Jewelry #3

Amanda went shopping at the craft store with me and picked out some things to make a pair of earrings that she wanted to have made. These two pair above were my trial runs before I made hers. Aren't they neat?!!!

Jewelry #2

I bought this horse-shoe embellishment w/ matching earrings after Christmas. I LOVE it. All I did was add some coupling rings and strung it onto a necklace I already had.

I've made two of these sets. They are flat blue marbl-ish beads. I gave one set of earrings away to someone I work with. She says she really likes them. I do too.

These purple and blue beads are probably some of my favorites. These were gifted to me by Keith as part of the kit he got me. I've made several sets of earrings out of these and a couple of wire wrap bracelets like the one you see here. I've given away a couple pair of earrings I made with these. LOVE THEM!!!

Jewelry #1

I have seen those jewelry making kits in Walmart and craft stores and always think I want to try it. I asked for a small kit for Christmas and I got TWO kits and a gift card to get more stuff. It's been so much fun. Look at all the neat stuff I've made! I'm obsessed with making earrings. I've made a few bracelets, but earrings are quick and easy. I've only made one necklace so far.

If you especially like any of the ones I've posted, please let me know so I can share them. (but... you cannot have Amanda's)

Saturday’s Savings & Meal Planning

I set out with my coupons and grocery bag collection with good intentions yesterday.  I had Girls Group Bible Study in the morning followed by several hours at the office for a special project.  I was just cleaning off my desk and about to head home when a friend and I decided to help another friend.  So…. by the time I made it to Rite Aid, they had changed all the sales tags and didn’t have the cereal that I was after.  I bought some clearance Christmas cards and a bag of cough drops, but not the rest of my list.  I was too beat to do my grocery shopping, which is fine b/c the sales don’t end until Wednesday there AND I can pick up gift-cards at church which helps the church building fund.  So it’s all good.

 

Quick thoughts about the menu for the week:

• There is a quiche in the freezer!  YAY!
• Pork – either BBQ chops or a roast in the crockpot
• Cheeseburgers (need to use up the buns from last week)
• Beef Stirfry
• Pancakes
• Soup (wildcard item)

I have enough salad makings to have salad every day of the week or for a snack.  I need to chop it and put it in my salad bowl for easy access.

 

My grocery list includes stockpile items (good deals + coupon and/or discount) and that’s pretty much it.  I have everything else already.  Yay!!! 

Tuesdays With Jen, My Memoirs

A few random thoughts about horses:

 

• One time my horse fell in the mud.  I fell off of him as my feet came right out of my boots.  Wendy was sitting on the porch laughing about it.  I was more concerned with seeing that my horse was okay…  (more so than myself)
• One time my horse ran away from home…further away than I could track.  Later that afternoon someone called and said they thought they might have my horse.  A few miles away I found him safe and sound.  The lady there had a horse named “Jeepers Creepers.” She rode with me most of the way home, showing me the way.  I ran into her at a ‘horsie party’ just before Christmas this year.  It’s a small world!
• Another woman I recently ran into (at the same horsie party) said that her daughter (about 8yo at the time) clipped the for sale ad for my Magnium, slipped it into a homemade card that she gave her mother.  The card said “If you buy me Magnium, I will never ask for anything ever again.” Who knew?! How entirely sweet! 
• The neighbor girl once admitted to me that she was jealous of my horse.  This is the same girl that pulled me off of the horse and left me hurt and stranded in a field until my Grandma found me and called an ambulance. 
• Not long before Keith and I married, his sister was visiting and we took her to the stable.  He was going to impress her with his horseback riding knowledge.  Just before I gave him a leg-up onto Lacey, he said “This is how you do it.”  He swung him self up and over and kept on going.  He landed on his back, on the ground, with the saddle blanket between his legs.  Out of his mouth came “Ummm… this is NOT how you do it.”  We had a good laugh. 

Blessings Monday

New beginnings are a blessing.  New days, weeks, months, and years help us feel our new beginnings in a very real way.  We can re-focus and that is a good thing.  I’m so blessed to realize that each day is a new opportunity to serve the Lord and to try to do better than the day before.  Thank you Lord for new beginnings. 

 

Vulhop 2010 In Review

Saturday’s Savings & Meal Planning

Happy New Year!

