My Little Sister, Nikki Joelle. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

It's my sister's birthday today.  She's 24.  She's had an exciting year and will continue to.  She's pregnant and due in December.  Yay! I''m so excited to be an auntie.  She's such a great auntie to my kids, I hope I can be one in return.  I plan to give it my all...how fun to spoil someone else's kid and then give him/her back... :)

She also purchased her farm, where she's been living for 2 years, the other day.  I'm so happy for them.  They are going to fence in the quarter they live on and run cows on it. 

She's also been working on fixing up her house.  She redid her kitchen, new (to her) cupboards, new double ovens, a dishwasher, a new layout...it's awesome! She really loves it. 

Recently, she put new carpet in her bedroom, painted the walls, and set up her beautiful new log bed that she just made with my dad.  It looks great!

 Sisters...13 months apart.

She's fun...

witty...

an awesome auntie...

loves dressing the kids up and playing with them...

in love with her husband...

a huge animal lover (don't tell her that I called her dogs animals...they're her "kids")...

and she's such a beautiful person, inside and out.

Happy Birthday, sis!

This Morning's Adventure

Matt was up early helping spray our soybean fields...I wasn't, though.  I woke up with Clarence.  We came down and made some breakfast. 

Matt came in a while later and asked if we'd (meaning the kids and I) be able to go move cows down at my pasture (the one with the paddocks that I wrote about a while ago).  I said sure. 

No need for him to go down there when I could run with the kids - after all, there was a 4-wheeler for us to drive - and open a few different gates for the cows to run through.

I woke up Sleeping Beauty at 10:30 and gave her some breakfast. Then we were off...for what I thought would be a quick, less than an hour trip, to move cows.

Once we all three crawled under the fence (well, Sleeping Beauty didn't crawl...I had to push her and I made her mad), we went to the wellhouse and opened the door to start the 4-wheeler.

Matt told me it would be easy.

He was wrong.

He said all I had to do was turn the key, turn the choke on, and pull the starter thing...(I forgot what it's called).

I did all three of the above, and almost had my hand ripped off...I wasn't pulling it right and it jerked back...several times!

Since I had driven 16 or so miles to get to this pasture, I thought it was silly to just turn around and go home without accomplishing this easy task...so, I called my dad.  I asked if he could spare a couple minutes, drive over (it's about 4 miles from his house), and start the 4-wheeler for me.

He did...no problem there.  We were off and ready to go open gates...

Gate #1: is where the main connection is for the electric fence.  I had to open that gate first.  I tried with Sleeping Beauty in my arms...I wasn't strong enough.

I brought her to the 4-wheeler so Clarence could hold her, and I went back to try again.  After all, two arms are better than one, aren't they??

I found out they are, and I also found out that my life would've been easier today if I had thought ahead and SHUT THE POWER OFF before I set off from the well-house.  You see, we have electric fences to partition off the paddocks...All the mini-gates I was opening were a part of this electric fence. 

I screamed so loud from the shock, I wonder who heard me? Hopefully nobody.  :)

Lesson learned, shut the power off...

Gate #2: We went through the second paddock (where the cows were presently grazing) to the far end to open the gate so they could move on to the next one.  The cows started running once we were through the gate...they were running behind us...they were so excited...

For Fresh Grass...  They didn't trample me or anything...they stopped at the gate and allowed me to open it for them...then they ran through again.

What well-trained cows we have!

Then I remembered...
Matt had told me to take the sick bull (that I told you about a couple days ago) and let him in with the cows.  I had forgotten to do this before I let the cows into the next paddock.  Therefore, the bull is still where I found him, and he's all by himself.  Hopefully this will work to my advantage and it'll make it easier for Matt to load him - he won't have the cows nearby to tempt him to stay by the fence.

So, we tried to get the bull in. That didn't work.  I'm scared of bulls, and I didn't try too hard (don't tell Matt).

We had to go back to where the cows were, get the mineral tub, and bring it to the pasture they moved to. 

No problem, right?

Wrong...Sleeping Beauty had been sitting on my lap, and now she couldn't...I had to use my free arm to hold the mineral tub in the front.

We had to go down a muddy, wet, sloppy alleyway to get there.  By this time, I was filthy, the kids had mud splatters all over their bodies, and Ruby was a wet, muddy mess.  But, I wanted to finish the job...why make Matt go back just to bring a mineral bucket out there?

Halfway down the alley, I decided I'd had enough of the mess...I pushed down two insulators, drove over the fence, delivered the mineral, and back we went to lift the fence back up and shut the gates. 

My poor kids...they were both so good through all of this. Every time I had to get off and open a gate, Clarence held Sleeping Beauty.  He was so helpful! She would've been way dirtier if he hadn't held her. 

We brought the 4-wheeler back to the wellhouse, turned on the power, and I let the kids take their clothes off and play in some puddles...we were all a mess, what's a little more? They loved it!

On the way, home we ordered lunch from the End of the Line...we all deserved it after spending 2 hours moving cows.

What My Hard-Working Husband Has Been Up To

I often write about myself and my children, but I don't highlight very well what Matt has been up to.  As the hardest-working member of this family, he needs a little recognition, too!

He's been talking to my dad a lot lately...about farming, dad's new shop that he's helped with, the cows, haying, spraying fields, etc.  He hasn't been talking about hunting, and he hasn't been out to eastern Montana lately...this was about 4-5 years ago. 

He's been hunting - not in eastern Montana in the fall and not for pelvic bones - but for dry hay fields to cut, cows that need doctoring, and for aphids in the soybean fields.

He's been fixing equipment - not combines and not with others' help - but the mower conditioner.  Ugh! What a tough year for Matt...he's been fixing that thing nonstop!  Please pray that we can make it through the rest of haying without another major breakdown.  I don't know if the poor guy can handle it.

Just kidding. 

He can, he just doesn't want to!

He's been playing softball every Monday night...he's oh so good, most of the time, and fun to watch!

He's been his usual charming self...most of the time!

