I read a book this weekend. It was Stolen Innocence by Ellissa Wall. She was brought up in the FLDS and was married at age 14 by her first cousin. The wedding was performed by Warren Jeffs. The whole thing is alarming. How this could be happening, now, in this day and age. You would wonder how people could believe this. How can they go along with the lies and, to me, obvious deceitfulness? Yet, they are so brainwashed that they do follow blindly. They sacrifice their children, their property, their lives all in the hope of gaining eternal salvation. I again ask how can God let all of this happen, especially when the people are praying. The whole family prayed so hard that this marriage would not be, but it was allowed. I suppose the answer is that people could have stood up to the issue, but didn't. They were the answers to prayer, but they didn't obey. Then I think about how can you take one of these members and tell them that what they believe is ridiculous, and what I believe isn't. The wisdom of man is foolishness to God, and certainly the wisdom of God is foolishness to man. I do believe in God's wisdom though. --------- Enough heavy stuff. The boys and I are off to pick blueberries.

I believe that God has daily intervention in my life. I believe this because he asks us to pray to him. I believe it because he tells us in parables that we are very important to him. I believe it because he sacrificed greatly in order to have a relationship with me. But how much does he have a daily intervention? Does he find parking spots for me? Does he help me find the phone when it has been misplaced, or the papers, or the keys, or the many other things I seem to misplace? Does he change the weather to help me with a schedule or event? I don't think he does those things, though if I asked him for help finding something I do think he would remind me where it might be. Perhaps I don't have enough faith because I don't ask him to help me with these trivial daily activities. I do however ask him daily to help with the bigger issues of life...how to discipline the boys, how to talk to a friend, health issues for friends and family, etc. But it is awesome (and I mean that in the strictest term) how he can take care of my daily requests and also take care of the billions of other people in the world. Yet he doesn't answer the starving in Africa, the women who are enslaved, or the war torn regions filled with hatred. How can I say that he answers me with my little troubles? I know part of the answer God gives these hurting people is me. I can help feed people, I can speak up for women's rights, I can teach love and acceptance where hatred has been learned. Right now I am questioning why God asked Hubby to not teach this fall at the college, and why I didn't get the Kindergarten teaching position. Both positions seem to be so right for us, but we certainly felt God's involvement in both situations. Are we nuts? Did others not listen to God? Is it all our imagination? Is it some sort of test? Does #2 need us to be with him a while longer? Is there a bigger plan? I don't know.

We have new chores in our house with the new allowance system. One night a week each boy has to completely clean the kitchen by himself. This has been for several weeks, but somehow #1 didn't have to do it until this week. We had vacation in there, and we ate out one week. So Wednesday eveing he had to do it. We go to church on Wednesday evenings, so I was trying to get dinner in early enough to give him time to clean beforehand. But it just didn't work out. He "cleaned" before we left--- straightened up some things, but no actual cleaning was performed. I told him it looked good, and he could finish when we got back from church. So when we got back he had to start cleaning. It was about 8:30. He thought his brother should clear the table. No. He thought some things should wait until tomorrow when the washer wasn't full. No. He thought this should be worth more points in the allowance system. Again, no. I finally gave in and dried the dishes for him so it wouldn't be too late. Thank goodness I did! There was still ranch dressing on one bowl, food on a spoon, dried stuff in the pot, and more. He didn't turn anything upside down to drain. Has he not been watching when I have washed dishes for the last 11 years!? So I put it all back in the sink and stressed putting a little muscle behind the wash rag. It was 10:00 when he finished. He had a completely new outlook. While washing off the counters- yes that is part of cleaning the kitchen- he made this remark, "Now I know why you sleep so late on Saturdays. You have to stay up so late all week washing dishes. I won't be messing up the kitchen so much anymore." "What do you mean I get up so late on Saturdays? I get up at 7:30 to milk." "Yeah, you sleep late." Since when is 7:30 sleeping late? I think he will get to clean the kitchen twice a week for that!

One morning this week while I was outside, I saw Plymouth lay an egg in the goat pen. She was very quiet and still for quite a while and then I heard it land in the manger. Then she cackled up a storm! She cackled so much and so loudly that all of the other chickens and roosters, who were quite a ways away in the coop, started joining her in the broohaha. She stopped and listened to them, and when they stopped sounding off, she started up again until they joined her. This went on for quite a while. I was explaining it to my family at the table, and told them it was like she was telling everyone what a wonderful thing she had done. #1 said, "Of course it is wonderful. She laid an egg." "She does it every day, " I responded. "But it's a miracle, " he replied. Then I started thinking about it. It is a miracle. An everyday miracle, but miraculous none the less. So now I have been thinking about all of the miracles around me...everyone's fingerprint is different, there are no two snowflakes alike, knitting makes clothes and we figured that out, from a seed grows a plant and then food, and so many more. How much we take for granted. Thank you God for not slapping us up side the head to remind us of that. I much prefer a chicken laying an egg and my son telling me it is a miracle.

