My Favorite Place

Yesterday I had a very interesting conversation with the ladies at work. We were talking about how spoiled we are in America these days and how easy we have it. Nice homes, constant communication, fast food, instant this, instant that, and practically everything you would ever need can be bought at a store already complete. So many people in America pay others to do all the hard work for them. From building houses, cleaning up the yard, to even peeling their potatoes!

However, we haven't had it as easy as some. Part of the reason was out of necessity, and some was by choice.

When we bought our five acres of land 10 years ago it was nothing but woods full of bushes, trees, and lots of briars. We hired a friend for one day to help us clear some of it out, but we did the rest. We picked up sticks and clipped the brush down for years it seems! We built pens for our animals, put up fence for our pastures, built a shed for Daddy to work in, and built a club house for the younger ones to play in.

We didn't build our trailer, but we did add on a carport along with a front and back porch. For the past several months we reddid a lot of ourrooms. Our kitchen has received a complete make-over and our living room, our hobby room, the girls room, my room, and Phillip's room has been painted.   After we finished painting the living room one of the younger ones said, "Why didn't we just buy a house?" The answer I gave to that is one that I hope they will learn to appreciate as much as I do.

If we were to buy a house, pay someone to paint in when we want it remodeled, or hire someone to clear our land, we wouldn't be able to take as much pride in it. We couldn't say, I did that! We couldn't look at it knowing that we put a lot of work into it.

My favorite place in the whole world is our home. Yes, our five little, yet full, acres where we sit our mobile home is a wonderful place to me. I can look all around me and remember where we started and see all the hard work that we did together as a family. Sure, there are lots of mistakes. But who wants a perfect home anyways?

I don't say this to boast; so many people take it that way when we talk about the things we do. But the truth is, years and years ago this is the way everyone lived. To us it is not something we do to get attention; we just like to do things the old way. This is our way of living . . . and I like it!

Pictures:: Top left: Daddy standing in our drive way. Bottom Right: Our driveway 8 years later. (The brick house is not ours.)

To see the renovations we've been making to our house visit these links:
My New Kitchen 
My Red Room 
My Fresh Painted Living Room 
My Room is DONE!!!
My New Bedroom
Phillip's Bedroom

A Work in Progress

More pictures to come . . .

Days Like These

It's Saturday agian and very relaxed as usual. Right now I have a few candles burning in my room, Josh Groban's A Pianostrings Tribute playing on my computer, and beans that I cooked baking in the oven. Everyone is home (though Ryan is asleep) and we're all staying busy either cleaning, cooking, or both. But I would hate to make this picture seem perfect, because that isn't the case. I am about to clean my desk which is very cluttered - let me reword that - stays cluttered! Then I have to vacuume my floor that has been needing some attention for several days, and later this afernoon I'l make the hamburgars for lunch.

Days like these make me thankful that . . .

• We're all still home together
• The work week is only 5 days
• Mama taught us to stay busy and use our time wisely, and
• Our home is a place we can enjoy being in

"Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father

 in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;"

 ~ Ephesians 5:20~

I Love Saturdays!

Yesterday I had a great day! Saturday is one of the two days I get to . . .

• sleep in past 7:00
• eat breakfast with my whole family (except Ryan who is just getting home from work and going strait to bed)
• wear my jean skirts instead of "office clothes"
• exercise in the morning if I feel like it
• play the piano more then durring the week days
• practice our songs with Bethany, Phillip and Amy
• and stay at the house the whole day!

I love it! Last saturday I spend most of my day cleaning, but this Saturday I cooked supper with Bethany, and made a Chocolate Trifle. Making the desert was very interesting and took up a lot of time!

I started out with a chocolate cake that I would use in the trifle. I did this without any errors so I was feeling pretty good. While it was baking mama and Bethany headed to the store to buy some lace for a dress Bethany was making and I started on the pudding that would go on top of the layer of cake. While I was beating the milk and pudding mix together and chatting with Amy I noticed the electric mixer was kind of acting funny. Before I knew it the mixer was going crazy! I didnt know what was going on except that chocolate was being splattered everywhere and the mixer didn't want to corroperate. It took me by such surprise that I couldn't find the button to turn it off with right away, and when I did finnaly turn it off I found the beaters twisted together and a peice of it on the floor! Chocolate was everywhere, including me. Amy and I cleaned it all up and made another batch of pudding just in case little metal peices had gotten into the bowl. I had never seen such a thing! I believe I will be afraid to use an electric mixer for at least 2 months! : )

Luckily, the rest of the dessert went smoothly with no mistakes and everyone agreed that it tasted very good!

