So I was reading an article the other day about a very popular blog. In the article it said that if you are going to be a real blogger you can't take a day off. I guess when you look at the date of my last post I'm not a real blogger. Bummer. So life has been happening in Kerbyville and I just haven't had much time to write oh, and the cord on my laptop went kaput so it has been dead for a while. I have to fight my children for a moment on the computer. Between math homework (no more textbooks to carry it is all on a website now) and checking the naughty and nice list that is not an easy task. What has been happening around here you ask? Well, we had about a foot of snow last week which amounted to a snow day. Yeah right? no, because around here employees still have to report to school even if there are no children. So I got up, had the mister shovel out the driveway (only took 2 hours) and braved my way to school. 15 minutes after I arrived they announced that it was to dangerous to be on the roads so we should all go home. Hmmm, that is brilliant. I am so happy that the people making these decisions are also in charge of the education of our children! I was happy to arrive home before 11am and have the entire day to spend with my family. It is a rare occasion that we are all home mid week with nothing to do but play in the snow and drink hot chocolate. All things were snowy at our house that day, snow forts, snow balls, snowmen, and lots of sledding. I just love the snow. If it is gonna be cold it may as well be snowy! All that snow put us right in the Christmas spirit. The tree is trimmed, cookies have been made and eaten, Christmas music is blaring, Christmas movies are being watched, all of our loved Christmas books are out for reading every night, and the Christmas countdown is on. Gigi gives me an update every morning on the number of days until Christmas. Life in kerbyville is good.

Veteran's Day

Driving home from school today my girl asked, Mom, do we know any Veterans? I said yes we do. We do? Who? Well, your dad, papa, grandpa, granny, and great grandpa. You also have several great uncles that are Veterans. She says really? Did they fight in a war? Yes they did. She was amazed and told me all about how she was going to share this with her class tomorrow. It's Veteran's day. A day to remember those that have served our country. As I stopped to really think about what this day meant I was overwhelmed. Have you ever really thought about the sacrifices made for our freedom. The sacrifices made by our military families. As a little girl I remember shipping my dad off to sea. I didn't really understand what that meant I just knew it was his job. This summer my kids found their papa's journal that he kept while stationed on a submarine. They giggled at the letters he wrote home that never made it there because how do you mail something when you are living underwater. It was a reminder of the sacrifices made while away from family. This Veteran's day take just a moment to really think about what it means to serve our country. To all those who have served and to those who have stayed behind and prayed, Thank You.

*The above picture is my dad on the deck of the USS America in 1968. My mom was home with my brother, he was 2. I wasn't thought of yet.

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I promised a post about football and here it is. My little man and his team.

A Game To Remember - KIVITV.COM | Boise. News, Breaking News, Weather and Sports-

I said my next post was going to be about football but this was not what I was planning on posting. It is about football and it is to good a story not to share. The boy in this story goes to our church and his parent's are our friends. He is delightful and funny and quirky. Joey makes me smile every time I see him, he has a way of touching your heart. He is part of the reason that I am sharing this story but there is another part that touched my heart even more. It is the boy's on this football team. Ordinary high school freshman boys. You know the type, they are know to be obnoxious, rebellious, unruly, rude, careless, and disrespectful in some people's opinions. Not these boys. They are showing the world what I have known all along, kids are still good. They still care about one another. You hear so many stories in the news about the youth today and how they are a bunch of careless bullies. Well these boys have shown us something different. The boys on this team have embraced Joey as one of their own. A team mate. They have his back, he is one of them. If you watch the video link (it is a must and grab your tissues) you will notice it was the teams idea to let him run a play not the coaches and bless the boys from the other team for helping out. One tiny little gesture that made a difference in some one's life. Way to go Grizzlies you truly understand what it means to be a team!

A Game To Remember - KIVITV.COM Boise. News, Breaking News, Weather and Sports-

Well, my little blog is being neglected once again. I am working on a little something and hope to have it posted very soon. It has been milling around in my little brain for a while....scarey! Let's just say it has to do with a great fall tradition....football! I know you are on the edge of your seat!

