TRASH TO TREASURES

My Crazy Life

2011-10-24T19:45:00.001-07:00

My life is so crazy lately. God has blessed us with a roof over our heads. Its not like the home we had in Missouri but at least we are not staying with family any more. There are people out there that don't even have a roof, so we are blessed.
I will ask you to keep us in your prayers so that we can sell the house in Missouri and we can get a house with a little more room.
But in the mean time I am trying to go to school, be involved with my kid's school, and unpack.
I am looking for healthy, slow cooker recipes to make my life a little easier, and still have dinner as a family. If any of you know of a good recipes please let me know. Here is one of my favorites:

Chicken Taco Soup
By Anne Coleman (familydisney.com)

Hands-On Time: 5 minutes Ready In: 20-25 minutes Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
1 pound boneless skinless chicken, cooked and shredded
 2 cups cooked kidney beans  (I use chili beans)
2 cups prepared salsa 
6 cups chicken stock 
1 packet taco seasoning
 2 cups tortilla chips, crushed  

Directions
Combine chicken, beans, salsa, stock and seasoning in a 2-quart soup pot.
Bring to a boil and reduce heat until soup is simmering.
Let cook for 15 to 20 minutes so flavors blend well.
Top each bowl of soup with crushed tortilla chips.

Note Switch the beans to pinto if you like and add sour cream and a sprinkling of cheddar cheese to each bowl for a change of pace.

My thoughts for my English paper

2011-09-12T16:57:00.000-07:00

“Dear Mrs. Carlson,
I received your letter and I’m very sorry about the death of your son Richard. I often
wonder if it was worth the sorrow and the pain which so many of us fret over now each
day. I guess this is a (situation) nobody can explain.
Richard and I were very good friends, as (we) were the two medics attached to Delta Company. During the month of May our company was on search and destroy mission in the South Vietnam National Forest. We had been searching the area from the beginning of May up until the 20th without making any contact with the enemy. On the 21st day of May we met enemy resistance consisting of heavy automatic weapons fire, which caused our company to pull back and call in artillery and air strikes. Our commanding officer received reports that we were up against a regimental size force, so for three days we called in artillery and air strikes before moving back into the area of contact.
We advanced without any contact whatsoever when our lead element spotted two enemy soldiers and killed them both. As we continued on farther, Charlie had concealed himself and set up an ambush, which he let us walk right into before he sprung the trap. The enemy opened up hitting one of our men in both legs. At this time we pulled back, but in the excitement we didn’t know that we had a man lying back there wounded until we heard his shouts.
At this time we couldn’t get to him because the firing was so heavy, so i crawled forward and aided the man but I couldn’t pull him back because they had me pinned down. A five man team was sent forward to provide a base of fire for me while I carried my wounded buddy back. But those five men never mad it to my position. They were all shot down and wounded. So I left the other man and began applying aid to the other wounded members of my company. Richard crawled up to my side and began patching up the nearest man to him when he was shot in the leg. He was bleeding badly and in great pain. I applied morphine to his wound to ease the pain.
He finally told me the pain had subsided a great deal. So I told him to lay there until I could drag him back. But he saw that an officer had been hit in the head and was losing a lot of blood. Richard rolled over several times until he was by the officers side. He then began to treat the man as best he could. In the process he was hit several more times, twice in the chest and once in the arm. He called me, and I went to his side and began treating his wounds. As I applied bandages to his wounds, he looked up at me and said, “Doc, I’m a mess.” He then said: “Oh, God, I don’t want to die. Mother, I don’t want to die. Oh, God, don’t let me die.” We called a helicopter to take him and the rest of the wounded to the hospital. Richard died before the ship arrived. I did everything in my power to save Richard. Every skill know to me was applied. I often wonder if what we’re fighting for is worth a human life. If there is anything that I can do, please, call on me.
Sincerely,
Charles Dawson”

This was taken from the book “Dear America, Letters Home From Vietnam.” I share this letter with you to give you a glimpse of what our solders go threw when in war, just to come home and not be given the respect they earned. We have lost Respect for our American Solders.
Never in American History has a funeral been protested, let alone a military funeral. Since the 1960’s we have lost Respect for our American Soldiers. When these men and women returned home from vietnam, they were NOT greeted with smiling faces, parades, a hand shake of thank you, not even shown a little respect or common courtesy. Instead they were called names, like “baby killer” and they were even spat on (the lowest form of disrespect).
Respect, on Dictionary.com is defined “deference to a right, privilege, privileged position, or someone or something considered to have certain rights or privileges; proper acceptance or courtesy; acknowledgment.”
Courtesy: “the showing of politeness in one’s attitude and behavior toward others.” (definition by google) I feel that Courtesy and respect mean the same thing.
People didn’t agree with the governments decision to go to war in vietnam thus they “flexed the muscle” freedom of speech and started to protest. The protesting went overboard when when they lost respect for the American solder.
At one point, with a little help from those vietnam vets and people who didn’t want to repeat history, we started showing respect again when our troops would come home. I had even thought we learned from our mistakes and was starting to show some respect again, until, July 2005 when the Westboro Baptist Church picketed the funeral of Carrie French, A solder who died in Iraq. The U.S. Supreme Court stated that they have every right to picket these funerals because it is a type of freedom of speech. With that I have to agree, we are blessed with the freedom of speech and you have the right to picket a funeral. However, where is our respect for those that are willing to lay down their lives so that we can keep that right, and so that other countries can experience what it feels like to have that right (freedom of speech). The Bible states this in John 15:13 “Greater Love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” These solders are laying down their lives for people they don’t know. No, we may not agree with everyones life style and we may not agree with the government, but there are other ways of using your freedom of speech, to try and get them to change their minds. Where would this country be without them (our solders)? What would the outcome have been on Dec. 7, 1941 (Pearl Harbor)? What would the outcome have been on Sept.11, 2001, If no one was willing to go and fight back? People seem to take advantage they will always be there to fight, but who would want to if your family cannot greave in peace, or if your spat upon, called names for something that wasn’t true, when you came home after giving your all for these people who are not thankful or have the common courtesy to show some respect. These solders are just following orders and have nothing to do with the governments decisions.
Take your anger out somewhere else, these men and woman have earned their Respect!
I leave you with this a poem by Michael O’ Donnell, from Springfield, Illinois. It was written the 1st of January 1970. He was a helicopter pilot and “on 24th March 1970, attempting to rescue eight soldiers, his chopper was shot down. He and three crew members were declared missing in action. In 1977, he was promoted to major. A year later, he was officially declared killed in action.” (Dear America Letters Home From Vietnam)

