My momma's bloggin'!

Finally! Some of mom's heart thoughts are revealed on her blog!

You will notice my mom and I have a lot in common! ;) That's cause we love itch' other. ;)

I seen a funny saying in a store once, Mirror, mirror on the wall...I am my mother after all! ;) hehe

http://www.keepmecomfee.blogspot.com/

Calling all fashionably modest... ;)

The Modest Boutique is open! :o)

I am currently adding more items each day. IF you are looking for a certain size or style in clothing, please email and I will let you know what I have yet to put on the boutique. Our book and other treasures area has lots more to be added as well. Miss a day, miss a deal! :o)

Each order gets a free surprise gift!!! :o)

Grand Opening Contest!The Modest Boutique is officially open and is running a raffle! Leave a comment to this post to be entered into the drawing! The drawing will be done on February 14th!

IF you advertise about the boutique's official opening on your blog or website, you may be entered twice! (Please post your the link to your blog/site to be entered twice.)

So...what can ya' win?

2nd and 3rd Prize - Store Credit Coupons!
Grand Prize - SURPRISE!

http://themodestboutique.blogspot.com/

http://themodestboutiquebooksvintage.blogspot.com/

Yesterday afternoon, Melita started pacing the pasture and under the "barn". She would stop and let out occasionally little whines.

Pic of her "babies in her tummy"!

Round' 7pm Melita kicked out a nest.

(See her using her hoof to dig?)

Laying down, she is either stretching her back (to get babies in place)

OR having a contraction. She was whiney and would stop chewing her cud to be still (like the above pic) for bout' 2 minutes, then start back on her cud again.

She then would turn her head around and TALK to her babies!!!!!

IT was SOOOO sweet!!! She would move her head up and down and talk....encouraging them, I guess....we are just as impatient as she is! ;)

MY dad loves me SOOOOOO much,

when he woke up at 3am he went out and checked on Melita.

He told mom, "If something happens to Melita or the babies,

Jess will be SO sad.";)

Thank you dad! I love you too! <3

When mom and I woke up, we checked on her and she was ready to start the day (and get out of her stall). No babies yet.

We will keep you posted.

Homeschooling...how we learn...

My family only has one student left (I graduated when I was 17 in 03' and my other brother at 17 in 04')...my "baby" brother (17) spends 1 hour (little more, little less depending on day) sitting and doing a unit study with my mom, it's been this way since he was 9. HE LOVES doing school with mom. And he loves the unit study they do. He loves to learn. It was suggested recently he give up his unit study and just do life skills alone and he said, no thank you, I like how we are doing things.

When he is done with school for the day, he does his choring around our "farm" and is off making things, removing trees off the property, making bow and arrows, climbing trees, wrestling (hill billy kung fu style) with my brother, Justin (20), training his mandarin ducks, digesting tons of history books, reading God's Word, doing pullups, running laps and doing all sorts of things around our home. When out and about, he is constantly passing out gospel tracts and being gentlemanly to my mom and I (opening doors, lifting heavy bags, etc.).

To us, learning isn't just books. It's life.

When I did school I could stay all day in what I was learning and would find myself more activities and research to do. I worked on my own and used Far Above Rubies unit study in my highschool years.

Justin hated school (thanks to his first couple of years in public school) and didn't apply himself to books. What he has learned by experience (building things, working with my dad, etc.) has far exceeded what any book could of taught him. You do not need homeschool curriculum to learn, all us children are a testament to this fact! :)

We met a homeschool family this past year that spent $1,000 on their homeschooling curriculum (for 3-ish children) PER year and mom and I's mouth dropped. That is a lot of money. Mom homeschooled for 10 years so far and we have not even spent $1,000 on our education.

No matter how long you spend doing school each day, I believe, as a family, it's important for learning to be fun. Learning should not be confined to the pages of textbooks. Learning cannot be a forced thing. SO many homeschooling moms stress out when lil' ones are not grasping concepts. They FORCE and push their children to do school work and get angry when the children don't perform like they want them to.

Homeschool momma', if your life is busy and hectic....examine what your doing. ARE YOU rushing away your children's precious years of learning with too many homeschooling functions, sports and social events? Are you too busy? Do you prod your children through their work? Do you get upset with them when they score and test badly? Do you compare them to other children who are doing better?

If yes to any of the above, examine yourself....it's not your children, it's you. Momma, if your like this, you are no better then public school.

*Note I am not saying if you tell your child to do something and they don't you shouldn't have them obey....when I say "force children to do their school work" I simply mean that some homeschool families have a rigorous schooling schedule and if lil sally is behind and does math too long, momma gets upset she isn't comprehending and pushes Sally harder to keep on track.

