Sheep Following Him

Lily's To-Do List

2012-02-02T13:24:00.002-06:00

She gives me inspiration to get the things done on MY to-do list!

Parenting is An Act of Worship

2012-02-01T14:12:00.003-06:00

I love my children. I love being around them. I enjoy our time spent together. However, I don't always act that way. I get tired, and cranky. Real cranky. Especially past 10:00 pm. But even though I am tired, I must persevere in showing them the love and grace of God. My goals in parenting are 1) making sure they know Jesus and 2) everything else. As long as they know The Truth, He will equip them for their mission. I have to remember that these, my brothers and sisters, are gifts. They do not belong to me. They are His. As the time is quickly drawing near, I know they will not be in my home much longer. Our goal as parents is to hone these arrows and prepare them to be sent out to places we will never see and engage in battles that we cannot imagine. I continue to be humbled that God would entrust these souls into my care, this broken vessel. How I parent them is form of worship. How I interact with them, how I speak with them, how I guide their time, is all a form of worship to their Creator, and mine. If I holler at them to make them listen, if I am harsh and brash, that is not God honoring. I pray for a meek and quiet spirit as I humbly walk before God in this mission. For, my ulitmate goal in parenting is to glorify God.

Taking the Hill

2012-01-28T00:05:00.001-06:00

Sledding Fun

2012-01-27T20:57:00.001-06:00

Have I mentioned that I LOVE this place?

Only In Alaska

2012-01-05T00:56:00.002-06:00

Another Good Looking Guy

2012-01-03T17:01:00.000-06:00

That is One Cute Boy!

2012-01-02T18:45:00.000-06:00

A Sunday Drive on January 1, 2012

2012-01-01T19:29:00.001-06:00

Twentieth Wedding Anniversay

2011-12-29T00:12:00.005-06:00

I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine.

Winter Solstice

2011-12-22T01:37:00.002-06:00

Our Precious Children

2011-12-19T00:56:00.003-06:00

Searching for a Gift for a Twentieth Anniversary?

2011-12-16T21:09:00.001-06:00

Are you a loving, yet befuddled, husband looking for the perfect gift for your wife for your twentieth anniversary? The traditional gift for the twentieth is china. What if YOUR WIFE DOES NOT LIKE CHINESE FOOD? Easy peasy. Take her out to eat at a great seafood restaurant. They will serve the delicious fish, shrimp and crab on china. Besides, you love seafood, too, right? Then, so it seems like you are really appreciative of her, present her with a gift certificate for books. Be creative. You could give her a booklet with certificates for a book of her choice every month for a year. Or if you are feeling really generous, a book a week! Use your pen that was made in China to write them up. You are covered and you will be the man!

A Peek into Our Winter Wonderland

2011-12-13T11:35:00.002-06:00

Where are you taking us, Sarah?

That sure is a snowy road!

Someone is busy shoveling.

Ah, the new home!

Vision Forum

2011-11-22T22:38:00.001-06:00

Vision Forum is our favorite source for Christian books. There are 2 kinds of books the children know I will buy them: history and theology. Vision Forum has a plethora of each and I don't have to worry about the content as they as all God honoring. Our favorites for historical fiction are Ballantyne and Henty, and you cannot find those in your local public library. Right now they are having an awesome sale of buy 2 get 1 free. Build your own sale!

Smockity Frocks, Raising Olives, Modest Mom, A Wise Woman , Generation Cedar and Life in a Shoe are each having a $600 Vision Forum giveaway! Go sign-up!

That's $3600 in Vision Forum giveaways! How awesome is that?

Sunday Shots

2011-11-14T14:23:00.001-06:00

In Wasilla

2011-11-11T14:11:00.001-06:00

Wool Shrinks

2011-11-03T19:07:00.001-05:00

The Ram found me an awesome L.L. Bean hat at a local resale shop. Being the germ-o-phobe that I am, I HAD to wash it before I wore it. And dry it. Apparently it was wool.

I Never, Ever Want to Drive that Road Again

2011-10-21T00:55:00.001-05:00

When we left Haines, AK, it was lovely fall weather and beautiful colors. Within an hour, it looked liked this. And we had to drive through it for 2 days. Never, ever do I want to do that again! We finally got sun on day 3. Thanks to God for protection and safe travels!

