Yes, it is my oldest son's birthday today. Three years and one day between he and his younger brother.
Maybe this is why he wants to move to California. I over did on the snow thing when he was little!
graduation 2006
and today, well, actually he has more of a beard since this was taken in the fall.
Fulfilling far out goals he made his senior year, he has come back around full circle and is beginging to take on the challenges of becoming a wonderful young man.
Happy Birthday son!
I got up this morning and made him blueberry muffins for breakfast. Hot and right out of the oven. They smelled wonderful.
We gave him one of his gifts already to take to work. Of course, he will probably make use of them on his new car, too!
Boy, have the years have passed....
Don’t these look great?
Becky had a chance to go skating and sleep over at her friends house the other night. The girlfriends’ mom made these sweet rolls and was kind enough to bring some to church to give us. She knows we love to have our sweets when we get home and read the Sunday paper.
Here’s the great part. It is easy to make!
Lightly grease a pan to hold the amount of store bought dinner rolls you have bought.
Put in as many walnuts to taste on the bottom of the pan.
Put the rolls on top then brush with butter
Here’s the tricky part!
Sprinkle on vanilla pudding (the cook kind)
Then cinnamon and sugar to taste.
Cover with wrap and let sit on the counter overnight.
They raise just right overnight so you just pop them in the oven in the morning!
Too easy, too good!\
I wonder how other pudding flavors would taste...like pistachio??? Coconut creme?
I thought Monday was always a hard day because you are coming off the weekend. Just when I thought I had a handle on it with balancing a schedule of barn, run the dogs, house, then school, BAM! Throw that ringer in there. That is o.k. though. This is one I am excited about.
Last night at church Ken was talking with the Pastor’s wife about the local fire department. Come to find out, they happen to be setting up a course locally for a certified EMT the beginning of February. So this morning, it was hustle, hustle, hustle as the deadline is noon today. Thanks to the help of another member of the church, we found our way through tape to get it done. I transferred money for Ken and he will be registered and getting his books to go!
Now I am thinking he is going to be spending a little more of that savings tonight getting his car. The insurance company has already be notified.
Boy, life comes at you fast!
and Stanley did! He isn't allowed on the couch, but he thought he could get away with this. He backs right up and lowers the boom. Notice how there isn't a strain to lift his back end up there? He is tall!
Keywords are always COLD when I read mails and blogs lately. It is about +3 this morning, and I dare say it only seems chilly. I guess after a few weeks it must be growing on me. During the one day warm up the other day, it did melt about 5' or so. I forgot to get the yardstick and when I went back out to get it that is what it showed. Anthing is better than nothing. Apparently it didn't soak into the ground fast enough. Read on---
Taking Ken in to do banking yesterday I also took the laundry. I am a bit skeptical about using too much water for a while since running out last Saturday. I guess my caution was good, as I had a small bit of colors and didn't want to pay for the load. So I set my water level low and did the one basket. Little water use, dishes, and one shower showed shale in the water. 
Wishing the little fairies were up making bacon for breakfast this morning....
Like this on our tank.
This is what almost 1 1/2 feet of snow looks like.
Much warmer today with the sun coming in. I saw what I think was the same doe outside again this noon. Yesterday morning it made it's way across the yard to the flag pole, then a little later back to the pond. They know it is nice out too!
We let the horses back out today to romp. They are good for about an hour then they want back in. The wind is still up a little.
Since I am still in, there is always something to be done. I worked on one of the bedrooms that I'm changing into something...I'm not sure what. It was to be my sewing/craft room. Then it aquired other things from other rooms. I weeded out and put in a small couch and the old TV so the kids can go play games. It seems to still get things shoved into it so today I thought I would find a place for most of it. Among moving things around, I found this guy.
I have had him since I was three years old. My Uncle Jim had bought it for me. I think my mom said it was the old Murphy's or Grants store. I can't bear to get rid of him!
The are promising this!
In the meantime, I thought I would catch up on blogs. I found a birthday blog this morning that was is a great tribute. Mountain Mama gave great testimony of her life over on her blog. Sometimes we all need to look back to see how blessed we have been. Sometimes we don't realize it until we look back and take account, then we realize how fast time has passed.
Speaking of which, Ken has now bought his first vehicle. Well, sort of. He got the winning bid, now it is off to see if he can get financing. He could pay outright, but this is a small way to start good credit. Quite an exciting set for him, scary for mom, you know.
I guess some people call it hump day as it is the middle of the work week. I'm not sure when the middle of the week is for women that work at home. There is always something to be done, or the kids no matter how old, to be taken care of. I tease my husband about the old saying my Grandma use to tell me,
"Man's work is from sun to sun, a woman's work is never done!"
Of course, anyone who dare look into chapter 31 of Proverbs for guidance can tell you that!
Tom took off today as a relief day from his recent trip to North Carolina. He plans for us to go get taxes done (whoopie, what a date) and then going off to the local sale barn for tack day.