IF you tell your child to do something and they don't do it, you have a heart issue on your hands, not a learning issue. http://www.nogreaterjoy.org/ (great child training advice!)

Melita update

Melita is getting closer to delivery day! Her udder is filling out more and she is really, really wide! Pretty soon we will have some goatie kids here!I think she will have 3 babies. :) I already have names for a boy and a girl. I love the name Rosh Johanan for a boy (which sadly, if I get a buck kid, will be putting up for sale...) and for a lil girl...Eliana Cassia or Eliana Tikvah. I also like...Adriyel for a buck which means "Of God's flock" and Avichayil for a lil girl which means "gives joy". :o) Rosh Adriyel would be nice. :) Are u laughing at me? Don't worry your not alone...my family has to put up with my goat's names too...I told my parents that Rosh is a nice name for a future grandson (and I am serious) and dad always says, "What did u say...rash?" ;)

Most everyone always names their children names that sound nice but lack meaning. Ain't that boring? Least' I will get the pleasure of naming my "kids" (goat ones atleast!) meaningful, hebrew names! :o)

Currently...
Melita Zipporah means "Honey, sweet beauty"
Milcah Jael means "Queen mountain goat"
Chava Noelle means "Life,Christmas"

Chava's middle name is not hebrew..I thought it sounded pretty together. Melita first name is greek and is from her last family. What is so neat is they live up to their names! Melita is SO sweet! Milcah while currently not the queen is the ONLY goat I have that acts like a mountain goat....she climbs on top of everything and stomps around the yard like a lil queenly goat! ;) Chava is VERY full of life and is SO spunky! (not sure where Christmas comes in at... ;) hehe

Pics of Melita's ever expanding belly to come soon! Aren't babies exciting? (goat kind and human!) :o)

Thrift store find!

WE love to go thrift storing! :)

Look at one of mom's finds today....


Pretties! :) We call our good eatin' ware "pretties"! We have a special shelf for pretties and Jasi (my 3 year old cousin) even puts her little porcelin tea set pretties on the shelf. ;) hehe

She found the Johnson Brothers Hearts and Flowers tableware...6 dinner plates, 8 teacups, 8 saucers, 4 cereal bowls, 9 bread and butter plates....for guess how much????? Just under $12!!!!

GUESS how much they are for replacements online??? For ONE dinner plate it is $22.99!!!!

Doesn't that make ya want to go thrift storing right now!!! :)

What's fer' dinner?

My cooking, I will admit, can be dangerously funny, as well as educating!

My first cooking attempt was when I was 12. I made brick biscuits more then once. Dad said they were so hard, they could be used as lethal weapons to drop on enemies. I learned there is a difference between baking soda and baking powder.


When I was 18, I once made brownies that contained a broken kitchen-aid piece in them (it fell in unknowingly to me!) and served them to a dear friend! She bit on the brownie nearly broke her tooth (okay, that's a lil exagerated...)...I learned the value of true friendship (Thanks, Angela, for still eating my cooking!)


When I 19, I once didn't wash the lettuce I cut from the garden good enuf and as we ate our taco salad, I picked up on my fork an interesting lookin'....leaf?....worm!!!!!!!! We all lost our appetites and I learned to take my time with washing lettuce.


When I was 20, I left the kitchen-aid on 10 (I like to run things to their fullest capacity...the sewing machine included....that is one reason why I have yet to learn to drive ;)...anyway I left the kitchen aid on 10 and went out the door to grab the laundry off the line thinking I could be faster then the mixer....when I came back in, mom and Jon had come down the stairs at break neck speed and were wondering if I was okay...."Yah' I am ok....why?".....in the floor lay the kitchen-aid...it had wobbled off the counter and crashed! :) Thankfully, it was fine (just left a cut in the vinyl floor) and my bread dough was unharmed! :) My lesson was to make sure when I run the kitchen aid on HIGH it's on a level surface!

I use to hate to cook. I think it was due to all my bad experiences of plundering recipes. Mom forced me to learn to love it! (Thank you mom!) 2 years ago, mom said I needed tweaking in the cooking department....Mom just told me tonight, now your ready for marriage....all you need to know now is to learn how to play the piano better....then you will be accomplished. I got this feeling though....once I get the piano down (I am thinking I will get it down this month! ;) hehe...she will come up with another task I need to tackle....hehe I know her sneaky ways (she is sitting beside me as I type this grinning ear to ear....that confirms it! ;)

Okay, tonight I made some lentil burgers! I call them Make-do Burgers as I lacked ingredients, so I came up with my own. You can substitute too and add on to my recipe or change it if your family isn't fond of certain things! That is the fun thing about cookin'!