Home Sweet Home

There is absolutely no place like home! After camping in the beautiful smokey mountains for 4 days I have never been so happy to drive on flat land, sit on my bed, take a shower in my bathroom, play the piano, and pet our adorable little dog, Rover. Home has never looked so good! The mountains is a great place to go for a vacation, but I was born a "flat lander" and I remain a "flat lander"!

Today's Happenings

Today when I got home from work Bethany and Amy surprised me with an invitation to Tea! We love having tea parties but usually I am the one who heads them up with mama and the girls, so I was pleasantly surprised when I got the invitation! What a pleasant thing to come home to!

Later I made some Delicious oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for work tomorrow since we are wishing our boss farewell. Ryan begged so much for some cookies and accused me of cooking for my co-workers more than I do them . . . so I let him have a few with a promise that I would make him some more another day. Not that he is lacking in snacks! ; ) Mama always makes sure that if we are in need of a "chocolate fix" or something to satisfy our sweet tooth there is always something for us!

Lastly, I gave Phillip a much needed piano lesson. I get behind sometimes. He did very well and I figured out one of his "learning gifts". (Everyone learns in different ways and I am always being challenged to learn new methods of teaching my 3 younger siblings because none of them learn the same way . . . naturally!) Today I saw that Phillip is very good at taking what I taught him and applying it to every song, not just the ones I taught him on. I was very happy to see this!

It has been a good day. But now . . . it's time to go to bed!

Cute Post

Have you ever seen a 4-wheeler loaded down with 5 people? I have. In fact, I was one of them. Me and my 4 siblings got on ONE 4-wheeler and drove about 50 yards veeerryy slowly! You can see the picture at my sister's blog. It's very funny! What else are country kids suppose to do when their board?

A Place of Comfort

Sometimes in this life we have to go places we don't want to go to. We have to be around people we don't like being around. Sometimes we are completely uncomfortable with our surroundings to the point that we want nothing more then to just get away. Thankfully, I know I can always go home. At home I feel comfortable, I feel loved, I feel appreciated, I feel needed . . . and I can be myself without worrying what anyone will think of me! No matter how crazy or annoying I can be my family will always accept me! That alone will put a smile on my face and help me out of a bad mood I may have previously been in. There is no place like home!

Picture of our home taken by Bethany.

What Caused Division Between My Siblings

There was once a time when Phillip and Amy got along great like every brother and sister should. They played together every day, went to places together, got over disagreements very quickly, and found common ground that they could be happy with. They were always together!


For the past few days I've noticed that they haven't been together as much. Lately Phillip has been in his room by himself while Amy is in her room alone. They no longer stick together.


In sadness I went on a mission to find out what caused division between my brother and sister. I was eager to see what made them part in such a way. Today I believe I solved the mystery. It is very clear why they are not spending as much time together.

They now have walky talkies!

An Art of The Past

Long ago there was a time when women had to sew everything for themselves. They couldn't go to the stores and buy what ever they wanted because there were no such stores. Women probably thought it would be crazy to have a store that sells just clothes. Because they had the ability and time, ladies young and old made their own clothes, curtains, sheets, and blankets. I wonder if they would have felt lazy or unlearned if they payed someone else to do their sewing? (That's just a thought.)

A few years ago there was a reality show that aired for a few months called, "Pioneer Days." In this show three ordinary families were selected to live in Canada for 3 months just like people use to live in the pioneer days. They had no electricity, no running water, no indoor pluming, and no grocery store within 5 minutes. During those three months these ordinary families put a lot of work into their homes. One family was placed on some land with a house already built, another family had to finish a half built house, and the third family had to build theirs from the very beginning. They also had to build fences for their animals, lean-to's, furniture possibly, and barns. They grew their own garden and cut their own fire wood. It was hard work, but they had to do it because they couldn't buy these things that were necessary to live a fruitful life.

