Early Morning Ramble

I finally managed to get me up early. It is 6:30 and my Bible time is done. I have pretty well checked the forums I read and the blogs I follow.

Last night when we went to bed the temps were down to 21. This morning they were UP to 30! Strange! I am ready for a warm day. Yesterday was COLD. We do have to go retrieve fire wood that we have cut and not brought to the house. It goes so fast when it is cold. Sure makes the house feel wonderful though!

We are still on a name search. Dad blew holes in some of the names. He doesn't like Elizabeth. I already knew that, but .... thought maybe in the 25 or so years since it had come up his taste had changed. So much for thinking! Here is our list:

Racheal Marie-Rose

Sarah Ellen-Marie

Sarah Rachael-Marie

Elizabeth Paige

Sarah Elizabeth

Racheal Elaine
Elizabeth Elaine

Elizabeth Grace

Dad added two to the mix Racheal Marie and Sarah Ann. I may add Racheal Ann to the mix.

I did have to threaten DH. He said he thought it should be J's decision. I laughed an started telling him some of the off the wall names I had shot down. Told him if he told her that I would throw rocks at him.

I wanted to share the difference 3 months makes. This is now and then. The first picture is J at the end of Oct. The second picture is the weekend we got her. Anyone see any differences?

2 The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give. 3 You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. 4 You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate; but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married. Isaiah 62:2-4 NRSV

And why you ask did I start my post with that Bible verse? Because the time has come for us to fill out the paper work for J and her new name. I wanted to name and claim when we got her but she wasn't interested at all in a new name. I have never mentioned it again. Last night DH ask me what exactly she wanted her name to be. We both really thought she was struggling on letting go of her last name. I didn't have an answer but told him we would talk about it today.

Today I told her we needed to make a decision on her name and for her to go some place quite and pray about it and let me know what she wanted. Low and behold she came down stairs with a list of names! J was no where on the list! I was shocked! We went some place warm and quite to talk about it, the barn! OK, quite is relative at our house. We talked about the why she wants to change her name. I wanted to make sure it wasn't just a whim of oh wow and tomorrow she would regret it. She had all the "right" answers. Wanting to start fresh and have a new name for her new life. I really thing she must have been mulling this over for a while. We talked about how it would change her birth certificate. Everything will change, everything but her, and that is a work in progress. That a new name won't "fix" the stuff she still needs to work on.

We spent the day weeding out names. I am so thankful my DIL likes names and such. I don't! We have it weeded out to a few that J and I both like. Now for Dad! She agrees that her new name needs to be something all three of us agree on. That it isn't the "right" name unless we all agree. Before I ever met her I had a new name in my head for her. It is one of the finalist. But, today as we were praying over something else a new name came to me. It is also one of the finalist.

Today she received a letter from her bio mom. She and DIL had went to the highway and checked the mail. She didn't open it but brought it to me to read first. Last and only other one she had received I didn't give her. I just gave her the pictures out of it. This time after I read it I told her she could read it. I didn't LIKE it, but I felt she could deal with it. Her bio just doesn't get it! She is so self-centered she things we are going to meet half way to get to know each other. She thinks J should be calling her. She things J should come visit soon. Now where in there is anything about what J needs are wants? She did share some chatty information too so I let J read it.

Of course it upset J and made her angry and frustrated. She has decided to break contact even letters for a while. I think this is wise and I will write a letter being the bad guy. I am glad we did this though because it allowed J to have some control.

God also used this to do more healing. I held her as she cried. I ask her what she was feeling she admitted feeling that she wasn't important to her bio. unloved, unwanted. I ask her to let Jesus go back in her memory to help her know the truth. She agreed and went back to where she was being pawned off on her aunt and grandmother for mom to party. This was at a very young age. As Jesus showed her that she wasn't at fault. That her mom did the best she could. That all these feelings were garbage that didn't even belong to her. Jesus did a lot of closet cleaning tonight she said as she sobbed in my arms. He showed her stuff and threw it out of her heart. He also gave her a picture of what it would have been like if she had been born my child. I don't exactly know what He showed her. She couldn't even put it all into words. I just see the healing from times like this. She said He did a LOT of cleaning. She doesn't have 100% peace at her mom but it is closer. There is still some more junk that she will have to deal with before she can forgive her and love her for just who she is and not who J wishes she could have been/should have been.

