Homemade Bread

Because of all the recent events in our country right now, going to buy staples, like bread, in the grocery store has become very difficult.  So, instead of trying to find bread, we decided to make it on our own.  We tried a recipe that was recommended and it turned out wonderful!

Here is the dough after it rose for about an hour and a half.

This is the dough after it rose in the buttered loaf pans for another hour, ready to go in the oven.

The finished product with some honey from our bee hives!

Our New Normal

We have been quarantined to our home because of the corona virus that has affected our country and our world within the last 4 weeks and so far we cant see an end in sight.  Our kids are doing virtual school online, churches are closed, non essential stores are closed down, restaurants are only serving take out, grocery stores are out of toilet paper, cleaning supplies, baking ingredients, and meat.  People are wearing masks and gloves when they go out in public.  Anytime you go anywhere, you have to stay 6 ft away from everyone else and there can't be more than 10 people in a place at a time.  It's a very weird time to have to navigate through, but we are faithful in our Lord that he will take care of us and although we don't know what the future holds, we know that God holds the future.

Our calendar went from being completely full to wide open. All school activities and programs are cancelled, all softball tournaments and practices postponed, and it looks like we'll have to get real creative to celebrate Easter with our loved ones. Even though we miss being able to see and spend time with our family and friends, it has been a nice change to live a simpler, less complicated, and more meaningful life right now. Our kids are playing outside, soaking up the beautiful sunshine. We are noticing spring in every bloom and blossom, right in front of us.  We are sitting down at the table for every meal instead of driving through a fast food place and eating in the car on the way to a lesson or practice.  We're spending much needed time with our kids playing games, camping our in the backyard and making smores on the fire pit and having movie night.   I can honestly say that I believe God, who makes no mistakes, is giving us an incredible gift and we are planning on using it wisely and I hope you do as well! Let me leave you with this...2 Corinthians 1:9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.

BACK AT IT

My last blog post was in January of 2017 and today its March 2020.  I felt that it was time to get back to documenting whats been going on in our lives  Five years and a lot has happened since then.  When i last posted, we lived in the cold, snowy climate of West Bend, Wisconsin and we decided to move to Justin, Texas to be back closer to our family.  While living in Justin for 3 years we purchased 10 acres of land in Ponder, Texas, mainly for investment and never thinking that we would actually live there. Since purchasing the land, we had a well dug, the property fenced, a barn built, a then finally a house built with a swimming pool, and moved in the first of August last year. One year prior to moving into our new home, we took a leap of faith and sold our house, moved into the camper on our land, and moved the kids into Krum schools.  

Addison is now 13 years old and in the 7th grade at Krum Middle School.  She plays select softball pretty much year around with Texas Fusion out of Grapevine and has been very successful as a pitcher.  She runs track at school and is involved with National Jr. Honor Society.  She was the lead role in One Act Play this year and finished second in the UIL Spelling competition.  She ran cross country and played baskeball this year.  She stays pretty busy with school activities and enjoys showing lambs through Krum FFA.  

Rhyder is 10 and is in the 4th grade at Hattie Dyer Elementary in Krum.  He is a cub scout with Pack   931 out of Justin and shows lambs also with Krum FFA.  He is learning to play the recorder and is actually really good at it.  He's always been musically talented.  He loves to swim and is a great writer.  He placed second in UIL Ready Writing this year and they got 1st overall as a team.  

The property that we're so blessed to have, doesn't really have any landscaping including trees.  It's kind of a blank slate.  We're working diligently to get things planted and looking nice around the property.  We planted several types of trees, including fig and redbud trees, blackberry bushes and have a lot of our vegetable and herbs planted.  We have a lot of plans for the property, but will take quite a bit of  time.  We've come along way since purchasing the property years ago and look forward to see what God has in store for our family over the next several years.  

A New Year

Now that the holidays are over, we are back to our schedule.  We had a fabulous Christmas with our family in Texas and our so lucky to have their support while we spend our time here in Wisconsin.  The kids have started school back and we have been buried in snow for the last two weeks.  We're looking forward to some warmer weather this weekend.  It'll be in the 30's.  The kids finished up their very first ice skating classes and are moving on to the next class.  Rhyder completed Snow Plow Sam 1 and is moving on to Snow Plow Sam 2.  Addison completed Basic 1 and is moving on to Basic 2.  They both did so well and are improving so much!  We're so very proud of them.  Addison is continuing her preteam gymnastics class at the YMCA and doing so much better on the vault and the bars.  I'm excited to see how she improves over the next couple of months.  Rhyder has started classes at the YMCA also.  He is taking Super Hero Adventures and Silly Science and loving both of them so much.  We are getting ready for Addison's 8th birthday and our Texas company!  So excited for the next couple of weeks. 

Another New Adventure

Well, another new adventure has begun for our family.  Chad's job with Schreiber Foods has moved our family north to West Bend, Wisconsin.  It's a much different climate than what we are used to.  We have seen snow already twice, with one of them being on Halloween.  The temperatures this week are starting to drop into the twenties for the highs and its still only November.  It's crazy!  The kids are starting their fourth week in school and are having a lot of fun!  Addison is a 2nd grader at Fair Park Elementary and her sweet teacher's name is Mrs. Nannetti.  Rhyder is in his last year of preschool and also has a sweet teacher, Mrs. Gross.  They definitely miss their schools in Missouri and all of their friends, but they are adjusting well.  We are making our way around the town and are loving that we have way more conveniences than we had in Clinton.  We've found the grocery stores, the home improvement stores, and KOHLS and HOBBY LOBBY!  We've experienced our first hockey game and saw the West Bend Bombers.  I think it will be something that we will continue to do since the kids enjoyed it. The kids are starting a learn to skate class starting the end of November and Addison is starting her new gymnastics class at the YMCA tomorrow.  We're enjoying everything so far now that we are not surrounded by moving boxes.  Who knows what the future holds for our family, but we'll enjoy everything we can while we're here because we won't be here forever!

Taking a hay ride at the pumpkin patch

The Milwaukee Bucks mascot, Bango on the hay ride

The snow on the ground on Halloween

The West Bend Bombers

Playing at the park

The leaves changing colors in front of our house

Trick or treating in our neighborhood

Time Flies!!

I would really like to continue with this blog since we are still so far away from family.  It's been almost 8 months since my last post.  I would like to try and keep our family more up to date with pictures and stories, so I am going to try and do at least one post a week.  This is a warning though.....not all posts will be in order.  I may just take the last couple of months and share some stories and pictures. 

Elf on the Shelf

Little Red, our elf, has been up to no good! 

Little Red made a snowman with marshmallows

He made an angel out of sugar

He took down all the stockings and hung up the kids underwear

We found him shaving

Climbing up the ladder of the fire truck to the Christmas tree 

It was a snow ball fight with marshmallows

We found Little Red taped to the fireplace with a surrender flag, looked like he had been attacked

Little Red got them back the next night

He's all wrapped up in the toilet paper roll and rolled down the stairs

Little Red was caught riding in the Barbie car

Taking a bath in marshmallows