“If you are able,
save for them a place
inside of you
and save one backward glance
when you are leaving
for the places they can
no longer go.
Be not ashamed to say
you loved them,
though you may not have always.
Take what they have left
and what they have taught you
with their dying
and keep it with your own.
An in that time
when men decide and feel safe
to call the war insane,
take one moment to embrace
those gentle heroes
you left behind.”

"Dear America Letters Home from vietnam" Edited by Bernard Edelman
Foreword by William Broyles, Jr.

Great day out

2011-06-10T15:08:00.000-07:00

My five year old son already loves history (thanks to Adventures in Odyssey), He loves Abraham Lincoln. He comes by this naturally, I love reenactments. Its a great weekend where adults get together and pretends we are back in time. Its also a time to think of all the men that gave their lives and the cost of being free. Some people will never know what that price feels like. I can never hug these men long enough or say Thank You enough. The words feel so small.

well, you know I would have to have a picture of the old water pump :o)

However while we were going threw Chester Illinois we decided to visit Popeye. They have been putting up new statues all over town. The kids loved it, it was like a scavenger hunt. Find the statue, jump out, take a picture, jump back in the car, find another statue and start all over. It was a great day.
P.S.
I received this e mail the other day about a scrap booking page that wanted to feature my blog. I am not sure about it but I thought I would let you all check it out. I don't want people to think I create my own pages, I usually get them from TCBOTB. I just wanted to give credit where credit is due. I wish I had that talent of figuring out how to make my own page, maybe one day. Here is page that was sent to me for you all to check out. http://scrapbooklayoutsideas.com http://scrapbooklayoutsideas.com/blog_awards/index.php?id=24304

Starting over

2011-05-23T02:19:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, Here we are in Southern Illinois. No we are not settaled in yet, we don't even have a home of our own yet. Things didn't go as smooth as I would have liked them to go, But then again thats just life. Our beautiful home in Missouri still hasn't sold and we are still living with family. That can be tuff sometimes when you have two little ones running around. I didn't get into the program I wanted to at SIU but I still got in and I am still studying things that I am interested in. However don't look so glum, I am Blessed. If I wake up in the morning and can take a deep breath of fresh air, if my feet can touch the floor and carry me around for the day, If my children say I love you, and my husband still holds my hand, I AM BLESSED.
We do have a new hobby! I am starting a duck farm. I am thankful that my family let me have the old shed down the hill or It wouldn't be happening just yet. We are just getting started and have a few ducks we are still looking for and our farm will be compleat. But for now we have 3 rouens, 5 anconas, 8 indian runners and a few silkie chickens for the kids.
So for now we are going to a lot of poultry swaps instead of flea markets. There is a lot to learn like how to haggle for prices (which i am not good at), don't fall in love with every baby animal there and don't make decisions out feeling pressured.
Hopefully I will be able to write more often I have a few ideas for some more posts. See you all soon! :)

Moving day

2011-02-06T14:17:00.000-08:00

Well, I have been so busy that I can't see straight. My husband got a transfer to move back to Illinois, so our house will be going up for sale on Tuesday (Feb.8,2011)
We have made a few changes. We took out the carpet, put down a wood laminate, painted every room in the house, either a warm color or just plain white, and added a few extra touches. Now it is moving day.
Here are some of the changes we have been doing. I wanted to show you some of the flower beds we added outside, however I can't seem to find them at this moment and time. And because of all the snow, who can see them, to take another picture.
Good bye Missouri it has been fun.

Moving

2010-11-06T06:35:00.000-07:00

Well, as soon as I am done with this Semester, we will be fixing up the house again. This time we fix it up to sell. I can't wait! We are moving back home. We are doing a lot of praying, that my husband get the transfer, and we sell the house fast. I am also praying that I will be excepted into SIU for the physical therapy assistants program.
Unfortunately, my dad and my husbands dad's health are not to good, and I don't want them, nor my children, to miss out on any time together. We all love that song about getting to spend one more minute with you, well we know that things are not good and I want those minutes.
Well, before I start to cry let me post some pictures of our pumpkins this year.
We also went to see Ray Stevens while he was here in Branson. I grew up listening to this guy and my kids loved the show. Hope you like the pictures.

