Tammy's Thoughts

2015-11-16T11:33:00.000-06:00

It has been a great few weeks! Basketball season
has started for my daughter, Emily.

She is a very competitive player and gives it her all. After practice, she always love to go to Subway....her favorite place to eat!!
Every year I am invited to go on a ladies shopping trip with my sister who lives several hours away. My other sister and my Mom goes as well. It is such a fun time and I look forward to it so much! I'm not always able to go but I did this year! It's so nice for us all to be together!

We always have tons of fun, laughs and memories.

Anyway, I came across this picture of my grandchildr and I just had to share! They were recently in a wedding and they are just the most adorable kids ever!!

I just love them!

Don't forget that November is Diabetes awareness month!

Get yourself tested is you think you are having symptoms, eat healthy and exercise! My diabetes is under control and I couldn't be more thankful!!

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13

2015-10-28T11:44:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you all, but I am really enjoying this wonderful fall scenery! When I took my walk the other day, I snapped a few pictures of the beautiful trees!!

What wonderful beauty God gives us this time of year! It has been cool and rainy the last couple of days and the colors are still turning and becoming even more vibrant than before.

It's great to take advantage of the nice weather

to finish a few projects before it's too cold out. I was recently given a few chairs from friends who were moving (Yes! they were FREE) and I gave them a makeover! Here is the before and after...

And the finished product!!! I used just a inexpensive flat black spray paint from our local dollar store. I love the way they turned out.

My husband has also been taking on a project. It's much bigger than mine was. He has noticed that the old windows that were originally put in the garage were leaking and his garage was taking on a lot of water damage.

So, as you can see, the only thing to do was remove the windows and replace the wall. Also, he decided to change the look of the garage and put the walk-in door on this side, instead of where it was. So, here are a few pics of the tearing down and rebuilding the wall.

I will have an update and more pictures in a later post!

Anyway, I have struggled the last week with staying with my low-carb lifestyle. I don't call it a diet since I have diabetes and I have a medical need to eat low sugar and low-carb. Even though my blood sugars are good, I am still trying to lose a little more weight as well, but, I have been on a roller coaster with a couple of pounds. This morning during my devotion, the thought came to me that my weight loss is like my walk with God. Although I want it to be perfect,it is not. I try to follow Christ but I am a sinner. God is merciful! Even though I try hard to only eat what is good for me, I'm tempted with a bite of this, or a piece of that, or just a little of that.

It is a great comfort to know that it is God that girdeth me with strength.... Psalm 18: 32. I know I can get over this! Just as God's mercy is new every morning, I have another day to make good choices and eat better than I did the day before.

Now, time to stand up, hold my head high, take a deep breath and trust in God that he will get me through yet another hurdle! I am at 93# lost and I WILL reach my 100# goal!

I seen this saying today and it reminded me that sometimes you have to try harder, sacrifice more and go the extra mile for what you want to achieve!

Thanks for reading!

2015-10-19T10:29:00.000-05:00

It's a beautiful fall day today! The sun is shining bright, there's a good breeze, leaves are flying all around and the air is crisp and cool! I can't wait til later today when I can get out and take a nice walk. All of the leaves on our trees are starting to turn the gorgeous hues or orange, red and yellow. I love the crunch of leaves under my feet and the brisk feeling in the air.
We had a fun and busy weekend. On Saturday, we enjoyed the housewarming party of my daughter and son-in-law. They were able to purchase their first house not long ago. We are so happy for them!

Since being diagnosed with diabetes, I depend on

walking everyday as part of my exercise. Walking helps with weight loss and also helps to lower my blood sugar and as well as many others benefits. Although I love fall and everything about it, I know winter is coming next and some days I won't be able to be outside walking. We do have a membership to the local YMCA so I can exercise inside, but there's nothing like walking outside. It's so peaceful, and time goes by so fast when your walking outside. Whether or not you have diabetes, or you are on a weight loss plan, or are practicing living a healthy lifestyle.....you should still get out and take plenty of walks. Walking is very beneficial to your health!! Even on those days where you don't feel like it or you are out of shape....just make up your mind and do it!