After the three months were over they had to leave their "home" out in the woods. They were all sad to leave because they had put so much of themselves into their houses and land. They were able to take pride in what they did and truly say, "I did that! I built that house, I grew that garden, I sewed that dress . . ."

Look around your house. Is there a treasured quilt lying somewhere that your grandmother had sewn years ago? Are their curtains in your home that remind you of the day that you and your mom sewed cloth together to create decoration for your windows? Do you have a dress that you spent hours making and still proudly wear only on special occasions? Are their embroidered pillow shams decorating your bed that you had made just the way you wanted them? There is no doubt about it, home made things makes a house a home. They bring back memories and have a value that cannot be replaced. There is no satisfaction when you can name every store where you bought your curtains, bedspreads, pillows, etc. But when you or a family member has spent their time in making something special, the love shines through for everyone to see!

Even in this area of life we need to remember to do everything in moderation. Every thing in my house is not home sewn, but the things that we did put our time into will always be treasured. Even if you have little sewing skills you can still make things to put in your house such as aprons, pillow shams, kitchen curtains, or a table runner. These small acts of love will bring more satisfaction to your home along with a testimony of being someone who loves their family enough to spend time giving her best! Believe me . . . it's worth it!

Last Pictures:: The first one is me writing in a journal waring in a dress I made. The second is Bethany crocheting wearing a dress I made. The last is of my second quilt.

Thoughts of Soups and Comfort

This morning I woke up at 6:15, content to stay right where I was - on the couch by the fire place under my warm blanket. Yes, I have my own bed, but the warm living room with cozy flames burning in the fire place was just too inviting. Thus I slept on the couch! As soon as I got out from underneath my covers I got a cup of fresh coffee to warm my insides. Coffee never tasted so good! As I got ready for work I picked out a long sleeve shirt and a long thick skirt hoping that they would do their job of keeping me warm.

As I worked away in our office at the hospital I couldn't help but notice how slow the day was going by. Maybe it was because I knew I had to face the piercing winds after my work day was over, or maybe it was because I couldn't wait to be home with all it's comforts. Every one that came through our department was wearing a long sleeve shirt or sweater . . . a sure sign that winter is on it's way!

This evening I drove home a little tired. As I walked inside my home I was welcomed by warmth and smells of mama's chicken noodle soup. As I ate supper with my family and talked of the day's events I realized just how blessed I am to have such a family. Ah, it is good to be home!

Winter always seems to give me warm feelings about my home. If I had come home to a cold house with only smells of the dryer linen and cleaning supplies I doubt I would have felt the same way. Those good smells that linger in our house and warmth that fills the air gives me a sense of security and reminds me that I am taken cared of and loved. Having experienced this after a long day at work makes me see how my future husband will feel when he comes home from an exhausting day earning our living. It makes me look forward to being able to make our home a happy, comfortable, inviting place that my hubby will look forward to coming home to. Though actually he should want to come home because he knows I will be there! What more could he ask for? (Just kidding!) Ah, the comforts that only winter can bring!

Peaceful Living

Today was like any other day in some ways. I woke up before the sun had risen to head out to work. There, I did my usual tasks of taking customers orders, carrying food out occasionally, bagging food, cleaning, stocking shelves, and what ever else needed to be done in a fast food restaurant. At times it becomes very loud in the small building. Above the ice maker and exhaust fans you can hear the customers chatter and laughter and vehicles going by on the road out front. For a small town, it is a busy little gathering place.

When I got home tonight though, it was different than most other nights. After talking to mama I went out side to start on my school work. I usually don't study out side, but I knew I would enjoy the fresh air and sunlight. For a few minutes time seemed to stand still. As I sat there in silence with only the sound of rustling leaves and birds talking back and forth in chirps, I watched Phillip play on the trampoline with a water hose. Then glancing to my right I saw Amy running through the yard, skipping over mounds of dirt so freely. They both seemed so care free and happy.