On the Ferry

2011-10-17T22:27:00.000-05:00

Seattle Waterfront

2011-10-17T21:51:00.000-05:00

Just Another Road Trip Mishap

2011-10-09T22:13:00.000-05:00

We stopped by REI before heading to the hotel to call it a night. Several children and The Ram went looking at sleeping bags and other things. I decided to sit close to the front door in some comfy camping chairs because the little one was tired. No sooner than we had sat down, he began spewing a copious amount of stomach contents all down the front of my shirt. I stood him up and let him finish in my skirt (another reason long skirts are handy). An older daughter was there beside me to carry him out while I managed to wobble out holding all contents in my skirt. (I am sure the gentleman that held the door for us was ready to get out of there, but I must say that it took some talent to balance all that while remaining modest!) Before getting into the car, I had the daughter hold up my jacket behind me so I could remove my shirt, afterwards, putting my jacket back on. I then slipped off the skirt and into the car and she handed me the little one and went to throw my clothes away. As she was getting in the car, she nonchalantly said, "You did notice that security camera pointing at you, right? I was wondering why you turned right to it to take off your clothes." Lovely. If you see the video on YouTube, please, for your own good, look away!

Garden of the gods

2011-10-09T08:53:00.001-05:00

One Last Visit

2011-10-06T13:27:00.000-05:00

Visiting South Texas

2011-10-04T22:24:00.003-05:00

Visiting Family Before the Move

2011-10-04T21:38:00.004-05:00

Here We Come

2011-09-20T11:02:00.002-05:00

in the Canyon with Granny and Cousins!

2011-08-12T16:41:00.002-05:00

Sarah Whips Up Some Blueberry Muffins

2011-07-30T18:44:00.001-05:00

Fun at the Sprinkler Pad

2011-07-30T12:11:00.000-05:00

Guess.What.We.Bought

2011-07-13T18:59:00.001-05:00

Caprock Canyon

2011-07-13T16:27:00.002-05:00

Grandpa and Grandma with Us

2011-06-29T12:49:00.000-05:00

Grandpa and Grandma Visit

2011-06-29T11:12:00.004-05:00

This is what I hear this morning.
Grandpa: Grandma, did you just use the bathroom?
Grandma: No, I just brushed my hair.
Grandpa: Well, there is a frog in the commode.
Grandma: Who is in the what?
Grandpa: There is a frog in the commode.
Grandma: What is in the commode?
Grandpa: A frog.
Grandma: Is it alive?
Grandpa: Yeah, and I was just wondering, cuz whoever used the bathroom just passed a frog.
Child 1: THERE IS A FROG IN THE COMMODE!
Child 2: Maybe Grandpa needs some medication to stop him from passing frogs.
Child 3: Maybe Grandpa needs to stop eating tadpoles.
Child 4: What's a commode?

After 21 Days of Sitting

2011-06-21T16:04:00.000-05:00

What is happening to that egg?

Do you see the pip?

Momma and chicks (she hatched 8)!

How Do YOU Cool Off When It's 110 Out?

2011-06-17T13:34:00.000-05:00

Josiah Turns Two, and to Wayne Grudem

2011-06-14T17:03:00.000-05:00

My Children Watch Too Much 'On the Box' with Ray

2011-06-05T22:00:00.000-05:00

Ray is 'On the Box'

The Family

2011-06-05T19:12:00.002-05:00

Texas Pecan Pie Bars

2011-06-05T19:08:00.000-05:00

DO NOT MAKE THESE AT HOME!

Just a fair warning to you! I had to put some in the freezer so we would not eat them all. We checked out Pastry Queen from the library this week. I gave Rachel the recipe and requested these as I went to rest for awhile. I woke up to these. It bears another warning: DO NOT MAKE THESE! (but you really, really should!)

How To Make Banana Pudding with a Little Brother

2011-06-04T14:47:00.002-05:00

Lay your vanilla wafers in a bowl.

Slice up some bananas.

Brother will smell cookies and bananas and come running. Make sure he doesn't eat them all!

Have brother stir pudding to keep him busy while you are slicing banana.

Put your banana slices on top of the cookies.

Pour in the pudding.

Arrange more cookies on top.

