Movie Night

Last night we had a movie night. It was all of the children and mom (dad was out of town for a cheese making class). We watched "Bringing Up Baby", a favorite in our house for years. I remember watching it for the first time when I was Tim's age (gosh, that feels like ages ago!).

In "Bringing Up Baby" Dr. David Huxley (Cary Grant) is trying to finish his project for the museum that he works for. He is also trying to convince Mrs. Random to donate one million dollars to the museum. While meeting with the Mrs. Random's lawyer, Huxley runs into Mrs. Random's scatterbrained niece--Susan Vance (Katharine Hepburn), who decides that she likes David Huxley and is going to marry him. Never really taking into fact the he is already engaged (in fact plans to be married the day after he meets Susan).

Susan uses a leopard named baby, a dog named George, and the fact that her Aunt is Mrs. Random, for a day that she considers is fun and one that David considers as anxiety provoking.

In the end.....Well, in the end, no one gets eaten, things fall apart and our entire family is sent into gales of laughter more times than I can count. You didn't really expect me to tell you, how it ended did you?

Through out the entire movie it seems like at least one person in our family is chuckling. Be it Noah over the leopard, mom over an adult comment or Emma over a song, it's a movie that at any given time our entire family can sit down and all enjoy. Which is no easy matter when there are 13 people to please! But with lines like....

David Huxley: You don't understand: this is *my* car!
Susan Vance: Your golf ball, your running board, your car? Is there anything in the world that doesn't belong to you?
David Huxley: Yes, thank heavens, YOU!

and

Susan Vance: Anyway, David, when they find out who we are they'll let us out.
David Huxley: When they find out who *you* are they'll pad the cell.

It will always be a favorite, and I think us enjoying it and continuing to watch it a dozen years after us kids first saw it, might prove my point. :D

Boys!!

Right now could be the best time to confess that I lied in my last post, it's really four addictions. Right now might also be a good time to talk about them, but I really don't feel doing that.

Rather, I am going to talk about these two lovely, wonderfully fun filled, anxiety provoking, and loving boys. :D

These two boys, who are trying to send mom to her grave early, give dad gray hair he never should have, and test my abilities at assessing injuries.

If you remember back about five weeks ago, I posted about a trip to the ER on Father's Day, where Judah was cut right by his eye during a 'sword fight' with Noah. Well, yesterday Judah decided it was payback time. :D

As we are getting ready for Tuesday's market Noah and Judah are keeping themselves happy by playing football with a brass bowl!! Well, Judah threw it to high and Noah couldn't catch it and ended up getting cut on the top of his head.

I will tell you that with four brothers under the age of ten and living on the farm I have seen my fair share of injuries, and more then my fair share of head wounds, but this one took the cake! Not, very large, in fact once I got it cleaned up it took a few minutes to figure out what we needed to do for it. But it was the bloodiest wound I have had. He kind of looked like he could have come from a battle science in "Gods and Generals".

We got him cleaned up and headed out the door with mom for the ER in Navasota, while I headed in the other direction for our market.

Three hours and two staples later, I head back home with Noah while mom took over at the market (I had a list of things to do at home). By the looks and sounds of it you would never know that he had a nice looking cut and bump on the top of his head. He spent the next two hours (wonderful Houston rush hour traffic!) tell me how to driving and what to do!

I really love my brothers and an extremely happy that God has blessed me with them; I just wish they would cut out the ER trips. Timothy alone outnumbered all of us girl's injury ER trips! And with Noah and Judah we are at triple the trips, I think we might need to do something to keep Seth safe, sound, and intact, because he is showing promises of following after Noah and that is the LAST thing we need! lol

(Oh, and I have nothing against boys!! Really, it's just that the four in our house tend to drive me to distraction and sometimes, that is all I can think to say "BOYS!!!")

Another Addiction

I have already admitted to one addiction (and that was not even to its fullest extent!), so I figured I should admit to another (I have thfour major ones :D I'll let y'all guess the other two.). The one I am going to talk about is probably my worst addiction.

I'm addicted to coffee!  Sure, I know everyone thinks they are, and I am sure there is someone out there who is sure they are to. In fact I think Grace, might come on here and tell me that she is addicted and I have no idea what I am talking about. :D And no, I am not trying to demean anyone here;  I am just talking about what people tell me and what I have seen. :)

But, truth be told it seems that my case is bad if everyone notices it.  Other market vendors make jokes about it, family members laugh about it, friends think I am crazy, and I live with it.....One of our Honorary Dairy Farmers, has given me the nick-name MC Katie--Miss. Caffeine Katie.

