Church, Civil War, and Berry Picking :)

Sunday - one of my all time favorite days. First we went to church, surprisingly I don't remember what the sermon was about. However, I do remember Sunday School. We were reading II Corinthians 13. In which Paul tells the people of Corinth that he will be returning a third time, and this time he will not be as nice. He urges the Corinthians to take a look at themselves and prepare for his arrival. The Corinthians were people who participated in some questionable behavior and Paul was trying to break them of there immorality and turn them toward the ways of God. Well the people in Sunday school debated as to whether Paul should have the authority to tell the people of Corinth that what they were doing was wrong. This got me thinking and I realized something pretty valuable. We as people are not supposed to judge another human being. However, Paul was chosen to lead people to Christ, as we all are - essentially. But to me what Paul was doing wasn't judging, he was stating the obvious. The people of Corinth weren't following Gods laws and teachings and Paul was merely pointing that out. As Sandy put it, it's like a Doctor telling someone they're morbidly obese and that person getting mad - the doctor is just stating the obvious [we saw this in a show lol]. This realization brought me back to all the times I had thought my family and friends weren't acting morally in the ways of God. Now I would never tell someone who is not a believer that they are not following God - but when someone claims to be of strong Christian faith I think it's important to point out when we aren't following Gods desires for us. And although I am totally guilty of not following all that God asks of me, I felt that if I pointed it out in others that I would be judging them - but its the exact opposite. Simply stating the obvious is not judging, it's when we take those observations and turn them into character flaws. Such as - you drink and sleep around, you must be an alcoholic hussy. The first one is the obvious observation of two things God has called us not to do, the second is a judgement, and who are we to judge. In my opinion Paul was doing the former - pointing out the obvious, the things that God has called on us not to do. 



After Church the family and I headed out to the Civil War camp where they were reenacting a battle. We walked around for two or three hours doing a scavenger hunt for the kids. We learned that a "housewife" wasn't actually a housewife in the war but rather a little sewing kit that a soldier would carry around to mend things haha! We also learned that the reason their bayonets had three sides was to make it harder for the wound to be closed up and it allowed for people to die quicker. However, many bayonets were used for holding candles rather than killing in the Civil War. We were also told that East Tennessee supplied more Union Soldiers than Confederate Soldiers. Oh and, for all the Northern [and Southern] people who use the Confederate flag as a symbol for racism - the flag was far from a symbol of racism. Not only proven by facts of the war but also by the black soldiers who openly supported the Souths desire to become independent. 

A man by the name of William was sitting in a booth selling Confederate tshirts and memorabilia, each of them with the confederate flag and in a picture with me he also held one - he is black. When I asked to take a picture with him he first demanded he get his flag. The war was about commerce. Not racism. Yes there was racism, it ran rampant, and there is still racism. But it comes down to money - the South was going to lose a lot of money with the loss of slavery. In fact, we also learned that England - who could not supply guns to one side or the other would sell the guns to third party investors who would then sell the guns to the South because England stood to lose a lot of money on cotton imports. Either way, thank god the North won and we do not have slavery today. 
The battle in the streets lasted a total of 40 minutes tops and was so loud your whole body vibrated each time the guns were loaded and fired in unison. I had to laugh because both sides had musicians playing while the battle was being fought - apparently this was normal battle etiquette. The confederates had a violin player while the unions had a four person marching band lol!! 

After all the excitement of the day, I curled up to finish my book and watch the kids swim. Our friend Forrest invited us berry picking and so we suited up and headed up to his riding trails to pick blackberries and raspberries galore. We had so much fun riding the four wheeler through the thick trees and finding the berries, we decided next time to wear long pants and shirts so we could go deeper into the thorny branches that held life's sweet little rewards. :) 