I started thinking about how wonderful it is that we live out in the woods far from town. Our little five acres are so peaceful. The privacy we have allows us to do as we please without worrying about our neighbors watching and complaining. Being surrounded by farms means we live in a place void of heavy traffic, noisy trains, and loud music. We have the privaledge of watching nature every day through our animals and many plants. There are so many blessings from living in the country!

I am so thankful that God lead my dad to move out hear seven years ago. I would rather live in the country in a double wide trailer than in the city living in the nicest house imaginable any day. The country life is wonderful!

:: The picture at the top is of the goats that we no longer have, but don't they look so peaceful? The other picture has all three of my younger siblings on the trampoline. Sorry for the blurriness! By the way, I also have an older brother Ryan, but I haven't put a picture of him on here yet. I will some day!::

I Know, I Know

It has been a long time since I have blogged. I was hoping that I would never have to give any excuses for why I haven't stayed faithful to the blog sphere. I was going to be a "good" blogger! But what can I say? Life doesn't always go the way you want it to, right? So here I am, telling you that the reasons I haven't blogged is because I've been spending my time:

with my family
doing college work
organizing my closet (you know how long that takes!)
going to work

yard saling

singing with my siblings

. . . and other things

Right now mama is finishing supper and everyone is starting to gather in the dinning room eager to eat mama's fried chicken, mashed potatoes & gravy, and broccoli callarole. It smells Delicious! Every time mama fixes a big spread like tonight it reminds me of Thanks Giving dinner.

Tonight I will probably try to get some school done and then I might watch the Waltons with my family. Those are such great shows! I wish we could live like them. No TV, no video games, no telephone . . . no distractions. The Waltons look so peaceful when they are all sitting around in the living room gathered around the radio. Every one of them is there, even little Elizabeth. Mama and Grandma has taken a break from her continuous chores, Daddy is relaxing from a hard days work, and the rest are all tired from school and playing outside all day. (I really don't know what Grandpa does.)

Those are such enjoyable, simple pleasures that most people have never experienced. I have though. Maybe not in the same way, but similar. I'm glad my parents like spending time with us making peaceful, memorable moments in our home.

A Valentines To Remember

I am always in the valentines mood on Feburary 14th, especially this year. Working in a restaurant means that I get to hear about everyone's plans for the special day and see all the girls get flowers from their sweetheart. *Sigh* There are no flowers for me this year, but I won't complain. Maybe next year . . .

Tuesday I went to Family Dollar to find some "goodies" for my parents and siblings. I was disapointed with thier selection, but did find a few heart shaped suckers, MnMs . . . and Reses Eggs! (We love those things! It was the first time I saw them out this year, so I had to buy some! I thought it would add some humor to the day as well . . . Easter on Valentines Day! I'm glad we've never been bound to the worlds traditions.)

Wednesday I ventured through The Dollar General to see if they had anything to add to the gifts. I finally found everything I needed. That night I printed up simple Valentine cards to fit their personalities and put everything together. (It was so much fun buying for others! I can't wait to do this for my own children!) Then, while everyone was asleep, I placed thier gifts in places where they would find them as soon as they woke up on Valentines morning. They all liked their gifts.

Today when I got home from work, I'll have to admit, I was expecting something from mama and daddy. Every year they give us a little something ranging from a Hershy's Kiss about the size of a base ball to little bags of candy. After we ate supper I went to my room expecting to find something sitting on my desk or laying on my bed. But there was nothing there. Trying not to let the others see that I was looking for something, I casually scanned the house. Maybe they put it on the piano? I wonder if they are going to see how long it will be until I ask about it? Finally I asked Bethany if she had gotten anything. This probably sounds so selfish, but I had thought about it all day and had set my heart on getting a little something! I also suspected that my little sister Amy had something to do with it since she had a secret for quite a few days.

Finally Amy told us. Being the littlest of us all, she loved being the only kid who knew about the surpize. She told us (in a grown up way) that the dishes had to be clean, the fire wood put on the back poarch, and everyone showered up before we could have our surprize. After all that was done, we had to go to our rooms while mama and Amy got the surprize ready.

