The Best Christmas Gift

It is officially 9 days until Christmas!  I have NO shopping done, NO decorations up, and NO stress of being in a million places at once this year, except 1.  Disney World!!!!
We are leaving in 3 days for Florida, to spend our Christmas vacation with Mickey.  We have been planning this trip for a long time, and getting 5 kids and 3 adults ready for a 20 hour 7 day trip is no easy task...i'm getting there!  So, I thought it might be fun to do some mobile blogging and post some pictures of comical things that happen and we see along the way! 

Anytime we travel, I like to snack! Forget stopping to eat, I'd rather have my trail mix or jerky!  Anyone with any amount of kids knows how costly snack food can be on the road.  So, I went to the store and bought all I needed to make our own snacks.  I did not even buy prepacked snacks, because that gets costly too.  I Made up indivivual snack bags for all of us, and here is the end results!

Friends...till the end...right?

I often come across the same verse about friends, they come into your lives at different seasons of your life, and for different reasons.  Have you ever had a friend that stayed? Through it all? Across the miles and over the years?  I have many friends who have come and gone, and many who are still in my life today.  But, today there is one who stands out in particular.  I would have to say, she is my oldest friend.  We've know each other since birth, and I refuse to disclose that confidential bit of info that reveals our ages! lol...

So today, I would like to dedicate this post to her!

I know she's always been in my life, but my strongest memory of her started in grade school, when she moved into my school from a neighboring town.  We had always been friends, but this would be the first time we went to school together.  I can remember it like it was yesterday!  I was so excited that she would be there with me and be friends with my other friends.  Little did I know they would not be so open to accepting a new kid on the block, but that didn't matter to me, she was my friend and I held my guns!
Fast forward a few years, and I moved away.  She wrote me constantly and surprised me with a few visits along the years.  As time would have it, I moved back just in time to be honored to be her maid of honor, and watch her become a mom for the first time.  Time went on, I became a wife and mother and our children became play mates.  Our lives were intertwined.  We've shared laughs and tears, deaths and triumphs, new cars, new phones, new houses...but life has a way sometimes, of getting in the way, for all of us.
Things creep in, hard feelings, lack of time, etc. and relationships become strained...
I got a message from my friend last week, that summed it all up!  Even though we may not be joined at the hip now, and cant make those walmart runs together, does not mean our friendship is over, it's just changed a bit. 

I encourage you today, to rekindle those friendships gone astray.  Don't wait for someone to make the first move, you do it!  Make things right and tell that friend what they mean to you! I hope I just did!

For everything there is a season!

I've been thinking about this post for a long time, and finally decided to write about it.  Two years ago this March, my grandma passed away, pretty unexpectidly.  Her health had been failing for some time, but the day she died, she was scheduled to be released from the hospital.  As everyone knows death brings about deep thinking and regrets.  Since she has passed, we have moved and bought a house with 4 acres.  There is almost not a day goes by that I don't still think of her.  Everything about our little hobby farm reminds me of her.  The first thing is our chickens, my grandma loved fresh eggs, so everytime I collect them, or package them, I think how she would love them, and that big fat rooster I can't seem to sale, or eat for that matter! lol, but grandma would!  The next would be pecans, they are everywhere here.  We have 40 mature pecan tree just in our back yard, not including the small pasture.  This winter we tried to harvest a few, and I actually sold about 15 pounds of them, and the entire time all I could think of was how much she would have enjoyed craking and picking them!
Now that spring is here and we've started planting I always think of the canning.  That is one of my regrets, that I didn't learn enough before she was gone, and that is how the title of the post came about.  The only way I have been able to cope with my grief and regret is to remember that to everything there is a season.  I did help Grandma with things, and she did teach me so much, but there are still times i wish I would have asked more questions, listened more.  Grandma was the type who would rather do something herself than try to tell someone how to do it, so I still feel a little cheated, but I'm the same way, so shame on me.
I guess the reason this has been on my mind so much, believe it or not, is because of my garden.  My grandparents have ALWAYS had a garden! ALWAYS!!!  So, this season marks my second garden, it is not perfect by any means, but it has been so awesome.  It is bittersweet, but have enjoyed still having my poppy here, to help me along the way.  I know everyone has their own method for planting, so everytime I open a new pack of seeds, or hoe a row, I call him.  Ok poppy, today I'm planting whatever, how many to a spot, how far apart, etc.  Not sure what I will do when he's gone, but while he's still here, I'm going to learn all that I can! 

