Maggie's Birthday

Happy Birthday my dear Maggie! I can't believe she is 8 years old! Jacob turned 13 the week before...we were all sick so we haven't celebrated his birthday yet.

Sorry it has been too long...

Sorry I haven't been posting much lately. My back has been giving me trouble and sometimes it is hard to sit...or stand...or concentrate... I have a bulging disk in L5 S1...whatever that means. It is causing pain down my leg...OUCH!

Now 3 kids have the swine flu...Maggie probably soon to follow. So we will be down for a bit. Hopefully we will be up and running again by next week or so.

I hate flu!

So much for my plan...

Who doesn't get to eat? The girl who dropped the bowls or the boy who accidently tripped her? So goes my week. Sigh.

Edit your Life...

I am sure I got this idea from someone in internet world...I was so sick of a MILLION dishes every day...all over the counter...all over the table...still in the dishwasher...etc. So I packed them all away. Yes, I am that mean! Everyone gets one plate, one bowl, and one cup. I color coded the cups with zip ties, wrote names on the bottoms of plates with marker, and each bowl has a ring around it of a different color. If you are caught with someone else dish...you are in BIG trouble. If you use your dishes and want something else...wash them yourself. They will be washed in the dishwasher each night.

This has cut down on the amount of dishes but it has cut down on everyone eating a million snacks each day. "I don't want to wash my dish" is returned with "then I guess you aren't hungry"

I am soooo happy. The children however...are not. :)

Boys Letting Off Steam (and one masked girl)

School is just so "school"...sitting and being quiet all day. The boys are ready to let off some steam and play. I am glad it has been (kind of) warm enough to let them run around outside and play when they get off the bus. All that pent up energy is not good in the house.

I am finding this energy isn't easily dispursed during "organized" sports. They really have more fun just playing and hanging out. I think they get more exercise too. It takes a lot of energy to pin down your older brother.
Other than the occasional "that's not fair" or "he hurt me" etc. They get along well and laugh a lot.

This is often followed with a game of "tag" or "star wars"

Hopefully they will all grow up to be great friends. ( Oh yeah and take care of me when I'm old :) )

Random Pictures of the Farm

Curtism

Curt comes downstairs each morning to cuddle and sit on my lap. As we were sitting talking and cuddling...I said to him..."Curt I don't know what I would do without you." He looked at me and said...

"You could play board games."

Soccer Pictures...

Today was filled with soccer, soccer and more soccer. Games at 10, 11:30 and 1:30. The kids were full of sugar, pizza, corn dogs and lunch at Wendy's. I mostly got pictures of Maggie's game. The first one we had today. I was fresher...and mostly spent the last two games going...stop it, quit it, don't touch each other, stop it, quit it...knock it off! So I didn't get many pictures. Oh well there is always next Sat...Uuuugggghhhhh!!!!!!Curt in his uniform...pic for Grandma. Is this ok?

Here is Maggie saving a goal. Trust me it is her. I get too excited to take pictures and cut off her head. It was a great save...and if I didn't cut off her head it would be a great picture. Sorry.

Maggie taking control.

Warm ups.

Sometimes it's the little things that make you happy

I love a clean junk drawer!

Salsa Recipe

Freezer Salsa (Betsy at Recipelink.com)

7 Pounds fresh tomatoes
3 Cups Chile pepers seeded and chopped
1/2 Cup jalapeno or Serrano chiles seeded finely chopped
2 cups onion chopped
5 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped
1/2 cup vinegar
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Peel seed and coarsely chop tomatoes. Place in large colander and drain for 30 min.

Place the drained tomatoes in large kettle and bring to a boil. Reduce heat. simmer uncovered for 45 min or until thickened.
Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and place kettle in a sink filled with ice water to cool quickly.

When cool, spoon inot freezer proof containers.
Freeze up to 6 months.

****We skipped the cooling and freezing parts and processed in hot water bath...used guidelines in the Blue Ball Book...I think it was 15 or 20 min for pints.***** Double check though :)

Like it because it is mild and so fresh tasting!!!

Yummy Salsa!

Salsa time is here. I was afraid we wouldn't have enough tomatoes left to make some. I'm glad we at least got a few done. We made 17 pints. I wish we had more. For all of you out there that might mistakenly think I am some kind of super woman...Steve makes it all happen...I am the "get the pot ready...find enough jars...help with the lids..." gal.

Clean Up Around the Homestead...

It's always fun to work together...until it isn't fun anymore... but that is another story. Today was actually fun and didn't go bad at all...some days amaze even me. Here are the kids on the tractor. Don't write me about how unsafe this is...Yeah I know...enough said. Here is Doug ready to tackle the bushes...we had lots of trimming to do.

You can clearly tell from this picture who is dad's favorite? Hmmm could it be the girl on the tractor that doesn't have to pick up branches???

Here is the crew after all the work is done...Rewarded with a ride in the bucket...Once again...I know...danger...but I did walk right beside them...until I jumped up on the tractor for a spin myself.

First Day of School

Doug, Curt, and Maggie on the first day of school. Jacob has to leave much earlier because he is in middle school.