2010-09-12T06:57:00.000-07:00

Holy Cow

2010-09-12T06:52:00.001-07:00

Holy cow it has been soooooooo long since I have got to play with my blog. I hate that school keeps me from doing my hobbies.
I have only got to do a couple of pages in my scrap book, we have been ever so slowly working on the house. We are planning on moving back to Illinois though, and so the work we do on the house now is just so it will hopefully sell better.
We did get to do a great vacation here in Springfield Missouri, last month. Here is a photo of us waiting to go into the Springfield Cardinals ball game.

water pumps

2010-05-06T14:46:00.001-07:00

It is time for me to get off my butt and get out of this house! I will have a few weeks off before I head off to summer school, and I need to get busy. So I have been looking at some old water pumps for a landscape idea, that include rocks and water. These are the beauties I found. Some of them I remember using at my grandparents house when I was a kid. My family, on my dads side, were farmers, and well when every one else had indoor bathrooms they were still trotting out to the out house, and when it came to needing water they were still using the water pump out side. I wonder if that is why I seem to have this thing for out houses and water pumps, hummmm, I don't know. Or maybe it is just wishing I could go back in time and enjoy those days with my grandparents just one more time.

It's been to long

2010-03-20T16:52:00.000-07:00

Hello every one. Sorry, it has been so long since I have been able to write. This semester has been one from, well, you know. I think my creative juices are suffering too. However, I am trying hard to find a chandelier to go above my kitchen table. My husband hit his head on the one that I have and broke the light covers. I guess it pays to be short sometimes. lol
I am ready for spring, I think the sun also helps me get in the mood to create. I am ready to hit the flea markets while I am on break. The only problem is getting my husband to budget me in some money to go. I think he is scared because I said, I wanted some lights hanging next to the garage door and in the kitchen, and he is remembering what happen the last time I wanted a new light. ;)
Well, as for the cats they are great. We only have one problem we have a rabbit and the cat is doing a lot of daydreaming his way. Any one in Springfield Missouri want a rabbit? I just keep waiting for the day I hear a great ruckus, fur flying and I will be having hasenpfeffer for dinner.
Back to the main topic, here are some of my thoughts for a chandelier. Tell me what you think. we are trying to go for a log cabin feel in the living room and think it is carrying over to the kitchen.

Our new baby

2010-01-29T17:21:00.000-08:00

This is Spicket. She has been hanging around our neighborhood for a while. I would hear her screaming around the neighborhood and worried about my big cat Buddy. I always thought she was wild and would never come to me. But one day she was screaming behind the house and I tried one more time to get her to come to me. This time she came right up to me. She was so thin, you could see her ribs, back bone and her hind courtiers. She was even losing her hair. I felt so bad that I took her right in and started feeding her. Now I can't get her out of the house. I guess she is ours. Its a good thing to because shortly after that It was our big snow storm and I don't think she would have made it. The only problem we are having now is she spoiled and the dogs think she should wrestle with them like Buddy does. But she will have no part of that. She will be fixed soon and packing on the weight. Isn't she lovely? I am thinking that Spicket is not a good name for her. I am thinking about calling her Prissy.

Buddy

2010-01-29T17:16:00.000-08:00

This is the little guy that adopted us before we moved to Missouri. Someone dumped him when he was a kitten and I just couldn't see him starve. Since we had horses at the time and a barn, I thought we could use a good barn cat. Jason got the call that moved us to Missouri and I couldn't just leave him. So now he catches field mice behind the house and lately he has brought a few rats up to the house for me to step on as I walk out the door. I have to watch where I step when I go out side. I don't know if it's a good laugh for him or if he is just showing off.

Another Birthday

2010-01-25T01:30:00.001-08:00

I can't believe my little girl turns three this week. I wish my little ones wouldn't grow so fast. I can't seem to enjoy them enough, the funny things they do or say. Some of the funny looks that come across their faces. I wish I could keep them this way. Yet I can't wait to see more and like a book whats going to happen next?
So since it is Tabby's birthday next week and paw paw was here to visit over the weekend we had her party a week early. Jason went to baking again to see what he could create. He always lets me do some of the fun stuff and decorate. We are still working on it we are not pros yet. I would like to make more so we could practise but my new years resolution is to lose some weight by August. So having a lot of cake around the house wouldn't be a wise thing for me. I so like cake with my coffee.
I think making the cakes is a lot cheaper than buying them. Jason makes the fondant out of marshmallows, and I find the cake mix at Aldis for .89 cents a box. Its a lot of fun to do and I haven't been able to find cakes like these in the stores. My mom found the barbie at a goodwill store (new never been out of the box) for only a couple of dollars. You know me I don't have the money to just go and spend, so I cut corners ever where I can. If I don't know how to do something I am going to learn how. It doesn't always turn out the first time but I sure have a lot of fun trying.

SNOW

2010-01-03T10:47:00.000-08:00

My family and I have been reading or I should say listening to these wonderful books, Little House In the Big Woods, Little house on the prairie. I love them. In the book little house in the big woods, they talk about making candy with snow. So I thought we would try our hand at it today.

