Swimming

On Sunday afternoon, most of our family headed to the local pool!  Sunday is "family day" so admission is only $1 per person - and kids 6 and under swim free!  Very cheap!

 This was Joshua's first time ever in the swimming pool, so he was a little hesitant at first.  I think he was wondering what on earth the sunscreen, thongs, and swimming trunks were for!!  He loved getting his toes wet, but once we got waist deep he was clinging onto us for dear life!

Isaac wasn't afraid in the least - he went swimming last summer and he acted like he really knew what he was doing! Arm floats weren't allowed in the pool (rats) so we just had to carry them around with us.  Isaac kept trying to get down and was saying "No - Isaac big boy!", but I told him over and over that he would sink if I put him down.



Arm floats were allowed in the little kid pool that was a few feet deep, so we were at least able to do that.  Isaac is very independant (or at least tries to be) and loved going it on his own.

Once Joshua got in the water for a little bit, he started to have a good time; but he definitely never lost his death hold on whoever was carrying him.

 Your's truly.  Pardon the messy hair.

 Our little "twin" boys!!  Mom dresses them in matching quite often, so when we go out it's not uncommon for people to ask if they are twins.  They always look a little confused when we tell them that they're year apart - and then they want to know if Courtney is the mom.   Do you know, I've never once in my life been asked if I'm any of my sibling's mother??  Since she was about 13, Courtney has been continuously asked by people if she is our mom (never EVER understood that one). And now, even at the age of 18, I must still fail to look my age, because I was recently mistaken for a 14 year old.  Ahem.  And Jonathan was recently mistaken for a 19 year old - yep, that really made me feel good........ 

 Joshua did much better in the little pool, although as he mingled with some of the other kids I could tell he was getting lost!  Everywhere he turned someone was splashing him in the face or bumping into him.  Poor guy!  Several times I had to redirect him over to our little corner of the pool. 

 Toddler swimming lessons.  We start early!  :-)  All of us older kids got years of swimming lessons when we were younger - now it's time for Isaac and Joshua to start learning how to float on your back, hold your breath, etc.

 Too cute!

And that concludes our time at the pool!  It has been SO incredibly hot here; yesterday it was 105*.  Swimming was the perfect activity for that kind of weather.  I hope we do it again soon!

Read more...

Potty-training Secrets

Hi everyone!!  It's me, your favorite blogger - Isaac!

Rachel took a ton of really great pictures of me the other day and I felt I just HAD to share them.  I have a few other things to share with you, too.  Some secrets.

Sshhhhh!!   Now don't tell anybody, 'cuz this is top-secret stuff. 

I'm POTTY TRAINED!  

 Yep, pretty neat, isn't it? 

Okay, maybe I exagerated just a little.  What I meant to say, is that I'm working on being potty trained.  Like right now.  Rachel calls it "staying dry".  She says that even though we need rain badly around these parts, she wants to see a drought in my diaper.  

Wait - that's not right.  I meant to say pull-up.  Yeah.  Diapers are for little kids, but since Rachel says I'm almost a big man like Daddy, I get to wear pull-ups.  I asked if Daddy wore pullups one time, and everyone laughed at me.  Wonder why?  I mean, it makes sense to me. 

Course, Joshua's just a kid, so he has to wear diapers.  Hah!  Big kids like me get to wear pull-ups.  And mine have cowboys and racecars on them.  It's pretty neat.

When I go potty I get TWO goldfish.  Watch me say the word.  TWWWOOOO. 

Mama gives me three when I have a happy face about it.  That's...... well, most of the time.

And I get M&M's for.......oops, Rachel says I better not talk about that.  Let's just say that I get two kinds of treats for two kinds of victories.  I get the feeling that Mama isn't real happy when I fail to win that second victory.  But.... easy come, easy go.

So my friends, that's the news from here.  Let me know if you ever need potty rewards, 'cuz Mama has a huge stash in her closet.  You wouldn' believe how big the box of Goldfish she has is!  I guess I'm pretty well-supplied.  For now.  The next step is big-boy-briefs.  (But that'll be another post.)

Read more...

Coffee in 100* + Weather

Sounds pretty ridiculous, doesn't it?  Well, I just realized how silly it is for me to be sitting here and fanning myself, complaining about how hot it is, while drinking a cup of hot, hot coffee. 