Make-Do Burgers

Make-do Burger served with broccoli and not so healthy fries!

2 cups dried lentils
8 cups of water
2 cups of finely crushed natural crackers
1 large onion tinsily diced
4 heaping TBSP of horseradish
3 cloves of garlic minced
3/4 TBSP soy sauce
4 TBSP Mustard

Cook lentils in water 40 minutes (or until soft) on low/med. Drain and then add rest of ingredients. NOW comes the fun part....squish (with your clean hands) the lentils and other goodies and make sure everything combines! This would be a fun thing for younger children (with clean hands) to help with! ;) IF time allows, stick in fridge so it isn't so wiggly. Put butter in a skillet and using an icecream scoop, scoop mixture and plop in pan (then using the back of scooper shape into a patty). Fry on each side 10 minutes. The burgers harden as they cool (they are a lil' smooshy, but the taste is better then any veggie burger u buy in the store and cheaper too!)


Note: My dad and Justin (brother) ate 2 each and liked um'!


Sandwich Buns

2 cups hot water
4 1/2 tsp yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1 TBSP salt
1/3 c. oil
1/3 c. milk
1 cup wheat bran
3-5 c. unbleached white flour

Prepare like normally like you do bread, except shape into patty size rolls and let rise 45-1hour in warm place. Bake 375* for 15-20 min.

IF your looking for the piggy post, scroll one down and then come on back up here! ;)

Found the below info. on a board that I am on...THIS is important! We should not have to tell the goverment what animals we own. Communistic? Yah' sure is! (And I do know where it's leading...one world goverment in the long run...just like the BIBLE prophesies, but that does not mean I have to take it sitting down. :)

"USDA plans to use breed associations to force NAIS registrations, beginning as early as March 2008, less than two months from now. USDA's Business Plan calls for breed registries to start using an official Animal Identification Number, or "AIN" in their registry. And since you must first register your property in NAIS before you can obtain an AIN, this could effectively implement the first two stages of NAIS for anyone in those registries!The breed registries for cattle, horses, sheep, and goats are potential targets, but the Plan does not indicate which breed registries have agreed to implement NAIS.Take Action: Contact your breed association or other livestock registry and find out if it will be implementing USDA's Plan.

Ask the registry:-Do you plan to require members to use the USDA's 15-digit Animal Identification Number (AIN) to enter or maintain animals in your registry?
-Do you plan to require members to use the State's or USDA's premises registration system in order to obtain a breed registration number?

-Can you please confirm the registry's intentions in writing?

Tell them that you do not want them to be a tool for implementing the government's plan for NAIS!

Next Steps:If they plan to force their members into NAIS, consider finding another association to meet your needs if possible. If you do leave your association, be sure to tell them why. Spread the word! If you find out that your breed association plans to force NAIS on its members, tell all the people you know who are in that association or considering joining. Post to the online groups that focus on your type of animal. Let people know how the association is working against the best interests of its members. Email us to let us know what your breed association says. We'll post a list of organizations that are requiring NAIS and those that aren't.More Information The USDA published its Business Plan in December of last year. You can download the Plan at http://farmandranchfreedom.org/content/Government-documents. The Plan sets aggressive targets for implementation of NAIS. One of the strategies for achieving those goals is "harmonization" among various systems that already use individual identification. Harmonization involves changing the existing programs so they use the NAIS-compliant Animal Identification Numbers (AIN's). (Plan, pp.28-29). As part of its harmonization strategy, USDA lists having breed registries begin using NAIS AIN's in March 2008, less than two months from now. (Plan, p.52). The AIN is a 15-digit internationally unique identification number. It starts with "840" which identifies the animal as coming from the US. (Plan, p.30). In order to get an AIN under NAIS, you have to register your property ("premises registration" under the NAIS plan). The legal effect of this registration is unknown, because there has been nothing like it before - permanent federal registration of citizens' property, linked to an issue (animal ownership) that carries potential liabilities. With this harmonization strategy, USDA plans to use our private associations to force livestock, poultry, and horse owners to register their property and tag their animals under a government program, despite the continued protests of animal owners across the country."

Elderly Virginians Arrested for Selling His OWN Pork!

Yep, you read the header right. Butchering your own pig meat and selling it in VA is against the law.

Think about it...

WHO would YOU rather BUY from?