Horsin' Around

I got invited by the boy scouts Venture Crew to participate in horse back riding at a farm near where i'm staying in Tennessee! For those of you who know me, you are aware at how exciting this is! We were scheduled to meet around 11am but, brimming with anticipation, I walked up the hill to my friends house 40 minutes early. Once at the stables I walked from stall to stall talking to the horses and petting them, trying to control my heart rate so as not to get them all anxious. After the other 4 or so people showed up the farmer took out one of his trustiest mares haha! We learned how to put on a saddle, tighten the saddle, put on the reigns and bit, and also how to properly ride the horse. Most fascinating to me, though, was the bag. He told us a story about how he used to break horses, and how he wanted to learn a new way because the physical problems that come with breaking in a horse. Now, obviously they still need to be broken but one of the best ways to train the horse, according to the farmer, was to use a plastic bag. You tie the plastic bag to the end of a stick and rattle it around the horse - rubbing it on the horse and the ground, up in the air, and in the horses face. 
At first the horse is going to go crazy with fear and excitement, but eventually it calms down. He uses this trick for building trust in the horse and rider, as well as building confidence and minimizing fear for the horse. I just found this amazing. Oh yes, and I have decided I love cutting horses. He uses his mare for cutting cattle around Tennessee and she is QUICK. We'd be backing up and i'd drop the reins and she would stop so quick i'd have fallen off if I weren't positioned correctly. She also turns in tight little turns, not wide ones. I know a lot of this is her training and not all cutting horses are alike but I loved the motions associated with cutting. Needless to say we didn't get to ride a lot but what we did learn was invaluable. I wish I could ride and learn these kinds of lessons daily! 

Day 39-41: Oceanside Bliss

Sandy and the kids planted a simple and innocent idea into my head. They suggested I head to North Carolina early, so that I could stay later in July. Sadly, I cannot stay any longer in July and I decided to take them up on their idea and go to North Carolina early. I called Beth and quickly made plans to head there on Tuesday. I spent the 7 hour drive listening to music and relishing in my own little bubble of freedom on the open road. It's amazing how quick a 7 hour drive can seem, before I even realized I had left Tennessee, I was pulling up alongside Beth - ushering her into the car. Ahh the happy reunion. I hadn't seen Beth for almost two years - which in retrospect to how long it's been since I've seen other people, isn't that long. Once parked I was greeted by her shirtless husband, of which she warned me about. Nolan doesn't mind at all who witnesses his bareness in the sunny afternoon light. He just smiled and shook my hand. Once inside Beth and I gossiped about our new lives while Nolan went and picked baby up. 


Brody is by far one of the cutest little pumpkins I have ever seen. And I can actually call him a pumpkin with some accuracy considering the blaze orange hair that adorns his little round head. He smiles in all sorts of directions at anyone willing to pay attention. With each new excitement he turns to the nearest parent giggling as if to say "Look! Look what's happening Mom! Dad!" 


Beth and I decided to head to Surf City with Brody in tow. Beth probably found my excitement level to be that of a puppy, experiencing a car ride for the first time. As usual I talked incessantly the whole way there and nearly burst out of the front seat when we arrived. Thank God my mere 22 years resulted in some composure and instead I helped her with the things and nearly stumbled down the stairs to the beach.  


Laying on the towel, feeding Brody, Beth observed me in my "oceanic state" - gracefull belling flopping through the waves and getting unexpectedly knocked over by sneak-attack-surf. We only stayed a half hour but that half hour was exhilarating and mind altering. Back at home Brody, Beth, and I snuggled up with dinner and shows. Peaceful. 


The next day while Beth was at work, Nolan treated me to breakfast at IHOP. I must say - these two really know how to treat their guests! Once Nolan was at work, Beth text [and call] directed me to the beach we had been to the day before, where I layed out in my big floppy hat, book in tow, for two hours. My book of choice was Marley and Me - and I cannot express how hooked I was. I was not only hooked to my book but instantly hooked to the ocean. I grew up near here the first part of my life but honestly thought over the past ten years that the ocean had nothing a lake didn't have. Maybe I had suffered some sort of prolonged denial because I realized in that moment of solitude that I could definitely trade in my digs by the lake for this. 


