Meet Baby Kate!

We finally greeted Kate Ann on March 8, 2012.  She weighed 8 pounds, 11.2 ounces and was 21 inches long.  We are so blessed!

Star and Russ Stardom...or not

Well, we didn't get rich or anything but did get a couple free pairs of Converse shoes!  Also received a gift card to a nice restaurant meal.  It was fun watching a making of a commercial.

Miss ya old gal....
Russ and Star in 2007 or so...

http://youtu.be/YTn45vKaK6o

Homemade Laundry Soap

I can't believe I FINALLY tried this soap out after telling myself for the past three years I was going to make some!  After seeing about ten different recipes online I came up with this one...

1/3 bar of fels-naptha soap
1/2 cup washing soda
1/2 cup borax

Grate the naptha bar soap (you can use another kind if you like...zote, ivory, etc).  Add this and your other ingredients to about six cups of boiling water.  Boil for another 15 minutes.  It ends up creamy-like.  I pour ~two quarts of hot tap water into an old detergent container (~two gallon container).  Then I pour my soap in and then top it off with plain cold water.  Shake and you are ready to use!  I have a front load washer so I'm only suppose to use HE detergent and this qualifies (or so I've read!).  Use 1/4 to 1/2 cup per load. 

I received two thumbs up from my hubby after he washed his grimmy work clothes.  I've  used it on my sink, tub and even my toilet.  I do believe I'm going to like it!  Oh, and I almost forgot...because I LOVE lavender essential oil,  I sprinkled about 10-15 drops into the big container.  Who knew cleaning could be so much fun?  (Ok, I may be pushing it a little!)

So, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

No Knead Dutch Oven Bread

Awesome, easy bread (you can use a dutch oven or a cast iron pan...I've used both and they both work great!)

Before you go to bed, mix 1/4 tsp yeast into 1 1/2 cups of warm water.  Add three cups of flour to a 2 quart bowl and throw in 1 1/2 tsp salt.  Mix all and cover with saran wrap and leave on counter overnight (8-12 hours).

When you wake up, mix dough lightly and make your coffee.  Once coffee is done (15 minutes or so), add a little flour and shape into a round circle.  I then place mine on a rubbermaid type cutting mat that I sprinkled first with corn meal.  Go ahead and sprinkle some on top too although a lot will fall off eventually.  Cover with a cotton dishtowel and let rest again for another couple hours.

Preheat your oven to 475 degrees with your pan in the oven.  Take pan out and do your best to slide dough in pan and cover and bake for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes, remove cover and bake 20 minutes longer.

Remove from oven, cool, cut and enjoy!

Myrtle and Russ

We have a chicken that loves to run to our back door and beg for food everytime we walk out.  Guilty.  She'll follow you to the car if you don't give her "something else to do".  Yesterday Russ and I heard her "talking" on our front porch!!  What a smart chicken!  Had to get this on tape yesterday.
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Depositing Happiness in the Bank

“Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. It’s a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have no choice. I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I’ll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I’ve stored away, just for this time in my life. Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw what you have put in. So my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories.”

                                                                                                       Author unknown

                Happy New Year!

We greeted 2012 the best way we knew how....with our grandson!  We roasted marshmallows, played in the "enchanted forest" in the dark (I did have a small flashlight clipped to the bill of his hat for about 15 seconds "off" he says (so I clipped it to the hood of his sweatshirt so I could still find him...sneaky Mimi!). 

The half-moon gave off a lot of light and it was a beautiful evening.  We layed right down in the pasture with him snuggled up to me and enjoyed looking at the moon and the stars.  A moment I want to remember forever.

Perfect evening to chill and just enjoy each other.  Goodnight Moon!

I'm hoping this will be a yearly tradition.  But then, I hope we do this throughout the year too.  I have great memories of lying on my Grandma Kennedy's bed looking out the window with her.  We saw all the cars on the hwy making their way to Sioux City I suppose.  I am so thankful my grandma took the time to just be with me...looking at the stars, sky, and cars.  A memory I'll cherish forever.

I hope 2012 will be a year of memories to cherish forever.  Our newest member of the family will be arriving soon...well, maybe seven more weeks or so!  I can't wait to meet Ms. Kate...she will definitely be loved and welcomed!