A small farmer who sells fresh and natural pig's meat locally to local people on his OWN land and cares for each animal individually. The to-be bacon lives in the open in a natural environment rooting with it's snout looking for things to eat. (Pigs LOVE to use their snouts to root!)

OR

A CORPORATION whose object is MASS-PRODUCTION MEAT. The to-be bacon lives in giant, warehouse-like sheds, until they reach a slaughter weight of 250 pounds at 6 months old. They live on concrete packed in with many other pigs or in tiny lil' metal cages until butchering day.

Which pig would you like to eat?

Which pig is healthier to eat?

Free range piggy...

Mass production piggy...

And ya know, it doesn't stop with pigs. The eggs you buy in stores are processed the same way, as is the turkey and the chicken.

Below is my family's free range happy pets
that give us healthy eggs everyday!

USDA and FDA approved housing conditions at an egg factory!

Would you like that scrambled or fried?

What is it the the meat industry and keeping our food in tiny yucky cages and dark stinky warehouses?

Why is it the USDA and FDA think that it's okay to keep our food in unsanitary and unnatural conditions? Yet, the small guy with that serves his community, by offering an alternative to the hormone injected meat from Walmart, is treated like a criminal?



Article on the elderly couple arrested for selling illegal piggy....
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/19/AR2007101902757.html

Picture gallery of more commericial food...(NOTE: I do not support the animal rights movement, I do think animals should be treated humanely, but they are for comsumption. So the agenda on the below link is not my own. :)
http://www.factoryfarming.com/gallery/pens3.htm

WHAT did we do on Christmas day (and the weekend before)?

THE GOAT BARN!

<---Before the guys added on~ (horrible pic :) In the process of putting windows in....
Almost completed "barn" :o) Dad, Justin and Jon did good huh? Painting was done by me! :) I will barter paint jobs for dairy goat supplies! ;) If your out of state, you must be willing to move your painting job closer. ;)

Side view of the new add on...we have trim, a gutter and rain barrel to add on and also a moveable stall to create.
Pregnant Melita inspects the new barn. :)

How much did our add-on cost us? $50 so far! Dad is a deal guy and finds slightly warped wood at lowes and they sell it to him 10cent on the dollar! (plywood sheets, 2 by 4s, etc!) Us Terry's are deal and treasure finders, if I do say so myself. ;) The shutters on the windows are from a barn we, as a family, treasure hunted in (see blog archives as I think I mentioned the barn treasure hunt before).

More posts to come soon.
Jessica

The Unknown....

Worldwide we have tombs dedicated to the soldiers who fought and served their countries. On many tombs the inspriction reads, "known but to God". In Arlington cemetary, we have the Tomb of the Unknown. These soliders died fighting and died unknown. Somewhere they have families, who after the war was over, grieved because their loved one never came home to them.

Worldwide we have clinics that are dedicated to the motto, "No child an unwanted child." Daily, abortions are preformed across the world. The babies die fighting to live and they die unknown. Somewhere there is a family that grieves over the loss of innocent life and dreams of the baby they would of loved to raise.

Been thinking a lot lately...

As a child, I walked with my family in Arlington cemetary countless times. We lived on the military base that bordered the cemetary.

There are SO many dead people buried there. The tombstones would take you days, maybe months to singlehandedly count! More than 300,000 persons are buried in Arlington National on 624 acres. It's no small church graveyard.

Can you imagine, if instead of selling aborted babies for science experiments or throwing them in trash cans, the clinics gave their victims a humane burial how big that cemetary would have to be? YEARLY there are 1.3 million abortions preformed in the UNITED STATES ALONE!

While on a Christian movie review place, my brother told me about a new thriller movie called Awake. In the movie the young guy goes in for an operation and ends up awake to feel the whole surgery, but paralyzed and unable to tell the surgeon he feels everything. This quote is from the Christian reviewer, "But for some reason, the anesthesia isn't working right. He can't move, but he can hear and, more disturbingly, feel everything: the razor shaving his chest; the cold, antiseptic sponge; the scalpel."

Are you thrilled?

Imagine this friends, daily babies are faced with a painful death. Depending on the age in womb, they are they are poisoned, chemically burned to death, cut up, ripped out, their skulls are crushed by forceps, vaccumed, and/or torn apart...their death is not painless. They are given no pain killers. They are given no choice and no place to hide. This isn't some thriller hollywood movie, it's a life that is being destroyed in your hometown! While you pay to sit and be entertained by a movie star who is pretending life, at an abortion clinic in your home city a life is being taken.
http://lifedynamics.com/DeathCamps/Methods.cfm

Consider this...