I was spending the day with my Mom the other day and it turned out that we were both wearing our bright yellow shirts, so I had to take a pic! Love my Mom!

Thanks for reading! :)

2015-10-14T11:44:00.000-05:00

We had an absolutely wonderful weekend! On Saturday, my husband, John, and I went on the Spoon River scenic drive. It's a local event in our area that is the first two weekends of October every year. It's a drive somewhat in the country, back road highways, and there are stops everywhere
consisting of crafts, primitives, flea markets, yard sales, food vendors, re-enactments and everything else in between!! It involves a lot of small towns who really look forward to this every year! You can purchase everything from Kettle corn, tools, flowers, doilies, pictures, antiques, and baby clothes to car parts! One of my favorite things is the Kettle corn....We finished a small bag in no time at all!

One of Johns favorites is fresh made BBQ pork rinds! He can really make them disappear!

We had a lot of fun together! It was great to just get away and spend a little quality time with just the two of us!

On Sunday, We took Derek and Emily to Starved

Rock State Park. Emily brought her dog, Lexi, with us. We usually go every year and hike around on the paths and read all the posts of history about it.

Here are a few pics of our day..

After the hiking, we were starved and went

to one of our favorite places, Culvers! It was great because the weather was just perfect and we were able to eat outside and Lexi was able to be with us.

I love their concrete mixers! The flavor of the day was Butter Pecan with roasted pecans....YUM!

Next, we drove on to Tanners Apple Orchard. We didn't stay long, but we enjoyed our stop!

I'm always so thankful for my quiet Monday mornings after a busy weekend. I look forward to my early morning coffee and devotions....it's a great way to start any day!!

For any readers who are struggling with weight loss....here is a pic for you!

Thanks for reading!

2015-10-09T09:39:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday to all! I hope you have fun things planned for this weekend. It's that time of year where I try to squeeze in a lot of outdoor activities before the weather turns and it's too cold to be outside.

I love to walk outside. My husband, John, and I usually walk 2+ miles every evening. I'm dreading the fact that eventually it will be too cold! It's not only time to exercise, burn calories, and get fit, but it's nice spending time together. We both have FitBit trackers which we love. I have a lot of family that compete in friendly challenges with walking and getting our steps in. It's great to keep track of physical activity and helps keep you accountable for your walking. Walking is such a great way to stay healthy and it's FREE! :)
Just remember, losing weight or getting in shape takes time.....

Always remember....

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13

I was looking at some older pictures and I seen this one. So cute of my 2 daughters, thought I'd share it.

Ieshia and Emily

Thanks for reading!

2015-10-08T08:52:00.000-05:00

It is a typical fall day here in Illinois. It is slightly overcast, a slight dampness in the air, leaves are just starting to turn and a few leaves have made their way to the ground. Why is it, I wonder, why the leaves always seem to land right in front of the door where we walk, to be stepped on, crushed into little bits, and then continuously tracked right into the house on the rug?? ha What a messy nuisance! The more I sweep, the more they fall!
I hope you all are having a great week! I finally broke down and got into the "pumpkin" spirit! Here is the flavor of the day in my coffee!

Yum! It is so good! I love almost everything pumpkin!

Morning time is very special to me! I have

never really been a morning person, but now I crave that special quiet time. My house empties out while my husband and kids make their way to school and work. I take full advantage of this time for my morning prayer and devotion time.

Here is a look at my stack from this morning.

on the bottom, is my prayer journal. This is where I write down personal things I need to meditate and pray about. Where I write down requests that might come my way, and where I list my strategy for prayer. Also, I can keep a list of scriptures to help with certain prayers. But it's also where I keep track of all the answered prayers! It's great to ask for things in prayers, But never forget to thank God when they are answered!

