It is worth it...really it is!

My DD is 6 years old.  The perfect age to start practicing and helping with some household tasks that she has only watched me do before.  For example, she is learning how to use a sharp knife to cut vegetables and cheese.  She loves it and is doing a great job.  She is milking one of our goats almost by herself.  She is sorting and folding some of the laundry without direct supervision.  It is great.  I enjoy watching her learn new things and she enjoys having new responsibilities and privileges. 

Tonight, though, I learned that there will be bobbles in the process.  Here is the story:  We are going to visit my Grandma on Friday and will be gone for a week so we are in the process of doing laundry before our trip.  We sorted and DD did a great job of getting things where they needed to go, then I realized that the shorts I was wearing needed to be washed so that they could go on the trip with us to.  I changed and gave them to DD to put in the washer.  I even talked her through how to do it, "make sure you lift the lid and get the shorts down in the washer."  So I thought we were in good shape.  She was proud that I had allowed her to lift the lid to add something to the wash and I was proud of her for helping out with a good attitude (always a big deal around our house!). 

Well, when the load was finished I went and opened up the washer.  The shorts were right on top...where they had stayed for the whole load...on top of the lint trap with multiple holes torn in them by the agitator.  How frustrating.  I finally found some shorts that I loved.  They lasted a week and a half. 

I was very upset for about two minutes, till I realized that DD had sorted and done everything I asked with a good attitude.  It is not about the ruined shorts, it is about learning how to do laundry.  I showed her what had happened and with a smile on my face was able to tell her that it was OK.  Just don't forget to pull the the lint trap next time!  I doubt she will ever forget!  I am writing about this not to pat myself on the back but rather to remind myself later of the self-controlled, secure way that I handled the situation.  It was a good lesson.  It is possible to react calmly and turn frustration into a loving lesson.  Some day when DD is doing laundry for herself I will be able to look back on this frustration and think of how blessed I am to have the privilege of teaching my DD how to do laundry...even at the cost of my favorite shorts!

Summer and High School Lessons

Well it seems as though Summer in the King household has finally begun.  Today was the first day of swimming lessons.  I have always been under the delusion that summer was supposed to be relaxed and less busy.  Boy, was I wrong!  We are blessed to have the best swimming lessons available anywhere.  Almost one on one each day for 4 weeks each summer!  I can thank the wonderful lifeguards for instilling a love of water in my DD.

My 2 dear nieces are spending the night a couple of nights this week.  What a treat for our family!  I love hearing the giggling girls, even when they should have been in bed an hour ago.  Another reason to love summer!

At lunch, on Sunday, we were discussing what notes we still have from High School.  It seemed that most of the people involved in the discussion learned the valuable stuff in College, but the notes I kept are those from High School.  I have my English notes from Mr. Hough (Junior and Senior English and Senior Bible) and of course my Math Folder from all of Mrs. Findley's classes.  I kept text books from college, but I don't know that I learned anything in college more valuable than what I learned from Mr. Hough and Mrs. Findley and others, how to think things through to a conclusion, that God's Word is the ultimate foundation, that there is almost always more to the story, and many more little life lessons I find myself trying to instill in my own daughter.  I am thankful for those lessons!

Lost Things and Getting My Nails Done

I wonder how a bottle of shampoo can get lost.  Shampoo sits on the side of the bathtub and only gets used during bath time.  But here we are on a Saturday night needing to go to bed and my DD can't find her shampoo anywhere.  Where could it be?  "Maybe it grew legs," she said.  Must have, I guess.

I was reminded again tonight how much fun family can be.  We ran into Dave's cousins at Stage today and found out they were just "hanging out" tonight so we invited them over for supper and games.  Games aren't what they used to be, instead of poker or pitch, tonight we bowled, played basketball, and wake-boarded on the Wii and it was so much fun!  DD especially was full of excitement and energy while they were here.  And they enjoyed our left over lasagna.  It never even occurred to me that maybe I shouldn't serve company leftovers.  Thanks Beth for guiding me toward security enough that I was able to invite them over to my not clean house and serve them left over food and still have a blast!

Finally, what I really sat down to right about tonight was getting my nails done.  On Wednesday afternoon, DD and I went and got manicures.  It is one of my favorite rare treats and, as much as she plays with painting her
nails, I knew she would love it too.  We went to the new cheap place in town, and had a fun hour being primped.  She got OSU orange with kitty tracks on her thumbs and I got my old fall back, french nails.  It was a great time to spend with my precious DD.