Minutes late we came out to a candle-lit table adorned with hearts and a red table cloth over lapped by lace. The dinning room was arrayed with streamers and hearts all around. The air smelled of roses and music drifted in from the joining room. We were served cookies and red cool-aid along with personal bags of candy for us to keep.

After we ate a few cookies, the games began! Mama had hidden 18 paper hearts in several of the rooms for us to find. The person who found the most would win a bag of heart candies. When she said "Go!" we all ran to find the tokens! They were under the printer, behind the candles, in the microwave, and everyother place imaginable. In the end, Bethany found the most with me close behind in second place.

Next we played Heart Bingo. Insdead of spelling out b-i-n-g-o, we spelt h-e-a-r-t. Phillip was the winner of that game, and glad about that too!

To top the night off, we all sat around in the living room and watched a movie. It was the best Valentines Party ever! It will be nice one day to be able to receive gifts from my one true love, and give him presents of love in return, but I believe this is just as much fun!

In a Child's Eyes

Tonight I found myself craving hot chocolate again. I doubt it is good to give into such unhealthy cravings, but it had been a long three weeks since I had a cup! (I think.) So I wandered into the kitchen and set a pot of water on the stove. As I waited for the water to boil, I scooped the hot chocolate mix into my cup . . . with extra big scoops! Topped off with a spoon of cool whip and the rich chocolate drink was delicious!

I was reminded of a time when I was a little girl and had spent the night at a friends house. Before bed we got some milk as we always did. My friend told me that I could put as much chocolate syrup as I wanted in my milk. I was amazed! I thought that was the greatest thing ever! I went home and told mama about it and found out that I was allowed even at my own home to put as much chocolate as I wanted in my milk. For some reason, I had the impression that we weren't allowed such privilages.

Now I look back and think about how silly it was of me to get so excited over chocolate milk! At the same time I am reminded of how easy it is to make a child happy. Simple things mean a lot to them.

So . . . when I have children of my own one day I am going to let them put as much chocolate syrup as they want in thier milk! (And big scoops of mix in their hot chocolate!)

New Baby Animals!

We have a new addition to our little farm! Last Monday five little chicks were born to a very protective mother. It is so sweet to watch the mama hen keep her baby's warm underneath her and try to protect them from our cow! Can you picture that?!

The little chicks have been following her around from the first day! But one day they will grow independent and wander away from their mother hen. Just like we do. When we are first born again, we stay close to our heavenly Father. But after a while we start to think we don't need Him as much as we use to so we start to wander away. What a shame. If we stay close to our Lord, He will keep us warm and safe, just like our hen does to her chicks.

Aren't they adorable?

Siblings . . . are They a Blessing?

Siblings! I don't know about yours, but mine keep me on my toes!

Today when I got home from work I saw that no body was home . . . or I thought no body was home. So I unlocked the door, walked in, and headed for my bedroom down the hall. I was unconsciously talking to myself - an old habit of mine - and acted as if I was the only soul in the house. When I got near the two bathrooms (which are right across from each other) Bethany, Phillip, and Amy jumped out at me from both sides! I screamed, jumped, and grabbed my purse in terror! I was horrified! They all started laughing as if it was the funniest thing in the world. They were almost doubled over, they were laughing so hard! Amy acted so innocent and claimed that she didn't scare me, but we all know she could of warned me, so thus she is as guilty as the other too. Bethany was proud of herself for scaring me half to death . . . and I have to admit, it was funny! From now on, I will not talk to myself in the house (that will only happen in the car where I know I am by myself :) and I will walk cautiously down the hall, ready for any little children who might want to jump out at me.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas! I'll be back to my blog in a few days.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Traditions

Our home is filled with traditions . . . especially around Christmas time! For some reason, Christmas seems like the best time to have traditions. Maybe it’s because it is one of the biggest holidays of the year, or because it’s a time when the whole family gathers together. Here are a few traditions we enjoy every year.