Snow

2010-01-03T10:38:00.000-08:00

well, they only talked about two ingredient, snow and maple syrup. We defiantly have the snow. I warmed up some maple syrup and the kids drizzled it on their bowls of snow. I thought it would harden a little but it didn't maybe we didn't do it right.

Snow

2010-01-03T10:33:00.001-08:00

Yea, our candy didn't turn out like I thought that it would so, we made snow ice cream instead. Now I am off to get children down for a nap and then maybe do some scrap booking.

What a little paint can do.

2009-12-26T18:23:00.000-08:00

Well, my new project. I can't believe that sometimes all you need is a coat of paint and you can have a hole new room. My Aunt asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I said a gallon of paint. Well, that's what I got. So here I am on my Christmas vacation doing what I love to do best. Make a room look great for as little as possible. I wanted it to look elegant, not like it was a child's bathroom (yet it is my children's bathroom, we will add a couple of monkeys later to hold their tooth brushes). In the next photos you will see where I got my color palate from, the shower curtain. The only problem is trying to get photos of the bathroom so you all can see it. I was trying to squeeze into a corner trying to get pics.

2009-12-26T18:19:00.000-08:00

Its really hard to get photos in a small bathroom that will show the affect of how different it looks. I still have to get some help putting the big mirror back up but I couldn't wait to show you all my new bathroom. Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and have a wonderful New year.

Sammy's Birthday Cake

2009-12-19T11:54:00.000-08:00

Boy its hard having birthday parties around Christmas. So we try and make sure we keep them separate because Christmas is Just for Jesus. So because of all the gift giving and things there isn't a lot of money for the cake and things like that. So, you know me I am going to cut corners where I can. Jason and I got the bright Idea that we could make a cake, just as nice as the store bought ones and that's what we set out to do. I tell you I have the best husband in the world, God has truly blessed me. He made the cake, the fondant, rolled out the fondant and then put it on the cake. All I had to do was try my hand at the art work. Now we know that we can do it Tabby's birthday is next month so i will be at it again. Hope it turns out as nice.

2009-12-19T11:50:00.000-08:00

This was the scary part. trying to find the right photo and then draw it on free hand. Its not like having a pencil with an eraser, however I found out water will do just as good on erasing food coloring.

2009-12-19T11:42:00.000-08:00

Just finished painting the cake

2009-12-19T11:41:00.000-08:00

Jason went in and added the finish touches for the final product.

Taking a break from school

2009-11-22T00:11:00.000-08:00

Wow, we got busy this week. We did our little houses. We used Halloween candy, so that is almost gone now. But boy, that was a night. I was asking my self, "what was I thinking?" Giving two little kids free for all over the candy. I was glad when that was over, because they were bouncing off the walls. Next time, I think we will do that earlier in the day, so they can go outside and play off all that sugar.
As for this weekend, I got my school work done and now it is time for thanksgiving break. I am taking advantage of the time away from studying and getting some nitty gritty house work done. I am trying to get organised and teach my children how to keep things clean. A lot of people like to label their stuff. Well, a two and three year old can't read, so I did the labels in pictures. Now I don't have to stand over them, to tell them where every little bitty thing goes. I only took pictures of a couple of the things I labeled, If I would have shared them all it would take to long. Any who, I went on line, downloaded the photos that looked like the toys my kids had, printed them out and started taping them on. I went over each photo to make sure the kids understood and now to see if this works, like I hope that it does. If not on them, then at least Jason will know where to tell the kids to put their stuff. I hope,lol.

Something to do with the kids

2009-11-14T00:07:00.001-08:00

Sorry, It has taken me so long to post something new. School is getting crazy the closer we get to finals.
I want to do a gingerbread house with my kids this weekend so I am up at two in the morning looking for directions on the "how to's." Good way to use up some of this Halloween candy. But why do I feel an "I Love Lucy" episode coming on? hmmm, we will see. I will post the pics of our gingerbread houses when we get them done. Wish me luck.

2009-11-14T00:05:00.000-08:00

Graham Cracker Gingerbread House

Here's what you will need to make it:

•10 whole graham crackers (8 for the house, 2 for the roof)

•can of white frosting

•1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

•candy to decorate your house like gumdrops, chocolate kisses, red licorice, and hard candies

•large plate or tray

•spoon

•butter knife

•small plastic bag

•scissors

Here's what you have to do:

1. Check with a grown-up and wash your hands before you start this.

2. Cara's family makes these Gingerbread Houses on birthdays, instead of cake.

3. Start by preparing your frosting. Add 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar to about 1 cup of frosting. You can use homemade frosting or store-bought. Cream of tartar helps the frosting harden so your house can stand up.

4. Put your frosting mixture in a plastic bag and cut a hole in the corner, so you can squeeze the frosting out of it.

5. Using the frosting as 'glue', glue four double graham crackers in the shape of a rectangle on a tray or plate.

6. Then, glue two half-sized crackers to the sides to make a complete box.

7. You can prop the walls of the house up against something so the house dries straight.

8. Now put frosting on the corners of two more graham crackers. Place the crackers on either side to make a peak.

9. This is the roof of the house.

10. Let your house dry for an hour.

11. Once the structure is dry, coat each side with frosting and use candy to decorate your house! Use your imagination!

12. Be sure to decorate one side at a time so the frosting doesn't get hard before you can stick candy to it.

You've got to love PBS Kids (pbskids.org)

2009-11-14T00:03:00.000-08:00

Cut your house out, if you want the tiny houses.

