Well it's been a fun crazy week around here! :)

What's new, right?

We've had a lot going on. Daddy got a new tiller so we can plant a couple of garden's a year without having to rent on in town each time. He spent last Friday working out there - tilling, hauling rocks to the creek and placing the ties on the edges. Here he is being He-Man - end over end with t

he tie to get it over to the garden. We are hoping this helps the soil to not run off! He got the garden all tilled and ready. He and the boys hauled a couple of loads of rocks to the creek. It's amazing how much rock there is - just below the surface dirt! No wonder carrots won't grow here! ;)

Daddy and the boys headed into town to pick up some manure at Lowe's to till into the dirt. They got it for $1.29 a bag (FYI - Lowe's will price match - just give them the price and they will call the other store to verify - you don't even need the ad!) It saved $5+ on the bill! Cool!!!

On the way home from Lowe's

the boys stopped at a garage sale - anyone who knows us knows we can't pass up a garage sale! ;) And true to the Johnson tradition - they found some goodies! ;) Bug found a stained glass candle holder - he loves stained glass stuff - so although it's a poinsettia - we will be displaying it all year long. ;)

Daddy found a cool book about battles for 50 cents. What a find! It's from the 60's and in great shape! It has about a dozen stories of great battles - so of course my kids are crazy over it!

On the way home from Lowe's

the boys stopped at a garage sale - anyone who knows us knows we can't pass up a sale! ;) And true to the Johnson tradition - they found some goodies! ;) Bug found a stained glass candle holder - he loves stained glass stuff - so although it's a poinsettia - we will be displaying it all year long. ;)

Red's find was probably the craziest of all. He bought a Huge horn. Yes, a real Longhorn. He loves it! It's almost as tall as he is. Daddy said he drove home clutching it like he had captured the world! My Red - he is a nut! I have no idea what we are going to do with this thing, but I suppose I will find something. I am sure it's probably not going to be all that difficult...it being just ONE horn and all. LOL

On to other news...the boys and I have been going on "nature walks" a lot...mostly everyday. I am committed to exercising more and the boys just love to get out and see what we can find. So it's a great thing for all of us. We've been working on Bug's nature book for his RA's discoverer 1 patch and our nature walks have proven to be an invaluable tool. I sent all the pics to snapfish yesterday to be printed (got a great deal on 100 free pics - woo hoo!) so as soon as we get them in we will begin putting the book together to finish up his patch. Here you can see Ladybug playing in the creek. She loves to go walking with us as well. She's our protector and "dog exciter" - lol!

I suppose that's all for now...until next time...love each other and serve A Mighty God!

Howdy from this here fencepost... **smile**

I am a few days behind on this post, but I am trying hard to stay on top of my blogging these days! :) *sigh* The crazy days of this home schooling mom! :)

This sweet miniature donkey is named Charlie. (More about him below).

Last weekend Hubby and I took a little "working" trip to Houston. We had a blast on our "time-away" even though it was a working trip. The boys went to Memaw and Papa's for the night and they had a blast!

We worked one of the Go Texan events in downtown Houston - Brookfield Properties caters a BBQ lunch for it's clients complete with Rodeo clowns, ropers, Longhorns, armadillos, donkeys a (girl) Buzzard named Oscar and awesome Texas BBQ! Hubby and I handed out plates and collected money from the people for the Houston Livestock Show Scholarship fund! The collection was close to $2000 this year! Woo-Hoo! At the event a local farm brings out a couple of longhorns for people to take pics with as well as 2 miniature donkeys. Charlie (pictured above) and Hee-Haw are the donkeys. They were so precious!

Here is Hee-Haw (so named because he gets REALLY loud with his "hee-haws" when he is hungry). They also brought out armadillos for Armadillo Races. Funny! I got to pet one. They do not have a hard shell like I expected. It feels more lik

e fish scales. The man I spoke with told me that the species of Armadillo that has a really hard shell (and rolls into a ball) is actually found in South Africa. Interesting! The farm that brought them out actually "rehabilitates" them. If they are hurt or injured they nurse them back to health and then let them back into the wild. Cool!

Another interesting animal (I wished I had got a picture, but I didn't have my camera out there when she was out. :( Boo!) was a 42 year old black-headed buzzard named Oscar. The story is "she" was thought to be a "he" when she first came to live at the farm. Then after about 20 years Oscar laid an egg - so they decided she was actually a gal! Funny! She was so cool looking - but don't get to close - apparently she is VERY mean and only her owner can get close to her. Did you know that Buzzards are actually an endangered species? And did you know that Buzzard and Vulture means the same thing? Buzzard is more of a "slang" or common term - I never knew this! Learn something everyday!

