MerryHeartCrafts.comMountain Momma… Country Living

We had such fun day yesterday.  We went with the Horn’s to Natural Bridge.  I have lots of pictures to show you all.  We’ll start today with the bridge itself.  Isn’t it beautiful?

This picture shows how big the bridge actually is. 

I love this picture of Grace.  I wanted one of Julie too but she was ahead of us with the Horns. 

I wanted to tell you all the amazing blessing we had on Friday.  We went with Hubby to check on a job and were coming home from C-burg.  We had some rain and then the sun came out.  When this happens, we are always on the lookout for rainbows.  Well, we found not one but two.  The girls and I had never seen a double rainbow.  These both were complete arches reaching from one end of the sky to the other.  They were so huge.  Sometimes it seemed as if we were driving right into them.  We got to see them for at least 15 min.  It was so amazing.  We were so excited.  I wish I had my camera with us to take pictures but it probably would not have done any good.  Vicki was at home with her camera but she couldn’t get a picture of it.  She said it was too  big to get it all.   Isn’t God good to show us something like that. 

I’ll show you all more pictures of our trip next time I post.    I hope you all have a great day and God bless.

Just a little glimpse that fall is on the way.  Dried corn stalks are definitely a sign.  Yesterday, the girls and I went to play with the boys while Jess went to have another ultra sound.  This time Katie was in the birth position instead of breech.  Praise the Lord!  I want to thank you all for praying for her and ask that you continue to pray.  She has about 9 weeks to go. 

Today, we will finish up the pears.  I think I will make juice from what is left.  I may end up canning some more.  I’ll wait and see.  Tomorrow we plan on spending the day with the Horns.  We are going to Paint Bank.  I will hopefully get lots of pictures to show you.  We are so looking forward to this.   It has been several years since we have been there and the Horns have never been.  I hope they enjoy it as much as we do.  Our hens have picked up some on their laying.  Yesterday, we got 5 eggs.  We haven’t gave them any scraps (except just a few little treats).  

This lone tree sits in the field behind our house.  If you look closely, you can see the leaves are starting to change.  It has been so dry here, I’m not sure if we will have very much color.  I hope so, though.  I so enjoy the colors of fall. 

I hope you all have a great day and God bless.

Remember a similar picture from last year.  Same little girl perched on the drainpipe.  Obviously she really likes the spot.

Now its brothers turn to sit for a while.  We really had a nice day with about 90 people showing up all total.  After we came home from the fishing we worked in the upper garden.  Hubby tilled, and the girls and I set out the plants.  They looked great.  But then they wilted badly.   We watered them when we planted them, again the next morning and again yesterday evening before we went to church.  Last night the Lord watered them for us so we are hoping they look better now.  I haven’t went up to the garden yet to check on them.  If they do not perk up, I am afraid they will not survive.  We’ll just have to wait and see.

We plan on going over to the Horns today for lunch and some play time then on to piano practice.  I don’t think I told you all but we have ducklings now-12 of them.  They are very shy and it is hard to get a picture of them.  Mama duck keeps them hid most of the time.  I’ll keep trying though.

Time for us to get busy.  I have a load of clothes to hang out on the line and several more to get done.  Enjoy your day and God bless.

Here are a few of the turtle pictures we took while at Pandapas Pond the other day.

They were pretty skittish so we had to sneak upon them to get the pictures.

Grace did a great job! 

A beaver lodge on the pond.  Several geese were resting on top of it. 

We have several things planned to work on today.  Rain is in the forecast though so we may not get any of it done.  We’ll just have to wait and see.  I am going to use the remainder of the pork tenderloin this evening to make bbq sandwiches for supper.  I have enough rolls left from last night to use for buns.  I think I will do homesfries and coleslaw with it.  I like to cook enough meat to make several meals from it.  This makes it a little easier I think.  We have dentist appointments tomorrow in Roanoke, then we are going to Sam’s Club to pick up a few things.  After that, we are going to pick out Grace’s frames for her new glasses.  The Horns are supposed to come by tomorrow evening  to visit.   YEAH!  It has been a while since we have got to visit. 

I better get busy.  Hubby and I are working on a big outside project.  I’ll try to show pictures next time I make a post.  Anyway, he is wanting to get started so that hopefully we can get some of it done before it starts raining.  Enjoy your day and God bless.

Daniel is doing some serious thinking about something, probably something he can get into.

Baby Sam is definitely growing.  I have other pictures but for some reason I could not get them to load correctly.  Hopefully, I will be able to post them tomorrow.  Today is sunny here but kinda chilly.   Temperature is 30 degrees.  It was 18 degrees this morning when Hubby went to work.  I am going to hang clothes outside in just a few minutes.  I’ll need a coat and gloves though.  I can’t stand for my fingers to get cold.  I know I’m becoming wimpy in my old age. 

We are planning to go to our friends, the Horns, after lunch.  It has been too long since we got to spend time together.  Supper tonight is cooked beef chunks with potatoes, pinto beans and corn bread.  I already have the beef in the crockpot.  Before we leave to go to the Horns, I will add the potatoes.    I also have the pintos cooking in another crockpot.  Hopefully all will be done when we get home except baking the corn bread. 

Enjoy your day and God bless.