2009-11-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

Directions say, let the house dry for one houre then you can decorate.

2009-11-13T23:59:00.000-08:00

Oh, I so have to make the snow man.

Something to do with the kids

2009-11-13T23:49:00.000-08:00

Ok Lets go crazy!

Family fun

2009-10-25T05:57:00.000-07:00

I don't normally put pictures on my blog of my kids. If they are in the picture its usually not of their face. Its a scary world and I never know who could be looking at my pictures. But, Today I thought I would give in a little and show you some our family fun that we have been having. We went to the pumpkin patch and picked our pumpkin and did the annual pumpkin carving. Later in the week we did a new thing, that I have never heard of till I moved to the city, and that was dress rehearsal at the zoo. You dress up,walk around the zoo, after it has closed, and see how they decorated and get candy. We are having a ball and I so love spending time with my family.

2009-10-25T05:53:00.000-07:00

This is my little boy Samuel and my little girl Tabitha.
Oh yea! Time for the fun stuff. Look at Tabby's face. The first handful of goop. I love it.

Fun times with the family

2009-10-25T05:48:00.001-07:00

What was I thinking? Well, at least we had fun, but I think I am still finding pumpkin stuff around my kitchen. Will I ever get it all cleaned up? Your not a kid if you don't get a little messy. These are the best days of our lives.

Feeling Crafty

2009-10-12T09:42:00.001-07:00

Well, the kids have been gone for a few days and I am finally getting a chance to get crafty, the day before they come back home from grandma and grandpa's. I have been picturing this project in my head for a bit. I usually make Christmas cards that you could hang from the tree with the families photo on them. But I wanted to do something different this time. I remembered one of my old girlfriends back in high school doing something similar to this. But you know me I have to put my own flavor to it or its just not mine.
So here we go, the things you will need:
1. Lace
2. Christmas ornaments (in my case Christmas balls)
3. Decorative twine
4. embellishments
5. Hot glue,and scissors
The cost was twenty dollars from Hobby Lobby. It makes six
It could make more but I only got six Christmas ornaments.

2009-10-12T09:40:00.000-07:00

First I cut a square peace out of the Lace material. Then I started gathering it up around the neck of the ornament and glued it as I went along.

2009-10-12T09:36:00.000-07:00

After I finished gathering and gluing the lace, I cut a peace of twine and glued that around the neck of the ornament, to cover any happy little mistakes I might have made. Then where the two ends meet I put a little embellishment to cover that up.

2009-10-12T09:30:00.000-07:00

Here I found a photo of the family that I liked and printed it out. I glued it to a peace of craft foam. I cut a peace of twine, put it threw the hook at the top of the ornament, then glued it to the back of the photo.

Feeling Crafty

2009-10-12T09:18:00.000-07:00

This is my finished product. Hey, Natalie guess what you will be getting in the mail! Jason said he wasn't sure you would want to look at his picture all the time. I said she will only have to put up with it once a year, lol.

IT'S Crazy here!!

2009-10-02T20:17:00.000-07:00

Before I even start today I want to say thank you to all of you who have started following me. I so enjoyed all the post from the last time i blogged in. I will look back at those when I start to have second thoughts on the school thing. I really needed all of those this past week.
Oh my goodness it has been so crazy here this week. We took the kids to their first Circus, we had so much fun. We got to ride the elephants and have popcorn, peanuts cotton candy, the works. I think I might have had more fun than the kids had. I had not been to a Circus since i was to little to remember.
The last Tomatoes of the garden are now canned and put away, for safe keeping and good eats this winter. I made some home made veggie soup last week (from scratch, I might say). Thus today Jason, Samuel and Tabitha got out and pulled up all the tomato plant and put them in the compost pile. I love fall but hate to say goodbye to summer.
And the blue dresser, well is not my project this time. After trying to redo the last one I am leaving this one to Jason. It is an old children's dresser that my uncle had when he was a boy. Its neat to see all the colors that it has been painted over the years. It started out as my uncles, and got pasted down threw his brother and sisters on down to me and then to my son. Till the drawers were not deep enough to hold his clothes and then we got the other one that I redid in one of my older post. So much to do, why do I feel like I have to cram everything into one or two weeks? Next is Christmas projects that didn't get completely finished but I will leave that for a later post, hopefully not so long in between.
Again thank you all so much for joining my blog! Have fun and I will write more soon. steph

New Respect for Moms

2009-09-21T12:42:00.001-07:00

Wow, I have found a new respect for moms who go back to school and still have toddlers at home. This has been the craziest week that I can remember right now. Not only do we lose our memories when we have children, Now we go back to school to learn and try and remember more stuff. On top of trying to keep our house hold together. I don't have family around here to depend on so it is extra stressful. But my family took me a way for my birthday. It was nice to forget about school for a moment. My family got me two new Jazz musician statues to go with my collection and then off to Silver Dollar City to see the Cow girls in action. I Just wanted to share with you how wonderful my family is. I don't think I tell them enough. I love you all very much.
But Back to the school work I go and It will all be worth it. The only thing that I want to encourage other moms out there to do. Make sure (yes its hard) to take time out of your busy schedule to make a memory with your family. Because one day that is all you ,and they, will have. Are they going to have a memory of you as a work-aholic mom? Or the mom that took time out of the busy schedule for your self and them. You can do it! I just keep reminding myself it will all be worth it one day.
I hope that I am making sence because my brain hurts righ now. So I am going to take a break and go out with my kids. Love you all and God Bless

