Why Blog?

I have always admired those who take time to offer thoughts and advice through blogging. And I have learned so much through their words and have often been encouraged. With three girls, working on the family dairy farm, a passion for youth ministry, I find it difficult to find something just for me. I have had a journal for all of my adult life, and find writing very therapeutic, so why not. I don't know if my words will have an impact on anyone, or teach anyone anything. But I will be satisfied knowing that I am taking some time out for me. This is my great escape.

Friday, June 24, 2011

My little old treasures....

Some of you may not know that I love old stuff! The house that we live in used to be J's Grandfather's house. (I believe that we are the 4th or 5th generation to live in this house, cool or what!) Anyway, when the attic was being cleaned out, lots of little treasures were found that I fell in love with!! I thought I would share a couple with you. Hope you enjoy!


When the cupboards were gone through, this plate was found! Blue and yellow have always been my favorite colors, and pink is right up there since having three girls...the color just grows on ya! This plate was love at first sight, and I am so happy to have it!

And it works great with fresh chocolate-chip cookies!

These shelves were given to us as a Christmas present from my parents. They were put up in our living room before I even knew what was going to go on them. So up to the attic I went, and I found the box of things that were set aside for me. On the left are old cream bottles, and a tin that held yeast. In the middle is an old lantern, and a not-so-old vase. I love the pop of red! On the right is another cream bottle filled with old wooden spools of thread, and then there are old hymnals (And a painted rock that Lily gave J for fathers day!)

When we renovated our house 2 years ago, and we looked at designs for our kitchen cupboards, these little shelves were actually drawn up as wine storage. Not being wine drinkers, we asked if we could just have little shelves instead. Again, I had no idea what I could put on them. At first I thought plants, but I am not much of a green-thumb... so up to the attic I went again!

Here is a closer pic of what is on the shelf. The top shelf has an old post card, which is rather ridiculous! Ha!, and an old memorandum book. The second shelf has an old cigarette can, a not-so-old baking powder container, and an old tin that held OXO cubes. The third shelf has a Frozen Food Saw on it. The box is so vintage and the saw is still in the box!! I don't think it was ever uesed! The other two items on the shelf aren't old at all, but fit in well, adding some color!

The bottem shelf has 2 old cans that held yeast. And they still sell that same yeast today (there is a modern style jar of the yeast there too.) And those bottles are old food coloring bottles, and an old mint flavoring botttle.

This is some of my bathroom decor :) An old bandaids tin, and two tins of after shave "talc"...whatever that is! There is still "talc" in them, which Savannah has tried to use on several occasions as toilet bowl cleaner...

This clock was given to us as a wedding gift from my great aunt and uncle!

This is an old chest that was up in the attic too. It is one of my favorite things. I have little file folder boxes inside it for our files, and our cds are in there too! Cool filing cabnit and Cd storage case, eh?!

These are up in my laundry "room" (it's more of a hall then a room, but whatever :) ) It is an old clothes "dryer" and "washer" and "iron"! I also have some vintage laundry soap boxes, but don't have any shelves over the washer and dryer...yet :)


I just love the old with the new. It is amazing to see how far things have come over the years and how things have improved.


I am gonna link up with playingwithmycamera.blogspot.com! This fab lady is actually my neighbour, and has terrific blogs filled with stunning photos, and she has a liking to vintage stuff as well! Check it out!!

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Big "Muskles"(muscles)...

Most nights when putting the kids to bed, Savannah always wants me to tell her a story. Not from a book, but from the top of my head. Well, I am not overly creative to just tell a story and the "princess/prince" stories just get old so fast. So usually I will tell her a bible story.

One particular night, I told her the story of Noah and the Arc. A common story. She listened so very intently, helped me list off so many different animals, we flapped our arms as if we were the dove going for the olive branch. And of course at the end, I told her that God sent a rainbow as a promise that He would never flood the whole earth as He did then. I am not really sure how that triggered the next part of our conversation....

Savannah (with BIG eyes): "Mummy, you know what?"
Me: "What?" (thinking that the story just went over her head....)
Savannah: "Did you know that God loves us so much that He sent Jesus to die on the cross?"
Me: (WHOA...not didn't expect that....) "Yes, do you believe that Jesus came and died on the cross to save us from our sins, from all the things that we do wrong?"
Savannah: "Mmhm, I do"
Me: "Do you believe that after Jesus died, that He rose again and left His spirit, part of Himself, to live in our hearts?"
Savannah: "Yeah Mummy."
Then I said: "If you believe those things, we can pray, and ask Jesus to come and live in your heart, and then you can go to heaven."
Savannah (with REALLY big eyes this time): "But Mummy, if I were there, when Jesus was on the cross, I would have climbed up there and taken Him down.
Me: "Yeah?" (with little tears in my eyes!)
Savannah: "Yeah, 'cause I got big muskles! (As she flexes and feels her"muscles")

Then we prayed, and she asked Jesus to come into her heart.

