Horses

When I got to the land Bailey was standing in a position standing like this except her feet were FURTHER underneath her! So I ran home to get the camera, when I got back she was standing like this, and then I couldn't help myself, this:

And the minis seemed just so ready for a picture:

I love this one's forelock!
Little Star(Ok, she is the biggest one of them all)

And beautiful baby Jo with her mama!

Isn't she just darling! ( you can see the fourth one in the picture)

These four little darling minis board at the land. They are just so cute!

Yep, we're hillbilly...

and proud of it!

All settled...and alive!

I'm blogging! Hurray!!! We are settled and doing well in our new house, it sure is cozy. With internet *very* limited I haven't been able to do any blogging, but here I am alas. It has been super fun to be able to just go across the street and have the land right there, it sure is a change! how did we ever manage?!?!
So yep, I'm alive, how is everyone else in the blogging world???

College for me?

* I do not mean to offend by this post. These are merely my thoughts and beliefs and if you do not agree, you are more than welcome to not read it*  

  People often ask me, where are you going to go for college? It is a fair question, valid and, to most people relevant. But, is it to me? Shocker... no. It is not relevant to me.

     Most people want to go to college just to have fun, to get away from their families and to just mess around. Occasionally they are there to learn because they like it. BUT, what is the underlying reason to why people go to college? I mean after all, if kids just want to go mess around with their friends they can just go and move out and live with their friends in the next state. So, college... why do people go? What is the underlying reason? I believe that it is to get a degree so that they can get a good(or well paying) job.

     So, why isn't this relavent to me? I don't need a good job. I already have one, the job of a wife and mother. Why is it that this isn't satisfying to enough women and girls? It is the highest calling that you can have.

     Most people would then say, well you still should have a job just in case your husband dies or gets hurt. Sorry. but if my husband gets hurt or something, I would go back to my father's household. If he dies, than I would go to my Grandfather, Uncle etc.

     I am to stay under my father's watchful eye until he hands me off when I am married. It's really hard to explain this without sounding bad. I do not mean to sound like women are not equal to men, at all! Women are equal to men, but I do think that the men are the ones who are in charge. The ones that need to be presiding. It is a godly principal.

     Are there exceptions? Of course, but am I one? No. So, what do I do. I learn so that I can teach my children. I learn to can, cook, clean, sew, quilt, etc. These are the skills that women 100 years ago had. Period. The entersting fact is, that even though they didn't all go to school and college, as a whole, they were a much more educated people than we are.

     So, is college for me? No, not personally, but can it be for other people? Yes, I think so.
         

Slideshow

Finally!!!

The rest

We're back now so I can post! So starting where we left off: The White house was really cool, that same day we got a tour of the library of congress as well of the capitol. On Friday we went to Montpelier, the home of James Madison. It was really cool because it was constitution day and we got in free!! There was also a big presentation. Saturday we did Baptisms for the Dead and did all sorts of other fun stuff in D.C. On Sunday we went to Arlington Cemetery and Church with dad's old mission companion and his Family. On Monday we Went to Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home and we went to James Monroe's house because it is literally 2 miles from Monticello and we got done at Monticello before Monroe's Closed. Then we drove down do Virginia beach, and went to the ocean for a while and went to bed, our hotel was right on the beach, you crossed a bike path and the board walk and you were on sand! It was really cool! On Tuesday we played at the beach all day pretty much, Wednesday was that same pretty much but A big north America world champion sand sculpting starting, two hotels down from us! It was amazing what the people could do with just a pile of sand. On Thursday we played in the ocean in the morning and checked out from that hotel, and had lunch at this awesome Breakfast Buffet place then we drove down to Norfolk and saw the U.S.S Wisconsin(there's a naval base there) we didn't go on a tour because it was 90 degrees and humid. But it was really cool to see. So we went back to hotel and swam and vegged. Then Friday Morning we flew out. It was a really fun trip but we are all happy and sad to be home! We came home to a happy dog, healthy horses(besides that bailey through a shoe, she tells you when she needs trimmed!) and cats well, just being themselves. Slideshow coming soon???

Virginia

Our trip has officially started!! Monday we drove down to SLC and spent the nit there then on Tuesday morning we flew out at about 9:45 we had a layover in Atlanta and in the end we were in norfolk va, we then drove up to fredriskburg(sp?) then yesterday we went to mount Vernon, it was beautiful we spent the day touring the grounds and walking around.we got pictures but since we only brought the iPad we can't upload pictures on to it unless we synced them onto it using iTunes and since we didn't bring the laptop we cant, I will hopefully make a big slideshow of everything we did. We had to wake up at 4:30 today (eastern time) because we are getting tours of the white house and Capitol today, our white house tour starts at 7 am!!!! And we still aren't used to the time change so it feels like 5 am!! We are almost there so I better go, On a side note, sorry if there are a bazillion typos, it is rather hard to type it has taken me forever to type this much and im to lazy to fix all the mistakes I made.

Trip

Crazy

Our house has been on the market for about 6 years, and it hadn't ever sold sold(we didn't try all THAT hard!) but it sold on a fluke Monday night!