Summer is stressful...I get that!

I just go with the flow!

Things work best that way...

He was in his cousins' wedding at the end of June.  He made one HANDSOME usher!

I'm a lucky lady!

And, that, friends, is what Matt's been up to...

along with fixing the mower conditioner, fixing the mower conditioner, and checking/moving/doctoring cows.

P.S. He just called...I have to go get him.  The mower conditioner broke again.  Seriously, guys...send up a few prayers!!! :)))

Potty Training On The Farm

Potty training is one of the most frustrating things I've ever done in my life.  It's something that I as a mother am not able to quit and give up on.  If that happens, Clarence keeps on wearing a diaper.  That can't happen...he's too old for that! It's the kind of thing where I need to keep on keeping on, whether I like it or not!

Here are some pictures my sister took of Clarence during his summer of getting potty trained.  I've been attmepting it for awhile, but haven't stuck with it...Yesterday, I started again for the last time.  I'm not giving up until it's done!

His dad takes the credit for this...at least I'm giving him credit.  This isn't something I do outside! :)

Off to his next destination...

Back at the tree again...I'm really glad Nikki got these pictures.

I'm sure Clarence will be glad someday, too.

Not.

He went through a week-long spurt where he pooped outside every day.  Then it was over and he liked his diaper better again.

Yesterday morning, he woke up, I took his diaper off, and he was MAD!  I told him enough was enough and he had to pee in the potty from now on.  He's had a few accidents, mostly because he forgets to go and I forget to remind him.  It's my fault, too.  I need to get better at it!

Well, that's my rant for the day...if you ever have to potty train a child, I wish you all the luck in the world! And, for those who have done it, you're amazing!

How I Met My Husband

It was Sunday night of the fair, 7 years ago.  I had just graduated high school a little over a month ago.  I was enjoying my last summer in 4-H, helping my dad on the farm, and getting ready to head out to college in the fall.  My  sister was dating a guy named Cody, who was much older than her and had a wide variety of friends.  It was demo night...my favorite, although I don't know why...it's not like I really had anyone to watch.  Cody and Nikki were at the fair (he was helping load up 4-H animals, I think), and a bunch of his friends were hanging around the barns with them.  Cody's friend, Kevin (AKA Matt's cousin, Kevin) was out there, and I knew him because he'd been with Cody before. 

The two people I didn't know, however, were the guys with Kevin and Cody...a handsome guy wearing a cowboy hat and striped overalls without a shirt, and a really big guy that looked like Uncle Kracker.

They were both in the demo and getting ready to bring their cars down to the pits.  It looked like it was going to rain, and it did, and somehow (I really can't remember how), Nikki and I ended up waiting with Matt in his old red Dodge pickup to get into the pits.  We waited out the rain, cheered them on in the demo, then found them after. 

They were hungry and were headed to a fair food stand to eat.  We caught up with them to hang out and visit some more.  I sat by Matt while he ate, and he told me a little about himself, mostly how to pronounce his last name.

"It's Przekwas," he said.

"What?" (What kind of a last name is that?)

"Przekwas," he said.

"Purr...(like a cat)."

"Zek.......Was."

PurrZekWas..(Okay, not so hard once you sound it out really slow.)

Anyway, my parents saw who we were hanging out with...they weren't overly impressed with these grungy, poorly dressed boys in cowboy hats their daughters had found after the demo.  They didn't say much, though, just left us to hang out and be kids. 

After they ate, Matt and I went for a walk up the midway.  Nathan tagged along.  I was lovestruck by this point (I think, or at least Matt tells me I was), and I gave Nathan some money so he'd leave us alone and let us walk and talk by ourselves. (Nathan's always quick to bring this up to me...it's definitely a little embarrassing, but oh well...)

Matt was limping a little bit when I met him.  About 8 months before, he had shot his leg/ankle totally off (it was just hanging on by a flap of skin) during hunting season.  He was in the hospital for about a month and had been in a wheelchair and on crutches for months.  He told me that story and showed me his leg...then, we went up to the grandstands to watch the fireworks...he wiped the bench off so I could sit by him (it was wet from the rain...how romantic, huh? just kidding.) and we watched the fireworks.  After that, he headed home...he had to bring his car back and it was dark.

I was so nervous after my time at the fair with Matt...I thought there was no way he would even care about talking to me again or wanting to see me. 

I was wrong...I'm glad. 

We talked on the phone a lot, I went to Roseau to paint his demo car for that fair, we went to parties, hung out a bunch, and about a month and a half later, we started dating. 

The rest is history.

Well, not really, but that's for another time!

Recipes...Pasta Salad, Ranch Dressing and Pico De Gallo

I found this recipe and can't wait to try it soon.....I just need to plant my basil in my garden so that I have fresh basil to use, and I don't know wha t gouda cheese is.  I looked in our local grocery store and in GF, but can't find it.  If you know what it is or if I can find it around here, please let me know.  Thanks!

This will be a great recipe to help use up some of the thousands of cherry tomatoes I will soon be picking out of my garden!

I think it would go great with steak on the grill...Yum! 

Recipe: Spicy Pasta Salad with Smoked Gouda, Tomatoes, and Basil

taken from thepioneerwoman.com

Prep Time: 15 Minutes  |  Cook Time: 9 Minutes  |  Difficulty: Easy  |  Servings: 8

Print Recipe 3"x5" Cards 4"x6" Cards Full Page

Ingredients

• 12 ounces, weight Mostaccioli
• 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup Whole Milk
• 4 Tablespoons White Vinegar
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Adobo Sauce From Chipotle Peppers (or One Minced Chipotle Pepper)
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• Ground Black Pepper To Taste
• 10 ounces, weight Grape Tomatoes, Halved Lengthwise
• 1/2 pound Smoked Gouda Cheese, Cut Into Small Cubes
• 24 whole Basil Leaves (chiffonade)

Preparation Instructions

Cook pasta until done. Drain and rinse in cold water until no longer hot. Set aside.
Mix mayonnaise, milk, vinegar, salt, pepper, and adobo in a small bowl.
In a large bowl, stir together pasta, dressing, halved tomatoes, and cubed Gouda. Taste for seasonings, adding more salt and pepper if needed, and even an extra teaspoons or two of vinegar if necessary. Stir in basil at the end. Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.
Divine.
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Here's a recipe for homemade ranch dressing.  I haven't made this either, but when I use up what I've got in the fridge, I plan on making some. 