 

I’m not much for resolutions; however, I am resolving to use my coupons, save some money, and pay off my student loan this year.  Tomorrow’s paper is supposed to have FIVE coupon inserts in it.  I think I might buy TWO papers!  Yesterday I caught up on all my coupon clipping and did some shopping.  I needed to spend the remaining balance in my FSA, which was approximately $60.  I bought a blood pressure monitor and some over the counter meds.  After 2010 they will no longer cover over the counter meds.  Grrr!!!  No sense letting it go to waste!  I also used some coupons yesterday…  Doritos for $2 – is that good?  I got a FREE Gillette gift-pack with razor and accessories.  NICE!  I got BOGO candy bars for Keith- ended up being 25 cents each.  That’s a deal.  I also got him 2 good size Toberlone for $1 each.  I’m not really a big fan of buying candy, but if I don’t buy it with a coupon, he will buy it for full-price.  I also hit Kohl’s as I had $20 Kohls-cash that expires today.  I picked up two sweaters for myself and paid a whopping $8 out of pocket.  Yay!!!!  I confess, I picked up some clearance items too…  I got a gold-colored holiday table cloth for $2, some bows for a few cents, and StarWars 4-mug Hot-chocolate set for 50% off at Target.  Not entirely cheap, but still probably worth it to spoil the boys.  I think I’ll take it to their Grandma’s house and let them share them there. 

 

Ok… meals for this week. 

• Quiche (Bacon & Swiss I think)
• Pork & Sauerkraut (At my parents)
• Ravioli
• Chicken Noodle Soup (from scratch)
• Breakfast (either pancakes or eggs/bacon)
• Salad Salad Salad – with or for every meal

Looks like I need some groceries:  Swiss cheese & salad makings plus dinner rolls to take to Mom’s for the family dinner tomorrow.

 

That sums it up for now.  I can’t wait to see how much I can save with coupons & deals in 2011.  I need to re-organize our closet and pantry soon.  Yay! 

A Meal Plan Is A Must

I realize that without a meal plan each week, we end up blowing our entertainment budget pretty quick.  We both realize it and agree that it’s an important area to focus on.  The Christmas smorgasbord is over.  It’s time to regroup.  I did some impromptu grocery shopping after work tonight.  I had no coupons, but most of what I bought were not coupon items anyway, and… I bought mostly store-brand items to score a 10% discount.

 

So, the meals we look forward to this week will include:

• Chili (already in the pot)
• Left-over chili over baked potato
• Grilled ham & cheese on health-nut multi-grain bread
• Salad – we have enough salad to have it every day
• Pork with a side of rice and peas
• Beef stir-fry

I’m thinking about making a quiche next week… Hmmm… something different.  Yumma. 

Lingering Christmas Spirit 2010

Church was lovely this morning, pews even in the balcony full of the Body joyously praising God together.  The music ministry was awesome this morning.  Two solos sung by men whose sweet voices I could listen to all day long.  They sure are blessed.  It was also great to see the abundance of youth participating in the service today.  Reminders about the birth of Christ, Mary’s journey, and of Peace, Love and Joy. 

 

I’m disappointed that Keith had to work this afternoon, so missing the Blair family Christmas celebration.   The amount of food was overwhelming, yet delicious!  I ate too much, as is custom for such celebrations.  Wrapping paper flung to and fro as joyous children discovered new toys and treasures with squeals of excitement.  How fun.  The children retreated to the spare room to piece together puzzles of legos into spectacular masterpieces, while the adults (and Joyce – soon to be adult) played Apples to Apples in the living room.  We busted some serious gut over that game.  I honestly think that was the longest we’ve sat together as a family in a long long time.  It was great fun. 

 

I’m sad to feel the end of the holiday quickly approaching.  Tomorrow morning will come soon enough and it will be back to the grind for me.  For tonight, I shall turn-in with a thankful heart, appreciating so many blessings, and praising God for his perfect plan. 

This Week’s Favorite Photo

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Christmas Toast… our own little tradition, and a photo to remember it. 

Christmas Day 2010

This is probably the longest holiday weekend we’ve ever had.  We celebrated our own little Vulhop-Christmas last evening.  Today we went to Rene’e’s house for her annual feast and festivities.  Tomorrow we are slated to celebrate with the Blair-family @ my parents home. 

