Rainy Day Farm

New Favorite Snack

2012-01-29T20:05:00.000-08:00

My super awesome friend Megan, who is a very yummy cook, introduced me to this very yummy snack. You get this Greek yogurt dip at Costco and it is to die for. I pair it with pretzels or our all time favorite chip Food Should Taste Good Multi-Grain chip. When I eat this snack I don't feel as guilty. It tastes good and is good for you.We will be munching on this next week during the Super Bowl for sure. Happy snacking!

Sometimes it stinks to be tiny!

2012-01-19T10:51:00.000-08:00

We have had a record breaking snowstorm here in the great Northwest and poor Skipper is not equipped with long enough legs for this kind of accumulation. He loves the snow and tries his best, but he really has to work at getting around. It sure is funny to watch though.

We love our pup!

2012-01-15T19:49:00.000-08:00

Addison & I love our little dog Skipper. He is our lap buddy, sleep buddy and all around cuddler. He is definately a woman's dog and has to be with us wherever we are in the house. If we lock him out he scratched and whines at the door until we let him in, and don't even think about leaving him at home. He LOVES to go in the car with us everywhere we go. We would be lost without our little munchkin.

Thankful Heart

2011-11-24T17:51:00.000-08:00

I am feeling very greatful today. I am greatful for a wonderful family who love and support me no matter what. I am also so thankful for great friends. God had lead wonderful people into my life to help me endure the bumps in the road of life. I am so greatful that the holidays are a joyous time for our family. May you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and Holiday season.

November This and That

2011-11-05T20:49:00.000-07:00

I had several pictures that were not really related to much of anything, but still fun. So, I decided to post them together in one fun mish mash of topics.

Logan made a really neat model of the world. He had to take a picture because I had no idea how to store this for posterity. You can already see the cracks in it. He did a great job and it was a really fun project for him.

Landon made this cute little feather head band at school for fall. You can tell by the look on his face that he is pretty proud of it.

Logan finished up his last game for soccer. Here he is with his medal and his favorite soccer buddy Brett. They have been playing together since they were 4 and were so excited to be on the same team.

We let Honey Bee come visit in the house one day and she loved running all over the couch. She is sniffing Addison and I think Addison is a little scared! Maybe she is afraid of goat cooties.

I just love crisp fall mornings. The front yard just looked so beautiful that I had to grab the camera.

Easy (Microwave) Halloween Carmel Corn

2011-10-31T11:56:00.000-07:00

halloween pictures pics on Sodahead

In honor of Halloween today I am posting a really great recipe that I stumbled on last week when I was looking for a fall snack for watching this...

I was looking for a different recipe when I found this one in a cookbook my mom gave me. It is super easy and super yummy! So here we go.

Carmel Corn
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. butter
1/4 c. Karo syrup
pinch of salt
1 t. vanilla
1/4 t. soda
6 qt. popped popcorn
(three bags of microwave popcorn, any flavor)
In a glass bowl, put brown sugar, Karo syrup, butter, and salt, microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir and microwave for 2 more minutes. Add vanilla, baking soda and stir together and pour over 6 popped popcorn in a brown paper sack. Stir with large spoon and shake bag. Roll down top of sack and microwave 1 1/2 minutes on high. Shake. Microwave 1 1/2 minutes more. Pour onto large pan or bowl and let cool. Break apart and enjoy!

This recipe makes ALOT of popcorn, so you may want to bag some up and share with some friends. It is ready in about 10 minutes and gone in about 5 minutes. I love this flavor, because it reminds me of Cracker Jacks. So good! Hope you enjoy it! Hope you all have a happy and safe Halloween!

Sounders

2011-10-31T05:00:00.000-07:00

We are the newest Seattle Sounders Fans. We got free tickets from our neighbors and headed to Seattle for the game and had the best time! Soccer fans are the craziest. We were the only 4 people in the entire stadium of 64,000 that did not have some sort of Sounders attire.

We were way up in the nosebleed section, but it was still so action packed and fun! Everyone was so pumped up and cheering all the time.

It was a bit of a chilly night so we bundled up and sipped hot chocolate. We also cheered until we all lost our voices.

Logan got lots of inspiration for his own soccer playing. As we were walking out he said he was going to play just as hard as they Sounders did. You can't buy that!

As luck would have it, it happened to be Kasey Keller's (the goalie) last home game of his career. He had a great game and they had a celebration for him after the game. So now we are an official Sounders family! Go Sounders.

Pumpkin Time!

2011-10-30T14:46:00.000-07:00

We finally got around to carving our pumpkins for the front porch.

I kept Landon busy with is pumpkin. I tried and tried to get him to help me clean out the guts, be we couldn't bring himself to touch the "guts".

Addison did a great job on her big one all by herself. I love that she is old enough do it all on her own.

Logan was very excited about getting the guts out this year. He did need a bit of help from Dad to get that big thing cleaned out.

All done and ready for the big night. Sorry the pic is so dark, but it was dark out when we tried to take this. Now our porch is super spooky for Halloween, even though we don't ever get any trick or treaters. Happy Haunting!

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-29T20:12:00.000-07:00

Landon's Pre-School class went to the pumpkin patch for a special day choosing a pumpkin, riding on a tractor, and playing on a hay maze.

These are his cute teachers who are so patient with the kids. I don't know how they do it day in and day out.

Landon and I had so much fun riding on the tractor together. It was a really cold day with lots of fog.

Landon LOVED the hay maze and went through it several times. There is something magical about haybales and kids. They had a really fun slide that all the kids slid down about 75 times each.

Landon picked out the perfect little pumpkin and seemed quite proud of himself.

Landon and his class.

New Rainy Day Farm Arrival

2011-10-24T10:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon, Yasmine, decided to finally go into labor. I have been waiting all week for her to deliver. I have not been able to leave the house for long stretches at a time waiting and waiting.

I went to church and worried the whole time, came home tired and grumpy and went and took a nap. Robb and I went out to check around 6:15 and saw that she was in labor.

With a little pulling from Robb we got her out and she is happy and healthy. She was the only one so she should develop really well. She has mom all to herself.

Yasmine is such a good mommy and baby is just as sweet as she looks. Now I need to head out to the barn and snuggle with them. See ya later.

My New Favorite Sugar Cookies!

2011-10-21T18:55:00.000-07:00

I have a new favorite thing in my life! Lofthouse style frosted sugar cookies are my new favorite cookie recipe. I recently discovered pinterest and have found SSSOOO many great recipes.

I could not get this recipe out of my head so I had to make them today. We had a dreary, rainy day that was perfect for cookie baking. While we were working on the cookies we watched Hocus Pocus (my favorite Halloween movie) and had Meatball Soup for dinner. It was a perfect fall day.

Jack o Lantern Breakfast

2011-10-16T22:57:00.000-07:00

I saw this idea on the Idea Room but made my own simpler version, because I was in a hurry and didn't have any pumpkin. This is just my regular pancake batter colored orange and green with chocolate chips. They were yummy and I have had several requests since making these. We have fun with our pancakes around the farm. Enjoy!

Oktoberfest & Goats

2011-10-14T22:10:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun at our October goat show last weekend. It was in a town near my parents so we packed up and headed out.

I think this will become our Christmas picture this year. What do you think? Crazy, huh. Robb ended up winning the adult costume contest, on shear embarrassment alone. He was a hit and a good sport!

Miss Addison also was a winner with her goat pumpkin carving. She was so proud of it that she brought it home and put it on the porch.

Landon the little ham with his buddy Kristin. They are quite the showing team.

Logan was so cute this weekend. He placed second in his showmanship class and impressed the judge with his eye contact. He also chose to be JJ the rodeo clown. Don't you just want to hug him?

We had a super fun weekend and the goats even placed well all weekend. Logan came up to me on Monday morning and said he had so much fun and couldn't wait to go back. That makes all the work worth it right there!

Summer Garden

2011-09-29T04:10:00.000-07:00

With yet another cool, wet summer on our hands we are still waiting for the garden to finish up for the year. I am hoping for a few more good days of sun so the pumpkins can ripen and the corn finish.

Everything grew great this year, but we are not seeing a whole lot of fruit for our labor yet. Things look a bit of a mess because we pack that garden as tight as we can with lots of different things. The wild looking flowers are from some cilantro I planted a couple years ago. It volunteers each year and comes up all over the place. It looks wild, but smells divine. I will have lots of lovely coriander to use this winter. Yummy.

The kids and I planted sunflowers in with the corn and it has worked out perfect. The corn helps support the heavy stalks and they just look so cute and happy. Although the other day we had TONS of rain and they had their poor heads turned to the ground and looked so sad. Here's to sun for sure!

We have zucchini coming out our ears and they are very large this year. I think I mistakenly bought a different variety than normals because these are much harder and more pumpkin like on the inside. I baked a Chocolate Zucchini Cake and it was so divine. Now I just need to shred this basket and get it in the freezer so I can make lots of yummies over the winter.

I did manage to uncover a couple yummy cucumbers too. They were so flavorful and crisp. My mouth is watering thinking about it!

Autumn in the Country

2011-09-26T05:00:00.000-07:00

I don't get to go to cute bazaars very often anymore, with time, money, and location constraints, but I had a few(and I mean few) minutes on Saturday. I stopped at one that I went to last year but did not take any money to purchase. BIG MISTAKE! There were lots of venders with really cute items for sale.

So, Landon and I headed down the back country road in search of all things fall! Landon's favorite part is the large farm truck parked in the yard with all the pumpkins around.

Isn't that just cute! I love all the unique gourds and pumpkins they have all around . My favorites are the gray gourds. They are so creepy looking.

This year I did make a few little purchases and this little hand stitched sign was first on the list. Ok, so a strawberry Italian Soda came first because it was quite a warm day.

I just love the tiny little leaves that are stitched in the patter. So cute!

I also found this SUPER yummy potpourri at one booth and it smelled so devine that I had to buy a scoop. I just loved the tiny little pumpkins in the mix. My living room smells SO good right now!

Landon found the worlds tiniest picnic table. Even he was too big for it!

Last but not least is this adorable little fabric pumpkin. Isn't it just the sweetest little thing? I just love the fabric, and it smells like vanilla too. Bonus!

I just love fall and had a good time, even though Landon had a potty accident and we had to stop shopping right in the middle of it. He ended up wearing his pj's bottoms around because that was all I had with me! Go figure! Life with boys is never dull for sure.

Volleyball Girl

2011-09-25T12:41:00.000-07:00

This year Addison decided to play volleyball. She is is doing really well and having lots of fun with her friends. (Sorry the pictures are so bad, I only had my phone with me)

Their first game was a little confusing for them, but all in all they all did a great job working as a team.

Here they are waiting to take the floor. They all look so excited don't they?

Here is some of their team and their coach, waiting to see who gets to go in next. They were so cute sitting on the sidelines cheering for each other and singing cute songs. Addison was REALLY worried about serving well and getting it over the net. Not only did she get it over the net, she even made a point! We were so proud of her. She did a great job! Now Hubby and I need to invest in some stadium chairs for our 10 year bleacher run. We are just beginning!

First Day of Fall

2011-09-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

In honor of the first day of fall, my FAVORITE time of year, we decided to put up our Fall/Halloween decorations. Crisp air, apples, soup, sweaters, football, candy corn, and pumpkins are all some of my favorite things about the fall. I am having a bit of a hard time with it coming this year because we had another dismal summer this year, but I am slowly coming out of my slump. Here are a few of my fall favorites.

This cute little guy came from Walmart ($8.00) when I stopped there with a friend the other day. I saw this little cutie pie as we drove in and ran over and grabbed one for myself. It just looks so happy sitting on my porch, and the flowers are so festive for fall. One of my favorites for sure.

Here is our little entry way tree that we decorate for all the different holidays. It is so fun to come up with new decorations and it is small enough that it does not take very many to fill it up. You can't tell, but there are super cute Halloween colored lights on it too. Makes me want to ring my own door bell!

This little hand stitched picture is one of my favorite things. I made it a couple years ago and will probably be putting it out for fall when I am 80. I love it that much!

I happened to hit JoAnn's for something unrelated to fall, but could not pass up some of the cute items they had. I got this little towel there and love that is goes with my No Crows scarecrow. I also just love that cute little ghost. He is such a funny shape.

These two little cuties are also some of my favorites, they are just so sweet you could eat them up ( if they were not toxic resign :) The cute witch if from my mother-in-law from many years back. She is just the cutest little thing. Looks like I need to round up a black button for her poor eye. Can't read spells with only one eye!

Here is another of my favorites. The cute corn pumpkin came from Ross and is so adorable. You can't tell in the picture, but it also sparkles! Bonus!