Prayer...

One of my very oldest and dearest friend told me this week that I should think less about my blog and write more!  I'm so much of a perfectionist that at times it controls me, so I thought this should be "professional."  Which, it's not, so I'm safe.  I do think I had a disclaimer at the first, warning you of the craziness?  If not, here it is.  I will never intentionally post something that will hurt someones feelings, or embarrass them, but I will be upfront and honest.  As my friend said, this is "therapy."  What I pour out on these pages are me, unedited, silly, goofy, crazy, and well whatever else you can think of.

So, here goes today's post.  It's kinda of deep, but I've been thinking this week about prayer.  I'm sure everyone has heard the phrase, "nothings too hard for God, there's nothing too big for God."  But I have been wondering, is there anything too small for God?  Too silly, or insignificant?  The Bible does say He will give you the desires of your heart.  I've struggled with that this week, because I feel like God has already poured out His blessings on us, how do I have a right to ask for something as silly as new dresses and shoes for my girls, and son?  We had some very costly unexpected expenses come up this past week, and they drained our funds!  As a mom it's about to get the best of me, but on a better note, even without something new, they won't go naked!  His blessings are too numerous to count!

All of that led me to praying in the shower today.  It was quiet there, and relaxing, what better time to talk to the Lord?  So my next question would be is there an inappropriate place to pray?  The Bible does tell us to pray without ceasing, so that means at anytime and anyplace I can lift up my voice!

Boy was she right, but don't tell her that, she'll get a big head, this is very therapeutic!

Where do you wear your feelings?

Sound like a funny question huh?  Unless someone asked you if that maybe the reason your feelings keep getting hurt...OUCH...so, I've had to do some thinking, and maybe that's the case, or maybe it's because I over analyze everything!!!! 

Have you ever been in a room full of people and felt totally alone?  That's really what I've been dealing with lately.  As stupid as it sounds, I've wished for friendships like high school, when you had no other life, school and friends, that was it. I know very well how easy life gets in the way, so I shouldn't  be so sensitive, I'm as busy as the next guy!  We have all grown up, we have jobs, families, church, home, commitments!  What I think amazes me is how something so simple can make you feel better. For instance, a lunch date with an old friend, or a caring word from someone that says, you are special, you are important, you mean something to me.  Because isn't that what we all want to hear, that we truly mean something to someone other than our spouse or kids? 

Another problem may be my personality, I am a doer.  I show my love by doing acts of service.  But, not everyone is like that, not everyone needs validation! 
So, today, this post is for me, to get over my short comings, stop wallowing in self pity and grow up! 

Take the time this week to tell someone how much they mean to you, you never know what kind of day they've had!
Oh, and one more thing, thank you, for being my friend!

And so it begins...