My family has a saying, "Don't get between Katie and her coffee!” Well, really that is one of three, but this is what they say in the morning and the one that pertains to this case.

And friends have told me that it's easy buying me a gift, "If all else fails, get Katie a gift card to Starbucks." (Where I only buy Venti Caramel Frappuccino, or Venti Mocha Chip Frappuccino.)

In all honestly I have been known to go without coffee for days on end, due to being a coffee snob. Only the best, freshest ground and medium to dark brew will do for me!  No pre-burnt, pre-ground, pre anything coffee for me.

And right now I am moaning and groaning because our coffee grounder bit the dust this morning (before ANY pot was brewed).  No fresh ground cup of coffee for me until at least Wednesday, unless I want to go out and buy cup, at the local Tea house.  I guess I either need to check my pride at the coffee pot or suffer and not get any coffee until Wednesday.  Oh, the decisions!!

But something tells me that when Monday morning comes around and I am offered a hot cup of pre-ground Folgers, that my pride will not be laid down at the coffee pot, I will turn up my stubby little nose and decided that pre-ground is below me and I will wait for some fresh ground later on.

So, much for trying to best my pride and being addicted to coffee!!

It's That Time of Year!!!

For those of you who are not baseball fans, this post will mean nothing for you. And truthfully, even if you are a baseball fan this post will only mean something to you if you are an Astros' fan. :D

I have been an Astros' fan for over a decade now, I have seen them through it all. I have seen them win it all the way to the World Series and I have seen them at the bottom of the line, at the way bottom as in, in last place. I have seen them lose, and lose again until after the All-Star break where they all pull it together and win, either getting within a few wins of going to the post season or winning and going.

And honestly I don't think I can blame them for taking half a season before 'pulling it together'. When they have to learn who everyone is due to Mr. McLane pulling together “which ever players he can” before the season starts. Sure they are paid millions to play, but honestly do you think that any amount of money can help everyone learn who is who and what they do well? Do you think millions can tell a manager where to put each batter in the line up or who to put at the hot corner (esp. when we have THREE players for that spot?!)

It takes a few months to get to know everyone, and most teams have at least two years together. But no, not the Astros', Mr. McLane (yes, with the help of his GM, but it's McLane with the pocket book), kind of throws all the players in bag and toss them around, see who he can get for pennies, and hope that they can pull a team together and win the whole season. Who does he think he is kidding? (Well, besides himself!)

I am a die hard Astros' fan and have been for YEARS!! I have been told more than once that I hold on to long and that my faith to the Astros boarders on ridiculous. Truth be told there are times when I agree with those people!! But, I love it. Yes, I do cry when they lose and yes I have been known to not talk about any baseball for days after what I think is one of the worst trades for the Astros. And yes, I do stay at the games when there is no doubt they are going to lose. But it is enjoyable!

And as I sit here typing this out, I am listening to the Astros (currently beating the Mets). They are 1 1/2 games out of first; in fact they are in second right behind the Cardinals. And I sit here saying If they _____ win this and this and this game and the _____ lose this and this game, while the _____ win this and that game, and if ____ wins five games the Astros will be in first place!!

Now, this year I have a little easier, if the Astros win and the Cardinals and Cubs lose, the Astros will be in first place.

I enjoy this time of year, and though I do wish the Astros could go the entire year in first place this just gives the year a whole bunch of enjoyment and means I can spend the first half of the year thinking about the dairy and getting everything settled with the goat's kidding and any shows we are in. And then spend the last of the year watching the Astros, cheering them on, going to games, and praying that this off season the owner just might have a bit of sense!!!

But, mark my words, the Astros will be in the post season. Now if they are going to go all the way and win? No, I will not say anything else until I see in late September who else in the play-offs, then I will make my bets and enjoy it. Until then I will enjoy this ride that the Astros take us on!!


GO ASTROS!!!!

Yesterday

Well, the internet was down yesterday or else this would have been posted yesterday. :D

Dad and mom headed out around 12 o'clock with Sara on down. Meaning they had eight children ranging from 15 months to 15 years. :D Leaving Grace, Christin, and myself home. Why you ask, well they went to get five more goat, four females and one male. (Yes, I know y'all are all thinking "As if they didn't have enough goats!!") But, hey we really liked the buck (the first animal born on the farm) and we won't complain about more milk!!

