice storm this winter. Not a bad one that knocked out power anyway. The kiddos kinda wish something would happen so we could all snuggle in for a few days, but Daddy has four wheel drive. It would take an Alaskan blizzard to keep him home because of snow, and if someone called and needed him he would find a way!! I do wish the kids could have at least one good snowman snow this year, maybe it could snow on all the yards but not the roads? Just a thought!! But, since the weather man is saying that we are going from 3o* something to 50* something in the next day or so, I guess we'll have to wait on that snow!! :-)

Guess we'll just have to make our own fun till the snow comes!! We love taking mini vacations and recently we ran to town and rented a room at the local hotel with an indoor swimming pool!! We had a great evening, the kiddos absolutely LOVE to swim!!! The room had a small microwave and fridge, so we brought lots of small potatoes and toppings for a baked potato dinner. Although Michael did run across the parking lot and grabbed some snacks for me and him from Arby's, SHHH! Don't tell the kids!

Happy winter! Stay warm! or Cool!!

Photos: Dad and the kids cleaned up a fallen tree in last year's ice storm, right out our front door! The kiddos helping hold the trailer down while we cut wood. Some swimming pictures from our mini vacation, "Sink or swim, Dad!".

What a helper!!

When ya got a job to do, just roll up your sleeves and get'r done!!! Nanae was doing just that!

After an evening of noodle making with Dad last week, the wonderful homemade noodles dried on the table over night. The next morning we saved some for supper and froze the rest. Then came the cleaning part. I guess Nae decided a little elbow grease was in order and got on top of the job, literally! She was very proud to show me her clean table! What a great job she did too! I have some very good helpers and am very proud of them all!!

Even the little helpers that like to sleep in!! I don't know where he got that habit! :-}

My Pantry?

I was browsing around some of my favorite blogs and found Jen over a Sprite'sKeeper http://www.spriteskeeper.com/ (I REALLY need to learn to link!) having a sort of pantry war! I'm rather crazy about keeping my pantry organized, but it doesn't always happen thanks to the many hands who raid it continually! My pantry is a little low right now I really need to go shopping but.....maybe a soon as my allergies release the pressure on my head!! I really have to brag on my wonderful husband for my wonderful pantry, he improved my flimsy metal shelves into these sturdy wooden shelves with tons more space. My I'm begging for a matching set on the opposite wall for the canners and empty jars. With 7 kiddo who are always hungry we need a big space for all the grub, this room was originally a porch that was enclosed before we bought the house. Now that we have added on to the house this room sits off the kitchen and make the perfect pantry. A matching fridge and freezer set sits by the door and is really handy. All the coffee tubs are just storage containers, they come to me free from my grandparents and make wonderful storage tubs.

I usually shop about twice a month and buy in bulk if it's on sale. The Aldi's store in town in one of may favorite bargain grocery stores. I recently found a canned veggie sale at a near by grocery store though and we became the joke of the moment to all the shelf stockers who watched as we unloaded the shelves into our carts and headed for the check out isle. The joke is really on them though when they turn around and have to restock those holes I left behind! LOL! We shop at Sam's some too, but I always have my calculator handy, it isn't always cheaper to buy it by the gallon. Although I love that a big box of toilet paper will last over 3 months!! The Dollar General store has redone their stores here and now have some great grocery isles too.

Well, I'm just playing around and better get back to work! Ha! Anyone else want to show their pantry? How often do you shop? Do you shop in bulk?

Christmas Pictures!!!

Did I mention I found my camera!!!???!!!! Yea! Just in time for Christmas!

So, has everyone caught their breath from Christmas yet? My neighbor mentioned the other night they still have one Christmas party left to go!

Anyone want to brag on their husbands?

Michael surprised me big time this year and did way more than he should have! He got a "new to me" cook stove to go in my "new to me" kitchen! :-) Some of my favorite perfume and a pair of sparkly ear rings!! The kids also gave me a wonderful bath soap set and a pretty glass chess game.

We had a great Christmas, not because of our gifts though, but because we enjoyed getting together with all our family and friends during this time of remembering the birth of our Saviour and why He came.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The Green eyed monster!

Hi all! We are home today because the green eyed monster has come to visit!

