Homemade Thanksgiving

Alright, Thanksgiving is in just a few days, and I want to hear what you all are making!  Preferably, I want to know what YOU have raised on your plot of dirt, and are serving on your dinner table (or A dinner table)!  Or items that you made completely from scratch!

Yesterday, I had a get together with MY family and the plan WAS to have our turkey that we have raised, but hubby's overtime and other activities, we ran out of time...  So had to go with a store bought turkey... (Thanks Jennie-O!)  But, we DID have our potatoes (mashed potatoes) and corn.  I also made bread from scratch and had some of our homemade strawberry jelly with it...  Next year, hopefully I will have more time and be able to MAKE my own stuffing.  There is an elderly lady from church that makes WONDERFUL stuffing and I hope to be able to learn from her!  My family also brought some yummy goodies also, which made for a delicious meal!

So now, how about you?  Since we won't be able to (or have time to link up on Thursday for "From Scratch...", let's see what all you will be doing now!  If you don't have a link, leave a comment in the comments area.  I would LOVE to hear what you all are making!!!

Frosty, Cold Morning on the Farm...

Cold morning

Well, now that it's November, I guess I need to get a new mindset.  It WILL be cold when I do chores in the morning, afternoon and evening.  I WILL need to wear gloves so my fingers don't freeze off, and a winter coat is a must!  I cannot be late anymore to the barn, because this time of year, our grass fed animals need to have some hay too....   And if they don't get their adequate amount of hay, they MAY just escape on you.  I found THAT out on Thursday morning with our cows! 

Frost on the Grass

But there is still so much going on, on our farm right now! 

First, you may remember I told you last Thursday I went about 2 1/2 hours away and got a new ram Jacob!  Well, here he is!  Calvin!

Calvin

He is a very pretty boy, he is still very scared.  But I think he is getting more used to me and my incessant talking and hanging over his gate, trying to be friends!  :)  Yesterday, we moved our little female, Myst, in with him.  It was love at first site for him, but for her, I still think she needs to get to know him more... maybe a ring on her finger  hoof.

Speaking of which, we also moved the other 2 female Jacobs in with our other ram.  It is that time of year!  And this is our FIRST time of putting together pairs to breed.  So we are totally hoping nature takes it's course.  Because we would LOVE to have some pretty little Jacob babies in March/ April! 

Our 2 females moved in with our male Jacob

We also moved out little broiler chicks outside again, just in time for the frost!  We moved them into a little hut that we had out for the animals in one pasture that never got used.  We lined it with straw and some pine shavings, and got a heat lamp.  They are getting so large, so fast that they needed more room than I could give them in our basement!  They seemed to be pretty warm when I went down at 8 am this morning, and there was one under the lamp but the rest were away from it a bit, and they seemed pretty warm in there.  I am going to keep sprinkling it with the pine shavings so they keep nice and toasty.

Our baby broilers in their new outside home.

Cows peeking into the broiler chicks home, trying to figure out how they can get that grain!

This week (or maybe the coming weekend) we are going to be getting our 3 female goats back.  SO we should be expecting babies from them in February or March!  We will also be getting more additions to our farm this week!  I will tell you all about that tomorrow!  Until then, have a beautiful day, and stay warm!

Sunrise this morning

Beautiful Fall Morning...

This morning was absolutely beautiful.  As the past few have been...  Fall is truly beautiful.

I enjoy going to the barn in the mornings, less in the deep Winter snow, more in the warm months.  Today was no exception.

Most mornings are the same, I have a welcome crew who walk me down to the barn, all the while telling me about their need for breakfast...  It really IS the sweetest thing.  Maybe some morning soon, I will video it.

This morning was a busy morning already, and as I am stepping into the chicken coop, I noticed I hadn't slipped on my boots, but was wearing my cute shoes...  Oh well, not the first time, definitely not the last.