I love to use this quilt every year as my tablecloth at Christmas.  I did not make the quilt and to be honest I have had it so long I don’t really remember who did.  I love it though.  It looks so pretty on our table.  I took the picture of it on the floor because I wanted you all to really see it good.  I think if quilts could talk, this one would say cheerful, happy things.

Monday, I did some grocery shopping for our Christmas meal.  We visited some with the Horns which is alway fun.  Yesterday, I worked some more on my sewing machine.  I am still not successful in getting it to work properly.  I hope to work on it more today.  I have many sewing projects I want to start on.  I might have to get Hubby to look at it and see what he can do.

We are getting a drizzle of rain here this morning.  Temperatures are warm-33 degrees.  Hopefully it will just be rain and no ice.   There is a chance of snow for tomorrow and  predictions for a winter storm coming in on Friday night.  If this happens, our Christmas meal plans will have to change.  Chuck and his family are supposed to come tomorrow and Jess and her family are coming on Sunday.  It is so hard to plan things in the winter.  You never know what the weather will bring. 

We are doing “half school” today and tomorrow.  Then on Friday, we will start our Christmas break.  Enjoy your day and God bless.

Yesterday was such a fun day for us.  We decided to take the girls to the movies as part of their Christmas gift.  As we very seldom go to the movies, this was a big treat.  We found (thanks to our friends, the Horns) a movie theater that is affordable and family friendly.  We watched The Chronicles of Narnia-Voyage of the Dawn Treader.  It was a very good movie and we all had a great time.  Grace has read the book and Julie is in process now of reading it. 

Also, as my aprons are now being sold in a local store, I thought it would be nice to try out some different patterns.  I had been told it would be nice if I could do matching aprons.  One for Mom (or MawMaw)and one for a little girl.  I found a pattern I like pretty well.  Here is a picture of it.

Not exactly what I was looking for but a good place to start.

This is the material I picked out.  The floral will be the main material and the striped will be the contrasting material.  What do you all think?   I am having difficulties with my sewing maching, so pray I can get it up and running soon.  (Could be the operator, who knows!)  Anyway, I am excited to start a new project and upping my abilities.  I have not made many things from a real pattern.  Usually, its something I just figure out on my own or I alter the pattern so that it fits my abilities.  Sally, our pastor’s wife, has agreed to help me if I get in over my head.  I don’t think I will though.  It looks pretty easy on paper.  I will show you the finished results when done. 

I think I’ll go check out my machine.  Take care and God bless.

Praise the Lord!  Water is once again flowing in the Dawson home.  We got it unthawed this morning.  We are so happy. It truly is amazing how much water we use during the day.  Temperatures are still cold here.  8 degrees this morning with a wind chill below zero.  Tomorrow though it is supposed to warm up a little and not be too bad until Sunday, then it is supposed to turn cold again.  We will be having an all day play practice Saturday for the Youth Christmas play at church.  We will be doing the play on Sunday-weather permitting.

We have decided no school today.  We are going to our friends, the Horns, to make some more candy.  I will be making peanut butter balls and Vicki is going to make oreo truffles.  We are looking forward to a day of fun.  Hope your day is as blessed as mine has already been.  God bless.

Daniel’s little kitten, Gilbert, taking a much needed rest under the Christmas tree.  He certainly is a cute kitten.  Very fuzzy.  Sam’s eyes light up every time he sees Gilbert.  He would love to sink his chubby little hands into all that fur.

We had a fun day yesterday.  We went over to our friends, the Horns.  Vicki fixed us lunch, then while the kids played, we make some gingersnap cookies.  They were very good.  We also tried our hand at making some breakfast bars or as we call them energy bars.  They did not turn out near as well as I had hoped.  Not too bad just not as I envisoned them being.  We all had a lot of fun though.  God is so good to provide us with friends like the Horns.  We feel very blessed that they are in our lives.

We had so much rain here the first of the week.  I have no idea how much but I know it was a lot.  Everything was soaking wet.  Water was standing in so many places in our yard.  After the rain, temperatures took a drop.  It dropped about 20 degrees from yesterday morning till this morning.  The sun is shining though so hopefully things will warm up some.  I would like to hang my sheets on the line.

The girls and I have lots to get done today so we better get busy.  God bless.

We have a slight breeze here in Floyd today.  Well, okay maybe more than a slight breeze but not a hard wind.  Just perfect for drying clothes on the line.  When the wind is blowing like this, the clothes are so soft when they get dry.  We had a busy weekend but lots of fun.  The girls and I went to Sam’s Club Saturday and picked up a few things.  Before that we went to one of our local malls and walked around, just looking.  This is something we never do, so that made it special.  They have already started putting up their Christmas stuff.  It was so much fun.  Yesterday was church day.  The pastors sermon was very good.  He compared being a soldier in the Armed Forces with being a soldier in God’s army.  He did a really good job.  Last nights menu was soup, pinto beans, cornbread, tator tot casserole, cooked apples and carrot cake.  Very good.

Today we are doing Grace’s birthday party.  We are going over to our friends the Horns to celebrate.  Vicki is making the cake and I am taking some homemade chicken noodle soup.  We are all looking forward to a great day.  I know I have said it before, but we are very blessed by the Lord to have the Horns in our life.  We so appreciate their friendship.

Well, I gotta go party.  Take care and God bless.