Wednesday, we had a GREAT time!!  We went with the Horn’s to Dollywood.  They had bought season tickets and got free one day passes to take a friend.  We were their friends.  Thanks again, guys.  We left Floyd at 7:00 that morning and got back home around midnight.  It was a long day but filled with fun.  Everyone was tired but happy.  Please be in prayer for Vicki and Quentin.  Quentin’s grandfather passed away yesterday morning. 

Yesterday was a dry day here in Floyd so I jumped in and started working on the garden.  

I tillered both gardens and got them ready for planting.  It was a full day.  This morning I started getting the plants in the ground.  So far, I have planted the potatoes, corn, onions, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower.  After lunch, beans and tomatoes.  The girls will be helping me with them.  They have been inside doing the housework this morning while I worked outside. 

These are the seeds the girls and I planted in the greenhouse.  They have done really well.  Maybe all we needed all along was a greenhouse.  They certainly look the best of any seeds we have started before.  Hopefully, they will do good when transferred into the garden.

The squash and cucumbers have really grown.  Speaking of growing, look how big the goslings are.

They were up in the field watching me while I worked.  Well, I think that’s about it.  I better get back into the garden.  Enjoy your day and God bless.

We’ve been busy getting the little chicks new home ready for them.  They are growing so fast.  They have outgrown their little coup and are in need of a bigger home.  We decided this building would work great for them.    It was a metal shed we built several years ago to store the lawn mower in.  It needed planks on the inside to keep it warm in the winter.  The girls and I put them up Friday evening.  Then this morning, we all went out and got started fixing the front.  It now has a nice door and a window and is fully enclosed.  All we lack now is making some nests for them and putting up the fence and building the gate.  Okay, so that sounds like we lack quite a bit but we are one step closer now than we were yesterday.  You can see one of the old hens in front of the house.  They were so curious as to why we were blocking off the shed as it is one of their favorite places to take a dust bath. 

Today was cool here.  Temperatures were in the high 40′s-lower 50′s.  We wore light jackets all day while we were working.  We came in and ate supper.  I knew today would be a long day outside working so this morning I put some pork in the crockpot and some pinto beans in another crockpot.  All I had to do when we came in was fry some potatoes and make cornbread.  I then decided to build a fire as it was about 60 degrees in the house.  We are nice and warm now.  There is just something very comforting about a wood fire.  So relaxing.

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

Yesterday we went down to Jessica’s to celebrate Easter with them.  We enjoyed a great meal of honey baked ham and turkey, potato salad, green beans, potatoes, baked beans, deviled eggs and several different types of dessert.  After we ate, the kids were ready to hunt eggs.  I think the look on Sam’s face says it all. 

On the way back home we stopped at this little spot on the parkway.  Grace wanted to get a few pictures.

I have forgotten the name of this little spot but I think it was a grist mill at one time.

Grace and Julie.  It’s not very often I get a picture of them together.  We then went for a little walk down to the creek.  It was very pretty.

Enjoy your day and God bless.

Yesterday morning we awoke to this.  Ice was everywhere.  We think the fog froze as we had lots of fog.  It was slippery here but once we got on the road it was fine.  We awoke this morning to sleet.  YUCK!  Thankfully, the temps warmed up enough to melt the sleet before Hubby left for work.  The rest of the day so far has lots of rain and fog but no sleet.   The girls and I had planned on going to Sam’s today but we have postponed that trip until later in the week,  for just in case.    I do not want to take a chance on running into  slick roads.

We have  been doing school today and, of course,  a little house cleaning as well.  Supper tonight will be beef roast with potatoes and carrots and homemade rolls (which I better get busy making).  I will leave you all with one more picture.  This was taken yesterday about 5:00 p.m. while we were on our way to church.  Still a little icy with a little fog. 

Enjoy your day and God bless.

Today, Chuck and his family came for a visit.  We had a very nice day.  We ate baked ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, sweet potato casserole,  homemade rolls and biscuits with peaches for dessert.    He loved his swing.  I am hoping it makes it home safely.  He left with it tied on the top of his Pathfinder.  The kids played with the kitties most of the day.   The other big entertainment was clothes pins.  Children have such imaginations. 

A picture of the food table.

Here we all are getting ready to eat.  Julie is hiding behind Chuck. 

I pray you all have a wonderful Christmas and God bless.

Hubby has been working on my Christmas gift.  I love it!!!

This is a side view.

Front view and

all folded up.  It will hold lots and lots of clothes.  I will take a picture later of it full of clothes. 