This is a picture of the fountain downtown Houston. It was really big and very pretty. I couldn't help but wonder...when the freezing temps blew through Houston a few weeks back did this freeze into a huge fountain of frozen beauty?

The night we stayed Hubby and I went out walking and found the most precious "diner" - it's called District 7 grill and if you go to Houston you have to try it out! It's got that classy

diner look from the outside - complete with chrome exterior and all! But the food is not the typical greasy spoon diner fare - sooooo yummy! And reasonably priced as well! I got a Parmesan chicken sandwich and it was absolutely delightful! I don't know what kind of rolls they use, but oh man was it good! They also have their own "spread" and it was super duper yum-o! Hubby got an Angus Moof Burger (Moof is short for Muffalata) and he raved about it! I kept waiting for Triple D and Guy Fieri to walk through the door! So yummy!

This is a picture of the church in the courtyard where we set up the event. It was so cool! The original was built in 1875 - can -you imagine! It was reconstructed in 1936 - the stained glass windows were absolutely beautiful!

Below you can see the corner stone!

It was just so pretty! I love old churches!

As I mentioned the boys stayed with Memaw and Papa while we were up there. They had a blast talking Memaw into all sorts of things like root beer, pancakes and jell-o! LOL

Bug had the best time working in the yard with Memaw and Papa - raking leaves, planting petunias and mulching leaves. After Papa got off work the next afternoon they worked on Papa's tiller and tried to get it running. I am sure to find Bug taking apart the lawn mower any day now. LOL They had the best time! While Red didn't like the yard work so much he enjoyed watching movies with Papa and playing Hide and Go Seek in the yard.

We had to rush back after one night because Bug had a race schedule with his RA's group. Bright and early Sat. morning Daddy and Bug headed to the Regional derby races for the Royal Ambassadors. He had a blast. His car didn't win any big awards, but he did take 2nd place in one of his races. He had a great time and enjoyed spending some quality time with Daddy.

Here is Bug's first derby car. He and Daddy shaped it and Bug colored it on his own!

He was very excited to take part in this event.

Bug is really excited to be a part of RA's at CCEC. He looks forward to the meetings each week and enjoys working on the character study here at home. He has earned 3 of his Lad bars so far - Loyalty, Friendship and Courage. We just started working on Responsibility. After that he has one more and he will be complete for Lad 1. It is a great curriculum and I really enjoy working on it with him. He has so far earned one service star for each lad bar. I am very excited for him! Red goes to the meetings with Bug (and I) but he is not quite ready to be a "part" of the group just yet. He is still a little young so I am not pushing him - I am amazed at what all he has learned already just by being in the same room.

Well that's the update for now...thanks for popping a squat with me for a nice chat! Enjoy your sweet tea and love your neighbor!

Till next time.... Wendy

Okay I have to share this with all of you because I am just so proud of my stinking little Redhead and my crazy Bug!

Yesterday afternoon we had another (but hopefully the last - as Hubby put his foot down with them) run in with the neighbors. Walking across the yard with the boys Red said something about Ms. Neighbor being a bad person - I immediately said, Honey Ms. Neighbor is not a bad person - it's just her choices we don't like. He looks at me, takes my hand in his and says "In Cowboy church this morning my teachers told me that when people make bad choices God wants us to love them anyway". I said Yes, that is right, we need to love Ms. Neighbor anyway - we need to pray for her and ask God to help her make better choices. So we come in the house for lunch and Red says, Hold on I need a pillow. He walks to the couch and lays down and puts a pillow over his face. Then after a few moments he uncovers and looks at me. "Momma I was praying for God to help Ms. Neighbor make good choices." My heart just melted...

Later in the afternoon Bug and I went in to town for choir practice. Red and Daddy stayed home to clean on the garage some more. Hubby calls me while I am in town and tells me that Kaden is making a surprise for me. He tells me this is going to get you. (Mind you I am standing in the UMC parking lot at this point!) He tells me that Red was in the house while he was outside and he saw him come outside 4 different times. He said he watched him come out onto the deck and look up at the sky with his hand clasped together in front of his chest. Hubby said I know he was talking but I couldn't tell what he was saying. After the 4th time, Hubby said he went to the playroom where Red was and asked him what he was doing. Red said, "I am creating a surprise for Mommy". Hubby's reply was, "Oh really and what is that." Red tells him "I am cleaning up the playroom." Hubby tells him I will be so excited. Kaden then tells him that at Cowboy Church he learned that sometimes you just do things even if they are hard to show someone you love them. Then Hubby asked him why he was going outside and looking at the sky. Red tells him he was "praying to God to give him the muscles to put away the heavy boxes of toys." (The drawers that go in the toy dresser were out). Then he told Hubby that He was cleaning up the playroom so he could show me love.