It seemed Beth, too, needed a day at the beach. When she called me after work I drove back from Surf City, we loaded into her car, and headed to the beach on Camp Lejeune. There we lay, for two hours, each engulfed in our own books [Brody was at daycare]. We only broke our attention for a half hour frollick through the rolling waves. We had such a blast out there. A much needed break from reality that Beth needed. And although I am having a blast out here on the open road - I, too, needed a moment of nothing but pure relaxation. Something anyone who knows me knows that I am not good at. After the beach we enjoyed macaroni and cheese, Hot in Cleveland, and quiet time. 


The next morning I bid farewell to Beth and Nolan as they left for work. I made myself some leftover coffee and sat outside on the porch reading Marley and Me for an hour, sipping coffee and laughing hysterically every other paragraph. Once an hour had passed I decided it was time to hit the road. 


I stopped in Charlotte, one of the places I have always wanted to go, and decided to dress in my turquoise dress and white floppy hat. I strolled down the avenue to a place called French Quarter and scarfed down a burger, salad, and drank sweet tea while enjoying my book, once again. [I really do recommend this book to anyone!] It took me a total of ten hours to get home what with the pit stop and the traffic but Charlotte was totally worth it. Just as glamorous and small town as I had pictured - with all the ritzy-ness and old Southern charm I had conjured up on the drive over there. Each person who passed me said something or asked me a question and everyone smiled as they walked by. I really enjoyed myself. 



Back in Tennessee I picked the kids up from VBS and drove home, listening to their endless excited chatter about making soap and learning the Bible. I guess we both had the week we needed :) Exhale. 

These are a FEW of my favorite things :)

Today began like any other. I pulled myself out of bed - half asleep and in no shape to mingle. Sandy had been up a while and was asking me questions at what seemed a race-cars pace. As I fumbled with the coffee maker and gave her half blank/half confused stares I think she finally realized I wasn't coherent. Needless to say, it took me a while to hop on the bandwagon. A while and some coffee that is :) We opted for the early service this morning and I loved the message today. Not only did they play one of my favorite songs but we also spoke about giving to the Lord and having faith that we will receive what we give ten fold. Our pastor even pointed out different examples of when churches had challenged people to tithe for three months, or some other random number, and if they didn't receive blessings beyond that of what they gave, then the church would refund them the full amount they tithed. Of course nobody asked for their money back.

 I would love to believe this was due to the wonderful blessings they received but the skeptic in me wonders what type of person would  ask a church for their money back ha! Never the less, I have noticed that each time I give, I do in fact receive much more than I put in. It was also brought to our attention the blessings we fail to recognize. For instance the pastor considers penny's on the ground blessings. So if he finds a quarter he's really impressed because he's been blessed 25 times, and so on. The line I loved was "Don't miss the penny's, looking for the dimes" - amen. After church I rushed to get ready to go out on the boat! My friend Forrest invited me to go water-skiing with his family! Ahhhh!! 
I have never been water-skiing so obviously I jumped on the opportunity. Once out on the boat we decided to stop at this cliff and go cliff diving!!! Well, the water is really high right now so it was only a twelve foot drop but I still had a BLAST and it was such a rush!! After lunch it was time for ski lessons. Eeek! Autumn went first in order to show me the ropes, and then it was my turn! I got up on my very first try but somehow instantly hit a wave and biffed. The second and third time I decided that "lean back" meant "lay down" and we all laughed at the hilarity of me basically just stick falling backwards into the wake ha! Fourth times a charm and I got right up and skied for a good ten minutes before calling it quits. 
Somewhere around the second time up I pulled both of my forearms and now, 8 hours later, i'm finally starting to feel [a little] better. Oh and did I mention that I was experiencing all of this on one of the U.S's top ten most beautiful lakes! The lake was created by a dam but I cannot believe the gorgeous views of the Smoky Mountains and Cherokee National Park. Amazing! Once we got back home Forrest took me out on the four-wheeler and even let me drive! I had so much fun tearing up the trails behind their house. I was a master at even the deadly hills ha! So, church, lake, four-wheeling - and all with wonderful people!! Thank you God :) 

The LONGEST Way Home!!

