Our Weekend Away

I'd thought it would be fun to tell how our weekend away went. (see my last post) I really wanted to bless my husband with a perfect, relaxing, rejuvenating time away---away from his work, work and more work. He loves and talks about soaking in hot springs. So, when he won free tickets to an amateur country singer's performance in Carson City, I thought...that's too far to go for one night....hmmm, we could make a weekend getaway of it!....there are hot springs in that area....we could camp out... or...stay in a B&B (if he'd like) . Those types of thoughts. So, I put my ideas together and presented them. He was a bit reluctant but decided to go.

Hannah packed us a lunch and away we went. We arrived at out B&B a little later than planned, changed and hurried to get a bite before the show. We chose a little Mexican restaurant, which was too bad. The price was too high and the portion too low. Jeff was not impressed. Hurriedly we ate and rushed on the the "show".

Now, we have a CD of this man singing hymns and this was to be a tribute to the "greats" in country music we thought it would be worthwhile. It was--- for a little while anyway. The man had an amazing voice, simply amazing. His talent at impersonating others lacked however; every time he sang he sounded just like himself. And the songs and lyrics we loved back in the day just don't appeal to us anymore. So, when they announced after an hour that there would be yet another hour after the intermission...we went outside to stretch and hopped in the truck and left.

 

Back at the B&B we settled in. The place had a pleasant sitting room well stocked with more magazines and books than you can imagine. We paged for a time and then decided to watch a movie, choosing one we might both like (we didn't). Cuddling up for the show we grabbed the basket of snack our host provided. The bag of "Funions", I think they're called, was already opened and half eaten!  So, we tried the peanuts- they were rancid! The oranges were dry! Laughing, we ate the Hershey's kisses that were fine (they keep well). By now we were wondering if anything would go right for us. Better times tomorrow, I hoped.

Next day we enjoyed our coffee out by the pond and a truly wonderful gourmet breakfast. That was relaxing, Finally, I thought, things were going our way! So, after a lengthy visit with the proprietors we headed on. Jeff was reluctant to visit the hot springs since it was probably in the high 80's but we found the place.  The remnants of some teenage drunk party littered the front entrance. There was just something about the place we didn't like. We left.

I wanted to visit the quaint town of Genoa but being geographically challenged, didn't realize it was the opposite direction from home so we headed north. Reno doesn't hold much appeal for us. We stopped at a fancy mall, returned an unwanted birthday gift and redeemed some visa gift cards by buying shirts for Peter. Missing our family now we started for home. Secretly, I still wanted to go out for a "nice" dinner but after one hint I let it drop as we bypassed every place I could think of . When we were just about completely out of town he asked "Would you like to go to 'Qdoba's'?"

That's where we ended up. At 'Qdoba's'. It's his favorite place. Seated outside at an umbrella-ed table and watched the cars buzz in and out of the shopping center. Very romantic? Yes! We rediscovered how much alike we think and are and that the things of this world just don't appeal to us much, that we rather enjoy simplicity and purity. And that we can laugh at the bummers and have a good time in spite of them.

Since we had plenty of time to get home we decided to stop in on my sister and brother -in law for coffee and a chat. Funny, as we pulled up the hill to their place our children's vehicles came into view- they were all there.

Busy at home again a few days later I overheard Jeff telling a friend on the phone "Yeah, that was the most expensive free concert I ever went to".

Well, I meant well and really, it went well!

                   Home isn't where you are, it's who you're with!

Everything You Need to Make Your House a Home.

I like to thumb through old magazines like "Martha Stewart Living" from time to time to get some fresh meal ideas and so on. That's what I was doing awhile back when I came across this ad...

     Oh great I thought... EVERYTHING I need to make my house a home, right there at Macy's.....how convenient! Problem is that in order to shop at Macy's, I'd probably 

have to get an outside job. And I'd surely need to leave my         children behind; can't imagine anything more stressful than spending a couple of hours at Macy's with 5 or 6 bored kids that aren't allowed to touch or ask for anything. 

  I hate this sort of advertising. What a message to send to would-be home makers:  "If you'll just run into Macy's and blow a bunch of money you'll have a gorgeous, happy home". Ha! Truth is:  if you stay home and clean what you already have, and take care of your children yourself, and conserve your hard earned money for more important things...you'll likely have a happy home!  I don't subscribe to or have these magazines lying around. If someone gives me one or I happen to pick one up on the free table at the library, I peruse it quickly, tear out any useful info and toss the rest right into the trash. I also find these useful for quickie social studies lessons with my children:) 


What we really need are advertisements like these:


"By wisdom a house is built and through understanding it is established;  through knowledge it's rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures." Prov. 21:3,4


"She looks well to the ways of her household, and doesn't eat the bread of idleness." Prov. 31:27


"The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish tears it down with her own hands." Prov. 14:1


"Her children arise and call her blessed, her husband also and he praises her." Prov. 31:28


"...encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored. (KJV says blaspheme)" Titus 2: 3,4,5


"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." 1 Tim. 6: 6-10


"And Jesus said unto them, Ye are they justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God." Luke 16:15

“I come that you may have life, and have it more abundantly."            

John 10:10

We have God's precious Word, my friends. It is full of promises and instructions like these. Let us ever be diligent that we, as Mothers endeavoring to raise children for Christ, in homes that glorify God, take His word to heart every day.

I'm quite certain that my children would be happier sipping lemonade or even ice water for that matter, out of old tupperware cups, on a worn out blanket in our yard with me than to give what it would take to enjoy the items offered in the ad above.

