coffee talk. tomorrow night. at 8 pm.

yep. coffee talk. sunday. the 27th @ 8 p.m.

may be the last one.

maybe not?

i kind of mis-counted the chapters. ;(

so...we'll see how much we get covered.

see you then. ~mk.

*love it*

i think this is precious. i wish it would turn out this way for everyone. i am sure there are lots of tears for lots of people who watch this...where it didn't turn out as *precious*. have a great weekend people. ;)  ~mk.

yes. we have *baby* news.

In the 1970s, Dr. Landrum Shettles, M.D., Ph.D., developed a scientifically based, fairly simple way in which to increase your chances of having a boy or girl. While various studies have shown the Shettles method to be quite successful, I must emphasize here that its overall effectiveness is still widely disputed in the medical community. Dr. Shettles himself claims that it is about 80-90 % effective for choosing boys, and 75-80 % effective for choosing girls, when the method rules are followed correctly.

-Toni Weschler

So...our all-knowing, ever present and loving Father above is in heaven now laughing at us, thinking..."and you thought you could "help me" in creating your child, hugh...how'd that work for ya?"

yep. umm. it didn't.

you guessed it.

we are delighted and thrilled to know that we will be welcoming

another precious baby girl into our family come july.

while some are a tad bit disappointed...

they will come around and rally in the end.

i know i am blessed beyond measure.

i have never, ever had trouble getting pregnant.

i have never, ever experienced losing a baby.

i have never, ever had a complicated pregnancy.

i have short, fast, painful, ;) labor and deliveries.

and have always had the great pleasure of being a great baby cooker...

(which means my babies like to come close to the 2 week late marker)

we are praising the Lord for weaving together

what looks to be a very healthy miracle number 5.

everyone i have told so far...

first thing said was...

"how is matt?"

he is good. he is a wee bit disappointed.

but he will rally. along with kaden.

he is a great dad!

and we'll show him girls can be good farmers too.

:)

hives.

just a little tid bit of information for you.

i hate hives.

*hate* them.

for some reason, i am the child in my family who always got them.

just me.

and it seems these days that the only times that i get them are when i am:

a) pregnant or b) nursing

which makes it a *tad* bit irritating to treat. ;)

so...today i will be soaking in lots of oatmeal baths

and being thankful for a:

a) respectfully healthy body that is fighting off some sort of toxin

***there is nothing like being sick or under the weather to put my life

in perspective. might make me a little bit cranky, but helps me to see

all that i really have to be thankful for on a daily basis.***

Thank you Jesus for a healthy body. For a healthy husband who

works hard to provide for our every need, and healthy children

who generally love each other. ;)

Thank you for your abundant blessings in our lives which we

do not deserve and take for granted often.

 Help me to rest today and i pray you would

help this itching go away. ;)

and pray for ~my~ Pappy and Grandma...

give my grandma the peace and rest she needs
as she is in the hospital,

and pray for the doctors to have wisdom to diagnose

what's going on in her body.

give my grandparents comfort as they are apart from each other now.

amen.     ~mk.

Dear Abby...

My mother in law gave this to me for Valentine's Day. I thought it was worth sharing to my farming wife compadres. ;) I almost re-wrote a few things to make them a bit more "fitting" but decided I better just leave this as is...it's 'right on' enough...

DEAR ABBY: I'm a city girl who's attending college at Ames, Iowa. I've fallen in love with a young man whose father was a farmer, and he intends to follow in his father's footsteps.
     What are my chances for happiness as a farmer's wife? Do you have any statistics on this?  -IN LOVE WITH WALLY.

DEAR IN LOVE: No statistics, but love being what it is, statistics wouldn't help much anyway.
     A reader sent a charming piece. It may not be your bale of hay, but if it is, good luck to you and Wally:

     "I wanted a guy who could sit and have a cup of coffee with me at 5 a.m. when the only sounds to be heard are crickets, cows and creaking floor boards...That's why I married a farmer.
     "I wanted a guy who would crack a joke and make me laugh when I am covered with dirt and cow manure...That's why I married a farmer.
     "I wanted a guy who could get out of a nice warm bed when it is 30 below, start up the tractor and plow out the driveway so the school bus can get through...That's why I married a farmer. ( i think i could let this slide) ;)
     "I wanted a guy who could entertain four kids, a dog and a nerve-wracked wife when the power goes off, the pipes freeze and everything quits during a two-day blizzard...That's why I married a farmer.
     "I wanted a guy who could put up with in -laws, outlaws and new tax laws and still be open minded and openly loving...That's why I married a farmer.
     "I wanted a guy who could count his blessings when he's depressed, count his children ;) when he feels poor and count on God to make it all work out...That's why I married a farmer."

For those of you who don't really know my life story...i never really intended to marry a farmer. But then again...that's what i "mostly" hear. ;) The opportunity to take over matt's parents/brother's chicken farming operation kind of fell into our laps, un-expectantly and very, very quickly. i am very, very blessed to be called matt's chicken farming wife, and count my blessings i don't have to deal with a  dairy operation, (as that's the kind of farm i grew up on, having as little to do with it as humanly possible, but still hoping, that's not what i would have to 'endure' as a wife and mother. ;) )

Thanks moppy for the fresh perspective...