 

Rene’e puts on quite a spread.  She cooked TWO turkeys and a ham plus the usual mashed potatoes, gravy, beans, stuffing, and then everyone brought more like cheesy potatoes, coleslaw, salad, and the like.  It was GRAND!  We stuffed ourselves!!!  YUMMA!!!  I wish I would have taken pictures of her tree.  It was really unique this year, and gorgeous as usual. 

 

Rene’e and Lee got me a Farmall A t-shirt and Keith got a hat.  We played the White-Elephant gift exchanged and scored an enormous plate of cookies, an eye mask, and a bucket of mojito mix (SCORE!).  We also got a tray of homemade cookies from Rhonda and some fudge too.  YUMMA!!!

 

It was nice to visit with extended family and to make ourselves useful in helping Rene’e in the barn.  It was great fun!  Now Keith’s off to a whopping 2-hour shift at work and then we’ll do it all over again tomorrow.   YAY!!!  Can’t wait to see the Blair kids!  

Christmas Eve 2010

It was Christmas Eve.  I had spent a few hours out with Mom doing some last minute shopping.  When I got home I wrapped my heart out until Wizzy got into a bag full of shopping bags and ended up scattering them throughout the spare room.  Silly cat!  I put together one of my most favorite gifts for Keith, something I knew he’d treasure.  As the clock ticked, I was getting more and more anxious for Christmas.  I baked a cheesecake and then proceeded to clean the living room and dining room.  I put a sparkly table cloth on the dining room table and moved the tree there where we could stash the gifts.  I turned down the lights, put on some Christmas music, and got out some Champagne.  Why not!?!? 

When Keith got home I insisted that he change into his jammies.  If we were going to celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve, we were going to do it in true style… in our jammies!  Next he popped the cork on the champagne and we had a Christmas toast. We took turns giving each other gifts, hugs, and kisses.  I got him cool jeans, shoes, a couple games, a movie, and two frames with very heartfelt pictures in them.  He got me pink fuzzy slippers (love love love), a necklace with a Cross that has chip diamonds in it.  (love love love some more)  He got me some stuff to make my own jewelry… something I had said I wanted to try.  He also got me the jewelry box I wanted.  I gets mounted on the wall, holds 9 photos on the cover, and is large enough for lots of jewelry.  YAY!!!  I LOVE IT!!!  I love ALL of it!!!!

I found cat-beds for cheap at Ross.  I was so delighted to have a gift for the kitties.  He played some games while I read the booklet that came with the jewelry stuff.  When I looked up, there was Crystal, curled up in Wizzy’s camo-bed.  Grrrr…. I got her the frilly pink bed.  Soon enough she was in her bed, with a little convincing from me.  It was too cute.  We, ourselves, eventually climbed into our own bed with thankful hearts for special moments with one another and the multitude of blessings on the day we celebrate our Lord’s birth.  I think every Christmas is a little bit better than the last for us. 

Favorite Photo

 

It was rather chilly this week…  Bringing the horses into the barn before I start my chores is a good idea.  It raises the temperature nicely. 

s

Biblical Example

The Bible is a reflection of present day… in so many ways.  It’s full of stupid people that frustrate God.  The commit the same sins over and over, find them selves distant from the Lord, suffer consequences, and then cry out to the Lord for help.  The Lord’s grace covers over their sinful ways and his mercy saves them from Hell.  Why?  Because of Love!!!! 

Slightly Festive

 

We have a small tree, but it sparkles just right. 

Tuesdays With Jen… My Memoirs

I walked into one of the upstairs bedrooms where Amanda was burning a candle.  I told her that her candles stink.  She said that my candles stink.  In sisterly fun we sparred… she kicked at me and I blocked it with my hand.  She broke my middle finger on my left hand!  “IIIIIIIIIIIIIICE!!!!” I screamed.  She got me some ice.  She was apologetic.  It hurt BAD!!!!  The next day I had it x-rayed.  Yes, it was broken.

 

She was really sorry to hurt me so badly.  She helped me many days with my farm-chores because she was ‘sorry.’ 

 

A few weeks later it was time to unload a wagon full of hay.  She helped until it was done.  Then she sat on a bale of hay and said “J.J. you’ve used up all your sorry.”  It was very funny… I don’t think she’s been in the barn much since!

 

What can I say???? I love her, but her candles STILL stink!!!!