I am not coping well with all my babies in school. They are growing up and I don't like it one bit! It is very very quiet around here during the day. No one yelling "ma" from every corner of the house. I did not have a problem dealing with anyone else going to school...I always had a backup at home :) Now that Curtis is gone to school full time it is really weird. It isn't that I am any less busy and it isn't that time doesn't fly and before I know it they are home on the bus. I think it is my mini mid life crisis. :) My baby time is over and now my role has officially changed. Only Curtis will let me rock him sometimes...it's quite a sight since he is HUGE and he can barely sit on my lap. Jacob is going to be 13! Douglas only wants to be called Doug now. Maggie is turning into a social butterfly. They are growing up...I on the other hand am reverting to having a two year old temper tantrum. I am going to pout and hold my breath until they come home!

TOPS UPDATE

Lost 2.5 lbs. this week. Need to keep at it and not gain it back by next week.

Also a welcome to Debra who is my 10th follower. Wish I had some balloons or noise makers to celebrate!

Blogging becomes more fun when you realize that you aren't just "typing" talking to yourself. Will be posting pictures of 1st day of school soon...maybe I will get to it soon.

Welcome!

I would like to welcome my first ever follower...that isn't a relative or a "real life" friend. I am so excited!!! Welcome Christi! Now I need to go and take some deep breaths...I am feeling pressure to perform! :)

Cash for Clunkers...NO WAY!!!

This is a story about the most amazing mini van ever...it has been paid for for 3 or 4 years now. It might not be pretty, but it is all ours! It has been refered by some nay sayers as a ghetto mobile. Here in this family we try never to judge a book by its cover. It has been so good to us, not once broken down and left us on the side of the road stranded...came close...but kept going...

Here is the face I have looked at for over 10 years now. We bought her when Doug was just a baby. Jacob was a toddler. She was born into our family after about 8 hours of labor in the dealership waiting room. I think we got a "good" price for her because Jacob was running around like a maniac after a few hours and the fact that I started breastfeeding Douglas in the middle of the showroom. I think they wanted us OUTA THERE! I don't know how we will negotiate the next car purchase without a nursing baby. Hmm?

Like us all it has begun to show its age...Wrinkles and cracks...but it takes awhile to make seats comfy. About 10 years or so...

The crack in the windshield is unfortunate...but it was fun watching it move across the windshield each time we drove somewhere. It also got us talking about how glass breaks, what kind of glass windshields are made of, what would cause it to crack faster etc. It turned out to be quite educational. Without that crack...we would have missed out on a tremendous educational opportunity with our children.

Oh the side door...Looks so sad...it is also feeling it's age. It doesn't like to close as easily anymore...one day I predict it will just fall off.

We lost our first hubcap about 6 years ago now. Steve being frugal...didn't want to buy 4 hubcaps when we only needed one...finally after 10 years or so...we lost another...I think one was cracked and he took off the last one so they would all "match"...this is the part about the car that drives me the craziest. But why spend money on the car now?

All and all we love our clunker...I am afraid now that the check engine light has relit, the abs break light is on and the door is ajar light is on all the time...the end might be near...

Some other attributes of our car...air conditioning gone about 2 years ago. Only one window works...the drivers side. The shocks are shot...feels like riding in a hay wagon. There are two cd's jammed into the cd player so that doesn't work anymore...One is my favorite CD...thanks Curtis! Like all things you are fond of...things have a certain smell. Our van is a mixture between...french fries, rotting fruit, stinky socks, and melting crayons. You really must experience it to appreciate it!

We love our car...no cash for clunkers for us...anyway...if I had money to buy a new car...really would I still be driving this around???

4-H Style Review

Style Review 2009. Rohal's had a good year again. The first pic is Tyler Gallagher...Bobbie's son who won Champion of Champions this year. He made the tux he is wearing and also made a coat for his dad which also won. Here is Jake in his jammies...He took 2nd in his category!

Here is Doug...next year we won't pick something stretchy...His shirt kept growing...he didn't place. :( Sorry Doug. The judge didn't like the cuffs...well they looked pretty good until they started growing...live and learn.

Family updates...Garrett won his category, Caroline took 2nd, Jack didn't place but made a nice bag and shorts...(had lots of kids in his category), Rachel won her category! Also lots of winners from the Edinburg Seambusters Club...It was a fun night!

Cousin Shannon let us borrow a book about different ways to braid hair. Here is our second attempt at a cute do... She seems to like it and it is out of her eyes...which is my first priority! Boy that drives me nuts... I am still learning to french braid, I can do it but it isn't pretty...and there is lots of screaming and weeping involved. Hopefully I will get better and her scalp will get tougher!

Canning in the kitchen...

We made dill pickles and dill pickle relish the other day. I don't know how they will taste, but they look yummy. We will be working on more pickles, raspberry jelly, grape juice, grape jelly, and who knows what else...hopefully applesauce too. Oh Yeah...SALSA! Can't wait for that! As you can see...we have lots more canning to do...

Just some flowers to brighten your day...

I love flowers in the garden, I also love taking pictures of them. Then sometimes I print them out and put them on my bedroom wall. We are lucky we have "inherited" this beautiful garden and didn't have to pull it all together ourselves...which I know wouldn't have been as nice...ever! I tend to be more rigid in my plantings...lining things up...even though I know I am doing it and I try not to...I end up doing it anyway. This is a wonderful "cottage" garden. Full and lush and all different kinds of plants and flowers all mixed up. They bloom at different times and the garden is always changing. I look forward to what blooms next. The best part is...they are all do it on their own...and we just get to sit back and enjoy.