Oddessy 2008 Part 5 (the end)

Oddessy 2008 Part 4

Oddessy 2008 Part 3

Oddessy 2008 part 2

Wiki-huh?

Well, even I have spend more time on wikipedia than was healthy. I knew that is was not perfect, but now I'm convinced it's mostly junk and not worth our time.

Let's all avoid wikipedia. The next time you Google something, don't click on the wiki-links!!

OH, and I'm beginning to hear that Snopes is biased and not always true. I'll link more when I come across something to back that up.

BE CAREFUL! DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ ... ESPECIALLY ON THE INTERNET! (yes, I'm yelling)

Oddessy 2008 - Part 1

Below is the slideshow from the first leg of our trip. We had planned to make a side trip everyday, but weather or time did not permit. However, we made it to the St. Louis Zoo. It is a nice zoo, but we stuck mainly to the inside exhibits.

I love the last picture of Steve and ALL the girls watching TV together in their PJs.

More to come, but don't hold your breath for quick.

Oddessy 2008 - Part 1

Note to self:

Do not say you will post everyday when 1) you haven't posted regularly in a lonnnggg time and 2) you are about to go on vacation.

Yes I had internet access nearly everyday but it was not always easy or convenient to be on line. Sorry.

We had a great trip. It was a lot of work and worth it. I don't know when we will travel East again, but we've decided it will be in an RV.

I will post about the trip when I have a few more minutes.

We are in WV this week, visiting Steve's dad and getting stuff out of the basement.
Today, we took a break to visit the Amish country in Ohio.
It is refreshing to be in such a lovely place and see life lived simply. We ate at Der Dutchman, bought a ton of cheese and fudge at Heini's, then got lost in Lehman's. It was a wunderful gut day.
Tomorrow, we will pack, visit an aunt get ready to go visit another aunt on Saturday. We are only 1/2 way through our trip.
I'm typing this on my phone and my hand is starting to get cramped, so I'll quit.

God bless!

the Internet

Internet, how do I love you? Let me count the ways.

Google. (Did you know that a google is a one with one hundred zeros after it? That's like 33 commas at least!) I can find almost everything with Google!

Anywho.com helps me to get folks' phone numbers and addresses...how cool is that?

Mapquest is great for directions (95% of the time).

Email rocks! I love sending and receiving e-mails with friends and family.

Recipezaar...for recipe addicts like me.

Threadbangers & all the craft websites.

People on the web are so awesome, I could not homeschool without all the help online. I have learned so much from craft & homemaking bloggers. Wow! I cannot say enough.

I'm sure there's more but we've been on thr road since 2 a.m. yesterday. We are in Columbia, MO - halfway to our first destination in WV. (Steve planned this trip out on the internet, go figure)

Friendship

"What a Friend we have in Jesus!" as the hymn goes. It is reassurring to know that the Lord knows me so well. That He rejoices with me and hurts with Me. He listens to me - really hears me, although He has interrupted me a few times when I was whining to Him (always for my own good).

I am thankful for the friends I have here on earth.
My parents
Liz from Basic Training (now in CA)
Susan from TX
My sister, Cindy
Cousins & family (MOAJ) all over
Jen, MaryLynn, Cathy, Darcie, Ginny, Sharon, Susan and more here in the valley

Each has blessed me and I am very grateful.

Freedom

I am so thankful for the freedom from the bondage of sin that come from the cross Jesus bore. How wonderful to wake up to new mercies every morning.

I am also thankful that I live in a country where I am free to worship & follow Christ.

Freedom to vote for laws and lawmakers is a blessing.

Another freedom to be thankful for is freedom from the mainstream. I am free to be different, if I want to dress like a Jane Austen character, no one will stop me. If I choose to wear my hair long and always wear denim jumpers, it's okay. I honestly don't care if my outward appearance is not in fashion. I do care that others see me as honest, kind, thoughtful & loving. I will not dress like a nun (I think it would be hot in those habits) but I do want to show my love for Christ in all I do.

Sunday

Well, it is very late, but I didn't want to fall behind on just the second day.

I am thankful for my husband. He is so good to me, I'm sure I don't know why. He takes such good care of his girls, we all adore him. He spoils me and loves my cooking. I even like his very corny jokes!

I love Steve and thank God regularly for bring him into my life, even though he spun me while learning to salsa.

Things for which I am Thankful

OH my... it's been a while. I am thankful for my faithul readers (all 3 of you).

Truly, I will try to post everyday this month about something for which I am thankful.

First, I am thankful for a truly loving and merciful God. He loves me inspite of me. I deserve death for my many sins. I deserve to suffer and struggle through this life alone and broken. But, hellelujah! I am saved! My Lord has healed me, lifted me and forgiven me...I am in awe, truly humbled by this amazing love.