We live in a town of 400 people, there aren't a lot of rentals their is one across from the land that has been vacant for a few years. When we bought the land we wondered if we would rent it when our house sold until we built, we wondered this repeatedly, but, we, as everyone else in the town thought that it was owned by the bank. We checked on this and it wasn't. A lady up north owned it, it is pretty unlivable right now because there is a GROSS Tub, toilet and vanity along with no flooring in the house. We bargained with her and so we are going to make it "livable" for a 10 month (free) lease! Easy! We move in between October 1-10 of, and we leave Monday for a two week trip. Yeah, we're trying to get as much as possible done before we leave but It won't all get done. We've been busy!

This is it folks, every time I walk in it seems like it is smaller. Its 2 bedrooms so it will be an adventure! We don't even know if mom's queen bed will fit in her room(they kindly gave up the master bedroom so we could get enough beds in, there would be NO was that we could in the other room).

We'll keep you posted on our adventure!!

Just playing around on photoshop!(And being silly)

Poor horse, she doesn't look too good!

My last skirt and somthing else!

So, this is my last skirt, it turned out pretty well I think!!

And with the leftovers from all of them I made this really cute scripture bag I have wanted a new one for a while since my old one doesn't really have enough room for everything I need to take to church. And it is reversible, you can't really see in the picture(I tried!) , but the other side is the pattern from the green flower skirt and the handle fabric was leftover from the turquoise skirt.

I have fabric that is already cut out for another one I just have to sit down and do it! And find something to use as a handle since there isn't enough brown left(I think).

My life...

To spare you all the gorry details I will just say that we killed a ginormous RAT in our tack room today! It was pretty intense.




The joys of owning property! You get skunks eating your cat food and Heifers in you garden and so much more, this my friends is my life!

Cleaning

We've started to clean with natural products and natural ways. We found this amazing book called Green Clean by Linda Mason Hunter and Mikki Halpin. This book is wonderful! It discuses the basic ingredients you need and simple ways to clean it.

Basic Ingredients:

• Baking Soda
• Vinegar
• Castile Soap(made with olive oil)
• Barax
  

And other Ingredients that you could live without but are helpful are:

• Washing Soda(Like really strong Baking soda)
• Murphy's Oil soap(It's made with vegetable oil)
• Club Soda
  

I love how she says that you can buy non toxic cleaners. Her mane attack is on the Chemicals in cleaners. Here's a great line from the book:

"A simple rule of clean up: If something makes you eyes tear, your nose crinkle, or your skin itch, get rid of it. "

I think most cleaning products will do at least one of those!

So, these are just some of my ramblings, what are some things you have found effective in cleaning that are toxin free?

Another Skirt :)

I really love the lace on the bottom of this one.

I love skirts!

My Skirt

I made this skirt yesterday(with the help of mom) and I think it turned out really cute! We didn't have a pattern, we measured the length and the waistband and we sewed! We got fabric for 2 more and I hope to make them soon.

A book review, with some thoughts!

I just finished the Giver and I loved it. I have read Number the Stars by the same author and I really liked it and I love futuristic books and so I figured I would like this too.


And this book brings out so many good points, why was their society like that? and how did they come to that. It's because they got to where they had a nice, pushing, BRAINWASHING leader/dictator/president etc. and he got them on the wrong path and eventually got them where they were in the book.

This got me thinking.

We could be just like that.

Lets, see, we have the "nice pushing, BRAINWASHING" president, our society is becoming like that, we're on that track!

But, do we want to be like that? Do we want to not have any agency, to all be the same?

Our heavenly father gave us things that can't be taken away. Yet they try. And the Lord is with us and we overcome it again. It happens over and over, but we are weakened, people leave the church, they find less and less value in doing what's right(and hard) and start doing what's wrong(and easy).

YOU ARE OF THE CHOSEN GENERATION, STAND UP AND FIGHT FOR WHAT'S RIGHT.

We can defeat the darkness, but it will be hard, it will take work, but we can do it.

Yet, we don't even try, we are too diluted by the world to even care.

We are just trying to be cool, and blend in, act and dress just like our friends but on Sunday morning we go to Church and we pretend that we did what was right all week, but as soon as We leave Church we change our Clothes(usually into somthing immodest) and go hang out with friends for the rest of the day.

“Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” (1 Pet. 2:9.)

You were chosen before birth to come to earth at this time,

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the ^aLord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest

.

As it says here(above), the Lord is with you.

Moroni 7: 31 angels declare word of Christ to chosen vessels that they may bear testimony of him.

I hope we can all try better to do what is right, to fight those battles. And to contribute to the fight for righteousness.

Our first green beans

I picked and snapped our first green beans this morning, YUM!

