Talk about bedhead!

Cassia woke up with such bed head today lol!

Lazy bones

Can't seem to get this lil' girl moving this Sunday morning.

Frosty October Morning

Today was our first real frost. My entire yard was white. Temps are low and the wood stove is going. We are cozy warm in the Little House In The Valley. Hey I kinda like that, its catchy...lol.

Anyway, Carl came down with a bug and ran a slight fever. It was 99.7 at its highest and he was complaining of tummy pain. He seems better right now. I hope so. I so hate it when my babies are sick.

I recently reconnected with an old friend. It was great getting to talk to her yesterday. We have been thru similar storms recently and could really understand one another. She is a precious person. God is good!

Yesterday was our sweetest friends birthday! Aliviah turned 10 yesterday and balloons were released in honor of her birthday. Her mommy tied two balloons together and had Rebecca's name on one and Aliviah's on the other and both had bff on them. Rebecca still holds on to her memories of Aliviah, as we all do. We miss her so much and I know her family does. It won't be long until we see her again!

Well, I better close this out. I have wood to gather, dishes and laundry to wash, school, clean the house, make bed, and the list goes on and on and on......

It's here!

Well, cooler temps have arrived. Soon we will be building our first fire of the season. Right now we are using a heater that looks like a wood heater, but, it's electric. It's cozy.

This week didn't go so great. First, I was going to cut the grass. I made 2 good rounds and the drive belt came off. It was shredded. Jasper just replaced that belt. So knowing it was so hard for him to change out, that's it for the grass cutting this season. Then that same day my dryer goes out. It's a heating element. So, not sure if we will just get another dryer or replace the element. Depends on if he is willing to do the work I guess.

Everyone here is doing good. School is going, it's been a struggle for sure to stay on track. Samuel likes going to United. His grades are good and he has made some new friends. Rebecca is really growing. She is such a big helper. She's like a lil Mama. Always willing to help. Carl has gotten tall too. He is wearing size 5 clothes now. I can't believe he has gotten so big so fast. He is learning his letters and their sounds. He still has some speech issues, but is doing better. Cassia is running everywhere. She is sure enough growing. She is even talking small sentences! Now isn't that ridiculous? She is 14 months. Where did the time go?

Well, today is going to be busy too. So, I better get started if I am ever going to get finished. Have a great Saturday!

God blesses us daily with the smallest things

We are beginning our addition to the house and I have been using pintrest to get ideas. One of which is red kitchen cabinets. I knew once we get the kitchen set up I would need paint. Last night God supplied that paint!!! So once the livingroom is finished, we will remodel the kitchen. I am sooooo excited! God is so good. I thank Him for even the little things!!!

It's Official, Summer is over!

Though I hated to see the beauty of Summer end, I am glad to be moving onto the fall. So many things going on, some bad, but most good. Many changes are taking place and ALL are for the better. School has begun and though I am finding it hard to get my schedule changes going we are making some progress. Samuel is adjusting to private school. I am adjusting to not seeing him that much. Sad. He leaves with Jasper at 6 am every day and sometimes it is 5:30 before he gets home. We eat and then he has homework and then off to bed to do it again. Tomorrow is Friday! So I am learning to love my weekends again because I get to see him. The end of the Summer brought joy for us. Jasper finally began working on the new addition of the house. He has a long way to go, But I am hoping the framing will go quickly so that we can get in our new rooms by Christmas! That would be wonderful! When all is said and done, I will have a nice sized home and then the outside covering will begin. We have most of the siding already! He has rock for the bottom then shake and hardy board. Can't wait to see the finished product! Maybe in a year??? One of my close friends moved to South Georgia, from North Georgia. It will make seeing them harder than ever, but I thank the Lord for the good ole Cell Phone! It will be nice to see them if we can swing it for Camps and such. Life brings changes. Some are hard to take, but, it opens new beginnings. Thanks Angela & Betty for being there for me when I needed you most. Love you both!