Next in my stack is my Bible in the brown case. I take it with me almost everywhere. It's not as pretty as it once was, with little notes, bookmarks, highlighted areas, little sticky flags everywhere, But it is more precious and worth so much to me now then it ever was before. Above my Bible is my devotion book. I think it's important to read a devotion everyday....I call it food for my mind. Gives me something else to think about, or a perspective that I wouldn't have thought of.

On the very top of that stack is one of my new books that I enjoy very much,

The book, Fervent, was inspired by the movie, War Room. That movie really touched my life and this book is refreshing my memory of things learned from the movie. I highly recommend it!

That is how I start my day, and usually how I end my day.

Well, fall is definitely my favorite season! Partly because orange is my favorite color, but this time of year the air is just so crisp and fresh, the colors are beautiful, and the decoration are so cute! Here are a few pics of my fall decorations this year,

I really like the way they turned out, however, nothing could ever compare to the beauty God created!!

Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment, or be a follower!

2015-10-06T11:28:00.000-05:00

Wow! I can't believe it's been 10 months since I updated my blog. I have been debating on whether or not to delete it or refresh it. I really hated to lose all the memories that have been created in this blog. There are great pictures, memories, recipes, family that is no longer with us, and a lot of info I could never get back.
So, even though my life has dramatically changed over the years since I first started my blog, I decided to keep it going. I decided to somewhat start fresh with new interests, new pictures, and recipes and other encouragement that reflects my newer life style.
First of all, God is so very important to me! My life is devoted to him 100%! Now, this doesn't at all mean that I am perfect. I am far from that. I daily strive to deepen my prayer life, read his word, and devote every aspect of my life to him. The one that created me, gave his life for me, and is preparing a place for me, for all of eternity, The Almighty God.

I like to spend time with our great church ladies,

And we recently enjoyed a great ladies retreat where I was able to sing with some very talented, sweet, and devoted ladies

This also happens to be one of my favorite times of the year. I love fall!! The colors are so vibrant, the air is fresh and crisp, the scenery is breathtaking, and I love admiring Gods gorgeous artwork.

Even though this isn't the first day of fall, I love the quote from Emily Bronte on the above picture.

Another change in my life is my whole lifestyle.

I have remained focused on low-carb eating ever since I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in May2014. Here are a few before and after comparison pictures.....

These were taken when I had hit my 90# goal. I have now lost 91# and am diligently trying to get to my final goal of 100#. God is so good to me. None of this would be possible without him. I have no self control. After being diagnosed with diabetes, and going through several stages of denial, I finally broke down and told God that I couldn't do this alone. I needed him. I would give him all the glory....and I do! He is faithful, he is just, and he is the one behind my weight loss. I get strength from reading his word, and I am encouraged daily by his promises to me. Psalm 19:14

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

Thanks for reading, please feel free to leave a comment. :)

2014-12-30T12:57:00.000-06:00

We had a great Christmas! I'm so excited to start 2015! God has blessed us so much this year!! I will be starting this year 70# lighter!! Enjoy a few pictures and I will post again soon! :)

Happy New Year and God Bless!

Amazing summer.....

2014-07-25T10:26:00.001-05:00

We are still having an amazing summer here in Illinois! It makes it so easy to keep active when the weather is so good! Well, last week was the end of softball for this year. I love watching the girls play, but ready for a few other things. They played very well and ended up winning 2nd for their league!! Congrats to all the girls and their coaches!!

Now, instead of sitting at the ball park, we sit and fish in the evenings........

and during the day.....he cracks me up....the most impatient fisher boy I have ever seen! As Mom said, it's like fishing with Barney Fife!

I've enjoyed spending time with family....I recently spent the day with my grand-kids and nieces....we had a great time at Lake Story!

We got a kick out of watching my daughter do cartwheels....

On a serious note, I had an appointment with my diabetic counselor recently! I am doing good and got a lot of encouragement from her. I am still eating healthy,

even at Olive Garden.....haha This is a picture of their new menu choice, the trout and instead of the pasta side dish, I chose broccoli. Very good! I am happy to say that I have lost 30lbs now!! Also, my blood sugar has been great too!