Heading back to Tennessee = dreadful. We got on the road late, a little past 7:30am. We were supposed to leave at 5:30. Oops! Around 9:30  . . .  trouble in paradise. As I told the kids once again they could not lean on me I look up and notice a man jumping up and down flailing his arms and pointing at the road. Naturally I think this man is drunk and just as I start to voice my opinion the car hits something and jumps in the air - landing with a thud. As we pull over to the side of the road the car begins to smoke profusely and by the looks of it we're about to get a view of smoke pouring out of Jason's ears as well. While pacing back and forth Jason ushers us out of the car and instructs the kids and I to run across the street and wait at the deserted restaurant for a tow truck to come. Our transmission is shot. Standing across the road the kids and I piece together what has happened. Some truck, who knows how far ahead of us, had dropped something in the middle of the road. The man on the other side of the road noticed this and jumped out to get it - upon realizing that there is no way to grab the object before cars traveling 60mph pummel him he decides to jump up and down like a mad man. Once Jason realizes there is something in the road he realizes something else - there is nowhere to go but over it. Swerve to the left, kill crazy man. Swerve to the right, kill us upon running into semi. 
Stop, who knows - 50 car pile up? So the kids and I decide to make the best of the situation and kick rocks around the parking lot in a game of "Who can kick the farthest?" until Jason yells across the highway at us to sit down. Fun over, oh and I feel 8 again ha! We sit there until two police officers and a tow truck drive into the parking lot and retrieve us. Their son is thrilled he gets to sit in a police car - he even got front seat!! Jason, their daughter, and I pile into the back of the other car while Sandy piles into the back of the one their son is in. Once we're at a car repair shop we learn that their backed up for a week and the nearest Jaguar place is an hour away. Time for a rental. Call Enterprise, they'll pick you up ;) We got into a mini van which all of us but Jason felt much more comfortable in! We each had our own seats and little air vents [no more kids leaning on me!!] The ride was great! So, by noon we are back on the road and on our way home!! Around 5:30 Sandy begins feeling a lot of pain, excruciating pain in fact, in her right side and head. Jason insists we go to the hospital. So - 2 hours from home we stop at the closest hospital and wait. and wait. and wait. and wait. 4 hours later at 10pm Sandy is given medicine for a migraine and we are sent on our merry [exhausted, crabby, hungry] way. 2 hours later we are home. 17 hours. That is how long it took us to travel a 6-8 hour trip. And poor Sandy and Jason, their Jag won't be ready to be fixed for another two weeks and even if it can be fixed, the insurance company may just total it. All I know is that I thank God nobody was hurt and throughout the whole ordeal we found ways to laugh and have fun :) Somebody was lookin out! 

Flippin Kinda Trippy Like a Mississippi Hippie :)

While it has almost been a week since day one in Mississippi I can still remember traveling down the roads from Tennessee to my summer 1998 stomping grounds. We left after 6 last Monday and headed straight for Mississippi, almost. We actually stopped to eat practically right away. Our dinner of choice? McDonalds. So, mashed against the car door underneath the weight of two children my Micky d's laden stomach and I slept on and off the whole way there. We stopped again in Alabama for Cracker Barrel, one of my all time favorite places, and headed the rest of the way getting there around 1am. After spilling out of the vehicle and into the house I was not surprised at all to find stew cooking on the stove just in case we were hungry. Oh sweet southern hospitality, won't you please take me home? Seeing grandma and diddy after 14 years was spectacular. I find it funny what doesn't change in 14 years. 

Tomb at the Church I went to as a child! 