Fall Table Centerpiece

I have never attempted before. I only have $10 in this.

My Aunt Clara sent me some home made Tamalis that she makes from my Grandma's recipe. Looking forward to trying them!

For one of my closest friends. "Reason Enough" - Ernie Haase & Signature Sound

"Reason Enough" - Ernie Haase & Signature Sound

New School Year!

We officially started our new homeschool class year! Rebecca is in 4th grade this year! Whoa! Where did that time go? Wasn't she just a baby? Sigh! This year Carl also begins some small educational tid bits. Mostly to occupy him. I know he is eager to learn so we will see how he does! Cassia and Bella Grace will not be left out. Wonder color markers and paper and other things to help motor skills.

There have been some changes yet again for us, but it's just the way it goes sometimes. I am going through things setting things up a lil better for our school year. I hope I can be completely set up by next week!

We have much to keep us busy:




Language Arts Music Arts & Crafts Bible Health Arithmetic 4 Fourth Grade Science History and Geography Reading and Literature Oral reading Reading comprehension Speed reading Vocabulary building Penmanship Review of cursive writing formation through skill practice, word games, original composition, and sentence dictation Spelling, Vocabulary, and Poetry Weekly word lists with challenging words and vocabulary Reinforcement activities Six poems committed to memory Language Writing Process Letters— friendly, post cards, thank-you notes Gathering information Writing with details Writing an encyclopedia report Writing book reports Creative writing Dictionary skills Map study State history for six weeks Eight documents memorized The Years of Discovery The Years of Exploration The First Americans The English Come to America The New England Colonies Plants Plants: Provision for Man and Beast Animals Insects: Miniature Marvels of Creation Birds: Winged Wonders The Middle and Southern Colonies A Picture of Colonial Life The Great Awakening The French and Indian War The American War for Independence Building a New Nation Our Nation Grows Matter Matter: Water, Air, and Weather Energy Energy: Sound and Hearing Physical Fitness Your Body Framework The Muscle Builder Your Breathing Machine Personal Hygiene A Winning Smile Your Body’s Cover Keys to Good Grooming Place value of whole numbers and decimals Mastery of fundamental operations Story problems Estimating answers English and metric measures Converting measures within the same system and solving measurement equations Roman numerals Addition, subtraction, and multiplication involving fractions Estimation Averaging Factoring Divisibility rules Introduction to decimals Making change Reading a thermometer Lessons such as Salvation Series, Genesis, Life of Christ, Paul (includes memory verses, hymns/choruses, and Bible doctrine) Music Theory/Flutophone Traditional, patriotic, fun songs Grammar Sentence structure,Kinds of sentences, Punctuation, Capitalization facts, Abbreviations, Possessive words Recognizing and using all eight parts of speech Diagraming verbs, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs Correctly using troublesome words The Civil War New Frontiers An Age of Progress Beyond Our Boundaries The World Wars Time for Freedom and Responsibility Interpersonal Relationships A Healthier You Earth and Space Geology: Planet Earth Oceanography: Wonders of the Sea Astronomy: Consider the Heavens Solving equations using addition and subtraction axioms Graphs and scale drawing Basic geometric shapes Perimeter and area Using an English and metric ruler Time lapse Basic drawing and painting techniques, color concepts Well it didn't copy correctly, but, you get the idea! With that said I need to get busy! Have a great day!

First Day!

For the first time in 20 years I helped one of my children get ready for their first day of school. Tomorrow Samuel and Cortney start Private Christian School. I am excited to hear all about it tomorrow

Summer is here!

