Happy Snappy

 

We have a new Snappy, thanks to our dog Callie who likes to bring turtles to us! 

This Snappy is smaller, more social than the previous one, and quite quick for a turtle.  Grandma Shirley suggested Nathan change his name to Speedy, but so far Snappy has stuck!

The kids' babysitters Carter and Grace helped them set up a nice home for him (her?) and told them what turtles eat.  (Pretty much anything but spinach and celery.) 

I have always touted a tortoise as the idea pet, but a turtle could be a close second.  All we have to do is feed Snappy something about the size of the tip of a pinky finger every three or so days.  The kids give him exercise outside of his pond and when they want to move on . . . so will Snappy out into the wild!

Ain't No Mountain High Enough!

Super Duper Easy Pumpkin Muffins

Teresa and I whipped up a batch of these muffins this morning.  These are very quick to make and are even pretty healthy, since there are no eggs or oil in the recipe!

 

Pumpkin Muffins

1 can pumpkin

1 box cake mix--flavor of your choice

(My favorite is spice.)

3 T water

 

Mix together and bake according to cake mix directions for cupcakes.

A Day at the Fair

 

 

Last Sunday as the boys were having a SMASHING good time watching the Demolition Derby, the girls and I took in the rest of the fair. 

We all know I'm not much of a farm girl by nature, but once a year I get a hankering to go and admire some champion pigs, sheep, goats, and bunnies.  I was a bit leery to take the girls on my own, but they were into the whole experience, too.

 

Rachel does look a bit unsure of the goat at the baby animals barn, but she put up with her sister and me just fine . . . as long as we kept moving and had the Baby Mum Mums handy!

 

"Green Acres is the place for T!"

 

After we got our fill of farm animals (that is, looking . . . not eating), we ventured into the Expo building to see the fair vendor booths.  As soon as we turned the corner, Teresa saw the booths and said excitedly, "This is like a store!" 

The Expo building is one of the best parts of the fair.  For one, it is the busiest place and I am bound to see a handful of people I know while I am strolling through.  These are mostly people I only see about once a year--and usually at the fair!

The booths are an added attraction, although I hardly ever part with any money there. 

(Except for the first year we were married, I spent A LOT of money on cookware, but I still love it to this day and it hardly looks used after 11 years!) 

My general rule is to keep moving and don't make too much eye contact.  If the latest and greatest gadget is THAT great, I probably would have seen it already or it will pop up again somewhere besides the Brown County Fair. 

 

So, even I was surprised when I came upon a watermelon perched on this contraption, immediately steered my stroller over to the Melon Mate booth, and asked the lady behind the counter,

"What's going on here?" 

Long story short, the price was very reasonable, these are made in Sioux Falls, SD, I was looking for a less messier way to cut watermelon, and I invested in my own Melon Mate.  Five of the six of us here on the farm LOVE watermelon, so I am always cutting one (or putting off cutting one because I don't want to deal with the mess at the time).  I also tried it with muskmelon and that worked especially well since I could pour the seeds into the bowl while I cut up the rest. 

Overall, I'd say this was a good investment. 

To get your own and support a South Dakota made product, go to www.melonmate.com! 

 

 

I know that sounds like a site that could be for . . . something else . . . but, I checked it out.

 It's all good and only about watermelon. :o)

Preschool Creativity

We completed Day 2 of preschool and it went well. An hour or so of class time seems to be just right. When we are not sitting around the table in "official" preschool time, Teresa has been asking to do new creative things.  Since my hands are a little less full with just the girls at home, we've been able to try a couple ideas.

 

We found the idea for "beach sand" in the latest Family Fun magazine.  Just mix 2 cups flour and 1/4 cup vegetable oil.  Mix it with your fingers for a few minutes and it will turn into a beach sand consistency.  Teresa played with it in a cake pan, but a resealable plastic tub would be ideal to keep it longer.

 

She also requested making bird feeders again, which we had made a couple of summers ago.  For these, we used small pine cones and tied yarn around them.  Then we covered them with a peanut butter and water mixture.  After that, they took a dip in a bowl of bird seed and we hung them on the tree.  (We accidentally found out that these make excellent dog treats.  Callie took one off a low branch and enjoyed it very much!)

Happy First Day of School!

We all greeted the morning with excitement and anticipation.  This year, the summer seemed just long enough.  We were all ready to get back into the routine.

Teresa wore her best dress for her first day of preschool with mom.  :o)  We are both excited for this little adventure.  I purchased a Catholic preschool curriculum from CatholicIcing.com, so I am using some of those ideas and some things from my own head for her lessons.  I am having so much fun feeling like a "real" teacher again planning lesson plans and preparing for class.  I also like having the freedom to incorporate faith into her education.  David says, "Yeah, that's what homeschooling is."  Well, I guess maybe it is, but I don't consider myself a homeschool teacher.  I have deep respect and admiration for our friends and family who homeschool their children and I am quite aware that I do not have the same calling.  Call it whatever you want, though, we're off to a great start! 