I hope you all have a wonderful fall with all the lovely coziness that comes with falling leaves, wood smoke and fur lined boots. Now I am going to go round up some fun fall recipes to share with you.

Happy Fall Y'all!

Tow Mater

2011-09-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

At our city wide garage sale this year they had someone who brought in a real Tow Mater truck for the kids to sit on and play in. The boys LOVED it!

It looked like the real thing too. They had even put on the goofy front teeth and everything. Lots of happy kids!

Kickin' it in the Rain

2011-09-21T11:46:00.000-07:00

Since we live in a very rainy place many of our outdoor activities are done in the rain. That is because if we waited for it to stop raining we would never get anything done. So we have adapted the weather and you will always find every Washingtonian with many hooded coats, warm gloves, and large umbrellas.

Logan had his first soccer game last Saturday and of course it was raining. The boys didn't mind the rain, but Landon was not having the cold so we hid out in the van for most of the game. Hence the fence filled pics.
Logan had a great game and even scored the only two goals of the game. Here he is with one of his teammates, Brett. They have played on the same team since they were 4 and they are inseparable on the field.

Can you believe that this is 9am? It looks like dusk doesn't it? Welcome to the rain. Now you know why I go crazy in the winter with the gray skies. Poor Logan(in the orange) looks a little cold doesn't he?

We still had fun and even stopped for hot chocolate on the way home to get warmed up. Fall in Washington!

1st Day of School

2011-09-17T15:32:00.000-07:00

The kids actually started school on September 1st, but I am just getting around to posting about it. They are in 5th, 3rd & Pre-School this year. I even have 4 hours a week to myself. I can't believe it. I really thought this day would never come in all my years of feeding bottles and changing diapers. I think I could get used to this stage of life.

This is them getting ready to head out. I take the older two to school and Landon gets to ride the cute little bus to preschool. I think the bus is his FAVORITE part of the day. He is quite grumpy when I have to pick him up. They don't have enough time to bring him home, so I pick him up. He pitched a big fit at me the other day and thought that if he just didn't look at me he would get to ride on the bus. It was too cute.

I told Logan and Landon to lay out their clothes for the first day of school and this is what I found on the floor of their room.For once they actually did exactly what It told them to do.

Things went well and we are back on schedule. I am the one having a bit of a fit about school starting. I was SOOOOO not ready for summer to be over. It was WAY to short around here.

There is Beauty All Around

2011-09-13T12:03:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that I live in the most beautiful state in the union. When the sun is shining, there is no other place more beautiful that Washington. We live in the shadow on one of the most beautiful mountains in the U.S. and it is so majestic and magnificent that it will leave you speechless when you are near it. This is us at Reflection Lake with Mt. Rainier in the background.

We decided to get out of the house on Labor Day and drive up to Mt. Rainier for the day and hike around. We have never taken then kids up there and thought it was about time we did. So, we packed a lunch, filled up the van and took off for the hills.

Almost all famous pictures of Mt. Rainier have been taken somewhere around this beautiful lake. It is so beautiful and smells even better. The tall mountain timber has the most intoxicating smell in the world. If they could bottle that smell, I would buy a lifetime supply.

Here are the boys strolling down the train at the Paradise resort. We got to see a Marmot and even a big black bear with the biggest winter belly I have ever seen. He was good to go for a long winters nap.

Robb and I were sitting on a rock watching the kids and Landon decided he needed to sit on a rock too.

We even got to play in a little snow that was left over from our SUPER snowy winter. So many tourists were amazed by the snow in September. We had a wonderful day enjoying nature and even took the long road home to extend the day.

Beauty

2011-09-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

I woke up early the other morning and this is what greeted me. The beauty and wonder of this earth never ceases to amaze me. Hope you all have a great morning.

I Remember, and Never Will Forget.

2011-09-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

I remember this horrible day so clearly. It is funny how the mind burns images and feelings about large scale events in our lives. So many remember where they were when Pearl Harbor was attacked and many more remember that horrible day 10 years ago.
I remember that I was feeding Addison breakfast, she was 6 months old at the time, and did not have the TV on. My Mom called me and told me to turn on the TV. I went into the other room, turned on the TV and didn't hardly move for 3 days. I watched the second plane hit the tower and felt my heart stop for a few beats. My brain was burning that image in, but my heart could not catch up and understand what just happened. I felt frozen in time. I can recall that shock with perfect clarity even as I type this.
I remember having nightmares of Osama Bin Laden and cloaked men creeping down the hillside behind our house with guns in their hands. I remember feeling survivor guilt, for the fact that something so horrific hardly made a dent in my life safely on the other side of the country. I remember being a little fearful when I saw a plane fly over my house for the first time in days. I still worry in the back of my mind that I will be driving somewhere and a plane will come out of nowhere and crash near me.
I also remember an amazing show of allegiance and pride in our country. Flags where flown, bumper stickers were applied and songs were written. It brought our country together and people remembered why this is the greatest country in the world. It is the greatest because we are one giant melting pot of traditions and beliefs, and somehow it all works.
I will remember to teach me children about this day and never forget the sacrifices of those who were lost. I love this country and am so grateful to be a citizen of its borders. With all our problems we are still a wonderful country, may we remember God in all that we do so that he in turn will bless our country and our lives. God Bless the USA.

Yummy Fall Muffins

2011-09-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I went to the library and checked out this book. I don't know what I was thinking getting a Christmas book in August, but I am so glad I did. There are SOOOOO many cute ideas and recipies in here that I have checked it out two more times just to try everything. The one recipe that I did was...

...these yummy Applesauce Muffins. They have a super yummy topping and they make the house smell oh so good. These are perfect for fall mornings heading out the door for school. They are also a little healthy with applesauce and oat. I also use whole wheat flour mix too for an extra punch.

They are also a hit with the kiddos so that makes it easy. The recipe makes enough for an after school snack too. Landon was too shy, but you can tell by his plate that he kinda likes these little guys.

Mom's Applesauce Muffins

Goose Berry Patch Christmas book #12

Emily Johnson, Pocatello, ID

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 c. sugar

1 c. applesauce

1 egg

2 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. ground cloves

1/4 t. salt

1 c. raisins ( I left these out)

Crumb Topping:

1/2 c. butter, softened

3/4 c. flour

3/4 c oats

1/2 c. brown sugar

2 t. cinnamon

Blend all ingredients until crumbly.

Combine butter, sugar, applesauce and egg. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt; stir into butter mixture just until moistened. Stir in raisins. Fill paper lines muffin cups 3/4 full; sprinkle with crumb topping. Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes. Makes 12 to 16.

Mail Time!

2011-09-08T14:38:00.000-07:00

Look what fun things came in the mail today! I love getting super cute girl things in the mail from great blogging buddies! Amy at Keepin the Sunnyside had a contest and I was lucky enough to win! Whohoo! My kiddos are very excited to try out the super cute cow icecream scoop and I can't wait to read the book.

I started reading the book yesterday when I was in line waiting to pick up kids from school. This book is super motivational and fun at the same time. I so need a little motivation in my life. I have been in a funk for a few months and need a good kick in the pants. As you can tell from my lack of posting I have been in a blog funk too. It is not that I don't have TONS to be blogging about, I just haven't wanted too.

So now that the kiddos are back in school and I have this book I am hoping to get my Mojo back. Wish me luck, and thanks Amy, you are the best!

Fair Time Again

2011-08-11T07:47:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again, when everyone gets spiffied up for the County Fair. We got all the goats bathed, clipped, hoofs trimmed and smelling purdy. We loaded everything up and headed out. This is our first year doing our local county fair, which is just 7 miles from our house.

Here are our stalls all decorated and ready for the fair goers.

Addison & Logan hanging out in our tack stall. This is where we spend most of our time while we are at the fair. We snack, play games and chill in here.

Here is Addison and Logan with Haley (who happens to be their babysitter) in their wether class showing their stuff.

Landon even got into the action by showing our little baby doe Kristin. He even got a blue ribbon that he ran through the arena waving behind him like a kite.

Here is our little wanna be cowboy.

Our little man even took a header while waiting for me to get our fair passes and ended up cracking his head open and we had a quick trip to the ER for some steri-strips and a band-aid. He scared us all, but ended up being fine with a good scar story to tell. Never a dull moment with this kid.

This is what most of the goats spend their time doing, looking out the pens and wanting to go home to our peaceful pasture. This is one of our does, Yasmine, wanting a snack or a ride home.

We had a great time and ended up getting some great ribbon and our doe Sunna got the Best of Show ribbon. The kids loved it and that is what makes it all worth the work and expense. Until next year.

Small Town Parades

2011-07-10T23:08:00.000-07:00

Every year in our little town we have a Bear Festival. It has been going on for about 50 years and is quite fun. This year I notices flyer's for a kiddie parade with a "Me & My Pet" category. You know the wheels started turning and I thought it would be so fun to do a parade with the goats again. So I signed all the kids up, purchased a few items for costumes, and begged my hubby to be the candy tosser.

Let me tell you, these little critters were the hit of the parade. Everyone wanted to have their picture taken with them. Even all the pretty parade queens with their big puffy dresses stopped and wanted a picture.

Addison was Hermione Granger with her "cat" Crookshanks, Logan was Captain Jack Sparrow with his little pirate girl Black Kat, and Landon was a Cowboy with a wide load pony.

They even won the "Me & My Pet" category. Their prize was this lovely blue ribbon. Robb was also a hit with his bull rider costume. Do I have a trooper of a husband or what? I secretly think he likes being in parades. :)

Here is the bull rider and cowboy at the end of the parade, hot tired and ready for some bear stew.

Poor little Landon was very tired by the time we got to the end. His little legs had to work pretty hard to keep up. He also was slowed down by all the people yelling his name as we passed. We saw lots of friends and community members on the parade route.

We took our "pets" back to the farm and headed back to the festival for some stew, cotton candy and carnival rides. The stew was delicious and they gave you ALOT for your $2.00. No way are you going to go hungry in a small town. It was such fun.

Addison and I decided to get on the Sizzler ride. We are all smiles here, but by the end we were a little green and the bear stew threatened to come back up and rear it's ugly head. It was worth it though.

Logan and Landon on the notoriously scary airplane ride. Looks wild doesn't it?

This truck displayed a piece of the World Trade Center towers. The metal is going to be put on display in a town near us, and they are taking it through the parades before that. It was amazing to see something so large and strong bent like a piece of clay. Very moving.

After it was all said and done, I looked at my husband and said, "This is why we live in a small town."

Garden 2011

2011-07-09T04:00:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been the coldest spring since 1955 this year, so the garden is going in about a month and a half late. We will have to take our chances and see what we get this year, but we are going ahead with it anyway.

The kids and I got out the seeds, trellises, and tomato cages and got to work. This year I even paid them each $5.00 to help me out. It got them to work longer and without too much complaint.

Logan is my little gardener. He loves every minute of it and is the first one to bring in the harvest when it arrives. Funny kid.

Robb found these cool bamboo pyramids at a clients house when they were throwing them away. He hauled them home and we set them up. The peas and the beans are going to have a great time climbing those.

Landon spent most of his time putting on gloves. There were some outbursts of frustration (because he NEVER, does that) because he kept trying to put on two of the same glove. A right handed glove just isn't meant to got on a left had, no matter how long you work at it.
All in all it went well and everything germinated in under a week, so I am crossing my fingers that the weatherman is right and that we are in for a warmer and dryer than normal summer. I am also hoping for a good Indian summer so we can get some corn. If not then we will be off to the farmers market.
This should make for an interesting canning season. Happy gardening everyone!

Here is a list of what we put in this year:

Corn, Carrots, Lettuce, Spinach, Romaine Lettuce, Beets, Radishes, Onions, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Butternut squash, Zucchini, Potatoes, Peas, Green Beans, and pumpkins

Brothers

2011-07-08T21:36:00.000-07:00

I sure wish that they would get along like this all the time! It is rarely this peaceful. I am pretty sure I would have a lot less gray hair if there were more moments like this.

Land of Liberty

2011-07-03T21:52:00.000-07:00

We have been working so hard around the farm for the month of June that I have been terrible about keeping things updated on the blog. So I thought I better do a bit for 4th of July. It is one of my favorite holidays. We are even getting great weather this weekend, which is rare in the Northwest. So we are excited.

Addison and I decided to get in the spirit of things and gave ourselves pedicures just for the 4th. We went with a Stars and Stripes Theme. I saw this in a magazine and just new we had to do it. It was really fun and our feet look so festive. The top picture is my feet and the bottom one is hers. Can you tell we are related? Piggy toes for sure.