He has blessed me so abundantly! I have FIVE amazingly healthy, beautiful children, an awesome husband, good health, loving parents & sister, and a wonderful church family.

Blessed be the name of the Lord!!

Umm...I was there...really!

I canned too. I also took pictures, nursed the baby & yelled at the kids. Jen just stayed in the kitchen chopping, mooshing, stirring, cleaning, canning, tending the cookstoves & bossing me around.

Oh, we made Tomato Sauce NOT Yomato Sauce!!!

Waaa waaaa.

Yes, these are a month overdue. Sorry, I've been canning peaches, pears and pear butter. I have more to do so....pppbbbbttttt!

Seeing RED or..Jen Canning Tomatoes.

1930s Marital Scale

87 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Superior Take the test!

Have you ever noticed...

that certain children are always in pajamas? Isn't homeschool wonderful?

Okay, we did change before going to the produce stand and grocery store.



Our friend, ST owner/operator of the stand. She and her husband own it and sell local produce; they grow the tomatoes (of which there are 200 pounds in my living room), corn and other produce. They are very kind, usually hiring kids from chuch to help out and we went home with 2 dozen ears of corn and some "Utah nectarines" that they gave us.

Shake shake shake

We made butter today, so not like Laura Ingall's. This was to go along with our Prairie Primer curriculum.

Tara even got in on the action.

"Are we making Waura?" This is sooooo fun!!

"I'm done, Mom!" This isn't so fun anymore (note Tara not shaking).

Kyla's butter (hers was the best).

The finished product!


Tastes almost as good as the Wiggles on youtube.

Yummy!

Oh, today was National Popcorn Day (according to some sources). We ate popcorn for lunch!

Squash Muffins

Oh how I wish I could post a beautiful recipe with pictures like the Pioneer Woman, but we did bake some great muffins yesterday. I had an adorable supervisor. Ryann helped, she's excellent at putting the liners in the muffin tin.



Tara, there is no ham in this recipe.

These WERE yummy with butter and homemade raspberry or blueberry jam.

Oh, you want a recipe?

Yellow Squash Muffins Recipe
18 muffins (I got 24)
· 2 lbs crookneck yellow squash
· 2 eggs
· 1 cup melted butter (you could use ½ applesauce)
· 1 cup sugar
· 3 cups all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat)
· 5 teaspoons baking powder
· 1 teaspoon salt
1. Wash squash, trim ends, and cut into 1-inch slices.
2. Cook in a small amount of water for 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Drain well and mash (I used the stick blender).
4. Measure 2 cups of the cooked squash, combine with eggs, and butter, and applesauce, and set aside.
5. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
6. Make a well in center of mixture.
7. Add squash to dry ingredients, stirring only until moist.
8. Spoon into greased muffin tins, filling 3/4 full. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean.

Happy Days

With some sweet girls.

Blueberry pancakes!!

Wearing Sissy's dress.






Just helpin'.

Washing carrots from our garden.

Milk drunk.

(please ignore the recently pregnant lap)

Labor Day Picnic

Inside...in the Morgan Family Library.

Do you see the foot IN the egg salad sandwich?

Felt Boards

I can't remember which blog or e-mail I got this from, but I couldn't wait to try it. I spent the best hours of yesterday cutting felt into various shapes and making 4 smallish felt-covered boards.

The felt fruits of my labor.

Kyla's mosaic masterpiece. This is actually meant to be a preschool activity for the littles while Kyla and I are schooling.

A Work in Pink


Trees and table by mom & Ryann.

If I can't play....ppbbbbtttt!

A Real Labor Day!

We did something totally different this weekend! We cleaned (most of) the garage!!!! Yea!!

Okay, Ryann was in charge of sawdust reorganization, Tara helped but didn't make it into the picture.

Um..Kyla was in charge of...um...holding the floor down. Actually, she did a lot of sweeping and sister chasing.

Garage floors are really hard, huh Kyla?

The fruit of our labor! We can now fit BOTH cars in the garage!! Yippee!

(I think I met my exclamation point quota!)

More of the Same

Here are some (well, alot of) pictures.

Nana & Tara 'reading' together.

Tara has mastered the fork! Here's the empty pasta bowl to prove it (this was at Olive Garden).

Daddy scoping out the mountains. It really is neat to look at the cliffs. NO! We do NOT spy on our neighbors, unless you count the deer that live nearby.

Kyla skipping rope, she's learning some fancy tricks with this jump rope.

Love the morning hair, Tara.

Super Ryann!!

Super Tara!!

Sister Cirlcle

Awwww....

Caitlyn looks like she conquered the Daddy Monster and then fell asleep on him.

More sister time.