Monday morning, as we were headed to the gym, we were listening to NPR. It turned on in the middle of the story, so I don't have the particulars, but the funniest statement was made. You know Brits always say things properly. The statement made by a lady with a British accent was, "He was murdered in a most unpleasant manner." Pray tell, what would be a pleasant manner to be murdered?

This is my best milker, at least for now. She meets me every morning standing on the stanchion ready to be milked. Yesterday she stepped in the milk, but today went well. Corn is her downfall. These are three of my nannies. The one in the back is a regular sized goat. You can see the others are half her size or less. I don't have a billy tall enough to breed her. Want to buy a goat? Yes, that is my dress she is eating. The boys have to be separated so they don't sow any wild oats. Oreo is the first on the left. He gets out in the day time to nurse. The others are older than him and don't need to nurse. #2 has been practicing shots in the evening. We have school now because days are so hot. Today is no exception.

Trick riding is also a favorite evening pasttime. "Look Ma, no hands!" #1 usually rides my bike; his is too small. Tricks don't work so well on my bike though, so sometimes he rides his own. He is nearly as tall as I am now. #1 practices shots, too. These are the new chicks. They are all Black Star, but some have variations in coloring. They hang out in large groups in corners of the hutch. Two of the girl kids get put away at night so they won't nurse. The other girl likes to look in at them. Only one has a mother that gets milked, but the other girl has figured out she can eat chicken feed if I put her way at night. The one on the outside will likely be sold.

Yesterday I shared their names, today I share their faces. I just downloaded pictures from the camera. That is the dilemma of a digital camera; I let them sit there a long time. These are recent actually, not like the others on the camera that were a couple of months old!

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The knitting lessons went well last night. I was able to cast on, knit and purl, and bind off. It was kind of fun once I got going. I am not sure #1 found it as exciting as he had hoped.

I talked with my mother-in-law last night and she told me she had spoken with some great friends of ours. They were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. Congratulations Ed and Carol! See I mentioned their names. Carol reads my blog daily, from what I have been told, she and her daughter, Katherine, who also reads, find it humorous that I mention the animals' names, but never family members. They understand that it is for safety reasons, and a bit of reputation protection for the kids when they get older, but still find it amusing. So today, one day only, I thought I would mention all of the names of our family with the animals' names. See if you can find us... Ugly, Blind Boy, Miss Brown, Goldie, Plymouth, Virginia, Milky Way, Oreo, Emma, Sam, Amos, Madison, Ashten, Jameson, Jonathan, Kelly, Darkie, Faye, Traci, Mary, Matthew, Moe, Karla, Darla, Luke, Pete, and many others whom I have never named. 27 chicks would be very difficult! Thanks for reading, Carol and Katherine! ------------ I took #2 to Hancock Fabric yesterday, and was struck upside the head with his ADD. I have never had him tested, nor do I expect to test him. I think he does fine for an active boy; he just needs redirected at times. We went looking for thread and a little bit of fabric so he could line purses he is sewing for his cousins for Christmas. As soon as he saw the signs "1/2 Off Sale" he was hooked! He went right up to a sales clerk and asked if the 1/2 off sale was for everything. She explained the sale to him, and off he went for the sale products. All of the colors and textures had him jumping from one table to the next coming up with ideas for all of the wonderful things he could make with each fabric. He picked a gray mottled fabric to make something, he didn't know what, just anything with that fabric would be fabulous in his opinion. After about half an hour I said, "Ok. Let's find the thread that we came for. Focus." He was walking behind me and I could hear him saying to himself, "Focus. Got to find thread. Focus. " He is such a funny little guy. We ended up with two fabrics for the purses, and one for a baby blanket for the new nephew/cousin. Everyone in the store was enthralled by this boy who was buying fabric. He told the lady how much to cut, and paid by himself with his own money. He was a joy to watch. We hit the sewing machine as soon as we got home. Somehow my Sunday afternoon Siesta evaporated in Hancock's, but what wonderful memories I will have.