I read a post on facebook the other day that struck me the wrong way. A little part of me was offended. It wasn't an offensive post, it was quite the opposite. She was posting about how sad she was to see so many student's that have committed suicide because they were being bullied. It is sad. It is horrific if you ask me. My heart breaks every time I see it in the news. So you probably wonder why I was offended. It was some of the comments made that went on about how horrible our schools are and how teachers do nothing when students are being bullied. That is offensive to me. Why?...I have dedicated my life to education. I am a school counselor. That title in and of itself should make people think of someone who is advocating for students, someone that is there to protect and console. As I began to think about why a comment like that would ruffle my feathers there was a little rant going on in my head so where else would I take that little rant, well here of course. I am thankful that we live in a country where we have educational choice. Not all children are the same so having choices whether it's public, private, or home school I think that it's a parent's right to choose. I do get frustrated when I hear about how horrible public schools are and how public school teachers do not care about children. That some how a child being bullied to the point of suicide is because a teacher would not help them. Public schools are the pulse of our society. If you want to see what it culturally acceptable step into your local public school. Where do these children learn what is culturally acceptable? Home. So if you want to know how these little monsters called bullies are created take a look around. We live in a society that glorifies bullies. Being a mean girl is cool. How many reality shows do we have where the soul purpose is to tear someone apart. The meaner the better. Bad girls, The Real Housewives of where ever. I mean if this is what friendship is I want no part of it. I hear it time and time again....what are teachers doing about.....fill in the blank. When are parents going to be responsible? I don't know when it happened but somewhere along the line the public school system became responsible to feed, cloth, educate, teach character/manners, counsel, provide school supplies, provide Christmas gifts, provide health care, and manage behavior of children. Now we are responsible for the death of students. Are there teachers that ignore bullying, probably, but I work with teachers that put their heart and soul into their students day in and day out. They provide things for their students out of their own pocket. They would move mountains to make a difference in the life of a child. Anytime a life ends in suicide it is tragic. I don't know all the details about these children but I do know that there are a lot of factors when someone ends their life. It's easy to point fingers and try to find someone to blame. I guess teachers and the school are an easy place to start. We should know it is happening right? I am sure that are many teachers wishing they had know it was happening and that they could have stepped in and helped that child in need. They are probably replaying conversations and asking what if.... It's an easy job though, you know getting summers off and all. So the next time you want to blame a teacher take a moment to really think about the responsibility that they have everyday. Maybe instead of blaming you will be thanking.

Healing Rain

We live in what is considered the high desert. Summers are hot and dry around here. We might not see rain for months. That is a stark contrast to growing up on the east coast and hearing people complain that we were in a drought because it hadn't rained in a week. Toward the end of summer everything is covered in a fine layer of dust. Anything that is not being hit by a sprinkler is dry, brown, and brittle. Not very pretty and not much use except as fuel for a fire. Then fall rolls around and the rain comes in. A healing rain. One that washes away all the dust and dirt out of the air. It brings relief from the scorching hot sun and brings life back to the earth. You can almost hear a sigh in the air. I have heard the line from the song Healing Rain...a healing rain is falling down, let it rain, let it rain. I never really understood it until I lived in a place that is dry and desperate for moisture. It's like our lives though. Sometimes our souls feel dry and brittle. We are covered in a fine layer of dust. Illness, stress, financial problems, death, heartache, and failures lie all around us. We aren't much use for anything and at any moment it feels we might be consumed by the wildfire burning around us. We need a healing rain. One that can wash away the dust and bring life back into our souls. One that only God can bring. A healing that will bring peace and joy in the midst of our trials. He said that in our weakness His strength will be made known. The past month has been one of heartache and trials for many people in my life. Words like cancer, divorce, adultery, death, surgery, abandonment, alcoholism, and suicide have been the topic of conversation. I have moments when I shake my fist and wonder why. I am reminded though that God is not the author of confusion and fear. He is the conqueror of those things. He is not the one to bring destruction. He is greater than the one that brings destruction. God will devour Satan. He will stop the one that seeks to kill and destroy us. My God is mightier. That is what I hold onto in those quiet moments when I wonder why, how, when will all of these things be solved. God has a plan to prosper us. He will bring a healing rain. We just have to ask.

We had the privilege of participating in a little bit of history here in Kerbyville. I not sure how many people have the chance to eat dinner with their Governor much less dinner with the Governor in out on the back patio. Well, that's what we did this week. My brother/sister-in-law hosted at their house. When my little man heard what we were doing he begged me to go. I thought really kids at a fundraising dinner? He said mom, when will I ever get the chance to eat dinner with the Governor. That's about all it took to convince me. I think he might be a little politician in the making. The weather was beautiful, the food was amazing, and the kids did great. All in all I would say it was a success. Here are a few pics.

my little man had the option of leaving and going with the other kids to play but he chose to stay and listen to the Governor speak. He sat for an hour and didn't move. He even got in on the talk about delisting the wolves.

the highlight of the night for the kids. The candy table!