100 shoes.

kaycee's teacher told me yesterday, that on friday, when they were celebrating their 100th day of school, that she asked her kindergartners "if they could have 100 of something, what would they choose?"

do you know what my sweet angel girl kaycee said? let me remind you, kaycee is my most quiet, extremely sensitive, artsy 6 year old.

she said, in an almost crying voice...and i quote, "i would like 100 pairs of shoes to throw at my brother and sisters when they are mean and make me mad."

hmmm. how do you respond when your kids teacher tells you that?
i don't know either. happy tuesday! ~mk.

happy valentines day.

happy happy heart day!

here's to a happy day at home.

how will you spend your day?

and just humor me for a minute here.

so...i was in helping for the kindergarten valentine party

this morning...and was paired with two moms that i have

never met before.

our "station" was set up in the hallway,

with about 6 paint sticks taped to the floor, and

 a large heart at the last paint stick.

the kids were split up into 2 groups, and

were supposed to kind of race each other,

hopping over the sticks, get the heart, and bring it back to the next person.

kind of a relay deal.

our station was to last for 15 minutes long!

(and then the kids rotated thru 6 different stations.)

so it took about 6 minutes into it, and the kids were kind of tired of hopping.

no kidding?

so...i suggested maybe we should do the crab walk instead.

what a great idea, right?

what would be more fun to watch 5 and 6 year olds walk across the floor on

their hands and feet?

WRONG. these moms shot me down like a...

i couldn't believe it.

and you want to know why "the crabwalk wasn't a good idea?"

THEIR HANDS WOULD GET TOO DIRTY.

aggghhh. please humor me.

i hope i don't accidentally invite their kids over

to my FARM for a playdate. ;)

do they even know what DIRTY is?

ha.ha.ha.

:)

i know we  are all trying to do the best job that we can.

but...really? the crabwalk?

~coffee talk. tonight. at 8 p.m.~

discussing creative correction again tonight.

chapters 6&7.

see you then.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

next meeting: sunday, february 27, 2011.

the remainder of the book.

chapters 8, 9 &10.

what i've been up too.

lots of crafting.

valentine crafting. which is totally bogus for me.

 i am having so.much.fun.

and i am *totally* teaching myself to sew.

can you believe it?

me.

sewing.

(check off  bucket list).

i appliqued this shirt.

(is that even how you spell it?)

was pretty proud of myself.

i am *not* a sew-er, but have been having lots of fun *playing*.

my *space* has been in the basement.

um. my husband has been *very* patient with me.

i really do need to clean up.

just a couple more projects to quick finish up. :)

so...nate berkus says that it is totally fine to *copy*.

oh good.

because that is *totally* what i do.

(i love it when people post their tutorials...fabulous...)

~thank you. if you see your ideas. here. i hope you don't see that as rude.~

so...i have been going to town on some burp cloths...

who would have thought it *could* be tricky to sew in a straight line? :)

i.love.them.





and well. this is as good as it got guys.

i will try to do better til next time.

but, i am *totally* growing.

love this stage. when i am not complete-ly huge yet...

that will be come summer. ;)

and why can't people get clothes ~IN~ the hamper?

was just wonderin' ?

oh. and my sister just updated.

they are having a girl.

yay. we are tickled p*i*n*k.

til next time. ~mk.



never.grow.up.

people who know me well,

know that i love.love.love babies.

i like to say i wish my babies would stay babies forever.
(partly because i love babies and partly because life gets harder after that stage)
i know. i am totally selfish.
as if God promised me an easy life, anyway, right?

the ironic part of that is that i love my life right now.
i am glad i don't have to go to school. to college. to date.
shoot. even go to work in the morning.
i got to get married and be a mom.
so...in not wanting my kids to grow up, i would be having them not be
able to get this far. does that even make sense?
i had to grow up to get here.

life is hitting me.

life is hitting me hard.

my first born is 7 1/2. my baby is almost 2 1/2.

i try to live life in the present.

in the moment.

simply put...we are not promised tomorrow.

we can only take in the very seconds of the day.

how easy would life be if we never had to grow up?

aggghhh. but we do.

here's to cherishing today. no matter how it turns out.

the good. the bad. the sad. or the ugly.

here's to today.  ~mk.

more. birthday.

so...a friend treated me and another january birthday holder friend to

prince street cafe

last night for coffee and dessert.

i don't get there near enough.

and it was fun to see the atmosphere.

it was packed. people playing games and all.

(that part i didn't get? why not play games in your cozy apartment?)

anyway, kim's latte arrived looking like this.

isn't it devine?



thanks rhonda for the delightful evening away and yummy treats.

*******************

and now onto my latest read quotes from one thousand gifts,

by ann voscamp.

there are a million and one highlighted, but this is one of my favorites...

which totally stirred my mind.

~let me preface by saying her little sister was killed in a tragic accident on

their home farm...and she saw it...the book starts there, and

ends in a much better place. from pg. 14...~

"in this toxic air of the world, this atmosphere we inhale,

burning into our lungs, this No, God?

No, God, we won't take what you give.

No, God, Your plans are a gutted, bleeding mess and I

didn't sign up for this and You really thought i'd go for this?

No, God, this is ugly and this is a mess and can't You get

anything right and just haul all this pain out of here

and I'll take it from here,

thanks.

And God?

Thanks for nothing."

Isn't this the human inheritance, the legacy of the Garden?

I believe the Serpent's hissing lie, the repeating refrain of his campaign

through the ages: God isn't good.

It's the cornerstone of his movement.

That God witholds good from His children, that God

does not genuinely, fully, love us.

Doubting God's goodness, distrusting His intent,

discontented with what He's given, we desire...

I have desired...more. the fullest life.

*************

so...i am finished the book. and there is a waiting list to borrow it. first, is my sister in law, and then, my sister, and then, it's up for grabs. it is really a thought provoking book...