I am sure the next question in everyone's mind is "Why were the oldest three left home?” am I correct? Well, I had to stay home to make yogurt, Grace had to stay home to work on the new pens and Christin--Well we are still trying to figure that one out. She said something about working on her AOR and sewing, but then Grace and I think she just wanted a day away from the toddlers. :D

While they were gone I didn't get as much as done as I thought I would. I got the yogurt started, watched the first half of "Gods and Generals", helped some friends with a goat, did oodles of laundry (and NO ONE ask how much oodles is!!), and took a three hour nap (I feel asleep during the movie). One would think with all the toddlers out of the house I could get it cleaned, work on the computer, read a book and a few other things. But NO, I have to laze around and do nothing.

You know what? I felt really good to do so. Now, I am not sure I would be able to do that every day, I am sure it would drive me "stark, raving mad" but once in a long while it is kind of fun enjoyable. :D

Five Years

Five years ago today we moved out here to the country.

It was a total life change for us. Even though we would spend at least a week a summer at our Papa's farm, we still didn't know very much about the country.

I mean, dad had to be taught how to burn a safe fire in the burn pit. We never burned any of our trash in the city! We also learned on day three to make sure that all the trash got burned, esp. if there was meat as there are very few vultures in the city! (I even have a picture to prove it was on the burn pit!)



One thing I think we had the hardest time with was to fence or not to fence. After all good fences make good neighbors right? Mom couldn't decide if she needed a fence for the toddlers to make sure that they would stay in their area and not head out towards the street or out back by the pond. Well, five years ago yesterday dad and I spent a good part of the day trying to find a Lowes or Home Depot and learning the layout of Tomball pretty well. How long did they 'yard' for the kids work? Oh, about a week. After that it was a pen for the baby goats, and the outside pen for our inside dogs. lol (This is from one of the few times that the kids played in the fenced in area!)

From the very start, even before we moved out mom and dad had said one species per year. You know goats in '04, bees in '05, etc. Did that work? NO!! In September of '04 we got our first batch of chickens. (That almost all died in the "The Great Chicken Massacre"). In October of '04 we got bees. In November of '04 we got goats. Now, five years later we own....Goats (three different breeds),

horses, chickens, turkeys, ducks, dogs, cats, alpacas, hogs, rabbits. That's not counting the bees, guineas, and cockatoo that we have
owned and do not any more. Oh, and all the frogs that have come and gone. (Since, I do not have enough space or time to show pictures of all the animals we have right now, nor do I think that I have pictures of all our 'first' animals. I decided to post a picture of our first goat--She was our favorite. And our first chicks.

Snakes, five years ago ask me what different snakes there are, what they look like, and which ones were venomous or not. Now, we can look at one and tell you what it is and whether it's venomous or not. I have even 'saved' a costumer from a snake that had hitched a ride with the plants and ended up in her car. :D














Guns are yet another way that has changed for us. In the city we didn't have one and I had never seen one. Now, five years later, I have shot my fair share of guns, from hand gun to black powder rifle. And decided that the next 'free' time I get I will start on my concealed handgun license.

Oh, yeah and the biggest change in our lives......A dairy. We now all work together to run the family dairy. Each of us takes our turns to do chores, going to markets, making produce, labeling product, etc. All in all the changes have been great, yeah there are times when I sometimes wish I had more time to watch baseball, read books, play on the computer, etc. But, in the past five years I have had the chance of living the city life for about a week and I realize that doing that can sometimes be very boring (esp. if you don't have someone to drive you anywhere.). I greatly enjoy living out here and I think it's one of the best things that have happened to me in the past two decades. :D (Not counting the addition of siblings that have happened in the past two decades. :D )

I still am having a hard time realizing that we have lived out here for five years. FIVE YEARS!! I am still trying to wrap my minds around it, but I am not sure I will be able to do it. lol

Oh and last but not least? We have been blessed with three boys!! Noah, Judah and Seth, even though we are sure that they will give us all gray hair before any of us reach 50, they are still a blessing and make life all that more enjoyable! :D

Books

For a lack of anything better, I am going to share with y'all my brothers--Noah (4) and Judah (2)--Favorite books.


Number one on the list is "I Know an Old Texan Who Swallowed a Fly" by Donna D. Conner.

