The RHOK Reads : Pioneer Woman - Ch. 6-9

Lots of emotion is the best way to describe these four chapters. I was swooning, crying, smiling, falling in love and feeling awkward right along with Ree.

I can really get a feel for how things are changing for her. I was a city girl minus the vegetarian palate. I had access to the golf courses, malls and most anything else I could desire. I moved to college which had a very big "country" feel and boy did I fall for the cowboys. They all look pretty darn good in their Wranglers, boots and cowboy hats. I spent most of my free time at the local honkey tonk admiring all the cowboys as well as dancing and flirting with a few. Ahhhh, the carefree days of long past.

Beginning my second year of college, I met and fell hard for my "cowboy", starched jeans and all. He was all I thought I never wanted in life and he knew how to treat a lady like a lady. All other men did not mean a thing to me after that. I could not get enough of JB. Five months into our relationship he asked me to marry him and almost seven months later we were married.

I wonder how long it will be before MM pops the question to Ree and will the devastating news from her dad make her want to marry or run the other way. Come join us at RHOK and read along with us to find out what happens next in Black Heels to Tractor Wheels.

Searching Again!

In our neck of the woods, I am again searching for a horse riding instructor for Legs. This is the second time since November. She so desperately wants to ride and possibly go further but it makes it hard when things happen.

The first instructor was so good with the horses and with the students. We found a great deal at a local ranch/children's camp that gave us a group rate. She enjoyed a weekly class with five other homeschool friends. We started that in November. After the holidays, the lessons started getting sporadic. The instructor would cancel for weather, other responsibilities or other small issues. What got to me most was that she always said that she contacted all the parents but not ALL of us got the message. The final thing was the day of our next to last lesson before summer break, she sent another text message saying her husband told her she had to work full-time and she could no longer teach. Legs was most upset because she couldn't say good-bye to Prince.

I took a couple of days and called around to a few other places. One instructor has only one lesson horse. The only time she offers daytime lessons is on Saturdays and Sunday mornings so that was out of the question. She can come to us but since we do not have our own horse, that option is out.

Another one we found has two lessons horses and she can offer weekly lessons on Wednesday mornings. This works great with our schedule. We went last week for the first time and Legs loved it. The instructor was very nice and patient, has an indoor facility and even commented how easy and laid back Legs was and that most inexperienced riders are nervous but Legs was not.

We were supposed to have lesson number two with Callie the horse today but the instructor called and said the horse went lame. She does not know what the treatment will be or if even possible so we have to stop for now. She did offer another name and number for us to call that has lessons. So I will be on the phone again in the next day or two to check it out.

Not only is it frustrating for Legs, as a mom, I just want her to be happy and have a good relationship with a trainer and horse. Is that too much to ask?

Come over and join the ladies at RHOK and add your post.

Raising Homemakers-Wednesday Link Up

I am joining Sarah and other ladies over at Raising Homemakers today by sharing an idea to make it a little easier to keep the table clean.

We were given our dining room table and chairs from my aunt and uncle when they decided to remodel. It is all made from solid wood and has proven to be able to withstand my four kids. I pray that it continues to be sturdy.

Anyways, I got SO tired of a marker or something else getting on the table top. Yes, I could throw a table cloth on it but then I couldn't see the pretty table itself. Plus, the vinyl ones I had were not all that appealing and the cloth ones still let spills through to the surface of the table.

One day I was at the local craft store and I remembered a friend who had a clear vinyl covering on her table. Bonus! I could keep my table clean from spills and stray marks plus still be able to see its beauty. I got about 2 1/2 yards of the thicker vinyl from the store, brought it home and there you have it. Easy to clean too and all for about $8.

RHOK:Into Your Neck of the Woods

The ladies over at the RHOK have a new Tuesday link-up called In Your Neck of the Woods. We can talk about and/or show a picture of what we have or experience in our life.

Most of you know that we are a homeschooling family. Most days we try to include Chubbles in what we are doing but other days she may able to play on her own while we are hard at work. If you were to walk into our house on any given day, you will most likely see what we fondly call the Chubbles Tornado:

The RHOK Reads : Pioneer Woman - Ch. 1-5

Since I received the Pioneer Woman's book, Black Heels to Tractor Wheels for my birthday, I am joining the ladies at RHOK in a book club. I love to read and now I get to discuss what I am reading.

I do not have a particular favorite part of the book because I like it all but I love that he makes the hour drive to pick her up and then again to bring her home. When they go to his house, that is four hours of driving. I do not think I ever dated anyone that would have done that for me, not even my dear hubby.