Broiler chicks seem to be doing alright, I think we have a few that aren't doing well though, which is to be expected.  I just hope we don't have too many that way.  We moved them outside in the brooder on Sunday, and they have been keeping toasty in there!

Being Fall, the grasses are dying off and we are having to start give some hay to our cows, sheep and goats.  We are trying to keep them as "grass-fed" so hay will be their food through the Winter, into the Spring.  They seem to be getting bigger and we DID figure their weight the other day, and on average they have been gaining 2 pounds a day, all on pasture!

Well, time to keep moving on the day!  Hope yours is beautiful too!

Recipe: Crock Pot Apple Crisp

I love Fall.  I love everything about Fall, well except for the EXTREMELY cold days...  But I love apples, which are in abundance this time of year.  And it makes me want to whip up some nice, warm crock pot apple crisp!  YUM!

I love fast and easy.  This recipe is great because you can fix it 2-3 hours before you are expecting company, and it is ready when you are!  I don't know about you, but when I have company, I want to pay attention to THEM instead of working in the kitchen!

So, I got this recipe from a book my sister-in-law got me a long while back, called "Fix-It and Forget-It Recipes for Entertaining".  Now for being recipes for entertaining, I STILL have to double this recipe.  And let me tell you, IF there are left-overs, they refrigerate well, and heat well for the next day!  It doesn't last beyond that in MY house.

So, here it is, the crock-pot recipe for Apple Crisp:

1 qt. canned apple pie filling, OR
    2/3 C. sugar
    1 1/4C. water
    3 Tbsp. cornstarch
    4 C. sliced, peeled apples
    1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
    1/4 tsp. ground all-spice
3/4 C. quick oats (I use regular!)
1/2 C. brown sugar
1/2 C. flour
1/4 C. butter, at room temperature

-  Place pie filling in slow cooker, or combine  2/3 C.sugar, water, corn starch, apples, cinnamon and all-spice.  Place in cooker.
-  Combine remaining ingredients until crumbly.  Sprinkle over apple filling.
-  Cover.  Cook on low for 2-3 hours, (or will sit on "warm" until you are ready!)

**Makes 6-8 servings**

I haven't used the pie filling from the can, but the mixture above works very well.  The hardest part about all of it is cutting and peeling the apples! 

Hope you enjoy!

Pumpkin Collecting... And Other Fall Goodies

I don't know about you, but right now in Northeastern Indiana, IT IS NICE!  Not that the temps are my FAVORITE, but they  are definitely pleasant.  Today was showing sign of rain, but my youngest son and I went and did barn chores, rode on a combine of a nice neighbor who farms the field behind our property, and I gathered the last of the pie pumpkins from the garden.  All in cooler, but very nice weather.

Speaking of pie pumpkins, Mmmmmm!  I can't wait to start cooking up these babies!  Those are just a few of them, the rest are providing nice decoration in my house!  :)  There are a few favorite pumpkin recipes that I want to bring out, and a new recipe from my sister, that I want to try.  My sister started blogging, after I told her that she HAS to start blogging, because she has so many great, healthy recipes, that I can't be posting all of HER recipes.  Go HERE and you can find where she has posted some great information on the health benefits of pumpkin.  If you browse her site, she has a pumpkin muffin recipe that I am going to be trying today...  Can't wait!

Over the weekend, we collected more walnuts from our tree, and I have honestly never kept the walnuts for our family.  SO I don't know how much I will get yet, I'm not looking forward to cracking through that STAINING outer layer of the walnut.  But I am looking forward to saving some major cash on not having to buy organic walnuts!  :)  I will post when I do those!

I also am about ready to harvest some lettuce that grew on it's own in my garden, from the lettuce I planted this summer.  I am going to start a long pot so I can bring it in the house, and have lettuce during the winter!  Projects, projects!

So, what are you all doing right now?  Still pulling things from a fall garden?

Back from A Busy Family Weekend Trip!

40 Mile Point Lighthouse

We just got back last night from a weekend vacation to the Upper part of Michigan...  Both the upper peninsula and the upper part of the lower peninsula...