Family Visit

We have been enjoying a lot a family lately from my dad's side, Fran is off track at BYU-I and Cameron and his wife Milexis and their kids Alexis and Charlotte are moving from Chicago to Provo so that Cameron can go to school and since we haven't seen them for about 6 years they come up here, their visit was only supposed to be about 36 hours but now it is going to be about 3 weeks. Grandpa flew to Chicago to help move Cameron so he was here for a few days and Glenn flew out from PA to help move them so he was here to. We've had a houseful to say the least. We have enjoyed many hours on the dirtbike (yeah, it's a 50 but all the adults ride it anyway), 4-wheeler and the Wii, here are some pics

This is Grandpa on the dirtbike.

Oh, Glenn!

We rode the horses one night

Milexis Cameron Charlotte and Jared

Glenn

Cameron is HILARIOUS to watch play the Wii, I wish I had taped him doing a flapping game, it was HILARIOUS! this is Hula hooping and is really funny too.

Horse Show

Yesterday was the horse show. Fanny Did really good for this being her first time showing. I got 4th in showmanship the judge was going to place me 2nd or 3rd but Fanny had a cocked foot the whole time and so he had to give me 4th. For Western Pleasure Fanny gave me FIRST place!!!!!!!!! Western Horsemanship (which is usually called Western Equitation) is normally just like Western Pleasure, you ride along the rail, and walk, trot or lope what ever the judge says, sometimes he'll say to switch directions, but this year they had us do a pattern. I didn't do very well, I think I got sixth. The trail course this year was hard but I got 4th. And then I got on Bailey for barrels and poles, for barrels I won!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My first time ever but I had a SUPER easy age group, I won with only a time of 26 seconds, I didn't want to go very fast and I kept checking her the whole time and I still won. For poles I got disqualified, on the way home(see pattern below) when I had only 2 poles left to pass by and then the time line I crossed onto the other side(I start on the right so it is the pattern on the right I do) and come the rest of the way down on the side I ran up on ( does that make sense???). Oh, well, at least it didn't happen at a rodeo!

Poles

Barrels

The trail course was not in the arena this year, they were trying to save time and so we just had to do trail in between classes when we had some free time.

Showmanship, my friend Tia has the paint(she's still in the line up to present) and Tanner has the little sorrel mare to the right of Tia.

This is when the judge was inspecting my horse.

Tim Hawkins

This video is soooooo funny and true! He has many others that are very funny also, including Chick-fil-a and Cletus take the reel. I love the part in Cletus take the reel when he says he pulled a muscle in his upper thigh, it is so funny! He has many others but these 3 are our favorites.

Remember to turn the music off at the bottom. Enjoy!

Jr. Rodeo

Yesterday was a Jr. Rodeo. We aced Bailey good and she was perfect! I did OK, but it was fun and I have lots of good memories! For Barrels my time was 23 something and for poles it was 36.125 I think! I would have have a couple seconds knocked off of poles but I had a really bad end turn on one of them. And for barrels I would have have a second or 2 knocked off also but I almost lost my stirrup on my 3rd barrel and so I couldn't get it together and go as quickly because I didn't want to fall off! I went a lot closer to the barrels then I usually do because I wanted to knock off time. And it was worth it, usually I stay a safe distance away because of the penalty.

I looked down to the barrel on one of my turns and my led was seriously 3 inches from the barrel, scary! One time I was practicing and I went WAY too close to the barrel I my leg was used to knock the barrel over. We have Metal barrels and I got hit on the shin by the rim. I still have a bruise!

I can't believe my hat stayed on until the 1st barrel!

Poles

My way home

The way there!

Girls Camp

We just got back from girls camp. It was really fun and I can't wait to go back next year! This year it was at a campground right by a lake up north. On Monday we had our hike and a little free time. And the Stake leaders had a skit. On Tuesday was beach day so we went to the lake all afternoon. It was really fun! The stake had rented Kayaks and tube so that was fun and we had ward skits that night. On Wednesday it was my birthday and we had a faith walk on Joseph Smith in the morning and in the afternoon we pretty much had free time all afternoon.
in the evening we had a slide show presentation and then after clean up the Stake leaders came up and we played a bunch of different trick games and we played WAW! It is the funnest game ever!!!! Then we stayed up till midnight Snipe hunting. In the morning w had our closing devotional (we had one every morning and night) and we cleaned up our cabin and left. It was a great week!


We did this over and over. It is soooooooo fun! On the bridge the railings are zig-zagged and so we would slip into the bottom triangle and we would have one on each side and then we would go down and flip over backwards and grab hands! This is the only good picture I got of it because most of the time your shirt would fall down so this is the only one I have that it didn't. This is of Grace and Jennifer.
Here's a slideshow, don't forget to turn the music off at the bottom.

Our pen pals

The Dads!

Mom and Heather

At Tucanos. They sang happy birthday to Caleb and Z(the baby) because his birthday was last week.

Caleb and J

Jared and Ad

Luke and Al

We Still played in the water things even though we didn't change into our swimsuits

The Bunch at the Zoo

Ofter Chuck-E-Cheese we were able to spend the night at Emily's house. Then in the morning we met up with the boy's pen pals, we were able to go to the Zoo and we had lunch at Tucanos(sp?) YUM! and then we went to Settlers Park for a while. And then we got home and went to the Harris' and were there until midnight. We were TIRED!