Blessings Monday

This morning I’m counting the blessing of gainful employment.  Let us not take for granted the fact that we have jobs and get regular paychecks.  For the past year Keith has been driving approximately an hour each way to and from his job.  Along that way he would spend $13/week in Turnpike tolls.  He drives a nice big 4x4 truck a good 200 miles/week and only a small portion of it was highway miles.  He was spending a mint on gas. 

 

As it goes he has undergone a change with his employment.  He is no longer the Assistant Manager at the Rochester store.  He is now a Team Leader at the Gibsonia store.  This all comes to fruition on our first real day of snow this winter!  His commute is a measly 3.25 miles from home.   Via Yahoo Map directions it should take him approximately 8 minutes each way.  He’s looking forward to working a regular 40 hour week instead of the 50+ hour week he’s been working for the past year.  I’m so delighted!  I will actually be able to see him more!  He was off at 10PM the other night and he was home by 10:15PM and I think he even took time to fuel up that night too.  Yay!!!!!

 

I’m happy to also be gainfully employed.  I’ve worked in the same office for going on 10 years now.  I have a fantastic boss, which I am very thankful for.  I think I make a fair wage.  I enjoy my job most of the time. 

 

We are so blessed to have jobs that are fairly secure.  We are better equipped to keep a budget than in years past.  That feels so good.  Thank you Lord for these blessings!

YAY

Tree is up with the help of my Handy Hubby!

Almost all of the gifts on hand are wrapped. 

 

Living room is swept. Thanks to HH. 

 

One load of laundry is done… more to be done. 

 

Christmas cards mostly all written-out.  Just need mailed. 

 

Did some work-work…  need to get ahead!  Don’t want to have to do that tomorrow!

 

Researched some gift ideas online. 

 

All in all, not bad.  Still a few things to do, but definitely feel like I accomplished something today.  Yay!

I need a plan…

So much to do… never enough time.  I’m about 3/4 done with Christmas shopping.  Haven’t put up a tree yet.  I’d like to do that WITH the Handy-Hubby if possible.  I ordered one gift for him, but need to finish with something else.  I need to mail some money for our nephew’s gift and buy two more presents for nieces.  There are gifts that need mailed to persons afar.  Each year I say the postage cost is enough to make you just send a gift-card or money next time, but it’s so much more fun to send presents in a big box and really… it’s probably worth it to do so.  I just regret that it’s rarely ever on time from us.  

 

I need to find the ads for this week and plan our weekly meals and grocery needs.  I admit I have not done any grocery runs for a couple of weeks.  I have not been making wholesome meals as much the last couple of weeks.  We’ve had a few dinners out with friends or family and other than that we’ve been fending for ourselves, mostly left-overs and quick easy grabs like soup.  We MUST get back to reality before we fall off the wagon and start eating out too much.  Got to keep the budget in check, especially this time of year! 

 

Speaking of budget, we’ll need to revisit that soon too.  Keith’s new job title comes with a new expectation for his paycheck.  We’ll soon be into a new year as well so managing that budget will be at the forefront anyway.  It’s good to start fresh and to be deliberate about discussing the budget at least once or twice a year (at minimum).  We should probably do that more often.  He asks me often “is this in the budget?”  I’m thinking, why doesn’t he know what the budget is?  Communication is the key.  Time to get creative.  I was thinking of getting a white-board and mapping out the budget either via week or month on it and then crossing off when we have emptied that expenditure allowance.  I haven’t fully developed this concept yet.  I’m just looking for something visible that we can share and that will be easy to see.  Hmmmm… 

 

There is housework to be done here, which I’ve really neglected lately.  There is a blanket to make for my sweet niece who will be collecting them for someone less fortunate to keep warm.  There are gifts to wrap and pack and mail.  I finally have tape again.  I had run out last weekend.  Not because I’ve gone overboard with gifts.  Not because I’ve wasted it.  Just because I’ve been using the same tape for so long that I cannot even remember when we bought it.  Laundry needs washed, dried, and folded…

 

Wait a sec… Haven’t seen my hubby much lately.  Wrapping it up here as time with him is more important than this…   

Favorite Shot of the Week

This is my favorite photo of the week… Taken last Sunday at McConnell’s Mills.  It’s my Handy-Hubby lookin lika gangsta!  LOVE IT!