I thought it was going to be a mild summer until yesterday. The air was so thick it felt as though you could not breathe. The heat index was said to be 102. It felt like it.
I took the kids shopping with me, but the combination of toddlers and the heat it made for a nerve wracked day. I have no a/c in the van so, it was just soooo hot that we were all miserable. The highlight of our afternoon was the 7 11! SLURPEES!!!! Now that will make you feel so refreshed on a hot stagnate day as we had yesterday. Then we followed it up by them playing in the pool! So the end of the day was better than the beginning. At least for them. For me, because so much arguing went on with the lil ones, my nerves were frazzled and were literally jittery. So I made the kids keep it quiet the rest of the night until bed so that I could relax some.
Now I am up, it's 5 after 6 this  morning, and, it's already 72. This is not good. So the house a/c will most likely come on very soon.

This Old House

It seems so hard these days to find the time to post like I once did. I stay so busy between the kids and the house. All of that is about to pick up even more. We moved in this house a little over a year ago and I have been waiting for Jasper to begin the transformation of turning this from an ugly old eye sore in the neighborhood, to a cute farmhouse. It's coming soon! I was so happy the other day to find out it was all about to begin!
He is going to put on the OSB and the shake siding on all but the side we will be adding on the new room to.   This will include shutters and all. I cannot tell you how excited it makes me! I try to picture this in my mind, but it just won't come together. I will be sure to post pictures as the work begins!

Rainy Day or ANY Day Fun!

I recently saw a post on a blog about making sensory fun bins. I had to go to Walmart this morning so, I thought okay, I am going to see how they like this! It was not that expensive at all! As soon as I got home I put it together for Bella-Grace and Carl. Each have their own bins, and have played contently with no fighting for the past hour and a half! What a GREAT idea!

She is growing like a weed!

Updates are harder these days

I seem to stay so busy now. I wonder when It will slow down. Cassia is 10 months old now and so precious! I cannot believe she has grown so fast! The children are well. Everyone finally seems to be adjusting. It's not been the easiest of things.

Our weather finally seems to be realizing it is technically near summer and has warmed up a bit. I can't help but wonder if summer will be very hot this year. I am sure before long we will miss these cool days we have had.

We took a trip to NC and GA. For the most part it went okay. Had some bumps along the way, but they have since smoothed out. Jasper's Dad wound up in the hospital for the last few days of our trip. He has something going on with a valve that they are going to treat with medications. Hopefully that will work.
Renee, the babies and I left Sunday, because she needed to be home for work on Monday. Jasper and the older kids stayed until they knew Benjamin was out of the woods. Not long after our journey began a belt broke in her tire and we had to stop to get new tires on the back. That took 3 hours! So it was like 1:30 a.m. or so before we got home.
Just a few days after Jasper returned home, my transmission went out on my van. I am so thankful it got them home safely. We decided to go with something other than a Chrysler next time.

Well I better go, kids are getting up and breakfast must be made.

At The Crossing- Sung at Rev. Carl Jiles' Funeral

 I have looked for this song for years!

9 years ago...

It was 9 years ago that I woke up and wasn't feeling real great. I got in the shower and realized I was leaned up against shower wall letting water hit my back. DUH, your in labor! I began to get ready, Jasper was working 3rd shift and would soon be home. I woke the kids we were all getting ready. Jesse was there, he was doing okay until, you guessed it, my water broke. Then he runs out the door like a lightning bolt headed for the neighbors screaming her name lol. It was funny. What wasn't was the fact we had to drive an hour away, and Jasper was late. I called and they said he had left. I waited until I was getting worried. My neighbor went and tried to track him down. He met him at the end of our road. This was nearly 2 hours after Jasper should have been home! He had been asked to work overtime that day! Of all days!

But, we got to the hospital in plenty of time. It was tough but we had a beautiful baby girl! Rebecca Joyce Merrell, she was 8 lbs 9 oz, same as her big brother. It would be years later before I would find out she had broken my pelvis on her way out. But, she was oh so worth it! I love my baby girl!

Country and Critters!