Happy First Day of School!

Johnston-Melius Lake Date

We spent our Saturday at beautiful Enemy Swim Lake with our friends, the Johnstons.  Landen and Nathan jumped on the paddle boat and only got off if they were going to ride on another boat!  They were always willing to give rides.  Here they are showing Ben, Teresa, and Will the sights.

Rachel became mobile just the day before.  We put her on a blanket to play, but she was intent on crawling to the edge of the blanket just so she could eat handfuls of grass.  (Early on in my pregnancy with her, I did crave dark leavy greens, so this makes sense). :o)  Instead, the water table was brought out and she loved having her own place to stand and splash!

 For supper, Bo made a delicious seafood boil with shrimp, potatoes, sausage, onions, and corn. Having an uncle from the south, I have had this before, but never dumped on a picnic table! It was the perfect way to serve us all.

 Baby Gavin (5 months, son of Buddy & Jessica) and Rachel got along very well.  Rachel showed him all of the new tricks he will learn in the next five months!

After supper, it was time for some fishing, thanks to our guides Bo and Melissa and their boys Ben and Will!  Landen caught 3 fish!

It was a beautiful day with great friends and great food!  These two families started getting together at the lake in the summer and on the farm to pheasant hunt in the fall 61 years ago with couples Bob & Sally Johnston and Claire & Rosemarie Melius.  Now the 5th generations of Johnstons and Meliuses are becoming friends! 

We always love our day at the lake.  Thanks again to our wonderful hosts!

Have a Seat!

Stop on by and have a seat!

 Cresbard's own Jordan Breeding recently started JB Welding Art.  I immediately fell in love with this bench when I saw a photo he posted online.  Several antique components welded together into something new, useful and one of a kind . . . too cool!  

Check out JB Welding Art on Facebook to see more of Jordan's creations, both large and small!

Only 7 More Sleeps!

A Sampling of Landen & Nathan's Back to School List
folders
pencils
markers
crayons
backpacks
shoes (2 pair per boy)

Teresa's Preschool (at home with Mom) List
new watercolor paints
princess shoes

Mom's Back to School List:
Keurig K-Cups
new Nikes
2 bottles of wine (not to be consumed completely on the FIRST day of school)

Everyone is ready for the start of school.  I was a bit crazy today and took all 4 kiddos school shopping.  Thankfully we waited so long that if most of the things we needed weren't on a Back to School sale, they were already on clearance.  Still, I know a few things went into the cart that weren't the best bargain in the store.  Mom can only pay attention to so many things at once!
This is always the time of year that I wonder what is so "free" about this "free, public education" our government promises. :o)  It is also the only time of year I ever consider how expensive having kids really can be.  It's the shoes that always get me.  Our school has a wooden gym floor, so they all need separate gym shoes.  We will be buying one or two more pair before the year is done because of wear on the playground or from simply outgrowing them.  I wish NSU would have offered some classes on how to become a cobbler.  I could have saved SO much money!!  I had to get a new pair, too, since the start of school means I am back on my walking routine.  No matter how hard I try, it is just too difficult and frustrating to try to walk for 30 minutes regularly while all of the kids are at home.
Are you ready to lace up your shoes and start another school year?
Ready or not, here we go . . . in just 7 more sleeps!

Wheels

Our walker has seen many, many laps around the kitchen table and deck, but this is a first.  Today it received a tailgate and became a pickup!

Family Reunion

On Saturday, we travelled to Mitchell SD for a family reunion.  The rain found us a time or two, but overall it was a beautiful afternoon in the park. 

I wasn't intending to take a picture of Rachel here, but as soon as she saw me raise the camera, she broke out into this huge smile.  Her name tag should say, "Hello, my name is Rachel and obviously no one ever takes pictures of me!"  :o)

 

The boys were bummed that we missed our town's Corn Fest, a day full of softball, picnic in the park, sweet corn feed, and inflatables.  But, upon our arrival, they were so excited to see that the Neises family had rented an inflatable for the day.  So was I--I never once had to look for my children.  I knew exactly where they were! 

 My sister-in-law Angela was kind enough to take an updated photo of our family. 