God is so awesome! It amazes me when I get to watch Him move in my hurting kids lives and the hurt just be gone.

Freezer

They made real progress yesterday on the freezer. They finished the outside.

Here is an inside view before they put the last panel on. You can see the door in the corner. This is going into the pantry. The hole isn't cut yet.

A picture of the pantry through the hole where the attic fan was. This fan keep the pantry cooler. You can see Dad's head in there trying to decide what next.

Next:

Hole is now finished. Today they will finish around it so that critters can't slither into the pantry. Then on with the insulating of the holes and cracks and getting the middle door up to have a refrigerator and freezer. Progress! Maybe next Thanksgiving we will have it.

I will try and get more pictures today. Inside measurements are about 19 x 10 feet. half or a little less will be freezer. We decided to go that way since we can store wheat and pasta and rice etc in the frig part, keep the critters out and not take quite as much energy as the freezer.

Wednesday already...

We are slowly getting back in the swing of life. I started taking cold Thanksgiving day. My SIL showed up that morning feeling like she was taking it. She said it didn't even start until they were on the way over here. I was glad if she had to have one, she started before I did. I didn't want to be responsible for giving it to her. We both felt terrible on Friday and took turns seeing who could hibernate in bed longer. I think I won! Sat. was much better and so was Sunday. Monday was a day of back sliding. I felt horrible all day. I didn't hibernate in bed, but just was a warm body in a chair. I had planned on resting AFTER UPS showed up. He usually comes about 2:30. That way I wouldn't have to get up and get the package. Of course he didn't show until after 4. Then on Tue. he was here by 2. Guess I wasn't suppose to nap. Yesterday was a much better day. I accomplished a lot of little things that needed doing besides some regular stuff. Today I don't feel as well. I spent way to much of the night coughing I think. Maybe tomorrow will be better or this afternoon.

Other news is I have one child that is doing her school and chores correctly while I have 3 that decided to take advantage of mom being sick on Monday. This didn't set well with dad. He assigned them 100 sentences to write on top of finishing all their school work and two days worth of chores on Tue. If it didn't happen they could then write two hundred sentences for Wed. and do all of this weeks chores to date. You guessed it, they are all 3 busy on the 200 sentences today. They do seem to be working a little harder than they did yesterday. Here is what they are writing: Doing my chores and responsibilities is a timely manner is much better than procrastinating and not completing chores and responsibilities. We will see what today brings. I am guessing they will get it done.

Other news is things are going really well with J. Yes, we have our moments, usually about speaking truth. I have had a couple of serous chuckles lately. One yesterday when she announced, "Your such a good mom! I want to be just like you when I have kids." I ask for this in writing, which she said she was more than willing to do. I told her I was then going to wave it in front of her face when she was so mad at me she could spit nails. She died laughing and still said she would put it in writing, but agreed she would be that mad at me from time to time. This morning she came down stairs upset. She had a "HORRILBE" dream. Then she shared it. We (dad, J and I) were at a mall of sorts. I pointed out it was a horrible dream at that point. She said it was a strange mall with lots of bad stuff. She turned to look at something and I was gone. She was panicking because she couldn't find me. She was crying and screaming and found some friends from AR that were helping her look. Then she woke up. I pointed out she found me! I was just downstairs. Her school work is going well she is making good grades most of the time, yet not acing stuff. I do think she is about ready for a little more challenge. I plan on doing the next years worth in 3 months or less. I may let her read the history and science and only take the major test. If she can pass the test she can go to the next unit. I just have to figure out how you do that. Math, she needs the building blocks she is getting. She struggles with that and English most. I see her gaining life skills and becoming more responsible. She does struggle at staying on task, but has come a LONG ways in that area.

Tomorrow the high is suppose to be about 50. That is about right, we have town tomorrow. Even if we have "spare" time it won't be spent at the park. At least I don't have a long list of to do stuff.