Kids' toys are getting more and more expensive. We took the boys to Best Buy this weekend to get a digital camcorder. It isn't to be a toy. We all agreed to use some of their "school savings" to get the camera. They are both interested in reporting and movie making. #1 is interested in learning how to make web sites, and #2 wants to make youtube videos. We felt like this would be a good addition to their education, and the skills could help them get into college later, so it was agreed that they could spend their savings. They have been taping everything all weekend. I read the book (as much as I could before the headache set in anyway) and then told #2 what I had learned. He picked up the camera and in 5 minutes already knew everything I had learned! So I thought, "just go ahead and let them experiment." Their first project is a documentary on Summer in our Community. There is a contest with a $250 prize that sure would help pay for the camcorder, so let's all hope they win! The other big weekend news is that the book finally arrived!!!! #1, if you remember, had ordered a book about knitting. He went to the mailbox every day in hopes that it would be there, but it didn't show up until Saturday, of course. So we went to Michael's yesterday so he could buy needles and yarn. We somehow all decided that we will learn, so I also bought some needles and yarn. We stopped at the library to get some books with better directions than the ordered book, and set to learning last night. I was able to figure out two ways of "casting on" and even got my first row knitted! It wasn't a cinch though, so today I found someone at church who knows how to knit. We will be exchanging dinner tomorrow night for knitting lessons. If it goes well, Christmas presents will be in the making. There was a really cute dress for my little niece that would suit her well.

It is raining! Pouring even!! I have left the laundry on the line and am not one bit upset; we need the rain so badly. I heard recently that our county farmers have lost $12 million in corn this summer. My husband was telling me that and then commented, "How do people survive?" I said I just don't know and I feel so sorry for the farmers. He looked at me oddly and then told me he had moved on and was talking about how do people survive without a cell phone. It was a sarcastic remark. The guy in the truck in front of us had been on his cell for several miles, talking all the way. I don't know, but I survive fine. Back to the farmers...I think I may leave my laundry on the line for a few days and see if it helps! A friend commented to me today that I must have had a busy week because I haven't been blogging. Yes, it has been busy. The kids had day camps and so I used that free time to tear out the old floor in the dressing room and put down new tile. It looks one million times better, though I still need to put down molding around the walls- there had never been any before- and put in the thresholds. If my kids went away every week I would have this place looking like a mansion. Today I called our realtor to ask about an appraisal estimate and she said, "How about if I come over and look this afternoon?" Boy that will make a woman clean a house faster than anything! So the house is looking really great right now. Anyone want to come to dinner? Before anyone gets scared that we are moving- or excited!- we are just interested in adding on upstairs and were wondering about prices. Our realtor is great and keeps on working for us 3 years later. She was also bringing over a deed that she has worked on so that we own all the way to the ditch next to our barn. I know that only makes sense to a few of you. So we paid for the 25 feet next to the ditch, and now we own land! Not mortgaged land, but actually OWN land! Guess if we get foreclosed on we can always pitch a tent!

Everyone has heard that the economy is in trouble. There are lots of articles on tv and in the papers and magazines about how to save money. I read them with interest each time, but they seldom have anything to say to me. I already do it all! I keep thinking there has to be a way to save more money, to do better than we do. Then I read an article in Kiplinger's, and I realized no one writes articles for me. It was an article titled "Beat High Prices." Some of the examples were to use coupons at the grocery store, don't shop as often at Whole Foods, switch to a free email account, and then the really good ones. Instead of eating out for $204 eat for $89 by ordering things to share, or instead of going to Hawaii for vacation ($5834) go to Disneyland ($2169). I shop at regular grocery stores- Kroger seeming best for me- and use lots of coupons. My email has always been free, I run errands on one day if possible, we seldom eat out anymore, I shop on-line before buying most things, and on and on it goes. Our eating out includes a coupon nearly every time, and if it costs more than $20 for our family of four I feel terrible. Our family vacation was to go see family and stay at the family hotel- Mom's Rooms. I bought bed sheets last night because we had holes in the set we were using. We have one set of sheets for the bed and just wash and then put them right back on again. After 8 years of wash and wear they wore out. They split right down the middle. I found some good ones at Penney's for half price, and paid a little more than I would have liked, but figured if they last 8 years the extra $20 for nicer sheets will be worth it. The sheets that wore out will be used by #2 to make pillows for Christmas presents. He has been learning to sew on the machine. I also have some worn out pants/jeans that will be turned into purses and book bags. Maybe I should write the articles. -------- Speaking of saving money, #1 has been wanting to learn to knit using a Harry Potter book called Charmed Knits. He wanted it for Christmas last year, but I thought it was a phase that would pass. Wrong. So we looked on-line last week and found a used copy for less than half price even with shipping. Now he wants to look for everything on-line. Saving money can be addictive, especially when it is your own! -------- The chicks are doing fine. One died during shipping, trampled most likely. They sent a few extra, so we are full of chicks, 27! Another money saver in our area is freecycle.org. You can put on-line something you want to get rid of and people let you know if they want it. It is all free. Yesterday there was a person getting rid of chick starter feed. I put my name on the list, but may not have been fast enough, I haven't heard back from them.