"I Know an Old Texan Who Swallowed a Fly.
I don't know why he swallowed the fly.
Perhaps he'll die."

So begins, a Texan Dr. Sues alike. Where the Texan swallows one type of critter after another, with hopes that it will catch the first critter…..the fly. We don't know why, perhaps he'll die? It's a great book, easy to read and a pain to forget!


Second on the list is"Ima & the Great Texas Ostrich Race" by Margaret McManis

"Papa told me not to brag too much, I promised I wouldn't. Papa says a lady knows her own worth and doesn't have to tell everyone. People listen to Papa all over the state of Texas. I listen too...most of the times. "

Ima gets herself and her ostrich into a race against her brothers and their horses "They had the best quarter horses money could buy". Will Ima and ostrich win or Ima's brothers and their horses win?


Then third on the list is "Texas Alphabet" by James Rice.

"A is for Alamo, where brave men fought and died, buying time for Sam Houston to gather the forces to win Texas’ independence.

B is for Jim Bowie, a knife-fighting, card-laying dude from Louisiana who crossed over to Texas to become a hero at the Alamo.

C is for Comanche, the best light cavalry in history, and probably the fiercest, if you go by what the old settlers said."

This is a great book on Texas history, it might be a little above their heads, but they love it and when the time comes for them to really know their Texas history they will already have a good base for it. Plus the artwork is really nice. :)


So, did you sense a theme? There are a few things we are taught from a very young age, one of which is that we are Texan! And every one of us is proud to tell you that we 100% Texan, born and raised here. In fact a few of us have thought living in Virginia would be great, what with all the history there. The only draw back...We wouldn't be living in Texas. :D

Saturday's

It used to be that Saturdays were our most laid back days of the entire week. Those of us who did not have to milk could sleep until 9 (Truth be told those who did milk sometimes slept that late as well.) and then we lazed about and had a late breakfast....A breakfast meal at lunch time and then around 2:30 those of us who cared would gather around the TV for This Week in Baseball and then the Fox game of the week.

Now it's our busiest day of the week. Starting at 4 when I and who ever is helping me, to load all the product into our 15 ice chests to be divided as best as possible amongst the three markets.

Dad and who ever he is taking with him pulls out at 5:30 for their two hour drive to Austin. While mom and who ever she is taking leaves at 6, in "princess" (the finicky green van) for the Bayou City Farmers Market. And I leave sometime between 6:00-6:30 with whom ever I am taking with me in the little white Geo for Onion Creek Farmers Market in The Heights.

The two markets in the Houston area start at 8 and run until 10 where we do our best to "Educate Houston one cup at a time" about goat's milk and cheese. The market in Austin runs from 9-1.

When everyone gets home depends on who it is and what they have to do after their market. Since mom is a few blocks from Central Market, she always stops there for lunch or to buy supplies for our product. Since that is where we get our vanilla bean paste, chocolate powder, and other spices for our products. So, mom tends to get home between 2-3.

I can not honestly say when I will get home, because tomorrow will be my second at this market and I hoping to get home without driving the scenic route through Memorial Park. (Much, as I like the park I don't care to drive through it just for the fun of it. :D ) But, I do believe that unless I drive over and help mom break down at her market or meet mom at Central Market, I should get home between 1 and 2.

Now the earliest that dad gets home is around 5 o'clock and that is without stopping at any of our favorite sites in Austen or our favorite thrift store. He has even shown up as late as 7 one time. :D

After everyone is home and unpacked (which happens as we get home) we do evening chores and then laze around until it's time to go to bed. In that time someone will lay out the younger 6 children's clothing for church and dad or I will have turned on a baseball game. (Either on the computer or on the TV). And Food Network will be turned on for a few minutes at least.

It's an enjoyable day and one I wouldn't miss out, I love to see the other vendors, meet our customers, and sell OUR product. It's just another way to show that God has changed our lives. Esp. considering that five years ago, we were still in the city. (Not for long, but we were still there. :D ) And I just could not fathom us owning livestock and living in the country, even though, I knew we were moving out in the next week. :D I love to look back on the changes God has made in our lives and even though this one is only about 7 months new for us, it's still amazing and I am loving almost every minute of it. (Those early mornings are a whole 'nother matter. I am still trying to decided if I like them or not. lol) And truth be told, I don't think I would change my the way I am living for any other one right now!! :)

Time Alone?