He has also been working on Chuck’s gift. 

A porch swing.  I think it is very pretty.  I really like the two colors together.    Chuck and his family are coming up tomorrow.  I have to get busy today to finish his “goodie basket”.  We will be having ham, mashed potatoes, green beans and homemade rolls.

The Horn’s are coming over this evening.   For supper, we will be having 15 bean soup, rolls and a peppermint cake.  I got the recipe from http://nadinesnook.blogspot.com/2011/12/peppermint-cake.html  I hope you all have a wonderful day and God bless.

Today, we have been busy with school.  We did a batch of apples in the steam juicer.  We got 1 gal and 1 qt. of juice.  We then run the apples through the Roma sauce maker and got enough applesauce to make 3 qts of applebutter.  YUM!  I also made a batch of homemade laundry soap. 

Colors here are at their peak this week.  I hope to get more pictures to share.  We have been having rain but it looks like it will clear up this evening.  Hubby has been busy making a king size bed for Jess and Dave.  I will show you all pictures when he gets it finished.  I think it looks beautiful.  Here he is working on one of the posts for the headboard.  I think I actually managed to get this picture without him knowing it.  He was deep in concentration.

Tonights supper will be baked pork chops with potatoes and carrots, pumpkin pie for dessert.  I guess I better get busy, I think everyone is getting hungry.  Enjoy your day and God bless.

While the kids were up this weekend, we had a campfire Friday night.  We love doing campfires, smores, wieners-sometimes potatoes.  Sometimes we just sit and watch the fire.  So relaxing.  Grace took this picture for me and I thought you all might like a little campfire too.

Hubby and I have been busy today working on building a shelving unit for the new room.  All my stuff is just piled up on the floor in there.  Such a mess.  Hopefully, by tomorrow, it will look much neater.

I gathered quite a few cucumbers this morning and I am planning on making some pickles this afternoon.  I have to check my pantry and see if I have all the ingredients.  I got a new recipe from a friend of mine that I want to try out.  The recipe is:

Crispy Pickle Slices-   4 qts cuc. sliced, 1/3 cup salt, 6 med onions sliced, 4 cups sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. turmeric, 2 tsp. celery salt, 2 tsp. mustard seed, 4 cups vinegar.  Sprinkle sliced cuc. with salt.  Stir with hands until salt is dissolved.  Cover with crushed ice.  Let stand 3 hr.  Drain.  Add onion.  Mix remaining ingredients with vinegar.  Pour over drained cuc. & onions.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and gently cook for 5 min.  Makes 6 pts.

So now that you all have heard the recipe, I have a question.  Have any of you ever mixed squash and cucumbers together to make pickles?  I was thinking of doing that and just wondered if anyone else had tried it. 

Well, I better get busy.  Enjoy your day and God bless.

This is Baby Emily, David’s neice.  She is a very hardy eater and seemed very content in Daddy’s arms.

Daniel and his cousin Zack riding bikes.  Zack is Emily’s older brother.

And baby Sam held prisoner in his walker.    We all had a lot of fun with lots of good fun.  Jess had ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls and banana pudding.  YUM!

Yesterday we went to get the inspection sticker on my car and found out the tie rods ends were bad.  We had to make a run to C-burg to get new ones.   Hubby and his brother put them on yesterday evening.  We went back in this morning and got the inspection sticker.  Hubby still does not have his window fixed on the van.  This has given him much trouble.  He of course is trying to fix the old one instead of buying a new one.  For some reason, the wire is not winding up on the spool correctly. 

We are getting rain today.  Temperatures are warm though so it will be very good for everything.  The girls and I checked our seeds out yesterday underneath our greenhouse.  We have a few tomatoes coming up, cucumbers and broccoli.  Very exciting.   Well, our lunch break is over.  Time for school to start.  Enjoy your day and God bless.

Our spirea bush is also in full bloom.  I love spring!

Yesterday, my Grace did not feel well.  She felt worse as the day progressed.  I finally ended up taking her to Urgent Care late yesterday evening.  She has strep throat.  Not good.  We are praying for a speedy recovery and that the rest of us do not get it.

On now to more pleasant things.  We have lots of sunshine today and the forecast is for warmer temperatures.  Yesterday was a mix of rain, snow, and wind.  It was chilly all day.  We are looking forward to warmer temperatures the rest of the week.  Last nights menu was meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans and rolls.  Grace, however, did not eat very much as her throat was hurting.

I plan on only doing half school today.  Sickness and school do not go well together.  I hope you all have a wonderful day and God bless.