Some New Favorite Things

I got this cream can last year from the garage give away..  It was sitting outside, doing nothing.  So, I got off my butt and cleaned it out (or rather, Art did, 'cuz he's great like that!) and thought that I'd put it in my downstairs powder room with some floral stuff.  I think it turned out quite nicely!  We were actually at a few farm auctions this weekend, and these puppies were going for a pretty penny!  It made me all the more thankful that I got this one for for free!

This bad boy was a birthday present from a very dear friend of mine.  I should've taken a picture of it when I had a cake in it.  Not to toot my own horn, but it looked pretty impressive....I'm not gonna lie.  Anyhow, I saw it at Homesense and fell in love with it, and she remembered and bought it for my birthday.  I love it.  With my whole heart!

I will try and post some pictures of a few of the things we scored at the farm auctions, because we did score, for real.  I'm pretty excited about a few of my finds!  Hope you are enjoying your Monday!

Semi-Extreme Couponing

I don't know if you have watched that new(er) show on TLC called Extreme Couponing, but we have a couple of times, and let me tell you, it's crazy amazing!  I am fairly certain that we don't have coupons like that in Canada, but I did have my own little "Semi-extreme couponing" moment.  The other day, I was out for a walk, and there were a bunch of red papers littered all over the road.  Let me remind you....we live in the country.  This isn't something we see much of (papers, at least.  People dump stuff on our country roads all the time, like tv's and mattresses and other crap that they're too lazy and/or cheap to take to the dump!).  So, I stopped to take a look.  And this is what I found....

A bunch of coupons!!

 I, of course, picked every single one of them up (or so I thought, but I found one that I missed the next day), and brought them home.  There were 25 in total!  The coupons were for one free 2L bottle of any coca-cola product.  Crazy!!  We talked about going to the corner store to buy them all, just to get the most for our money (since it would cost way more at a corner store), but then figured that they wouldn't appreciate us buying up most of their stock of this product!  So, off to Wal-Mart to redeem our coupons.  I must say, the cashier was less than happy about it, but really....who cares!!

We came home, and I lines these ladies up on a shelf in my storage room.  Don't they look pretty?!  So, the moral of this story is..... it pays to exercise....and pick up garbage on the road!

A Whole New Level

So, our chicks are definitely not chicks anymore.  They're teen-chicks (that's the technical term!).  And, although they've finally grown out of the gangly awkward phase, they aren't yet full grown.  They're....teenagers.

So the other day, we thought that it was about time to introduce them to the older laying hens.  So, we studied up (Raising Chickens for Dummies, of course!), and put them together in the chicken run. 

We watched them fairly carefully for the first hour, and then came back and regularly checked on them.  They spent the night together, and we were quite proud - there didn't seem to be any real pecking or picking on of the teens from the hens.  A few flapping feathers, for sure, but nothing worth even worrying about. 

Finally, after they'd been together well over a day, I had to head out for the afternoon and evening.  So, off I went.  When we came home, and I went to put the Girls (chicken Girls not children Girls) to bed, we saw it.  A teen chick, who had been pecked to death.  And let me tell you, it gave a whole new level of visualization to the term "hen pecked". 

We decided to separate them (immediately!), and figured that perhaps we should wait a bit before trying to introduce them again.  I get the whole "survival of the fittest" and all, but really?  Did they have to peck the chick to death?  There was also another one whose head wasn't looking so great....in fact, it was a bloody mess, so hopefully that heels up alright so that we don't have to cremate another bird.  Bah!  Crazy chickens!

We were talking about the phrase "hen pecked", and the Girls were asking what it meant, so we explained it.  And it was a very good visual reminder that I really don't want to have a "hen pecked husband".  I don't want him to be (theoretically) laying there, still and dead, because he's been so beaten down by me, his wife.  I am the one to be his biggest fan, his cheerleader, his safe place, not the one to kick him when he's down, nagging and pecking at him constantly until it's the death of him.  And so, I shall not.  I will be his life giver, not life taker.  And that's the end of my soap box thought for the day.

Incidentally, some of you may be wondering what the Girls reactions were to the dead chicken. 

Here's a few comments we heard....

"Can I see the dead chicken?"

"Ah well, at least we have 14 more...."

"You burned it?  Cool!  I wish I could've seen that!"

"You did separate them again, right?"

I'm glad to see that we haven't scarred them too much....yet!

We're In Trouble

In our household, we've started something new.  And I must admit....I think we're in trouble. 

 It started out with Hannah getting the bug....the horse bug.  She'll go and sit by our fence line for hours, waiting for our neighbors horse to come over for a little visit.  And so, since we've been talking about it for some time, we decided that it was time for her to start some lessons.

 Let me tell you, she is LOVING it!!  Abby has also started lessons, and Molly is looking forward to starting in September.  I think we'll have to start selling a few more eggs around here in order to pay for these lessons!