Looking at their now older faces and small house  I was comforted in their familiar smiles and thick welcoming accents. I slept so hard that night! The next day we went  to drop off some corn to some neighbors down the road and visit with their donkeys  - and one gorgeous gelding named Shine. Following that little soiree we went to where we lived in Booneville, MS! 
Talk about your little southern town. I counted two stop lights in the whole place - maybe. Jason laughed because where one stoplight had been added a few years back now stood a stop-sign. I guess they realized there wasn't enough traffic to bother with a stoplight. The house I lived in with them was now deserted and falling apart, but driving down the road conjured memories of my first true love - Pepper. As we passed the houses I remembered running that puppy up and down the street whenever she had to go potty. I also remembered sneaking out of my window to play with one of the neighborhood kids and getting a whooping when I came back later! We stopped in a little antique store and headed to a corner burger place for lunch.
 After lunch [or before] we drove past the park Sandy took Randy and I to as children! What an experience, to drive through your childhood - especially that piece of time in mine. That night we had a good old fashioned southern home cooked meal. The whole family came over as we devoured corn, biscuits, cornbread, ham, green beans, egg salad, and sweet tea - yum!! Once again, as people wrapped me in warm embraces and asked about Randy I sat smiling, barely remembering these dozen or so faces surrounding me. The only memories 14 years old and barely touched. Never the less it was wonderful to see them and to remember what it was like being 8 and living in Mississippi. The following morning Sandy, Jason, Grandma, and I headed to Tupelo, Mississippi - the place where Elvis was born! 
We got to walk around his birth place and read about his life. How exciting! I was bummed I didn't get any Tupelo Honey, darn you Van Morrison! Back at the house we prepared for another round of dinner - fried chicken, biscuits, sweet tea, and all the rest. Grandma was positive it was only going to be us for supper but once again about 5 more people showed up. It was no surprise to me that we had more than enough food! 
As I sat early the next morning, sipping coffee and rocking away in the crisp morning air I mused with diddy at how beautiful the lake is with a blanket of fog. I could truly get used to the gorgeous views and calming serenity of waking up and enjoying a cup of coffee as I look out over all that God has created - with people I love. What I wonderful trip back in time :) 

Slavery and Human Trafficking.

Yesterday was a day for God. We got up and headed to church around 10 - taught Sunday school, went to the adult service, and then had lunch. Since Sandy's friends were leading the afternoon service we decided to stay for that one as well. Normally that service is called the "JOY" service but yesterday I guess they had a change of heart. We crowded into the pews and sat, listening to the band play the first song. After they had sung, the two youngest members came forward and told us about something call Passion 2012. Each year there is a national convention for 18-25 year olds, called Passion, which hosts a different subject each year, this years subject was slavery and human trafficking. After explaining what we were about to watch I observed as Sandy's face turned to dread as she pondered whether her children were ready for what they were about to witness. We decided together that the video portrayed something very real and that ignoring it didn't mean the children wouldn't learn about it later, and making them leave would cause them to become more curious. So, nervously, we sat and watched the movie and the kids faces as they focused intently on the screen in front of them. Minute to minute we heard the stories of three people - each a slave in one form or another. We heard their struggles to find jobs, their shock when they realized they weren't going where they had intended to go, the abuse endured during the long hours of day. Teary eyed we listened in horror to their broken words and tattered stories. Stories of loss and fear, stories of utter betrayal of humanity. And stories of redemption, as these three people came out of slavery with the help of various different agencies present all around the world. Agencies outlined in the thank you video accompanying the Passion 2012 Freedom video. We watched as these people came to learn who Jesus is, who God is, and the faith they've developed upon being saved. While I sat there, teary eyed and heart broken I watched their daughter turn around in her seat and exclaim that she wanted to go home. I watched as another little girl clapped her hands against her fathers face, laughing, and my heart became so heavy with sorrow - as well as happiness. There are 27 million people in some sort of slavery today all across the world. That is more than the entire African slave trade. My sorrow came from the idea that there are children and adults all over the world who cannot turn around in their chairs and tell their families they want to go home. It came from the idea that children all over the world cannot clasp their parents in their arms and laugh uncontrollably for no reason. Ironically that is also where my happiness came from. I am so happy to be living here today, to be with people who love me and whom I love. So happy to be so blessed by God. The movie really tore into me, in some of the deepest depths of thought. So much so that I hope to someday help in one of the various countries. Not For Sale in Cape Town, South Africa really caught my eye. I'll continue to pray to God for guidance, not only for myself but for the millions of people who have no voice right now. I've included the full video, including the thank you video outlining some of those involved in Passion 2012. 2013 brings Freedom 2013 - an attempt to draw more attention to slavery around the globe and what we can do to stop it. 