I just love the look of this cake and thought it was so festive. We will not be having it, but I did want to share it. I borrowed the image from the Food Network.

We are planning a little BBQ with some friends and eating all the traditional 4th of July food. Burgers, hot dogs, baked beans, chips, and of course dessert. My friend is bringing her famous death by chocolate, which I am so looking forward to. We may even have some smores. What is more American that that.

We even took some time to make a little craft. We went to story time at the library and this was what they made. So simple, some string, a bead, cut straws and paper stars. so simple and so cute.

We even dressed up our little tree in our foyer for the fun. We added red glass balls, star light covers, rusty stars and Ol' Glory for the topper. The kids had such a blast decorating.

And the best of all, we are going to get to use this baby. We have been working on this project for the past two months and it is finally full and ready for some summer swimming. Our awesome neighbors handed the down to us so that our kids could enjoy the benefits of a backyard pool. They could hardly wait to get in. We are set for all kinds of fun this summer.

Could anything be better than your own pool! I think not, and I am sure Addison would agree with me.

Logan and Landon are little fish and did not get out even when they were covered with goose bumps. Here is to a great summer!

All of us here at Rainy Day Farm want to wish you all a wonderful and safe 4th of July. We are so blessed to have been born into this great land. Even though we have our problems, this is still the best country in the world.

Happy 4th everyone!

Spring "Sock Hop" Concert

2011-06-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

Addison had her second choir concert and it was a 50's theme. We had exactly one weeks notice to come up with a themed costume for the night. I was thinking, what in the world am I going to come up with. Then Addison and her bestie, Faith, hatched a plan for our neighbor, Cindy, who was not only super nice to take on this project, but super talented for us non-sewing moms. The skirts turned out great and the girls loved them. The bonus is that this is also going to be their Halloween costumes this year. BONUS!

Aren't they adorable together. Watch out boys in a few ~~decades~~ years.

Doesn't she look like a Peggy or Sue or even Peggy Sue! Har Har

The concert was cute and they sang all kinds of cute songs from the 50's . I did take video, but the lighting was so dark it wasn't worth sharing. Sorry.

Around the Farm

2011-06-05T20:54:00.000-07:00

What do we do around the farm on a day when the sky looks like this?

We work on this project. Any guesses what we are working on? Here is a clue. It was a toasty day around here and this project will make hot days bearable.

While we work, the kids usually do this! I think there is something a little wrong with that. I think I need to start making some summer chore charts. What do you think?

New Farm Additions

2011-05-27T10:19:00.000-07:00

Well we have two new additions to the farm. My doe, Sunna, had her babies yesterday around 5 p.m. She delivered twin babies and had a perfect delivery. She had a carmel buck who will be named Rainy Day Farm Roy and an aguti doe that will be named Rainy Day Farm Kristin's Smile. They are being named after my good friend Kristin who passed away two days before this doe was bred. I know she was smiling down on me yesterday and was there the whole time. She sent me some adorable little babies that just love to death.

Landon absolutely LOVES the new babies. He can't seem to get enough of them and wants to live in the barn now. I had to bribe him with wii time to get him to come in the house with me.

Addison was my barn helper, along with Robb, the whole time. She was right there handing me towels and holding babies so we could disinfect their umbilical cords. She didn't even get grossed out. She is definitely is my farm girl.

Here is my super cute baby girl. She is so stinking cute. I am so in love with that little girl.

Here is my boy Roy. He is such a typical by and is always nursing. He will be a chunk soon for sure!

Sunna is being such a good mommy. She even stood still so I could help the babies start nursing. She is very alert and attentive to these little guys. What a gal. (sorry for the sketchy pic, this was from my phone)

Hope you all have a wonderful farm girl day! I'll be in the barn as much as possible with the new little Rainy Day Farm additions!

Logan's Big Day

2011-05-24T12:51:00.000-07:00

Logan had his big baptism day. In our church at the age of eight a child can choose to be baptized. So, Logan had an interview with his Bishop(who happens to be his dad) and showed that he was worthy to be baptized.

He was so excited to for his big day. Here he is all dressed up and ready to go.

Here we are as a family. Logan was so excited to get a new suit for the occasion.

Here is Logan with a couple of the cute girls that are in his primary class.

We put out a little display of some of our favorite pictures of our boy Logan. It was fun to gather some pictures and put them in frames to honor our special guy. He is such a smart kid and is growing up to be such a wonderful young man. We are so proud of him.

The Gardner munchkins.

Logan with his dad in their baptism outfits. Aren't they lookers!

It was a great experience for Logan and He had a wonderful day. Thank-you to everyone who came and supported him on his big day.

It's Great to be 8!

2011-05-02T07:23:00.000-07:00

Today is my little Logan's 8th birthday! He is a busy kid with LOTS of energy. He is smart, funny, and great at all sports. He loves everyone with his full heart and is a very generous kid. He is also our family comedian and always has us in stitches.

Logan loves to learn about new things and remembers almost everything he is taught. His big brown eyes are going to be lady killers one day, but for now girls are icky to him. He loves to play outside, dig in the dirt and play in the water. He is always looking for a nice big hole to dig and then fill with water.

I just love this boy with all my heart. He is growing into such a great young man. He loves his siblings and (most) of the time is a great example to them. His teacher recently told me he is the hit of the class and everyone wants to be Logan's partner. She also said he is so great about staying on task and not getting distracted by other students. What a boy!

Logan is my hardest working child too. He LOVES to help us with the garden and has recently discovered that mowing the lawn is really fun. He is my one kid who will go out into the garden with a bucket and bring in anything that is ripe, whether I am ready for them or not! :) He is a gardener for sure!
He is so excited to be turning 8 because he now gets to be baptized into our church. He had his interview with his Dad (who is the Bishop of our ward) and Robb was so proud of the knowledge that Logan has gained in the past few years. He listens so much more than we think he does, and so much of the knowledge sticks. I love that as a parent.

We are so lucky to have someone as great as Logan in our family. We love is energy and the fun he brings to our family.

Happy Birthday Logan!

He is Risen

2011-04-24T08:03:00.000-07:00

But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, and seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.

And when she had thus said, she turned herself back and saw Jesus standing and knew not that it was Jesus.

Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest though? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if though have borne him hence, tell me where though hast laid him, and I will take him away.

Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say Master. John 20: 11-16

I am so thankful for that Easter morning so long ago and the blessings that I receive from it today. I am thankful for the Resurrection of the Lord, Jesus Christ and what it means for me and my family. Happy Easter, everyone.

Our Easter Saturday

2011-04-24T07:40:00.000-07:00

This year we decided to celebrate Easter on Saturday. As luck would have it, it was the nicest day of the year so far. We made a great choice, as Sunday is dark, gray, and rainy. So we headed out to Grandma's for a day of yummy food, treats, and Easter egg hunts for the kiddos.

While the kids where decorating Easter cookies, the Dad's all headed out to play Easter bunny with the plastic eggs.

Addison is ready for her own Food Network show on cookie decorating. She was so meticulous with hers that they turned out to be edible creations.

It was wild and crazy times with sprinkles flying everywhere and knives of frosting constantly being licked by little tongues. So in other words, it was a total success.

And the hunt begins. We did let the little kids out first and then the older kids had to answer a scripture question by Uncle Jason before they could head out the door for their loot.

Logan was moving so fast that this was the best shot of him that was not blurry. A man on a candy mission right there.

Landon had so much fun gathering eggs and getting a good haul of booty. He would get excited at each and every egg he found.

Little Dawson (my youngest brother's baby) was the hit of the day. Isn't she the most adorable little thing with her cute pink shirt and bare feet. She is a little young to know the treasures that await her inside the egg. She was more interested in biting her new little chompers into the egg than the candy.

Even Skipper and Duncan had a great time running around the yard together. Skipper had to run at full speed to stay ahead of Duncan because he is so small. It was a pretty funny sight.

Happy Earth Day!

2011-04-22T16:07:00.001-07:00

We love our beautiful earth and decided this year to clean-up the trash along our little road. It is sad to say that we filled 3 garbage bags full of trash and our road is only about 1/2 mile long.

We gathered our bags and headed out the door. It was like a treasure hunt to the kids. They proudly collected 47 pieces of pink packing peanuts.

This is our neighbors dog Buddy. I think he wanted to come along and help out, that or run around the neighborhood checking our the goods. He is the sweetest boy ever.

I was very proud of the kids, they did a great job and the road looked so nice and clean when we were done. Happy earth day!

Easter Treat

2011-04-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

I don't usually buy pre-packaged cookies, but these looked so cute I decided to splurge and try them out. We were not disappointed either.

These little morsels were cute and yummy. The pictures looked like they were painted on so they looked so cute.

They also tasted as good as they looked. They did not last long around here.

Easter Project

2011-04-21T22:09:00.000-07:00

While I was at my Mom's house a couple weeks ago, we got a little crazy with the crafting. This is one of the Easter crafts we made. I figured that I better get this posted before Easter is over. I had big plans to get caught up with my blog, and then I came home and got horribly sick.

So here is the project. It is a simple canvas painted pink with vinyl lettering attached. My mom added some little bling jewels and I also added some super fine glitter(it does not show up on the camera but does at that extra something special).
We had a lot of fun getting crafty. Crafting does not happen as often as I would like to.

Boys of Summer

2011-04-17T09:37:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was opening day for our little towns baseball league. Logan decided he wanted to play this year so we signed him up for coach pitch and away we went. Robb took him to the opening ceremonies that introduced all the teams and players. Logan has loved getting all new gear and being the center of attention for a while. Being the middle child he tends to get left out of things, so this has been great for him. Logan is in the middle in front of his coach Gina.

We all bundled up in our warmest coats and headed to the field for his first game. His team did great at his the ball really well. Logan cracked several off on the first pitch and took off.

His other teammates got him around to 3rd base, where Robb was the base coach. Here they are having a little Father/Son bonding time.

Here he is coming into home plate. Somehow I managed to catch him mid run so it looks like he is running on air. As fast as he is sometimes, I wonder if that is what he does.

At one point in the game he looked up at his Dad and said, "I am having so much fun!" That makes it all worth it in the end, because isn't that what kid's sports should be all about, FUN!

Still Alive

2011-04-15T10:05:00.000-07:00

Yes, despite my lack of posts I am still alive. We have had a lot of big changes around the farm and posting has not made it on my to do list lately. I was going to post this week after being at my mom's last week and doing some super cute crafts, but I got home and promptly got sick. So there went that plan. I am planning on getting caught up next week, pray not disasters come up and prevent it again.

I hope all of by good buddies out in blog land are doing great. Can't wait to get back on the scene!

Turning 3

2011-03-18T21:24:00.000-07:00

Three years ago I gave birth to my last child. He came into the world with a bang and an emergency c-section because he got a little crazy with his umbilical cord and had it wrapped around his neck twice. The nurses told me it was a blessing because his noggin was not something I would want to have to deal with.

It was really hard to have him in the nursery and not with me. I thought it would be so great to rest, but my mother instinct kicked in and that was it. I painfully made the walk into the nursery several times a day to snuggle with my chubby cheeked little baby. He was a charmer from the beginning and had ALL the nurses wrapped around his little finger.

He brought a lot of joy into our home when we were going through a rough time in our lives. He has always been such a joy. It is really hard not to smile when he is around. He is everyone friend and very free with the smiles.

Being a boy, he is very busy and very curious. He has been into about everything and thinks he is much older that he is. He thinks he should be able to do ALL things that the older kids do. We joke that he is 3 going on 25, always in such a hurry to grow up!

Landon also loves animals as much as the rest of us. They don't intimidate him for one minute! His favorite are the goats. He thinks he is a showman already!

Here he is hanging out with one of his pals.

Lover of all things boy! He is always up for a good Monster Jam race! He is also the best Wii player in the house. We have no idea how he is so good, but he beats all of us regularly. One or our babysitters said she tried really hard to beat him and he still won.

So, Happy Birthday to the baby of the family. Landon we love you and are so grateful that you have been sent to our family. Heavenly Father must have a lot of faith in us as parents to trust us enough to raise you. We love you so much and are thankful we are allowed to be your parents.

Life with Skipper

2011-03-18T16:53:00.000-07:00

Life with Skipper has been fun and a bit of a challenge. He is so much fun to cuddle with. I can't sit down without him bounding in from the other room and snuggling in my lap. He also LOVES to go to bed with Addison and snooze with her until it is time to go in his kennel.

There have been challenges too. Like potty training, chewing and running away from us outside. I have not been able to do enough training so he is still a little rough around the edges. I thought my husband was going to kill him or me the other day when he got out and took off to the neighbors. We live in a very rural area with creeks, wild animals, and loose neighbor dogs that won't hesitate to have him for a snack. My wonderful husband launched himself in the air and over a log to catch that tiny little rascal. He is surprisingly fast for such a little thing. I have to admit, that one more lap around the pasture and I was ready to leave him to his own devices. I realized I need to work out more so I can keep up with him. Yikes!