Fun centerpieces

The hosts!

My little man and the mister discussing wildlife management, immigration, and energy. I'm the one standing behind the camera taking the pictures. Sometimes I am totally amazed at the opportunities that my children have had compared to me. Their world looks totally different that mine did as a child. It's pretty amazing.

Technology Natives

Every generation of parents have new things to contend with that make parenting just plain hard. The economy, wars, drugs, alcohol, they have all been around for generations but we are the first generation of parents that have had to deal with technology. I have heard it said that we are technology immigrants but our children are technology natives. Trust me I am sure our parents would have loved to have popped in a DVD for an eight hour car ride or told us to pop in our ear buds to listen to Bon Jovi instead of having it blare on our boom boxes. Doing their monthly budget on Quicken would have been way easier than the legal pad at the kitchen table. We all love technology. As a parent though it can make our lives tough. Our kids can have instant access to their friends 24/7. They can play video games with people half way around the world and text faster than they can speak. As parents there is no way we can read every text, check every email, and screen every game, video, song that comes into their life. Technology is to fast for us. We just can't do it. We had an example of this in Kerbyville this week. My little man found a video game that he wanted. He played it with a friend and told me how it's not to violent, the language is not that bad, and it was really cool. His friend said the same and the he had the game. We have been very busy so little man had to wait about a month to buy this game. He had been checking it out at Game Stop and found a used copy. We were shopping for school clothes after a long week of school so when he asked if he could get it I said okay. I didn't really look at the game because I was trusting the judgement of a friend. Little man got it home and started to play. I always go in to check out his new games and this one made me cringe just a little. Every time he got shot blood splattered on the screen and there was some language. So I picked up the case and looked at the rating. I was rated Teen which is not always bad. This one was rated T for blood, violence, drug references, language, and weapons. Sounds lovely. His dad and I had a discussion about it and decided he needed to take it back. I braced myself for a total meltdown, freak out, fit that most 11 would give when told they had to take something back. I told him we had been thinking about the game and that it really didn't fit with our standard for games. I asked him what he thought and he said well, I like it. I said I know you do but do you think it is a good game? He said probably not and I will take it back. I almost fell flat on the floor. No fussing, no fuming. I could tell he was disappointed and I told him I was sorry for that. I asked him how God would feel about the game and he said I should take it back. So off we went to Game Stop to return the game and find something new. Those guys that work their are great. They helped him find something that did fit our standard and I think he actually likes the new game better. They told me how to get demos of games so I can check them out before he buys. You know, through this whole thing I thought maybe I should just let him keep it. I didn't want to be that mom, the one that is strict and uncool, but something inside me said no, take a stand. I am happy that I did. I have never been prouder of him and realized how much he is growing up and developing his own standards. If I had backed down for fear of a fit or him hating me we would have missed this moment. I would have compromised our whole family. So to all you parents out there trying to navigate this world of technology, it's okay to say no, I love you to much to let you have or do this. It's okay to say, sorry I should have checked this out a little closer. We can take a stand to protect our kids. It's not always easy but in the end it's priceless.

~Scarlett

Summer in Kerbyville

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Life in kerbyville can be hectic all winter long but when summer rolls around it is time to slow down. Every year we try to take a trip to the family cabin. It is located in the middle of no where and when I say the middle of no where well that's just what I mean. 400 acres of nothing but trees, frogs, deer, moose, elk, and lots of other critters. It is a mile trek down hill to the lake and the kids are always up for that little nature walk. They get to collect turkey feathers and wild flowers. They never ask to watch tv or play video games. At night you can see a million stars and listen to the bullfrogs sing. It's a little slice of heaven in my opinion. I love watching my kids be kids, growing up strong and slow just the way it should be. The mister spent summers at the cabin with his grandpa and now his kids are doing the same thing. There is something a little sacred about this place. An untouched piece of the world where we can escape and time can stand still for just a little while.

Groovin' with Ken!

