Ol' Cowboys don't die

Ride Cameron ride!!! We will NEVER forget the memories we made, but you will forever be missed!!!!

Cameron Steven Brock
September 29, 1988 - August 14, 2009


Tuck was a cowboy I knew years ago,Could put a stretch in a story like a forty foot row.Young an' wide-eyed, I believed every word,As he rambled through the canyons an' stampeded herds.Swore there were still Comanches in them breaks to the south:He'd seen good hands ride in there an' never rode out.

He had a horse he called Dollar that twice saved his life.He lost him to Jim Shoulders playin' poker one night.When I turned eighteen, I packed up an' left home:Tuck was pretty old back then an' by now he's long gone.

But I've heard it said that ol' cowboys don't die:They get put out to pasture way up the sky.So if God's got a Heaven for old cowboy legends,I hope the grass is greener on the other side,An' he's got good horses to ride.

Now the folks back home would tell you Tuck was just crazy an' old.But I still believe in Conquistadore gold.An' those memories look like a mirage in the distance,Starin' out from this prison of urban existence.So I saddle up an' I go back now an' then,To remember who I was an' just forget where I am.

Now the concrete an' steel, they spread out like a plague.Consumin' the rivers, the mountains and the plains.Then one of these days, it'll all be gone.But somewhere, that spirit will always live on.

'Cause I've heard it said that ol' cowboys don't die:They get put out to pasture way up the sky.So if God's got a Heaven for old cowboy legends,I hope the grass is greener on the other side,An' he's got good horses to ride.Yeah, he's got good horses to ride.A few good horses to ride.A few good horses to ride.

Lyrics by: Trent Willmon

Okay, this blog was suppose to be once a week. It has turned out to be once a month! I guess I set myself up to think I could do it on Monday's. That is my "busiest" day of the week. And the rest of the week we are on the go or playing LOTS and dancing around to Southern Gospel or Barney. It has been such a good summer. We watched some Lima beans grow in a glass jar. We would water them and put them back in the sun and talk about the changes they were making. After we got them in the window for the first time, Lily looked at me and said, "You are so cool. Maybe the coolest mom in this whole town." So, I busted out laughing (on the inside) and told her it was easy because she was the coolest kid in the whole town!

I have been learning this summer what it is really like to lean on the Lord. We are trying to find a house. We have found a couple now that (so far) have not worked out. We made an offer and they did not accept it. So, I am praying all the time and just trying to let God work it out. If I have learned anything this summer it is the lesson of letting God be in control of your life.

Okay the pictures are:

Us on the 4th of July at the Fish Hatchery in MT. Rest. Jeremy's parents were camping at the State Park so we took off on a drive. We had a really good time that day. Laci loved the fish splashing around. And Lily loved giving them food.

The girls in the sprinkler over at Jeremy's parents house.

Laci got her first hair cut. She did so good! That was her "pretty eyes" face.

Jeremy had a birthday in July. I let the girls get him a gift from the Dollar Treasure. Lily got a flashlight and Laci got him a sponge to wash his car. That was a fun trip that will leave the sweetest memories. Then all of us got him a Clemson Tigers grill grate made my one of our friends, James Jarvis. He LOVED it!!

This was his homemade birthday cake. I even made old fashion homemade icing. It was sort of hard, but I "got it". I think he will have this every year from now on. He loved it and it was worth the work.

We all went on a hike in Helen, GA after church one Sunday. Had a great time. They even built a nice deck area to sit or take pictures from. But it made us so mad to see how some people had spray painted it and carved in it. So shameful.

We have been to several of Uncle Billy's roping's. This was in a break and he took Lily and Laci on a ride. They love horses and are not afraid at all to take the reins and ride. They love their uncle Billy!!!!

Bean Cookies and more

Okay, I am on this eating healthy kick. I am into my new cookbook Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld. The concept is that you "sneak" in veggies into things already like to eat. And I really need that for Lily. She will not eat anything in a raw state.



But the chickpeas in the chocolate chip cookies have been the brunt of many jokes in our house. And by the way, they were actually really yummy!! I'll add the recipe for those of you brave enough to give them a try. When I make them again, I will not add the beans. But for a light and "healthy-er" cookie, they are great.



Chocolate Chip Cookies

Nonstick cooking spray

1 Cup brown sugar

3/4 cup butter (or margarine)

2 large egg whites

2 tsp. vanilla

1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 cups (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cups old-fashioned oats

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt



1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sugar and margarine with a wooden spoon or on medium speed until smooth. Beat the egg whites and vanilla, then the chickpeas and chocolate chips. Add the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt, and mix on low speed until a thick dough forms.

3. Drop by the tablespoonful onto baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and just set, 11 to 13 minutes; do not overbake.



If you try this, you have to let me know!



I think as a mom you have this instict to protect your kids. I never gave nutrition much thought....until kids. What was on T.V...until kids. That the word "modest" is used almost everyday in my house.



So, call me (and my bean cookies) crazy, but if it's for the overall better health of my kids, I am willing to go the extra mile. And being at home I have the luxury of feeding them what I want them to eat. I love that I get to choose what goes in their little bodies. Don't get me wrong....we have treats too! Mostly when we have played hard outside. Bottom line, I love being a mom and learning new things everyday!