Open presents from our aunt and uncle. Since our aunt and uncle live up north over a thousand miles away from us, we very rarely spend the Christmas holiday together but send our presents through the mail. As little children excited about all the boxes under the tree, we would forget what our relatives gave us amongst all the gifts that we received Christmas morning. So we started the tradition of opening out aunt and uncles presents on Christmas Eve. It was always easier to remember what they gave us . . . and it was very nice to open them day early!

Pizza night. Every year on Christmas Eve we all make our own personal pan pizza with what every toppings we want. We don’t have to consider what the rest of our family may want on their pizza because it is all ours! This was started when a friend told mama that they had pizza on Christmas day every year. Mama decided that it would be fun to do something similar that is out of the ordinary. Of course, we all love this tradition because pizza is one of our favorite meals!

Cookie Baking. Normally, on Christmas Eve we all (with the exception of daddy and our oldest brother Ryan) bake and decorate Christmas cookies. They are not for Santa Clause, but for our own enjoyment. We get all the decorating bags and icing out and make candy canes, wreaths, stockings and snowmen. The cookies always look so pretty on the plate together.

Christmas morning. At 5:30 sharp, all of us five kids are awake and sitting by the beautifully lit Christmas tree that looks so pretty in the dark, admiring the beautiful presents that are piled underneath it. We are not allowed to wake up mama and daddy until 6:00, so we go through our stocking to see what treasures we can find. As soon as the clock strikes the long-awaited hour, we are in our parent’s room, jumping on their bed, and screaming “Merry Christmas!” By 6:15 all the presents are open! (This is the only day of the year that we wake up on our own will before 8:00!)

Traditions give us something to look forward to with anticipation. Christmas is always a wonderful day at our house! Some day when I have a family and home of my own I will be able to create my own traditions for my husband and kids . . . and we’ll probably still go “home” for the old traditions as well!

Home Comforts

Comfort is . . .

• Being home with my family,


• Taking a stroll when the weather is pleasant,


• Reading a good book beside the fire place,


• Listening to classical music while a scented candle burns,


• Eating supper with the whole family,


• Drinking an early morning cup of freshly brewed coffee,


• Smelling cookies as they bake in the oven (and then eating them),


• Having a long conversation with my mom,


• Watching our animals do the silly things God created them to do,


• And feeling loved by everyone around you.
  
  
  Okay, now I need to apply some kind of meaning to this that everyone can benefit from. The message is this: Home should be a comfortable place to live in. It should be a refuge from this wicked, rat race of a world. It should be a place where we can be at ease and feel free of all our distress. Even if you do not run your home, you can add to its happiness by helping everything run smoothly, doing kind things for your parents or siblings, and by being considerate of everyone in your household. May we all try to make our home as stress free as possible.

Home Sweet Home

Out in the country, where animals and trees are plentiful, and gardens fill many yards, there lies five beautiful acres we call home. When we bought the land it was nothing but thick woods and briers with a thin creek running through the brush. Over the past 6 years we have cleared a lot of it, with only a few corners that need cleaning up. It has been so neat to see how much we have accomplished. Because we put so much hard work into it, we feel like we are a part of this place.
Out here “in the woods” we have been able to see God’s beauty and amazing things about nature that we never took time to noticed before. It was so much fun the first time the guys built a blue bird house for the beautiful creatures to live in right in our front yard. Year after year we would watch them come and go along with their new little ones. The humming birds were always a sight to behold as well. We found out what kind of flowers they like so that they would have a source of food right at our front porch where we could watch them hover over the plants. We all marveled at how fast they would move their wings!

All around our double-wide trailer are fields (as we like to call them) with animals roaming about in them. Our little farm is complete with goats, a cow, two cats and two kittens, dogs, chickens, and a pig. As you can guess, there is always excitement in every corner! Our animals are always finding ways to escape their pens only to be chased right back in. Having animals is very educational as well. We have seen all our animals bring forth offspring except for our cow and chickens. So it is not an uncommon thing to have little piglets or kids (baby goats) running after their mama on our farm. Baby animals are always fun to watch!

But overall, our little place in this world is very peaceful. Being away from the noise of the city, leaves our part of town pretty quiet with only an occasional noise from tractors or the hungry animals at feeding time. To me, it is the most wonderful place on earth! A place where I plan on staying . . . until I get married of course!