I have a lot more to go but I have gotten off to a good start!

Excercise!

2014-07-09T11:10:00.000-05:00

I have been loving this summer weather! It's nice to get out and walk everyday. I have been walking 2 1/2 to 4 miles a day! It just depends on how hot it is and also what time of day I walk! Today, i'm going to register for my first 5K walk/run/ride! I'm super excited!!
I have been getting a lot of exercise and have been thinking about getting a membership at the YMCA. I love walking, but I think using the machines might help with losing inches. Also, along with exercise, eating healthy has been my top priority. Here is a pic of supper a few nights ago.....

It was so delicious! I eat mainly lots of proteins and veggies! Here is a pic of me down 20lbs.

I still have a lot to go.

Yesterday we spent the day with friends at Fun City in Burlington, IA. The kids had a blast!

Derek, Kennedi, and Emily

Emily and Derek

Derek and Emily

Derek

Emily

Derek

Kennedi

Emily was so excited that she was finally tall enough to ride the go carts!

They swam at the outside water park for a few hours (forgot to get pics :(.......) then we went and had lunch. I had a cobb salad and it was wonderful!

We all had a fun day! After we got home, the kids went to Cola Wars which is like a VBS for teens, and I walked 3.11 miles!!

Thanks for reading, I will update soon!

Summer 2014

2014-06-29T15:33:00.001-05:00

Well, I would like to say that I've been really busy and haven't had time to blog, however the truth is that I just wasn't motivated enough! I just went through a time when I couldn't decide whether I wanted to keep my blog or just let it go. This blog was started when a lot of my family was out of state. I enjoyed sharing our pictures and activities with family and friends. I also liked to post some recipes that my husband and kids really liked. Some of my family has moved back into the area, but I guess that having a blog just gives me an out to write down some of my thoughts. So, I guess I will continue on with my blog. If your interested in reading about an average everyday person and my family, then feel free to follow me and as always, all comments are welcome.
I have just begun a new journey in my life....Diabetes.
No one, ever, ever, ever wants to hear their Dr. say that word. During a recent 4 day stay at OSF, I was informed that diabetes is very prominent in my life. My first instinct was denial......then I decided to get on board and control my diabetes before the diabetes controls me!! So, that was 4 weeks and 3 days ago. I have changed my lifestyle, started exercising, have been eating a low-carb diet and feeling pretty good! Today, I walked 1.8 miles and I actually enjoyed it! As of today, I'm down 17 lbs from when I was weighed in the hospital!!!
So here I am......

I know with support from my friends, family, and Jesus Christ.....I will be fine!

Love this time of year...

2013-09-15T16:02:00.000-05:00

We've had a pretty good couple of weeks! My kids have been busy with school activities and homework...............

Sometimes requiring help from Dad.......

Derek has been doing an awesome job of ironing his own shirts....

Debbie and I were busy with peaches.......She helps with all the prep work of peeling and taking out the seeds. I canned peaches, peach preserves, peach butter, and also put some in the freezer. Of course I kept a few out for a great peach crisp!

Also this week......Blaize and Lyndie had a blast swinging .......

With the weather being so nice outside, I took my grand kids on a nice walk! It really touched my heart when they held on to each others hands without being asked to!

They were pretty amazed by the apple trees....

During our walk, we stopped for water and M&M's. We waited til we got back home to eat and they were so happy when they were having their snack!

They are adorable!

Tortilla soup was one of the new recipes that I made this week!

It was really good!

Here's the recipe I used.

First, I used a 2 chicken breasts that I cut in half longways to make 4 thin breasts.

Then, I made a rub out of

1 t. of cumin

2 t. of chili powder

1 t. garlic powder

and 1 t. of salt.

I put the rub on the chicken and then grilled the breasts. Do not over cook! You don't want the chicken to be dry. When they were done, I diced them and set them a side.

In your soup pot add a half a stick of butter and a few drizzles of olive oil and saute'

1 medium onion

3 cloves of garlic

1 red bell pepper

1 green pepper

and a sprinkle of chili powder.