We went to see Toy Story 3 tonight. I have been both dying and dreading seeing this movie. Dying because I love Toy Story, dreading because I knew it would be sad. I mean Andy goes to college. Pixar has done it again, they are brilliant. The movie was funny, entertaining, and full of good humor. I fell in love with Toy Story because I was just sure that is how it really happened when I left my toys alone. They stuck together, kept each other company, and had adventures. I also fell in love with Toy Story because it came out right around the time my little man was born. Woody and Buzz have taken adventures with him. Zurg has been blasted into outer space a million times and I have picked up those squeaky martian guys more than I can count. My little man is not so little anymore. Some toys have been cleaned out, donated, yard saled, all the dreaded things that happen to toys according to this movie. Bins of toys have been replaced with an electric guitar, ipod, skateboard, and PlayStation. He moving on to middle school in the fall and that little boy is slowly fading into a teenager. Just like Andy's mom there is a little part of me that gasps when I really stop and look at him. He still has those toys that just can't go yet. Buzz, his dinosaurs, star wars guys, tractors, and his favorite stuffed bear named beary. I'll keep them for as long as he wants, probably longer. I think Toy Story 3 may have just made my favorite movie list. The best part...as I had tears streaming my face, my little man said "mom don't worry, I'll still come see you when I go off to college." Be still my heart.

Oh I came across this little video and thought it was cute. I decided to share. Hope you like it. I thought it was funny!

~Scarlett

There Ain't Nothing Sweeter

than summertime. Don't let the silence fool you. There has been lots going on in kerbyville. There has been lots of swimming, BBQing, movie watching, boating, and staying up way to late around here. We might make it into the 90's this week. I know all my east coast friends are wishing for the 90's right now. I need that hot weather though. My poor little garden is looking sad. I hope everyone is having a great summer!

Do You Believe....

in love at first sight? There was a time that I would have told you that you were either crazy or purely romantic at heart if you said yes. That was before I met the mister. I know you are probably thinking great here comes a sappy post and part of it might be, you see 17 years ago (on June 19th) I married him. When he came walking into my life I had just written off men and decided that being single for a while wasn't such a bad idea. I was a junior in college and had grad school on my mind. I didn't need a man, besides most of them had proven to be jerks. All my friends were getting married and I had a closet full of bad bridesmaids dresses to remind me. I might have been just a teensy bit bitter, I mean honestly when was it my turn to find love. Nope forget it I wasn't even looking. Then one Sunday I was sitting in church and he literally just came walking in. I remember seeing him and thinking I wonder who that is? Something about him told me my life was about to change not in a OMG, who is that and I have to meet him way, more of a quiet, don't fight this just say hi kind of way. So we were introduced, we chatted about school and I found out he was in the Navy and stationed in my hometown. Long story short 6 weeks later he proposed and I said yes. Yep you read it right....6 weeks. Was I nuts or what! I knew he was the one from the bottom of my heart and I truly believe that God just plunked him right there, right then for a reason. He wasn't supposed to be stationed there, he actually switched orders with someone so he could see the east coast. Crazy....and that is what everyone thought we were. I guess they were wrong because here we are 17 years later and still as happy as ever.

So what are some of the reasons that he is the love of my life......

He still makes me laugh.

He loves our children but loves me more.

He still holds my hand.

He challenges me to be a better person.

He competes with me and doesn't get mad if I win.

He makes me feel like I am the prettiest girl in the room.

He lets me speak my mind, is willing to argue, and always fights fair.

He never yells at me or says mean words.

When I am at my worst he loves me the most.

He puts our family first.

He works hard for us everyday.

He wants to spend time with us.

He leads our family and is a good father.

He likes to have fun.

He is my best friend.

Happy Anniversary! I love you!

~Scarlett

It's over....

yep, the last day of school has arrived in kerbyville. We are officially on summer break. The end of this school year was bittersweet. It was my little man's last day of elementary school. He is moving on to that world that we call middle school. I am not exactly sure how that happened. I swear I was watching the whole time but somewhere along the way I must have blinked because he went from this.........

(First day of school. Headed to kindergarten)

to this.....

(5th grade graduation)

and it all happened in a flash. I promise not to blink for the next seven years!

~le sigh~ Scarlett

What's happening in Kerbyville on a Friday night? I get a live concert from the stop sign rock band. Gigi is the singer/song writer and the little man is on the guitar. They look tough and they sing some mean lyrics that go something like this....I love you mommy, I love you mommy, please don't leave cuz I love you to much. One of the best concerts I have ever attended!