On Thursdays we are usually sailing around town for piano lessons, library and of course a quick browse through the Salvation Army!! But today poor Wild Man can hardly see through his swollen eyes with all the green snot oozing out. LOL! Baby J isn't feeling up to his usual smiley self either, his green snot is mainly in his nose though! Ha! The rest of the kiddos are in different stages of allergy attacks from the wonderful weather that can't make up it's mind to be 50* or 20*. Instead it is jumping all over the thermometer driving our heads crazy!! The only person feeling fine here is Dad, but his turn to battle allergies is coming 'round this spring and summer!

So, I have given everyone their doses of Garlic oil (antibiotic) and Sambucol (elderberry syrup for and expectorant) and a few extra Vit. C's and things are turning from green to clear! We should be back up and running in no time!!

In the mean time I am taking this day to finish reorganizing the school room. My wonderful husband Michael, who reminds me often that he is a welder by trade, NOT a carpenter!, has finally placed my new book shelves on the wall. I am SO excited!! It's amazing what 3 boards and some shelf brackets can do to uplift your spirits!! LOL! I have a ton of books. Books of all kinds! I can now place them all (or at least most of them) on my new shelves and throw away all the boxes!!! Books are keys and I have collected them for years, mainly from garage sales and thrift stores and the kids and I can now browse our "library" for adventures. I also found that I have 5 copies of Black Beauty, 4 of Tom Sawyer, 2 of Charlotte's Web, 5 of Box Car Children Vol. 1, 6 To Train up a Child books, and.... :-) Oh, well! I'm sure we will put them all to use! The funny thing was once the new shelves were up Michael thought that the other shelves in the room that are holding all the school books assorted by grade were going somewhere else!! I laughed and told him that there was no room for school books on the new shelves, he had to go look to believe me! But they are full!!! and getting fuller by the day! Poor Hubby, he melted while I was talking about more shelves on the other wall! hehehehehehe!

Photo of Wild Man giving Baby J a ride on the Christmas horse!

A Big Nickel

I've heard of these things being called by several different names...Thrifty Nickel, Lucky Dime, Penny Pincher and so on. The classifieds newspaper that I most enjoy around here is the Big Nickel, you know the kind of paper with tons of want and for sale ads listed so you can drive yourself crazy thinking about what you could sell or buy! I just know everyone loves to do this sort of bargain hunting right!! :-) Each week after church on Wednesday we stop at the gas station to pick up a copy, well, sometimes two copies so we don't have to fight! :-) Most of the time we don't even know what we are looking for but surely there is some treasure we don't need listed there to make us dream or drool for the next week or so!

Once the week's paper has been replaced with the latest edition it goes into the "pile" to be used for something else later. I thought all the kids knew all about this paper, what it was and what it was called. I guess I now know that mainly the excitement is shared with the older kids who are better readers and have bigger wants than the Dollar Tree provides! LOL!

Last night was one of those evenings where everyone is in their own world doing their own thing and it is really easy to ignore...I mean... not listen to... I mean... not hear, someone calling for you. We have some mini dachshunds and one of my mama dogs had a litter of 7 puppies a couple weeks ago. Since I'm so soft hearted and couldn't let them sit outside in the cold, I brought them in and made up a box in the corner. Mama dog has done a great job so far keeping them all spit shined but I still change the newspaper lining everyday anyway. SO, this would be the time I'm standing by the dog box cleaning up puppy yuck and call for one of the kids to bring me an old Big Nickel. After a few moments I call out again. Several children walk back and forth on some mission or another but still after a few moments I have not been brought the needed papers. Of course I then do what any good Mom would do... I stand up and holler!!! I called very loudly ;-) and said " I want a Big Nickel and I want it right Now!!" Dust was flying and kids were scattering and within seconds I had more old newspapers and Big Nickels I could use. I thanked the kiddos and went back to work. All was well!

A little while later, Michael comes in and has that "cat that ate the canary" look. I told him to spill it and he told me I must have made Naenae nervous when I had hollered. She too had ran for what I had asked for but was unsure of exactly what it was, so to be sure she stopped to ask Dad. She had a bright shiny new nickel in her hand and showed it to Michael and wanted to know for sure was this what Mom wanted, she didn't think my request made any sense. He laughed of course and told her no, that wasn't what I wanted. She made a face and shook her head. Put her hand on her hip and said, "Well!, How big does she want it!?!"

LOL!! Guess I'm clear as mud at times!!

Hope ya'll had a great Christmas and Happy New Year's Eve!!!