Today would be considered our first day of "business" per say as we begin to become more serious about our chickens.  When we bought our first hens, we bought 6 laying hens, and the craze began!  Within a few weeks we were convinced we needed baby chicks, so we drove 30+ miles to get some for $1.50 each.  Bought 20 total, 10 for us and 10 for my bestie.  She had been wanting to get chickens, so I thought if I'm going into this head first, might as well push her in with me! lol....so, off we go!  We've learned a lot along the way, all of us.  Most importantly we've learned to have a good time at it.  Too many people make it way to complicated and take all the fun out of it.  Once I realized everything didn't have to be by the book, or a super expensive coop, then all was well. 
As a "city girl" I still laugh at myself as I sit outside on nice days, just to watch them eat.  Many people have feeders, but there is nothing more relaxing then throwing feed out and watching them run after it.  We have had more laughs out of seeing a rooster run across the yard after a bug or some food.
So, here we go, going to grab up some chicks, resale them, and start hatching out our own, after seeing the ridiculous price of chickens, we can't NOT do something!
Day 1 began with a trip to the stockyards to sell some odd ball breed roosters and hen, finished up there, decided to reinvest the money we made, found some pullets that will be laying in 2-3 wks and bought 10.  The horses have to eat too, so we made our way to our favorite place, Stillwater Mill.  I just happened to spot an ad on craigslist for "cheep chicks" less than 2 miles from the store.  Picked up 25 chicks and learned Easter is the best time to sell, sell, sell!  There's money in them there chicks boys! lol
So, we are at the close of our day, all the hens, roosters, pullets and chicks are all tucked away safe and sound and life @ City Girlz chickery-hatchery has begun!

Remember, may all your days, be circus days! 

Farmer Misconception

I promise, I will not make my blog a rant, it may not make much sense at times, but I won't rant!  This is one of those that may actually not make any sense to anyone but me, but here goes.

What is your perception of farmers?  Do you think they are poor, underpaid, overpriced, what?

Looking back, I guess I've always thought farmers and ranchers both maybe were a little poor, although the rancher look nice in there "spiffy clothes"  My perception has changed drastically in the last few years.  Here's why, 2 years ago we bought 4 acres of land, and ever so quickly started a "hobby farm,"  which by the way means we do it for fun, and not as a source of income.  Very shortly after moving in, we acquired a horse, and some Rhode Island Red hens.  Now, you have to understand this was a HUGE step for this city girl! I had never owned anything short of a domesticated pet, but horses, AND chickens! No WAY!

So let me just give you a little farming/ranching advise: horses are free for a reason!  lol, that being said, let me expound on that!  I started looking online for a horse, that was affordable, which very rarely comes along, when I stumbled upon a free horse.  We called them, secured it, and headed to get him.  After about an hours drive in a pounding rain storm, we arrived in the dark, and loaded this poor horse.  It was pitch dark when we arrived home, but the rain had finally stopped.  We finally got a peek at our treasure...he was 30 years old, and bone skinny...hence the "free"  I need to also add that I was almost terrified of horses, thanks to a fall in junior high.  Needless to say, it wasn't long before "Floyd" stole all our hearts!  He lasted 2 years here on the farm, and just this past Christmas Eve, did we bury him in the pasture he called home.  It hit our family hard, we all cried, even my mom, he was such a sweet heart, but he helped me get my feet wet, overcome my fears, and help with some therapy along the way!  The actual point of this post was going to be about the high cost of farming equipment, but I will save that for another day, it's a beautiful day out, and I need to go enjoy it!

May all your days, be circus days!

At Last!!!

So, due to technical difficulties, (i forgot my password)  I am incredibly behind in posting.  It has been brought to my attention twice this week that I had not posted....so, without further ado, I don't want to dissapoint my "followers" (all 3 of you)

I guess for this post I need to start with the one I wanted to write the day of the circus, but thought 1 blog a day was enough.  So, here goes!

         As I stood in reverence and respect while all the Shriners entered the building, I couldnt help but tear up.  I looked around at the hundreds of people sitting with this bored expression across their face and all I could think was they had no clue.  To them, it was the boring opening act, to us, it was the entrance of life changers, our lives!  I leaned over and said that exact thing to my husband, and noticed the tears form in his eyes.  Maybe I should back up a few years, and share the entire story with you, just in case...Our oldest daughter was born almost 12 years ago, with a cleft lip and palate.  These men changed our lives!  From the very begining, I heard about the Shriners, but all I could say was that I didnt want "charity", I wanted the BEST!  Little did I know then, that they are the BEST!  Her surgeon has been doing these surgeries for almost 30 years, and they have patented many procedures that are used all across the nation.
The Doctors here immediately wanted to start operating, Shriners wanted to wait.  Every visit we get to see the handy work of Drs who want to start too soon, and do too many, because now they are there with us, trying to get the BEST to fix the other's mistakes!

