~Last Race~

Our last race day of the year began with our annual pig roast/chicken bbq... yummo!

I was really busy signing everyone in this week.  We had extra line ups to do and were collecting extra money too.  Once I was done my work, I enjoyed my lunch☺

It was a bit chilly when we started!

Kiersten ate lunch with our head scorer while I was working away.  Janette did a great job keeping track of the laps, wins, points and the website for us!

These three drivers are retiring... so sad to see them move on.

Jared, Aaron and Jordan buckling in for their last race.

Pastor and Karen joined us today... as well as Gregg's Dad

It was a fight at the start, but Jordan pulled away fairly early.  Poor Jared was having car problems again this week.  He didn't even get to run the fun race.

Jordan won the Winner's Classic Race... his very last official Quarter Midget Race.

It will be a few months until we officially know the points standings for the year.  Now I need to get started on planning the banquet!

~Another Blanket~

I have been very busy this summer with my knitting and crocheting!

This blanket was for Aaron and Antenea... a young couple at church.

I used two strands of yarn together with size 13 bamboo needles... I really like using bamboo!

The base of the blanket was just knit and pearl... about 70 across.  I added a crochet edge... first time I've ever done that.  The edge was from this book.  I really like how it turned out.  I prefer to crochet but I like the looking of knitting better.  I also have less issues with carpel tunnel with the knitting than the crochet.

~Bridal Shower~

The Youth Group girls gave a shower for one of our young ladies about to be married.  We are very sad to see her go... she will be moving to Texas.  Her soon to be husband is working down there as a missionary mechanic... he is also from the youth group.  I am so excited for them, but will really miss them.

The girls in the youth group are very diverse! It is so fun to see them pull things like this off.  We had a group pinterest board for ideas and then everyone jumped on something.

One girl made this centerpiece

One girl did this cute chalkboard

These fruit cups in cones were delicious!

I did the jars, lids and straws.  I was looking for a galvanized bucket for the drinks... like an old wash bin, but couldn't find one for a decent price (they are all sold as antiques around here).  I checked at my local thrift store and found this one for around $2!!!  Brand new but galvanized!

One of the girls made this cake!

Check out the prizes!

A simple paper plate turned it to cuteness with this bow!

The cookies were yummy too!

I brought a craft for everyone to do.  I got a favorite verse from each of them and we made books with washi tape, stickers and buttons.  I really enjoyed watching them be creative.

The bride and all the girls.

What a fun time!

~Prairie Primer - Big Woods - Week 1~

I am so excited for this school year!  Jared, Aaron, Eric, Nathan, Kiersten and our friends Luke, Joel and Elijah are reading through all the Little House books this year and doing a bunch of unit studies!

This week we read the first four chapters of Little House in the Big Woods.

We learned about bears, owls, guns, butter, rabies... and a bunch of fun misc things☺

We got our families together this morning to make butter and dissect owl pellets!  What a Hoot!  haha!

Did you know an owl can't move it's eyeballs?  It has to turn its whole head!  These nifty glasses helped us see how annoying that was!

Ma Ingalls had Thursdays set aside for churning.  Mary helped to give Ma a break sometimes, but it was too hard for Laura.  We made butter by shaking cream in glass jars with marbles (warning... some glass jars did break, make sure you use thick glass or forget the marble and shake longer)

Done shaking!  It only took 20 minutes!

This is what it looked like when we drained the buttermilk out.

After we rinsed it well.

We put it in molds just like Ma.  She colored her butter in the winter with carrot juice because it was prettier!   I can't imagine with all the work she did, why she would take more time to color it!   We didn't mind the light color.  We made biscuits for the kids to compare the two butters.  They liked the store bought butter better, but I think that was only because we forgot to add salt.

Next we dissected owl pellets!  They all thought it was gross at first and wore gloves... it wasn't long until it was really cool and they were loving it.  It works much better with fingers and tweezers than gloves! (We thought owl pellets were poop... not so! It  is undigested parts of a bird's food that they regurgitate)

 Aaron's pellet had one big skeleton (pictured).  We think it was a rat!  The other pellets had two or three small skeletons.

Taste testing the butter.

We also taste tested the buttermilk.  In the story Laura loved it...  we all thought it was yucky!  It sure will be good in our pancakes!

The dad's got together with the kids in the evening to do some gun safety and check out a musket... a gun like Pa had.

Jared said it was the best school day ever☺

~God's Will~

The will of God - nothing less, nothing more, nothing else.

~Marsh

~cRAZy Week~

We had special services at church Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Aaron went to the orthodontist Monday and Wednesday.

All the boys went to the dentist on Thursday.

I took the kids shoe shopping Monday afternoon.

Since we were out, we ran errands again on Wednesday.

Groceries Thursday night and an extra stop today for special Aldi stuff.

I finally got a walk in today... the first in weeks!

Last night we enjoyed a beautiful full double rainbow!

Besides trying to catch up on laundry and cleaning, I need to finish a wedding gift and do food prep for next week (cooking 10 lbs beef, 4 chickens).  I am taking a mini break for some green tea.  First time I'm using my cool lids:-)  Tea tastes better this way!  I was saving the lids for an "occasion" but I thought making it through this week was occasion enough!

The weekend is crazy too!  Lots going on!

~My Favorite Kind of Day~

I haven't had too many summer days this summer.  I can't seem to catch up with my work.  We have been doing some school and hiding from the heat... but the other day was just too beautiful to stay inside.  I enjoyed having my windows open... but I still needed that fresh air!

I took the kids out on a nature walk☺  

 The first thing we saw was this snake! EWE!  Aren't those scales amazing though!

 The guys went creek stomping

These plants are so cool!  My friend Val showed them to us when I went to visit.  The pods pop open in your hand when you touch them!  All my guys got into it.  Does anyone know what kind of plant it is?  It seems to grow wild around Pennsylvania.

Here is the pod

And this is what it looks like when it pops open!  It is so cool to see how God created things.  Many different plants and many different ways of spreading their seeds!

These spiders are numerous right now!  I believe they are Yellow Orb spiders

Kiersten wanted to go in the creek with the guys

River did NOT want to go in!

Bullet swam back when she was called...

...River waited until she thought we were leaving her before she swam back

We saw a snake skin in the water

Nathan found a grasshopper

After we got home and cleaned up we decided to do some target shooting

I tried out Jared's new crossbow (video at the end!)

Aaron with the recurve bow

Then we had some recess ☺

When I was pushing the kids on the swing, I noticed my mint... gotta have a glass of mint tea on a day like today!  I haven't made any all summer!!!!  I put it in a big mason jar.  Eric and Nathan made their own in a little mason jar.  There is no better way to learn!

Me shooting Jared's crossbow... scared me!

These are the kind of days I hope to remember... not the fighting, the messiness and the chaos that often creeps into our lives. I am so full of thanks!