Thursday’s Thankful Heart

 

Ok – December is a NEW month.  I love newness.  There’s just something FRESH about a new day, a new week, a new month, and very soon… a new YEAR!!!  I’m going to start a new spreadsheet in 2011.  In case you don’t know how this works, I’m keeping a daily journal of things I’m thankful for… things in general and also things specifically about my husband.  I’m devoted to keeping a thankful heart and thank God each and every day for all the blessings and provisions in my life.  Here’s a few examples from the week past:

General:

• TURKEY
• Family time
• Sunshine
• Worshipful heart/Song
• Prayerfully keeping my attitude in check
• New month
• New found trails clearly marked
• Furnace = warm heat
• Leftover soup compliments of my Mom
• Gainful employment
• Sweet pets that enjoy my company

About my husband:

• He went hiking with me
• He gave special attention to making sure I had good footing while out hiking
• He kissed my forehead
• He didn’t get angry when I was on the brink of a mental melt-down
• He has a job change that should lend itself to better hours which is good for us
• He took my car and had the winter tires put on and had the oil changed too… well winterized now
• He let me drive his truck for a day
• He called me from work to check in
• He loves me and he shows it (he’s so precious)

 

If you’d like to join me in quest of deliberate thankfulness, feel free to copy and paste my logo, but please leave a comment and link back to my blog. 

Wednesday’s C.O.W. (Coupon of Wisdom)

 

Here are a few random thoughts on my mind of late…

• Don’t live in fear.  Trust in the Lord.
• Replace discontent with praise and thankfulness.
• Joy is the product of righteousness…. strive for it!
• Peace is the reward for faith.
• Tithing is just the very beginning of giving and may involve more than just money… we can offer a tithe of our time and talents too!
• Church isn’t about being fed/taught but about worshipping with the Body

Tuesdays With Jen… My Memoirs

Monday was the start of deer season, rifle anyway.  It brings back memories.  When I was in my late teens early 20s I had the itch to hunt.  I met a guy who had that same itch.  We left in my truck at 530am for his favorite hunting spot.  On the way we hit a deer, a doe.  The words from my mouth were “Ohhhh MARTHA!”  (not expletives) We pushed her a good ways and when the truck came to a screeching stop she did somersaults down the road in front of us.  She busted out the grill.  The fender was pushed back into my door.  I said “Get out and bring your gun.”  I think that was a shock to this guy.  She was dead so we tossed her off the road.  The radiator was leaking pretty bad, so we went back home.  I didn’t get to finish that hunt, but he did.  He got a doe behind the house.  Her name was Martha too… of course. 

Dan-Dan & Martha 1992

Fun times!

McConnell’s Mills: Sunday 11/28/10

The plan was to HIKE.  McConnell’s Mills would be the destination. Thought we’d zip down the PA turnpike and pick up I-79…. ohhhh not so fast!  A couple miles shy of the exit we hit TRAFFIC.  We were only traveling ONE exit!  It took us 40 minutes!  I was NOT happy.  By the time we got where we were going we had but ONE measly hour of daylight to hike.  None the less we made the most of our visit. 

Keith lookin all “Gangsta!”

Me wishin it was Hilton Head Island!

It was COLD… frigid… overcast… I was sad!  It was muddy.  It was slippery.  It was gloomy.  There were ICICLES!!!  Ugh. 

The water was raging and the rocks were amazing.  Some of the enormous rock piles we wondered what in the world held them up.  Surely they will eventually topple.  I love hiking at MM.  There is so much to take in.  I just wish we’d had more time. 

Hartwood Acres

I’m blessed to live only a few miles from several parks. All of them have hiking trails.  Today I hit the trails at Hartwood Acres.

I didn’t have a hiking buddy today as nobody showed an interest and Keith was working.  He doesn’t like me to hit the wilderness alone, but I could not help myself today.  It was about 30 degrees outside… brrr!  The wind was wicked, but as long as I was in the woods it wasn’t that bad.  Tomorrow is supposed to be warmer.  Can’t wait to do this again!  I didn’t have a map.  Note to self:  print a map!  The nice thing about Allegheny County Parks is they have maps that you can access online and print for all the hiking trails.  I found a trail marked with blue blazes and decided I’d follow those.

Unsure of where that might take me, I also tried the red blazes for a bit.  Those led right to The Mansion.  That was cool. 

It’s such a beautiful building.  Of course there is the Celebration of Lights going on every night up there this time of year.  I had a sneak-peak of that, although there were only a few things lit mid-afternoon. 