Movie: Passion 2012 Freedom Film
Passion 2012 Thank You Video
Christy Nockels - Passion 2012 song

Fly Fishing and Cow Kissing

So I know it's only half way through the day but I have had such a great time! I have been lake fishing, and I have been ocean fishing, but now I can add river fishing. Which, might I add, is the hardest. Not only do you brave trecherous rocks and cold water but the gear required [ which I suppose ocean boats cost more ] is extensive. I waded in my bathin suit and tennis shoes most of the time but the water was so cold that you could no longer breath once you got deep enough. I never caught a fish but I did break the group leaders fishing pole in TWO PLACES when I fell. To add injury to insult I found out it was the pole he got for his birthday last year and had never used. All that and I never caught a fish! But I did learn about how to fly fish and traveling up the river was so much fun!
Not to mention the new friends I've made. I really had such a wonderful time - next time they said we'd go on a canoe trip or horse back riding! No way!!!
When I got home I saw some of the neigbors cows had come up by the fence so I went to see the little cream colored one - she/he [ I didn't check ] came right up to me and was licking my hand and arm haha! I never new their tongues literally hooked onto things, or that they felt like cats tongues. I ran in to get my camera and when i came back to take a picture the cow licked me right on my face!!! As I walked away he watched me as if he were sad to see me go, I think i've made another new friend :) Hanging out by the pool now - taking in the day. I am so blessed.

I'm gonna live where the green grass grows!

This morning I got up bright and early to help Jason build the new fence around the pasture. After making coffee and heading out into the crisp morning air I went to work attaching the fence stretcher to the fence in order to pull it tight with the truck. We moved the fence posts and measured 8' spaces between each fence pole. Standing there, listening as the post driver angrily thudded against the top of the pole, I breathed in the cool air and stared out over the rolling hills as the sun came peeking through the trees and into the pasture. Once we finished up Jason had me go feed the chickens. I fed them out of my hand for a little bit this time! Walking back toward Jason all the sheep came frolicking [correct spelling surprisingly] down through the pasture to investigate the changes we had made. I could do that for the rest of my life. I just love this little farm life. After Sandy and I dropped the kids off at day camp we headed out for a little shopping trip. I bought two pairs of shorts, two dresses, and one strapless jumpsuit thing. I loooove them!! All that for 60 bucks! [70 with TN tax - Heather, you're not in Minnesota anymore] ha! Later on we moseyed over to a barbecue one of the local businesses was throwing for it's customers, delicious. Sandy asked me if they feed everyone in Minnesota like they do here and I told her that they do it a liiiittle differently - in Minnesota, you are given free range to peoples kitchens but don't expect them to cook for you all the time [except Avery's house - they cook for me all the time :) ] Once our tummys were happy as can be we went over to watch the kids play water games at day camp. They had two water slides out and all the kids stood in single file lines to go down them - it was sooo funny!! It brought me back to when we'd put a huge tarp down the hill in our back yard and squirt laundry soap on our stomachs to go flying down the now blue river running down the hill. I miss those days. When we were leaving, Forrest, one of the local guys told me that he saw my post on facebook and that a group of people from the church were going fishing tomorrow!! I guess it's free fishing day in Tennessee, where you can fish without purchasing a lisence - sooo excited!! After we got home the kids got into a huge argument over a PENNY! Sandy gave new meaning to the term "hug it out" when she made them stand in the hallway for ten minutes hugging. I LOVE it. They were giggling with eachother and totally over their fight within 6 minutes - but they still had 4 to go. What a great punishment. I love this little peice of paradise out here. I cannot wait to have my own little farmette/ranchette some day :)