Can't Be Tamed

Oh Miss Miley, what has happened? Hannah is to embarrassed to make an appearance at this point. I get it girl, I understand that being a pop star princess on the Disney Channel can be the kiss of death. You might never get a serious role and your music might forever ring out on Radio Disney. You want to break free from screaming 8 year olds but sister don't sell your soul. After that performance on Dancing with the Stars moms every where are gathering all that purple Hannah gear and heading to the Goodwill. It will gather dust on shelves along with the other Disney Pop Princesses gone wild. We all thought that maybe you would rise above, maybe you would be able to have the best of both worlds. We were hoping you would be the one that would be a role model for our girls breaking away from the ideal that sex sells and seventeen year olds don't need to march around in hooker books proclaiming how the man in their life can't tame them. You scream out don't change me but I can honestly say I don't even recognize who you are. Oh and Billy Ray someone ought to stomp on your achy breaky heart for letting your little girl march around like that! (the music video is more appalling than DWTS). Now I know there are some out there that will say she didn't ask to be a role model for young girls, really, then why did you star in a show targeting young girls, and that she has the right to break free and move on. Yeah I know, it just breaks my heart that breaking free and moving on means leaving behind all things wholesome and innocent. It means transforming into something that you are not. It means being sexing and singing about relationships that you have yet to experience. It means that most of your fans can no longer watch your music videos because they are PG-13. It means conforming to the world's standard of what a woman should look and act like. Oh how I was hoping you would break that mold that you would stand up and say NO! I guess that is a lot to ask of a 17 year old girl especially with the pressures of Hollywood wanting to make a buck by sacrificing you on the alter of fame and fortune. Oh girl how I wish we could have a conversation. I wish you could have had all those moms out there that are screaming don't do it, it's not worth it, you deserve more, you are better than that, right there with you when they asked you to make this video. You might have thought twice. So to all those screaming moms out there what do we do now? We have yet another pop princess sending our girls the message that the way to make it in this world is be sexy, be spoiled, and go through men like money. Wow makes our lives so much easier!

*sorry 2 rants in one day. I told you God was making me less naive. I have another post in the back of my mind but I will save it for another day. I am seriously considering starting a blog dedicated to parenting in this crazy world. We will see. It has been on my heart lately.

I want to be naive. It would make life a whole lot easier. You know walking around pretending all is good in the world and nothing bad ever happens. Naive, it would be wonderful! I wouldn't have to get that lump in my throat when I think about sending my kids off to school. I wouldn't have to sit with a student and feel my heart break for them. I wouldn't have to get on a soapbox and rant about all the evils in the world. I could sit on my patio sipping tea and listening to the birds sing. Life could be all rainbows and unicorns. What good would that do though? I mean really what good would be done in this world if we were naive. None. We would not have the eyes to see or the heart to help. So you might be wondering where this little rant is coming from well join the club. For some reason God thought that I needed to be a little less naive this week. I have weeks like that when I am bombarded with information that I wish I never knew. This week though I thought I would share. It started out when I came across and article about a new site called chatroulette. For some of you this may mean nothing but if you know anything about this site you are probably starting a rant all of your own right now. So what is this lovely little site. It was developed by a 17 year old and basically you can video chat with a stranger at the click of a mouse. Don't like that person just click and move on. Sounds innocent enough right? Might sound a little less innocent when you hear that 1 in 10 users are naked and/or m*sturbating. 50% of users are engaged in inappropriate behaviors. So what's the draw? Well to kids it's the thrill of seeing who you will get and the fact that several celebs have been spotted on the site. What tween girl would not die if they came across Justin Beiber or the Jo Bros? The problem is they will find Joe who is 60 and naked before they will find a Jonas brother. Creepy and scary all at the same time. Think well that won't happen in my house. Well maybe not but what about the sleepover your girl is scheduled to attend Friday night? Yeah, I know scary and I can feel that same lump that just came up in your throat right now. I can also hear the question that just popped into your head, What do I do now? Lock them in a room! Okay that's probably not legal but unfortunately chatroulette is. So what to do. Talk to your kids. Let them know that you are concerned for their safety. Let them know that you trust they will make a good decision and coach them through the situation. Role play what they could say or do if a friend is asking them to participate in this kind of activity. Most kids don't want to chat with strangers. The whole creepy predator thing scares them but they might just want to check out the site once. The problem is what will they see and how long will that image be burned into their mind. If they understand the dangers up front they will be less likely to want to join in. I always love when parents don't want to talk to their kids about things because it will just give them ideas. Really, well when they were 2 you told them not to run in the street, weren't you concerned it would give them an idea? What about warning them about stray dogs, maybe it would tempt them to pet one. Oh and there is the whole don't get in the car with a stranger maybe they would want to know why and try it. Come on people, we have to arm our teens with knowledge so they can make the right decisions. Whose voice do you want popping into their heads when they are faced with moral decisions, yours or their best friends? Talk to them, don't lecture or preach, just have a conversation. Trust me I am right there with you, scared to death when I think of all the things that prey on the minds of our kids. I pray everyday that God will protect their minds and hearts. I also know that God has called us as parents to prepare our children for these battles that they will face everyday. We have to face the giants and fight for our kids. You are the greatest influence in their lives. Love them and talk to them, they will thank you for it one day.