I got a call at 5:45 a.m. this morning. It was someone named Glenn. "I've got some birds here for you," he drawled in an annoyed voice. I could hear the peeping in the background. Yes, the chicks arrived, and I don't think the postal workers are too happy about it. I will pick them up in a little bit. There are to be 26 chicks. Should be fun! I just checked the forecast for the next 10 days and several of them include a strong chance of rain. Thank you God.

#1 has a great sense of humor that just keeps developing. Today in church his dad was preaching about life being unfair and then you die. For instance, there are people who get ahead in this world using unethical practices. He then asked, "How many of you have never worked for a jerk?" #1 raised his hand! The whole congregation laughed. On the way home, he commented that his dad's birthday is the next one in the family and asked his dad what he would like. Before he could answer (which of course the answer was books), I sang, "Money, money, money." #2 responded, "Money is the best gift for everyone." #1 piped up, "Unless you're a woodchuck." Where do these things come from? -------------- Yesterday we had a friend come out to look at our house and give us an estimate to rewire it. He was absolutely beaming and said he hasn't been this happy in years and is floating sky high. I asked what the reason is, and he answered a woman's name. It was such a joy to see a man so truly happy. May God bless them both. -------------- I went out to milk this morning and listened to the ruckus the goats were making. It occured to me that if the people in the new subdivision like to sleep late, they probably are not happy about the house they bought. Oh well.

A friend asked the question, "How do you know God loves you?" She meant me in particular and not just "the world." I thought about it for a while. I know God loves me because he was willing to sacrifice his son for a little while so that someday I can join him in Heaven. But he did that for everyone, and so long ago, that it didn't seem like the personal answer I needed. Then I thought about all of the blessings of my life. There are blessings from the beginning of my life...being in a family that loved me and took good care of me, fed me well, provided great experiences, and taught me about God. As I got older I had wonderful friends, did well in school, was basically successful. I found a fabulous husband and we enjoyed our time together as a young couple, even through the financial struggles. More recently, I have been supremely blessed to have two boys that I adore, a great place to live, friends that are blessings to me, and my marriage still blossoms. I have never gone hungry or unhoused, no one has ever beaten me. My experiences and opportunities are still amazing. But all of that didn't seem to be why I know God loves me. There are many people in the world who are not blessed with such a life. Hunger, homelessness, and hatred are not signs of the absence of God's love. So how do I know God loves ME? I started thinking about Love Languages, a concept about how people express their love. My "love language" is time. I know you love me when you spend time with me, when you make me a priority. I don't so much care about presents- a difficult thing for my husband who enjoys gifting me- but spend some time with me and I know I am high on your list. And there was my answer! God loves me because he spends time with me. He talks to me, he directs me, he holds me, he listens to me. We have a close relationship. So, although I see God's love in his sacrifice on the cross, and I appreciate his loving gifts that bless me daily, I know he loves me because he didn't stop at the cross, and he doesn't just "pay me off" to get rid of me. God wants to be with me. He loves me.

Today is a day of rest. I have had such a busy schedule for so long that I am looking forward to slowing down and staying home today. A little friend asked if that meant I am going to stay on the couch and do nothing all day. That was obviously a comment from a kid. I don't think such a day exists for me. Yesterday was a full 4-H day. We met at a member's house and the kids made a tree house. The dad of the house had put up the supports already so the kids just had to put in a floor. The moms helped out at the end, but I thought the kids did a good job. While the kids did that, the moms put together a field trip to VA. We are supposed to go in Sept. to attend classes at the Petersburg National Battlefield. Then in October we are to go to Hampton to the Space Center Museum. Instead of going twice, we decided to put together an overnight trip and get it done with. Then I came home with an extra kid, friend of #2. They played a while and then I sent them out to do yard work. It was so hot and humid, that I took them swimming at a friend's house afterward as a treat. The good news around here is that the rain has been falling. We have had rain several times over the last week. It isn't enough yet to have us out of trouble, but it certainly is helping. If we could just have it keep falling at night we should be doing much better. The other good news is that Milky Way's milk is good. Go Goats! Now for the couch...