Recipe: Homemade Ranch Dressing

taken from thepioneerwoman.com

Prep Time: 2 Hours  |  Cook Time:  |  Difficulty: Easy  |  Servings: 8

Print Recipe 3"x5" Cards 4"x6" Cards Full Page

Ingredients

• 1 clove (to 2 Cloves) Garlic
• Salt To Taste
• 1/4 cup Italian Flat-leaf Parsley
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Chives
• 1 cup (Real) Mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup Sour Cream
• Buttermilk (as Needed To Desired Consistency)
• White Vinegar (optional, To Taste)
• Worcestershire Sauce, To Taste (optional)
• Fresh Dill (optional, To Taste)
• Cayenne Pepper (optional, To Taste)
• Paprika (optional, To Taste)
• Fresh Oregano (optional, To Taste)
• Tabasco (optional, To Taste)

Preparation Instructions

Mince the garlic with a knife and then sprinkle about an 1/8 to ¼ teaspoons of salt on it and mash it into a paste with a fork. Chop the parsley, chives and any of the optional herbs very finely and add to the garlic.

In a bowl combine all ingredients, adding other optional ingredients as you wish, tasting frequently and adjusting seasonings as needed. Chill for a couple of hours before serving, thin with milk or buttermilk if desired.

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Here's a recipe for pico de gallo.  I also have not made this recipe...I'm waiting for fresh produce from my garden...good excuse, I know, but nothing's better than fresh tomatoes!

Pico De Gallo

taken from thepioneerwoman.com

Ingredients

• 5 whole Plum (roma) Tomatoes (I didn't plant any of these, so I'll just use regular tomatoes)
• 1/2 whole Large (or 1 Small) Onion
• 3 whole Jalapeno Peppers
• Cilantro
• Lime Juice
• Salt To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Chop jalapenos, tomatoes and onions into a very small dice. (Leave seeds in your jalapenos for a hotter pico). Adjust amount of jalapenos to your preferred temperature. Next, chop up a nice-sized bunch of cilantro. Just remove and discard the long leafless stems before chopping. No need to remove the leaves from the stems completely. Place all of these ingredients together in a bowl and give it a good stir.

Squeeze the juice of half of one lime into the bowl. Add salt to taste and stir again.

I am so excited to try all of these recipes...Enjoy!  And, if you didn't notice, I got all the recipes from my new favorite website... thepioneerwoman.com.  Check it out! She's got tons of great, easy-to-make, normal recipes!

My Children

The good thing about kids is that it takes very little to amuse them.  Take this morning, for example.  I had to clean the church this morning because my cousin is having her little boy baptized tonight, followed by supper in the fellowship hall.  Matt had to leave early this morning to try and catch a bull that needs to come home and recuperate (although I don't feel comfortable explaining the whole thing...it's his male regions...enough said!), so he wasn't able to stay home and let me go in early to clean.

The children and I slept in...it goes against what I said I was going to work on the other day...but I'm a procrastinator.  Hopefully tomorrow!

We bathed...we got home late from softball last night and the kids were totally out, so I gave them a bath this morning, instead.

I made them breakfast and wrapped it up so they could eat it on the way to town.  Oh, and I stopped by to see Nikki's bedroom...she had new carpet installed yesterday and set up the new log bed she made in it.  It's beautiful all put together.  The Huge King size Log bed, the smoky bluish-gray walls and the new tan carpet...it's like a whole new house.

At church, while I quickly vacuumed the sanctuary and fellowship hall (I vacuum quickly when I have the kids because I don't know how long I have until Clarence decides he's going to escape and run out to the car or something), the kids played so well!  Clarence had packed some of his animals: a bull, a lamb, a baby zebra, some baby cows (they're cows, just smaller than the rest of his animals, so they're baby cows...last night at softball, Gma Muriel held one up and said, "Is this a baby calf?" Clarence quickly replied, "No, it's a baby cow." He knows the difference!) and Easter eggs in his backpack and they started out playing with them.  Soon, he had cleaned all of that up and they were going in and out of the elevator...it's a simpler elevator, not the kind with the fast-closing doors that might hurt/squeeze my children.  It has a normal door on it, and they went in and out, in and out, in and out, in and out, in and out, (you get the picture).....

After that, they moved on to pushing a little wooden table all over the fellowship hall...Clarence pushed and Adina pulled...through rooms and doors, this occupied their little bodies for about 15 minutes! After that, I was almost finished, but they had found the wheelchair.  I set Adina in there, and Clarence slowly and carefully (seriously) pushed her around.  They both loved it! Before we left, I gave them a ride together...Clarence was thrilled!

I love that they are so easily amused by what they find to do...from playing in an elevator to pushing a wheelchair...as long as they're not hurting anything, I'd way rather have them play well together and entertain themselves than have to bring tons of toys and movies along to keep them occupied. 

Gardening..........

I have a garden.  A pretty big garden actually.  (If I had a working camera, I'd take a picture and show you...:) But, since I don't, you'll have to just believe me.) 

Gardening isn't something I just live to do...it's not something that I think about all the time...it's something that I do because I enjoy canning, I enjoy paying less for groceries, and I enjoy eating fresh vegetables (and I want my kids to, too).  Actually, I have enjoyed my garden more this year than any other year we've lived here.  We've made a mutual effort to weed it and till it...Matt tills, I weed.  We're a great team.  He tills, I pick veggies.  He tills, I can the veggies.  He plows the garden up late in the fall.  He's a handy guy to have around!

