Thursday, May 30, 2013

Diggin' in the dirt

On Tuesday we went on a little field trip with some of our friends from our homeschooling co-op.  We went gem mining-but not the regular sifting it out kind.  We went diggin' in the dirt for some Quartz Crystals.  We all chipped in on a "Groupon" and got a great deal to search for treasures in the dirt.
We were all equipped with shovels, gloves, picks, brushes, and buckets. and we headed out into the dirt mounds....
That were HUGE.  This is like a boys dream day.  They got to wear old ratty clothes and were told to go dig and get dirty.  Does it get any better than that when you are a boy?
Rita was determined to find an Amethyst but it wasn't in the cards that day.  Maybe if we go back we will hit it big. :)
These guys were on a mission to find some good stuff and we did find a bunch of good stuff!




We found a scorpion.


And here is my first piece of Quart.  We had to dig out rocks and use a brush to see if it was just a rock or something more.



We met an old pro from Maine (I knew as soon as he started talking he was a fellow Yankee), who showed us the awesome things he made with the crystals he found.



Of course we had to take the traditional Jake and me picture...It is proof that I am actually there since I am the one taking the pictures. :)


The boys found a place to throw big rocks into water and that of course lasted until it looked like they were going to go in with them....
Our Yankee friend showed us some of his amazing finds and some tricks of the trade.  He was getting all the crystals he could because today he was going in to have surgery on his back.  I hope all went well for him.  We got his business card so we could visit him at the flea market he sells things at.

The man that owns the land (I am assuming.  He was there to greet us and tell us all we needed to know) came back to check on us and see how we were doing.  The boys took turns showing him the big stones they had found and he told them how great their finds were.
The boys even went with the Yankee to help him while he tried to bust up a really big crystal filled boulder he had found.  They helped him haul out his tools and bucket of crystals.
His finds were more impressive than ours, but I think we did pretty good for first timers.  This is the inside of part of the boulder he was working on.  The picture doesn't do it any justice.  It was so sparkly and gorgeous!
This was Jake's largest find and Yankee told him it was a really good one. :)
We took our finds to a car wash to really wash off the dirt and see what we had.

This is what we ended up with.  A box of beautiful crystals that I have no idea what we are going to do with...





Any ideas? 

Mind Blown...

I have Fox News Channel on in the background and they just said that a woman who got to America illegally is getting food stamps, $700 a month in Social Security, and insurance for medication through our government...And they wonder why people try to come here illegally.  Why wouldn't you when our government will take care of you even if you aren't a citizen and don't work? I am all for taking care of those who need help, but a line has to be drawn some where since our government has run up such a huge debt already...Now they are talking about how in New Jersey a prison paid it's inmates $23 million over 2 years in unemployment benefits...?..Really?  It was a mistake that they are taking care of now.  You think?  How did they not know that these guys shouldn't be getting this benefits? 

My mind is blown by government waste and spending and scandals...It's craziness!!!

Monday, May 27, 2013

Memorial Day Southern Style Means...

Swimming...
Crafting...
Sitting & chatting...
Grilling & Frying...
Frying things that are bad enough for you before you fried them, but some would say taste even better fried.  This years fried creation: Pig on pig: hot dogs wrapped in bacon.
Food...
Lot's of friends & family eating that food...


Playing some Corn Hole...

Magnolia blossoms...
Visiting...
And did I mentions swimming?... All. Day. Long...

And of course little gnome houses with flags to remind us of our freedoms and thank those who gave their lives protecting those freedoms.

Friday, May 24, 2013

Brain Declutter: Because I can...

*I can post for the 4th time today because I have the internet at my house.  Also because Jake spent the night with Nee and Papa last night and again tonight.  Also because I am trying to catch up and keep up.  It will take a while to actually catch up for the last 5 months.  I haven't even posted picture from our NH trip in January....I have a lot of catching up to do....

*I changed the background of my blog in honor of the fact we are going to Camp this summer!!! We go ever summer really, but I didn't think we were going this summer.  It is my favorite place on earth besides home.  It is my home away from home.  Some of my best memories come from my time at camp.  I can't wait to go!!!

*I have recently learned I am being judged by the titles I have given my boards on Pinterest.  At book club we started talking about being materialistic and one of my friends said she hated it when people asked if she wanted to see their house.  I said I loved that because I love to see peoples houses.  I don't think that makes them materialistic-(not always at least) it just means they are proud of their home and the work they put into.  Than another friend says, "this from the woman who has a board called 'my dream home'." Some one else mentioned they had a board about home decor too, to which she said, "yes, but mine is just called 'home' (or 'for the home'...or something like that...)". So, the moral to this story is:  People might take you literally when they read your pin board titles so don't name them something other than the norm, because people might think you are being materialistic.  I guess she took "my dream home" title literally because if I had all the pretty things I posted I would have a mansion bigger than the Biltmore Estates...I'm not bitter-just venting...but I won't go as far as saying what I wanted to say back, that would just be rude.  Don't worry my response wouldn't have had any curse words or anything.  It may or may not have referenced...opps!  I almost said it.  Back to my happy place...Okay.  I feel better I just added a robin's egg blue kitchen to my ever growing dream home on Pinterest so I feel better. :)  I am really not taking it personally.  I just thought it was interesting to learn new ways people can judge you and you not even know it.