After I finish with the pile of laundry, and catching up with other chores, I will tell you all about it, WITH pictures! Plus, more planned this week!  Including some of those "new additions" I was telling you about!

Talk to you soon!

Fall is Settling In...

Though I wasn't ready for a DROP in temps like has happened here in Indiana lately, I DO love the Fall.  We love the changing leaves and apples, apple cider, apple crisp, caramel apples, well pretty much anything apple...  We are also getting ready for a trip "Up North".  You will hear more about that next week! 

It's beginning to look a lot like Fall!

But for now, things have slowed down on the Homestead. 

Sophie munching on some food...

I have stopped milking Sophie.  She wasn't giving a great deal of milk (as the seller had told me) when we purchased her, and her milk continued to decrease to the point where it wasn't worth my time to go out there and milk her daily!  So, after I give her a good "worming" (nothing crazy- just giving her an "organic herb" wormer from Fias Co. Farm and Molly's Herbals.), hopefully she will be ready to breed!  Then end of February beginning of March we should have our first batch of babies on the Farm!  :)  Don't worry, we have a nice warm place to be at that time!  :)

Speaking of goats,we will be not only taking Sophie to be bred in the next week, but also having our new goat (maybe 2!) bred as well.  The new goat's name is Iris, and we were going to go and pick her up but figured since we have to take her back in a few weeks, we should just leave her there and have her bred early...  And my son also might be purchasing a goat to breed for 4H...  I will let you know!  :)

Here are the boys!  Goats and sheep!

 We have been having a time with our layers...  trying to get them to lay eggs.  But I think I found a pretty good recipe for them to try out...  I will let you know if it works!  It is INSTEAD of the commercial bags of feed...

Waiting to bust out!

Chow time!

 Our bulls are getting bigger!  So far as I can tell anyways...  Looking to butcher them sometime next year!

It's tough being a bull...

 We will be looking to breed our little Jacob ladies in mid-October!  So we could expect babies from them any where from the end of March to beginning of April!  Can't wait!  These guys are the CUTEST when they are born!  We also got them a new little "hut" (as well as the boys, in their pasture).  So far they just haven't figured out what it's for!  They may just think that is where I drop off treats for them!  :)

Our little Charlotte born this Spring.

Our female Jacobs and their new home...

Puck... he's a big boy!

 Like I said the seasons are changing quickly around here, and before we know it, it's gonna do the "S" word.... (snow) I'm NOT ready for THAT!

Changing colors!

Pond is still dry..

 Ah, hot apple cider while I "work"... 

What's happening on YOUR homestead?

A Day...

I love harvest season, I love seeing the fallen leaves on the ground, I love hearing them crunch under my feet, I love seeing shelves full of canned (or frozen) harvest, awaiting the long COLD Winter...

This time of year (in Indiana) when it can be anywhere from a cooler 72 to a hot 90 during the day, and a VERY cool 49 to 60... It feels like FALL. Even though MOST of the leaves haven't changed yet. Our walnut trees are the only ones who leaves are starting to jump ship.

What have I been doing? Well, you saw my pictures from last weekend, and the harvest. I have been trying to get the tomatoes off the vines before they are annihilated by bugs. Not really sure about the tomatoes that I grew this year, they had vine rot, bugs and I know they are heirloom, and I can DEAL with those things, BUT the taste of them were a little different as well... SO not really sure I will try to grow them again...

So despite the little different taste, I am still processing some tomatoes. Hopefully IN things the tomato sauce and juice won't be so different. I made homemade pizza sauce last weekend and I could taste the sauce but it tasted good! So- fingers crossed! :)


As Fall draws closer, I also know the fate of "Turkey"... She has been a sweet gal, but I have known since I bought her and 7 others (who didn't make it due to meeting a stray cat...) that they were going to be food. It's just difficult, because with ONE turkey, she has become almost a pet. She follows me around, she talks to me, she sees me (or hears me) from afar and she runs to me...