I've got corn, potatoes, carrots, onions (short, tiny ones...I think they drounded out), zinnias, beets, beans, lettuce, dill, peppers,  and lots of tomatoes (I bought 41 plants, to be exact, but I think a few died.)

I love corn on the cob...it's definitely my favorite meal...just a big pot of corn on the cob.  It's not Matt's favorite, however...he grew up eating other food with corn on the cob.  Not us Younggrens...we live for meals and meals of just corn.  Sometimes I make just corn, but sometimes I make Matt a little something else...it's just a way of meeting in the middle.

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Potatoes...I just love them, too, especially when they're nice and little.  My favorite way of making baby potatoes...creamed potatoes with peas and carrots.  It's the best!

Here's the recipe in case you'd like to try and make it:
Creamed Potatoes, Carrots and Peas

Potatoes
Carrots
Peas
2 c. milk
1/4-1/2 c. butter
3-4 tbsp. flour (more if needed)
chives
dill
garlic

Boil the potatoes and carrots until they're cooked through.  Drain the water.  Using the same pan (while the veggies are draining in a strainer in the sink),  melt 1/2 cup butter, and stir in 3-4 TBSP. of flour until it becomes a paste.  Add about 2 cups of milk and stir with a whisk so it doesn't get lumpy.  Heat it up until the mixture gets thick.  At this point, add the peas.  Avoid boiling it hard so that the milk doesn't curdle.  Keep stirring so any lumps don't burn to the bottom of the pan.  After cooking for about 5 minutes, it should be thick.  Add in the potatoes, carrots, chives (optional), and a little dill and garlic.  Add more if you like stronger flavor.   I usually make a big batch so I have leftovers for the next days' lunch!
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Two years ago, I learned a new way to freeze carrots and beets.  My friend has a great recipe (message me if you'd like it) for freezing.  They are ready to just thaw/heat through and are ready to eat.  The kids just love them!
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I make a lot of pickled beans with my garden green beans...my family really likes them!  We also eat as many with meals as possible...here's the recipe I made today:

Garden Green Beans
Beans
Butter
Salt and Pepper
Dill

In a saucepan, boil about 2 cups of water and beans.  Put a cover on.  It keeps the steam in and doesn't make them mushy.  Boil for about 5 minutes.  Test the beans to see if they are tendercrisp.  Boil longer if needed; otherwise, drain the water.  Add in 1-2 tbsp. butter, salt, pepper and dill.  Eat!

These are great...Adina just loved them today...she hasn't had garden green beans before.
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I use my peppers for salsa...that's about it, though.  I've tried freezing them, but then I forget to use them. 

Tomatoes....oh, how I love tomatoes. 

Toasted Tomato Sandwiches!  Yum!

Salsa! The best!

Canned whole tomatoes...stewed tomatoes...sliced tomatoes...you get the point...we love tomatoes!

Last year, I had a huge amount of peppers and cherry tomatoes (and I think I'll have the same blessing this year - I have 5 cherry tomato plants! Yikes!). 
I found this recipe.  It's awesome and a great way to use them up!

Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half
Peppers, sliced however you like to eat them
Italian dressing

Mix ingredients all together in a bowl. Chill for at least a half hour.  If you're an onion lover, add in an onion or two...
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If you've got a garden, enjoy it and take advantage of the fresh veggies and all the great ways to use them.  If you don't have a garden, go to farmer's markets and support those who grow fresh veggies around us...it's way healthier for you!

Kids And Their Words

Matt plays softball every Monday night in the summer...so do a lot of guys around here, I guess.  In fact, most of his team is my family members...my dad, brother, Matt, Nikki's husband, Mark, my uncle Loren, and my cousins Joel and Jack.  There are about 6 or 7 other guys, too.  Each week, we (the kids and I) go with to play at the playgrounds that are by all the ball diamonds around here.  The kids love it, especially Clarence, because he gets to play with a bunch of other kids.  It's a great way to tire the kids out before bed, too! :)
Today when I layed him down for his nap, I told him when he gets up, we're going to watch daddy play softball (they have a makeup game this afternoon with supper to follow at our cabin!).  He immediately started saying, "Loel, daddy, Dikki, Boke, Yuli, Tae, Dia, Mommy, Me," over and over again, and, obviously, in different orders.  It was so cute! I left him in his room to fall asleep, and a couple minutes later, he was singing a song about softball and all the people he's going to see there.  He's a great singer...lately, he sings songs about everything.  I tell him something and a couple minutes later when he's playing, he'll be singing about it. 

Clarence has also had a little attitude lately...I suppose all two-year olds have attitudes at some point.  Some days, it seems that the day will never be over! He definitely tests my patience!  If people come up and talk to him, he'll yell, "Go Away!" and point his finger at them.  I'm not telling you this because it's cute...it's far from it and really frustrates me.  I don't want him to treat people like that.  I'm telling you this because since he's been saying this a lot lately, his copycat, Adina, has started saying it, too.  AHHH! Just kidding...she's only 1 and doesn't know what she's saying, so it's cute when she does it, although I don't acknowledge that she's even saying anything...I just smile to myself.  She'll walk around with her toys, saying, "Go way, go way", and it's not  yelling or mean or anything...it's just something she heard Clarence saying and can say herself.
It's funny how something like that can be cute when kids don't know what they're saying, but not funny at all when they are deliberately saying it.

Sorry I don't post up-to-date pictures very often...the last couple I've posted were from Nikki...my camera doesn't work and won't upload pictures to my computer.  I'm getting a new camera soon, as soon as I get to GF next, so I'll post new pictures more often! Have a super Sunday!

Early Mornings

I really love the very early hours of the morning. I do, I really do.  However, I really like sleeping in, too.  There's really no happy medium for me.  Either I wake up really early because I have to (and I end up enjoying it) or I sleep in with the kids.

Today I woke up early...5:30, to be exact.  It was beautiful! It's so quiet and peaceful outside (except for the bellering cows who want breakfast) and all around town. 