What a baby! I love that kid! When Bug and I got home Bug was so excited to reveal what Red had done for me - when I hugged Red and told him thank you. His response was I know I know you like it when I love you. Crazy kid - he gets embarrassed so easily.

His little act of love also motivated big brother to show some love. When I came back into the kitchen (the back door was open as usual these days) Bug was in the yard loving on Lady (our German Shephard). He was petting her and loving her and then he filled her food bowl. I could hear him dumping the dog food in the bowl as I filled tea glasses. I called him to come wash his hands for dinner and as I walked out the back door he was scrubbing up Lady's water bucket and giving her fresh water. I asked him to come wash up and he said "Okay Mom, let me finish loving on Lady first". I watched as he filled her bucket with fresh water, went over and patted her head and said, "Okay Lady there you go girl". Then walked inside. What a sweet boy.

I am so blessed...

So pear bread it is! I found a great easy recipe for pear bread and thought - cool I can do this and I can use my new brownie pan! My sweet Hubby got me one of those brownie pans that has the spacer thingy in it. It is absolutely fantabulous! I love the perfect little rectangles it makes!

As part of our school lessons today I decided the boys and I would make pear bread.

The boys helped stir and measure and mash...it was messy and loads of fun! Bug helped with most of the measuring - (fractions!!!!) and sifting and crushing the walnuts! Red helped with the stirring and sifting and mashing the pears. It was great fun and so enjoyable to be in the kitchen together...creating something yummy!

Bug was in charge of the flour - he measured it all by himself and leveled it off and everything! He did a great job! It was a little messy, but that's okay! We chatted about fractions and discussed how many halves in a whole and such. We also did quite a bit of adding throughout the process.

Here is the finished product! So pretty and sooooo yummy! You can see the pan here - it is awesome! I let the bread cool for a few minutes, then popped out the little breads and put them on a cooling rack. I had to wash the insert since I had to half the batch to fit. It only took about 25 minutes in the little oven - which I thought was much better than 60 minutes in loaf pans!

The wonderful smell was so inviting! The whole house began to smell like pear bread! It was sooooo yummy! Even Bug was excited to try it. We

gave Daddy the honors of trying the first piece. He declared in delectable and so we all dug in! The boys both said it was fabulous!

What fun we had...and I am sure we learned a little something too!

Today we took Red to visit Dr. J - we are calling it a Field Trip! LOL - 'cause that is what home schoolers do - we turn EVERYTHING into a learning opp! ;)

Anyway we took Red in for his 5 year check-up! We were late b/c I forgot back in Dec and then we just got busy and crazy and I am sure you know how that goes. Fortunately we don't seem to take our kids to the Doc much so we a lot of times "forget" to schedule well visits. Dr. J laughed when I apologized for being late! He said Red was the picture of health! Awwww... He got his hearing and eye check-up too. We are scheduling an eye exam in 6 months - just to check. His vision was 25/30 in one eye and while that is still in th

e "normal" range - the nurses said this is the age when vision really starts to change and we should stay on top of it. Red and I had a heart to heart about making sure to tell me if he was having trouble seeing or if things looked fuzzy or blurry. He is the type of kid that is sooooo worried that he will be singled out (even by me) in any way at all he will keep it to himself. That is a worry for me! We set up the 6 month check already so I won't forget! Dr. J also told us about Manchego cheese which is made from sheep's milk. Since Red is allergic to cow's milk - this is an option. He said it's much milder and not as "stinky" as goat's milk cheese. So we are going to try it out...oh to be able to have pizza with cheese again - such a blessing for the little guy! He weighed in at 44 lbs and is 46 inches tall! He got one "owwie" as Ms. Pam calls them, and didn't even cry. What a trooper!

Red sporting his Tazmanian Devil Band-Aid!

Since today was a "field trip" day we didn't have regular school time. We did reading, bible verse recitation and math fact review in the car on the way to Dr. J's office.

When we got back home Bug decided to do some art - he chose one of the sand art pictures from the kit I got him for Valentines.

Very Pink Elephants by: Bug

This afternoon I am spending time (trying to stay awake since I was up very very early) doing laundry and trying to get some things done on my to do list. Bug is sitting in the recliner reading a star wars book....sigh...love that baby.

Off for now...blessings to all, we-

Well here it is months later and I am just now taking the time to put the words to the blog...lol. Oh well, I suppose at least I can laugh at myself!