If you read my mom's blog you probable read her posts about the questions that she gets about being the mother of a large family. Well being a member of that family and esp. because I am the oldest I get my fair share of questions.

The one that I think I get the most is "When, if ever do you get time alone?!?" I laugh and reply with "All the time! All I need to do is walk into my room and lock the door! Or stay up late or get up early.". :D In any case I do get time alone, I did this morning, over two and half hours worth.

I had to get up early this morning for more than one reason....I needed to do my laundry and diapers for Seth and I wanted to get them started before everyone else was awake and telling me what they needed washed for markets tomorrow or Church on Sunday.

Also, I wanted to make some Capra-Cino, I have let down one too many people at market because I didn't have any. So, to make sure we had enough 'plain' milk and to do the Capra-Cino, I had to get going real early so we can have our pizza and possible movie tonight. :D Not, to mention early to Bed. :D

So, I got up an hour before anyone else and started laundry, and then headed out to the dairy where I pasteurized 19 gallons of milk. As I cleaned the processing room (washing any dirty dishes, clean the floor, wipe down the processing table, etc.) and labeled any product that wasn't labeled, I took the quite time to listen to R. C. Sproul's CD of the month (This month is on the book of Revelations).

Towards the end of the CD I realize that it is very quiet and what I am noticing is what people mean when they ask if I ever get time alone. I start wondering if this is what I really want and like.

About the time when I start thinking that if it continues in the same quite pattern that I just might go "stark raving mad". Noah sneaks into the dairy (Making him the second person awake in our family today), wraps his arms around me and says "I LOVE YOU K K!!".

After, I get over my fright, I realize that having time alone might be a nice thing, if you are used to it. But I am not and I miss having my siblings with me. Really, who could pass up time with Noah while he cleans the floor without being asked and wipes down tables, all because he saw you working and wanted to help you?! The entire time he is cleaning he is also chattering away about Judah this.....And Seth that....And why do I do this....And mom said....

It's after about thirty minutes of just Noah and me time, while we clean, sing, and talk that I realize that there might be something in this alone time.....And that is when there are two boys under the age of 5 in the same room playing!!! LOL

I Hate Ipods?!?

Somehow I have gotten the reputation of hating Ipods. I don't know where this came from or how I got it, but I have it now and I will do my best to make clear my view on Ipods.

To start with I have nothing against Ipods; I just have never owned one. It's not that I don't like them; I've never messed with one. In fact the only Ipods I have seen are through glass at Wal-Mart. So I cannot say whether I like how they work, sound, how easy it is to put music on them or how easy it is to use them. Because I have never gotten my hands on one! (Even though I have tried more than once to do so).

I will say I have nothing against MP3 players, be it an Ipod, Zen, or San Disk. In fact, you can ask my family, but when mine is missing for longer than 24 hours I start going "Stark, raving mad"!! I use mine all the time, when I am in the dairy processing milk, hanging out in my room, cleaning around the house, our laying my brothers down. My MP3 player is running close to all the time.

It's just that when I am going to buy something that I want to last me for years and I am going to spend my hard earned money on it, I want to know that I am getting the best of the best for the money that I have!

And in my times of searching for an MP3 player, be it for me, my sister or a friend I have found that every single time I can find an MP3 player with high ratings, jammed pack full of memory, and easy to use for less than half the price of an Ipod.

My current MP3 player (second to own, since the toddlers threw the first one across the room one too many times). Has 8 GBs of memory, is easy to use and has great sound. All for less than $55! I looked, to get an Ipod for the same amount of memory; it would cost me no less than $150.

Now, if I get to upgrade I just might buy an Ipod. I know it sounds crazy, but 120GB for under $300 is really hard to pass up! Esp. when you are holding enough music to please 13 people, not to mention have to carry pictures with you to prove you are the oldest of 11 children. But, only time will tell. :D

See, I am not against Ipods; I am just all for saving money!

Black Powder Rifle

I saved some pictures from our party to post separately, because I felt that yesterday's post was already very picture heavy. Not to mention I thought these pictures warranted their own post. This part was, in my own opinion the best part of the whole party, even better then the fireworks and that is saying something!! Just ask any family member or anyone who has been to our place for our 4th of July parties. :D

Shooting a black powder rifle was a dream come true most of us Carlsons. Esp. those of us who either love studying history or reenacting. (Which about covers all of us. lol)

We'll go oldest to youngest, even though that is not the order that we shot in. :D You might not even see pictures of all us. :)


Dad's first go around. He's slightly scary looking! Looks like you could put him in a John Wayne movie!