Landon always keeps things interesting and has to explore as much as Skipper. He thought he would try taking a nap in Skippers kennel. He barely fit.

The kids love to have him around to play with and snuggle up too. He loves to be with them and when they go outside without him he paces the house looking out at the window, not believing the betrayal of not taking him with them. He also gets VERY excited when we come home. He can hardly contain his excitement. His little tail just beats back and forth.

And finally, this is his favorite place to keep watch on the family. This chair faces the family room, kitchen and hallway. It is the greatest vantage point for such a tiny guy. Irresistible isn't he?

Comment Moderation

2011-03-18T16:51:00.001-07:00

I am so sorry to have to do this, but I am going to have to turn my comment moderation back on as I keep getting spam comments. I hope to not have to do this for too long. Hope you will still leave me comments anyway. I will get back to posting regularly in a few weeks. I have big changes coming in my life and will be sharing later. Happy Spring!

Fresh Dessert

2011-03-04T10:58:00.000-08:00

While waiting for my daughter to get her glasses, at Costco, we watched a promo on the TVs for a yummy dessert using Costco ingredients. We fell hook, line, and sinker and headed strait to the bakery section for the ingredients. It did not disappoint either. This tasted so fresh and summery after so much cold nasty weather we have been having.

So here is the recipe:

Pound Cake Berry Shortcake
1 pound cake loaf, sliced and toasted
Strawberries, sliced
Blueberries
Whipping cream, whipped
Powdered Sugar

Slice the pound cake and either toast or broil in the oven on both sides. Remove from oven and over with cream. Add berries on top and sprinkle with powdered sugar. So simple and so good.

I couldn't keep my kids out of the strawberries, they tasted so good after such a long time without them. So glad spring is just around the corner.

A Major Award!

2011-03-02T04:00:00.000-08:00

Aledia over at Plumperfect was so sweet to think of me for this...

So thank-you for this fun award. Here are the rules for this award.

1. You must link back to the person who gave you the award to let them know you accept;
2. You must share 7 things about yourself; and
3. Pass the award on to 15 recently discovered bloggers and let them know about the award.

Here are seven things about me:
1. My feet are my thermometer. If they are cold, I am cold. If they are hot, I am hot. It is very weird, I know.
2. I am the oldest child of 4. There are two boys and two girls in my family.
3. I HATE, and I mean Hate Tomatoes. I only like them in sauce or ketchup. I almost threw up in the garden one time when I tried to eat a beautiful, home grown, cherry tomato. My Dad doesn't like them either, so I guess that is where I get it.
4. I get sick if I get too stressed, so I "try" and keep my stress to a minimum. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.
5. I like the toilet paper to come out from the bottom and not the top. This aggravates my husband to no end, but somehow we make it work.
6. I have a small crush on Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs. He is good looking AND funny.
7. I can't stand shopping. I do not like going to the mall and spending hours and hours looking for clothing, shoes and purses and my wardrobe shows it. If I could pay someone to shop for me I would. Unfortunately my poor daughter LOVES to shop and she got stuck with me for a mother. Poor girl.

There you have it. Now I am suppose to pass this on to 15 other bloggers, but I am in a hurry, so this one is for anyone who stops by my blog. I think you are ALL great. So take it and let me know when you post it so I can learn more about you!

Crazy Goat Ladies!

2011-03-01T04:00:00.000-08:00

You know you love your goats when you ask a bunch of men to move a barn 30 miles so the goats can get to their new home and be happy. Yes, we are officially CRAZY GOAT LADIES! My friend Kristin's family needed to move and couldn't take their goats. Her daughter, Katrina, wasn't comfortable sending them to someones house that didn't know anything about goats. So, we decided that if they could get the barn here to our house, that we would take take of them until they got a new house built. For payment I get to keep the barn. Sounds fair to me!

So the said guys spent ALL day long figuring out how to move, haul and replace said barn. Took them two house to figure out how to get it loaded with out busting into a million pieces. They even managed to get it all they way here without any police stopping to ask them what they heck they were doing with a building on a trailer.

It took all of 15 minutes to get it unloaded. Notice that there are seven men in this picture and two are actually working? Looks like a government job to me! Hehehe. Men's minds are truly amazing at figuring out how to accomplish an impossible task that we women set for them.

The goats are adjusted and loving all the new space to roam. They are all getting along great too. It seems that the more the merrier is true with goats. So a BIG thank-you to all those guys who took time out of their day to help us crazy goat ladies! Men rock!

La Nina Crazyiness

2011-02-28T04:00:00.000-08:00

We were having a few nice days of spring teaser weather when all of a sudden La Nina decided to rear her ugly head of winter once again. We have had snow since Wednesday, which is very rare in these parts. It was fun and pretty for the first few days.

While it was nice snow the kids got outside as much as possible. Landon learned how to make snow angels this year and loved to flop down anywhere and leave a creation.

Here is Logan having a snowball fight with...

...with his Dad. Robb loves to get out in the action with the kids and toss a few snowballs. The snow was perfect for packing a nice snowball.

Addison and Logan even got a snowman built in the front yard. I guess I need to round up a carrot nose and scarf for the poor guy.

The goats do NOT love the snow and call loudly at me when it is feeding time. They are tired of being stuck in the barn all day long. They can't wait for the lazy days of spring.

Landon even got into the snowball action. This is him coming after me with one. Look at that mischievous look on his face. He finally hit me with one.

This was a fun shot and I love the look of the clouds in the background. They are so ominous looking.

So here is to (hopefully) the last snow we see around here. Spring is just a few short weeks away and my daffodils say it is time to come out and play. Please play nice Ms. La Nina!

New Addition to the Farm

2011-02-27T16:45:00.000-08:00

Sorry for being such a post slacker this month. I have been busy and lost a little of my blogging mojo for some reason. But, I am back and have lots to post about, starting with this little cutie pie.
I have been wanting a little dog for the house for a while now and have been searching for over a month. I first tried doing the rescue thing, but after filling out several LENGTHY applications where I had to practically give away my children before I ever thought of getting rid of the dog. I applied for several dogs and was denied for one reason or another. I finally found one and they adopted it out from under me. I was going to pick the dog up on Friday and someone took her on Wednesday. I was NOT HAPPY! I really think they should let you know ahead of time that the dog could go before you get there. Anyhoo, I just quit the whole rescue thing and and started looking for a breeder.

I found a lady in the paper and found out she new my next door neighbor, go figure. We headed out in the snow with the munchkins and found this little guy. His name is Skipper and he is a black and tan Pomeranian. He is 7 months old and so much fun, and did I mention he is cute? This is so great because the breeder taught him everything, so we don't have too. He is socialized, potty trained, and good with kids, cats, and other dogs.

He fits right in and acts like he has lived here all his life. He loves the kids and lets them do just about anything to him. He even slept on the foot of our bed last night. He has my husband wrapped around his tiny little paw and even road on my husbands lap this morning in the car.

He is a quirky little thing too. He eats his food one kibble at a time and takes it over to the carpet to eat, he never eats at his dish. Too funny. He also tries to bury his snacks in the carpet by pawing like he is digging a hole and then uses his nose to try and cover it up. I am sure he is wondering why the carpet doesn't seem to cover his treasure. Funny boy. Welcome to the farm Skipper.

Turning 10

2011-02-03T09:17:00.000-08:00

Ten years ago today I gave birth to the most wonderful girl in the world. Addison has been nothing but pure joy in our lives. We are soooooo lucky to have gotten to be her parents. She was such an easy baby, toddler and young woman. She wakes up with a smile and rarely get grumpy about much of anything.

This is my favorite picture of us together. New Mother with her first Daughter. I am getting teary just looking at this picture. It will be the one I look at the day she gets married.

This is Addison with her great-great-great Aunts Velma (holding her) and Violet. They are such wonderful women that Addison descends from. I am so glad to know that there is part of them in her.

Addison is always doing something cute to get a laugh out of all of us around here. Look at that crazy look on her face!

This is the picture that earned her the nick name "Berry Picker" from my Grandfather. He still calls her this to this day. She really does LOVE any kind of berry. I can't ever get enough strawberries for jam because she will sneak out and eat any that are ripe before I get there.

This is the ONE fit she threw when she was a toddler. It was such a shock and so rare I had to take a picture.

This is one of my favorites too because she looks like such a country girl. She loves anything sparkly and glittery, but also loves to wear boots and make forts with her brothers.

Isn't she just the cutest little pre-schooler you have ever seen. Always a smile on her face. All of her teachers talk about how she is such a joy in the classroom.

See, she never stops smiling!

Here is my baby girl today at 10! I am excited to walk with her on her journey to adulthood. I hope the next 10 years will be as much of a joy as the past 10 have been.

We are off for a day of pedicures and shopping for her birthday. Thanks for going down the walk on memory lane with me!

Happy Birthday Addison! We love you so much!

Hot Rod Kitchen Aid

2011-02-02T04:00:00.000-08:00

Here is another project idea that my Mom and I did this weekend. She found the blog Wonderfully Wordy that had put vinyl lettering on the top of their Kitchen Aid Mixer. So we gave it a try and I love how it turned out.

Now I know how those car guys feel when they get flames put on their classic cars. I now want to put something on the bottom where the bowl sits, maybe next weekend.

Fur Babies

2011-02-01T04:00:00.000-08:00

Last week we had a few nice days of sunshine and of course I headed out to spend a little time with the goats. They are so fun to go out and play with, they love to be scratched. They also love to climb in my lap and get some pets. Here is Maddie getting a back rub and loving it.

Here is baby Kat hanging out on one of the spools. She loves to have her picture taken and is such a good girl about waiting for me to get the shot I want. Looks like I need to do some painting this summer on the spools.

Here is Landon handleing Sunna. I wanted to get a picture of them together with her looking at me, so Landon decided to help me turn her head, but she though he was scratching her and insisted on standing perfectly still.

Here are brother and sister, Rocket and Kat. Cute pair for sure.

Maddie & Duke hanging out on the slide.

They are so much fun to hang out with. Hope we have lots more sunny days in the future.

Fridge Art

2011-01-31T13:30:00.001-08:00

My mom came up this past weekend with her Silhouette machine and we went crazy with projects. This project is vinyl frames on a refrigerator for showing off kids school pictures and what not. I am always trying to keep my fridge looking clean and somewhat organized, sometimes they can be eyesores in your kitchen. So here is the before, not too bad....

...and here is the after. We added 8x11 vinyl frames and added the school pictures that I already had on there. I snitched some cute magnets from other places in the house and added them as well. We also added cute vinyl to my white board that I keep a running shopping list on.

Here are my two oldest with this years school pics and a cute kitchen magnet that came in a set. Sorry for the bad picture quality, it is hard to get the light right in my kitchen, but you get the idea.

Here is another frame with pictures of two of my nieces. Don't they look adorable in their fancy frame?
Because we love all things country around here I had to use one of the frames with barbed wire. Here is Landon and my nephew Joseph. That one if my Hubbies favorite.

Vinyl is so much fun because it is so versatile, not just for wood signs anymore.

"Stuff" for dinner

2011-01-29T05:00:00.000-08:00

One of our favorite breakfast foods in our family is "Stuff." I know you are thinking, Huh? It is a really simple meal to throw together. We have it a lot when we go camping because it is such a hearty meal. We had it for dinner the other night and I thought I would share it with you.

You start with:

Hashbrowns (shredded or cubed)

Sausage

Eggs, scrambled

Country Gravy

There are not specifics on amounts, just make as much or as little as your family will eat.

Fry up your sausage and hashbrowns in separate pans until fully cooked. You can be making the gravy at the same time. I cheat and use a country gravy packet instead of making it from scratch. After the sausage and hashbrowns are cooked completely combine in one large pan and pour scrambled eggs over the top.

Stir everything together until the eggs are completely cooked. Serve with toast and gravy over the top. So yummy.

Sorry the pic is so fuzzy, I was hungry and had bad lighting, you get the point. Enjoy! This recipe is not the most diet friendly, so we don't have it too often.

2011-01-28T04:00:00.000-08:00

I came across this article on Yahoo and it got me into the spring cleaning mood. I am ready to do a good cleaning on my house and get rid of unused "stuff" in our house. I am not a pack rat by any means, but somehow "stuff" seems to accumulate with a family of five. I am going to spend the next month tackling this project. I will be posting on my victories as I go. Hope you enjoy this article. It is a bit long, but well worth it. Happy cleaning!

