Missouri

Next on the list is Missouri, I love this state. There are very few states (two that I can think of right now) that would tempt me to leave Texas of my own choosing and Missouri is one of them

Kansas City

The Missouri/Kansas border.

Some of the many fields of some sort of crop
(in this picture, it's corn. :D ).

Some of the landscape that we saw.

.

Iowa

I am finally getting around to posting pictures from out trip to pick up goats a couple weeks ago. :D I'm going to show the pictures "backwards"--state by state in the order that we were in each state on our way back. Each state plus the Mississippi river will get its own post, enjoy! :D

Starting with Iowa--

I have to hand it to Iowa, it's a beautiful state. The only drawback it has is a major one--It snows there, and not only does it snow there it gets VERY, VERY cold there. My dad says that the coldest he ever got was in Iowa, where it got to something like 40 below zero. That's WAY too cold for me. :D But I did enjoy the scenery, barns, and hills. :D

Iowa also has some of the prettiest, older churches I have seen (not like I have seen that many). We did not get to go in them, as we were flying by most places and had about three minutes to try and get some drive by shots, (not counting the steeples that we saw from miles away), but even the quick three minute look was beautiful.

And here is the proof that it was WAY too cold--On the 5th of November I had to scrap ice off our windshield. And here is how southern I am. I didn't have an ice scraper, I've never used one. I ended up using the lid to my coffee cup. (Only to be told that my driver’s license or a credit card--which I don't have--would have worked better. lol)

It's kind of hard to see, but this picture was taken around 9 am, south of Des Moines Iowa. That white stuff in the field that looks like it a reflection of the sun off my windshield is actually frost!!

We kept seeing these signs all throughout our trip and we were wondering if the deer read them and knew they were only to pass in that stretch of the road. Guessing from the number of GIANT deer that we saw lying along the road outside of those stretches, they either did not read them or decided they knew better then the people who put out the signs. lol

Sunset, just northeast of Des Moines

Bye!

Well, for the first time in three years I'm going out of state. The last time I went out of state was to Louisiana, to pick up some goats. The only reason I went was to help driving, and why am I going this time? Why else? To help milk goats and drive! :D

I'm heading out very soon with mom, GrandDavid, and a younger sibling. :D Our plan is to be in Iowa tomorrow and back home Thursday at the earliest, but no later than Friday as Mom, myself, and my younger sister are the people who do the Houston markets, so we have to be back in time to do them. :D

So, please pray for us! As this is my first time driving the van with the trailer hooked-up father then one mile! Oh, and please pray that mom won't go crazy as Sara and I sing all the Iowa songs we know while in Iowa. lol

Wasting Away My Evening.....

Instead of cleaning my room or sewing my dress I am watching TV with the kids. We flip back and forth between the Duggars and Food Network.

At one point we were watching Unwrapped and they said something the "Chocolate Season". Being Thanksgiving to Easter. They also mentioned something about Valentines day.

When they mentioned that Grace said..."I didn't do anything for Valentines day this year!!" After getting a raised eyebrow from me she amended, "Well, I did go to Verona, but nothing else."

At which point I had to laugh and roll my eyes at the idea of doing nothing but Verona on Valentines day. lol

YES!!

They're home! They're home! Doing the happy dance here!! lol Some of the kids are acting like they have been gone for months!! oh, wait it has been months! But they have been so jammed pack full of things to do on and off the farm, that it seemed to fly by---For me at least! lol

Well, it was non-stop talking in the car, each wanting to tell the other what happened where they were. Not to mention a number of people all wanting to tell the same thing in a different way! There is no way we could catch up in our two hour car drive. So, there will be a lot of that going on in the next few days.

As it is right now, Chris and Grace have already visited the old animals, the new animals, and just walked around a little bit.

Right now Christin is helping dad put a gate in one of the doe pens, making it easier to get in and out, to move does around, feed animals, etc. and Grace is helping to milk (since the milking machine broke yesterday morning. grrrrr!!!!)

Now, they are teasing us telling us we will have to wait for our birthday's or Christmas to see what they got. And those skittles I asked them to get me? Well, they forgot. And chocolate? I need to wait until the unpack. (As their suite cases sit in my room taking up about 1/3 of my free floor space.)

Grace has already said she is sleeping with me tonight and taken Seth and won't seem to let him go, (She did her farm check while holding him!) where as Christin has taken all control of Judah. They have also told us when and what chores they are taking over starting either tomorrow or Wednesday. lol

Now, I am off to cook so it will be warm when they come in from chores and MAYBE we will get to see what they brought home. And then again, maybe, maybe not. When I went to D.C. I gave everyone one or two gifts, then saved the rest for Christmas. (The again it was only 3 & 1/2 months until Christmas).

I am so glad they are home!!

They are coming home!!

Well, Chris and Grace are probably sleeping (I know would be!). While we are frantically running around trying to get shores done, kids dressed and the floors picked up. (You would never believe that I had them all picked up last night. :- S )

I can't wait! I've been counting down the days! I can't wait to see them, hear their stories, see their pictures, and finally all the postcards they have bought us. lol

Though I can wait for the fight that will ensue when we get to the car, who sits next to who, where will the suite cases go, etc. But it will be worth having them back home. :D

It always amazes me, that with the amount of people in our house, you would think that one or two being gone, wouldn't be noticed. But it is! Not just in numbers, but in noise, laundry, work, pretty much everything. When two are gone there is less noise at meal times, and bed times. Less laundry by about four loads a day and more work for us all!

I am so glad that they got to go! At least someone in my family went on my dream trip and got a ton of pictures! : D Though if they didn't bring me chocolate there might be trouble!

Well, off to get everyone ready to go to the airport. Something I don't think the toddler boys have ever done, this will be fun!