Cheap DIY

I was looking for a new flower arrangement to put on the fire place.  I ended up making a super easy (you might think it's a little cheesy) arrangement!  All for $9.00 and all bought at JoAnn's fabric!

$4.97

$1.97x2



"Little Dribblers"

Living in the country is not the ideal spot to play basketball, but you do what you got to do!!!  

Sometimes the dirt will fly and your boots get a few more scuffs!!

And it's all okay because you get to see this on most nights right off the front porch!



WINNER!!!!!!!!

Enter a lower limit: 1

Enter an upper limit: 9

Random Number: 3

Way to go number 3!!!!  All of the trees are beautiful!!!  Thank you so much for sending them to me!!!!

All the Pretty Lights!

87

65

4

32

1

The trees look great.  Keep sending them!!!

Christmas Giveaway!!!!!

Christmas Giveaway!!!                           

Tour of Trees!!!!

I think too often Mom's get overlooked at Christmas because we are so busy making sure everyone else is having a great Christmas.  So, I am having a fun giveaway.  You'll get to get youself a great little treat.  All for you!!!!!  All you have to do is subscribe to follow me and send me a picture of your decorated tree at jenniferhogue78@aol.com and you can win this

$25$25

I will post all the pictures and randomly pick a winner.  WhooHoo.  It could be you!!!!!  Make sure you post which one you like the best!!  You don't have to be a mom to enter.  The deadline is December 24th.  Santa will visit somebody on the 25th!!!!!



And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
" Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"
Luke 2:13-14

                                    Merry Christmas

 

Christmas DELIGHT

 Allison wanted to make a Christmas Craft, so I pulled out some stuff I had around the house and she got crafty!

Super easy stuff.  I used picture frames I had bought up and old scrap book paper.  I had a lot of loose buttons too.

(thought about using dots made with a hole puncher, but she liked this and the hot glue gun better)

After she finished we just put them in the frames and we were done.  That simple!!!!

The Sing Off

Holy Cow, do I like watching the sing off.  I think the greatest instrument ever is your voice and believe me I wasn't blessed with that gift at all.  Ask Tim.  He will plead with me not to sing and I had the bright idea to lead prek-1st grade in music two days a week.  And as honest as little kids are they never complain of the croaking they hear, but I think it is in fear of having to go do phonics..AGAIN. haha.  My croaking voice made me think of this great book for kids.  It's all about loving who you are and what you can do with what you got!
You should go check it out!

She had a voice that sounded like a bullfrog being squeezed by a boa constrictor. She didn’t mind though, because her grandmother told her, “Sing out clear and strong and the world will cry tears of joy.”

So she did.

The Face of Courage



Isabell

When I think of the word Courage I think of this little girl.  She is going through the unimaginable right now, yet she always has a smile.  And her smile is contagious.  When you see her or talk to her your first instinct is to cry.  You want to cry because you know it isn't fair that she is fighting this fight and none of us can do anything about it.  What a faith tester and miracle in the making.  You smile because you see her smile and you laugh because she has the sweetest laugh you could ever hear.  She is such a blessing to be at our school.  The few times she has been by for a visit she is treated like you would hope your own child would be treated.  Just like everyone else.  Her parents and siblings are just as courageous as she is.  Their lives are going down a different path right now, but they have been able to reach out to people and have learned to trust people (Jay and Shauna, what a blessing you are to them) that are going to be there for them.  Her teacher has taught her class the importance of acceptance and love for one another.  So not only is she courageous, but she's an inspiration to us all.  You are an Angel and such a blessing to all of us.

I believe there are angels among us

Sent down to us from somewhere up above
They come to you and me in our darkest hours
To show us how to live
To teach us how to give
To guide us with a light of love

Her Kindergarten teacher and class.

You are in my prayers Isabell.

Fish Fry

Growing up as a Howard I spent lots of my weekends on the lake.  All the Howard men in my life are fishermen and they take it serious.  It's not just for fun, or sport, but it's a part of life.  Not only can they catch a ton of fish, but they can fry it too!  Theses are memories I will cherish forever because I was with my family and usually all the cousins.  My brother's son is a true Howard and eats and breathes fishing (and hunting).  I am so glad the tradition will continue on with him.  My kids have a cow man for a dad and other traditions and memories are being made (and brought in on my floors).  My nephew is the ripe old age of 7 and he can help set out a trot line, set patiently for fish to bite, and tell you the name of most fresh water fish and if they are keepers!!!  He excels in it just as his dad did and still does! 

Hunter and Kurt



and when it happens..........