I had to go to town to clean the church...it's a side job I have for a little extra fun money.  There was a funeral today, and I hadn't been there yet this week, so I went in early.  Doing this has many benefits for me:

• my kids are still sleeping
• so is my husband
• this means that he can be home with them so I can clean BY MYSELF! It's the greatest thing ever, to clean the church without helpers...

Anyway, back to early mornings...as I said, if I can choose, I like to sleep in, but if I have to, I like to wake up early.  It gives me a chance to do some things by myself before the kids get up.  Today, I cleaned the church, filled 2 dozen buns for the funeral, made frosting and frosted my mom's birthday cake (HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!), read my Bible, and ate breakfast before my kids woke up.


Long story short, I think I'll get up early more often because I choose to, not because I have to!  The advantages greatly outweigh the disadvantages!

We went camping the beginning of June during VBS.  The kids loved it! They were both so good!

She loves camping!

More Fair Time

Yesterday, we went to the Roseau County Fair to watch Matt's baby sister show her 4-H steer.  Actually, she's 15, just the baby of her family.  She's a super gal...a fun auntie and always willing to help people out.  Anyway, we went to watch her show her steer.  We arrived at the fair hoping to get there in time for the 1 o'clock show.  Turns out, with the bad weather they'd had, the cattle show was postponed 2 hours.

Two hours later, after some fairfood lunch, some visiting, watching the pig and sheep shows, and trying to entertain my increasingly tired children, it was time for the cattle show.  Mary did very well...her steer looked nice and she did a good job showing it.  She smiled at the judge, answered her questions well, set her steer up nice and square, and didn't let him freak out and run out of the ring.  She did so well that she won a state fair trip with her steer.  Way to go, Mary!!! We're a fair-loving family...we love fairs so much, we go to as many as we can...so, we're all pumped to head to the state fair the end of August!  Thanks, Mary.  Without you, I wouldn't be able to go to the state fair this year.  This means Matt has to go...he HAS to help you...you HAVE to make him go to help you...just for me, so that I can go to the state fair this year. 

Thanks, love your big sis


Just for fun, here's a picture of Adina. She's lovely, in every way possible.

Couples Bible Study

Matt and I are in a couples bible study with 3 other couples from our church, the pastor and her husband, my sister and brother-in-law, and another couple down the road from me.  We started it almost 2 years ago and have had so much fun getting together and discussing the Bible and questions from our study.  We start a 6 o'clock with supper (sort of potluckish...the host/hostess makes the main dish and everyone brings sides or desserts) and drinks (yes, drinks - beer, wine, sangria, pop or koolaid).  We get a babysitter for our kids - there are five of them running around - and it takes the pressure off us parents.  We are able to focus on what we're talking about.  After we finish supper, the babysitters take the kids and we sit down for a short video and discussion.  It can last as long or as short as you want...we usually start talking about things and it lasts over an hour.  I love it! I love being able to share my faith with my friends and my husband! It makes me feel closer to Matt knowing his relationship with God and being able to share mine with him. 

Before we actually start our bible study, we share our highs and lows of the last month...something positive in our lives and something that's frustrating or bothering us...it's a good ice breaker and helps us feel more comfortable talking the rest of the night. 

Last night, we finished our study on the book of Romans.  We're going to start a new study on discipleship in our community.  I'm hoping it will give us some good ideas about things we can do with our friends and neighbors to get them more active in their faiths!

At the end of the discussion, we pray, sometimes with one person leading it, sometimes praying for the person on the right/left, popcorn praying, etc.  It's a great way to pray out loud and not feel uncomfortable.
After we're done with Bible study, we have dessert and visit until the kids are super tired and ready to go home for bed.

I recommend starting a couples Bible study with some of your friends...it's a great way to learn more about your friends and encourage them in their faith journeys.  It's also a good way to get husbands/boyfriends involved and thinking about their faith (not judging here...it just seems like the men sit and let the women be the involved ones...this gives them a chance to shine!). 

We all love our bible study and look forward to the time every month! It's a chance to let our guards down and share with each other who care.

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Today, we're headed to the Roseau County Fair to watch Auntie Mary, Matt's 15 year-old sister, show her 4-H steer.  We love going to watch, help, and encourage her with her project.  Clarence enjoys going to watch...he's such a cowboy!

We're going to eat fair food, visit with Grandma and Grandpa and Auntie Mary, go on RIDES (although the kids don't know it yet), etc.  I love fairs! Must be the kid in me.

Have a super duper day!

Mocha Silk Pie and Iced Coffee.........Try Them Both!!!

These are two more recipes I made yesterday, along with Grasshopper Pie, which I posted yesterday.  I made the two pies for our couples Bible study last night...they were a huge hit! The kids all ate the Grasshopper Pie and wanted seconds! The iced coffee was for myself so I can have coffee, just not the hot stuff, on these terribly hot and humid days.  I only made a half recipe of the coffee to see if I like it, and I do, but I"ll probably always make a half recipe because I don't have a large enough container or enough fridge room to store it for a long time....I'll explain at the recipe.  Enjoy!

The Iced Coffee recipe calls for 1 lb. of ground coffee and 8 quarts of water. I did 1 cup of coffee and 4 quaarts of water.  It made a huge bowl full...a good trial amount in case you're not sure you'll like it.  Also, I wouldn't go way over the amount of coffee grounds it calls for...it's pretty strong the way it is!

Recipe: Perfect Iced Coffee

Prep Time: 8 Hours  |  Cook Time:  |  Difficulty: Easy  |  Servings: 24

Ingredients

• 1 pound Ground Coffee (good, Rich Roast)
• 8 quarts Cold Water
• Half-and-half (healthy Splash Per Serving)
• Sweetened Condensed Milk (2-3 Tablespoons Per Serving)
• Note: Can Use Skim Milk, 2% Milk, Whole Milk, Sugar, Artificial Sweeteners, Syrups...adapt To Your Liking!