After being out for at least an hour, I ventured my way back to the blue blazes and followed those past where I originally found them.  Back beyond the open dog run and down the road behind the theatre, I eventually found a posting of the trail map.  I followed trail #1 for a bit, then trail #2 where a biker called a “heads-up” that scared the bejeebers out of me!  Then back on the pavement and around the perimeter of the park… a two hour hike total, not bad, but my face was SO COLD for the last part of it. 

 

I need new hiking shoes/boots sometime in the near future.  My poor old tennis shoes have all but worn completely out. 

 

Trying to decide where to hike tomorrow.  Keith is off and we have a date… church, then lunch at Luca’s Bistro, and hiking.  YAY!!!

Thursday’s Thankful Heart

 

Happy Thanksgiving!  This is my FAVORITE holiday.  I like to keep thankfulness in the forefront of all my days.  I don’t think that enough people are deliberately thankful.  I have SO much to be thankful for:

• Answered prayers.  Keith’s employer is transferring him to another location is about a week.  It’s closer to home!  I’ve been praying for this for a year!
• Good health.  My bosses wife is battling cancer.  Her struggles remind me of how fortunate I am to have good health.
• Loving husband.  He is kind and sweet and simply self-less when it comes to taking care of me.  He’s a gem!
• Adequate home.  Our rent is quite reasonable.  The home is bigger than we need. Keith recently updated the bathroom.  I’m delighted that it’s now fully functioning.  Yay!
• Gainful employment.  My boss is an honest, family oriented, Christian man.  He appreciates my contribution at work. 
• Penny.  I love her so much.  I love her sassiness and her beauty.  I rode her a good bit this summer and she has grown SO much!  I’m very pleased.  I’m also grateful for Rene’e helping me bring her home and for Janet’s generosity providing her a home that is affordable. 
• Our kitties.  Crystal is so pretty and soft and likes to cuddle.  (most of the time)  She is totally in love with Keith.  It’s very sweet.  Wizzy is spunky, wild, and crazy.  He keeps us on our toes.
• My God-Lovin, Bible-Studying, Prayer-Warrior Gal-Pals.  They help keep me focused and pray with me and for me all the time.  I love them and their precious families.
• Hiking.  For years I’ve been begging Keith to just go for a walk with me.  He does not appreciate the mundane task of walking in circles, not at the track nor the park.  Then one day my good friend, Tammi (and her family), took me Geocaching and it’s been all fun since then.  I knew Keith would love it.  He needs to have a destination and this is actually more challenging than the usual walk.  I’ve spent much of the summer hiking with Tammi and Keith.  I’ve even taken my niece and nephews out.  It’s great exercise.  I love being outside.  I love drinking in the beauty of creation.  I crave it now! 
• Family.  I’m glad to live close to my family.  We enjoy dinner with Zombecks as often as we can, usually every couple of weeks.  My parents are close by too and are hosting Thanksgiving dinner.  They enjoy hosting family get-togethers often in their new home.  I miss seeing Keith’s family, wishing we could travel more frequently.  I understand that his Grandma Vulhop is ailing and in Hospice care now.  We need to visit soon.  We are grateful to be welcomed to stay with his Mom when we are in town there.  We have 11 nieces and nephews, each one a joy in their own way and growing up so fast.  I love them all.   
• Quietness.  Many mornings I enjoy coffee or tea in the quiet of our home.  By quiet I mean without the white-noise of television or other distraction.  This morning I’m enjoying the sound of rainfall, the birds singing (the ones in the cage), my kitty meowing for attention as she cuddles next to me.  Some days I watch the sun rise & have a little devotion time.   I love mornings.  The only thing better would be to have a nice porch to sit on with my pony in the back yard… maybe someday.

There is just SO much!  I could go on and on all day long. 

Roller Derby Anyone?

Joyce said she'd like to go ice skating, so Keith met us at the ice rink.  She changed her mind and suggested roller skating instead.  Sooooo... that's just what we did.  This was Joyce's first time roller skating.  She did quite well.  I'm proud of her.  Uncle Keith stayed right with her the whole time.  She said it was fun and that she’d definitely do it again if the opportunity arose. 