I was going to get online on Wednesday evening and write a post about how many things I had done that day that were downright country.  Things like milking the goats in the morning and making soap.  I was talking about it at supper with my in-laws, about how farm-y I have become.  My FIL's response stopped me and has had me thinking ever since.  He said, "looks to me like you got your nails done today."  He didn't say it wasn't a farm-y thing to do or that it was bad, just pointed it out.

At first I sort of took it hard, like I am not really country after all.  But tonight my perspective changed.  I was preparing Tamale Soup for lunch tomorrow and Potato Salad* (See the recipe below) for supper tomorrow night when I realized that cooking today had done my pretty nails in.  And I was OK with it.  I enjoyed the manicure, I liked having pretty nails, but they don't define me.  Making soap, knitting, and cooking are part of what define me.  Who God says I am, my family, friends, and even goats are what define me.    I was a little city girl when I understood that God loved me so much He sent His Son as my Savior and He has been with me each step as I have become a little more country.  I am more country then I used to be, but DH picked me when I was a city girl and he loved me then as he does now.  I am definitely the mom of a farm girl, so it is a good thing I am learning. I love that I like getting my nails done and I think it is a good picture of me, milking a goat with my french manicured nails, maybe it is just one way I can be "clothed with strength and dignity!"

Mom's Potato Salad
6 large potatoes, washed and cubed and cooked
8 hard boiled eggs, peeled and cooled
1 small sweet onion
1 chopped bell pepper
2 chopped tomatoes
2 Tbsp. Mustard
Mayo to taste
Salt & Pepper to taste


After potatoes and eggs are cooled, combine in a large bowl.  Add chopped vegetables, salt, pepper, mustard, and mayo.  Stir together well.  Cool in refreidgerator until used.  Potato Salad will taste better the next day!  Serves 6-8 

Thoughts on Kindergarten Graduation

Finally I have a child free moment to write here again. And what to write on???

My DD graduated from Kindergarten last Wednesday. Several people suggested that I would be sad on that day, but just as on the first day, I was happy for her. She has grown so much this year and is a more lovely little lady everyday. Her teacher has taught her so much and, though I wish each day that I could home school her, I can see nearly everyday why God has her in school where she is. Her teacher taught her many things that I have tried and failed to teach and many things that I never would have thought to teach. She is learning how to get along with and love people who are different from her. She learned that it is possible to keep her desk neat and has tried (however unsuccessfully) to clean up her desk at home. She is learning how to read and discovering the wonderful world of books. I guess overall I have internalized something which I had only heard before, that God may not give me the desire of my heart (to home school M) but He has certainly given me the heart of my desire with her in Kindergarten (that she become a more godly young lady) this year. Thank you Mrs. Harrington!

An Introduction

Welcome to my blog. I have long thought that blogging was a strange thing to do, but here I am. Maybe I will never update it, but I hope I do. It is so interesting to go back and read the things I have written in the past. At least it is for me.

So I guess, to introduce, I am married to a farm boy. We don't have our own farm, but farming is in his blood, it is not what he does, but who he is. I am the most blessed wife around. My DH is a godly, kind, patient man. I don't know why God has blessed me with him, but I thank Him each day! We have one daughter who is graduating from Kindergarten in 2 days. We live across the driveway from DH's parents which is an adventure in itself, but one I am grateful for most of the time. It is funny how we fit together even our two families. I hate to garden, it is my MIL's favorite pastime. She isn't much for cooking (not that she isn't good at it) and I love it.

My FIL has turned me into a goat lover, seriously, I have three of them now! I never could have imagined milking a cow, much less a goat, but I do it 2 times a day each day now, and I love it. I make soap and am hoping to build up a business selling it. We enjoy fresh milk as much as we can drink and even more. The in-laws have chickens too, so we get fresh eggs, also a good thing as I think DD eats about a dozen hard boiled eggs a week.

My parents live far away in North Carolina and I miss them dearly. Someday, I am sure, we will finally make it out to visit them, but at least we live in the day of cell phones, facebook, email, and now blogging so that keeping up with them is not hard at all. Today is my Mom's birthday. Happy Birthday, Mom, I love you!

My hobbies are knitting and scrapbooking and reading though they seem to have fallen by the wayside recently. I hope to get back to them now that things are slowing down. DD has just finished her first year of Soccer and it kept us way too busy! I wish that I could home school my daughter, but it is not to be right now. I am always preparing for the day that I have that privilege again.

I am active at church working as the Awana Cubbies Director as well as ladies Bible studies. Church around our area has been a long journey, but I trust that God is leading us each step of the way. I am thankful for each church/person God has put around us on the journey and I pray that they have been blessed as we walked together with them for a time.

I know that covers quite a bit and hardly anything at the same time. But it is me. I hope to get to know you better too!