Winter is coming... It already looks and feels like its here...
This mornings run... Yup he went into the water on this 40 degree morning because he ran hard and fast and compared to last week it feels like a heat wave to us down here...:)
The winter feels are here.
The yard work is all done and winterized. It feels nice to have that checked off.
I always start and work in the fish pond after the leaves come down. To clean out the corners. We found over the years that the key to a nice flowing fish pond is to keep the dead leaves and lilies all picked out. If this gets kept after the pond stays lower maintenance.This fall work makes the spring start up a way more simple process! But it also means that I'm out in the fish pond in freezing cold water cleaning out all the finished and dead water lilies and leaves that had gathered there. It cleared up nicely... Now once it freezes we will pull the pump until spring arrives...
While I was working out in the cold all afternoon on Saturday I had this sweet kitchen princess indoors making me a chocolate cake...:) She made a wonderful cake and some cinnamon rolls all from scratch! She has become fluent in the kitchen and I'm thrilled about it!! So are her dad and brothers!...:)
I keep noticing all things winter around here... We have marble games going (and they get loud) in the evenings. The long evenings call for puzzles and books and hot drinks...:)
We all love Javon's dog Nub!! She loves to come inside although the house is not where she belongs. She has great manners and if she didn't shed her hair I think she would make a perfect indoor dog! Her temperament is so fun and lovable!
Jack... He is another story! He is lovable to and we love him but he is way to wild for the house! He slips in any chance he gets and this always sends Jazlyn scrambling because she does not like his rowdy nature one bit! He shines with naughtiness!...:)
Some days it feels like we have to many dogs...:) The invisible fence we had installed keeps them here and away from the fish pond. It has been so nice not to have to wonder where they are! The white flags are still in the ground showing them the boundaries but we will probably pull them soon.
Today I have two little people here... They met Jack for the first time... What are they thinking about this wild dog?...:)
Kath has a wedding today... Alan and Kirsten are here with me for a few hours... Its so good for me to have little people in the house! They are doing all the kid things... It reminds me of the days of Little Ones. I miss it sometimes yet I'd not want to start over...:)
We have filled out two PA buck tags now...
Dave got his at the cabin last weekend and Jordan got his last week one evening down on the shop grounds...
I was out on the roads running when Dave called me and whispered into the phone "I shot one! Its the same one we both saw from our tree stand last weekend!" I promptly turned around and "ran" down close to where he shot him. Together we tracked and then found him! I love the action and I'm not sure why I wasn't out with him on this crisp cold morning right from the beginning... aw yeah I remember why... It was to early and way to cold to sit still...:)
Jordan shot this guy. Came home for supper and waited on his dad and Justin (and Jack) and they went tracking in the dark... They found him with a double lung hit. Good Job Jordan!!
Now its Javon and I with tags to fill on the first day of the upcoming rifle season...:) We saw some really nice bucks still running on our cabin grounds!
This is what we do with the meat... Cube it. Jar it up. Add some salt. Water bath it at least three hours. It comes out nice and tender and we add it to anything from breakfast, supper dishes with veggies to sandwiches.
Javon can solve a Rubix Cube! He was so excited once he finally figured this out!!
He is so much fun! He eats salad as a favorite...
He likes his hair long. He is more "Nerd" then any of the other boys...:) We all LOVE on him like you would the youngest...:) He has found his favorite hobby! Its his uncle Mark Andrew's drum set that are all set up out at the shop in the corner where the old Horizon offices were. He begs to go play drums and he is good! We know he has a music talent and we are enjoying watching it blossom...:)
Jenika had her birthday date with her dad... He took her to Horse Inn. She loved her time out with him!
Dave has done this Birthday Date thing with the kids since they were small. I always stayed back with the rest of them. One of these times I'll start joining them...:)
Tonight her horse Rage goes to trainer Joy. Once Joy works with Rage for a few months we will take Jenika up to her arena for riding and training lessons with Joy and her horse Rage. We hope this will ease the tension when she is down in the meadow with Rage here on our property. We hope to bring him home late winter/early spring with better manners and a more rider confident Jenika...:) This was her birthday gift and she is excited!
I will share the kitchen part of my Mondays on here... Sometimes people ask me how this process goes...:)
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| This week it was broccoli, brussel sprouts, green beans, asparagus, mushrooms, sweet potatoes mixed with mini regular potatoes, whole grain rice w lentils, fish, chicken, a few shrimp went with the fish dishes. |
Most Mondays I'll go grocery shopping after Dave and I do our Monday morning run. (I like Wegman's) When I know where everything is and what we like and use it really don't take me to long to shop. (I still haven't thought about the instacart thing or any online grocery shopping)
I come home unload everything and prep food for the next hour or two. It seems to go faster now that I've been doing this so long. A lot of the food never makes it to the fridge until its chopped, picked or prepped.
Justin is the one that eats most of these meals that get prepped on Mondays but they are always here for the taking if anybody else wants a quick healthy dish... If I have any left the next Monday I either freeze or use them first but most weeks my calculation is not far off. (right now Justin is doing insanity workouts so you never know when or how much he might eat...:))
Everything gets assembled in these bowl things... I pack two in Justin's lunch daily. This week it was fish in one and chicken in the other... I put in a whole bottle of this sauce and he adds it as needed... (we love seasonings, cheeses and sauces here!)
I use cast iron for the mushrooms, meat, asparagus, potatoes. (I'm probably bias but I think cast iron is key to flavorful meals!) The rice is made and set aside until fluffy. The veggies are made and set aside and I find they take very little time!! Only steamed a bit. The shrimp... I only make a few and add them to a few dishes.
Everything is organic. I think its necessary in the day we live in if at all possible.
These dishes get placed in the fridge in the basement where its colder. We rarely open this fridge door so it stay nice and cold all week...
Justin heats up his dishes in this handy little crock-pot... It plugs right into his truck for hot meals on the road... It makes for a real simple lunch packing all week! He also gets fresh fruit of some kind for dessert...:) I always pack his lunch the night before and set it by the door.
I don't need to visit the grocery store again until the next Monday unless we are hosting parties or going to the cabin or anything in this line. I hardly ever toss away food. We hate waste and if you buy good whole food I can't stand to see it thrown away. If I have veggies left I often make a soup out of them. We just call it mystery soup...:)
Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner! We have another birthday in the house this week! Justin will be twenty years old!!
Dave travels a bit this week. To Texas.
We have more cabin trips coming up.
My mom, sisters and I like to take a day a week starting about now to enjoy the holiday season out and about. We do all kinds of fun outings. I'll try to record some of them on here.
Thanksgiving with my family happens at sis Marilyn this year. (we do Thanksgiving in turns and mom does Christmas)
I'm excited this day because I'm meeting up with five of my closest friends tonight for a ladies night out! We do not see each other near as often as we'd like but when we do its always a great time catching up!...:)
Today we are so BLESSED and we are looking forward to a cozy winter ahead... with a bit of tropic travel mixed in! Yay we have tickets for Belize!! All of us!
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