A lot has changed in the past several months - crazy how time does fly!

Bug turned 7 two days after my last post...Wow! Seven...I can't imagine...he is about 12 foot tall these days (not really - but he does seem that way) and skinny as a rail! He is smart as a whip and just trucking right through 2nd grade like it's nothing. He is an excellent reader - I am so proud of him. Although he doesn't gravitate towards books as I do - he reads very very well. I love that! Crazy to think he's growing up so fast on me. We certainly have our trying days, but for the most part we do our thing and get through our work well. He is attending RA's at CCEC and LOVING it. We are working though his Lad 1 book and he is learning so much!

Red turned 5 in December...that just floors me - my baby...my last one is 5 - Oh My! He's still red headed with a temper to match. LOL - gotta love that Red. If you ask him "What am I gonna do with you? " His reply is, "Love me for who I am". LOL...of course Bug's reply is "Sell him to a band of gypsy's". LOL My Bug! Red is stout as an ox and still loves Davy Crockett. He is currently working on Pre-K/Kindergarten. I don't think he is ready for full blown kindergarten yet so we started slow with Kinder math and science. He also does letter of the week and some "workbook" stuff from Rod and Staff.

The boys (and I) are into wrestling these days. Our favorite wrestlers are Rey Mysterio and Big Show and Kane. The boys (and I) love the "619" move that Mysterio does. We usually find ourselves watching "Friday Night Smackdown" as a family with Daddy.

Our family made the choice to change Home Schooling Co-ops this winter. This was a difficult decision as we had been with our old co-op for five years. But we felt it was the right thing for our family and this January we decided to try out Ellis County Christian Home School Organization. I have to say that God certainly had His hand on us! ECCHO is a wonderful, Christian group of people and we find ourselves very lucky to be a part of it. From the first outing (a fall party) to the current classes it has been a wonderful decision. We feel so welcome and loved just the way we are. The people are loving and friendly and supportive. What a great group.

Bug is currently taking a drawing class - which he absolutely LOVES!!!! I can't say that enough - it is wonderful for him. He loves to draw and create and do "art" so this is certainly right up his ally! Dena (the teacher) is so kind and supportive and encouraging to the kids - I just love her. He says this is his favorite class! The he goes to Theater Games - Sarah is the teacher in there and she teaches the kids all kinds of "on stage pointers and stuff" through fun games. His third class is called "Dance Around the World" - Dena teaches this one as well. It is just the coolest idea for learning about culture. The kids are learning a new "dance" each week from various cultures. Dena shares with them a little about where the dance came from - what it's all about, etc. and then teaches them the dance. Then they practice the dance to the music - it is great! After a lunch break Bug goes to gym class with Heidi. He really enjoys this class - of course anything "athletic" or involving movement he thinks is wonderful! They played a "catch the dragon's tale game last week that was just hilarious. There are 41 kids in the class with Heidi and 4 helpers and it was quite a funny site! LOL They also played games with the parachute which was great fun for them!

Red is also attending "classes" - he goes to Pre-K gym first hour - his class is rather small (only 8 kids) and that is a good thing for him. He gets embarrassed very easily and really has a problem with people "looking at him". Ugh...we are working through this stage. But anyway...he participates well and seems to enjoy the games and all that Heidi plays with them...she definitely keeps them busy! Second hour he goes to story time. I think he likes this class, but would really like more "movement". After a couple of books he is done, but he likes the crafts and coloring

time. Third hour he goes to free play - I really like that the younger ones have the opportunity to just play on the playground or with toys. He is such a young 5 and being able to just "play" with other kids is a great opportunity for him. He loves this class of course - I do believe it's his favorite. LOL After lunch he hangs out with Dad and I and watches Bug in gym class.

You will see there is not much rhyme or reason to this post, I am just sorta rambling my thoughts away here....

Let's see other things that have happened these past few months...hmmm....

Well I began volunteering at Wedgeworth (the school where I completed my student teaching) with Mrs. Kuntz last fall. I love having a few hours to myself on Friday's to just be kid free (well from my kids anyway) and re-energize. Mrs. Kuntz always tells me what a great help I am to her, but oh man - I do believe it's the other way around! LOL I haven't gotten to go in since the Christmas Break...January was just a crazy month and it didn't work out. We have ECCHO classes every other Friday so I plan to go in on the off days. Of course the first "off" day was a snow day so WISD was closed. LOL - just my luck. So I plan to go in this Friday - I am EXCITED! It's always great to spend a few hours kid free - on the drive home I can't get here fast enough, I just miss my monkeys and want to love on them! ;)

We also began volunteering with Meals on Wheels last Fall - this has been such a blessing to our family. We deliver a to seven people in town every Wednesday. It is so sweet to see them each week and chat with them for a few minutes. I do hope it brightens their day b/c I certainly know it brightens ours. The boys favorite person is Ms. Doris. She is just precious and always chats with the boys. They literally fight over who gets to take her meal to her...LOL. We "collect smiles" along our route. What a blessing to our family.