Now, I have no idea which of these pictures comes first. All I know is that not only shooting the black powder rifle, but loading it, pad, powder, ball and all was TONS of fun!! It was almost like going out to a reenactment or back to Williamsburg, only better!! Because I got to load and shot the gun!























Sara learning what everything is and how to load the gun in her hands.














Sara loading the rifle










Sara priming the rifle










If you can see her in this one, it's Sara for her last shot of the day.













Linnea shooting. Now this made her year, I do believe. The only thing better would be for her to be able to go around in the fashions of the 1800's. But, since she can't have that she took this and had tons of fun!











Linnea's last shot. Do you see that grin?


We all had TONS of fun learning more about the black powder rifle, as well as getting to load and shot it. There is no way that we really can express how much fun it wasand how much we learned from this. Now when we do more reading of history books and more watching of "God's and Generals" we will really know what they are talking about and how it fells to load and shoot one.

There is also no way to really express our thanks to the person who let us mess with his black powder rifle!! Thanks a lot!! :D

4th of July Pictures

I have been meaning to post these for over a week now, but have never seemed to find the time until now. :D Thanks to a friend who read my mom's blog, remembered that we do not have a camera since we have lost not one, but TWO cameras in the past year! She brought hers so that we could have some pictures for our blogs. :D (And before anyone asks, it was not the toddlers who lost the cameras, rather an older child who put it in a safe place and forgot where that safe place was--And no, it was not me!!)

So, here we go. All the faces in the pictures are members of my family, as I forget to ask anyone else if I could use their pictures. :D
The party started out with a tour of the place for anyone who wanted it. As well as watching chores being done (or as happened for some visitors, doing the chores.) After chores and tours it was play time while we waited for the hot dogs, hamburgers, and chicken to finish grilling.








Grace is tickling Seth, while Christin holds him.












Timothy being the big boy had the job of showing all the younger boys around and keeping them happy, he did a very good job! (But, then he has always been good with Noah, Judah, and Seth so I don't see why it should surprise me that he was good with other boys of the same age group.) The boys had a blast because there were as many boys here age as girls. Truthfully, I think the boys might have outnumbered the girls for once!






Noah--->











<---Judah











We knew it was time to eat when Seth got tired of playing and kept heading for the food tables.









After we (rather after I) took care of a small fire breakout on the grill, we got everyone eating and from the way the food disappeared, I take it that no one minded slightly charred food. lol









(That's me trying to keep the flames down on the grill, as my
dad walks calmly by. He later said that he never saw the grill
flame up like that!!)





Seth greatly enjoyed the goat milk ice cream! (Which was some of the best ice cream I have EVER had!!)









I am still not to sure how everyone liked the trivia time. lol Though, some of my sisters have told me that I was a little hard on some of the questions. So, I am trying to weed out the REALLY hard ones. :D






All in All, it was a GREAT party!! It was an enjoyable time where we hung out and enjoyed the day with friends and family.

An Update

I am feeling much better! I am still sore in some places and I do still have to favor my right ankle and walk carefully with my left leg (thanks to the bruise that is larger than my hand) And I do have to be careful with what (or who) I pickup.

But other than that I am fine, I do not have a headache, I do not have a broken bone, I am not missing any fingers or toes, AND I am still alive. Which is one of the things I kept praying, “Thank you Lord for just bruising me up and giving me nothing worse!!?"

I did learn my lesson--IF I ever get back on a four wheeler the least I will have on is a helmet on if not more. But the chances of that happen are very slim, you are more likely to get my on a motorcycle or a bucking bronco! Though from some things people are telling me, I might want to stay off of them even if I was tempted--to save my life. Because I had a few people tell me that if I ever got one they would be tempted to kill me (or "knock some sense into my brainless head") if the 4-wheeler didn't do either for me.

Thanks everyone for the prayers, e-mails, and comments. They were greatly appreciated. Esp. the prayers, because on Monday I honestly didn’t think I would be ready to go to market this coming Saturday. But I was blessed enough to be able to go yesterday and to wake up today only slightly sore. Thanks again!!

I'm Don't Feel Like Posting!