*Since Jake was spending the night with my parents and we live in the same town, I couldn't very well go with out actually seeing my child, so we met at the park.  We also happened to meet up with some other people we know at the park too.  I got there just as Erin and Jaxon were leaving.  Which means I was just in time for a little cuddle from our little buddy. 
 We had a little picnic....

 ...and then we defied the notion that homeschoolers are not socialized.  Every where we go we meet new friends and today was no exception. 

 While a game of tag was going on Nee and I went and checked out the beautiful sculpture of flowers.
 It was so life like and looked real except for the size...
 ...which was larger than life.  It probably set the mood for the movie that came out today that Jake got to go see with Nee and Papa: Epic.  Jake said it was, "awesome and epic."  Nice choice of adjectives dude.  The movie Epic is epic. :)

*I am said to say I have only read 11 books this year.  That is pretty pitiful...

*I have one more week until I am 37.  I have noticed that while I have been 36 that my hands have seemed more scaly when they are dry.  I wonder if that means they will get wrinkly while I am 37...

*I kind of love how Pinterest lets you know if you have pinned something before so you won't pin it again.  That is pretty much genius if you ask me.

*The past couple of weeks in the news have been pretty depressing.  The 693 (that may be a slight exaggeration, but it is close.)  scandals in DC about things that have happened that our leaders "didn't know anything about".  The horrific killing in England, of a soldier just walking down the street.  The terrifying tornado in Oklahoma. The crazy lady that brutally killed her boyfriend and that fact that everyone cared so much about knowing the gory details that it was all over the news... I could go on and on.  It is crazy out there!!!  One of the sweet mom's in our homeschooling co-op always says, "We live in a fallen world, but the Lord is in charge."  Good thing to keep in mind when everything around you in the world seems to be falling apart...

*I am very proud of the fact that I didn't even have to spell check "exaggeration" in that last thought.  I can never---correction--couldn't ever spell it right.  Until now.  Go me. :)

*We have been extremely blessed to have weather like we live a few states North instead of in the South.  It was in the 70's today with a light wind...We are usually dying from the heat by now!  I am loving it.  I could live in this weather year round-with a couple months of a little cooler so we can wear fall clothes too.  I guess I could live in a Spring and Fall climate year round.  That would totally work for me.

*I almost forgot!!  How could I forget?! One day last week, Jake and I were taking a walk to the lake so Sadie could take a little swim...

...On the way we saw this very old sign getting eaten by a tree...
 When we got there Sadie was swimming it up, having a great time! 
 She was hasing away Candian geese....
...while Jake and I happily watched...
 Sadie swam around looking like an otter...
And then out of no where this very stupid SNAKE starts swimming right toward my dog.  It was about 15 feet away.  (I know it wasn't going to attack her but really why not swim away from the dog?)  I screamed and it went under water and I called  Sadie out of the water and we got the heck out of there.  I was SO mad at the dumb snake.  It has a WHOLE lake and it has to swim right toward a large dog swimming and splashing and chasing sticks?!  My theory that snakes are afraid of big dogs has gone down the drain!!!  The one good thing is that I didn't not break down and cry, I just got mad.  That seems like a step in the right direction, don't you think?

*Now every time I go into the back yard to do this...
(which I love to do by the way),...I tell Sadie to go and chase away the snakes, while I  check out the trees above the deck to make sure there are no snakes waiting to scare me to death.  She is worrying me a little because one day she stayed in the house all day.  When Jake went out she did too but she didn't even leave the deck...like she was afraid to go out there.  She would only go out to pee and come right back in...It could just be that it was really hot (we have enjoyed cooler weather but we did have 2 hot days this week) and that now that she is 2 1/2 years old she isn't a crazy puppy any more, but I am going to watch out for snakes just to be safe.

*I ran out of space for books (we need to make a trip to Ikea some time to get some cheap Billy book cases) and we had several more boxes of them, so I used the mantel.  I stuck a few other things that didn't have a home yet up there too, but they have since been relocated.  At some point I will hang something above the fire place but I have to choose wisely.  This cute little bungalow is old enough to have plaster walls so once the hole is made it is there for good!

*My mom helped me sew some new pillows. Which really means I designed them and she did everything else because she is way better and faster than I am and she loves me enough to do it for me.  Isn't her house so cute in the background?  I am in love with the built in bookcases!

Here is an, out of focus, sneak peak of a few of them.  I am going to take pictures of our house soon and post them.  Not because I am materialistic-because I love to take pictures and make our house a home.  And because this blog is kind of like my journal and well....
 ...just because I can! :)