She KNOWS I like her better than the hoard of chickens we have... Darn it. But this is the life we have chosen, and this is and always was her destiny...

I like to walk around the garden and check out what is growing, and just soak in all of the beautiful things God has done there. Check out this little guy I found in there:



Just look at those EYES:


It's amazing to sit and be able to look at a creature like this. God made all of those little parts, and when I brought the camera closer to it, it actually turned it's head to look at me. It studied ME... Simply amazing.

So, peanut butter cookies are made for 3 little boys as they come home from school... and I need to finish with some tomatoes and then make dinner.... I hope you all have had a WONDERFUL day!

Whew! Busy, Busy!

How was everyone's weekend? I hope you were all blessed beyond words.

I spent my Monday, running errands and catching up on some housework. Busy day! A GOOD busy...

I tell you what, I absolutely LOVE this time of year. I love having family for Thanksgiving. I love spending the whole day reflecting on all of our many blessings, WITH the family I love! I mean, I always try to make my thankfulness known to God, as much as possible, not just Sundays or whatever. But Thanksgiving is a time where we can be surrounded with those people who we are so thankful for, and also do as the Pilgrims did, and give thanks to God for the harvest! Whether, you personally harvested the food from your own garden or farm, or your family is blessed with a job that provides enough money to buy your food, it is still a harvest to give thanks for!

I also LOVE preparations for Christmas. Remember if Christmas is stressful, you aren't celebrating for the right reasons! Everything that I do, I TRY to make it all reflect God, and how He sent His Son to the Earth to be born in the lowliest of situations, in a barn! If we are screaming at cashiers at department stores about not getting a toy for our child, we need to rethink what we are doing!!! There was a time when I celebrated Christmas the wrong way, and was totally stressed. Stress doesn't stop I am afraid. Stress keeps trying to creep in to my Christmas's... Family stress, etc... But I have to reset myself, each time and point myself in the right direction again. Oh, to be facing toward the Son! What a warm and wonderful way...

So, in the weeks to come there is increasing activities... in school programs, in church get togethers, in home activity and excitement! So, we will hang in there together with encouragement. And when we need to, we will get each other pointed back in the right direction!

This week, for us has no shortage of activities! My husband has training this week, and so I have to play "Super Mom"! And this week, I will REALLY be able to see how I manage our farm on my own. Oh, and exciting new for the Friday! I am going to get my third Jacob sheep. I have talked about her before, her name is Lindsay, and she is (hopefully) bred! So, I am HOPING to have some little baby sheep born at the end of March or beginning of April! We are SO excited! I will keep posting on her as she gets bigger and then has her baby (babies)! I am praying that she keeps healthy and has her babies easily.

Our Jacob female that we already have, Myst, MAY also be pregnant. She is young, but she is in a pen with our male. And I have seen one occasion where I think they got "married", as my young sons say. So, I also pray that she stays healthy and will birth easily, IF she is actually pregnant.

So, there MAY be BABIES!!! I, of course, will keep you all updated!

Also, "Day in Our Life", coming soon...

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone has a WONDERFUL and BLESSED Thanksgiving!

Things I Am Thankful For...

Almost 300 years ago, Pilgrims escaped their native country, to be able to worship freely in a new country. Well, they didn't exactly expect to find a "new world", but they did. And there were so many hardships that first winter. Many died. There wasn't enough food. Had God brought them there to die?

I am sure, a religious people, like the Pilgrims were, prayed and cried out to God for help! And with Spring, came a new beginning. With Spring, God brought them help. An Indian, named Squanto showed them how to plant and live on the land. God had brought them the help they needed!

At harvest time, the Pilgrims and Indians celebrated together. The Pilgrims were thankful that God had brought them help!