My Not So Typical Wednesday

As this day got underway,  I had to laugh to myself and out loud (except for when Seth wasn't well). 


Some days we Moms just don't need to plan, God takes care of every detail for us. In fact, had I planned this day I would have been disappointed for it would not have gone the way I wanted it to! I heard some one say once  "Stay flexible so you won't get bent out of shape" - that little saying has  often helped me.

Every now and then we take pictures and name the folder "A Day in the Life of" so I did that today too. Of course, times are only approximate!




This is about how is went:
5:00  - shut off alarm :)
5:15  - get up, wake up James to rake our field on the tractor before he goes to work, make coffee
5:20  - read devotional, try to wake up
5:30  - take coffee out to James, walk property, turn off sprinkler on potato patch, check garden for sprouts
5:45  - read book of Esther, get ready for "Preparing to be His Helpmeet" class
6:30  - cook breakfast and pack James' lunch
7:00  - wake up Seth to send to the shop to hook up the trailer that someone wants to borrow - wake everyone else up
7:10  - Seth tells me his neck is swollen and hurts and almost passes out while I'm examining it - send girls to wake up Jeff
7:15  - gather family and pray for Seth

7:30  - Jeff leaves to hook up  trailer - George the butcher arrives to butcher our steer and two goats - I go out with George while Hannah watches Seth and the girls make breakfast - Grace arrives home  with her charge, 9 month old Abigail,  after house sitting for my sister overnight.
8:00  - Jeff comes home and we eat breakfast
8:30  - Grace leaves for another babysitting job - Jeff leaves for work - we discover Pete hadn't gotten up yet by finding him out on the deck with Jeff's Father's Day canister of mixed nuts, munching away
8:45 - I call a knowledgeable older lady for advice concerning Seth and study Buffalo Gnat bites online and conclude that's the culprit since he has an apparent gnat bite along his spine and was at the lake
last evening - Sarah starts the laundry
9:00 -  I walk out with Peter and watch the slaughter for awhile, explaining all about everything, and I notice he's really holding tight to my hand :)
9:30  - friend Gina drops of baby Patty for Hannah to babysit
10:00  - Hannah and Sarah go pick up  another goat from shop for butchering - George and Robby continue cutting up one steer and the goats
10:15  -a  neighbor calls to borrow our mower and Seth offers to mow for them - I get Seth to sit and read a book instead as he's had another dizzy spell
10:30  - I make phone calls, catch up on email, write this blog post and look into spending the weekend in Genoa, NV with Jeff - little girls dote over babies          
11:00  - Neighbor friend William comes to watch butchering and ends up getting his haircut by Seth and then the kids all play on the tire swing instead of watching the butcher
11:30 - We discover that little Abigail seems to have the chicken pox and rejoice because now Pete and Joe will be exposed! :)
11:15  - George the butcher goes over my order with me and I choose my cuts - He tells me all about going to the Catholic church and his girlfriend and I share some scripture with him
11:45  - Hannah leaves with Patty, to attend vacation Bible school and babysit for the rest of the day.
12:15  - George leaves and we organize lunch - open face turkey melts with pepper jack cheese - Sarah
 continues doing laundry and plays the piano -  Seth still has a head ache so takes some ibuprofen and lays down
12:20  - One little girl complains that another woke up the baby she just got to sleep - I say "well, you wake
 her you take her" but it doesn't work..they tend to fight over babies here
12:30 - I try again to find a minute to plan a special weekend
1:00 - We send lunch plates outside with all of the little people so that Jeff can have a quiet, cool, relaxing lunch break
1:15 - nice relaxing lunch break
2:00 -  Jeff takes a nap while kids play and I go back to the computer
2:30 - Mary makes cappuccinos for us :)


3:30 - Grace has finished her dress Ruth makes a smoothie for me to take to Jeff as I get the mail and

           pick up cast -off produce for our chickens etc. from the local market. Joe calls Dad to ask if they can play with BB guns and he says NO!

4:00 -  Grace takes a nap with Abby -the boys are playing croquet in the yard

5:25 - back from town and presenting my ideas to Jeff, Hannah's home again, kids still playing croquet 

5:45 - Abby's aunt comes to pick her up - Hannah and Mary make supper - Sarah's does laundry - Grace is

         packing for  a weekend trip to Utah. I'm getting ready for our book study tonight

6:00 - We eat a hurried, odd meal consisting of steamed broccoli, salad and quesadillas
7:00 - Elizabeth arrives and we begin class. Jeff plays outside with the boys. Mary and Ruth start cleaning the kitchen. James gets home from his after work - work, that of swathing his Uncles pasture.

8:00  - Grace and Mary leave to my sisters to welcome them home from their road trip. We continue our

           Bible and book study.

9 or 9:30 - Everyone comes inside and returns home and we all talk and eat popcorn while Mary and Ruth finish the kitchen cleaning and make more quesadillas

10 or 10:30 Elizabeth goes home and we mosey off to bed.

I love that God never gives us more than we can handle. The day before this was very relaxing . Following a camp-fire the night before, we slept late (well some of us did), had a nice breakfast and spent a lot of time just talking around the kitchen table with our guest for the night, my son's girl friend. We didn't "do" much of anything at all that day. This not so typical Wednesday certainly made up for it though! God is good, his ways are higher than ours!!

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven--Ecclesiastes 3:1

Proverbs 16:9

In his heart a man plans his course, but the 

LORD determines his steps.