When they start to get soft, add

2 cans of Rotel

1 can of tomato paste

8 c. of chicken broth

2 c. of hot water

2 cans of rinsed black beans

1 can of white beans

1 can of corn

add the chicken in and simmer til everything is hot. If you want to thicken the soup a little, you can mix a little corn meal with hot water and pour in the soup mixture.

I topped it with corn chips, sour cream, and green onions.

This soup was kinda a light soup with all the veggies and grilled chicken....it was very good served with green chili and cheddar corn bread!

Enjoy!

Green Beans and Tomatoes

2013-09-03T15:45:00.000-05:00

Labor Day, September 2, 2013, was a day to work at our house!
Monday was a perfect day......77* and breezy. We were up early and went and picked tomatoes! Most of you all know that our home was affected by the flooding in the Midwest this past spring. Our entire finished basement was ruined! Our children's 3 bedrooms, bathroom/laundry room, furnace room and storage area was all covered in 2-3 foot of sewage. Devastating to say the least! Anyway, I will show updated photos in a later post, however, because of the flooding we were very late getting our garden planted.
So, our garden has provided enough goodies for eating but not enough for canning. We have been so blessed by good friends sharing some of their green beans and tomatoes, that we were able to get some canning done!

Emily

Derek

Grandma Keller helped

Bean fight....

I had some wonderful green bean snappers helping me......of course there was a small green bean fight.

I ended up with 12 quarts.

Sharayah stepped in to help with the tomatoes.....

Love them so much!

We ended up with 16 quarts of tomatoes,

2 quarts of tomato juice, and 21 pints of tomatoes!!

Later on, Sharayah wanted to "hold" Missy....I think she got goosebumps when she was walking on her shoulder!

Such a great day with my family!

I will leave you with a couple of pics of Emily sporting her new outfit from CATO

I enjoy sharing this blog with all my friends and family. Please feel free to leave a comment below, check one of the boxes, or follow my blog and get an email notification when there is a new post!

Tammy's Thoughts: It's that time of year again when the kids g...

2013-09-01T15:17:00.001-05:00

Tammy's Thoughts: It's that time of year again when the kids g...: It's that time of year again when the kids go back to school! The first day of school is always symbolic. The kids are starti...

2013-09-01T15:14:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again when the kids go

back to school! The first day of school is always

symbolic. The kids are starting a new grade, feeling older and also a hint that summer is almost over for another year!

Derek and Emily both starting 7th grade.

Her last first day of school, Ieshia, the senior!!

Along with school starting, in our little town is the Abingdon Fall Festival.

Derek and Emily

Emily and Kennedy

Emily and Lane

Derek

They had a lot of fun.

This year Emily enjoyed shopping! You can tell she's growing up because clothes are her thing right now!

I'm so proud of all my kids! They are doing great at school and are doing homework with enthusiasm!

I am so blessed!

Derek has been picking out his own clothes for church and tying his own tie!! He is such a sweetheart!

There is one thing that the kids don't like...

my pig!

This is my pig that I set on the table every night during supper. I have set thru many dinners where the kids actually act like pigs! So, if they don't use manners they get the pig by their plate.
At the end of supper, whoever has the pig gets to clean off the table. Things like talking with food in your mouth, burping or having gas, eating with fingers, taking huge bites and letting food fall on your plate.....asking politely to pass food, elbows or laying on the table, just to name a few! So far it has been working very well!! We are breaking a lot of habits and getting the table cleaned!!

I actually wish I would have done that sooner!

A busy Saturday.....

2013-03-23T21:39:00.002-05:00

My Saturday started early when Blaize and Lyndie got here. They played and watched Tom and Jerry while they ate breakfast Then later they put a puzzle together with Grandma Keller.

Later on Blaize noticed that I had made no bake cookies.....One of the few cookies he can eat since he is allergic to wheat.

After a good lunch, they both ate a cookie..