Sometimes, God has to let us sit in the darkness before he brings us the light. He has to let us experience loss and sadness, sickness and to see the filth in this world, before we can look at God, and thank Him for those little things that we wouldn't have seen before... I don't live in a mansion, but I DO have a warm house. I don't have a GREAT paying job, but I DO have a JOB!

Somethings, I am thankful for...

• My wonderful, hardworking husband
• My beautiful, healthy, smart children
• My warm house
• My husband's job
• My two hands and feet that can work and care for my household.
• Food in our cupboards
• Our wonderful church & loving church family
• Working vehicles, old but working!
• Freedom to worship, freedom to carry my Bible, freedom to blog about it!
• Our farm
• Meat in the freezer (Thanks to hubby, chickens & deer)
• Family
• Forgiveness, Grace & Mercy, given to us freely by a Loving & Wonderful God
• For YOU, my blog friends!

I know there are much, much more to be thankful for. I encourage you to write down or to name out loud what things you are thankful for. Even if it is small, small is still something! Like my dryer... It doesn't work right now, unless I Duct tape the button down for it to run. But it WORKS with Duct Tape!!! I am thankful it runs at all! Is it IDEAL? No! But, it IS a blessing and something to be thankful about!

What are YOU thankful for???

Thanksgiving, Do YOU Know What It's REALLY About?

I heard a person say that school children are taught that Thanksgiving is a holiday, that was originally celebrated to thank the Indians for the help that they gave then Pilgrims. Thus, taking God out of one more thing that He was so much a part of!

Check out this site, which has some really good information on Thanksgiving.

Here is part of what the site says about the Origins of Thanksgiving:

Journey of Pilgrims
The legendary pilgrims, crossed the Atlantic in the year 1620 in Mayflower-A 17th Century sailing vessel. About 102 people traveled for nearly two months with extreme difficulty. This was so because they were kept in the cargo space of the sailing vessel. No one was allowed to go on the deck due to terrible storms. The pilgrims comforted themselves by singing Psalms- a sacred song.

Arrival in Plymouth
The pilgrims reached Plymouth rock on December 11th 1620, after a sea journey of 66 days. Though the original destination was somewhere in the northern part of Virginia, they could not reach the place owing to winds blowing them off course. Nearly46 pilgrims died due to extreme cold in winter. However, in the spring of 1621, Squanto, a native Indian taught the pilgrims to survive by growing food.

Day of Fasting and Prayer
In the summer of 1621, owing to severe drought, pilgrims called for a day of fasting and prayer to please God and ask for a bountiful harvest in the coming season. God answered their prayers and it rained at the end of the day. It saved the corn crops.

First Thanksgiving Feast
It is said that Pilgrims learnt to grow corn, beans and pumpkins from the Indians, which helped all of them survive . In the autumn of 1621, they held a grand celebration where 90 people were invited including Indians. The grand feast was organized to thank god for his favors. This communal dinner is popularly known as “The first thanksgiving feast”. There is however, no evidence to prove if the dinner actually took place.

While some historians believe pilgrims were quite religious so, their thanksgiving would've included a day of fasting and praying, others say that the Thanksgiving dinner did take place.

Turkey and First Thanksgiving Feast
There is no evidence to prove if the customary turkey was a part of the initial feast. According to the first hand account written by the leader of the colony, the food included, ducks, geese, venison, fish, berries etc.

Pumpkin and Thanksgiving Feast
Pumpkin pie, a modern staple adorning every dinner table, is unlikely to have been a part of the first thanksgiving feast. Pilgrims however, did have boiled pumpkin. Diminishing supply of flour led to the absence of any kind of bread.

The feast continued for three days and was eaten outside due to lack of space. It was not repeated till 1623, which again witnessed a severe drought. Governor Bradford proclaimed another day of thanksgiving in the year 1676. October of 1777 witnessed a time when all the 13 colonies joined in a communal celebration. It also marked the victory over the British.

After a number of events and changes, President Lincoln proclaimed last Thursday in November of thanksgiving in the year 1863. This was due to the continuous efforts of Sarah Josepha Hale, a magazine editor. She wrote a number of articles for the cause.