Yesterday I had my tooth pulled so I am relieved of that. I guess that was my trip to town by myself for this week. 
High noon even with strong sunshine!
I can't believe the men outside are made to go out and run cables in this cold. They are scouting and blasting to find gas underground. They have had helicopters flying just above the trees the last few days dropping cables in the woods.
What could be better than messing around in the kitchen making cookies? Yes, all the ones are gone from Christmas already!
So it has been a very long few days. The dogs had run off Sunday afternoon and didn’t come home that night. Tom was out looking for them until 11:30 Sunday night. In the morning I called around to neighbors , the postal carrier, the township building to let us know if they had seen them. I also went around early Monday morning. I wouldn’t be so persistent, but it was going to be very cold this week. And it is! Needless to say, the mailman spotted them late Monday afternoon and I drove down to pick them up in the car. Bob was very cold and tired, but Stan came away unscathed. I left some sugar cookies shaped like letters in the mailbox for him as a thank you. The kids think it’s a waste because I could be some weirdo and they thought they should eat them instead.
Boy, did it get cold. Tuesday the girls and I prepped the barn. I hung a long blue tarp up between where the horses use to be and where the goats are. It shut them in a lot better. I also boarded up the opening to the field where Tom still has to put up a door. It cut down on the wind and kept it warm in there. The girls put blankets on the horses. I thought it was all good.
This morning, Tom took off to South Carolina with a co-worker. He is going down to pick up a saw that the boss had bought. After taking him in and dropping him off (I wanted the truck just incase) I came home to do chores with the kids. I ended up being first in the goat pen and finding Bandit, our older alpine, dead. I know she has been acting out of sorts, but I think that with the cold finalized it. I feel bad that she had to go in the cold. I really think she ended up going down but the ultimate was freezing to death. But now, the other two were huddled in too and they were just fine. So was Clem.
Going out at lunch now, the water wasn’t to frozen and they all seemed well.
This poor cat, One Eyed Sam wants to come in and visit. I heated the mudroom a little and try and keep him out there most of the time. We let him in and watch him for a few minutes, but if he won’t sit still, out he goes. I can’t have him inside spraying! Yuck!
After some school today, we had really tasty chicken soup and now I am ready to rest my eyes. Ken is going out on the sled to play for a few minutes, and the girls are doing there own thing. Dance probably won’t happen tonight as we are expecting another batch of cold, blowing snow.
No, just another winter's day in cold, NW PA. I had to run in to get animal food this morning and it wasn't all that bad. Pavement would have been nice to see, though. Ken needs to do the driveway, again! Isn't this great? I can take a picture of him up close from inside with my new camera so I won't have to go out in the cold!
I did walk out later and see how Tom is doing on the outside barn door. The rail is up and he has a window he is going to put in, but it is going slower than he had hoped. While I was out there I saw Jess made a little snow fort on the side of the barn for her bunnies to exercise. Those babies are getting big enough to sell now. She is hoping to make a few dollars from them.
Oh, it must be break time out there... I hear the snowmobile!
We thought our chickens had given up laying, then the weather broke for a while and we were getting an egg or two a day. Still not enough to keep them around. But then I was thinking that even one egg can make a lot of things. I can make a batch of bread, a breakfast of pancakes or waffles. A chocolate cake! So even this one egg is carried in carefully to the house.
I spent time cleaning out more items that I thought I couldn't part with. Some being material that I would never get to in a lifetime. A wonderful group, Project Linus takes scraps and makes blankets for children of trauma or in stressful situations. I was more than glad to give her the 75 pounds or so of fabric. She said that what they can't use they pass on further to The Sunshine Group who in turns makes other useful items to give away. I love recycling!
I may be getting rid of the extra sewing projects for now, but with a wonderful woman from church we are banning together to get a group of women to help make our own blankets for young mothers. I came up with the idea of A Row A Day which is based on a crochet pattern that you work on a row a day. It is to be a devotional time in each row you make, then when the blankets are done, use it in ministry to the new moms. It was to begin with helping the local pregnancy aid shelter but she would like to expand it to new families near home. I hope we can have a half dozen interested ladies help out!
I was reading through a bunch of my fav blogs today, and found me, I think, as the topic over on Rustic Ranch .Thanks Dar for the caring words. She is new to blogging and looks like she is off to a good start. Check out her pictures if you get a chance.
We have been keeping things steady here at Muddy Boot. Although we are now more in the icy stage tonight. Pretty slick. I am glad that the animals are all in and high and dry in their own stalls. Tom worked on the last door over the weekend, and also picked up the latches to be put on. I know when the Amish man came to trim hooves, he was really happy that they were dry. Methias is doing so well that he gave Benny a little lift when he was shoeing his front hoof.
Tree was down New Years day, of course with everything back in storage until next year. Wouldn't you know, Tommy decided to suprise visit after all was put away.
Some short nights and battling a cracked tooth 