Snappy

Nathan had been looking for a turtle for a pet.  It turns out, a turtle found us!  I looked out the window on Friday and saw an upside down turtle in the grass.  Nathan went to check it out and sat it by the door.  He was so excited when it came out of its shell and started walking around. 
He and Carter made a zoo for it, but it turns out Snappy is a strong escape artist and escaped under the cover of darkness.  Nathan wasn't upset at all.  I think his favorite type of pet is one that's only around here for a day or so.
If you see a turtle with blue sidewalk chalk on its shell, you can send him back to our house . . . or tell him to keep going as fast as his little legs can go!  :o)

Unexpected Treasure

I've mentioned Abundantly Blessed at St. Thomas Church in Faulkton before.  After 7 years, it is still going as strong as ever.  Thanks to many ladies who have taken it from our small Bible study group and turned it into their own project, the community and surrounding area are still benefiting from sharing their abundance of blessings with each other. 

I had a little bag of odds and ends to drop off this morning--a shelf I no longer wanted, some too-small swim trunks, the remainder of a scrapbook kit I won't use, and a few greeting cards that aren't my style.  Today was the first day of the three-day event to drop things off, so when I pulled up to the church at 10am, I was surprised to see so many cars already in the parking lot and people rummaging through several garbage bags of stuff that had been left on the wheelchair ramp outside. 

Although I love a good thrift store, I am not much of a rummager (even when it's all free), so my intention was to drop off my few things and then hit my favorite hangout in town--the grocery store.  (Well, maybe it's not my FAVORITE hangout, but it's the place in Faulkton that gets the most of my money!)

Just as I was walking into the back door of the church, I saw it--an unexpected treasure!  Among other things, a man unloaded this suitcase from his pickup.  When I came back up the stairs a few minutes later, he was just entering the church with his things. 

Not believing this good fortune, I asked him, "Are you leaving that here?" 

"Yes," he answered. 

"Is it just a suitcase?" I asked. 

(I was making sure it wasn't a case for a trumpet or an accordion or something similar--now THAT would NOT be a fun sound to add to our home!) 

"Yes," he answered again. 

"Then I'll take it!" and I whisked it out the door.  

He was just happy I saved him from carrying it down the stairs and probably thought this mom with a van full of kids waiting for her was maybe just a bit crazy.  (My kids thought I was.)

In the world of antiques, I find myself not so much drawn to pretty decorations, but to things that were actually USED at one time and show everyday life--the stools I have on my deck, the wash stand, the pop bottles and wooden crate, and although I had not yet found one, I have had a few large, flat suitcases like this in mind.  I would like to eventually stack a few and make an end table or night stand out of them.  For now, this one will find a place in our home. 

Of course, David entered the house today, saw the suitcase in the entry and immediately asked, "Is our Grandma here visiting???"  :o)

But, he's a good sport and trusts the vision I see in these treasures I find.  I looked up "vintage suitcases" on eBay tonight, and similar suitcases are selling for $30 or more.  What a deal!!

Who's up for a little antiquing??

This unexpected find has me dreaming of another treasure hunting trip!

Be Thankful

Great things have been happening.  My friend Theresa's baby daughter Ava no longer needs her apnea monitor.  My friend Lacy just had her second baby girl.  The sun is shining.  Life is good.
But, I am also aware of those families currently living on the painful side of life.  Being on the Catholic Moms prayer group is such a blessing, but also makes me aware of the pain in this world.  Last night I commented on a prayer request that I have been praying for member's cousin who was in a motorcycle accident.  This morning I realized that the one I commented on was an entirely other person!  Two young men, named Ryan and David, in hospitals on ventilators recovering slowly, not knowing the extent of the damage on their bodies . . . a baby girl who a few weeks ago suddenly passed away in her daddy's arms, a friend's son who was recently diagnosed with autism and the uncertainty such a diagnosis brings . . . prayers, prayers, prayers. 
We do not know what the next minute will hold.
I was reflecting the other day on how I have changed as a mother in the past 8 years.  I don't want to say I ever took my children for granted, but I think I did.  I thought of them as MINE, when really they were and always have been GOD'S. 
I was always a bit sad when my babies turned a year old and started walking away from my arms.
I am different with Rachel.  Maybe it is because I was 33 when I had her.  There is much to be said for being a younger and more naive mom!  Perhaps it is because she was just 6 weeks old when Luke suddenly left us.  My prayer each day is not that she will stay little, but grow bigger and stronger each day.  Yes, she will be facing a surgery in a few months, but she is not ill.  She is developing as she should.  Just as our other children, I swear I can see the gears in her little brain turning as she maneuvers her walker around the house and deck.  She doesn't miss a detail.  She is always smiling.  She is already so much like her big brother Landen.
My first born Landen.  I never knew what it was to be willing to give my life for another person until the moment we knew we were expecting him.  He can drive me nuts with his constant verbal thoughts.  But, I hope he continues that as a teenager.  I will always know what he is thinking.
Nathan is my moody one.  I am afraid if anyone has gotten the "blue genes" it is him.  He is either having the "best day ever" or the "worst day ever."  To think there were a couple weeks if I wondered if we would ever get to meet this little boy on this earth.  On his "worst days ever," I have to remember this.  :o)
Teresa is a little firecracker . . . a lady one minute and a tomboy the next.  She is always coloring, drawing, and painting . . . doing the things I always thought my boys should be doing at that age. 
So, today I am thankful.  Thankful that these children--all of our children--are GOD'S children.

