A HUGE Thank you!

I cannot thank you all enough for the donations to 318 Partners!  Together we collected $765!!!

I know that your sacrifice and generosity will help! I cannot say enough to every person who made this large donation possible. You are wonderful and you have blessed someone from North Korea.

Using random.org the winner of the Quilt Art and the Keurig Coffee Maker is Barbara I!!!!! Barbara, thank you for your donation and expect to see your raffle prize with in a week or so!

Doesn't it feel good knowing that no matter how LARGE the problem or the disparity, that you can help? Blessings to you all!

Sour Patch Assault

This weekend was very busy, yet I still had time to 1. Find a new favorite candy and 2. Give myself a busted lip with such candy.
All these years I thought this candy looked yucky! I was soo wrong. In fact I bought this large bag for movie night and then proceeded to eat the entire bag an hour before the movie guests arrived. How do you like that hospitality?

 We brought a few friends home with us after the curriculum fair and after dinner decided to head outside to pop the popcorn and set up for the movie. It was still daylight so the chickens were all over, looking for dropped food.

 They know that I tend to drop popcorn on the ground, being that I am so graceful and "lady like."

 Indiana bought a toy rifle at the fair and Zeb loved it. He would constantly point it in the air and shoot it. When asked what he was shooting he would reply, "Birds!"  His grandpa would be so proud:-)

 Here I am all "lady like" again and here is where my new favorite candy caused injury. We were throwing the candy into the air (me and the kids) attempting to catch it with our mouths. Well, one hit me in the lip and cause my tooth to bust it a bit. Such a dramatic picture!!!! I still love the candy though:-)
The movie was great, we showed JAWS. We all agree that the movie night has been a great activity and will continue movies until it's just too cold.

 Summer nights are perfect for playing outside after baths, even if the dogs decide to join in on the trampoline fun.

 Crack the egg is a favorite game for the kids.

 It is also a good time to check on the birds and hold them. Zeb ran and chased this little hen all over.

 He also finally caught her. Doesn't she looked thrilled? He calls her his baby.

 "Last one back to the house is a rotten egg!"

 I bet if I ask "who left their barbie outside for the dogs to chew up???"  ALL of the kids would reply, "Not me!!!!!" That's more scary than the big black snake we saw last week!

 Speaking of scary......we are feeding a ton of hens and yet they are refusing to lay eggs! It's a mystery we have yet to figure out. They are not molting and they are not sick. I am sure there is a reason, but we have yet to find it. Journee mowed the grass down in their lot today and they love pecking and scratching the cut grass.

 Another activity this weekend was spending the day at the lake. Fletcher loves the water and splashes it everywhere. It was warm water and felt great, especially on this hot, humid day.

 The sweet corn is coming in and we picked 100 ears to freeze. Here Fletcher decided to eat on a raw piece and of course he loved it. This is the sweetest corn we have ever grown!

These long summer night are perfect and they are also a nice welcome after the long, hot summer days.
The raffle ends this week!!!!!!!! You have 2 more days to buy an entry and to help 318 Partners with their rescue missions! THANK YOU so much to everyone who has contributed so far! We have $765 so far!!!!!!!! PLEASE consider donating $10 today if you have not done so yet! You can get more details HERE!!!

Have a peaceful week!

Images That Stick

Sometimes movies are so upsetting that I cannot sleep for days after watching them. It happened to me when I saw "The Green Mile." There were scenes that horrified me and I could not get the images from my head.
The same thing happened when I watched "Amistad." Goodness I think I even had to leave the room for a couple parts and STILL have a hard time clearing my head of some images from the movie. It's been YEARS since I saw the movie too!

This week I browsed for an instant play movie to watch and ended up seeing 3 documentaries.
The first was "Kimjongilia." It is about North Korea and it was excellent. I encourage everyone to see it, seriously.
 Next I watched "The Human Experience," which follows 2 young men who seek the essence of humanity. They experience several things, such as living homeless, in order to really answer the questions they were seeking. It was wonderfully done and I plan to watch it again, with my children.
Last night I saw another North Korea documentary titled " Seoul Train." Here is where I can't get images from my head. I cried a few times, and today my heart is broken for what is the most inhumane of countries, China is not much better. I have spent the day in disbelief that these horrors occur. Yes, you should watch it and then count your blessings.

