Things You Don't See Everyday

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I've been meaning to put this up for a couple of days; this is a beautiful heron's nest I pass every day on my way to the barn to see Dancer. It makes me think of so many things; being a parent, teaching your kids to fly for the very first time, and just having faith that everything is going to turn out okay. Lots of heavy stuff for just driving by a nest! Herons are one of my very favorite birds-I love watching them fly, with their legs streaming out behind them in flight. I was hoping to take a picture of them every day, to document their progress, but alas, I have not had the discipline to do this; we've only been able to simply enjoy passing by every day, seeing the babies and their parents huddled together.

I Love My Girl

Of course my human girls and my aussies are pretty special, too! My poor husband, he is outnumbered by all us females. Oh wait, Moose is a boy mouse! Its six to two in our house. Lily mouse is of course, a girl so she has to be included-after all, however small, she is part of the family.

Giving In

Yes, folks, I finally did it-I swore I never would, but God is having His fun with me-I am getting a VAN!

I had so wished for a suburban,

or an extended cab F-150:
But, unfortunately, our budget just wouldn't allow for it. Sigh!

Nevermind that I have two little girls who are involved with activities that make a van absolutely the ideal and practical choice. When I had told people about my hopes of purchasing a truck, they politely reminded me that I have children. Really? Oh, right! Those two adorable girls over there are mine, aren't they?

I guess I will have to put my dreams on hold for a little longer. (Begin playing violin here.) Alas, I am such a country girl at heart and was secretly planning on my next purchase after the truck to be a two horse trailer-just a little ole' tiny one!
When I shared my thoughts with my husband, he shot me one of those sideways glances like, "Are you out of your mind? That isn't even an option. And by the way, you only have one horse, Andi, or are you not telling me something?"

All I wanted was something to pull Dancer to the battlefield for those trail rides. But lets be realistic; she really should have some company-and, I was only thinking of my dear husband's best interest! He loves the Gettysburg Battlefield so much and what better way to see it than from horseback, and, on his very own horse! He doesn't know it yet, but he would sooooo enjoy tagging along with me. And, we would be spending that "quality time" together, riding off into the sunset.
See, here's the horse I had picked out.....

A girl can dream, can't she? I've been told many times I like to drink champagne on a beer budget.

Love This!

Imagine a pair of 900-pound horses photographed in a furnished,
carpeted house unpacking their suitcases. Meet Romeo & Juliet, two real horses who talk, laugh, stick out their tongues, smile and eat cake with a fork. By following their hearts, they escape their mundane, barnyard lives and find friendship, fun and
home sweet home.
Romeo paints on canvas with a brush in his mouth and has appeared in magazines, newspapers and on television. Juliet joined Romeo as his first student and has her own, unique painting style. Their paintings hang in homes worldwide. Romeo & Juliet are both Paso Fino horses, aged 12 and 6, respectively. Visit their website at paintinghorse.com.

A Couple Quotes for the Day

"Living in the moment brings you a sense of reverence for all of life's blessings."
-Oprah

And that is exactly what I have been doing. Please be patient as I try to adjust from one routine to another. This is the first full week the kids are home and I am picking up more hours at one of the part time jobs I have been keeping. Trying to find that balance has been pretty challenging, but i don't want to sound cliche because I know everyone around me is pretty much dealing with the same thing.

I remind myself how thankful I am to even have some income, and as the song goes "You're gonna' miss this when its gone." One day, a long time from now, I am going to wish I had these times back.
Humans are so funny, aren't they? We never realize what we have until its gone.

I'm trying, Lord, I'm really trying.

School's Out for the Summer; Lets Have a Yard Sale!

Its no secret how much I enjoy garage and yard sales. I love discovering a good find almost as much as I enjoy hosting a sale and watching others unearth their own little treasures. The clever folks over at garagesalestracker.com have just launched an interactive website which enhances this experience. Not only can you easily locate a sale within your area with just a few clicks of a button, you can also advertise for free (for a limited time) if you are holding your own sale.
One of the features I especially like is that when you are posting information about an upcoming event, you have the opportunity to list specific items that will be available, such as computers, digital cameras, kids clothing,etc.,and then anyone searching for sales in the area can type in what they are looking for and narrow it down by item. What a time saver! There is also an option for contacting the seller if you have any questions. No more circling ads in the newspaper, driving from place to place searching aimlessly, wasting gas.
Here's an adorable little chandelier that I was lucky enough to snap up during one of my recent excursions:
The coolest part about purchasing items this way is that, A) It's a pretty safe bet that you are going to get a one of a kind item, and B) It is usually a fraction of the price you would pay in a store.
Often times,you have to think outside the box and look at an item and see the possibilities. A great example is clothing. For inspiration on what to do with the abundance of t-shirts gracing most yard sale tables, check out this clever book: Here's another great resource for turning trash into your own special treasure: In today's disposable world, it's refreshing to see the ingenuity and creativity people have as they transform ordinary, mundane, or seemingly hopeless items into fabulously functional pieces.
Not only can this be a fun pasttime for adults, kids can get in on the action too. Learning to recycle items in this ever-increasing green market is a building block that will make an impression for a lifetime. I will be going into more details about how to incorporate yard and garage sales into your children's summer activities in a future post. Until then, don't forget to visit http://www.garagesalestracker.com/blogger/index.html for additional insightful tips and advice.

In Prelude to My Post About Sixth Grade Graduation

Every time I read this, I cry. Paul Harvey wrote it, that wonderful man. I don't think I could say it better than this-may you rest in peace, Paul. Thanks so much.


We tried so hard to make things better for our kids that we made them worse.

For my grandchildren, I'd like better.

I'd really like for them to know about
hand me down clothes
homemade ice cream
and leftover meat loaf sandwiches.

I really would.

I hope you learn humility by being humiliated, and honesty by being cheated.

I hope you learn to make your own bed
to mow the lawn
and wash the car.

And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car when you’re sixteen.

It will be good if at least one time you can see puppies born and your old dog put to sleep.

I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in.

I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother/sister.
And it's all right if you have to draw a line down the middle of the room, but when they want to crawl under the covers with you because they’re scared,
I hope you let them.

When you want to see a movie and your little brother/sister wants to tag along,
I hope you'll let them.

I hope you have to walk uphill to school with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely.

On rainy days when you have to catch a ride,
I hope you don't ask your driver to drop you two blocks away so you won't be seen riding with someone as uncool as your Mom.
If you want a slingshot,
I hope your Dad teaches you how to make one instead of buying it.

I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books.

When you learn to use computers,
I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head.

I hope you get teased by your friends when you have your first crush; and when you talk back to your mother I hope you learn what ivory soap tastes like.

May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on a stove
and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole.

I don't care if you try a beer once,
but I hope you don't like it…
And if a friend offers you dope or a joint,
I hope you realize they are not really your friend.

I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your Grand Parents and go fishing with your Uncle.
May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during the holidays.

I hope your mother punishes you when you throw a baseball through your neighbor's window and that she hugs and kisses you at Hannukah/Christmas time when you give her a plaster mold of your hand.

These things I wish for you –
tough times and disappointment,
hard work and happiness.

To me, it's the only way to appreciate life.