 

A Date With My Niece

I was looking for a volunteer to hike with me on Saturday. Joyce was my happy hiking pal this week. I took two of her brothers geocaching a couple weeks back. This was her turn. We hit a couple in North Park. She hiked and sometimes ran out ahead of me, but eventually stopped to wait for her slower-moving Aunt. Thanks Joyce for not deserting me in the wilderness. :)

We saw a couple doe crossing the road on the way in. One ducked under the guardrail and the other jumped over it. That was odd.

She worked the GPS easily and found the cache's with a slight hint, but little difficulty. She found herself a neat sparkly wood chip to pocket and a Darth Vader thing that her brother's would enjoy. She carefully re-hid the containers each time and off we went on to another adventure.

A Great Weekend Almost Over

Saturday started EARLY.  Up to feed the ponies at 4:30AM.  I love the sound of my Penny greeting me first thing in the morning.  It was well before the crack of dawn, early enough that eyes were blinking “bright lights bright lights” when I flicked them on.   They gulped down their grain in a fury and then with a flick of my wrist they burst out into the new day… frisky and feisty.  Loved it!  I took a video with my Blackberry but I can’t figure out how to upload it.  :(

 

So after chores it was off to work.  My office was hosting an educational symposium for medical professionals.  I needed to be there at 630AM.  It was a great success with a very good turnout. I left there promptly at 2pm.

 

Run back to the farm.  Let the doggies out.  Rush over to pick up Paul and Daniel for a play date.  This was their first time geocaching.  We hit the one at the Old Stone House first.  The instructions said to follow the North Country Trail.  We did not follow it the right way.  We completely missed the “this way” sign.  They wasted no time bush-wacking their way through the woods in the right direction.  Paul led us with the GPS.  I had to keep telling them to slow up and stick together or else they would lose their Aunt J.J. in the wilderness.  LOL  We overlooked it a number of times, but eventually found the treasure in a really neat spot.  They sat on a huge rock dissecting its contents and decided to take a couple little trinkets.  We left some trinkets too, and then set off to find another.  Unfortunately we did not find the others and we had not enough daylight time to do the puzzle cache in the area before dark.  The coolest thing my nephew ever said to me “Aunt J.J., when can we do this again?”  I’m looking forward to taking them again… and hopefully in the not so distant future.

I’m really proud of Paul.  We picked up a map at Jennings and he very successfully led us on a very nice hike.  We stopped a couple times to get the map out and assess which way we should go and he was the one that decided for us.  I’m impressed at his map-wise-ness.  We talked a little bit about the North Country Trail and I explained how to follow the “blue blazes.”  It was a great time!

 

This morning I was awakened at 4AM.  Tootsie, the big brown lab, jumped up on the bed, on top of the covers, on top of me.  She was straddling me and I was mummified.  I couldn’t move my arms.  She had me pinned.  She was breathing her doggie-breath in my face!  Ahhhhhhh!!!!!  I kept telling her “OFF!”  “OFF!”  It took a while but I finally broke free.  She just wanted to go outside.  Ugh! 

 

Here they are…  Riley on the left.  Tootsie on the right.  At that point I was UP, so I made a cup of tea and sat down on the couch with a blanket.  They were a constant audience.  Silly dogs!  A few hours later, the cat was at the front door, pining to be let in.  He had already been in.  HE wanted out before 4AM, so these little buggers had me up several times throughout the night.  I thought it would be cute to take a picture of Scampers begging to come in, but amazingly he looks like something right out of a cartoon!  I laughed out loud immediately.  This is too funny not to share!

 

And this was all just this morning.  We have dinner plans with our cousin for later this evening.  Should be fun.

 

Have a great weekend!!!!!

Memories No Longer In Motion…

October 26th is my Gram-ditties birthday.  She would have been 96 years old this year, but she passed away several years ago.  I wonder if anyone will remember my birthday as fondly as I remember hers?  She is the single-most influential person of my lifetime.  She spent more time with me than any other adult.  Everything she did was looking out for my best interest.  She was an example-setter.  She spoke the truth of scripture and lived humbly.  God was first and family was extremely precious to her.  She walked me through disappointments and danced with me through joys.  She was such a precious gem and I miss her so very much.  I hope that in my lifetime I can exhibit but a glimmer of her reflection.   Fortunate for her, she’s tending the gardens of Heaven now and enjoying the constant and glorious presence of Christ!  Awesome!  Some people bid their lost loved ones Rest In Peace… I say LIVE the Peace Grammy!  Live it up!