Where The Green Grass Grows - Tim McGraw

Make God Laugh, Tell Him Your Plans

Clearly "inconsistent" is one of the many words that many people use to describe me. So, with that, I bring you my inconsistently written blog! Yesterday was one of the best days so far! Why? Because not only did I get to skim the pasture and pick up garbage so Jason could mow - but while picking up scrap metal I carried a piece of metal fifteen feet and handed it to their little girl before noticing a giant wasps nest CRAWLING with wasps. Get this, not a one of them stung either of us! Thank you God. After cleaning up, we got to take down the fence and help Jason rebuild the new one. I was a hardware removing queen! Anyway - the reason I loved yesterday was because I have been wanting to do work on the actual farm. I love collecting eggs and feeding the chickens, sheep, and dogs - but I really miss working on the farm back home. I'm looking into shadowing some large animal veterinarians around here so I can figure out where I want to be in life. Which brings me to my next point - church. Today, after preparing for Jason's fathers day gift all day, we went to church. Sitting in a group of about 6 people we watched a movie called "God's Story" or something. After a narrator read part of the segment of a book provided with the movie, a person came on to explain the significance. The story was about king Cyrus and his generosity to the Jewish people when he sent them out of Babylon to go to Jerusalum in order to rebuild the temple. Cyrus commanded people from everywhere to provide  silver and gold for the project. After starting the temple the people got distracted and began building up their own houses, businesses, and so forth - forgetting the temple for 16 years [I may have some facts wrong, bare with me!]. After a while a pattern began. No matter how much food they grew, they remained hungry. No matter how much money they accumulated, they could always use more. No matter how much they drank, they remained thirsty. They tried to solve their problems with their own solutions - forgetting to look to God. Anyway - somehow we got to the point that we often times forget to look to God and instead look to ourselves to solve our problems. Not only that, but when something goes right we attribute it to ourselves rather than to his grace and blessings. I have noticed lately that I am lost - lost about going back to college, where I want to live, and what job I may want to do in the future. Funny thing? I wasn't lost three months ago when I handed complete control over to God. I knew exactly where I was and what I wanted. For a while I began to think how funny it was, the impact a roadtrip and not having a job could have - but now I am wondering if the roadtrip has nothing to do with it. If it's actually that I started making plans again, that I started looking to myself to solve problems. Now, the same guy also said that we cannot attribute every set back to God - that some set backs are the result of our own decisions - but never the less, it got me thinking. I have not fallen away, nor have I made any bad decisions but to cure my confusion I know where to look, I know who to look to - God. Because the plans God has for me are so much better than anything I could plan for myself.  
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.

Sunday Sermon and Hiking Happiness [ha!]

 I feel like this has turned into a cooking blog! I totally forgot to mention that Thursday was my first day collecting the eggs from the chicken coop and feeding the animals :) Yesterday I refed the chickens - not realizing that you only have to feed chickens every three days and spread corn/pebbles to keep them busy. Oops!! This morning I made ham and cheese pockets. I looked on pinterest for recipes but didn't like any of them so I decided to make up my own. I made homemade biscuit mix and then instead of making them into biscuits I spread the dough out, put ham and cheese on one side, then folded it into a pocket. Halfway through the baking process I melted butter and added salt, pepper, and italian seasoning then brushed it over the biscuits.
 They were soooo delicious!! We decided I will make them again tomorrow or Monday <<< I wrote that on Saturday, Today is Monday - talk about a slacker!!! I ended up making those delicious creations again before church yesterday. Yummm!!! Church was long - really long - but I shouldn't complain because that was the point. Every first sunday is communion Sunday and Pastor Will said that often times that is hurried and individuals do not take the time to appreciate what it means to take the body and blood of Christ - so he went slow. After service we ate lunch and Sandy and Jason brought a man from Minnesota as their guest! We talked and realized that we have lived in all of the same places! He lives only 20 minutes from me in Minnesota, in the 80's he lived in Colorado, he's living here now, and his son lives in California! Better yet, he comes from a long line of ranchers!
So we talked all about ranching and horse riding - he suggested places I should apply to work on ranches in Colorado. I will probably head to Montana whenever I decide to work on a ranch but wow! What an awesome person to know! After church we headed into the mountains to stake out a camping spot. We hiked for a little over a mile before we found the perfect one. Sandy was HILARIOUS carrying her little white foo foo maltese through the forest and freaking out when we came to treacherous terrain. 
 At one point Jason took over and dangled the dog over his back by his halter haha!! A woman passed us later and angrily exclaimed that "that was no way to pick up a dog" - he was fiiiiine!! The temperature outside was a perfect 75 degrees with a slight breeze. The sun shone through the canopy of the trees and the bugs were barely noticable. Not only that but Sandy found a small snake slithering across and path - what an adventure! I am looking forward to camping next week! I am going to try to keep up with my blog more often - if not for ya'll than for myself!! Having such a good time here but I have more words than could possibly be squeezed into this space. Maybe another one tonight ;) For now I am off to a doctors appointment!