In fact I don't really feel like doing anything! I feel like I have been hit by a car, my wonderful sisters have been kind enough to tell me that in a sense I was hit by a car. :-S Well, truthfully what I told dad was I felt like I had been hit in the head by a 2x4, smashed in the leg by a baseball bat, and dropped one of our tent weights on my ankle. Sounds wonderful right?

And since I don't feel like posting, I will cheat and link y'all to mom's blog Dairy Berries and let her tell you why I don't feel like posting.

Oh, and if this blog does not make sense, I am sorry! I am about to crawl back into bed dosed up on pain killers. :D

Sorry!

I am sure, y'all are all dying to know the answers to those last questions. (Those of you who didn't use google to answer them, that is. :D )

Here you go.....And I promise not to ask any more of these until next 4th of July. :)

Q: What is the 22
A: Limits the president to two terms
Section 1 No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once. But this article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this article was proposed by the Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term.

Section 2. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several states within seven years from the date of its submission to the states by the Congress.

Q: Who was the 30th President
A: Calvin Coolidge

Q: Who was the oldest person to sign Declaration of Independence?
A: Benjamin Franklin

Q: What are the colors of our flag?
A: Red, White, and Blue

Q: What are we celebrating on the 4th of July?
A: The day our founders adoption of the Declaration of Independence, declaring Independence from Great Britain

Q: What do the stripes on the flag stand for?
A: The original thirteen colonies

Yesterday's Answers, Today's Questions, and Caesar Rodney

Here are yesterday's answers. :D

A: John Adams

A: Seven

A: So no one state would be above another

A: William Henry Harrison

A: William Howard Taft

A: The Declaration of Independence.


Today's Questions:


Q: What is the 22nd Amendment?

Q: Who was the 30th President?

Q: Who was the oldest person to sign Declaration of Independence?

Q: What are the colors of our flag?

Q: What are we celebrating on the 4th of July?

Q: What do the stripes on the flag stand for?

Now, to keeping with yesterday's post I will give a little info on another signer Declaration of Independence.

I already knew some about Caesar Rodney, when reading my history books it was a little hard to look over a man who at the risk of personal health would ride 80 miles through a thunderstorm to get to vote on the Declaration of Independence. :D

Caesar Rodney was born on his father's farm near Dover, Delaware, in October of 1728. He was tutored by his parents and may have attended a local Parson's school, but received no formal education. His father died when Caesar was 17. He was placed in the guardianship of Nicholas Ridgely who was a clerk of the peace in Kent county, and this seems to be the root of Rodney's life in politics. In 1755, under the royal government, Rodney was commissioned High Sheriff of Kent County Delaware. This was quite a distinction for a man twenty-two years of age and he apparently honored the distinction, for in succeeding years his official capacities grew to include registrar of wills, recorder of deeds, clerk of the orphan's court, and justice of the peace. At age thirty he attained his first elected office as a Representative in the colonial legislature at Newcastle. He served in that position, reelected each year except 1771, until the legislature was dissolved in 1776-and then resumed the seat as a Representative to the Upper House of the State of Delaware until 1784.

Rodney was a leading patriot in his colony, a member of the Stamp Act Congress in 1765, a formative member of the Delaware Committee of Correspondence, a military leader in the colonial militia, and a delegate to the Continental Congress from formation until 1777. The following year he was elected President of the State of Delaware for a three year term, a duty that he assumed even as he served as Major-General of the Delaware Militia. In this office he played a crucial part not only in the defense of his own colony but in support of Washington's Continental Army, for Delaware had a record of meeting or exceeding its quotas for troops and provisions throughout the revolutionary conflict. Rodney's health and strength flagged for a time. He suffered from asthma and from a cancerous growth on his face, for which he never attained proper treatment. He saw his colony through the war at the cost of personal neglect.

In 1782 he was again elected to the national Congress, but was forced to decline the office due to failing health. He nonetheless continued to serve as Speaker to the Upper House of the Delaware Assembly. He died in that office, in June of 1784.

Button Who?!?

My second favorite thing about our 4th of July parties is our quiz. I spend the week before the party go over the questions that I have, deleting ones I don't like or are 'out of date', adding new ones, and quizzing my family until the are running when ever they see me coming.

Even though they do get tired of me, we do have fun at the beginning. :D And it never seems to fail that quizzing them for a few days will at least get me a dozen more questions. :D

One of the questions I ask, is one I asked yesterday.....Can you name three of the signers of the Declaration of Independence?