A couple of weeks ago, while I was sitting at the barn, watching one of the Girls have their lesson, I was talking to one of the owners, and he was talking about roping.  I mentioned that Art wanted to get into riding and roping, and so he asked if Art would want to go branding the next day.  I talked to Art, and he was very excited about the idea.  So, he headed off for an afternoon of rounding up calves, riding, and branding calves.  Needless to say, I was extremely jealous!!  He had an amazing time, but the one thing that he mentioned was that before he goes again, he'd really like to learn how to ride...since he spent hours on a horse rounding up calves and had NO idea what he was doing!!  So, for Father's Day, the Girls and I got him some riding lessons.  He started last night, and it's one of the owners (a man, even!) who is teaching him.  He was loving it, let me tell you!

Here's the mare that he rode....he apologized for any pain he may have caused when he was riding her while they were branding!

Father's Day

Today is Father's Day.  A day to celebrate the men in our lives.  We had a quiet, relaxing morning at home....we lounged in bed with the Girls, relaxed, playing with our "technology".  We enjoyed being together...physically, but yet just relaxing.  No conversations, no talking, just being.  And not that I would recommend that all the time, but sometimes it's nice, just to be together.

The Girls made Father's Day cards for Art, and as he read them, with everyone crowded around him, I watched as tears ran down his face.  And I am so thankful for this gentle, soft man who is the father of my daughters.  I hope that they learn from him that it's alright for a man to show his emotion, to be caught up in a moment of love, that it's alright to cry.  That it's not actually a sign of weakness, but rather, of strength.  And humility.  And love.  And grace.  And thankfulness.

We then did our regular Sunday routine trip to "Wendy's"....(where everybody knows our name!), and now, we have scattered for some "alone time" (aka. "Sanity time") before we'll converge on the couch and hang out.  Watch a movie.  Enjoy the fact that it's raining (again!) so we can sit, guilt free, together and just "be".  I like these people whom I call my family.  I like to be in their presence, with no expectations, where we can "be".  I am thankful.  And blessed.   Happy Father's Day, all!

I'm Still....Alive

I haven't dropped off the face of the earth.  I am still alive.  Here are some of the high/lowlights from our crazy week:

1.  My parents were here.  First, my dad for 2 days, then him and Art left for fishing for the weekend, and my Mom arrived, bringing Hannah with her.  We had a fun girls weekend which included the Farmer Days parade, seeing a movie...in the theatre, and much hanging out.

2.  The boys brought home lots of fish, so we got to have a fish fry.

3.  My washing machine packed it in.  In a house with 4 kids, that spells....disaster!  So, we've been madly shopping around to find a replacement.  Finally, we did, and it's HUGE (almost double the size of my old one), and is sitting in the garage, waiting to be put in.  By the way, one of my daughters, I've realized in this time without a washer, goes through approx. 3 pairs of socks per day.  A big problem, when there's nothing to clean them.  We've since rectified that issue!

4.  We finally got some nice weather, so I've been working lots outside.  Trying to rid my gardens of weeds.  The bugger is that they just.  keep.  growing.  It's enough to make a person crazy!!

5.  We were going to have a work day outside today, but of course, we had a huge storm last night, so, our grass continues to be yellow with dandelions and my veggie garden is growing....I think?!  I'm not sure, because it's covered in weeds.

6.  My husband went to brand calves last night.  And he rode a horse....all through pastures, galloping along the highway, trying to keep up with the "real cowboys".   He's never really ridden a horse before....  He had lots of fun, got covered in poop, and says, "He feels like he's been in prison, his butt hole hurts so much!"  A little crude and graphic, I know, but you get the idea.  He loved every second of it....and I was envious!

7.  Hannah and Abby have started riding lessons.  And, once again, I'm envious!  It's very fun to see them learning to ride, and they have got the bug, and are loving it!

That's it.  I'm off to go to some friends for dinner.  Happy weekend, all!

Real Men Craft

Recently, I saw a very cool idea for a simple craft.  So, off to Michael's I went to pick up the necessary supplies.  I came home, and Art asked what I was doing, and offered to get a few things from his shop to help.  This, is what happened...

 The perfectionist at work!

 Look at the intensity....

And, the finished product.  I did help....I put the letter on the material and hung it.  It was the most critical part of the operation!  Didn't my man do a great job?  While he was hard at work doing this for all of 2 minutes, I told him, "Honey, real men craft!"  And here's the proof!

Scattered Still?

So, Molly came home Sunday night.  Tuesday, we took Hannah down to Calgary to meet up with my Mom, who is taking her to a ranch for 3 days as her birthday present.  Today, Art left to go fishing for the weekend in Ft. McMurray.  Tomorrow night, my Mom brings Hannah home.

How is it that I am losing my family members?  First one, now two.... what will come next?  Where will it end?!  It's all good, fun, exciting stuff, but really?  Must they leave me?  I miss them....

Needless to say, I'm going to make a gourmet dinner tonight.  I think it'll be.....popcorn!