(Note: If you have not read the below post, What Am I?, please do not read this post. Please scroll down to the below post, so you understand what I am speaking of.)

Controversial, tough, harsh, right, violent, optional, murder, choice....these words have been used to describe abortions. We are told by Planned Parenthood that, "Women have turned to abortion to end unwanted pregnancies throughout the ages." This statement makes it seem that through out the ages women were left with no other choice then to turn to abortion. Words like choice, choose and freedom decorate Planned Parenthood's site. Abortion is NOT the only option open to mothers. Planned parenthood refers more mothers for abortion then adoption. I found a shirt that Planned Parenthood sells, that to me, sums up what the motives are behind their tax-payer supported organization. The shirt states, "I had an Abortion". IF Planned Parenthood really was geared more toward adoptions, why don't they have a shirt that says, "I gave my baby up for adoption."

I was doing a search the other day and unknowingly clicked on what was deemed "abortion pictures" and it took me to a video clip of a woman having an abortion. The clip started by itself and I could not scramble my mouse to find the X button fast enough. My heart was in the bottom of my stomach and I was crying. I didn't even see 5 seconds of the clip. Just the thought that someone would broadcast a baby being torn, twisted and sucked from it's mother was enough to make me sob. Euthanized animals face a more humane death then aborted babies do. Our society has so dehumanized unborn babies to the point which most do not comprehend that their babies are living and growing inside their womb!

I have posted, shared and passed along the below post on several boards I frequent. On one board, at this precise moment, I have 234 views on my post alone. I have emailed the post to over 40 people. Yet, my counter only reads 64 visitors as I write this.

I am NOT saying you must come to my blog and read this post!!! I am pointing out the fact that statistically no one cares enough to do anything for these little lives that are being murdered everyday.

THIS is a topic no one wants to read about. We have heard it all and we just don't care. Our fashion and our football is more important to us then human life. We sit in luxury, in front of our computer screens, while everyday babies are dying by choice. We get upset when someone cuts us off in traffic, when we have to wait too long for our food in restaurants, when our team loses the game, but we are unaffected at the fact that millions of babies that are murdered every year in the US alone!

We take no thought of the women who think abortion is their only option. We take no thought of anything because we are lovers of ourselves and would rather think on things that benefit us and our interests.

Just today we got a newsletter in the mail from the church we are visiting. On January 22, 2008 in DC there is an annual March for Life. The article shared that this summer, a family took a trip to DC, the mom was standing on the steps of our capitol explaining to her 8 year old daughter why every January she goes to the March for Life. Her daughter was unimpressed. It wasn't until just recently, that she sat down with her 8 year old daughter and began to discuss the bill of rights. She used abortion as an example of freedom of speech and realized it was well past time to explain abortion to her 8 year old daughter. The article says, "In the gentlest way possible I defined the word abortion. The expression on her face was pure horror. Her eyes grew large, her mouth flew open as her little body shook. She immediately pleaded to be allowed to accompany me this year to DC. What is our reaction when we think of the abortions that are preformed everyday? Does the truth manage to touch our hearts?...God forbid we should ever grow so cold we do not feel the kind of alarm that went off on my daughter's face."

Patty Smith (http://www.sanctuaryministries.blogspot.com/) in an email fwd'd by a friend to me, states this; "Should Christians be twiddling their thumbs while babies are slaughtered through all nine months in Orlando? Should people who profess to be followers of Jesus Christ simply continue to have church sponsored sewing circles & craft days & retreats & camp-outs & concerts & conferences & pot luck suppers while their precious little neighbors are perishing in the shadow of their steeples? Or should Christians be at the killing place en masse to love their neighbors as themselves & to protest the slaughter of boys & girls?"

I plead with you and I pray this has affected you as it has me.

We can no longer stand by while the innocent are being murdered and the youth are being indoctrinated that abortion is a normal and okay, that human life is cheap and can be disposed of when it's not convenient.

We can no longer be idle....is there not a cause? (1 Samuel 17:29)

Jessica

Below 4-D ultrasound:
At 8 weeks, this baby can kick
and straighten his legs,
and move his arms up and down.

For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right
well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. Psalm 138:13-16

WHAT AM I?

Okay all, I am finally posting my thought stirring post. I have put it also below in case anyone wants to use it as a forward.

I have included 2 pictures that are very graphic that many may say I should not have included.

Why?

You watch cable tv and view all sorts of obscene things? Yet you balk at the truth of the matter at hand.

Praying this opens eyes!