Oh quick prayer request. J's lawyer is suppose to call her to day. Her lawyer really took an interest in her. Taking her to Church and just going above and beyond. I would like this call to be a positive for both sides. My understanding is she just needs to touch base with J.

December Has Arrived!

Thanksgiving is a memory. One child wanted Thanksgiving to keep going, one was happy with it being over and having the memories of it and looking fwd to it next year. Pies were a big hit. I really like making them with the soft white wheat. Today I want to make pot pies with the rest of the gravy and turkey.

We are trying to get back in the "normal" groove of day to day life. I have laundry to do and cows to milk. MN didn't get up in time to go with her brother to Junction. Oh well, maybe next week.

Since I didn't get my camera out on Thanksgiving I had to "borrow" pictures from my DIL to post a bit of the goings on.

I won't name names to protect the innocent er....full.

This is probably my favorite Thanksgiving picture. My daughter and grandson "sharing".

This is a close second.

That is a catch up on my weekend. Hope every one else had as blessed a weekend as we did.

Pie day!

Yesterday we were off to produce. Dad had time off so he stayed home with 1/2 the kids while I took 2 and my grand baby off to produce, Walmart and the grocery store. We had lots of wonderful produce to sort through. Everything but the eggs that I needed came in. I ordered 6 doz. but only 4 came in. I wasn't even sure that 6 was enough. So I make a quick stop by the grocery store for eggs and a few other things I thought of that I could use.

Yesterday evening we chopped the onions and celery for the dressing. Since I had the privilege of baby sitting I even let him get in the act!

Today we do two main things Tortilla roll ups and pies. MJ was in charge of measuring and mixing the tortilla roll up stuff. Lots of onions and peppers to chop.

As they are rolling them there is lots of chatter on who gets the messed up pieces. Everyone wants some!

Pies are 1/2 made. I still lack the fruit pies. Kids have had a great learning day measuring and rolling out pie dough. Rolling out pie crust is a challenge. I loved it when J made the mistake of bragging about how "good" she was getting at it, only to have the next pie crust stick and refuse to do anything. She had to start it over. I did point out that Pride goes before a fall.

Pies in the oven, 3 chess, 2 pecan and one pecan less pecan.

Even Dad gets into the act of checking pies.

Don't you love this "flower"? MN was breaking eggs and made such a beautiful flower she wanted to show it off.

I have 3 cherry pies left to put in the oven. Then we will be done with pies. Our pie count is:

3 cherry

3 apple

3 chess

2 coconut

3 pumpkin

2 pecan

1 pecan less (pecan recipe without pecans. This is what my mom use to make for my dh every year. He doesn't like pecan, but likes the filling.

Left to do today is cook my sweet potatoes. Put them in dishes for tomorrow.

I had to edit this to show off my red neck pie safe. This holds about 10 pies. I have plates between them.

Monday, counting down to T-Day

Today I did..........hummmmm I am sure I did something to get ready for Thanksgiving. I did grind my wheat to make pie dough. I am using soft white for my pie dough. We will see. I use prairie gold for all my other stuff.

We did do some extra cleaning. Not much, just some of our treasured piles got unpiled. What you see is pretty much the way it is. Like it or not!

Oh, I thought of another family to invite. They have 8+ kids. I hope they get to come. They haven't made plans so maybe.

I did laugh at J over inviting a family of 10 or so. She was like, "will we have enough food?" I died laughing. I have a 25 lb turkey, a 20 lb turkey, and an 18 lb ham. I make my dressing in the same container you saw I used for trash. I will use a about a gallon of milk for my giblet gravy. The fruit salad bowl is my largest bread making bowl. Think at least 18 inches across and 10 deep. Pie count is about 12-15. This isn't counting what ever others bring. Oh forgot the sweet potatoes! Two kinds! Just butter and one that is really messed up with all that marshmallow "stuff" on top.

Tomorrow I have produce to go get and my dh should be home. I may split the kids with him. Leaving some to help him here and some to help us sort produce. We both have list that need doing. I also need to put a note on one jar of milk do not shake! I need the cream to make chess pies.

I will try and get pictures of Thanksgiving day progress as we have some.