It never fails that in my family the first two will be--John Adams and Thomas Jefferson (I think they say the last one, just to see what I will do.) And from my parents and now my sisters the third one is Button Gwinnett.

At first it threw me for a loop, who is Button Gwinnett (and who would name their child Button?!?) Now I know he is the second person to have signed the Declaration of Independence and was from the colony of Georgia.

I think the two reason that they answer with Button Gwinnett is that 1) He was the second person to sign the document and 2) He has a different name. :D

Other then what I just mentioned I knew absolute nothing about the man. So, I decided to look him up. I figured there would be now harm in doing so and I might find a few questions that might stump my parents this 4th. :D

Here is what I have learned.....

Button Gwinnett was born in England around 1735. He came to America, residing briefly in Charleston, and in 1765 acquired a large tract of land in Georgia. Gwinnett enjoyed little success in farming or business, but found a footing in the revolutionary politics of his adopted colony. He was engaged in a long-standing political rivalry with Lachlan McIntosh, a soldier and leader who would attain highest rank in the Georgia militia and in state politics. Gwinnett was respected figure, however. In 1776 he was appointed commander of Georgia's continental militia (a post that he was forced to decline, owing to political faction), and also elected to attend the Continental Congress. Quite soon after he signed the Declaration, he returned home, where he hoped to gain appointment, once again, to the leadership of the Georgia militia. The appointment went instead to his rival. Gwinnett served in the Georgia legislature where he was involved in drafting a Constitution for the new state, but also in strenuous efforts to destroy the office of McIntosh. The legislature adjourned in February of 1777 and handed control over the Council of Safety. Gwinnett succeeded Archibald Bulloch as president of the council soon afterward. He then lead an abortive attempt to invade Florida, in order to secure Georgia's southern border. That adventure was thwarted by Lachlan McIntosh and his brother George, and Gwinnett was charged with malfeasance. He was cleared of wrongdoing as he ran an unsuccessful campaign for Governor. Soon afterward, his honor challenged in public by McIntosh, he offered a duel. They met outside of Savanna on May 16, 1777, where both were wounded. McIntosh ultimately survived, Button Gwinnett died three days later at the age of 42.


There you go, a little bit about one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Yesterday's Answers and Today's Questions

Here you go, for all those who I am sure are dying to know the answers. :D

A: Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin

A: In 1941

A: July 2, 1776

A: 9

A: 17

A: Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton, All three were from Georgia. :D

Now, for today's questions.....

Q: Can you name one of the three presidents to die on July 4th?

Q: The flag has 13 stripes. How many of them are red?

Q: On the first U.S. flag, why were the stars displayed in a circle?

Q: Which president served the shortest term?

Q: Which president was the first to throw out the season-opening pitch for professional baseball?

Q: What famous document begins: "When in the course of human events..."?

Just For Fun

One of the things we do on the 4th of July is a history bee/quiz. How we do it all depends on how many people we can get who are willing to answer questions. It never fails that I have at least two people who end up hating me at the end of it, because I "came up with the questions and couldn't I PLEASE find a question that most people would know?"

Well, to give everyone (including my family) a chance of know some of the answer to my questions and because I have had a couple people ask me for my quiz for their own parties, I am going to post them on here, I might do a half dozen, but then I might do all of them. It all depends on how much time I have between now and the 4th. :D

Here goes......

• Can you name two people who were on the committee to draft the declaration of independence?

• What year was the 4th of July declared an official holiday?

• When John Adams said “I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shows, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.” What was the day that he was talking about?

• "And for the support of this Declaration with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor." How many signers of the Declaration of Independence died during the war or due to injuries from the war?

• How many signers of the Declaration of Independence lost everything they owned & died in poverty?

• Can you name three of the signers of the Declaration of Independence

There you go, 6 of the 100 questions from my quiz. Answer away, but no cheating. Not, like there is anything I can do about it. lol

Oh, Boy!!

Seth has reached that age where the best toy in the house are the books. And it's not for reading them, rather it's for the fun of taking them off the shelf and throwing them on the floor!!

Now, this might not be a big deal if it weren't for the fact that the only rooms in our house that have less then two bookshelves are the bathrooms and kitchen, so he has plenty of rooms and place to go to make a mess. On top of that there are some of us who would rather give up our beds then our books, so throwing them on the floor is something close to a crime!

Now, to teach him how to put them back on the shelve! lol