Well......

So, after practicing my parallel parking last night (in a stick shift and the rain). Mom and I got up at 5 this morning so that we could be first in line for the driving test. In Hempstead they only do the driving test Tuesday morning, and with dad having been there, he told us the earlier the better.

The whole way there mom is of course giving me tips (I had already had a good handful from dad.) and I am thinking, well if I can pass in this rain, I can pass anything. I just need to get pass the parallel parking, considering I had not tried it in this car (just the stick shift) and I HATE this car. So all things considered, if I can pass now, I feel O.K. driving.

Well, we get there at 6:30 and NO ONE is there. Hmmmm....Well, we find out they don't open 'till 8. So now what? Well, we decide that mom is going to get breakfast and I will stay there so that we don't lose our spot as first (hey, it's Tuesday and we have to get ready for market tonight!)

So, I walk back with mom to get my book bag (which I always have with me) and as I am about to walk up another car drives up and the driver says....

"We don't open 'til 8."
Me: "Thanks" As I walk towards the door.
Driver: "Are you getting in line?"
Me: "Ummm...Yes"
Driver: "What for?"
Me: "Take the driving test"
Driver: "Oh, we do that ever day of the week now, so we don't have lines."
Me: "Ummmmm......O.K....Hmmm..."

So, mom and I went and got breakfast together and filled up on gas. :D Got back and sat there for an hour (If we had gone home, we would have had to turn around as soon as we pulled into the driveway). At eight we go in and get told that they won't be doing any test today because of the weather. They want the ground to be dry when they do the test! And here I was thinking I could do it and knowing if I could pass in the rain (and lots of it) that I would be good. But now, I am told I have to wait until the ground is dry to take the test. Which means no license until late next week. :S And I had just talked myself into doing it, saying I could do it and it was no big deal. Now, I have to do that all over again. Here's praying I don't get sick right before I need to take the test next week! :D

At least now we know for the other kids, They don't have to wait until Tuesday, any day they talk themselves into doing it they can! lol

Whew!

Talk about a busy day! :D

It started out with me rolling out of bed at nine. (yeah, I know "Early bed, early to rise" isn't really me. I'm related to my dad! lol) After leisurely getting out of bed I got ready for the day, sorted out my laundry, made my bed. Then headed out to the dairy.

In the dairy I had to decide how much yogurt I was going to make today. With that in mind I headed into the house, where I talked on more then one subject, but did get the answer to my yogurt question, and some chocolate milk labels printed. :D Once I was back in the dairy I started the yogurt (it happens to have been vanilla bean today).

Once it was started I labeled all the chocolate milk, that I had made last night. It took me a little longer then normal, but what can I do when I have a very adorable 6 year old hanging on me wanting to help? Say "No! Now go away!!"? No, not really. lol So, she helped me, make sure all the bottles got labeled and back in the fridge.

After that I headed into the house to work on a label for our new drink "Capri-Cino". Needing mom's help (because she had a way she wanted it done) I go searching for her. Only to find she is not on the property. She and Grace have gone to run a few errands. So, I do the best I can until she gets home. At the same time keeping an eye on the yogurt and toddlers.

For about thirty minutes in there somewhere, I lock myself in my room with a good book. I needed some reading time other then midnight! :D
When mom gets home she asks me if I want to go see a pig being butchered (we have some friends who decided it was time for the pig to go when he got into the moms lilies. lol ). :D I would LOVE to, but can't since I have to do the yogurt, plus someone has to stay home since Christin wants to go, as well as Emma and while they are gone mom, dad, Grace and Sara were going to Collage Station for mom and dad to run some errands while Grace and Sara did something for 4-H. So, I got to stay home. (With the hope that I might get to go the next time, when the other pig gets into the lilies. lol)

By now, dad has left to drive a bus, mom has come and gone from dropping the two girls off at our friends house, and is working on dinner. I am keeping an eye on the yogurt and wasting time on the computer looking at books that a near by library has. (As if I didn't have enough reading material already!)

Mom, dad, Grace, and Sara leave. Mom being the wonderful, thoughtful, mother that she is, already has dinner half done and all I have to do is turn the oven on in thirty minutes for the rolls and stir the soup.

In that thirty minutes I direct Linnea to clean the milk room, Timothy the living room, Liberty the hallways and I play with Noah and Judah! :D What fun!

After dinner is served and cleaned up from, I head into mom's room to lay the boys down and watch a little baseball, while going through some scents that I am interested in buying. After the boys are asleep )just in time, I might add) I head out to the dairy and bottle the yogurt. I then come in to call dad with a milk question, where I end up staying for the next hour holding a very crumpy Judah. :S

Now, that he is back asleep and I have done a few odd and end things, I am heading out to make sure the processing room is clean and ready for loading product tomorrow for both markets. Plus, I need to make sure all product is ready to go and i have my clothes out so, I can get as much sleep as possible. :D

There, you go, my busy yet full day. I sometimes think the laid back days are the hardest to deal with, even if they are the most enjoyable.

That Was Fun!!

NOT!!

This post could have also been titled--"Grace and I are going into business together.......Picking locks!"

Between Grace and myself we just spent an hour unlocking our little white GEO. And no, we did not have any buttons to push, slightly opened windows, or any other thing to make the job slightly easier. :S

It was a case of opening the door just enough to to stick a wire and something else slim in the door, then wrap the wire around the lock and pull up.

