Mountains

There are a few things that I can't imagine myself doing. One is mountain climbing and another is running a marathon. Lately I have been doing both.......at the same time. It seems like there is one mountain after another and they just keep coming at me.

I have been reading a book called YOUR BEST LIFE NOW by Joel Osteen. I read Mark 11:23 and it says: Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, "Be taken up and cast into the sea," and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be granted him. There fore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted you.

It also says: STOP TALKING TO GOD ABOUT HOW BIG YOUR MOUNTAINS ARE, AND START TALKING TO YOUR MOUNTAINS ABOUT HOW BIG YOUR GOD IS!!!!........Lately, I have been doing alot of talking.

We have decided to adopt!!!

Yep, we have decided to adopt. We have the extra room. Raising little ones is what we have been doing for a long time so it just seems like the thing to do. We have checked out a few nurseries and found the ones we like. The guys have been busy getting their beds ready. It was time to go and pick up the little ones and bring them home. ....... We will promise to take good care of them. We will nurture them, feed them and even groom them so that they will grow up to be beautiful, healthy and mature. Then.... we will send them on their way so that they can go out into the world and make others happy too.

Starting new

Some things recently have been sorta painful, like Tuesday mornings mamogram!! And then there is this:



We have to cut down some perfectly nice trees and burn them because it just doesn't make sense to keep them. When you have already cut thru the field for a couple years and there are just a few left, it makes more sense to cut them down and start over with new seedlings. We did this today.



For me it is painful to see this happen. I feel an attachment to each tree. After all, I have known them since they were babies.


But this is how it works. Fortunately for us it is on a very small scale that we have to do this. Some growers are cutting down thousands of their trees and burning them. There is an over supply of trees and it is hard to market them, so you just have to bite the bullet and get it done.


Some farmers cut them down and leave them lay for a few weeks. Then they pile them and wait for a dry spell to burn them. Not us!!! The guys cut them down real fast while I wasn't looking and piled and burned them. Then they get the tractor and the stump grinder out and grind up all the stumps. They work the dirt, check the PH in the soil, adjust it and replant. Before you know it there will be new little trees planted again.

Oh yes, Mindy and Louis are having a boy!!!!!!!

BOY OH BOY!!!!

Boy oh boy!!! Mindy and Louis went to the doctor today for an ultrasound. They find out what they are having. I can't wait for her to tell everyone so I can tell everyone else!!!!! :)

Garmin Nuvi

For Christmas I got all the kids a Garmin Nuvi. It's a navigation system that you use in your car. It is a GPS device that you can use to locate addresses. It tells you how fast you are going, weather you are headed north, south, east or west. It also tells you what time you should arrive at your destination. It gives you points of interest and has blue tooth technology, so you can talk on your phone and not get a ticket. It is voice activated. You just say who you want to call and it calls them for you. Cool, huh? It also has a FM traffic message channel. It will tell you if there is detours ahead or if there is a traffic backup. It will recalulate your route and give you a different route. Can you imagine how cool this will be to take garage saleing?

I feel like Oprah telling you about my favorite things. And everybody gets one!!!

I thought it would be really nice if the kids all had one. That way wherever they go, they will always be able to find their way home.

Happy New Year

We went from being stressed with the chore of marketing trees in October and early November to being crazy busy with harvest. Everything went smoothly. All trees were shipped on time and the weather was very cooperative. We had unusual dry days for most of harvest. It was certainly cold but dry.

Then we went right into a full calendar of Christmas programs, Saturday morning basketball games, cookie exchanges, Christmas parties with Santa and shopping.



Last year was the first time we stayed here for Christmas. There was just too much snow and ice to travel over the mountain. But this year we needed to go home. It just feels right being with family at Christmas. It's funny how much you can cram into just a few days.





The boys rode snow mobiles and four wheelers in the snow, sometimes with saucers of little people behind them. There were bonfires and snowmen.





They made a batch or two of jerky in the smokehouse (from tags filled last fall).



The girls and little guys made cookies and candy. Nights were short and the ride home was long. But being with family is what makes my world go round. Now that everything is settling down from harvest, I find myself in a restless place. I need something to keep me busy. A couple days ago I cleaned and organized my pantry. Now every time I walk by, I open the doors and look inside. Ahhhhh, I love organization. I had no idea that I had that much coconut and chocolate chips!

Yesterday was New Years Day. Last year on that day was when the wind blew down 11 big fir trees in the woods. We sure don't want that to happen again.
I guess I am breathing a little sigh of relief from the last couple months. I know there are mountains ahead to climb and I need to stay focused and positive. I read something today, it said: "Everyone is born with a limited amount of time. Every moment we live--weather we're working, playing, complaining, or being thankful--is time that we've spent. Nothing is more valuable than the time we have left." I hope to make each day a good day. I decided not to make any New Years resolutions. I usually don't stick with them for very long anyway. Instead, I will focus on doing my best everyday to stay positive. My mew motto: B+ (be positive) The biggest reward for a thing well done is to have done it. Now, I think I will go organize a closet or something. Happy New Year!!

Christmas Shopping

We are real close to being finished with this years Christmas tree harvest. There are only a few trees left to find homes. I will post about this in a day or two. Right now I wanted to show you what my kids did last night.

A few years ago Jay and I told the kids that for Christmas this was our wish:..... We would give them each a certain amount of money...... That was our gift to them...... But what they did with their money was their gift to us.

They check around and ask at the schools and churches and with people they know if there are people that they know that are in need. What do they need? They ask if they can please be specific as in shoe sizes, coats etc. Maybe it is food or fire wood or car repair. Maybe they need blankets or power bills paid. What ever it is, the kids talk it over and decide what to do.

After they make their choices, Stacy usually makes the lists and pairs everyone up and off we go shopping. I go along to take pictures and pay. Really, I have the most rewarding job of all. It makes me so happy and so proud of these guys.

They shopped for small boys and girls. There were a couple of kids in middle school and some were in high school. It was fun to watch them as they shopped.

Taylor and Brandi paired up. They were on a mission to find things for a little guy in kindergarten. As always Taylor was into red and black flannel. He isn't usually a "shopper" but this was fun. Brandi was more helpful with their middle school girl. Taylor just doesn't do "girly stuff" very well.

It was all business for Stacy and Mindy. They had two girls. They got cool stuff. There was clothes and boots, they had jewelry and nail polish. There was art supplies and toys.

Then there was Cody and Casey. This shopping thing was hard. They had a grade school boy and a girl. Can you imagine what they picked out for that sweet girl?

Casey, we are shopping for others not for you. Put that hat back.

Taylor, put that hat back too!

All this shopping made them hungry so they had to take a break and eat. Then it was back to their lists.

A few times I had to look around and find the boys. They weren't enjoying the clothes shopping nearly as much as the toy shopping. They got basketballs and leggo's and movies and games.

We needed socks and underwear and shoes and gloves. Some things like underwear were just too much for Louis and Ryan to figure out. Boxers or breifs? Ankle socks or calf length?

Stacy says we need to get toothbrushes and toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner.

It was finially time to go check out.

Casey was checking out the magazines. Oh, look its Tiger Woods! Do you know his new nick name? Cheatah!!!

Cody and Ryan find something rather amusing.

We got gift cards for food and movie tickets for the parents.

We got it all home, sorted it all out and went and delivered it to the schools today. Oh, my!!!....... that

was about as much fun as I can imagine!!! We have a few more families to do things for and I can't tell you how awesome this makes us all feel.

Thanks kids. You rock!!!!