But I had the urge for a cup when my free samples arrived in the mail the other day.  A few weeks ago, I signed up for a free sample of Taster's Choice coffee!  I've done this before, but this time I was able to sign up for two packs.  Altogether I have a dozen little packets, all of different flavors.  Exciting for me, yes!  I like coffee - except for the fact that it often keeps me awake at night.  The sad reality of caffeine.  It also gives me a headache.  As well as just a general not-good feeling.

But one small cup in the morning once in a long while doesn't seem to bother me.  Once a month is fine.  Once a week is borderline. But once a day is out of the question. 

I mainly like coffee because it tastes good....but another great aspect of coffee is that it always reminds my of my grandparents - both sets.   You know how certain smells or sounds can trigger your memory and remind you of days gone by?  Coffee is one of those smells for me!  I have fond memories of when my grandparents would come to visit; I'd walk in the kitchen in the morning and there would be my grandma / grandpa, eating cereal and waiting for the coffee to finish brewing.  It's such a comforting smell to me.....Mom and Dad never drink coffee so it is only a grandparent-related scent!!!!

So, grandparents, as you're reading this......coffee reminds me of you.  It gives me a headache and a stomachace too, if I drink it too often.....but I love how, when I DO pour myself a cup, it brings back that warm memory of you.  :-) 

(NOTE:  the headache and the stomachache don't remind me of you; just the smell.  Just wanted to make that clear.) :-)

Read more...

Girl's Day Out

Yesterday, Mom surprised Courtney and me in a big way!  She gave us the ENTIRE day out!  In fact, she told us that she absolutely wouldn't have us home before 5:00.  Mom graciously said that we had been working hard and she wanted to reward us......I personally think that she was the one who needed a whole day out - she needs a break and one of these days we will FORCE her to take one. :-) 

So, Courtney drove us (yes, it's so nice to have an older sister with a license!!) to our favorite Chinese buffet, about 45 minutes away.  Yes, a long drive....but we're used to it.  Plus, we spent the whole time talking anyway, so the time flew by.

I am, and always have been, a huge fan of Chinese.  I don't care what people say about fried cat and cockroaches running around in the back.....Chinese food is great.  (We've happened to actually see a cockroach at this particular resteraunt before and still love it.)  Ignorance is bliss in this case - I really don't want to know what's in my food or how it was prepared; I just want to focus on the fact that it tastes good and was cheap.  Yes.  I've been to China anyway, I've seen the live chickens running down back alleys!!  That's how much I love Chinese food.  In spite of its' reputation, I still love it.

 MMM.  Love love love this stuff!

 Courtney really went after their sweet and sour soup.  Hey we've BOTH been to China (she's been twice) so we're hooked.

The sad part about this blog post is that even though I had every intention of taking pictures along the way of what we did, I totally forgot to actually do that!  Horrible of me, yes!  So all I have to show is the evidence that we went out for Chinese, and I bought these shoes for $1.00 at a thrift store.  I was very happy about that purchase!

We intended to go by the pool for a few hours.....and even though we brought our swimming suits and admission was a wonderous $2 per person - we forgot to bring towels.  Quite a disapointment, especially after we had just purchased Junior Mints, Chocolate Whoppers, and Lemonade for our after-swimming snack.  BUT we still had a good time and I munched on my treat in the quiet library.  (Wow, that sounds pretty bad; did we really buy all that junk food?  Thankfully I have a high metabolism at this point.)

We had a wonderful time out together - thank you so much Mom!  It was such a fun time.  One of these days, YOU are going to find yourself with an entire free day to do with as you please.  :-)

Read more...

Selections from Psalm 24 and 25

Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths.

Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day.

Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your loving kindnesses, for they are from old.

Good and upright is the Lord; therefore He teaches sinners in the way.

All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, to such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.

For Your name's sake, O Lord, pardon my iniquity, for it is great.

Who is the man that fears the Lord?  Him shall He teach in the way He chooses.

The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therin.

He has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the waters.

Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of  glory.

Read more...

Brothers

The following photo shoot shows how impossible it is to get two wiggle worms to pose nicely for a photo. :-) But they still make for a cute pair!

 (My personal favorite.)

Not bad.....we almost got a decent photo!

Read more...