When we moved here a year ago, I knew being at the foot of the mountain, we would possibly see critters. I just didn't realize that this house was a highway to so many of their paths. I have already heard something this morning trying to get back in under the house. We have stuff blocking the entire foundation, yet it still manages to get back in! I think it's another opossum, but not quite sure. It could be another skunk! I don't think it has gotten under yet. If I weren't such a chicken I would go see. But The thought of a skunk being able to spray you from 25 feet is not exactly inviting.
I need to do some research on something that small critters hate. Find it and go all around the foundation with it. Samuel saw a huge opossum the other night. Perhaps that is what it is. He said it was Opossum-zilla! I just want the critter to leave and go find him another home!

FWD: FWD:

Meet Camden Reid Lam
my sweet adopted grandson!

Springtime in Virginia!

What's that awful smell?

If your not from an area where this "smell" is familiar, you will ask this question. Unfortunately, we in the Shenandoah Valley, know exactly what that is! It is a SKUNK! My house smelled like a cross between wet dog and skunk. We noticed this 2 nights ago  and also discovered a large hole going under the porch.
After doing some research I discovered that skunks choose a home where they have a good food supply and water source. We recently discovered that we have voles. Skunks eat voles. So, we must eliminate the food source. Also Skunks bear young from the end of April-first of June. It depends on the age of the mother. We need to decide what strategy to use to rid our home of this pesky critter without getting sprayed!

The weather just can't decide

One day it's hot, the next its cold....Ahhh spring! Soon it will be hot weather and we will wish we had these cool days of spring. The grass is already growing quite a bit. Samuel is attempting to cut it down. We have 2 fields that were very high last season and so they are much thicker than the rest of the yard.

I have begun my container gardening. I have several plants now. I have Hosta, several types of Day Lillies, Hen and Chicks, Irises, Butterfly bush, and more. I am glad to have something this summer to see bloom. After construction is completed on our new rooms, I plan to get a few trees. I would love a weeping willow.

We have several things coming up to keep us busy:

Convention (Begining Thursday)
A Surprise (Can't tell ya yet)
A visit from Auntie Linda and Uncle Richard (May 13)
Rebecca's 9th birthday! (May 17)
A possible trip to NC/GA (End of May)
Blue Ridge Youth Camp * (July 4th week)
Landmark Youth Camp (End of July)
Cassia's First Birthday! (August 9th)
Carl's 5th Birthday! (November 13)
Georgia trip (Thanksgiving)

My we will be busy! Once I began typing it became real just how much we had going on over the summer! I hope we can fit it framing up for our expansion to the house! We really need it!

Warm Weather is here!

At least for this week! By Wednesday we will be in the low 80's! The birds are singing! Ahhhh I love it!

Spring has sprung!

Well, it's spring time here in the valley. Robins are everywhere and the jonquils are in full bloom. I am so glad to see the temps coming up and the days getting longer! All this has me motivated to get the house in order. I mentioned to Cortney, it's time to spring clean the house, she says why do people say that? What is it about spring that makes you ant to clean. I told her houses have been shut up all winter long, it's time to open windows and clean out all the stale dusty air. Kids, gotta love the innocence. So, with that said you can know I have begun the process.

Cassia is growing so very fast. She is almost 8 months old! Yes, can you believe it? Me either! She is so sweet and rotten. I love her so much and she is my buddy. We do almost everything together. lol Mainly because she won't let me put her down! Spoiled? Just a tad bit...lol She loves the outdoors so when the kids take her out, when warm enough, I enjoy some much needed me time. Even if that involves cleaning and such...lol

Carl has really grown a lot lately. He is very much a boy! Into everything, asking 100's of questions. Oh how I love that lil handsome guy! He is My buddy too! He told me he was outside shooting coyotes, but, got scared when he saw a huge snake in the field....lol no coyotes, no snakes, just a huge imagination! THAT is my Carl. :)

Rebecca is counting down her days to her 9th birthday! She too has grown a lot this year. I am amazed how fast the time goes. She still loves her Hello Kitty stuff! I think she always will. She has become such a great helper with Cassia. I am glad for the help. She is a little mama. Cassia goes to her better than anyone other than me. Rebecca loves that!