We returned last night from a non-vacation. We went home to WV and visited everyone, which is a wonderful thing to do, but does not leave one rested. We saw Hubby's grandmothers, several cousins, aunts and uncles on both sides, and our own parents and one brother and his family. It has been very rainy in WV this summer, so we had to go around some of the weather, but for the most part it was pleasant for us. We managed to get a visit in to the Good Zoo in Wheeling, and a couple of times to the pools. I, however, did not swim. All of the rain and cool temps didn't have the water warm enough for my delicate body. The kids enjoyed the diving boards. I enjoyed seeing my nieces and nephew. It was my first time to meet him, and he looks so much like my boys did. It was a wonderful trip down Memory Lane for me. The first niece is very happy to talk your ear off, and she adores my boys, so she is a lot of fun. The second niece is very opinionated for a 1 year old, and so she cracks me up, even though she drives her parents nuts. It was fun to get to know all of them better. We got back last night and got everything settled. The goats needed fed, and boy have they grown! I put Oreo away last night along with Emma, so that I could milk his mother this morning. She did really well. I set her milk aside so we can try it when it is cool and see if it tastes good yet. He is about 5 weeks old, so I hope it is good. Milky Way did a good job while I milked her. Her mother, Millie, always dried up after I took off her boy kids, so I am hoping that Milky Way doesn't follow in her footsteps. I hope to take Oreo to the stock sale in a couple of weeks. The kids have started school, and jumped right back into it today. #2 has a day camp today to learn some sewing skills. #1 is trying to complete his science lesson. That has been an enlightening experience for both of us. This is his first real text book, and he doesn't know how to use it. I hadn't thought about that when I made the assignments, so I am having to go back and teach him how to use a text. He is in 6th grade.

I actually finished the dining room chairs yesterday, and it was so easy I used the left over fabric to cover the piano stool. The room has a whole different look about it now. I absolutely loved using the power stapler. Thanks Jeff! I was looking around the house wondering what else I could recover! The mother of my "extra kids" stopped by to have me sign a paper and I asked her to come in and see the chairs. She said I am way too industrious and need a job. But of course I can't get a job because I can't keep up the pace. Oh well. The boys did well on their first day of school. #1 is studying German this year and would you believe he got a 92% on his first time through the lesson!? We use Rosetta Stone software. #2 is studying French this year; he got something like a 76%, which is still very good for a first time through. After the book work, we headed out to the Career Camp, and they seemed to really enjoy it. They both are interested in reporting and there was a newspaper reporter as one of the speakers, so that helped. I told them last night that they would need to get their work done early this morning. The Electricity Camp starts at 9:00 so we need to leave about 8:30. A friend is coming home with them afterward until 3:30 when we go to Clogging Camp. #1 took that statement so seriously that I heard the shower come on at 5:54 A.M.!!!! We need to discuss time in Math.

Summer is officially over for us. School starts today. I finished lesson plans yesterday for the month of July. Before everyone freaks out about my poor children...they finished the last grade in April. We take off May and June while the weather is cooler, and then start up in July when the weather is too hot to go outside in the afternoon. Then we mix school with fun stuff like day camps through 4-H. So today, their first day, they will do Bible, foreign language, vocabulary, and then go to spend the day learning about careers. Tomorrow they will spend the morning learning about electricity- and even use a soldering iron!! You see they love school in July. Too bad it doesn't last all year, but other fun things are in the plans, like a geography co-op about Asia, swimming lessons, square dancing lessons, a video documentary contest, a field trip to a gold mine and to a battlefield, and at the end of July we have a trip to a sea turtle rehab hospital. Those turtles really get into the nightlife at the beach! No, they get lost or hurt and need help to recover. Don't we all? So what will I be doing while the boys are away at "school"? A friend brought his power stapler last night for me to borrow. So today I am recovering the dining room chairs. We did the first one last night to practice, and it looks really nice. The fabric I chose is NOT BLUE! I have had blue chairs for 12 years. I have recovered them many times, but I always pick a variant on the blue theme. I still like blue, but thought this fabric might look nice in the dining room. It brings out the golden tones in the wooden floor, and it picks up more of the green in the wall. You'll have to come to dinner when I am done and see it for yourself.