18 Things You Can Get Rid of Today

Overtaken by stuff? These mom-tested strategies will have you cleaning house in no time.

By Diana Reese
Just Say No to Too Much Stuff
Stuff. For many of us it's worse than any four-letter word. That's because "stuff" can weigh you down and hold you back, says Gail Blanke, author of Throw Out Fifty Things. And, in the end, much of what we accumulate in life isn't all that important. As Marilyn Bohn, author of Go Organize!, points out, "No one ever says, 'I wish I'd kept more stuff.'"
Still, getting rid of our discards can be a challenge. Carla Eskelsen, a mom in Farmington, Utah, admits she had trouble letting go of stuff until she figured out how to manage her "pioneer DNA." Once she figured out that donating and recycling "honored" her pioneer ancestors, she found it much easier. "It's about sharing and blessing others instead of keeping it all for yourself," she says. Here's how you can share and bless others with all of your stuff—and end up with a cleaner, more peaceful home while you're at it.

1. Kitchen Utensils
Is your utensil drawer so full you can barely open and close it? You're not alone. When Robin Austin started cleaning her kitchen in preparation for a move, she found she had plenty of duplicate utensils, the result of a new marriage that combined households and six kids. Many of us also buy new utensils but forget to get rid of the old.
Here's a smart way to figure out what you're really using, from Motherboard Mom Jeanne Smith, Overland Park, Kansas: Toss everything—all the spatulas, rubber scrapers, pie servers, and so on—into a box. As you use a utensil from the box, put it back in the drawer. After a month, check what's left in the box. Keep those once-a-year items that remain in the box, like a turkey baster or candy thermometer. But donate the rest.

2. Coffee Mugs
Another item many moms find hogging valuable cupboard space: coffee mugs. "We had over 20 coffee mugs," says Kansas mom Dawn Schnake. She and her husband each chose four mugs to keep and donated the rest to a church rummage sale.
"Even if you received something as a gift, it's okay to let it go," says organizer Marilyn Bohn. "You only need to keep what works for you."

3. Plastic Containers
Mary Pankiewicz, owner of Clutter-Free and Organized in east Tennessee, suspects that plastic containers have a secret life (probably hanging out with those AWOL socks and hangers). How else can you explain why so many lids and bottoms don't match up? She suggests holding a "lid party" to match up those errant tops and bottoms. Pankiewicz recently took her own advice. "I had 25 lids with no bottoms and six bottoms with no lids," she says. After swapping with friends, she recycled the rest of the mismatched items.

4. Little-Used Kitchen Stuff
When was the last time you used that Bundt pan? If it was months ago, maybe you should give it to a friend. That's what Suzy Ayres and a pal did when they performed a joint kitchen cleanup. They took everything out of their cabinets and only put back what they used regularly. "The things that we left out that didn't get used much, we had to choose. If we put one thing back in the cabinet, we had to pick one thing to donate," Ayres says. The two also traded items: "She had lots of muffin pans and I didn't."
An added bonus to the plan: They now know what's in each other's kitchens, and don't need to buy some of those rarely used items, like a Bundt pan. "We've been trading the same ice bucket back and forth for years," Ayres says. "I can't even remember who it belongs to!"

5. Vases
Got vases from the last three Valentine's Day bouquets? Take them back to the florist, says Marla Cilley, who lives in Transylvania County, North Carolina, and runs the flylady.net, an Internet site devoted to housecleaning and organization.
"It takes away your creativity and takes over your mind," Cilley says.

6. Food
Cupboards full of food you're not sure you're going to use? Some solutions:
•Check the expiration dates on everything in your pantry, fridge, or freezer. If it's about to expire, put it on the menu for that week, says professional organizer Bohn.
•Motherboard Mom Dawn Schnake gives her sons what they call "muffin pan snacks" to get rid of those almost-empty bags of cereal, crackers, and chips. She fills each of the 12 muffin cups with a different snack and throws in some veggies, cut-up fruit, and cheese cubes. "The boys think they've sat down to a feast," she says—and she gets her pantry cleaned out.
•If you know you're never going to use an item—and it's still good—give it to your local food pantry.
•Have an "Eat Out of the Pantry or Freezer" week, says Marla Cilley, flylady.net. You'll be surprised at how creative you can get with your menu planning when you're only using the ingredients on hand. She also suggests this as a way to inspire creativity and frugality: "When you throw away food, imagine you're throwing dollar bills in the trash can!"

7. Spices
They don't mold and don't appear to go bad, but spices don't last forever, not even cayenne pepper. (Cinnamon's an exception to the rule.) "Dried is one thing, tasteless is another," says organizer Blanke. Give your spices the smell and taste test and if they've gone bland and boring, dump them. To find out how old your McCormick or Schilling brand spices are, go to http://mccormick.com/Spices101/HowOldSpices.aspx. And when you buy new spices, mark down the date on the package with a Sharpie.

8. Receipts
Computers were supposed to usher in a paperless society, but it hasn't happened quite yet. "Most of us are still drowning in paper," says organizer Pankiewicz. She suggests an annual cleanup. Check with your accountant about how long to keep important papers like tax returns but, in general, materials that support tax returns (receipts and so on) can be tossed after seven years.

9. Magazines
Do you have a stack of magazines by your bed that you haven't read? If two months have passed and they're still sitting there, consider donating them to a retirement home, hospital, doctor's office, or school. Many take magazines for art projects (if not for reading material). If, like former magazine editor Cherie Spino, a mom of four in Toledo, Ohio, you "can't throw a magazine away without reading it," do the flip-and-rip. Spino rips out recipes or articles she wants to keep and throws the rest into the recycling bin. She's putting the recipes in a binder.
Organizer Bohn suggests tearing out articles and putting them in a folder you can grab when you know you'll be sitting and waiting (think doctor's office). Or, if you're a tech-lover, you can get many popular magazines as an app for your phone or electronic reader.

10. Mail
It's a common bad habit: Grab the mail, flip through it for anything interesting, and then set it on "the pile" that accumulates until the day you start searching for overdue bills. "Scan and stand" is the system recommended by organizer Pankiewicz. "Standing is the trick," she says. Don't be tempted to sit down: Bring in the mail. Leave your coat on. Find a place by the wastebasket, recycling bin, or shredder, and stand and handle each piece of mail. Put bills in a basket or pretty gift bag, take magazines to where you read them, scan any newsletters and bulletins for important information, and discard the rest. "Your goal is to make the mail disappear," she says.

11. Unread Books
"Books are our friends," says organizer Blanke. "I know my husband won't ever get rid of his dog-chewed copy of Rudyard Kipling's Kim that he's read 50 times." So, keep your favorites—the ones you'll read again or you use for reference—neatly in a bookcase. In fact, if you're a book-lover with a big collection, a whole wall of books can make a dramatic statement and keep them organized. But, if you have lots of volumes that you have no intention of reading any time soon, donate them. Blanke suggests giving them to www.booksforsoldiers.com. "You really are paying it forward when you donate things," she emphasizes.

12. Clothes
Here's a sad truth: You're probably not going to lose the weight to fit into those 10-year-old clothes you have in the closet. Just give it up and give them away, says Pankiewicz. This doesn't mean you're giving up on ever being healthier or thinner, it just means you aren't going to be held hostage by some old clothes that don't fit, need repair, or were on sale (but you never liked). Donate them all and we guarantee you'll feel "lighter."
Need closet culling tips? Here's what some Motherboard Moms do:
•"I can't stand to have a closet full of clothes that I don't wear," says Michelle Speak, mom of three in Parker, Colorado. She sorts through her clothes each season, weeding out what she hasn't worn, although she'll make a few exceptions for items like skirts that she wears infrequently.
•Mom Suzy Ayres has an easy way to tell what she's worn. At the beginning of a new season, she turns all of her hangers around backward. After she wears something, she puts it on the hanger and turns it around the right way. Anything still turned backward is donated at the end of the season. "Right before cooler weather hit this year, anything I knew I couldn't part with, I wore it so I could put it in the 'save' pile," she says.

13. Kids' Clothes
Michaela Freeman, a mom in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, keeps clothes for her children a year after the end of each season in case things still fit. What doesn't is passed to friends with young children. "How can you put a price on helping another person?" she asks. She's benefited as well. Friends with older kids pass clothes on to her youngsters.

14. Kids' Artwork
Of course every piece of artwork your child ever did is a masterpiece. But that doesn't mean you need to keep it. If it's not something you want to put on the wall or in a portfolio to save, take a photo and toss it. You can develop a digital "art gallery" or put photos in a photo album and you'll take up a lot less space. After all, think about it: If you keep four pieces of paper per week per child, by the time they've graduated from high school, you'll have one huge collection, points out Bohn. "Take a picture and let it go!" she says.

15. Electronics
Power cords, USB cords, and other paraphernalia for electronics clog up our desks and cabinets, says Chris McKenry, owner of Get It Together LA!, a professional organizing company in Los Angeles. "It's a jungle," he says. "And there's not room for the things you need."
Sort through that "jungle" and match cords to gadgets. Old cell phones can be donated to women's shelters. Other old electronic items, like some printers and computers, should be properly recycled. "It's against the law in some cities to put electronic waste in the trash," warns McKenry. Check with your city for E-waste collection sites. Ditto for old VHS and cassette tapes. McKenry suggests transferring them to your computer for digital storage and then putting the tapes in E-waste collections.

16. Linens
"Most of us have way too many towels and sheets," says The Fly Lady. "Some people no longer even have beds that the sheets fit!" She recommends two sets of sheets per bed and keeping the extra set under the foot of the mattress or in a drawer in the bedroom to free up room in the linen closet.

17. Medicine
Check your medicine cabinet for expired prescription and over-the-counter drugs, but don't flush them or throw them in the trash. Instead, take them to your local pharmacist for proper disposal.

18. Toys
Start teaching your children early to donate the toys they're no longer using, says organizer Blanke. "I know one mom who tells her kids Santa won't come until they give away the toys they're finished with." Here, other Motherboard Mom solutions to too many toys:
•Carol Showers Brown, mom to three in Manassas, Virginia, also taught her kids to donate toys. "We lived in Bangkok and the orphanages there were so grateful for toys, even used ones." Her kids would fill a basket with toys to give away several times a year. "It worked really well because the kids picked out what toys they were ready to part with," she says.
•Remember that preschool song of "Clean up, clean up"? At Diana Dawson's Austin house the song was more likely "Wade through it," she says. That's why she set "dump-it deadlines"—if the kids' stuff wasn't picked up by a certain time on a certain date, she would gather their things and donate them. Sure enough, the first time she had to follow through with her daughter. "The most difficult were the books on the floor, and I donated those to her elementary school," Dawson says. "The school librarian told her she appreciated the donations and other kids enjoyed her books." Her children and a group of neighborhood kids also put on their own garage sale of their toys to raise money to adopt a family at the holidays.
•Mom Michelle Speak has donated many of her children's toys as they've outgrown them, but not all. "I've kept the toys I can imagine my grandchildren would play with." Put the special, keepsake toys away in a well-labeled box.

Sweetheart Brownie Bites

2011-01-27T04:00:00.000-08:00

Addison and I were cruising blogland for some party inspirations and decided we needed to make our own little sweet treat. We took things we had on hand and came up with these sweet brownie bites.

All you need is a boxed brownie mix, mini muffin tin, frosting and sprinkles.

We made our own butter cream frosting and added red food coloring to make pink.

After baking and cooling the brownies we added the frosting and some sweet Valentines candy.

They were not only cute but tasted oh so yummy. These would be great for a school classroom party. Enjoy.

Eggsellent Layer

2011-01-26T15:09:00.000-08:00

I am so excited that my Ameraucana hen has finally started laying her beautiful blue/green eggs. I was starting to wonder when she was going to lay. I have had her since last spring and she just started to lay a few weeks ago.

She is my smallest hen and therefore gets picked on all the time. She is a sweet chicken and just goes about her business and doesn't seem to mind being alone most of the time. I was so excited to finally see the beautiful shade of green in the coop. The looks so pretty next to the brown eggs. It is like Easter all year round.

I don't have a name for this little lady, so if you have a good suggestion for me please leave me a comment with a name. I have named all my other hens after all my Grandmothers and Great-Grandmothers.

This Rhode Island Red is Lucille. She is my feistiest hen and will peck you in a second. She does this because she has a bum leg and walks with a limp. I am sure she pecks because she is making sure to defend herself. I think my horse stepped on her. We nursed her back to health and she is just fine.

This is Gerna, one of my newer hens. I am not sure what type she is, I think she may be a Sexlink but I am not 100% sure.