I am still getting donations to the raffle. Please check it out and donate/buy a raffle entry if you have not done so! I have less than a week to reach my goal! You cna help people like those in "Seoul Train!"

The living room has been a fortress of toys and children this week and that makes me smile. Without a doubt, the toys that are always played with the most are the simple ones like wooden blocks and train sets. Cheap plastic just isn't as much fun, and the classic toys are far more durable.

 My boy spent the day with a purple barrette in his hair, and he would throw a fit if I even mentioned removing it! He loves to mimic his 5 big sisters, and it was not difficult to figure out which one helped him fix his hair.

 Willow was obviously the hair stylist yesterday.

She even fixed Rose's hair. Rose went outside and searched for a chicken feather (which is not difficult) and Willow added it to her hair style. I was happy to see some hair get brushed around here!!!!

 I am back to a well thought out menu plan for 2 week stretches. It's a simple way to keep us on track with a food budget and it also frees me up some during the week. I spend less time "figuring" out what to cook. Homemade pizza is always a favorite and the girls love to top them for me.

 I broke down and bought a tag reader. I was shopping online for this year's school books and decided Rose would enjoy this and it would give her an activity while I am cooking or helping the older kids with lessons. There are some good books for it, such as "Click, click Moo." Rose and Zeb both love it!

I only have one mold, but I have been using it like crazy to make candles with my bees wax. I must say that I really love these candles and they burn beautifully. New skills are so much fun.

 My word, the baby is so cute this week and learning so many things! He claps all of the time! Today Rose was standing outside making faces at him and he would giggle and laugh and clap his hands together.

 He has also discovered that he can bite Duke and Duke does not care. What a great dog! These bulldogs are so great with children, it's unbelievable.

 Fletcher is also pulling up on everything, even though he is not sure what to do once he is standing.

 He thought it was funny that I would take his picture through the glass door.

 Tomorrow is the curriculum fair and although I have ordered most of my books, I have still spent a good deal of time making lists and researching curricula. Peach tea makes it all better. There is not a single beverage that tastes better than a Snapple Peach Tea. They are also educational....

This is helpful information if you ever plan to travel to Albania.

Have   a happy Friday! We are having movie night tomorrow and showing the movie JAWS!!!! I wonder what images will stick??????

Watch Your Step

There are many creatures living in these parts. Most of them are good.
An example is this large creature the bulldog discovered but decided to let be ( I don't blame him!). Isn't she a beauty?

Hay Day

Enter the Art Quilt and Keurig Coffee Maker raffle here and help some people in North Korea!!!!

This week the hay was cut and bailed and that means one thing.

Time to play before it is all picked up and hauled away. Even the chickens love when the hay is bailed.

Birds that normally stay close to the coop door wander out far into the pasture to eat the many, many crickets who lost their "cover" under the tall hay. It's a total feast for the birds.

 It was after bath time for the little ones but who cares if they sleep with a little hay in their beds?

 The tall mountains of hay are so much fun to climb atop for play.

 Sometimes the ninja keeps a pet chicken for special ninja warrior tricks.

 Running has also been proven to wear out toddler boys who possess an extra special amount of energy.

I want to introduce this special maple tree I spotted that seems to sprout barbie clothes. Very interesting. You never know what you might find on 30 acres with 7 children.

 I keep a water dish off the front porch for the dogs, but lately it has been getting mucked up each evening. That mystery has been solved. It seems the ducks head up to the porch after I fill the dish up. They take turns swishing into a dog water dish that barely fits one duck. Do they not realize there is a pond on the property? Ah but they are so cute to watch!

 The crepe myrtles are in full bloom which means one thing: It's hot, hot, hot and HUMID outside.

 The curriculum fair is sneaking up and will be happening next weekend. Here are my 2 high schoolers, although technically Quinn is still 8th grade. She is taking high school math however. I have spent the last 2 days reading and researching what subjects to compile and purchase.

It's gonna be a great school year. It always is a great school year because I am home educating these FABULOUS kids. This weekend we are going to the lake for a birthday party and some jet skiing. I think I will tote the camera along and see what adventures I can capture. I bet the hay is gone when we get back so I am glad we had a least a couple days for a hay day. Have a great weekend ya'll!