In tears, Jessica

While you read this post, PLEASE listen to April Raine, a sister in Christ and a friend, sing about this very IMPORTANT issue!! Click here now! http://www.pennyraine.com/audio/what.mp3


What Am I?

I may be sold for science experimentations for the "betterment" of mankind.

I may be used in FDA approved vaccines and then injected into countless numbers of Americans.

Millions of others like me are murdered every year in the US.

My death was brutal. I was cut up and sucked into a collection bottle. Depending on the age of millions of others like me, they are poisoned, twisted and torn away from their living and growing space and die a painful death. Some of them make it out alive, only to be thrown into trash cans to take their last breaths.

What am I?
Do you care to know?
If you knew, would you really care?

I am the innocent one that is brutally and legally murdered in a country that's famous slogan is God Bless America. The clinical term they give my death is abortion, but in God's eyes it is called murder. My death will benefit the pockets of the doctors who slew me and my death will haunt my mother for years to come. I am the innocent one that is brutally murdered while "God-fearing" Americans have their heads stuck in a television. I am the innocent one who is being torn from my mother's womb, while America enjoys her entertainment. My life to them is of no value.

I am the innocent one....
Who are the guilty?

That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee. Deut. 19:10

Do you know someone who is pregnant and does not want their baby? Encourage them to put their baby up for adoption or TEACH them to love the life growing in their body!!! Their own flesh and blood!!!

Did you know that just in the Hampton Roads area (VA) there are 5 abortion clinics that I could find that "specialize" in abortions ?

Have you ever thought to stand out front (on the public sidewalk, perfectly legal) and plead with the women and their husbands or boyfriends or relatives that are taking them in to have their baby murdered? Too busy? Too shy? You sound like me. You sound like the rest of america. We make excuses while babies are being physically ripped from the safety of their mother's womb.

Have you ever thought to investigate what companies support abortions (Planned Parenthood) and stop supporting them?

Have you ever thought to pray for the women who are considering abortion or even have gone through with one? Pray for those who do go out to the clinics to try to persuade these women that there is another way.

Wake up America...how can God bless a country who, to His face, denies His commandments?

Thou shalt not kill.
Exodus 20:13

How can God bless a country who, to His face, denies His blessings and His rewards?

Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD:
and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
Psalm 127:3

1/3 Silenced FOREVER!

1 out of every 3 babies born in the US is aborted!

Pics taken from: http://www.antiabortionsigns.com/catalog.html

For more info on abortions or if you have had an abortion and need counseling:
http://www.abortion-education.com/Site/

If you enjoyed the song, check out April's family's ministry site...http://www.pennyraine.com/

Girl's Day OUT!

Out with the girls...

Many young women my age have their girlfriends they hang out with. They go shopping or to eat-out or just hang around any ol' place.

For those of you who think I lead a sheltered life....the below will shock you!

I do have girl's day out almost everyday! While I enjoy the peace and quiet of the country and our home, I enjoy my time out with the girls!

While I swing on my crazy swing (I constructed it myself...it swings better sideways then forward and backward, maybe for my b-day in Dec. the guys can fix this for me?? :)...anyway, while I swing on my swing, the girls (Melita, Milcah and Chava) all enjoy the salad bar!

Even Gracie stops by to enjoy a salad.

Milcah chomping down on her favorite "tree-t".

Melita is the newest addition to my goaty girls! She is a 6 years old purebred nubian and very sweet! She follows me VERY well and loves attention! First couple days, Chava (the brown girl goat...9mon. nubian/boer) bossed her around! I was really shocked at Chav's persistance of being top goat! Thankfully now the herd is at peace and Melita rightfully reigns. Melita is a lil rough with Milcah. Poor girl. Milcah has only one good eye and ear, so she sometimes misses Melita's hints to move along and gets it. Chava and Milcah DO NOT fight! Chava actually lets Milcah share everything. They play fight, but never really fight...(and in play Milcah wins!) Melita is expecting kids come febuary! I am already thinking of Hebrew names...Tikvah, Elianna...what do you think? ;) Chava's middle name is Noelle and Milcah's is Jael. I am unsure of Melita's. I like the name Zipporah...but I am still thinking on it. :o)

Mercy, the kitty, meets a new friend (Melita)!!!

We head back to the pasture after a hour of fun!

Ya'll come back now, ya hear?

Pencil portraits and crocheted items!!!

http://trishalynn.bravehost.com/index.html

My dear friend Trisha just put up her own site! She offers pencil portraits done from your photographs, crocheted goods, and other handmade items. I looked at her pencil portraits and they are BEAUTIFULLY drawn!!!