This was my first green egg and I also found this ginormous egg in the coop the same day. The picture does not do it justice, but trust me it was HUGE. I am sure one of my chickens was walking funny for the rest of the day. When I show my husband he asked, "Who died?"

Goat All Nighter

2011-01-23T18:43:00.001-08:00

Things worked out for Addison and I to go to a friends house and help her deliver her two baby goats.
Addison hanging out with Max waiting for the babies to come. Addison and Max hit it off and became the best of pals. Max did have a wicked long tongue and was quite fast with it.

We weren't quite sure how things were going to turn out with the labor because the mama was having some trouble. So I kept Addison in the house until we knew things were OK. She then came down and held the new little doe, while her brother was being born. Addison loved the experience, since she missed the birth of our babies last summer.

Here is the proud Mama (Trinity) with her new little ones. She got one of each, getting a doe and a buck. They were healthy and adorable.

Here is the little doe getting her first spa treatment. It was really cold in the barn, as it was 3:30 in the morning, so we were helping her get dry and warm. It was a really LONG but rewarding night. I finally got to bed around 6:00 am. As long as they are healthy it is worth it.

There were both cold and wet so a hairdryer was necessary so they didn't get chilled. The buck thought he was a tough guy and didn't need no stinking spa treatment, so he kept trying to walk away. Just like a man! He was thinking of that Brad Paisley song, "I'm still a guy" when it came to the pampering. He sure was a cutie pie.

New Craft

2011-01-19T13:46:00.000-08:00

My Mom has decided to start a once a month craft group. She decides on a craft, prepares everything and then you get a girls night out crafting. I was so excited when she decided to do this because with little kids crafting is just not an option. I don't have a good place to craft and then my kids ALWAYS want to craft too. Now, I love my kids, but crafting with them is not in any way fun for me when I am trying to get a project accomplished. So this idea was perfect for me.
So I ended up at my moms on Monday instead of her Thursday, but she let me craft anyway. I did sand everyone blocks for her so she let me do it on a different day.
This is the project that I did.
Simple wooden blocks that I personalized to suit my home and decor. This fits our family to a T and LOVE the way the barbed wire vinyl turned out. I have it sitting on an old barn wood cabinet and it fits right in. Thanks Mom!

Monster Jam

2011-01-16T05:00:00.000-08:00

Since our neighbor became a crew chief on the Iron Man truck for Monster Jam tour my kids have become the BIGGEST fans. They hardly miss an episode and our collection of Hot Wheels trucks has grown quite a bit. Landon hardly goes anywhere with out at least two in is hand at all times. So when my neighbor called and asked if we would like tickets to the show near our house we jumped at the chance. We donned our ear plugs and headed to Monster Jam. We also got to go to the pit party where all the trucks are parked and you get to meet the drivers and get their autographs. Of course we had to start with Grave Digger.

Landon couldn't take his eyes off the races. I don't think a trip to Disney land could top this for him. He and Logan were up at 6:00 am waiting to go. They didn't get up that early on Christmas morning.

Bounty Hunter is one of Landon's favorites. He knows all the name of the different trucks. You only have to tell him once and he remembers it.

Super Man is a very cool looking truck with it's red flying cape. All the drivers were so friendly and nice to everyone coming by. They even signed the truck we brought.

Look at that concentration. Few things hold that still for 2 house straight. We all had to wear good ear protection because these things are loud and I mean LOUD! This video doesn't even come close to how loud they are. It vibrates your body when they rev up. That is why ear protection was vital, especially for kids.

It was lots of fun and a great memory for the kiddos. Thanks Tanner!

A Major Award

2011-01-15T22:10:00.001-08:00

Well, not a major award. I just have to leave a few comments and I won a blog giveaway. So a big thank-you to Melinda over at Under My Umbrella for this great prize.

I was pretty excited because I love gorilla glue and with two boys in the house we are CONSTANTLY gluing something. They managed to break two lamps in less than a week if you can believe that. Boys!

Strange Ice Flowers

2011-01-10T11:03:00.000-08:00

The other morning I was headed out to feed the goats and came upon these strange little ice flowers in the grass. They were the strangest ice formation I had ever seen.

They came right out of the grass and were paper thin little flowers. I picked one up and it was nothing but ice and quickly melted in my hand.

The picture does not do them justice. Water does amazing things with cold air involved.

Have any of you ever seen anything like this in your area? I would love to learn how they form.

Tagged Again

2011-01-02T20:24:00.000-08:00

My Mom thought you needed to know some mindless information about me, so here we go.

Rule #1: people who have been tagged must write their answers on their blogs and replace any question that they dislike with a new question formulated by themselves.
Rule #2: tag 4 people to do this quiz and they cannot refuse. these people must state who they were tagged by and cannot tag the person whom they were tagged by. continue this game by sending it to other people.

I have been tagged by my Mom.

1. if you have pets, do you see them as merely animals, or are they members of your family?

If you have read this blog for very long then you know that we LOVE our animals and they are part of the family. I have always had a great love of animals and would have 150 if my hubby would let me. I can't imagine not having some sort of pets.

2. if you can have a dream to come true, what would it be?

To own a hobby farm and raise lots of different animals. I would also love to be a rodeo cowgirl, even though I don't have my horse anymore.

3. what is the one thing most hated by you? People who leave their cart in the middle of the grocery isle and walk off oblivious that I am in a hurry.

4. what would you do with a billion dollars?

Create the dream above. Help my family and friends. Look for people to help out that are struggling and need a boost.

5. what helps to pull you out of a bad mood?

Vitamin B complex. Works every time!

6. which is more blessed, loving someone or being loved by someone?

Being loved, I am needy that way

7. what is your bedtime routine?

Unwind after the kiddos go to bed. Turn out all the lights. Check the kids. Get into pj's. Brush teeth. Check the alarm. Read or watch TV. Flop around and get comfortable.

8. if you are currently in a relationship, how did you meet your partner?

He lived across the street from me at college. He was from Washington too, and the rest is 17 years of history.

9. if you could watch a creative person in the act of the creative process, who would it be?

Martha Stewart gardening. (The old Martha Stewart when it was just her and the camera, no clapping audience)

10. what kinds of books do you read?

I am a sucker for a good love story. I don't ready smutty romances, but I have to have a love story. I really love historical fiction too, because I feel like I am learning while being entertained.

11. how would you see yourself in ten years time?

Living a comfortable life and having my teens still like me.

12. what’s your fear?

Dying before getting my kids raised. I want to be there for them.

13. would you give up all junk food for the rest of your life for the opportunity to visit outer space?

No way, I love Doritos and hate flying too much.

14. would you rather be single and rich or married, but poor?

Depends on who I am married to? Wink Wink

15. what’s the first thing you do when you wake up?

Meet Landon's every need.

16. if you could change one thing about your spouse/partner what would it be?

That he would suggest to to fun things as a family. Every trip or vacation we have had is because I have had to push for it.

17. if you could pick a new name for yourself, what would it be?

I love the name Kate. I think it would suit me.

18. would you forgive and forget no matter how horrible a thing that special someone has done?

I could forgive, but I don't let people back in my life when they have lost my trust. In the words of Mr. Darcy, "My good opinion once lost is lost forever."

19. if you could only eat one thing for the next 6 months, what would it be?

Bacon and egg sandwich.

20.What is the thing you enjoy about blogging the most?

I started blogging to be able to be creative and it doesn't cost me anything, but then I realized it is way to get kudos for being who I am. As a SAHM you don't get any good jobs or a paycheck to let you know that you are doing any good. I enjoy putting myself out there and realizing that there are others who enjoy who I am in my little corner of the world. I also get so many wonderful ideas from all of you out there. It helps me be a better wife, mother, sister, friend and daughter. The side bonus is the wonderful friends I have made along the way.

Well, there you have it, hopefully you feel like you know me a little better.

Now I tag: Amy at Keepin the Sunnyside, Mandy, Amy at Verde Farm, Wendy.

Good luck ladies. Can't wait to see what you say.

The Loss of a Good Friend

2010-12-30T18:40:00.000-08:00

I lost a good friend this week. Kristin was killed a car accident near her home. It is always hard to loose someone close to you, but even more so when they are taken suddenly without any warning. It is frustrating to not be able to have a little closure, our human minds are not equipped to handle separation.

Kristin was one of my goat buddies. She was the one who introduced us to our first little guys and became my kids 4-H leader. We have built a great friendship since that summer and have traveled to shows and fairs together, camped out in the trailer together, laughed until we nearly peed our pants and talked goats til the wee hours of the night.

She leaves behind a husband, son (20) and daughter (16). We are so heartbroken for their family. She was a great lady that mean a lot to so many people, yet she didn't know it. I feel so bad that I did not express my love and admiration to her more often. So many are coming forward to her Facebook page and leaving the most wonderful messages. I hope she can see everyone of those and know how much she was loved here on earth. She had a big heart and gave it so generously.

I hope she is at peace now and is pain free after several years of struggling with injuries from being thrown from her horse. We thought we were going to loose her then, but she was such a fighter that she pulled through to give all of us a few more years of her time. Rest in peace my great friend.

New Favorite Thing

2010-12-28T05:00:00.000-08:00

For the adults we did a unisex gift exchange. One of the items was this simple little game called Bananagrams. My husband and I picked this out after a guy in the store raved for about 5 minutes about how great this game is. So we tossed it in the cart and went on our way.

All I have to say is THANK-YOU TARGET STRANGER! You were right, this is such a fun game for the WHOLE family. The kids even snuck off with this game and played it.

My Mom was the one who ended up with this game and good thing. She is the biggest game buff in our family. The downside is that she is very good at ALL games and kicks our butts regularly. We now regret getting this for her because she wins most of the time. But, all in all it is still a winner.

Christmas Snow

2010-12-27T05:00:00.000-08:00

We have an unofficial family tradition to drive up to the Mountain and look for Elk and snow. My sister, youngest brother, sister-in-law, and their baby decided to jump in his truck and go find some snow.

We stopped on Hofstadt bridge and tested out fear of heights and looked over. We each took our turn spitting over the side and watching it fall. Some things never get old from childhood.

(My brother Dustin, Me, my sister Tasha)

Side joke in our family is that my sister and I always end up in the same type of outfit. It freaks our family member out because they say we look a lot alike. My nephew even came up to me and said, "Mom?"

This is the view from the bridge looking down. It was a LONG, LONG way down.

We didn't find much snow, but we did wow my sister-in-law with our mad elk spotting skills. We found a small heard on this hill. Sorry I don't have a super power lens to get you close to the action. You will have to take my word for it and just enjoy the sun shot I got instead. We come from a long line of elk hunters and we were brought up chopping wood and spotting elk. We found a few and had to look hard for those.

Yes, this is Mt. St. Helen's. We live less than an hour from this mountain and went through the 1980 eruption. The mud flows wiped out half our neighborhood and we had to evacuate our home for quite a while. That is another post for another day.
We had a great time and did find a little bit of snow in a parking lot. My bother got to spin the wheels a little and we all had a great time. My little niece was a peach and slept most of the drive.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-26T11:54:00.000-08:00

We had a great time with Christmas this year. The kids were so excited to FINALLY get to open presents and I was SO glad all the work was done for the year. Here are the munchkins in their spiffy new pj's.

Grandma & Grandpa Gardner came down and spent Christmas Eve with us and we had so much fun playing games and munching on yummy food.

We were up bright and early for Christmas morning and then off for brunch at Grandma & Grandpa Hall's house. It was a rare day of ALL the kiddos being in one room so we took advantage of the moment and take a picture of all the grand kids.

This is my dorky brother wearing his babies Santa hat. I don't think I need to further comment on this picture, it speaks for it's self.

This was the FUNNIEST moment of the day, my (macho/cowboy) brother trying to put together a teeny tiny Polly Pocket house. He flipped his lid when he saw that you had to use a screw driver to get the darn thing out of the box. Welcome to parenthood, Ryan!

We had a wonderful day of laughter, food and Love. There could be no better Christmas. Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas season.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

I want to wish everyone out there a very Merry Christmas from all of us at Rainy Day Farm. May your lives be blessed in all the ways you need. We will be celebrating with family and friends and hope you have someone special in your life to spend this wonderful holiday with. May you have peace, love and joy in your lives. I am thankful for all of your friendships, they mean more to me that you will ever know.

Baking with Boys

2010-12-24T04:00:00.000-08:00

My nephew Matthew came to visit for a few day during Christmas break and one of the things we did was bake sugar cookies. I must say that baking with boys is a totally different experience that baking with girls. The bulk of the conversation was about poop, bums, toots and belches.

Even the red frosting ended up being blood.