Okay so what else have we been up too...oh I almost forgot SNOW!!! And lot's of it this winter...WISD actually has had 3 different "snow" day outs...one was 4 days! Can you believe that? Crazy for Texas - Bug LOVED it! Red wasn't so hot on it...while he "likes" the snow...he doesn't like to be cold and wet so it wasn't his favorite.

I love this picture because it shows the tree's all pretty - and Granny's clothesline all covered in snow

These are a couple of pics of the "first snow" of the year - January 9th. It covered everything and was way way way cooooolllddd! BBBBRRRR!!!! But it was the good snow - stuck together well and made good snowballs.

This is Bug's "tackle dummy". As we were building it with one of the neighbor kids - he tells me, "Mommy don't give it a face or arms. Why?, I ask. Because it's a tackle dummy and if you give him a face it will hurt." LOL - Boys! So the tackle dummy didn't get a face but he did get tackled a lot! They had a blast running and jumping on the poor thing!

But this snow was just the beginning it would seem. Less than a month later the kids were out of school again for snow days...well mine weren't, but we did enjoy the snow!

Crazy Winter Storm - February 4, 2011...This was the day we called the "Pretty Snow Day"...it was magical - beautiful white flakes fluttered to the ground and created a beautiful blanket of white...but it was so powdery that it didn't stick together so well - thus it wasn't Bug's favorite.

This is one of my favorite pictures from this snow. This chair is on the front porch - I just thought the light dusting was so pretty on it's rusty metal exterior.

Bug's bike and tractor in the snow.

One of my sweet little birds came

to visit. I kept having to throw seed out on top of the snow because it would get all covered up!

"John Wayne" The Texas

Snowman...Daddy and Bug built him to "welcome the Packers and Steelers to town for the Superbowl. Notice the guns? Their motto was "You are welcome if you come in peace". ;)

The snow fort built by Bug and Daddy!

Okay, my eyes are heavy and we have to get up early for doctor's check-up so enough rambling for now...Thanksgiving, Christmas and our "critters", couponing and more will have to wait until another day.

This afternoon the boys and I headed to the park for some fun in the sun! It was a little on the warm side, but so much fun! We took the bikes and the Bug was having a blast riding his bike around the walking trail! Good thing no one was walking! :) Red decided he wanted to go around like Bubba and headed on around...but he got tired about half way there and turned back. Little did I know as I cheered him on that he would decide to have me go around with him! LOL - so off I went as Bug sped around the track like a speed demon. We got about halfway around again and I see Bug grabbing his leg and dancing around across the park! What is wrong I holler...something has stung me! Uh-oh! Red and I took off around the bend - Bug ran over to pour some water on his leg. I get to Bug and a large welt has come up and there is a small red spot in the middle. Great...I head to the car in search of the string repellent stuff with NO LUCK!!! Oh no! No Benadryl, no sting stuff - in the car we scramble as we head home for medicine. I am praying Lord please keep us safe as we head to the house! We get home and put some ice on it and Bug takes a Benadryl. After a shower it looks a lot better the swelling has decreased. He kept saying it was really sore so I put some medicine and a band-aid on it. Poor guy! He's had a rough day...he burned his arm this morning on the cinnamon toast tray and then the bug bite. I said Bug you sure are having a bad day - what a way to end your 6th year. His reply, "Everything is just attacking me...it doesn't want me to turn 7"! LOL - crazy nut!

Another funny is - "You know Mom if you start having too many birthdays you can just stop having them"! LOL - are you cracking up! I am telling you that boy - a complete loon! So I ask him what is a good age to stop having birthdays? "Ummmm, 40"! LOLOLOLOL What a kid. Bug is jut rolling at this point. Red is so funny - we saw an elderly lady the other day and she made such an impression on his little mind. He told me that he didn't want me to get old because he wouldn't like my face and then he couldn't kiss me. What a boy! He tells me he loves my face and that is why he has to kiss on me - love it! Crazy kid! Better get me some wrinkle cream and keep working on "real beauty is in the heart".

My Bug turns 7 on Saturday...can you believe that? 7 - where did it go? 2nd grade, RA's, choir, my boy is getting so big...and 12 feet tall to boot!

off for now...