I also have a couple of her crocheted potholders and dishcloths and they are SO pretty and useful! Lord has definately blessed my friend with artistic hands!Perfect Christmas and birthday gifts!

The potholders would be PERFECT in a newlywed basket or in a home warming gift basket!!!

If you order, share you learned about her site thru' my blog!

Enjoy looking!Jessica

Busy, busy, busy bee....

Hey ALL,

Just wanted to letcha' know what we have been up to the past week. This week started out exciting!

My newest goaty girl arrived on monday! She is SO sweet and funny. I just love her! I go out to the goat pasture and she says "Mah" real low (compared to Milcah and Chava...esp. Chav!) In the morning, if I have to head back in to grab the vitamin E or pregnancy herbs I forgot in the house (to supplement her feed) she starts Mahing really loud and then runs around the pasture like...WHERE are you going? You can't leave me yet without feedin' me! It's really funny during feeding time around here. I give the girls their designated buckets (Milcah -black bucket, Chava-blue and Melita green) and everyone starts downing thier feed, herbs, scraps (onion peel, garlic, etc.), etc. Melita finishes half and then wonders over to Milcah's bowl. Milcah leaves her bowl and goes and shares with Chava. I sort them back out again and then I head out, as they are 75% done. Melita notices I am leaving and follows me saying..."MAH" (translation....don't leave!) Chava sees Melita leave her bucket and starts eating Melita's food. It's really funny to me how this all works...and YES I am working on more orderliness during feeding time!!

Tuesday - we went to the liberry' and mailed PO stuff. (Enjoyed goats...did inside reg. stuff...etc.)

Wend. - We did our normal household daily cleaning, etc. I did online selling and wrote a lesson plan for homeschool radio shows (I can't find the link at this time, but will share their site soonly). My cousin Kaity and her sis-n-law, Erin, came over and SO sweetly shared some things from a barn that is being demolished next week. Chicken feeder, waterers and stall mats! Thank you Kaity and Erin!

Thurs. - Josh, cousin Kaity's hubby, and Kaity came over for a morning visit. Jon (my 17 yr old brother) and I worked outside...well, played. I got out my goaty girls and they stayed by me and Jon while I constructed a crazy swing (it spins more then it swings!) and Jon made a walking stick for dad. :) Melita, Chava and Milcah LOVED it! They chomped on poison ivy, bay laurel, rose of sharon and other goodies! Gracie, my cat and baby, stayed right by us the entire time too! I should of taken pics but the batteries need charging! After Josh and Kaity left, Dad, me and mom went to the barn that is being demoed and started treasure finding! It's a BEAUTIFUL old barn! I don't know why it's being bull dozed, but I do know what we have found so far in the barn has been a blessing to us! We loaded the entire back of Justin's (20 yr. old brother's) truck!

Today - Mom and I made wheat bread (see recipe below) and Italian loaf to share with the owners of the barn and Jon, mom and I all headed out to meet Dad and Justy. We pulled down stall doors, unscrewed wood, took down hay loft doors, hay bins, feeders, waterers, mats...just everything we could take and loaded dad's Gospel truck (has lots of bumper stickers on it) down! I LOVE TREASURE hunting! On thursday we found this old 1920-40's cabinet in the barn. It was hanging on the wall....needs to be refinished, but it is SO nice and SO antique-y! How exciting! Too bad we can't just hook up the barn to the back of the pickup and haul it here! ;)

Tomorrow we are going thru' our treasures and putting them in a safe place for storage.

Okay, that has been my week so far. You know, we can plan our lives out and put things down in lil lists and schedules, but we know not what is on the morrow! Jon shared a good verse today......"we spend out years as a tale that is told....for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Psalm 90:9-10 Jon is a history buff and he said today..."you know we read about people a long time ago and think...wow! Think of that so and so did this and said that...and soon we die and someone else quotes us or reads about what we did when we lived."

Love, Jessica

PS: Pics to come soon of Melita, treasures and other happenings around our home and in our lives!

PSS: And don't ya go thinking my blog has lost it's salt....I am currently working on a new salty post that will encourage you to think outside the box! :O) hehe Just remember...salt will either sting or it will flavor!

Table Update and more

I tried my black walnut stain on a small portion of my table and I didn't like the results. Looked yuck to me. ((shrug)) So, I have decided to leave it unstained. Looks nice with a fall table cloth folded in half and laid crookedly on the table. (Can't explain it any other way then the table cloth does not cover the top of table on the 4 corners... ;)

Hey check out my new links to the left! I added a dear friend's store site (HERBS! and other wares!) Also, I added my family's used book store.