There were frosting and sprinkles flying everywhere. Even a few frosting knives hit the floor.

Matthew tasting the goodies to make sure they pass inspection.

Can you tell a kid decorated this one. I ended up with more than a few empty bottles of sprinkles.

They even helped get the kitchen cleaned up, what a deal.

So I was looking back through my blog and realized that I have never posted my sugar cookie recipe. So, here goes. I got this recipe from an old church cookbook from the 1980's.

One Hundred Year Old Sugar Cookies

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. shortening

1 egg, beaten

4 T. Milk

1 t. vanilla

2 1/2 c. flour

1/2 t. salt

3 T. baking powder

1/2 t. soda

Cream sugar and shortening. Add egg, milk, and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients; mix well. Chill dough fro 30 minutes. Bake at 325 for 10-12 minutes. (I bake mine at 350 for 9 minutes)

I love this recipe because it does not require a lot of refrigeration, most of the time I go straight to rolling and cutting. Make sure you don't over bake or the will get crunchy, unless you like crunchy. I am a soft and puffy girl myself. Merry Christmas.

Water Boy

2010-12-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

What is it with boys and water? If there is water anywhere around, my two boys are in it at some point.

So, living in the northwest and it being a La Nina year we are getting a TON of rainy weather this year. When it rains part of our field fills up with water and the boys cannot resist it. The other day Landon wanted to go out in the worst way and "look" at the water. He put on an old pair of cowboy boots and headed out. I new right away what he was up to and grabbed my camera. He LOVED checking out all the water and how far up his boots it would go.

He came back in with a beaming smile on his face.

2010-12-22T05:00:00.000-08:00

Bob's new favorite place to take his cat naps is under the Christmas tree. It has wonderful lighting, is up against a wall, and is safe from Landon. He has been sleeping under it all month long, which is nice because then he is not on our beds bugging us. Merry Christmas Bob, we put up the tree just for you.

New Favorite

2010-12-21T05:00:00.000-08:00

We love ourselves a good cup of herbal tea around the farm and are always on the lookout for new ones. Addison & I found this yummy flavor for this year and it does not disappoint. Add a little honey and vanilla creamer and you have dessert in a cup. We have even gotten where we like tea better than hot chocolate. Go figure. What is your favorite Christmas drink around your house?

Girl Cousins

2010-12-20T05:00:00.000-08:00

There is not better friend in the world that a girl cousins. Addison does not have any girl cousins that are her age so she will have to be best buds with her younger cousins. She hung out with Dawson while we were doing our Christmas baking. The funny thing about these two is that Dawson looks a lot like Addison when she was a baby. It is like Addison holding a younger version of her. We have had fun reliving baby Addison through Dawson. Cute pair aren't they?

Christmas Baking

2010-12-19T15:51:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I got together with my Mom, Sister, and Sister-in-law for our annual Christmas Baking day. We get together and go crazy with the sugar, butter, flour, and chocolate. We each make about 3-4 different items and then pool our resources and come home with a staggering amount of sweets. I am sure you are wondering WHY we have so MUCH, we do use these for gifts and put some away in the freezer for later.

The best part of the day is all the funny things we talk about. Kids, husbands, hunky movie stars, and of course food.

Don't these pretzel rods look divine?

It takes all day to come up with this sugar bounty, but it is well worth it. It has be come a fun tradition that we all look forward to every Christmas.

We are much more tired that we look here in the picture. That or we are hopped up on sugar!

Merry Christmas and happy baking!

Must See

2010-12-01T05:00:00.000-08:00

The kids, I and my MIL went and saw this super cute movie. We all loved it and both Addison & Logan requested that Grandma buy it for their birthday.

If you want to see something cute that is a feel good movie, then go see this. There is also enough action and comedy that guys will like it too. The horse is hilarious, by the way! Enjoy.

Gobble Til you Wabble

2010-11-30T22:20:00.000-08:00

We had lots of fun hanging out with the fam for Thanksgiving. We went to Robb's parents this year and had a grand time lounging about and stuffing our bellies.

This was the main activity of the weekend. Football games and Christmas movies were #1.

This was activity #2, wrestling with anyone who was willing to get on the ground and take the abuse. I believe this was Uncle Cameron.

Landon was thrilled with his turkey cookie. Can't you tell by the excited look on his face.

Addison was having a bit of a better attitude about her cookie. They loved the candy covered cookies.

Robb and I even got a wild hair and decided to get up at 3:00 am and join the crazies for good deals. We got most of our shopping done in one stop, but it took us 3 days to recover from lack of sleep. We both determined that we are too old to do Black Friday again. Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T09:50:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again where we give thanks for all the many blessings and goodness we have in our lives. There is always much to be thankful for. Gratitude is a divine attribute that I am always striving to be better at each day.
We made it over the hill and through the woods to Grandmother's house, that is currently filled with wonderful smells and sounds of joy and laughter. We even got lucky this year and are having a white Thanksgiving.
We love sitting around the TV and watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. All the songs floats and of course the Rocket's. Later all the football games will take over and there will be cheers of excitement at a touchdown pass, or boos at a fumble.

I am grateful and thankful for a wonderful family, a comfortable home, a patriotic country, and the Lord for all the blessing he bestows on my life. We would not be here today celebrating this wonderful day without those stalwart souls who wanted a better life and were willing to die for it. I am grateful for their sacrifices so that I can be here today.

So to all of you out there I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving. I hope you have been as blessed as I have in my life. If you are feeling down, just take a look around at the blessings you have been given. God gives blessings to everyone, you just have to take a good look around. Love to all this holiday season.

Our First Loss

2010-11-23T09:33:00.000-08:00

In the middle of being busy for the bazaar one my goats got really sick. Max got sick and after spending many hours caring for him and worrying over him we had to put him down. This was a hard blow because we had only had him for a short time and he is the first loss we have had here on the farm. It is frustrating to watch an animal suffer and there is nothing you can do to help them. So farewell to Crosswynd Farms BT Maxwell, I hope he is in a better place and is free from his pain.

Marshmallow World

2010-11-23T09:21:00.000-08:00

We got out of church on Sunday to find out it was snowing. It didn't stop until last night and now we have dipped into arctic temperatures around the farm. The goats are NOT in love with this weather, but the kids are. I have hardly seen them for they spent most of the daylight outside sledding. This kind of weather is very rare for us here in the northwest, but is always welcomed in at our house. We all love the snow.

Look at that smile, someone is extremely excited to get out and play in the snow. Landon loved it too, except he did not love wearing gloves and get pulling them off. Naughty boy.

Addison looks like she is decked out for a Land's End catalog shoot. She loves the snow as much as anyone. I think Montana would be a good choice for her.

Notice anything funny about this picture? Yes, Hubby is wearing a suit to play in the snow! Just kidding, he was just being dropped off from church (had to stay after) and I thought it was funny him runny to the house.

Soley especially loves the snow because the kids are out a lot and she has someone to play with. So for the next few days we are going to be hanging out drinking hot chocolate and eating homemade bread. I am a bit worried weather we are going to get to go over the hill and through the woods to Grandmother's house on Wednesday, but we will see. I may have to make a mad dash for a last minute turkey and fixings if we get stuck at home. Wish us luck. Hope you have a wonderful week of baking pies and being grateful for you blessings!

Bazaar Preview

2010-11-14T05:00:00.000-08:00

I have been a busy beaver this past week putting together a few things to sell in the booth at my Mom's booth at our local bazaar. I didn't think I would have time to get anything done and then remembered the $ I could make, so the kids and I have been scrambling to get a few things done.

Here are some of my felt turkeys that I have been making forever, but they seem to be a hit every year so I keep making them. Next to that is my version of a 2x4 Christmas tree and Showman. I got this cute idea from Under My Umbrella. Go check out her super cute blog and craft ideas.

Addison & Logan made these super cute candycane reindeer treats. I even found chocolate candycanes so they look more like reindeer. Aren't they adorable. I think they would make the cutest stocking stuffers for Santa. Maybe, I need to give him a jingle.

These reindeer are ready and rarin' to go for Christmas.

Addison and I made these candy ornaments for a tree decoration. They are red and white pipe cleaners twisted together and glued into a circle. Super cheap and fast. I have a few other crafts to make this week and when I get them done I will post part two. Wish me luck!

Sugary Cinnamon Roll-ups

2010-11-13T21:37:00.000-08:00

I was inspired by Amy over at Keepin The Sunnyside to get out my Gooseberry Patch cookbook and thumb through it. I found a new recipe for breakfast. We are hearty breakfast eaters here on the farm and I am always looking for something new to feed my munchkins.

Sugary Cinnamon Roll-ups

1 c. sugar

1 T. cinnamon

1 loaf sliced white bread

8oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 egg white

1/2 c. powd. sugar

1/2 c. butter, melted

Mix sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside. Using a rolling pin, roll bread slices to 1/4 inch thick. Blend together cream cheese, egg white and powd. sugar until smooth. Spread mixture evenly on one side of each bread slice; roll up. roll each in melted butter, then in sugar mixture. Arrange roll-ups on a baking sheet lightly sprayed with non-stick vegetable spray. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Makes about 14-20.

These roll-ups turned out great and my hubby LOVED them. I liked them too, but I thought they would be good with a pie filling or maple whip cream on top. I will try that next time around. This is a keeper and I had so much fun going through my cookbook. I will have to try a few new things. Happy Fall.

Taco Soup and Cornbread

2010-11-08T19:59:00.000-08:00

I have been having a hankering for this soup for weeks now and finally got around to making this yummy, hearty soup. I can't believe I have never posted this recipe because it is a favorite around the farm. I found this recipe a few years ago in a Quick Cooking (now called Simple and Delicious) magazine. I have tabbed all my favorites and refer to them quite often for my families meals.

This is a really easy fast recipe for those busy holiday season days. You can even make it ahead and heat it up. I imagine you could also put it in the crock pot and let it warm for the day while you are out shopping for the holidays.

Taco Soup

1/2 lb ground beef

1 envelope taco seasoning

2 cans (15 oz.) whole kernel corn, undrained

2 cans (15 oz.) ranch style or chili beans, undrained

2 cans (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

Tortilla chips, shredded cheese, sour cream

Flour Tortillas, warmed

In a large sauce pan, cook hamburger over medium heat until no longer pink, drain. Stir in taco seasoning, corn, beans, and tomatoes. cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until heated through. Place tortilla chips in soup bowls; ladle soup over chips and top with cheese. Serve with warm tortillas. Yield 8-10 servings.

B's Sweet Cornbread

2 c. flour

2 c. cornmeal

1 1/3 c. sugar

2 tsp salt

7 tsp baking powder

2 eggs

2 c. milk

2/3 c. vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400. Spray 9x13 pan. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in remaining ingredients until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy with some freezer jam or honey butter.

Sorry for not having a pretty display picture to tempt your taste buds, but dinner with three kids is crazy and I was hungry, maybe on the next go around. Hope you like it.

Rainy Day Farm Additions

2010-11-04T09:51:00.000-07:00

We have a couple of new additions to the Rainy Day Farm herd.

This is Maxwell (Max) and he is a three year old wether. He is here on a trial basis and I am having to work with him a lot. He has not been trained and is quite the handful. We shall see if he gets to become a permanent member of the Rainy Day Farm herd.

Maddie is our newest doe to join the herd. She will be one in December and we have been waiting for her a long time. I have been begging her owner to sell her to me and she finally relented. She is a super sweet girl and gets along with all the other goats. She also does well at the shows so we are excited about her. Isn't she a cutie pie.

I also updated the pictures of our Rainy Day Farm babies. They are 4 months old now and still super cute.
Rocket is finally speaking to me after being wethered. He would not come near me for a month after I took him to be wethered. I guess goats hold grudges. He is still a sweet boy and good with the other goats.
Kat is the loviest little goat we have. She is the first to come up to me for attention. I think she would love nothing more than to become an indoor house goat. We just love her to death. (sorry about the picture, I took it with my phone and the sun was really bright.)

Puzzling Time?

2010-11-02T10:46:00.000-07:00

Since we live in the land of many rains we have to be creative with indoor activities through the winter. One of my favorite things to do is put together a puzzle. The kind that sits on the table and everyone puts in a piece or two in passing. I love the satisfaction of completing a challenge.

I must admit that the only kind of puzzles I like to do are pictures of folk art scenes with lots of different things going on in the picture. I don't like those puzzles that are vast amounts of various shades of green. Those make me crazy. I found a set of 8 puzzles at Costco last week and we have been having a ton of fun with those. They range from 300 pieces to 1000. It was only $12.00 for all those puzzles. I thought that was a great deal because most puzzles are $8.00 a piece. Whoohoo, score.