Jesus said, "Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14

Monday, June 20, 2011

Party Animals....

The past few weeks have been crazy both with work and birthday parties. Savannah and Isabella's birthday's are only 15 days apart, which leaves us partying for a couple of weeks :)

In year's past, Alana, (my Sis-in-law who used to work in a bakery) would decorate the girls cakes. She always did such a great job, and even though they were store bought cakes, they were still special because she would decorate them. When she left there, I still bought the girls cakes, but was always a little disappointed in how they looked. I even purchased a couple where you could hardly read what the name was...it was awful. And as a mom, I want things to look good, especially on their birthdays. So, this year, I decided to make their cakes. I made their cakes from scratch, but bought the icing as I haven't really played around with icing a lot or found any that I really like. (I am not much of a sweet tooth to be honest)

For Isabella's, I made a cow cake. She is OBSESSED with cows. Cats are cows, dogs are cows, even birds are cows. When we drive around in keswick, she knows where the cows are! (Farmer already ;) ) So after a couple of google image searches, I found a couple of cow cakes, and sort of created it into one of my own, and I must say, it didn't turn out too bad for my first ever "themed" cake! Here are some pics of her party...


I told her to say cheese....and this is how she responded...LOL


The Cow Cake...the spots are brown...they look darker in this pic, but I just thought that I should clarify, ha!
(Sorry that it is sideways...not sure how to fix that, fixed it in my pictures folder, but it wouldn't add it on here right....)


1st and 4th generation!



For Savannah's, I noticed rainbow Cupcakes on a blog that I follow found here. I used my own homemade cake recipe, but the results of the colors turned out great! Savannah was thrilled!  Here are some pics from her party...

RAINBOW CUPCAKES!




Present time! (I don't have many pics of present, as her back was to the camera. Well that, and Savannah didn't waste anytime :)


4!!! (Hard for this Mumma to believe!)


Mmmm, mmm, good!

Miss Lily enjoying her's!

When Isabella see's a camera, her automatic response is to say "Cheese"...even if her mouth is full!





It was so fun making the girls cakes for their birthday's, and wish I had started it sooner. They too were very excited which made it that much more special! I wonder what I will be able to create next...


I am gonna link up with



Enjoy!

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Farmer Girl...

It really is hard to believe that I have been working on the farm for four months now. Everyday when I think that I have some things down pat, Frank or Joel throw something else at me to learn!! My summer duties are different then the winter ones. But I will start with what I did at first (because that is what I actually have pictures for)

On a typical "winter" week, I would work 4ish hours a day 4 days a week (Tues. - Fri.) Wednesday's was the day we always gave the cattle new bedding, which I was so very slow at, but I improved pretty quick (Which I am sure brought great relief to J! Ha!)






 The girls absolutely love the barn! Especially the calves. They like to go right in the pens with them and everything! And as you can see, the calves like them just as much!



Savannah will often go right in the calf suites....or shut Isabella in there. Now Isabella knows how to open the gates all by herself. And we have found her in there visiting!


Tali is our cow dog. She is an English shepherd and is doing much better with the cows. I train her any chance I get!


This is the young cattle barn. They are enjoying silage. In the summer they all get moved up to the home barn. I love it when they get moved up here. It's nice to look out the window and see cows!



I am glad that spring is over...and the barnyard doesn't look like this anymore. It means for a little cleaner fun for the girls :) Not that they mind the muck!



You know, they even trust me to drive the tractors around the farm. These next pics are of me getting silage for the cows. It is quite a procedure. Now that silage season is here, I am driving and handling silage much more so by winter I am sure handling theese bales will be easy breezy then....thank goodness!





I can honestly say, for probably one of the first times in my life that I love my job. I love the diversity of it, and the challenge and being able to learn all the time. I love being able to help out my family in a bigger way by working on the farm. I love my kids being outside a lot more (I am even tanned...for those of you who know me, know that I am white....always) I love working alongside of my husband!! There are still lots of things that I don't even know how to do, and I am far from being an expert at the things that I have learned. But the things that I am doing now, I can see my progress and that I am getting better. Just think...one day, when a piece of machinery breaks, I may know how to fix it!!!

Hopefully I will have some pictures soon of "summer" farming. These winter ones don't even show half the stuff that gets done, but they show you a glimpse of life on our farm. Farming in the summer is very busy though, as I am sure some of you have noticed by how often I am posting! My 4ish hours a day increase quite a lot some days :)