On Thursday, my dad headed out with a friend of our's to WV and KY to street preach (open-air) and hand out Gospel tracts at 2 universities and in downtown Lexington. It went well and I am sure many seeds were sown! they also went to the Creation muesem (Ken Ham's) on Saturday. He got home at 6am this morn!

www.livingwaters.com - Really neat tools and tracts for Christians!

Ok, I have a BIG thought provoking post coming your way in a few days!

Keep your eye on my blog!
Jessica

Aprons and Bread

Firstly, I have my SEWCRAZY site now up and running.


I am offering Women/Teen Aprons right now (taking Christmas and Thanksgiving orders). Within the next week I am adding toddler aprons and child's crayon bags. http://sewcrazysewinggalorestore.blogspot.com/

If you place an order, mention you found out about my goods thru my thought provoking site and you will get a surprise in your package!! WOO-hoo!


I made some goodly bread today. Below is the recipe and a fuzzy pic. It tasted better then the picture shows it. ;)

Jessica's Oh-SO-Delicious Bread!
1/3 c. honey
1/3 c. safflower oil
2-1/2 c. warm water
1-1/2 TBSP yeast
2-1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 cups ground organic whole wheat flour
4-5 cups unbleached white flour


Combine oil, honey, warm water and whole wheat together. Let it set for about 10 min. while you do dishes. After you have washed dishes, add salt and 2-3 c. of white flour and talk to your mom (or nearest person to you, if no one is near, talk to youself ;) while mixing with a wooden spoon. Once the dough becomes to tough to stir with a spoon, get your hands in the bowl and start kneading. Add flour if necessary, but don't over do it. Let rise in warm area for 30-40 min. and then bake 350* in oven for 25-30 minutes. While it's baking, tiptoe so as not to make your bread go flat. (If you have lil' ones, encourage them to play the Bread tip-toe game and reward them with a slice of warm bread with butter!)

Note: Play with the flour (wheat and white) to make this your own delicious recipe. You can also add dough enhancer, vital gluten, etc.



Enjoy, Jessica

One man's junk, is another man's treasure!

One man's junk is another man's treasure....




A family dad did flooring for gave us a 2 nice pieces of furniture they didn't want any longer. A hardwood table with benches and a hopechest. The table was BADLY scratched on top (nothing a tablecloth couldn't hide).




Yesterday afternoon I got out a guy power tool (a belt sander) and went to work outside on the table. I never used a belt sander b4, so the first time I clicked the trigger thing and put the sander to the wood, the sander took off with me. :)

I felt a lil odd out there in my favorite regency style work jumper using a power tool. BUT I had fun! And got sweaty and all wood dusty (yuck...I am use to hard work and sweat, but it's still yuck). "Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come." Proverbs 31:25

We had a can of wood stain hanging around and I got it and seen...harmful if you enhale vapors....etc. I quickly put that can back where I found it. Within the next 3 days I am going to stain my sanded masterpiece with homemade stain! YES you heard me! I am currently making Black Walnut stain! Woo-hoo! Once I stain it successfully, I will share directions. Below are the before pic and after I sanded it! I think I have found a new back-aching amusement. Power tools are for sure guy work!

BEFORE...



After sanding....

Finished product to come!!! Keep checkin' back!

Jessica

NAIS and ADGA!!!

I am prayerfully buying a nubian doe to add to my lil herd. She has papers that convey from the ADGA. I did some research on the ADGA. My brain wasn't working properly with the goat lingo' they were talking of on the ADGA site, so I posted on one of my favorite homesteading boards. I got some REALLY helpful replies that made sense to my simple brain. I then went to the ADGA site to search some more and seen something about chipping' goats. My eyes got BIG....Suddenly the words NAIS came to mind...I quickly typed in NAIS and ADGA in a google search. Up popped the ADGA site with a link to a statement they made supporting the NAIS movement.
After my research I did (do your own if interested...NAIS and ADGA on your internet search), I am skipping the registered thing. Really a bummer to me cause I have read so much on the benefits of papers, but it's not worth my freedoms to own the animals I want without being tagged and tracked. Makes me a lil upset. I know at this time NAIS is voluntary, but it makes me uneasy that the ADGA (or any other organizations similar) would support it.

http://adga.org/NAIS_Statement.html -official statement on NAIS by ADGAhttp://www.fallcreekfarm.net/links.htm - found this site helpful

For those of you who have no idea what the NAIS is....go check out there site

http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/index.shtml

and also check out this one...

http://www.nonais.org/

Don't take my word, please do your own research. :o)

Jessica