Brother will want to help also.

Eat it all up! Yum!

Hail!

2011-05-31T21:39:00.002-05:00

Good Mail Day

2011-05-31T10:32:00.002-05:00

We won 'How to Know God Exists' from On the Box by Living Waters. They are fun to watch and help with our evangelism. On the Box is on Monday-Friday at 1:30 pm.
The Trinity Hymnal will be used for family worship. We have lots of hymnals, but this one is awesome and includes a partial psalter. Next I would like to get more copies of The book of Psalms for Singing as one book between 8 people is kinda scrunchy!
The Christian Classics Study Guide comes from Generations with Vision and you can listen to Kevin Swanson there daily also. It covers Augustine, Patrick, John Paton, Bunyan, and Knox. I think we will start with Augustine.
'The Long Walk' is a awesome tale that some of us have read, but the library wanted it's copy back! In 1941, Slavomir Rawicz (sentenced as a spy) and six fellow prisoners escaped a Soviet labor camp in Yakutsk — a camp where enduring hunger, cold, untended wounds, untreated illnesses, and avoiding daily executions were everyday feats. To reach safety meant more than a 4,000-mile trek on foot out of Siberia and through China, the Gobi desert, Tibet, and over the Himalayas. With nothing but an ax, a knife, and a week’s worth of food, they risked everything to gain their freedom .

D is for Carmel Pecan Pie

2011-05-30T18:54:00.000-05:00

Dad requested a pecan pie and 2 daughters got busy today. Notice the artistic 'D' in the middle? Now that takes imagination and creativity!

Wanna piece? You know you do!

You had better hurry!

Flower for Mama

2011-05-29T20:31:00.000-05:00

Apricots

2011-05-29T20:29:00.001-05:00

Ice Cream!

2011-05-29T14:55:00.000-05:00

Strawberry

Blueberry Banana Kefir

Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

2011-05-28T20:30:00.000-05:00

courtesy of Rachel and Lily

Cheesecake Brownies

2011-05-27T23:27:00.002-05:00

Haircutting 101

2011-05-27T18:32:00.000-05:00

I usually cut the children's and The Ram's hair. This time, Rebecca cut my hair. I love it! And, that money saved can be used to buy...another book of course! Or some hay. Or a puppy. Or some chicken feed. Or some ice cream. Yeah, it's 103 here, I think ice cream!

Mom's Day Thursday

2011-05-26T14:04:00.002-05:00

Around here, everyone has a day to make breakfast. We have Muffin Mondays, Chef's Choice Tuesday, Waffle Wednesday, Pancake Friday, Scone Saturday, and Smoothies Sunday. Thursday are Mom's Day. I choose Chocolate Crepes with Cream Cheese Filling. I purposely only made enough for one per person; otherwise, it would have been very, very dangerous! Did you know that to make powdered sugar, all you do is put your regular sugar through the blender and whirl? Yep, that's it. Powdered Sugar.

A Wise Woman Builds Her Home

2011-05-25T12:24:00.000-05:00

It was time for this yucky carpet to go. There were a couple of layers to cut away and LOTS of dust.

Did I mention that it was yucky?

Laying the new tile that we had bought in Missouri.

Now, isn't that much better? And the first thing we did with our new floor? Spill chocolate milk on it, of course!

The Official Sprouted-Wheat Tortilla Taster and Flipper

2011-05-21T18:06:00.000-05:00

Peach Cobbler with Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

2011-05-20T22:28:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's made with bean flour, but you would never know it. Just flour, sugar, milk, baking powder and peaches. Ice cream is raw goat milk, sugar, eggs and a vanilla bean. Simple. Just the way we like it. Doesn't it look like they are enjoying making and eating?

More Cookies

2011-05-18T17:34:00.000-05:00

Can you tell we like cookies around here? Rachel made these yummy morsels today. Sugar cookies, made with 1/3 bean flour. No, you cannot taste the difference and as a bonus, you get a protein punch. Now that should take some of the cookie guilt away, right? right? I thought so.

Maple Pecan Breakfast Cookies

2011-05-18T11:11:00.000-05:00

Now these were interesting. No sugar, just maple syrup. Kinda a muffin-like texture. They should be called 'Boys Breakfast Cookies' as the boys here love them, the girls not so much. Now maybe if we added chocolate chips and raisins...