Preparation Instructions

(Adapted from Imbibe Magazine)
In a large container, mix ground coffee with water. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature eight hours or overnight.
Line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth and set over a pitcher or other container. Pour coffee/water mixture through the strainer, allowing all liquid to run through. Discard grounds.
Place coffee liquid in the fridge and allow to cool. Use as needed.
To make iced coffee, pack a glass full of ice cubes. Fill glass 2/3 full with coffee liquid. Add healthy splash of half-and-half. Add 2-3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk (can use plain sugar instead) and stir to combine. Taste and adjust half-and-half and/or sweetened condensed milk as needed.


The Mocha Silk Pie recipe calls for Kahlua and instant coffee...since I have neither at my house, I used regular coffee...cold stuff from yesterday morning. It turned out very good...it had a strong coffee flavor, and if you'd rather have more of a chocolate flavor, use less coffee in the chocolate mixture (like 1 tsp. instead of the 3+ I used).  Also, I only had 3 eggs, and it turned out fine.  I was going to go out to my henhouse and find another one, but there was a bull (yes, I said a bull) in there escaping the flies and I was scared!  So, if you only have three eggs, you can still make this recipe!  I received many positive comments about this pie, too!

Recipe: Mocha Silk Pie

Prep Time: 35 Minutes  |  Cook Time: 2 Hours  |  Difficulty: Intermediate  |  Servings: 10

Crust

• 1 cup Pecans, Finely Chopped
• 1/2 cup Packed Brown Sugar
• 2 ounces, weight Semi Sweet Chocolate Grated
• 2 Tablespoons Kahlua
• Dash Of Salt
• Filling
• 2 sticks Butter (salted)
• 1-1/2 cup Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Instant Coffee Granules
• 1 teaspoon Kahlua
• 3 ounces, weight Semi-sweet (or Bittersweet) Chocolate
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 4 whole Large Eggs

Preparation Instructions

To make the crust, combine chopped pecans, brown sugar, grated chocolate, and salt. Stir with a fork to combine, then drizzle in Kahlua, stirring until combined. Press mixture into a pie pan, bringing it up the sides a bit. *Do not bake* Set aside or refrigerate until needed.
In small microwave safe bowl, melt 3 ounces of unsweetened baking chocolate until stirrable (about 45 seconds on high). Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter, sugar, 2 teaspoons instant coffee, and 1 teaspoon Kahlua until fluffy, about 1 1/2 minutes. When melted chocolate is cooled, drizzle it into the butter/sugar mixture as it beats on medium speed; use a rubber spatula to get it all out. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Beat the mixture thoroughly until combined, scraping the sides if necessary.
On medium speed, add the four eggs, one at a time, over a period of 20 minutes; leave about 5 minutes between each egg addition. Scrape sides of bowl halfway through this process. Pour filling into the pie crust. You might have a little filling leftover. If you do, I'll trust you to do the right thing.
Smooth out the pie filling and place pie in the refrigerator to chill for at least two hours (preferably longer).
Serve with whipped cream and more grated chocolate.

A Busy Couple of HOT Days!

The weather this last week has been just awful.  Well, sort of, anyway.  It's sunny sometimes (which we farmers/ranchers love), but it's super humid so it takes forever for the hay to dry.  On top of that, there's nasty storms every other day, at least! There's tornado warnings and watches and severe thunderstorm warnings and watches.  It's really hard to cut, rake and bale hay in this kind of weather.  It makes my husband pretty crabby sometimes.  (We all get crabby sometimes, though, and he has a good reason, I guess, since we want our hay to be good and NOT rained on when we bale it up, but so far it hasn't happened this year.)

I baked late Friday evening because we have been in a heat warning from Friday until tomorrow, Wednesday.  We were totally out of bread and buns, and I can't very well make lunches for my husband if I don't have bread/buns to make a sandwich. 

Saturday, we went with Matt to move cows.  We have a pasture about 20 miles away from our house that we rotate our cows in every 4-5 days.  It's a 400 acre pasture with 8 mini-pastures inside it.  Every 4-5 days, we rotate our cows to the next pasture.  It's a really good way to manage our pasture because the cows are forced to eat everything in that pasture until they move on, not just selectively eating their favorites (the clover and treefoil).  Then we go out with the 4-wheeler and yell "Come, boss" and the cows come running.  It's really fun to watch.  The kids had such a blast! Adina was whipping her head from one side to the other making sure she didn't miss a thing.  It's so cute to hear Clarence's little voice yelling for the cows to come..."Come, boss".  :)
Managing our pastures this way is good for us because it makes us take time to go down there and look at the cows firsthand. This helps us find the sick calves and the cows/bulls with sore feet, etc.  We also bring out mineral tubs and salt blocks for the cows. 
I love helping move the cows (not that riding on the 4-wheeler can actually be classified as 'helping').  It's fun to see how much the calves have grown, how nicely the cows are filling out, and to spend time with my family.  I hadn't done it since the beginning of June, 2010, when I was 9 months pregnant with Adina.  That time, I crawled under the 5-strand barbed wire and got poison ivy all over my arms and stomach.  Here's an up-close picture of my arms...

Please don't judge me.

 It's just what happens when a 9-month pregnant girl thinks she's still agile enough to crawl (but instead rolls) under a 5 strand barbed wire fence. 

I had it on my stomach, too, but thankfully, I don't have a photo to show you...not that I would, anyway.  Pretty sure nobody wants to see my baby belly the day I was in the hospital to have her. :)

Saturday night, we went to a surprise 30th birthday for a friend.  We were late and missed the surprise, but we still had fun visiting for a while.

Sunday morning, we got up and got ready to head to the Zoo...it's only an hour and a half drive from us, and it's actually very cheap entertainment for the kids (and the husband).  My parents, brother, and my family all piled into their vehicle and up north we went.  Clarence loved the donkeys (zebras).  He wanted to stay and watch them all day.  There was a baby zebra, too, and he thought it was his.  He kept saying, "my donkey, momma," and was quite upset when we moved on to look at the other animals.  It's the only part he actually tells people about when he tells them about his trip to the 'yoo'.  The kids were so good...I hadn't been to the zoo in years, and we had so much fun!  I hope to make more trips with the kids in coming years.  It's good for them to know there are other animals in the world besides the farm animals they look at everyday.