They could not be in better hands.

Life is Just Peachy

Life is just peachy!  We celebrated Grandpa Kallas' 86th birthday on Sunday! 

 Swimming lessons continue and yesterday we stayed after for some fun swimming in the afternoon.  We went to the park to swing for a little while until the pool reopened.

 Teresa will get her hair and face wet when she's swimming for fun, but not during lessons!  Looks like another go-round of Level 1 will be in her future next summer. :o)

 Here comes Nater!  Not surprisingly, he and his brother are really liking their lessons this year.

I decided not to can any peaches this year, but since I am unable to pass up any fruit that is sold by the box, I bought just one lug of peaches and froze them. 

Look yummy? 

Peel 3 lemons and 8 oranges and grind them up in a food processor.  Pour the mixture into a large container (I use my stock pot) and add 8 cups sugar.  Peel and slice a lug of peaches and add to the citrus and sugar mixture. 

*Tip:  If you boil the peaches for about a minute and then transfer them to a bowl of ice water for another minute, the skins will slip right off.  I wasn't aware of this tip when I first started buying peaches by the lug.  This also works for tomatoes, but will not work for pears.  :o(

After you have mixed it all together, freeze in quart bags or the freezer container of your choice. 

Our family loves these--especially in the middle of winter when the grocery store's produce department looks pretty bleak!

Right after the boys and I got our peaches in the freezer, cousin Carter from Minnesota surprised us with a visit! 

You just never know who's going to show up next around here.

That's one peachy week . . . and it's only Tuesday!

Our Week

Whew--what a week!  We started swimming lessons, which always makes me wonder if I should rent an apartment in Faulkton for a couple of weeks each year  The kids and are at the pool for 2 1/2 hours a day Monday-Thursday (and Teresa's class had a make up lesson yesterday).  We do have our friends the Trefz family for at least an hour of that time, and a new set of spectators arrives every hour to reset and refresh our social scene. 
We also hosted David's cousin Zach, Dawn and baby Lucy (9 months) for a couple of days.  We even managed to take a quick trip to Aberdeen with the girls.  They were AWESOME shoppers.  We're training them young!
I was hoping that the culmination of this crazy busy week would be coming home with a pile of school supplies and school shoes for the boys last night.  The weather changed our plans in a hurry.  Landen requested to go to The Corner Book Shoppe and I was more than happy to fulfill that request.  We arrived in Aberdeen close to 4pm, and I wasn't sure when they closed, so we went there first.  We all three enjoyed our bookstore experience.  The boys each brought money to choose their own books.  While they browsed, I perused the novels and found a few new ones for myself.  Nathan even found a corner to read his books while he waited.  I LOVE that store.  If you love books (and bargains,) you must check it out! 
Among my finds was the book about Don Meyer, "How Lucky You Can Be," which I had not yet read.  (I realize that everyone else in the area and their dogs (literate dogs, anyway) had probably read it, but I missed the boat.  I started reading it last night and finished it this afternoon.  I'm not much of an athlete nor do I have a coach's mentality, but I did appreciate the story of his life at Northern, his recovery from the car accident that nearly took his life, and how he has dealt with the cancer that was found during the post-accident surgery on his abdomen.  The car/semi accident actually happened about 10 miles from our farm and the semi driver he crossed in front of has been a friend of my in laws for many, many years, so I wanted to see how it was portrayed as well.
But, back to the bookstore . . .
Just as we were checking out, my dad called and ask me where I was and told me of a severe thunderstorm involving a rotation and golf ball sized hail heading toward Aberdeen.  It was clear that school supplies and shoes would have to wait.  The boys and I took our newfound literary treasures and headed south.  I thought I would be able to get around the wind and hail, but then another and another system formed, blocking us from our home.  I didn't think I would be able to make it to Mellette, which is 20 miles south before it reached us either. 
Hmm. . . I started racking my brain.  Who did I know between Aberdeen and Mellette?  I called my sister-in-law's parents and the boys and I waited it out there.  After popcorn and cans of pop, it had blown over and we returned home to find over 2 inches of rain and crops shredded from hail. 
Oh, well.  It's all good.  Everyone was fine here.  My mother in law and the girls hunkered down in the basement with brownies and bananas and the boys and I had our first stormy adventure!

Thanks again to Mark and Terri for giving us food and shelter!  :o)

Got High Beams?