Mother's Day

My mother's day card made by gigi

I love it when you....

Make me cookies. I love it.

kiss me

say I missed you. I love you

say what do you want for dinner. If I say I want to cook it you say okay.

make me happy.

Best gift ever complete with illustrations. I don't need anything else in life.

~Scarlett

Piggy Pies

Spring has arrived here in Kerbyville. You would never know it looking at the thermometer but it has arrived and there are little clues all around me reminding me that warm weather is on it's way. I just need to be patient. One reminder of spring is babies. As I drive to work everyday I see baby calves jumping around and little lambs chasing there mothers. I spotted 12 baby geese swimming with their mothers tonight while walking the dog. I was very thankful they didn't attack me when my dog jumped in the water and started swimming after them but that is another post! I was walking through the farm store the other day and gigi and I spotted the baby chicks. Gigi has been begging and I mean begging for some baby chicks. I keep telling her that between the dog and 2 cats that they don't stand a chance at our house but that does not stop all the begging. On this particular day gigi marched right over to those little chicks and proceeded to check them over. She was confident that she would be taking a few home. She even brought the new 20 dollar bill that was burning a hole in her pocket. She figured at 79 cents a piece she could get oh, 10 chicks and some feed. I had to say no and watch the tears stream down her face as we checked out. I don't know if you know my gigi but this girl is pure country. Not really sure how that happened except deep down I am with her a little. I mean the thought of living in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of animals is kind of appealing. Don't get me wrong we can handle Louis bags and 5 star resorts but we can have just as much fun clunking around in cowgirl boots. Let's just say we are not afraid of getting dirty. So I took my girl home and tried to explain that we need a chicken coop before we could ever get chickens. We get home and that little girl flashes her brown eyes at her daddy and tells about how she wanted some baby chicks. Now I don't know if you know the mister but there is only one reason to have an animal around, you can eat it or it can eat something pesky. Okay so that is 2 reasons. He really sees no point in having a pet rabbit and the dog is around to humor me. He does like the cats because they are constantly leaving dead mice on the deck, see useful. Any hoo, I know he wonders where this country girl came from and all I can think is um, you were raised in the middle of nowhere on a dairy farm. See it came from his side of the family. When that little girl flashes those big brown eyes and says daddy I want a horse, steer, chicks, lamb, goat....you fill in the blanks because she has asked for them all. I can see the wheels turning in his head and I know if he could he would buy her 20 acres and a horse. So on this particular day he looks at me and says what would it take to make a coop. Uhh, wha....just happened? I answer with I will have to do some research. Now don't get me wrong the thought of fresh eggs sounds awesome but I will admit chickens freak me out a little. So I was very happy when I asked when we were picking up pigs for 4-H. That's right we raise pigs for 4-H. The mister said tomorrow. I have never seen my girl move so fast. She was getting her boots on and heading to the pig pen to get it ready for the new arrivals. The baby chicks were a distant memory. So for now I have managed to escape becoming a chicken farmer. We will see how long that lasts. The next day we picked up gigi and little man from school. Here she is ready to go pick out her prize pigs.

We brought home 4 little piggies all of whom will go to the market (sorry couldn't resist). 3 Yorkshire cross (they are pink) and one Hampshire (black with a pink stripe in the middle). It is scary that I even know that. Any hoo here is a picture of them in their pen. It's not very good not sure what happened to it. Their official names are Olivia, Oreo (that's the black and pink one), bacon, and sausage. They have quite the personalities. Oreo is very funny. She will lay on her side and let you rub her belly. I wonder if gigi will get extra points in fitting and showing if she can get her pig to do that for the judge. So for now they are the newest guests at kerbyville and will be with us until fair time. I think I might have to start referring to gigi as Fern. I've got a feeling there will be some tears come sale time. For now, she is making friends with them. Another season in kerbyville.