Monday, Matt got up at 4 to head over to my dad's house.  They started pouring cement for his shop yesterday.  They were going to pour the first half yesterday and the rest of it today.  The crew was up and ready to pour at 5 (to try and beat the nasty heat and humidity), but the cement guy didn't show up until 7:30 because he had overslept! He was not a very well-liked guy yesterday morning, and I bet he wasn't late today.  We had lunch and naps over at mom and dad's house and helped feed the work crew.  Later in the afternoon, Nikki, the kids and I went for a drive out to a friend's house.  We grew up together and were very involved in 4-H together, but haven't gotten together to visit since we've started our own families and gotten our own houses.  It was SO MUCH FUN to go out and visit.  It's something we would always talk about but never do unless we just set a day and do it. We did that, and I'm so glad.  It's nice to keep old friendships going, and all it requires is a little extra time and effort. 
After, we went to watch Matt, Nikki's husband, my dad and brother play softball (with the rest of their team).  They're an entertaining bunch to watch, and Clarence just loves playing on the playground equipment. 

Today, Matt was up early again to go help lay the rest of the cement.  Poor guy...he's going to be so tired by the end of the week!  He's going to come home and cut hay.  I think I'm bringing the kids to the sitter and I'm going to rake for a while.  Then, I need to make a dessert...we have couples bible study tonight and I'm in charge of dessert. I'm going to make grasshopper pie.  Well, here's the recipe.  Make it sometime...I think it looks delicious and very refreshing.

Recipe: Grasshopper Pie   (taken from thepioneerwoman.com)

Prep Time: 20 Minutes  |  Cook Time:  |  Difficulty: Easy  |  Servings: 12

Print Recipe 3"x5" Cards 4"x6" Cards Full Page

Ingredients

• 16 whole Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
• 2 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
• 24 whole Large Marshmallows (or Container Of Marshmallow Fluff)
• 2/3 cups Half-and-half
• 2 Tablespoons Creme De Menthe Liqueur (more To Taste)
• 2 Tablespoons Creme De Cacao Liqueur
• Drop Or Two Of Green Food Coloring
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• Extra Cookie Crumbs, For Sprinkling

Preparation Instructions

Throw the cookies and melted butter into a food processor and pulverize (or, if you have some aggressions or energy to expend, you can crush them in a large Ziploc bag.) Pour into a pie pan and press into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Set aside.
Heat marshmallows and half-and-half in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. As soon as it's all melted and combined, place saucepan in a bowl of ice to cool down quickly. (Stirring occasionally will hasten this process.) Once cool, add creme de menthe and creme de cacao. Taste and add more creme de menthe if needed. Add one to two drops green food coloring (optional!)
In a mixing bowl, beat whipping cream until stiff. Pour cold marshmallow mixture into the whipped cream and fold together gently.
Pour filling into chocolate crust (note: you might have a good 1/2 cup filling left over, depending on the size of your pie pan!) Sprinkle extra chocolate crumbs over the top. Place pie in the freezer and freeze until very firm, at least two hours.
Remove from freezer ten minutes or so before you want to slice and serve.

Have a wonderful day! I hope to make another post in the morning...we have another fun day ahead of us tomorrow!

Missing Leo...

A couple of weeks ago, my mom and dad's pug, Leo, died. He was 12 years old and in very poor health.  The day he died, actually, my mom and sister had decided to take him to the vet and have him put down.  He died when they got to the mailbox.  We were all relieved that it happened that way, because then we knew for sure it was his time to go. 
Leo was such a funny dog.  When we first got him, he was smaller than my dad's work boot.  He grew a lot the first year and was almost full grown a year later. He loved to go farming with my dad...especially working cows and working in the field.  (Not really, he was more of a "watch Tucker run after the cows" dog than a go-getter himself. And, in the tractor, he lived for taking naps and helping eat dad's extra sandwiches.)  He slept in the attic in Nikki's bed for many years before being confined to the basement because of his "accidents", or the bed bugs he carried, I'm not sure which.

After I graduated and got married, Leo was always around, but more lethargic than he used to be.  He basically took naps, ate, went outside to go to the bathroom, and repeated the process all day long.  Then he started getting little growths on his body, one on his leg and one on his side, that he had for probably 5 years.  This was accompanied by bad breath, rotten teeth, and another gain in weight.  Poor Leo. I miss him. 
Clarence and Adina have a stuffed animal pug. I was telling Clarence the other day that he should name it Leo after Grandma and Grandpa's dog that died.  Clarence and I talked about Leo dying all day. That night, when we finished saying prayers, I asked if he wanted to pray for anything else.  He said, "Grama Yuli dog die."  So, we said a prayer thanking God for giving us Leo and helping Grandpa and Grandma feel better about his death.  It was so, so, so sweet. 

 Lethargic Leo.
This was after I was in college...You can see he's quite a large dog, for a pug, that is.  I think he was around 40 lbs. for many years.

Daring Dog.

He's at the farm here, doing what he did best, barking at cows' noses and letting the other dogs chase them out of the barn.

Pooped-out Puppy...
This pile of straw was outside the barn...he was resting while we finished up in the barn.

We will always miss Leo and his sweet personality!

All About Adina

Adina and I were talking yesterday and she wants me to write about things she likes to do...So, by the end of this post, you'll know a lot  more about Adina and her vast variety of interests!

 She loves playing outside...swinging, riding in the wagon, playing in the sandbox, chasing the chickens, helping work cows.  When we work cows, she's a HUGE help! She uses the wagon as her "office".  She writes on tags and writes down numbers, organizes medicine and helps give shots.  Matt wouldn't be able to do stuff like that without her.  She's such a cowgirl!

 She loves babysitting her dolls...she hugs them and takes care of them so well! If you ever need a babysitter, you know who to call.  She's been thinking of starting a babysitting service soon...that is, as soon as she's taken the babysitting class.