My New Entry Way

2009-09-10T11:03:00.000-07:00

Well the flea market photos was a flop. I guess I am the only one that likes to do that kind of shopping. oh well, I have a new prodject, I have this beautifl entry way to my home and a littl bitty light. So i wanted something in there that would be a little bit dramatic to match the entry. If you go to a home depot it will coust hundreds of dollars for a nice big outside light. I found this at Gordmans for thirty dollars,a light kit from walmart five dollars. a little bit of adjustments and you have a new light. I can't emagen how much i saved doing it this way. And thats what i like to do, I want a nice home but don't want to pay for a lable or desiner prices. I like simplicity and beauty, but why does it have to cost so much. the only hard part is the pationts to find things. Besides that I have two toddlers I can't aford that stuff.

2009-09-10T11:01:00.000-07:00

We had to make the whole in the top a little bigger for the wires, and we had to cut a whole in the bottom so that some light would shine down.

2009-09-10T10:58:00.000-07:00

This is realy cute but wound up not a good idea. Jason gave my son the glasses to ware so he wouldn't get something in his eyes. Well in the split second that my son, thought he was going to help, and had on the glasses. Jason got a sliver of metal in his eye and wound up in ergant care.

2009-09-10T10:55:00.000-07:00

This is my husband hanging it up. Its the only pic. i got of that proses because i was to busy helping. (you know wives scalpel, knife, suction, oh wait that's mash, pliers, screwdriver, lol)

2009-09-10T10:52:00.000-07:00

the final product. It does make a bit of a diffrence.

Wow The end of August

2009-08-28T06:48:00.000-07:00

Wow! Its the end of August already. Well, After school on Wednesday I drove over to Ozark and took pic. of some flea markets just for you. I felt like some spy driving around with a camera, not getting out of my car taking pictures of bildings. Any way this is my favorite flea market. Found it by just driving around to get to know the area, when i seen a sign for "Doc. Hiliday's pawn shop." Went to check it out and there she was. For some reason i just like this place and this is where is always wind up when i go flea marketing.

2009-08-28T06:39:00.000-07:00

These are neat. I call it flea market corner because it is about five or six flea markets all together on one corner. I know that three of them are two stories and i havn't got to go threw them all because it takes all day just to go threw two. I had to take the photo from afar just so you can get the affect of how many there are in one clump. All of these (including my favorit one) are found in Ozark Missouri. So if you ever get over this way you should look them up.

memories

2009-08-26T05:42:00.000-07:00

We found this Ben Franklen store in Mt. Vernon Missouri a couple of weeks ago. I just had to have a picture of it. It has some booths in it for crafts and people to sell their goods, but it also has a few of the old five and dime sort of things in it. But most of all it brought back memories for me, of my great grandmother Claire bearden(granny). It brought back memories of being a kid again, and walking to that store when i got to spend the night with her. When stickers were the coolest and candy was my favorite food group. She would give me her empty make-up containers and a baby jar of pennies and I would play all day with them. When she would fix my favorite lunch of Bologna,cheese and catsup with spaghetti o's. She had photos of all her children, grand children and great grand children all over her apartment floor. there was just no room for them any where else. Teaching me old German, that I can only remember a few words now. Teaching me songs she sang as she grew up and stories of her grandma. The smell of her perfume and the sweetness of her voice. She was always so kind, that I always wanted to be like her.
Seeing this place made me wonder what memories will my children have. I take so many pictures of them that they get mad at me. But it is the only way that i will keep them small and innocent. When stickers are the coolest and candy is their favorite food group.

I want to know!!!!!!!!

2009-08-18T03:07:00.000-07:00

Hello every one, I want to know what your favorite flea market looks like. Do they all have the barn feel, the cowboy feel, or do you even go for that stuff? I would love to see some of your pics. so please send some to me. I want to get to know my wonderful small group of viewers. I will give you till the end of august and then i will start posting some of photos that i get. Thank you Steph

flea markets back home

2009-08-15T03:19:00.001-07:00

I told you in a couple of post back that we went home for a few weeks and well you know i had to get my flea market fix. So my best friends and I did just that. We found a new one and visited an old favorite of mine. I think its the western feel that i like the most. However i didn't get to buy to much had to remember there wasn't enough room in the van to get it home.
The new one had a jail out in front of it. here is this room of bars and it advertises "air conditioned and a scenic view." it even had a wood stove in it. How original, the way some people decorate the outside can really make you want to go in.

flea markets

2009-08-15T03:17:00.001-07:00

I thought this was so funny. This was out infront of one of the flea markets we went to back home. This is our best friend tylor and my two little ones.

Still working

2009-08-07T15:20:00.000-07:00

Hello every one, do you remember the chest of drawers i bought last month for my son. well here it is. I finally finnished sanding and did a little panting. I found this contact paper that looks like metal. Its about six dollars at lowles. This project really made me feel like an episode from "I Love Lucy." I am trying to pull this contact paper out and put it on the drawers and it was sticking to everything but the drawers. Then I am fianally finnished and I stand back to look at my hard work and how it has paid off. The drawers don't fit. So back to the old drawing board. I had to take the paper off and start sanding. Again.