So, what are you doing for Thanksgiving to carry on the tradition of giving Thanks to our God who has brought us out of the bad times? I read recently, that one tradition that some people have is on each of their dinner plates there are a small number of kernels of corn. During the dinner, each member of the family is supposed to, between them and God, take one kernel and thank God for something. When you think of something else you thank God for, you take another kernel off your plate. You continue through the meal to thank God for blessings He has placed in your life, each time taking a kernel of corn off your plate. Until there are no more kernels! I am going to be bringing this into my home this year, I love that you don't name out loud what you are thankful for, you are telling God, the giver of all things, what you are thankful for.

We have also in the past, traced the hands of our boys and made turkeys for each person. On each turkey, we wrote that we were thankful for that person! Then they can take home their own little turkey with the reminder that we are thankful for them!

How are you showing your thankfulness to all of the things in your life, big and small, that God has blessed you with? Thank God for ALL things...

What do you do to make your Thanksgiving dinner special? Or what are you going to do this year?

Busy, Busy, Busy...

The days are getting shorter, and it is definitely getting colder. So, chores for me are getting worse! If any of you know me, you know that I can't stand being cold! I love the warm weather, I would rather be hot than cold...

But, 'tis the season....

There has been the usual business in the barn. You know, pooping, fighting over food, more pooping, grooming, laying in the sun (when the beautiful sun decides to show herself...)... You know, all the things that an animal must do (not supposed to be a pun!) daily, in order to be an animal!

So, for me, I am cleaning out the sheep stall once a week, as well as the new chicken coop. Both really need a cleaning today. The sun is shining, but when I was out this morning, I think my fingers nearly froze off. SO, we will wait until my body temp has reached normal levels...

Sugar, my oldest son' kitten, is hurt. We found her a week ago laying. Didn't think a lot of it, then an hour later, while we were doing work all around her, she was still laying. I picked her up and saw she wasn't able to use her back legs. Either of them. Don't know what happened, but hubby talked about putting her down. He is able to do those things, but I on the other hand, have the tendency to want to 'nurse something back to health'. So, that is what we have been doing. And she now can climb and get around. She uses those back legs and takes the tiniest little steps with them. But she is getting around! Praise God! I don't know how it would affect my son, if he lost another cat... He's a tenderhearted guy...

Our Jacobs are doing well! I only think I could enjoy them more, if I could hug them. They have such personalities! Puck, the boy, has become the leader and boss, but he still acts like he is little. He still looks to Myst, who can be a little braver... Myst is still the noisier one. Which I love. I love her little baaa that she gives me when she sees me coming out our back door. If I say something baaaaack to her (sorry, couldn't resist), she will actually come running to me. Then when Puck sees her, he takes off running to me also. I love them!

Girl's pups are getting huge! Here is pic of them from a few days ago, when they were 3 weeks old:

They are F.A.T. FAT! At 3 weeks, they are even eating dog food, and not puppy food, DOG food. Girl feeds them, that I know of, only once per day. Her last liter, we were able to give then away when they were about 5-6 weeks old. At that point, she had stopped nursing them.

Oh, and last week, I found a wonderful bread recipe, that I will be sharing with you tomorrow. It's EASY. It's Yummy! It is a wonderful texture, and soft enough to eat as a sandwich, but hold together well...

I just baked 2 loaves last night, and loved falling asleep to the smell of fresh baked bread. So comforting.

Well, keep warm where you are. And I will try to thaw out, so I can go back out a freeze... :) Have a beautiful day!