Here we are, 12 years later, and she looks wonderful!  Many people dont even know she's ever had a problem.  She's a trooper, she has 3 more surgeries ahead of her, then this will all be behind her!  She wants to be a Speech Path, to help other children just like her.  She was so blessed, that her speech was barely affected, but many others are not as fortunate.

I will continue to share more with you at later times the things we have experienced during this time in our life.
Goodnight all, and may all your days, be circus days!

Disappointment?

I'm sure you've figured out by now that I'm an amateur right?  I'm not a professional blogger, nor to I have a fancy blog(maybe one day)  So, if you are looking for wisdom, guidance, professional help, you've come to the wrong place!  What you may find is occasional grammatical errors, and down to earth life at my circus! 

So, to not disappoint you any farther, today I have 2 subjects to discuss in short form.  Neither one have any relevance what so ever, but, such is life!

First and foremost my husband and I have an appointment with a lawyer today, to sign our will, custody assignment of our children, legal mumbo jumbo...
My dad is a funeral director/embalmer.  I've grown up around death my entire life, worked in the funeral business myself, and even won a scholarship for mortuary school. If anyone should know the importance of planning ahead in these situations, it's me.  But, why do I find it a little unsettling?  That at 35 years of age, I have to think there's a chance someone else may raise my 5 children.  Is it something I want to think about? NO!  But is it the responsible thing to do?  Yes.  Because I know then that the responsible people that WE chose will be caring for our children the way they know we would want them to be.

Now, on to the Circus!!!! No, really, we are going to the circus today!  Not just any circus, the Shriner's Circus!  Last year was the first year we took all 5 kids, and will admit I was a little concerned, since I have a few who can not stay still to save their lives.  But, it was amazing, actual very emotional for me to watch one of our girls(who suffers from various issues mentally, and physically) be transformed almost into a zombie, as she stood almost the entire 2 hours, transfixed on the show before her.  To watch their eyes light up, brought tears to my eyes.  No, it's not an earth shattering event, but for one moment in time, they were all just children, no labels, no chains, just pure childhood joy!

See, I warned you, you're never going to know what you're going to get from me!  One day I'm weeping, the next, you'll be rolling on the floor with laughter...that's "My personal Circus" and I'm not kidding!

Happy Saturday, enjoy today as if it was your last!

Consider your self WARNED!

So, I've decided to take the plunge, and start a blog.  I hope you enjoy the ride, because this crazy life of mine, is my personal circus!  Lol  I should have started this when we first adopted the girls, or when we first moved to "the farm" because I know you would have enjoyed the laughs.  As I go along, I will try to share some of those stories with you.  But for now, I hope you enjoy our daily lives, my day to day struggles, and a good laugh.  There are times when I have to laugh, otherwise I would cry!  So, sit down, buckle up, and enjoy this new chapter in our life!  In the coming weeks, we will start home schooling for the first time, start our second garden ever, try to rebuild our flock of chickens, and embark on another summer @ our hobby farm "City Girlz Farm & Ranch."  I may not share everything everyday, but rest assured, there will never be a dull moment, I've already started a list for post.(I'm OCD like that, just ask anyone)

My hope for this blog is to touch someones life.  I feel like at the age of 35, I am just now beginning to figure out who I really am, and get "it" together.  I will always try to speak honestly and candidly about my feelings, if I help no one along the way, it's been therapy for me more than anything!  Thank you Tammy for encouraging me to take this leap!

Until tomorrow...see you @ the circus!