Samuel has become quite the young man. Doing school, working 1-2 days a week with Dad, he too is growing up. At 15, I think he has a good head on his shoulders. He is saving his money, that is a smart man. I am proud of his accomplishments and who he has become. He is an excellent musician. Playing the guitar, bass and piano. This Mama could not be prouder!

Our new addition: Cortney.... She has been with us since the end of November. It's been quite an adjustment for everyone. Little by little we see everything settling down. It's an learning experience for us all.
She has drawing talent that I have tried to encourage her to enhance. I see such potential there.  Hopefully soon she will develop a desire toward it and go with it. Who knows what she can do, I know it will be great to watch once she starts! Drawing could lead to painting....time will tell.

Well that about wraps it up. My me time is almost gone, so I will close this and surf a bit. Hope everyone is doing well.

Until next time.......

Our Snow Days

Could not get door open

My Beautiful Blue Spruce

This was taken in the morning, 

we had snow all day long, which

 added 6-8 more inches

My Burried Van

Deep!

Our Snow Covered Bush

March 17, 2013

It has been a few days since I last posted. I have gone through so much in the last 3 weeks. The pain levels that I endured were tremendous to say the least. Developing a dry socket, though you may have heard it's painfuluntil you develope one your mind just cannot fathom what its like. At times I thought I would lose my mind because though I took pain reliever it just did not take it fully away. I have a regimin I have to do to keep the area clean. If I forget it won't be long until pain returns and reminds me. So now things are looking better from that and I come down with a fever and head cold. I am so ready to begin to feel better!!!!!!
Cassia had this same stuff. She is much better and more like herself. Samuel says his sinuses are acting up so he is probably next. I imagine it will movethrough the house.

School seems to be going well. We might get a decent break! I can only hope!

It Has Been Awful!

Last Wednesday I had a wisdom tooth removed. I have endured some of the worst pain ever in my life! I developed a dry socket. I have heard they were painful, bu on a scale of 1-10 it was a definite 20!! I do feel today, though still in pain, that I am finally on the mend!

I am on the mend and Cassia is running a fever. Her lil tummy is rumblin and she is very clingy and cries even while nursing.  When it rains it poors.  

I am hoping that soon things will return to normal.

FWD: Yummy!

She liked the cake!

Favorites!

I did it! I found my only 2 favorite teachers ever! One was on facebook, the other was found using google search. I am so excited!

As I sit here in the church nursery holding Cassia, I hear the morning youth singing. It's the last of the youth retreat. It seems like the children are revived and ready to go another mile. The next time we will see them is in April for Convention! I amazed at how fast time is slipping by. Cassia will soon be 1 year old. Unbelievable. She is going to be 7 months old on the 9th. Again, I say time is slipping by!
Spring is almost here. I am so ready for it. We have so many things we need to do to exand our house. We need more room! It's exciting to know that we will be changing things around soon. A bigger livingroom, larger kitchen, I can hardly wait! Once that comes we also put in another bathroom. Yay! Now that really is exciting lol! One bathroom currently and 7 people creates chaos lol! We get by, but it will be far nicer to get the second in. The next project would be to wrap the house in a wood siding and Painting it. Though it will take a long while, I am excited!~*P@m*~

So Many Changes

That is what we have gone through here. It takes a lot of patients to go through these changes and some are not that easy. In the end it's coming together very well. We have our niece living with us. She has been here since the last of November. We have had many ranges of emotion here, but it is understandable for everyone involved. I am happy to say we seem to finally be finding our places yet again and we are functioning more as a family.

So, now I have 2 teenagers, a nearly 9 year old, a 4 year old and a 6 1/2 month old! Yes! I stay super busy!! I have been trying to get organized better even before Cortney came, but it has been tough! I do a little here and there.
Cassia is demanding Mommy give 100% of me and that makes thing hard to manage. I basically have to wear her to get some things done! The only one who can do anything with her is Rebecca. It's funny.