It took about 30 minutes to get the wire on the lock (and then 30 seconds each time it slipped off afterwards). Then another 30 minutes figuring out how to pull the lock up without the wire coming off the lock. After a lot of sighing, eye rolling, and tons of laughter we finally got it done! Thankfully we were able to laugh our whole way through it since we were at home and had no real pressure to get it unlocked.

Well, O.K., so maybe the four gallons of milk for the babies and 8 oz bottles for the chocolate milk was what was pushing me to get it done. LOL But, at least we didn't have to get somewhere.

And what did I do as soon as I got the car unlocked? Something I had been meaning to do for ages! I took the extra key for this car off of mom's key chain and put it on mine. So, all three drives (or people in charge of the keys) now has a key to each of the cars. :D

I was told about two years ago when I unlocked the big blue 15 passenger van in close to the same manner, that if I ever went to collage I would be able to at least buy my food with what I earned from opening locked cars. lol Well, since I won't be going to collage, maybe I should be able to find another way to put this to good use. LOL

I'm Addicted.....

To books!!

There my dirty little secret is out! lol

A while back mom, a couple sisters and I were filling out something, (I don't remember what or why) and we were taking turns answering the questions for each person. One of the questions was "Are you addicted to anything?" Mom (who was doing most of the filing out since she was the one at the computer) answered for me-chocolate, coffee, and books.

At the time we all laughed and told mom that chocolate and coffee might be true, but come on! Who is and can be addicted to books?

Well, in the past year I have come to realize, that like the other 99% of the time, mom was correct. I am addicted to books! I love to read, I love to flip through books, walk between bookcases and look at the titles, I get in more trouble reading then almost anything else and one of my favorite ways to spend time is in the Library. :D

When I walk into a book store I always walk out one more book richer. Now, I have gotten pretty good at not going into a book store when I don't have money or when I have books that I don't like or I am not going to read it any more I sell them (and 99% of the time I turn around and buy some more books with them). I once saw a T-shirt that said "Lead me not into temptation…especially bookstores." That is me. lol

Last weekend the Houston library had their annul book sale (why they would want to get rid of such great books I have no idea, but their loss is my gain!). The first two days are when the books are bought at the price on the front cover. The third day is brown bag day. That is where you get a sack and you pay $10 for how ever many books you can cram into the bag without it ripping or books over the top of the bag.

I bought two bags, and mom/family bought another bag. Going in I knew I was going to buy no less then two. Because I wasn't just buying for me, I was getting birthday and Christmas presents as well. :D

I bought 27 books!! All for my use and pleasure. (and no that is not counting the books I got as presents). Some books where on my wish list, some just looked neat, and others were books that covered an area that I have been wanting a book on, but didn't know what book to get (I have always wanted a book on Supreme Court decisions. :D ).

Now, to find a place on my bookshelves! LOL

Midwifery Conference

In my case this is the main reason that Swede Farm Naturals started. At the end of 2006 they were looking for vendors for the conference and mom wondered if a friend of ours who made soap would like to be a vendor. Mom hates making phone calls, so she had me do it (I had to call the lady anyways, so why not kill two birds with one stone?) So, I made the phone call never really know how it would change my money making future. lol

I asked her and she replied with "No, but you can! Here's how you do it. And while you are at it why don't you try candles and lotions? Oh, and I have enough stuff to get you started!"

When I was talking to mom about it she thought I should also add a "mommy and baby" line, a balm line, and a pampering line. It also went like this. "If you are going to do candles you should do Soy candles, they are the best and my favorite! I think you should look for scents that smell like _____, try and match you candles to you soaps and lotions, and make gift baskets!"

To this day I am SOOOO Glad that I did not look at my list of products that I had to make until I had them bought, made, packaged, and labeled!

Well, after that fast and surprising start, I am still going one year latter and attended my second conference. All the midwives loved it (even though I did have to do a little correcting "No, this is MY business! The dairy is the family's and the soaps are mine, when I get married and move out I am taking it with me. :D ) and I had a very enjoyable time. :D

Now, we will have to wait and see if I will be there next year in Austin, like so many of them wanted me to. :D

I'm Sorry! :D

I have the worst habit of starting to talk about something without explaining what I am talking about. Because I had been thinking about it for at least five minutes I forget that no one is a mind reader (Rather, I have yet to find one).

I am really bad when I talking to someone in person, but I have noticed I am at least twice as bad when it comes to computers (forums, blogs, e-mails. etc.) I am sorry about that! I will try to do better!

Happy Birthday

This is from mom's blog.....

Today Emma is eleven. WHERE did the years go? We celebrated with friends over the weekend. Today Emma ran errands with her dad and I, to enjoy some special mom and dad time. Then she went with me to the farmer's market in Bryan/College Station. Now we are waiting for the dinner of her choice--barbecue stuffed baked potatoes, followed by icecream cones. Yum!

More importantly is the lovely young woman that Emma is becoming. She is a hard worker with a quirky sense of humor who loves spending time with people even if it is during a difficult job. She loves to serve. She works hard and plays hard, still having the best of both worlds; child and young adult.

I agree with mom, totally! :D I can't remember where the time went, I remember when she was born, I remember the trouble she has given me. The times when she wouldn't let anyone have her but me. (So, much so that people thought I was her mom!!) But she's been a joy to have around and her sense of humor is only rivaled by Grace. lol

I love her dearly and am very thankful that we were blessed to have her. Even when her wit is about to kill me and her never ending mimicking of anything and everything. She's a doll! :D