I love artists like Charles Wysocki and James Christensen. I even bought a puzzle mat that is great, it makes the pieces stand out and if I need to I can roll it up and put it away. I have not been able to do puzzles for a few years because of the ages of my kids. Now that they are a little older they help me out. Landon still likes to mess things up, but we keep it on the kitchen table that is raised and it is out of sight out of mind for him. What is your favorite winter past time?

Rainy Day Farm Tradition

2010-11-01T13:43:00.000-07:00

We are crazy about every holiday around Rainy Day Farm. We LOVE to put up lots of decorations and really get our home in the spirit of all the major holidays. My kids love and beg early for decorations and such. One tradition we love is Christmas music, it is our favorite thing about the holiday (besides all the goodies).

So we all agree (except my husband, who gets overruled) that one month is not nearly long enough for Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, and Nat King Cole to croon out there holiday melodies. So, at our house we start listening to all our favorites November 1st. You could call it open season for the music.

What is your favorite Christmas artist?

Trick or Treat

2010-10-30T14:58:00.000-07:00

It's that scary time of year again. We went to the city trick or treat and had so much fun. The weather was beautiful and we got to see lots of friends around town.
Addison chose to be Rosalie from Twilight, Logan was Iron Man, and Landon had a hard time choosing between a pirate and a cowboy, cowboy won out.

Look What I Found

2010-10-28T09:55:00.000-07:00

I was doing my usual grocery shopping last week and behold, there it was. My favorite holiday drink ever, EGGNOG! Yummy, I was so excited I snatched up the last one and we savored it for several days, even though we could drink it in one sitting. We are all big eggnog lovers on Rainy Day Farm. I may even get brave and make my own this year.

What is your opinion? Are you a nog drinker or not? Do you like it plain, cold, warm or with 7-up in it? Let's have your opinion. Happy Holidays.

Fall Bazaar

2010-10-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

Robb and I headed out to a cute little country farm bazaar and had such a great time. It was an adorable little farm with vendors, pumpkins, barns, yummy smelling food and adorable music playing throughout. I loved going to this because these kinds of things are getting more and more rare in our area.

Robb and Landon on the adorable pumpkin display. Landon was in love with that old truck in the background. He kept wanting to drive it.

Check out these awesome pumpkins. They were so cute and funky. Loved them.

Here is a view of some of the vendors. We ran in to a good friend of ours selling her bags made from recycles grocery sacks. You have to see them to understand, but they are great. There were so many cute booths. There were even adorable Mennonite women with yummy baked goods and handcrafted items. So cute.

I just loved this super cute display for pumpkins. This is some smart thinking there. Got me in the mood for fall crafting and holidays.

New Decor

2010-10-21T14:37:00.000-07:00

This is my newest addition to my fall decor. Yes, it is a door that leads to nowhere.

Sorry for the glaring flash, it was a gray day here with bad light.
My crafty Mother-in-law created these great doors for the background of my Brother-in-laws wedding this past weekend. They turned out great and really made a stunning backdrop in the otherwise ugly room. She was nice enough to give me one of them. I am excited to see what I can do with this large piece of decor.

Closing up Shop

2010-10-19T09:07:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have neglected my blog so badly lately, but we have had such a busy fall this year. I hope things quiet down a little before the holidays so I can get caught up. I have LOTS to share.

The weather has turned cold here in the Northwest, so when we got home this weekend, everything in the garden had been kissed by the frost. That means that we are ready to close up the garden for the winter. The kids and I went crazy and filled up the trailer with the garden leftovers. Our plan is to cover the garden with a couple tractor scoops of the compost pile and put it to rest for the winter.

This year was a very poor year for growing things so we were happy to clean out the rest of the harvest and put it in storage for the coming months. We ended up with a lot more that I thought we would and now I have a bunch of work ahead to store the food.

The chickens got busy scratching there way around all the yummy goodies.

The goats thought it was Christmas morning with all the tender vittles to snack on. They LOVE to eat the raspberry leaves an broccoli. I did have a bit of a hart time keeping them away from my rhubarb, that is still growing.

I ended up with quite a big box of onions. We don't eat a lot of onions so I may have to find some friends to pass some of these onto. Oops, my cucumbers got away from me. I am not sure they will taste all that great, but we shall see.

The kids and I were sooooo excited when we saw that there was some good ears of corn on our pathetically small stalks. We had to fight the dog, chickens, and goats for what little corn we got. Who new that everyone loved corn so much.

I had a lot of tomatoes on the plants, but most didn't turn green. I will take what I can and put them in the freezer and make sauce this winter. I will try and ripen the green ones in my windowsill before I freeze them. We were even lucky enough to find a few more squashes and zucchini. I am not sure what the green and yellow ones are. I guess we will find out when we cut them open. I love to make purees. Click here for a great idea on how to make purees.

We were excited to find a few potatoes. I didn't expect to find any, since my potato plants didn't do very well in their containers. I am going back to having them in the ground next year. We will enjoy these though. I think I need to make some stew for dinner tonight.

Hope your garden harvest was bounteous.

Natural Beauty

2010-10-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

I discovered the hard working honey bee on one of my onion flowers the other day. It was a bright blue, crisp air kind of day. A perfect day for a bee to be collecting the last bits of pollen for the upcoming winter.

I love Fall

2010-09-30T11:06:00.000-07:00

I discovered this yummy treat at the grocery store the other day and it was so yummy. It makes me love fall even more. The bonus is that it is "light" and therefore less calories. What more could a girl ask for.

A love affair

2010-09-22T16:52:00.000-07:00

I am beginning a new love affair. Yes, my husband knows about it and is a bit jealous in fact. I am in love with my new smart phone. Frivolous, I know, but it is so handy to keep in touch wherever I go. It does trick my other phone couldn't even dream of. I can text, twitter, email, facebook and shop, and even find my way around town with this sleek little guy. My heart goes pitter pat every time I hear it ring. Aaaaaaa amour, it is a wonderful thing.

So here's to my new love. May we have many happy times together.

New Canning Adventure

2010-09-19T13:47:00.001-07:00

Because we live in the great Northwest we have wonderful access to fresh fish. This year we took on a new challenge of canning fresh caught tuna. My friends Geri, Denise, Me and my Mom got together and canned around 170 1/2 pints of tuna. We canned 7 tuna between us. Geri was nice enough to come over and teach us how while her own tuna sat at home waiting for her.

Sorry for the blurry picture, my camera is not great indoors and we were all fighting for the back.
The tuna was so easy to can. You wash your jars, cut the tuna in chunks(we had them fillet), add some sea salt and put the lids on. The long part is waiting for them to cook in the pressure cooker for 90 minutes, each batch.

We had a pretty great set up too. Denise brought over her propane stove and we cooked it outside so my house did not get stinky. It would have taken weeks to get the smell out.

Here is the finished product. It does not look all that appetizing in the jar, but trust me, it is so yummy and fresh tasting. It is so much tastier than the stuff at the store. It does cost about the same as buying it in the store, but it is worth the work for the taste.

Night Stand Makover

2010-09-15T09:05:00.000-07:00

My super cute husband was out and about with work and discovered this FREE, solid wood shelf. My daughter has been needing a nightstand in her room so he thought this would be perfect for that and storage all at the same time. He was right and I was tickled pink to have a project to work on. We headed to the hardware store and bought a quart of paint to match an existing shelf in her room.

I did a bit of sanding and painting and it was done. I brought it into her room and had lots of run placing items on her new shelf/nightstand. She loves it and uses it every night for her books that she is reading. Way to go Hubby on this little gem.

I already had the baskets from another piece of furniture, so this project only cost us $13.oo for the paint. It was a lot of fun to transform it.

Earth's Bounty

2010-09-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

It's canning season again! I have been busy doing applesauce, pears, green beans and soon tuna.

It is a lot of work, but it is so rewarding to put those jars lovingly on your self and know that you did it all. The best reward is knowing where it came from and how it was processed. Nothing feels better in the world.

A big thanks to my Mom and my friend Denise for helping me work on these yummies. Canning is so much more fun with someone else. You get to chat and solve the worlds problems at the same time. Maybe world summits should be held in a farm kitchen over peaches.

Back to School

2010-09-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

We survived our 1st day of school yesterday. It was a cool rainy day, so it was a perfect get in the mood for school weather. The kids were very exited to see their friends and get to know their new teachers. The big bonus is always to get to wear new clothes. Addison even got a back to school haircut that she loves.

Logan learned how to tie his new Converse and was so proud of himself for tying them all by himself. Landon had a huge hissy because he thought he was going to school too. So we decided to do "school" at home for him.

Ready set go!

I thought I would share a couple back to school tips that I am using this year. I have gotten these ideas from other people, so don't think I am miss super organized.

It got two of these plastic hanging file boxes from my Mom when she was cleaning out her office. I originally didn't have use for them until a friend of mine told me that she uses these for her kids school papers at the end of the year. She puts in a few of the special projects and saves them from year to year. So starting in kindergarten you have a great place to store special projects, awards, grades, etc. I am going to have my kids choose 10 of their favorites to put in here each year.
I fell in love with this Mommy binder to help me be organized with all the mountains of papers that come home with the kids each week. Last year everything ended up in a heap in my desk and I was constantly pulling the stack out to find one permission slip. So when I found this little gem I couldn't wait to put it together and start using it. I found the idea at a great new blog called My Computer is my Canvas. Click here to see her site and make your own copy.

The next thing I use is a "lunch box" for all the kids & hubby's lunches. When I get packages home I divide them up in Ziplocs, so when morning rolls around I can make sandwiches and grab everything else I need. I got this idea from the Idea Room, where all great ideas come from. It makes like so much easier.

I hope you all have a great back to school week. Now onto the holidays. It will be here before we can say Santa Claus.

Garden Bounty

2010-09-02T12:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Logan and I went out to check the garden and came out with a bunch of yummies. The zucchini finally decided to get busy and we picked 8 huge ones. We also harvested a few onions, rhubarb, and one tiny little squash for purees

Since we had such a bounty we decided to make a chocolate zucchini cake for dessert. After eating 5 pieces of this yummy cake I thought I better share it with you. I found this recipe on food.com (used to be recipezaar) and the lady that posted it is named Opal Fitzgerald. Isn't that the cutest name. You know that a recipe coming from someone with that name is going to be yummy. So here we go. Just a warning, the recipe does make a ton. You can either use 4 round pans, or two 9x13 pans. Make one for your family and give one away.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake
4 eggs
2 1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup butter, softened
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup baking cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
3 cups zucchini, coarsely shredded and unpeeled
1 cup walnuts, chopped
Directions
In a large bowl, beat eggs until fluffy. Add sugar gradually, beating until mixture is thick and lemon-colored. Beat in vanilla and butter. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda and salt; add alternately with buttermilk. Beat until smooth. Fold in zucchini and walnuts.
Divide batter into four greased and floured 8 or 9-in. round pans, or two 9x13 pans.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 to 30 minutes or until top springs back when gently pressed.
Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove to wire wracks and cool completely. Frost with your favorite frosting. A frosting glaze would be super yummy.

Hope you enjoy this very moist and delicious cake. Happy Fall

Fall Wreath Party

2010-08-31T20:19:00.000-07:00

Today I am joining Amy of at Keep'n the Sunnyside for her first annual...

YEAH FOR FALL! This is my most favorite time of the year. I love the colors, smells and change in the air. I love back to school all the way to Christmas. I can't wait to wear sweaters and rake leaves and especially the decorations.

This is a picture of my fall wreath. It is the same one I have used for the past few years and I love it. I bought it at a small little bazaar at the home of a friend of mine. Her sister made it and did a fabulous job. It is elegant but just a little wild. It makes me happy to look at it for the fall season. I love the colors of the leaves and the hint of sparkle on a few of them. The fall berries top it off and make me love it even more.

So in the excitement of the fall door wreath the kids and I went full bore and put up almost all of our other fall decorations. I won't show you all of them, but here is a little peek at my two mini Christmas trees that I am decorating just for fall. I am going to head to the store this week and find some super cute twinkle lights to add to my trees. They need a little hug of warmth.

Sorry for the flash, it was a very gray day here at Rainy Day Farm and I did not have great light.

Here is my front porch. I still have a few items to purchase for the tree, but I LOVE the nasturtiums growing through the railing on the font porch. My trusty scarecrow is ready for duty and I think fake pumpkins were just about the best thing invented!
Happy Fall Y'all

Before I let you, I couldn't live with myself if I didn't pass on a yummy fall recipe for you take for your very own. This is my homemade bread recipe that fills my home with yummy goodness and puts smiles on my families faces when I pull it out of the oven. Click here for this great fall recipe.