ah ah ahchoo....excuse me. I am working my way through all the dust and cobwebs that have accumulated around here. Oh my poor little blog has been so neglected and there has been so much happening in kerbyville. We are busy busy with all the things that spring brings. Yard work, weeding, gardening, cleaning. I forget how much takes place outside around here. I am always reminded once spring decides to roll around. Things are green and fresh and new. Most of the signs of winter are gone. There is a touch of snow on the mountains but that is all that is left of winter. A wild spring thunderstorm came through this afternoon and my deck is covered with petals from the trees. There are some traces of hail still on the ground. Kerbyville is coming to life. We have planted most of our garden: cucumbers, squash, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, watermelon, honey dew, cantaloupe, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, radishes, lettuce, spinach, cauliflower, and a new little peach tree. Still to come: corn, pumpkins, gourds, and sunflowers. Wow that is a lot when I list it. Summer should be yummy. We got all of our seeds for free from a local church. We just have to plant a little extra for the food bank. I don't think that will be a problem at all around here. The kids are excited to plant and to share our food. I just love gardening with them. We also have 4 new piggies. Their names are Olivia (after the book Olivia), Oreo (she is a Hampshire so she looks like an oreo), bacon, and sausage (after the little man's two favorite breakfast foods). As I type the kids are down in the pen knee high in mud (they have mud boots on). It's a good day. There is nothing like having your kids run for the pig pen instead of the TV after school. Some kids are still growing up slow just the way they should. So if you wondered about life in kerbyville we are still kicking and I promise to have some pictures on here soon. I also hope for a little inspiration so I can write a little more. I have lots of thoughts just not lots of time.

Girls....that word might conjure up some thoughts like drama queens, squabbles, cattiness, and on and off relationships. Girls will be girls right? I mean we have all been there, the one not included in a group, the odd girl out. It's no fun but it can change as quickly as the weather. One day no one is talking to you the next they are your best friend. It's just part of being a girl right? You get through it. Your mom always said tomorrow will be better. They will be your friend again. I have said those very same words to my daughter. I've dismissed those complaints about friends as girls just being girls. I mean she is only in 3rd grade how could it be that bad. Don't they save the really mean stuff for middle school? I know better than that though. So my sixth sense kicked in and I just knew something was going on with gigi and her friends. She would say little things here and there. I assured her things would get better and tried to arm her with every tactic to handle mean girls. I secretly prayed that things would smooth over quickly. Then I went to gigi's class to watch her star in a play. It was very fun and all the kids did a great job. I noticed after the play that none of the girls were talking to her. Some were gathered in groups taking pictures with each other, sharing hugs and secrets, but gigi was quietly standing by my side. She would give a meek smile when someone said good job. She even tried to give a couple of girls kudos for their parts in the play. I knew something was wrong. After school the two of us headed off to gymnastics. In the car I decided to ask how the friend thing was going. She gave a weak, okay and then the tears started to fall. Mom, I just don't understand why A is being mean to me. C told me that B was having a birthday party and had an invitation for me. A told B not to invite me so she threw away the invitation. In that moment I actually felt my heart break right inside of my chest. What on earth could possibly cause someone to want to hurt my girl. How could her "friends" be so mean. I sucked it up and asked her if she had done anything, her adamant no told me she was telling the truth. I explained to her that sometimes people just decide to be mean. Sometimes we do absolutely nothing to them. We headed for the ice cream shop and had a nice chat about friendship. Once a smile was back on her face I dropped her at gymnastics and cried all the way home. Trust me I have dealt with mean girls and I can hang with the best of them but let me tell you, there is nothing like watching your girl make her own way in life. I felt like someone had stomped on my heart. Once I pulled it together I called A's mom to help me get to the bottom of the whole thing. We are now on the other side of this bump in the road. I wish I could say that it was a big mistake and those girls were not being mean. The birthday thing was true. They did it. They apologized and really had no reason for what they did. I think that gigi has tried to forgive and move on. I have tried to do the same. So what did we learn from this, well really what did I learn from this? I am thankful for this beautiful girl God gave me. I am beginning to realize the influence that I will have on her life and it scares me just a tiny bit. I have learned to pray for wisdom because when those big brown eyes are searching mine for answers I want to have the right thing to say. She is only in 3rd grade but we have already had to cover the rules of girl world and how to survive. So what will I do the next time she encounters mean girls. Well, I will refrain from running them over with my car and we will head down to the ice cream shop to discuss the mystery of girl world and I know that at the end of the day, she will have a smile on her face again.