Pinterest Recipe Queen

Since I have gotten to Tennessee I have become a regular on Pinterest, searching for recipes to make every meal super delicious. So far I have made sweet potato fries, raspberry cheesecake cups, toast cups, and I am taking on doughnuts today - since it's national doughnut day. The sweet potato fries turned out delicious. They were not as crispy as what I had expected but I believe thats due to the amount of oil I mixed them in. Crispy or not they were the perfect amount of soft sweet potato. I don't know about anyone else but my biggest sweet potato fry complaint has to be when I take a bite and all I get is pure crunch, sans sweet potato. I want a good hunk of sweet potato in my fry. I made these only two days ago. I paired them with the dip that the recipe recommends. We didn't have siracha so I used Franks Red Hot and everyone said it was perfect with the sweetness of the sweet potato. Yesterday one of the kids stayed home with me while the other went with Sandy. We decided to surprise them with a dessert for after dinner. We chose raspberry cheesecake - yummmmm!!! During the process we had to improvise a little because I thirded the recipe to only make 12 instead of 38. This meant we had to do math - school time anyone? Looking through the pantry we realized we didn't have graham crackers for the crust, so we improvised and used Animal Crackers - which works just as well!! Once the crusts were done we moved onto the filling, only to find out that we were short one package of cream cheese! Luckily I had a cream cheese mixture from a dessert I made for memorial day. After making the cheesecakes we hid them in the fridge and waited for dinner to pull them out. Success - I thought 12 would be enough but after dinner only 2 remained! I guess we'll have to claw eachothers eyes out for them - just kidding :) This morning for breakfast I made toast cups but substituted sausage for bacon. When I took them out of the oven I was nervous they werent going to be good but after taking them out of the cupcake tins and devouring all but one we all concluded they were also a success. My only complaint would be the fact that the toast on the outside didn't go all the way up the sides so the egg covered the bread, resulting in soft, not crispy, bread. I almost forgot - for Memorial Day we created strawberry bites, fruit kabobs, and fruit cups all in theme for the holiday.  Below I have posted a link to all of these recipes - I went onto my pinterest board and went directly to the link. I highly recommend doing each of them - I will post an update later concerning the doughnuts!! :)


Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake
Sweet Potato Fries/Dip
Bacon [Sausage[, Egg, Toast Cups
Patriotic Fruit Kabobs
Patriotic Fruit Cups


Strawberry bites: I cannot find the recipe - of course - but it consists of halving the strawberrys and cutting out the hull. Filling the strawberry with some sort of cream mixture [I used a creamcheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla mixture] then placing a blueberry on top. :) Enjoy!



UPDATE::

Doughnuts turned out amazing!! At first I had the oil too high so a few burned and at the end I had the oil too low so they got really greasy but 75% of them turned out perfect. I made a chocolate glaze, a lemon vanilla glaze, powdered sugar covering, and cinnamon and sugar coating. I also added cinnamon instead of nutmeag and a little vanilla to the original mixture :) Yumm!!

Doughnut Holes :)