We had some outdoor work to do this weekend. While the older two helped with the process, Sarah enjoyed relaxing in the dog house bottom with Mix. He was so kind and gentle with her. She didn't mind one bit.

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Mistaken Identity

Bekah came in the house in a hurry and claimed to have seen a snake. We all love snakes in our family... NOT! Dan and I headed out to investigate. The head that Bek knew she had seen was not visible at all. We waited. I was busy working on laundry at the back of the house to come around the front to see them near the "sighting" zone. I asked my dear brave hubby if he had seen it. He claimed to have seen the head. I leaned in closely to the crack in the cross tie. Sure enough there was a head, but wait... the body accompanying that head had front legs. It was no snake, but it was the largest salamander I had ever seen.

My Favorite Pasttime

There are so many things to enjoy.  This weekend, it was so enjoyable to open windows, do yard work, and plant flowers, and all of it was so relaxing.  For me, the one thing that is the epitome of stress free is fishing.  It is a big plus that my partner is my dear hubby.  We make a great team, and when those days come that just cause a need to get away, to find that quiet corner, we hit the lake.  It doesn't matter what time of year, and it doesn't matter what we catch.  In my life, I grew up near lake, and I spent so much time with my family fishing.  I can tell you stories of fishing when the temps were so cold that the water froze on my line as I reeled it in, but I was happy.  Even now, I put on layer after layer to go out in January to fish.  It is so amazing.  The sights you see while on the water are unrivaled by anything else.  Deer crossing 100 to 200 yard stretches of water with only a head barely above water, ducks, sea gulls, squirrels, sunrises, and sunsets are all things I have seen in just the last year.  It is amazing to be out enjoying God's creation in such a way.  For me, nothing beats that nibble on the end of my line, the hook set, and the fight to reel in that catch whether it is a large bass or merely a little bream!  So here is my first fish of 2010, compliments of Lake James (aka the dead sea). If you compare both pictures, you will see I have also been taught the art of framing a fish so that it always looks like a toad (that's fishing slang for really big fish)!

The Dead Fish Debacle...LOL

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We are in our week of Stanford 10 testing this week.  I stopped in our kindergarten room to see if our teacher needed anything.  One of the classroom pets had died overnight.  She had bought the 38 cent goldfish at Walmart so they would be easy to match.  I quick called Dan to see if he would pick one up to replace the dead one.  We just couldn't have a meltdown on testing day.  As the K5 took their bathroom break before testing, Dan and I worked to replace the dead fish.  In the process of our hurry, we knocked over the very cheaply made sea monkey tank.    Water went all over the floor.  At this point I cracked open the classroom door, and I told the teacher we needed a hand. She thought it was all hilarious... thankfully!  She was quick thinking on her feet, and suggested fill the sea monkey tank with the excess water from the fish bag, and it made all right with the world.  (Well, except for the really wet spot on the floor, and the fact that the fish Dan purchased was shorter and slightly a different color then the one before.) We thought we had made it in the clear.  After testing the students were looking at the fish when one asked why "Goldie" had changed colors.  Another then piped in to explain that fish change colors when they are about to die!  Oh no...groans could be heard around the room.  The student who noticed the color change then mentioned "Goldie" looked shorter too.  Of course, she had to look at the sea monkeys... At least she thought they were sleeping!   So, before one's hubby goes to save the day, it might help to know what the dead fish looked like!

Lessons from the Tree

Dan and I were so excited for this weekend.  We looked forward to great weather and the opportunity to spend a whole Saturday at home.  It is truly a rare treat!

Shortly before our lunch, our neighbor and a guest begin using a chainsaw next door.  We ventured to a nearby window to see what tree was meeting its fate.  It happened to be a tree that was on our side of the property line.  It was quite odd.  I had been hanging out clothes on our line, and as I brought a new set to hang, Dan popped out too.  Our neighbor then was passing by to take equipment for the clean up to the tree.  A passing casual comment was made about the tree, and then Dan asked if it wasn't on our side of the property line.  Our neighbor was less then pleased that he should ask.  She had some not so nice words to say about it and then stormed off.  Later, as I was hanging out another load, the family member who was cutting the tree came by and he was going to bring down the two taller forks and wanted to be sure that girls weren't in the back yard.  Yes, where the tree is laying is our yard, and he didn't want it to fall near the girls and scare them or scrape them.  As he and I talked, our neighbor stormed up and told me not to involve him in "this mess."  He quickly left the scene, and she begin to lay it on me.  Apparently, asking your neighbor where the property line is a very bad thing.  As she told me the trouble I was to our community, the only thing I did wrong was to have a husband that knocked on her door one day to ask about the property line.  I did my best to nice and polite, and finally after Dan just agreed so they would have common interests, she walked away.  The nice gentleman cutting the tree was now not to certain he wanted to cut the tree.  He had mentioned that he thought the line was questionable but the neighbor had assured him it was hers to cut.  Dan and I both could care less if the tree was cut.  We were more concerned by the fact that she felt she could do whatever without a concern to us.  Well, he finally decided to bring down another fork.  This time, the fork kicked out as he sawed and landed awkwardly on his ankle.  Off to the ER he went for xrays.  Our poor neighbor who had made it very clear that she wanted us nowhere near her was left to clean up the remaining tree that was down in our yard.  It tore the girls up.  They took turns offering their help, and each was politely turned down.  Abby asked Dan if God let the tree fall on the man's leg as punishment.  We took some time to explain that there is a right way and wrong way to get things done.  So often, we get set into what we ARE going to do at all cost and never add God's plan into the equation.  We just press right along.  It seems that God puts roadblocks in our paths to help us see our error, but often we just press right on through.  It was a good lesson for our kids on treatment of others who don't treat you kindly even when you have done nothing wrong. The girls couldn't understand why she was so angry and why she said the things she had.  While I don't enjoy being yelled at by an angry neighbor, it is such a small thing in light of the many who have suffered so for following Christ.

Happy Birthday Dear

I am always excited for Dan's birthday.  It makes him closer to my age by a few months.  We are a year and half apart in age.  Unfortunately, I am in the lead in counting years.  Our wonderful church family got together on Sunday night for some cake and ice cream to celebrate. 

My dear hubby has been lamenting over his gray hairs, and he has mentioned it a few time in his recent messages. So, to commemorate his birthday in style, he had a fishing cake cause we all know he likes that, and then, he had specially prepared cake.  It was wonderfully baked carrot caked designed with Dan in mind.

Gray Hairs

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It has finally happened.  For some time now, my dear hubby has used my gray hair against me.  He is always happy to remind me that I have few new ones here and there.  It has never once bothered him that I am gray.  Well, on a recent trip home from Asheville, NC, the sun was shining through the window just perfectly to shed light on a few gray hairs atop Dan's head.  While I am resigned to the fact of my ever increasing grayness, this caught my dear hubby quite off guard.  He just wasn't prepared for it.  I think he is beginning his mid life crisis early. I have tried on several occasions to get a picture as proof for him especially since he has been in denial.  Well, I finally did!  I just had to share.  Since his hair is so short it so hard to see, but it is truly there.  Oh has the taunting begun!