2009-08-07T15:14:00.000-07:00

Well this is where i feel like an episode form "I Love Lucy." I sanded the drawers hoping that i did just enought that they wouldn't stick and not too much that there would be a gap. well, if you notice there are no nobes for me to pull them back out with so they are stuck.
Great Job Steph! lol
Thank goodness i can laugh at myself.

Still working

2009-08-07T15:03:00.001-07:00

so here are the drawers (after i got them out of the chest) out to dry.
Sometimes i wonder if this is more trouble than its worth and then i look at it all coming together and my sweet little boy (whom this is for) and yea it's all worth it.
so once I get the handles it will finnally be compleat.

A Project By My Dad

2009-08-01T15:19:00.000-07:00

Hello every one, I did a surprise visit home (southern Illinois) and this was the project my dad was working on when i got there. He has been making knives from scratch since i was about seven years old. His very first knife he almost cut off his thumb, but now he just nicks them every so often. Maybe a well deserved lesson. lol. I am very proud of my dad (Steve Trexler). So this one is for him. I love you dad.

2009-08-01T15:17:00.000-07:00

This is what we start with. Its just peaces of metal and a deer antler.

2009-08-01T15:16:00.000-07:00

This is the blade after he has cut it out and polished it up a bit.

2009-08-01T15:15:00.000-07:00

Just starting to put the peaces together

A Project By My Dad

2009-08-01T15:08:00.000-07:00

The finnished product.

Back to Nature

2009-07-16T00:10:00.000-07:00

We took the kids on a nature walk today. Yes it was hot but it was so nice to get away from all the hustle and bustle of a town/city. If we were back home in Southern Illinois we would see this kind of thing all the time. (I sure do miss it) So we didn't want the kids to become complete city kids and only see these kinds of things threw pics or at some zoo, so we will visit this nature center again. We did stumble upon a fawn but mommy was taking to many pics of the turtles and i missed them. oops! What can i say I love turtles.

Back to Nature

2009-07-16T00:02:00.000-07:00

I love to watch the squirrels play.

The Best Part of Summer

2009-07-09T19:19:00.001-07:00

Water melon and Home made ice cream the best part of summer.
My family came out to visit this weekend so did i get my chest of drawers finished? NO. oh well, we had a great time, we went to Branson Mo. We went to the dinosaur museum, The Bass Pro shop, The apple tree mall, and you can not forget Dicks five and Dime(only the best store out there). On Monday we had some people out for a shrimp boil and of course home made ice cream. Now that's what i call a good summer.

new and old project

2009-07-01T16:11:00.000-07:00

Boy, it sure has been hot. So hot i have not had the energey to do any thing.
However i did drag myself to a yard sale on saturday and found a chest of drawers for my son. They just need a little TLC and that is what we have been doing today. Sanding, sanding, sanding. I sanded the chest of drawers, the post the mail box is on (its a beautifule ceter wood and i wanted to show it off) and had to re leval it and fianally got my water pump out in the little flower garden. Boy when you have two little ones it sure takes so much longer to do a project than it use to. Either i am getting old or its having kids. I'll blame the kids. Well we shall sand a little more tomorrow and then paint the chest of drawers red.

new project and old project

2009-07-01T16:09:00.001-07:00

Home improvement

2009-06-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

Well here are somethings we have been doing around the house. and one of my favorite trash to treasures. I call it "The Water Pump." lol, well, thats what it is. The first pic is the front of the house after we chopped down the bushes. I broke two shovels to get all the roots dug up. Then the two after are of the flower garden i put in their place.
The Water pump i found in a yard sale in Carbondale Ill. After the paint dries i plan to put it in another flower garden. I hope to make it look like i over flowed a bucket of flowers.

The water pump

2009-06-24T09:23:00.000-07:00

This is after i finnished painting it.

craft project

2009-06-17T03:47:00.001-07:00

Well here i am thinking of Christmas already. We try to make gifts every other year, and if i don't want to be bombarded at Christmas and having creativity block then i need to start now. so I am doing an experiment first. If this works great, if not oh well.
I am trying to make some bamboo wind chimes. I bought two bamboo sticks at hobby lobby for 3.00 a each, three flat wooden disc .57 cents each and all i need now is some fishing line and a decoration for the top (that will come later)and some way to hang this critter up.
First (i did have a little help from my hubby, who wants to cut off a finger) we cut at an angel the bottom of the bamboo stick. then we cut straight across just above the knuckle of the stick. the knuckle is the only part that is not hollow.

step two

2009-06-17T03:36:00.000-07:00

then we drilled holes in the top of the sticks and in the disc. then i will string them with fishing line threw the holes on the sticks then threw the disc. I will get a pic of that later, when all is done i will decide if i like that or if i want to attach the disc to the bottom of a bird house. If this works then i have the stuff for two more wind chimes.
Wind chimes are about twenty dollars at hobby lobby, and right now they are half off so ten dollars. but if this turns out, i will have made three sets of wind chimes for the price of one. Later i would like to make them out of metal.

Honey I'm Home!