Our school year is on track and the children are doing very well. We have had a few bumps along the way, but seem to be past that. I am encouraged to see the changes.
School Picture day is Wednesday. Renee' will be doing them. I can't wait to see how they turn out.

Spring is in the air

Today is sunny and will be 55 they predict. We noticed the days are slowly getting longer, and Robins have returned to Elkton, Virginia. I admit I am ready for some warmer air myself. After staying cooped up in a tiny house like this all winter, trust me you long to see warm weather coming!

There are several things I am hoping to accomplish this spring. I am hoping to clean out a lot of things we just do not need anymore. I have a whole building full of things that I have not used in 4 years! It's time to get that stuff out! If I have not used it in this long amount of time then I seriously doubt I will.
When I do make the move to get it cleaned out it will be a job for sure! I am scared of what I will find. When we pulled the Christmas in there was snake skin nicely wrapped around my garland! YIKES!!!! So I need to get on it as soon as I can, before they become active again. I just hope I do not find any actually in my things or you will hear me squeal all across this country!

School And More

So far so good, well, for the most part. Most of the kids are staying on track. I am hoping we can continue a good pace from this point on. I am the only one up right now. Jasper went to work in Charlottesville, so I am up enjoying some me time! It's usually the only time I can get it.

Jasper is still working on the kids play room outside. It's a huge project and though I like the idea would have preferred my new living room being added first. The one we are using right now is so small. Hopefully soon we can get started on that. I plan on primitive decor in the living room and roosters in kitchen. I am not sure yet what I want for the master bed and bath.
I am so looking forward to warmer weather coming. It's not far off I know, but for now seems like it. With warmer weather coming the kids can get out more.

Cassia is growing so fast! She will be 6 months old on the 9th! Where has the time gone? Why is it zooming by so fast? She is jabbering some now saying ba ba, da da and ma ma. She also is getting up on her hands and knees and rocking. She is so sweet and pretty. I am trying to train her on a cup. So far she only chews it! She is eating some baby food, though I do not give her a lot yet. She is at the stage where she only wants Mama and cries if I leave the room. It makes it very hard to get things done. I am  hoping this one is grown out of soon.

Rebecca, Carl, Cassia and me are all down with colds. Rebecca and Carl have it bad. They both slept in living room last night. I feel sore in my sinuses and it burns a bit too. I'm hoping they will feel better when they get up.

I have wanted to post more today, but my eyes are getting heavy sitting here. I will close this for now.  Have a great day everyone!                                                                                                                                                      

The Weather Today!

We are expecting severe weather today in Elkton, Virginia. Heavy rains and high winds. It's the price we have to pay for such a beautiful day we had yesterday. The sun shined and it was warm. The kids played and had a great day. It was a lovely break from the bitter cold week. The cold is coming again. I am hoping that this time won't be so bad.

I have so much to do. I have been looking at a blog for organizing the home. Oh the ideas! I can't wait to do some of these. I have decided to do the stove room into 3 sections of shelves with lots of tub cubbies. We need the organization for all the school supplies. I will have lots to keep me busy once we get started.

The kids are doing well in school. We seem to be staying on target, which I am glad. I have not decided when we are taking our spring break yet. I am thinking maybe the end of March so I can get my birthday off. :) I always give the kids their birthday off. I love being a Home Educator! We do what WE want! :)

Cassia is growing so fast. She is almost crawling. She gets up on her hands and knees and rocks. She has started to explore and it's so fun to watch her. she will be 6 months old on the 9th of February! I am amazed and saddened how fast the time is going. I am trying to enjoy every day.

Well that's it for now. I hope everyone who reads this is having a blessed day!

It's far too cold!