I had the best time this evening visiting with a friend.  She recently suffered a loss that is so heartbreaking and so close to home.  When you lose someone you love so much it changes who you are forever.  Whether you held them in your arms or you held them under your heart.  You aren't the same person no matter how hard you try to be.  You just learn to go on and embrace your new way of life.  It was me that should have been comforting her and I ended the evening with her sharing comforting words.  She shared this song with me and was reciting the words when chills started running up and down and I was trying to hold back a flood of tears.  Thank you for being a good friend.   My prayer is that her sweet soul heals and that she finds her new normal comforting in time.  This is for my dear friends that have felt this way.

Held by Natalie Grant
Christa Wells, a part-time songwriter and stay-at-home mom of three in North Carolina wrote this song in response to two very difficult losses that happened within 48 hours. And for her, I think it must have been one of those total shake-your-fist-at-God moments where you cry, "Why God?" These are the things in life that we cannot understand or explain, and the lyrics reflect that honesty. God didn't promise us we'd be okay or that life would be easy. My faith does not protect me from pain, but it provides me with peace. God only promises us that when we suffer, when we're in pain, we'll be held in His arms through every circumstance.







Two months is too little
They let him go
They had no sudden healing     
To think that providence    
Would take a child from his mother
While she prays, is appalling
Who told us we'd be rescued
What has changed and
Why should we be saved from nightmares
Were asking why this happens to us
Who have died to live, it's unfair
This is what it means to be held
How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive
This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was that when everything fell
We'd be held
This hand is bitterness
We want to taste it and
Let the hatred numb our sorrows
The wise hand opens slowly
To lilies of the valley and tomorrow
This is what it means to be held
How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive
This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was that when everything fell
We'd be held
If hope if born of suffering
If this is only the beginning
Can we not wait, for one hour
Watching for our Savior
This is what it means to be held
How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive
This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was that when everything fell


We'd be held

The Salad

Tim just found my bill from Wellman Diner and he wasn't too happy!!!  He just doesn't get how wonderful their chicken fajita salads are and the importance of getting a refill of diet dr pepper is.  He knew I was not listening until he started in on it could feed another horse and then I felt bad because the kids are really wanting a pony.  What to do -What to do?  GO TRY ONE!!!!  You won't regret it unless the pony hangs over your head.

Let It be Christmas

WOW!!! Our Elementary Classes put on an awesome Christmas Program. Even with the few oops we had they did great! Who would have thought you could have had Alabama, David Archuleta and Alan Jackson all in the same music Program!!

One more try

I started this blog after I had surgery last year. I had 6 weeks to get better and what better way to spend my time than to write, since I wasn’t doing a lot of movin’ around. I guess I had writer’s “blog” after three post (haha), so I’ll try once again and hope it goes the way I thought it would last time!!!

P.S. Heather, Jennifer, Chris, William, Julie, Rhonda, and a few others aren’t safe anymore!

Useful Tips

Corona Ointment
This ointment works wonders. It healed my kiddos diaper rash and it's healed my cracked hands. I even put it on burns and scrapes. Good stuff!!
Oh, yeah, it's even useful for the horses!


Tuff Stuff (carpet cleaner)
I have so many stains to deal with, (like all moms) ,that I started using it on stains that my kids get on all their clothes.  It works for me!  It's not expensive stuff and it can get even some of the worst stains out.  It works wonders on your carpet too!

Country Living

And it begins...... I grew up living in a small town, by a big city. I always wanted to live in the country and got my wish when I married my husband. My dreams of living in the country where not what I expected, but now appreciate it. My list of not what to expect is something like this:
Mice
Frozen Pipes
Sand Storms
Snakes
Black Widows
Well Water
Septic Tanks

My list of loves:
Sunrise
Sunsets
Stars
Adventure
Horses
the little cabin

Ponytails and Cowlicks

My twins are my inspiration for ponytails and cowlicks. They are country kids trying to fit into this fast pace world. Welcome to us!




The Ponytail and the Cowlick were great today.  Cowlick decieded it was time to let his twin, the Ponytail, join in on his massive amount of legos.  She passed the test.  She can build just about anything and has kept her place in the house.  Amen!!  No, new brother is needed.  Why is it that such small objects  hurt so bad when you step on them in the dead of the night?

The Wall
Cowlick was up early this morning building up is kingdom of Legos.  He was running to show his sister what he created and BAM!  He hit the wall and busted his lip.  Mom he whispered, "Why did you put the wall there and can we get ride of it?" Sorry, Cowlick it gets to stay!