November

by Alice Cary

The leaves are fading and falling; The winds are rough and wild; The birds have ceased their calling-- But let me tell you, my child, Though day by day, as it closes, Doth darker and colder grow, The roots of the bright red roses Will keep alive in the snow. And when the winter is over, The boughs will get new leaves, The quail come back to the clover, And the swallow back to the eaves. The robin will wear on his bosom A vest that is bright and new, And the loveliest wayside blossom Will shine with the sun and dew. The leaves today are whirling; The brooks are all dry and dumb-- But let me tell you, my darling, The spring will be sure to come. There must be rough, cold weather, And winds and rains so wild; Not all good things together Come to us here, my child. So, when some dear joy loses Its beauteous summer glow, Think how the roots of the roses Are kept alive in the snow.

On the Farm...

Days are growing colder here in Indiana. As it always does... But each year, I shiver with dread and coldness, to think we have to go through several more months of the cold getting worse and worse. The leaves are just about all turned now, and mostly oranges and browns... Beautiful, but going to hate to see them go... And then the white stuff will show up! We did have a dusting of the white stuff about a week ago, in the early A.M.

Not sure the animals are loving this either. We just built a coop for our chickens (which, would you know, in Indiana you have to have $45 in permits to build a box for your chickens????), and they still haven't got used to it yet. They WILL lay their very few eggs in it, but they will not roost in it yet. Unless, of course we go after dark and throw them all in there... Silly chickens. Here is their coop, so far. Still have a little work to do in it, like windows, and sealing off some cracks so there won't be that winter wind cutting through their home...

About a week ago, I finally got our male Jacob sheep, Puck, to eat out of my hand! He didn't want anything to do with what I had in my hand before. But now he's hooked... He loves the grain, just like Myst. The first time I was feeding him though, when the grain ran out, he 'rammed' my hand. Which ended up breaking a small tip off of his horn (it was a 1/2 in. piece that was already bent back...), and hurt my knuckle a bit. But, I grabbed some more grain, put it through the fence and gave him more. When he tried to do it again, I grabbed his head, and had a little talking to him! He didn't like it much, but when he stopped squirming, I let him go, and he has been VERY nice ever since!

The 2 actually see me come outside and RUN to me, Myst being the noisy one and 'baaaing" at me. Puck just along for some grain-love. I am having lots of fun with them. =0)

This morning, like most of our mornings the last few days, has been gorgeous. I look at the sky and think how much God must love us so, to have created such a beautiful site, and gave it to us here on Earth. I need to figure out some settings on my camera, but here is the beautiful sky I saw this morning...

The colors... I just can't describe how beautiful. Thank you, God, for giving us such beauty here on this Earth. It makes me wonder what beauty awaits us in Heaven!

I hope you all have a blessed and beautiful day today!

Things I Love Thursday- Being a Country Girl!

It's Thursday, and I hate it when I forget Things I Love Thursday! It just gives me (and YOU!) and opportunity each week to share what we are lovin', especially on that particular Thursday. I think it helps, even on those bad or busy days, to remember that we have to be thankful for in our lives! I'm sure there is more then we realize!

So, today I just want to say how much I LOVE being a "country girl". I don't wear cowboy boots or hat, I have just grown up in the country, and choose NOW to live in the country, and on a small farm. I love being able to let me kids run our property and not be afraid. I love that they can have fun and explore. I love that we have animals that we can care for. I love that I can give my boys "bigger responsibilities" such as taking care of our dogs, and helping with various other chores on our small farm. I love that I can post pictures like these on my blog, and not apologize for them:

Well, if there were some undies on their, I might apologize... But living in the country is the place for me!

Now, it is YOUR turn! What do YOU love today??? Please share by linking up or by adding your comment!

Fall is Beautiful

I LOVE Fall. It is probably my favorite time of the year. The worst part about it, is knowing that Winter is around the corner... Growing up and living in Indiana all of my life, you would think I would be USED to it by now... But, alas, I am not!

Today is probably going to be the last REALLY NICE days of this year. It is supposed to hit 70 degrees, and already it is SO nice out.

As always, our tire swing is photogenic, so I take a picture! =)

I have one sick boy today, but I am thanking God, it is nice enough to open up some windows! He is already feeling better. Have a wonderful day today!