My sister and her husband are on vacation so we are dog sitting for Annabelle......Emily loves her!

This afternoon, I made some goodies for tomorrow. We will have finger food fellowship after church tomorrow evening........so, I made chocolate cake...

I also made almond bark pretzels that are decorated for spring...................

I also made taco dip..

and some turkey and ham sandwiches!

John and I dropped the kids off at church for a youth activity of pizza and bowling, and we went to supper at La Gondola. It was nice to have some time together. But even nicer that the kids had fun.

See Ya soon :)

Family and Fun...

2013-03-22T21:15:00.001-05:00

This week has really flown by fast! First of all, Congratulations to Emily for her placement and ribbon from the solo/ensemble contest!!

Great Job Emily! I was able to spend a lot of time this week with my Mom and grand-kids We have a lot of fun together and love going out to lunch!
Sheri, Mom, and I went to Apple-bee's on Tuesday. Wednesday I was with Mom and my grand-kids ..Blaize and Lyndie. We went to McDonald's and I finally got a Shamrock shake!

Thursday, it was Cherry St. with Mom and Sheri! That was a very tasty lunch!

Mom

Sheri

My dessert was the homemade cheesecake with caramel drizzled over the top! Very rich and very sweet but, very delicious!

Friday is was back to Galesburg with Mom and we met Sharayah, Blaize and Lyndie at Wendy's!

Lyndie

Blaize and Sharayah

I also must share with you a few pics of Lyndie eating a chocolate malt push-up......

She loved it!

Earlier this month, we ordered a family pizza kit from a Little Ceaser's fundraiser that Emily did for Choir.

We made it Thursday....it was really good!

One more picture....I will do a flash back Friday...this is a very cute pic or Derek, Emily and Lauren!

See ya soon! :)

Getting through the winter....

2013-03-19T21:05:00.000-05:00

So much going on this winter, has left me with virtually no time to spend on my blog! I really miss posting pictures and posting my thoughts.
Anyway, I'm going to take a few minutes and catch up on all the highlights of the Keller family and extended family since the last time I posted.

My Grand kids were sick for a while...

and the cats were sleepy

The babies were hungry.....

And sometimes they were weepy....

The dog was tired........

The dog wears socks.............

All kids love to play in a box.....

Playing basketball.............

Making soup.......

Playing in the snow.....

Drying boots........

Cats drinking water...........

Cats sitting on the floor.....

Dogs wanting my snack.....

My son staring at....Did I hear him snore???

Serving volleyball.....

Sleeping on the bed....

Playing the piano.....

Headband on her head....

Flowers on the big day....

Playing with the dog....

Making 3-2-1 cake.......

I have now updated my blog!!

(The shake just looked good ,
so I threw it in! )

2013-01-06T22:07:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year! Wow 2013 already! My family had a great Christmas and New years! I am not one to make resolutions and I'm not starting now, however, I do have a few goals for this year!
First of all, I would like to keep up with my blog a little better than I have in the past! I would also like to exercise more this year by going on more walks and bike rides with my kids. The last thing is to spend all my time with my family!!! Time goes too fast not to make the most of it and spend as much time as I can with them!
Here are a few pictures to get us started this year...

granddaughter, Lyndie

Grandson Blaize

My hubby and my kids

Daughter Sharayah and her family

Daughter Ieshia, just got her dr. license

Emily

Ieshia

Emily and her dog Lexi

Derek

Me and John

Thanks for stopping by. :0)

Happy Birthday to Lyndie!

2012-09-17T13:41:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday to my Granddaughter, Lyndie!!! I can't believe you are 1 today!

You are such a big girl now....here are a few pictures from her party......

Happy Birthday!!!

Time for school!

2012-09-17T13:34:00.000-05:00

Almost time for school to start and guess what??? Yep, Ieshia came home!!

Crystal took us all to Olive Gardens for lunch!!

We had a great lunch. Time to start getting busy with those driving hours so we can meet our goal! Ieshia didn't get as many hours as we were hoping over the summer, so we have buckled down and are driving with her all we can! She is doing great!!