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-17T16:44:00.000-05:00

Mayonaise

2011-05-17T16:41:00.001-05:00

We bought a new cookbook, Nourishing Traditions, and have been trying several recipes. This is our version of homemade mayonaise. It is yellow from the fresh eggs and the olive oil. We also added a tad of raw cane sugar, just because. The chicken stock is simmering on the stove and smells delicious. Hoping to try at least 5 new recipes a week and will post updates on how they turn out. From our Country Beans new cookbook, we tried grinding our beans into flour and adding hot water to make quick refried beans. Not so good. A few commented that it tasted like bean foam. No, not so yummy. But, we persist! With only one goat out of eight producing right now, we only get about about 3/4 gallon of milk a day. Not enough to make very much cheese yet, as we use most of it for kefir and yougart. Just imagine the milk in Spring next year! We did receive some very nice chicks from Aspen so we are hoping to have some nice layers in a few months.

New Recipes

2011-05-16T21:22:00.000-05:00

My eldest daughter made me these today. Yes, they are as delicious as they look! She used oat flour. Yesterday, the eldest son made pancakes using bean flour. So sorry, but they did not last long enough for me to take a picture! One of the best things I ever did was teach my children to cook!

Tree Planting...Gone Bad

2011-05-11T21:45:00.000-05:00

Giddy Up

2011-05-03T18:52:00.000-05:00

While working on a job today, the children found a new friend.

He Loves Tractors

2011-04-16T21:28:00.000-05:00

Fence Building, Barcak Style

2011-04-13T13:21:00.000-05:00

First Azure Delivery

2011-04-11T12:33:00.000-05:00

Our first order from Azure arrived on Saturday. WOW! We love them! Among other items are bulk wheat, raw sugar and oats all ordered in 50 lbs. We bought other stuff in bulk such as baking powder (5 lbs), yeast (2 lbs), raisins (2 lbs), apples (14 lbs), 3 different types of rice, some heirloom seeds, tomato plant starts, and 25 lbs of organic carrots which are delicious! I love making our foods from scratch and I love using natural ingredients!

Now That's a Glass of Sweet Tea

2011-04-10T18:15:00.000-05:00

Half-Gallon Size, Please

How to Give Your PTO More UMPH! While It's Running, of Course

2011-04-10T18:13:00.000-05:00

He Learned a New Noise

2011-04-06T20:47:00.003-05:00

Guess Who Made Breakfast

2011-04-06T20:46:00.000-05:00

Dirt Loves This Boy

2011-04-06T20:33:00.002-05:00

Sometimes it Takes Two

2011-04-06T20:26:00.000-05:00

Someone Please Tell Him that He is An OUTSIDE Cat

2011-04-03T15:01:00.002-05:00

This is what I found sleeping in my reading spot today.

Bathtime

2011-04-02T21:07:00.000-05:00

New Friends

2011-04-02T14:41:00.002-05:00

We recently met a couple of homeschooling families in this neck of the woods. They graciously invited us over for an evening of hospitality including dinner and dancing! What fun!

Homemade Cajeta

2011-04-02T14:18:00.001-05:00

1 quart goats milk
1 cup sugar
splash of vanilla
1/4 tsp baking soda dissovled in 1 T of water

Heat milk, sugar and vanilla over medium heat, stirring constantly, until near boil. Add the soda. Mixture will get foamy and big, just keep stirring. Heat and stir at simmer constantly for 60-90 minutes. Pour into jars. Refridgerate, if it lasts that long!

Smiles from the Garden

2011-03-30T20:37:00.002-05:00

We worked on the third phase of the garden today. Phase 1 - last year's seeds. Phase 2 - heirloom seeds off eBay. Phase 3 - seeds from a local seed store. We still have several phases to go until completion. We worked on fences also, prep work, as an old fence had to be taken down and The Boy did an awesome job. Then, of course, the area had to be brush-hogged. We seperated 'the girls' today, which increased milk yield from Sugar. She is our only wet doe right now, but we are looking for that special buck!