It has been so cold this week. I will be so very glad to see next week get here with 50f temps. It will seem like a heat wave! I have had a hard time getting the house warm today. I was finally seemingly winning the battle when Jasper came home and turned the heater down! What in the world!!! I just went back and turned it back up! lol I am not going to freeze! Neither is the babies!
We had a little snow this morning, and are expecting 2" tomorrow. Well, Cassia is awake! Gotta run!

FWD:

Light snow this morning
~*P@m*~

Cold and Colds

That is what we have here in Elkton, Virginia. Tonight's low is supposed to be 15 and the high tomorrow 24! I am sure the woodstove will be running hot tonight! Samuel is sick with some sort of cold or maybe even the flu. He has a Dr appointment set for the morning. He said his throat hurts so bad, I do not want him to have strep throat. Hopefully he won't. I have to go cook supper so I have to end this. Hopefully soon I can blog!

NO Snow!

What a huge disappointment! IF we get snow it won't be much at all. It went further south. :( I was so hoping for a foot of the white stuff!

Snow In The Forecast!

One thing my niece Cortney has said she hoped to see was a big snow! It looks like her wish is going to come true! The weather forecast is as follows: Winter Storm Watch URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 250 PM EST WED JAN 16 2013 VAZ026-027-029-030-039-040-170400- /O.CON.KLWX.WS.A.0001.130117T1200Z-130118T0300Z/ ROCKINGHAM-SHENANDOAH-PAGE-WARREN-MADISON-RAPPAHANNOCK- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...HARRISONBURG...FRONT ROYAL...WASHINGTON 250 PM EST WED JAN 16 2013 ...WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING... * PRECIPITATION TYPE...SNOW...POSSIBLY HEAVY AT TIMES. * ACCUMULATIONS...IN EXCESS OF 5 INCHES POSSIBLE. * TIMING...SNOW MAY MIX WITH RAIN AT THE ONSET THURSDAY MORNING... BEFORE CHANGING TO SNOW LATER THURSDAY MORNING. SNOW WILL END LATE THURSDAY EVENING. SNOW MAY BE HEAVY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. * TEMPERATURES...LOWER 30S. * WINDS...NORTHWEST 5 TO 10 MPH. * IMPACTS...ROADS MAY BECOME SNOW COVERED. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECAST FOR POSSIBLE UPDATES FOR THIS STORM SYSTEM. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECAST FOR POSSIBLE UPDATES FOR THIS STORM SYSTEM.

Settling In

    Our home is going through some adjustments lately. We got custody of our niece on November 29, 2012. We had Cassia in August so it has been a lot to get used to around here. Over all it's going great. I have been trying very hard to get some sort of schedule going that will work for us. With school in session and those new schedules, it makes for busy days.
    Today I worked on my livingroom. it had gotten into a shambles from the holidays. Today I took down Christmas decor and dusted. it looks nice in here. Then I cooked supper and now I am blogging lol In between doing that there was school, toddlers and nursing going on! I am pretty worn out!
     Cassia has dozed off, Carl is in time out, Bella-Grace is rolling in the floor, While Samuel, Rebecca, and Cortney are upstairs being crazy! The house is very much alive!

Oh my, look what my adopted son made for me!

Elkton, Virginia, Bald Eagle!