Keep it up girl!!!!

Next, the first day of school....My kids look like they were mad! I think just the shock of getting out of bed earlier that usual!! Love them beautiful kids!

My Grandson, Blaize got to ride on the gator with Derek and Grandpa.....

And Emily got a driving lesson on the rider....

Just couldn't finish this blog without a picture of the best dog in the world...Mocha! Isn't she precious sleeping with her baby???

Winding down our summer!

2012-09-17T13:23:00.000-05:00

Summer is almost finished for the year....The first day of fall is coming fast at the end of this week. Here in Illinois, we have had an abnormally hot and dry summer. For most of our area, we had drought like conditions. We actually spent a lot of time inside this summer.
Ieshia, spent most of her summer with family in San Antonio, TX She had an awesome time!

I'm so glad she was able to go!!
Derek and Emily spent a lot of their time in the pool...

Also spent time int eh little pool with Blaize and Lyndie! They were great helpers his summer!

Blaize and Lyndie had a wonderful time too!

We also spent a lot of time fishing.....
I'm amazed that Derek and Emily love it so much!

It wouldn't be summer in Illinois, without a demo derby or 2.........(Great job Kirk Robb)

Summer wouldn't be complete without the great salads made form the freshest garden produce! What a hit this salad was!

I made one at home for Sunday lunch, and made another one for a church potluck....both times came out with an empty platter! Topped it off with my semi-homemade creamy Italian dressing!
Late in July, we started canning. Yes, I said "we" cause I really appreciate all the help that my family gives me! My MIL,Debbie, does a lot of the prep work....

My best kitchen helper, Emily, is an amazing little worker....so fast!

She even works in the garden!!

My two favorite men, my husband John, and my little man, Derek. They do a lot of the picking and whatever else I ask them to do!

Derek was always the one that I sent out to pick me a few onions. He would sit outside and clean them also!! Great Job Derek!!
Trust me when I say that we had a lot of produce! Thanks to my MIL and her watering the garden almost every night! Also to the Springers for sharing some of their garden goodies and to Gary for some tomatoes!

green beans

cucumbers

squash and zucchini

cherry tomatoes

green onions

John, standing behind one of our tomatoe plants! They were huge!

Beautiful cherry tomatoes on the vine!

Tomatoes

and tomatoes

and more tomatoes!

red, white and yellow onions

yummy pears

yukon butter gold potatoes

Green beans

apples

pickled beets

It was a lot of work, however my pantry is full of goodies!!!

apples and pears

tomatoes

cinnamon pickles

salsa

dill pickles

yummy pears and apples

bread and butter

apples butter and jam

pickles beets

This year we were blessed. I have canned tomatoes, salsa, stewed tomatoes, cinnamon pickles, dill pickles, bread and butter pickles, pickled beets, pears, apples, apple butter, apple jam, peaches, and peach preserves! In the freezer we have put up sweet corn, green beans, freezer pickles and more apples.
Wow! What a wonderful harvest! Thank You Jesus for supplying our needs!

To the Niabi Zoo

2012-07-16T11:19:00.001-05:00

We finally chose a day for us all to go to the Zoo! The weather cooperated and wasn't extremely hot! My sister in law, Donna, and I have been trying to get together and go to the zoo for a few years, but it just hasn't worked out! My daughter, Sharayah, and her family went with us also! It turned out to be a great day!

Finally, through the gate and off we go!!

Lauren and Emily

Andy and Blaize

Lyndie and Audrey

First stop.....Elephants!

Emily and Blaize

Lauren, EmilyBlaize and Derek

Lauren...ready for a break..lol

Next, pictures with the dinosaur......

Lauren and Emily

Blaize

Kate and Donna

Kate and Lauren

Then, we seen geese, ducks, swan and fish....

and rhinos

And Monkeys!!!!!

Derek and Emily

Blaize and Lyndie

Emily and Lyndie

Kate and Lauren

Next, it was the pony rides......................