The Shirt Skirt

I stumbled across the neatest idea ever on a blog recently.  A tutorial on how to turn regular, boring, extra large sized men's t-shirts.........into adorable summer skirts!! 

I personally like to wear my skirts longer, but I would use these skirts for little girls in a heartbeat!  So cute!  You can really have a wide variety of colors and designs depending on what t-shirt you use.  I would have loved something like this when I was little!  They look super comfy.

This is such a simple project to do - how I wish I had a little sister to try it out on! This is one of those ideas I'm tucking away into my mental "future motherhood folder" for my own little girls someday. 

If you decide to try this idea, please let me know how it goes.  I'd love to see how they turn out! :-)

Once again, the link for this tutorial is right here.

Read more...

Father's Day In Pictures

A little late, but finally our Father's Day pictures!  We had a great time and I think Dad felt special.  :-)

Isaac and Joshua were VERY excited to help Dad unwrap his gifts!  Isaac kept singing "Happy Birthday to you...."  It was so cute!

Dad got bonfire equipment - the real, heavy duty things!  No more wire hangers for marshmallows.....now we can have a sophisticated bonfire.  

 Sweet Isaac. :-)

Courtney and I took pictures of each other taking pictures!

 An extremely rare photo of both of us! 

Dad got a 4th of July shirt!  Perfect for our upcoming cookout celebration!

Read more...

How Can I Keep From Singing?

 

There is an endless song,

Echoes in my soul,

I hear the music ring,

And though the storms may come,

I'm holding on

To the Rock I cling

How can I keep from singing, Your praise?

How can I ever say enough,

How amazing is your love,

How can I keep from singing, Your love,

How can I keep from shouting Your name,

I know I am loved by the King,

And it makes my heart want to sing!

________________________________________________________

How can I not proclaim my Saviour's goodness? How can I not live my life for Him?  What a thought, to know I am loved by the King Who died for me.

It truly does make my heart want to sing! 

Enjoying the beautiful (hot) weather and rejoicing in my Saviour's goodness!  Have a wonderful Saturday, friends!

Read more...

Goats, Muffins, and Little Boys

When do you know that it's time to post on your blog again???  First would be that self alarm clock that says, "ding ding ding..you haven't posted in three days.."

Second would be your mom saying, "Boy Rachel, you sure haven't posted in a while."

And third would be, when your grandpa tells you to update!!  Yes Grandpa, Mom told me of your request to update, so here it is!!!  :-)  Lazy me, lazy me.....(actually it's been busy me, busy me, BUSY ME!)

Anyway.

I just love how my little brothers (the younger set, that is) are so innocent and unaware of people's opinions.  Besides Mom and Dad, they're the only people in this family I can get to admit that these baby goats are actually cute!  Silly, isn't it?  I know I'm biased, but baby anything is cute.  Even a baby skunk is cute.  To some degree.  But you have to at least agree that these little guys are just the cutest, right?  Unfortunately I seem to be rather alone in my opinion....  *Sigh*   It's my constant goal in life to get Courtney to even pet one. 

Leo, one of Daisy's babies, has a knack for escaping the fence, so he's often prancing around our yard and porch.  I have to say, this has been the worst goat year ever for me.  I've had to deal with bloat, ketosis, goat death, difficult births, orphaned babies, and most recently, scours.  But.....I think the majority of the crisis has past, so maybe life will soon return to normal.  I'm counting down the days until bottle feeding is over!!  Oh, what a glorious day that will be!!

I am often telling Isaac and Joshua, "won't it be so fun when you're old enough to help sissy milk?"  Another favorite is, "if you stay dry today you can come help sissy feed the baby goats!"   :-)  They are always eager to come out and help!

I have been busily baking away this week, trying to build up my collection of recipes over at my canning website.  I have a very small start so far, but my goal is to add a few recipes a week.  That should add up quickly!  My all time favorite muffin, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip, is featured here. 

Bad quality photo, but a priceless moment I just had to capture. 

Once again, this post has consisted of "Isaac and my stinky goats".....but alas I had no other pictures on my camera!!  And hey, I did get a picture of muffins.  That was progress.  One of these days, I will get some interesting family news on here - life does consist of more than my adorable little brothers and my adorable little goats!!  :-)  :-)

Read more...