I love living in Virginia. This beautiful guy was less than 2 miles from my house today! Below is some facts on Bald Eagles. There are two subspecies of bald eagles. The "southern" bald eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus leucocephalus, is found in the Gulf States from Texas and Baja California across to South Carolina and Florida, south of 40 degrees north latitude. The "northern" bald eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus alascanus, is found north of 40 degrees north latitude across the entire continent. The largest numbers of northern bald eagles are in the Northwest, especially in Alaska. The "northern" bald eagle is slightly larger than the "southern" bald eagle. Studies have shown that "northern" bald eagles fly into the southern states and Mexico, and the "southern" bald eagles fly north into Canada. Because of these finding, the subspecies of "northern" and "southern" bald eagles has been discontinued in recent literature. Color - Both male and female adult bald eagles have a blackish-brown back and breast; a white head, neck, and tail; and yellow feet and beak. Juvenile bald eagles are a mixture of brown and white; with a black beak in young birds. The adult plumage develops when they are sexually mature. It takes about five years for their head and tail feathers to gradually turn white. The bald eagle is the only eagle confined to North America. There are no other large blackish-brown birds with a white head and tail in North American. Size - A female bald eagle's body length varies from 35 to 37 inches; with a wingspan of 79 to 90 inches. The smaller male bald eagle has a body length of 30 to 34 inches; with a wingspan ranging from 72 to 85 inches. An eagle's average weight is ten to fourteen pounds. Northern birds are significantly larger than their southern relatives. Eagles sit at the top of the food chain, making them more vulnerable to toxic chemicals in the environment, since each link in the food chain tends to concentrate chemicals from the lower link. A bald eagle's lifting power is about 4 pounds. They do not generally feed on chickens or other domestic livestock, but they will make use of available food sources. Bald eagles will take advantage of carrion (dead and decaying flesh). Because of its scavenger image, some people dislike the bald eagle. Other people do not care for powerful and aggressive birds. Still other people object merely on the grounds that it is a bird of prey, which kills other animals for food. Voice - Shrill, high pitched, and twittering are common descriptions used for bald eagle vocalizations. Eagles do not have vocal cords. Sound is produced in the syrinx, a bony chamber located where the trachea divides to go to the lungs. Bald eagle calls may be a way of reinforcing the bond between the male and female, and to warn other eagles and predators that an area is defended. Bald eagle audio. Eyesight - An eagle's eye is almost as large as a human's, but its sharpness is at least four times that of a person with perfect vision. Skeleton - It weighs about half a pound (250 to 300 grams), and is only 5 or 6 percent of its total weight. The feathers weigh twice that much. Eagle bones are light, because they are hollow. The beak, talons, and feathers are made of keratin. eagle skeleton Habitat - Bald eagles live along the coast and on major lakes and rivers where they feed mainly on fish. Longevity (life expectancy) - It's possible for bald eagles in the wild to live longer than thirty years, but the average lifespan is fifteen to twenty years. A captive eagle at West Stephentown, NY lived to be at least 48 years old. Body Temperature - About 106 degrees Fahrenheit (41 degrees Celsius) Eagles do not sweat, so they need to use other cooling methods such as perching in the shade, panting, and holding their wings away from their body. Tolerance to cold temperatures - A bald eagle's skin is protected by feathers lined with down. Their feet are cold resistance, consisting of mostly tendon. The outside of the bill is mostly nonliving material, with little blood supply. Golden eagles are larger than bald eagles in average height and wingspan, but there isn't much difference in average weight. One way to distinguish a golden eagle from an immature bald eagle is leg plumage. A golden eagle's legs are entirely feather covered; an immature bald eagle's lower legs are bare. As seen while in flight, juvenile golden eagles have white patches at the base of the primaries; the tail is white with a distinct dark terminal band. It takes four years to acquire adult plumage. Adult golden eagles are brown with tawny on the back of the head and neck; tail faintly banded. Bald eagles are active during daylight hours (diurnal). Fidelity - Once paired, bald eagles remain together for life. Although, if one dies, the survivor will not hesitate to accept a new mate. The wings and soaring - An eagle's wings are long and broad, making them effective for soaring. To help reduce turbulence as air passes over the end of the wing, the tips of the feathers at the end of the wings are tapered so that when the eagle fully extends its wings, the tips are widely separated.

Happy New Year!

Well it's 2013! I spent a quiet evening at home, while Jasper and the kids went to the church for a dinner. I was keeping Bella Grace and it's hard to keep up with her and Cassia  in a public place. Renee came around 9 and picked BG up, and then my crew came home at 11. We were praying as the new year rolled in.

Today Cortney and Renee are going to the store to find BG some clothes. She has outgrown all her clothes.

I will have to come back later Cassia is crying!