2009-06-15T06:48:00.000-07:00

well, i am finally back here is the after pics. that i told you all i would post when i got back. we would have been done with this room a lot sooner but my two year old little girl to a fall on her bike, and we were of to ergant care to make sure her nose was not broken. that was a waist of time they couldn't tell me anything. so we were back at the dr. offic on wendesday and thank the Lord nothing was broken. My husband said he is glad i am back on here maybe i will not work him so hard. I said just the opposit, i have a blog to keep up.lol

see you soon

2009-06-05T16:01:00.000-07:00

Ok so as you see i am going crazy!!!!!!!
We are on a count down and i will see you in a week and two days.

painting

2009-06-05T15:55:00.000-07:00

Now here is my beautiful white walls in the front room of my house. oh my goodness all the walls in the house are white and i can't take it any more. Since my shovels are broke we are painting them. The kids wanted to help. what was i thinking:) no they did good then i sent them outside. I will have after shots of the room when i get my computer done. we have to do one more coat and jason is doing the trim work up at the top because we have such high ceilings.

front yard work

2009-06-05T15:53:00.000-07:00

we have been removing ugly bushes and trees. We have been trying for a week to get the roots up from the bushes and have broke two shovels. but i am planing on a beautiful flower garden one of these days

my garden

2009-06-05T15:52:00.000-07:00

This is my garden i have been doing some work in here.

going crazy without my computer

2009-06-05T15:50:00.000-07:00

Boy i have been going crazy without my computer. so here i am at the library just so i can show you what i have been doing. Jason is going to wish i had my computer back before the next week is up.

computer is sick

2009-06-01T08:08:00.000-07:00

Hey every one, i just wanted you all to know i am still around but i will be out for a couple of weeks. my computer caught the flue bug or something and is at the dr. ha ha. thats what i told the kids any way. it is on the fritz and i will be down for two weeks so i will post a lot of photos when i get back on here. see you all then

2009-05-29T11:12:00.000-07:00

Well i would have pictures but my computer will not let me today. any way if you have any ideas on how to decorate with those old coffee cans that i have pictures of down below let me know. i want to use them in my kitchen and i don't want to cover them up and i do not like a lot of flowery things. so any advise would be wonderful. an i will try to post my pictuers later.

Yea summer!

2009-05-29T10:59:00.000-07:00

Well, its been a bit since i have got to sit down and write. We are working a lot outside and i know its seems all i have are before shots of things but by the end of this year it will all come together. my husband and i have decided that this year our Christmas gifts will be coming all year long. Because all we want is to fix up the house that we just moved into last September.

2009-05-25T18:44:00.000-07:00

2009-05-25T18:32:00.000-07:00

Well, happy memorial day every one. I hope you didn't get rained on. I had a wonderful weekend. my mother in law and i went flea marketing and found all kinds of goodies. I think she did a little better than me, but that's because she seen everything first. And i didn't want to have to wrestle her down for any thing, being my in law, need to keep the peace. ha ha only joking. well her are my goodies today and sooner or later we will get to see what they look like when i am done. however if any one has any good ideas of how to decorate with old coffee cans let me know i am up for suggestions.

Thank you

2009-05-21T11:53:00.000-07:00

Thank you scraping blogs!!! if it was not for that site i would not have figured out how to make my page... well. mine. so every one go click on their button and check them out.

I did it!!!!!!!!!

2009-05-21T09:22:00.000-07:00

ok finally. This is a vidio of what some of the ladies did at my church back home. They had a ladies tea and each group had to decorate their own table and some of the ideas are great. one of my favorites is the mens dress jackets for the chair covers.

2009-05-21T09:20:00.000-07:00

Find more videos like this on Everyone's Apostolic

harder than what i thougt

2009-05-21T01:10:00.000-07:00

Boy this is a lot harder than what i thought it would be. These wonderful ladies out here in blog land make it look so easy.

2009-05-19T07:21:00.000-07:00

This is the furniture i found at a thrift store three peaces. the hole set i got for 275. and the couch is a hide a bed. good for all the company that we hope to have. Next is to find some good material and start re upholstering:)

coming soon

2009-05-18T05:19:00.000-07:00

Well i am trying to figure out how to put a video on this site so you will have to be patient. I have some friends back home in Anna Ill. that had a special ladies tea. Each group had to decorate there own table. They had some great ideas and i thought it would be great to post on here. So Coming soon.
Last Saturday, I went Thrift store shopping and found a room full of furniture for 275.00! And today it will be delivered. Boy i was sure scared to tell my hubby, but he took it well. We just moved to this new home and we didn't have enough furniture for it. Let alone my old stuff now has holes in it. So we still will not have enough furniture as soon as we get rid of the old stuff. But i will be posting pics. as soon as it gets here. I will be the crazy woman with the camera saying put it over this way. NO hold it i need a pic. don't any body move. my husband is going to whoop me.

treasures i found

2009-05-16T05:30:00.000-07:00

Here are some neat things i found. on hgtv web site. one of them i don't think it can be anything but art. its the bottal cap bowl.

The teddybear lamp, reminded me of miss. natelie's one leg doll.

The jean dresses are a nice way to decorate a window in a little girls room. and remember how small your little girl use to be.

As you can see i like lamps, but i havn't figured out how to make one yet.

I have lots of ideas but where to start and with two toddlers, finding time.

2009-05-15T20:25:00.000-07:00

i hope this shows up this time. i am slowly decorating my house.