 She loves all her babies! She got these dolls for Christmas and we didn't open them until she was closer to 1, and now she loves them! She's been sleeping with the baby on the left for a couple months now.  I just lay her down and put the baby in her arms and she's out!
The doll on the right is named Patti.  She's a talking farm girl doll.  She loves Patti...mostly because they're both farm girls and love taking care of animals.  And they both have long hair that they can braid, only Adina's is red/strawberry and Patti's is blond.  She also has an outfit (that she has now grown out of) that looked like Patti's (overalls with a red shirt). When she wore that outfit, she liked to be called "Patti".

 She loves playing with friends.  Here she and Clarence are playing at cousin Tucker's house.  She had a lot of fun and wasn't as wild as her brother...Clarence and Tucker wrestled most of the time we were in the house...must be from watching Matt and his brother, Mark, wrestle all the time!

 She loves her daddy...
And her headband from California from Auntie Nikki...it makes her feel like a California beach babe.

 She loves her daddy so much! And he loves her, too!

 As you can tell from most of the pictures so far, she LOVES wearing dresses! She's got a closet full of them, and as long as she likes wearing them, I'm going to let(/make) her! She's not always going to want to wear dresses (or let me dress her in dresses).

 She loves me, her momma!  This is on Mother's Day when we went to visit Grandma Muriel!

 She loves her big brother! They are such good buddies...especially when he'll let her play with him or help her find things to do. 

 She loves playing outside, like I said earlier! This was before she could walk and liked to be pulled everywhere around the yard.  It's also her portable "office" for working cows.

Another pretty dress with her cute bonnet made by my Aunt Joni.


Some other things she loves:
kittens...she just got two new babies from the fair, Sally and Pumpkin.  She holds them like she holds her baby dolls...right up by her neck and just walks around and smiles.

her pacifier...She loves it but mommy doesn't, so we're going to try and get rid of it SOON!

horses...She loves riding horse (haha, not!). Actually, she hasn't ridden yet, but we'll try it before the summer is over, I'm sure.

folding clothes...I love that she loves folding clothes! (Her version is to pull them out of the basket and hand them to me very quickly, OR pull the folded ones off the couch very quickly!)  I wonder how long her love of this will last!

raisins...even though she just swallows them whole...believe me, I know!

I hope this has given you an idea of the many things that Adina loves!

Wednesday.....

Like I said yesterday, I absolutely love the fair. I hope my children love it as much as me...I don't really think they'll have much of a choice. I can't wait until they're old enough to be in 4-H and bring cows, horses, baking and sewing projects to the fair.  It's so good for kids to learn how to take care of animals, cook, sew things themselves, etc. 4-H is such a great way for kids to learn that! That's my plug for the day...JOIN 4-H!!!  
We went to all the grandstand events at the fair...Matt wasn't in the demo this year, but my brother Nathan and cousin Joel were. Nathan did pretty well (after Matt helped him get his car started).  He took second in the Grand Slam! He had his little taurus up against an older guy's super solid old car.  He drove really smart and put on an entertaining show. 

Today I had to take Adina to GF for a checkup for her ears.  (She had tubes put in a month ago.) Everything looks good, the dr. said. I'm so glad...he said she doesn't have to wear ear plugs for bathtime anymore, either. Yay! She hated bathtime because of those darn ear plugs. Tonight's bath went so well...the kids played for at least 15 minutes and she didn't even cry when I washed her hair and she (probably) got a little water in her ears. 

I'm very frustrated with potty training. I can't say that I'm a very good momma when it comes to figuring potty training out...What's a girl to do?  How do I get Clarence to not pee in his diaper? Put undies on him? Tried that...he peed those twice!  However, the undies worked for pooping (pardon me for talking about this on here! But I'm frustrated!)...he didn't want to poop in them, so he peed in them and then pooped outside.  Good thing we live in the country and have a ginormous yard! No danger of encountering it later on...
Anyway, back to potty training... How do I get him to tell me he has to pee? How do I get him to want to pee in the toilet? Or outside? Or anywhere (not really, like not on the floor in the house) but his diaper?  Any suggestions would be so helpful and welcomed and wonderful!  I know he's old enough to be potty trained...he's got lots of friends who are...Oh well...I'll just keep working at it!


On another note...we went for a bike ride tonight to look for the towkeys (3 wild turkeys that live north of our farm).  It was so beautiful! The kids love going for bike rides...they just sit and enjoy it!  Now to motivate myself to try and do it every day...   :)

Baking tomorrow...buns, cinnamon bread, dark bread...can't wait to have a full freezer again!

Fair Time is Fun Time!

The fair is over, and what a fun time we had. I spent Tuesday and Wednesday last week baking different things to bring in...white buns, dark buns, cinnamon bread, caramel rolls, cinnamon rolls, dark bread, white bread and pb oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. It's fun to bring in entries and see how well I do (I placed on some of the things).  I also brought in two heifers. Heifers are females that haven't had calves yet. They're 1 year old and under 2 years. 
Clarence brought in a cow/calf pair and Adina brought in a cow with twin calves and a chicken with 4 chicks.  Adina's were both entered in baby barnyard.  They both did pretty well with their animals, too.  They each placed in a couple different divisions, so they made some money, too.
My dad and siblings each brought in some animals, too, so the kids had a lot of fun helping "feed" and take care of them.  Clarence loved helping feed Floppy.  Floppy is a Brahma/Holstein steer (meaning he used to be a bull, but he was banded). He's 12 years old, I think, and has been to the fair almost every year my dad has owned him (for at least 10 years). Last time he was weighed, he was over 2500 lbs. He's the highlight of the fair.  People walk through the barns and think he's a big, mean, scary bull. He's not. He's very gentle, and loves all the attention he gets at the fair.

Here he is laying down...he's huge when he stands up. I can't see over his back.

Well...I've got to go. Matt called and wants me to help give shots to some cows. He said "if you're not busy". I'd better run! More fair highlights to come later!