Lauren

Emily

Kate

Blaize

Then, pigs and the petting zoo......

Emily

Lauren and Kate

Sharayah and Blaize

Emily and Wilbur

Lyndie

Wallabys

Giraffes...

Birds.....

More Monkeys......

Lions

Carousel rides

Emily

Derek

Donna and Kate

Blaize

Audrey

Lyndie

and some decided to take a rest.....

Lauren

Lyndie

Emily

Brady Girls

Me, Emily and Derek

Donna and girls

Sharayah's Family

Finally, the train rides!!!

Emily

Lauren and Emily

Donna and Audrey

Andy and Blaize

Sharayah and Lyndie

Kate and Derek

Then a few pictures with the lion and we are off to McDonalds!!

Emily

Emily and Blaize

Lyndie and Andy

Lyndie

Sweet Lyndie

Blaize

The Snyder's

We had an awesome day together at the Zoo! Later, when we came home....Emily played her last softball game of the season!!!

Great Job this year Emily! We were so proud of you and we enjoyed watching your games!!!!

Summertime with my kids...

2012-07-05T14:33:00.001-05:00

Summer is a time to relax, sleep in, snuggle on the couch with a blanket in an air conditioned room...and etc! However, in my house we have been so busy!!
A few weeks ago, we had VBS at our church...here are a few pics of that....

Ieshia got to put a pie in Damon's face because he lost the penny contest!

All the kids had tons of fun!! Derek, Emily, and I stopped at Steak 'n Shake for lunch a few weeks ago..

I think they are natural posers! I also love taking pics of my kids when they are not expecting it!

Even though they are getting older, they still enjoy playing outside and other kids stuff!!
Another thing I love about summer, is the fresh veggies from the garden...and grilling out!!

BBQ Chickengrilled squash

salad

sweet corn

6 little ducks

goodies from our garden

Derek and Emily have also been going to summer farm school. They get a couple of hours of tutoring, chores on the farm, and swimming lessons! Most of the time they really enjoy it....sometimes when we have a lot going on, they stay home and enjoy some rest and relaxation in the pool!

Poor Lyndie had a terrible reaction to the chlorine in the pool.....

On one of our extremely hot days, (over 100*) I took Derek, Emily, Lyndie, Blaize and Sharayah to Discovery Depot in Galesburg. It's a nice hands on children s museum...and it's air conditioned!!

Sweet!

Fishes!

Blaize in the cop car

Ambulance

firetruck!

Emily and Blaize

Sharayah and Lyndie

ambulance

John Deere

Fun!

Cute!

Emily and Lyndie

Sharayah and Blaize in the treehouse

Lyndie

They all had lots of fun!! We spent out 4th of July and our all church picnic! My kids, grand-kids,nieces, brother and sister in law came with us!

Sharayah and Lyndie

Donna and Audrey

Blaize

Lyndie

Blaize, Katie, and Lyndie

Crystal feeding kids Popsicles

Blaize

Audrey and Lyndie

Blaize and Lyndie are spending the day with me today....Blaize is helping pick up the toys....

Can't wait to see what were going to do in the next few days!!

The Garden Whisperer.....

2012-06-25T10:43:00.001-05:00

Ok, so yes I know that Garden Whisperer sounds strange and funny, but let me tell you something....
my mother-in-law, Debbie, deserves that title!
This is Debbie...

She has totally taken over the garden this year! She waters it, pulls weeds, hoes, and everything else that makes this garden one of the best!!

Because of all of her hard work, we are starting
to reap the marvelous bounty!

We have enjoyed Zucchini,squash, radishes, onions and we have so much more to look forward to!

peppers

potatoes

squash

green beans

beets

cherry tomatoes

Wow...not much longer and we will be eating
good and healthy!! So, while I love to see her doing what she loves by working outside......

I'm glad she takes time to rest and chat with her sidekicks, Willie, Joey and occasionally...Mocha!

Willie

Joey

Mocha

Thank you Debbie for all your hard work!!!!