What we have been up too

Laci had her very first ice cream cone on Saturday. It was so funny watching her lick and ice cream running off her chin. She would take a bite and say, "Hummmmmm!!!" She ate every last bite. Although, I have to say I had an "Ahha!" moment while making the ice creams. I had to sit them back in the freezer to make the next one and so I grabbed some little bathroom cups to put them in. I left them in the cups so they would stand up on the tray as I brought them out to the back yard. Little did I know they would make great catches for all the runs and drips!!

My girl with the sweet tooth but want touch a raw fruit or veggie had to have chocolate chip mint. Laci and I had strawberry. (Little does she know I just ordered a cookbook that hides all the fruits and veggies into stuff she already eats!*wink*)

Lily also had her dance recital a few weeks ago. It was a great show! She did SO good!!!

And we had Laci dedicated at Church on Mother's Day. We had about 5 children dedicated that Sunday. It was so special.

And of course we have been playing at some parks. This was taken when we had our play date after school with Abby, Jeb, and Caleb. We had a picnic and rode bikes. It was a fun afternoon and made for some tired girls who took very good naps that day!!!

I can't wait to kick off this summer. My prayer is for us all to stay safe and enjoy all the sweet sticky summer foods, sun, and even the pesky bugs....but above all I pray that we all remember to start and end our day with the Lord and his word.

"Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you."

Nehemiah 9:5&6

Why I want to Homeschool

I have not been met with any oposition from anyone yet...but I know once they SHOULD be in public schools I will be met with more questions from my family. I know seveal homeschooled kids, as well as some of my family. And being around them I have found that they are very very bright. And they have a different focus than kids in public school. They seem to all be of a servants heart. (Not that kids in public schools can't be raised to be the same way.) I want my girls to be in the kitchen, garden, chicken coop (yet to come), and doing chores with me and each other daily. I don't want them to be gone from our house for 7 or 8 hours a day; then sitting at the table crying over how much homework they have. So, then I get the worst part of their day!

I also have a personal reason for wanting to school them myself. I had a very hard time in school all because I had a MEAN and HATEFUL 1st grade teacher. She LOVED when I failed and would make a big deal out of my grades. I had a hard time with math in 1st grade, and my teacher made that worse. She taught me to count on my fingers so that I could keep up. I want my girl's to have a teacher who loves them and wants them to succsed in math and every other subject. I want them to have a teacher that would drive them to where-ever to learn about a subject. And I want to be there when they "get it"!

Here is some other thoughts....this was based off my daily devotion I get everyday, but most of this is the very reason I have decided this is what will be best for our family.

* I want to homeschool my girls because fixed hours aren't required to learn a subject.

* I want to homeschool because there are so many fun things to learn. Not only are there great curriculums for covering the main subject areas, but there are also countless extracurricular topics and activities to explore.

* I want to homeschool because I have the flexibility to adjust our day depending on what God brings. If my child is grasping concepts quickly and wants to know more in language arts, great; I'll keep going and forget about doing history that day. If Dad has an impromptu meeting in another city, I can take advantage of the opportunity and schedule a family field trip.

* I want to homeschool because it gives me an opportunity to really know my children. As teacher and parent, I see both their heart and mind and have the blessed privilege to develop both in the Lord.

* I want to homeschool because I don't have to wait until school's out at 3:30 p.m. to receive a hug and a kiss. I have the joy of loving and being loved by my children throughout the entire day.

"Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked" (Ephesians 6:16).

Lord, thank You for giving me the opportunity to teach my children. Even though tough days will come, I know Your presence will guide us through. Help me appreciate the blessing of teaching my children each day. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Jill's great gifts

My best buddy, Jill, has been such a blessing in my life. We talk everyday and I don't know what I would do without our conversations each day!! She is just a beautiful person. Well, Jill not only has a gift of making friends feel special she is a creative genius!! And I am lucky enough to get some of her special gifts. Here are two of her digi shirts she designed:

Thank you for inspiring me, and for being a true friend! I love ya!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Wow, it is 2009!!! And what a way to ring in the new year! We had SO many giggles yesterday. It is tradition at my house to have collard greens, black eyed peas, cornbread, and tenderloin EVERY YEAR!!! But yesterday my brother, dad and Jeremy were busy... so it turned out to be my mom, Lily, Laci, and myself. We had heart-to-heart talks, played on Facebook, and laughed so much. It was so much fun!!! Thanks mom for being so fun and easy to talk to! I love you more than you know!!!



So, for 2009 I am thinking in ways of SAVING money. I have always been pretty frugal but I am going to try to pray for ways I can save even more in 2009. And one way I have been saving money is by making my own Homemade Washing powders. They work great and last me several months. Here is the recipe:



Homemade Washing Powders:

1/3 bar soap (any soap you use to bath)

1/2 cup washing soda (we found this at Ingles)

1/2 cup 20 Mule Team Borax (you can find this at Wal-Mart)



Grate the soap & put in a sauce pan. Add 6 cups of water and heat it until the soap melts. Add the washing soda and Borax & stir until dissolved. Remove from the heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket. Now add your soap mixture and stir. Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir.



Let soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel.



You use 1/2 cup per load.



Enjoy and save!