Day of Love

Valentine's Day. Some think of it as the day of love, the day to celebrate those that have stolen your heart. Some think of it as a holiday coined by Hallmark and Russell Stover. Another way to get you to spend a little on cards, candy, and flowers. However you view it, we can all remember Valentine's Day as a child. Parties in grade school with candy hearts that say be mine. I remember getting ready for Valentine's Day, carefully filling out each Valentine and making sure the right person got the right card. Fretting over what to give that one special boy, should it say you knock me off my feet or just be mine. Then there was the Valentine box, gluing and coloring and glittering until it was perfect. Well, this year was no different in my house with my kids. They both filled out their Valentine's carefully filling out each name. This year in gigi's class they had a Valentine box decorating contest. She desperately wanted to win the coveted trophy. She surfed the internet for ideas and carefully chose what she thought would be the winning box. She planned out the design, gathered her supplies, and began to create. This is what she created.....


yep, you got it a toilet. Nothing says I love you like the porcelain goddess. I was proud of her creation and how brave she was for being willing to take this into school. Needless to say, she won first place and came home with the trophy for most creative box.

Way to go girl!

My Boy

I was walking the dog today along the canal. I swear I have walked this path a thousand times or more. It has been our spot for fetching and swimming in the summer and walking or sledding in the winter. We discovered this place when we moved into our house 5 years ago. It was a wondrous place for my kids. I know it looks brown and muddy and weedy but let me tell you, it is 10 acres of treasures. It is full of rocks, sticks, and snake skins. When the canal is empty in the winter there are old cans, lost shoes, and tennis balls. My kids will trek over to the field to explore. My little man has fought wars, used his Jedi powers, and hunted lions in this field. He has been in Africa, the Antarctic, and Narnia. It is a magical land. When we first started trekking through this field my little man was 6. I would watch him wage his wars and listen to all his sound effects. Today was an ordinary walk, nothing special. Our time to unwind and breathe some fresh air after sitting behind desks for 7 hours. Time to watch the horses and listen to the birds. Time to let the dog run off his energy. A typical walk until I looked up and saw the picture above, I grabbed my phone and snapped it. I know you are thinking what is so special about that picture. Well today when I looked up I didn't see that 6 year old boy, I saw my not so little man that just turned 11 and I thought how did he get so big. He looked tall and strong and independent. All the things you would want your son to be just not so quickly. My heart skipped a beat though when I heard those sound effects. He is still waging war on imaginary creatures. Fighting the fight and coming out victorious. So I listened and watched and enjoyed the moment. I watched my boy who is moving quickly on his journey to becoming a man. I listened to him play caught somewhere between childhood and teenager and prayed the God would slow it down. My boy.

Well here we are a month into the new year and I am wonder where the time has gone. I am sure many a new year's resolution has been long forgotten or put on the back burner. As I have said before I do not make resolutions. I do have little things stored in the back of my mind and on the bottom of my to do list that I would like to get to when I have extra time. It's my one day list. You know one day I would like to catch up on the 8 years of scrapbooking that I need to do, one day I would like to create that compost pile, one day I would like to cook like an iron chef, one day I would like to create a masterpiece for my dining room wall, one day I would like to have a fabulous blog that makes people oooh and ahhh and wonder where I get the time to do all the wonderful things I am blogging about. Oh well, for now this is it. It is about all I have time for between basketball, guitar, 4-H, archery, gymnastics, bible study, small group, work, newspaper advisor, and mom aka cook, laundry attendant, dog walker, maid, homework supervisor and taxi driver to all the above activities. So instead of showing you my fabulous blog I will share a few that I have managed to discover in my spare time. Okay one actually that I stole from my SIL clover's site. I can steal it because it is kinda a mutual sharing site since it belongs to a family member. Let me just say I need to invite this girl to holiday dinners or not because she would probably cook the pants off clover and I or hey, might not be a bad idea cause then clover and I could sit back, drink wine, and relax for once. Maybe then we could document our holiday dinners with fabulous scrapbook layouts. It would be a heck of a lot easier to catch those super cute kid poses without turkey grease running down your arm or worrying about your dinner rolls burning. We might actually get to be in one of the shots. Maybe then our children would grow up and realize they did have a mom despite the lack of her photos in their baby books. So I know you are probably wonder what this wonderful site is called. Here ya go http://cordonpink.com/ It has some fabulous recipes that I can't wait to try so check it out. One day I might have time to be this creative in the kitchen. For now I make some mean mac and cheese with hot dogs! No really, I think I will definitely try some of these dishes very soon. I found a couple other sites that I thought were pretty cool and put them under my favs. I also put it on my to do list to update this little blog more often. Hopefully someone out there is reading it, if not at least it is inspiration for me!

~Scarlett

Happy Birthday at OneTrueMedia.com

11 years ago today I became a mom. Happy birthday to my little man.

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