I was surprised that Ree had plans to stay around in her "small" hometown for awhile before moving to Chicago. I assumed that since she had become so worldly in CA that she would hesitate a minute to get to Chicago. God had other plans and in walks MM.

Even though I do believe in love at first sight, I do not ever remember having that strong of an emotional pull from someone I just met. It did not take me long to fall in love with my hubby but at first I could go a few days without seeing or talking to him.

For next week, we will be reading chapters 6-9. I am on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happens. Will it be tragic or wonderful?

Pioneer Woman as a Birthday Gift

My birthday was on March 27th. The day before my parents came up to watch Legs bowl in her league and watch Lil Man play in his baseball tournament. Later that evening we got to go out to eat for my birthday. We met up with my JB's dad, his new lady friend and my aunt and uncle who live close.

I chose Red Lobster. I love seafood but only get the opportunity to eat here about once a year. It is a huge budget buster for us so we save it for something really special. I got some great cards and gifts for my birthday and I loved just having us all together but the best gift of all was Pioneer Woman's new book, Black Heels to Tractor Wheels.

But that is not the best part, my parents stood in line for four hours to meet Ree and got her autograph for me with a special birthday wish. I am so excited! Now I can join the RHOK in their weekly book club.

Binky Fairy Visit

I allowed Chubbles to keep her binky (pacificer) longer than the other kids, about a year longer. The time had come for her to take the next step after getting a big girl bed, we had to stop using the binky altogether.

She let us take a picture of her on the last night to use the binky.

We made a big deal about the Binky Fairy coming to take all the binkies and taking them to new babies. She asked for a binky once or twice the first couple of days but after that she has not asked for one again. As a reward, the Binky Fairy surprised her and left her money to go eat at Cherry Berry, her favorite place to go.

Oil Well Drilling

JB had hernia surgery on March 16th. He has been suffering with an umbilical hernia for almost a year but we did not have health insurance. We praise the Lord it was not more serious and require an emergency visit. Once the doctor started to repair the hernia, he found two more hernias that needed to be repaired. When JB does something, he goes over and beyond.

The day after the surgery, JB's dad was having an oil well drilled so JB wanted to take the kids to see that. He always enjoyed watching it as a kid so he thought the kids would too. I did not object, it was a field trip for school.

It was so noisy and pretty warm. When we got there, we parked a good distance away and left Chubbles in the car seat since she fell asleep on the way. It was interesting to see what came out of the ground as it was drilled. Lil Man got to help turn some dials with the workers and they all got to see some samples under a black light to check for oil.

Derby Car Races

Lil Man and JB participated in the local Boy Scout Derby Car Races. They both came out winners with Lil Man placing 2nd in speed and JB placing 3rd in speed.

Birthday at the Hotel

Legs' got to share her birthday party with friends from church. We decided to keep it small but I still wanted it to be fun. We reserved a suite at a local hotel with an indoor pool. The suite had a small kitchen, a living/dining area and two bedrooms. It was perfect for 5 girls and myself to have a good time and relax.

Fire Station Field Trip

Another mom in our homeschool coop arranged a field trip to the local airport. There was such a big response for this one that we had to split into 4 groups. Legs went on this same field trip about three years back. I was about one week from delivering Chubbles so my dad came and went with her to the airport.

This time around I signed up Dude and Lil Red. When the time came, Dude opted out of going which disappointed me because he was the reason I initially signed up. Oh well, Lil Red and I had a great time with our friends and we learned so much.

13? Already?

13? What do you think when you hear this number? Thirteen is a big number in our house this year because Legs is now officially 13. We have a teen in our house! What an adventure God has for us to experience.

I am in denial that Legs is this old and it does not help that she is practically as tall as I am. I still remember holding her for the first time, watching her sleep in the cradle, all the late night cuddles and feedings, watching her bond with her daddy, the first bath, the first step, and eventually becoming a great big sister.

The kids get to choose where to eat on their birthdays unless they are having a party on the same day. This year Legs did not want to miss church on Wednesday night so she chose to eat lunch at Olive Garden. That was not a big surprise, she loves Fettuccine Alfredo. She also got to open presents from us while there. She was surprised and elated that we gave her a "promise" ring and wears it proudly.

National Pancake Day

March 1st was National Pancake Day. In honor of this celebration, all the IHOP restaurants in America give a FREE short stack of pancakes. In return, they ask that you make a donation to the Children's Miracle Network. The kids and I have taken advantage of this the last two years and paired it with a trip to the aquarium.

This year we changed it up a bit and instead of going to the museum, we met homeschool friends there after we knew that most of the restaurant would be empty. We had a great turnout and lots of fun. We even had two of our dads join us! Who doesn't love FREE pancakes?