Lily Lovin' the Circus Clown

2011-03-29T22:57:00.000-05:00

Circus 2011

2011-03-29T18:43:00.000-05:00

Isn't That Nice, He Shares Breakfast with His Kitties

2011-03-28T13:52:00.000-05:00

Meet the Girls

2011-03-28T13:28:00.001-05:00

What is going on here?

Sugar Pie Honey Bunch

Snow White and Cookie

Cinnamon

Ginger

Good to the last drop!

Yummy!

Sprouted Wheat Bread

2011-03-24T16:42:00.003-05:00

Today we made sprouted wheat bread and it was yummy. We used fresh ground wheat also, but I think we will try with 100% wheat sprouts next time, just to see. Also planning to make hummus with sprouted chick peas. Yum!

Buckets of Fun

2011-03-22T19:22:00.002-05:00

Many Hands Make Light Work

2011-03-18T15:13:00.000-05:00

In Which, We Choose

2011-03-18T10:23:00.000-05:00

Can you see all the dust blowing behind the tiller? It is dusty here. But it is our new home and we are content. Joyous. Excited. Going back into the corporate world is not for this family. We choose to create a family economy based on entrepreneurialism and hard work. We choose to pour our lives into our children that we may hone these arrows. We choose family life over the rat race. We choose time over money. We choose counter-culture. To God be the glory!

The "you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me" Look

2011-03-18T10:07:00.000-05:00

Nothing Says Spring Like Fried Dandelions

2011-03-18T10:05:00.000-05:00

Helping Daddy Plow

2011-03-18T10:04:00.000-05:00

He Loves Trains, and His Sister!

2011-03-15T17:22:00.000-05:00

Sarah's Apricot Tree

2011-03-13T13:58:00.001-05:00

Our Cowboy

2011-03-13T13:53:00.000-05:00

The Bird House Boy

2011-02-24T18:10:00.000-06:00

The Apprentice

2011-02-21T17:01:00.000-06:00

A Young Man's New Business

2011-02-21T16:59:00.000-06:00

We Have Eggs

2011-02-19T14:08:00.001-06:00

After settling down a little, and some warmer weather, we have eggs again! We are down to 3 hens, but they are laying once again. They must like this new little homestead!

Why We Don't Have a Christmas Tree

2010-12-08T17:18:00.000-06:00

Nope, we don’t put up a Christmas tree. Have not had one for at least 8 years. As my family can attest, I tried for many years to get into that tradition, to no avail. And, no, we are not Jehovah’s witness. First, I don’t like many things made of plastic, just too fake,so the artificial trees were out. I even tried to make a tree out of PVC (admittedly it was very artsy!). Then, I never saw the wisdom of buying a dead tree just to throw it out a month later. I tried the living Christmas trees, but they either died or were eaten by goats. I started to ask myself, what is the root reason why I don’t get excited about Christmas trees, or any decorations for that matter. I read Jeremiah 10:3,4

“For the customs of the people [are] vain: for [one] cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.”

Ouch! What is the purpose of the tree? I saw it as materialism and a distraction from Jesus. We decorate the trees all pretty and then bow before them to put our gifts under. Sounds a little too much like idolatry to me, and vanity. It was not pointing to Jesus. So why have it? Now before you go all crazy on me, I am not judging you and your tree if you so choose to have one, just telling you why we don’t have one. Now, if you can convince me by Scripture why I should have one, let’s talk!

To Be One

2010-11-23T19:56:00.000-06:00

Incredibly interesting documentary. It tells the story of three different courtships from the perspective of couples and parents, before and after the marriage. We learned alot and were inspired! Anyone interested in courtship, should check this out!

Just Him and the Chickens Having Lunch

2010-11-08T13:43:00.005-06:00

"Please do not feed the chickens on the back porch if your brother is still eating!"

Contemplation

2010-10-28T17:12:00.002-05:00

Colorado 2010

2010-10-28T17:08:00.000-05:00

Who is Watching Whom?

2010-10-28T16:29:00.001-05:00

For My Reformed Friends

2010-10-19T11:59:00.003-05:00

My Orders

2010-10-19T11:03:00.004-05:00

"My orders are to fight;

then if I bleed, or fail or strongly win, what matters it?

God only doth prevail.

The servant craveth naught except to serve with might.

I was not told to win or lose,

my orders are to fight."

Ethelwyn Wetherald