What to do, What to do...

Summer break is in full swing here. I have to admit, I am always really ready for them to get out of school, but never prepared to have them here all day long. I have this mental list of all of the exciting things that we could do during the summer, but finances always stand in the way. So, this year we are doing the newly popular "Staycation".

We are only about 20 minutes from Statesboro, GA and there is a water park there. We could go for a great day of fun there for only about $40. That is about the same price as a trip to the movies. We are also directly in the middle of Savannah and Augusta. So that opens up new things for us to do. I know that the Science museum in Augusta is fun, we have been there for a birthday party before. There are so many wildlife parks around here too. National parks are another choice. The kids and I really would like to go camping for a while this summer, but with this being the busy season for my husband's job, he won't get to go. ( He's an A/C man.) I really could sit here all day and make a list of things for us to do. When you sit and think about what is around you, it is amazing to see all of the things we tell ourselves that we will get to and never do. This year, I plan on leaving our marks around this area. We need to get out and enjoy the places that make where we live home.

So when someone asks you what you are doing this summer, tell them you are getting outside to see all of the hidden treasures that your neighborhood has to offer.

On a related note, a friend of mine on facebook was talking back during our Spring break that he was GEOCACHING hunting... I didn't know what that was so I googled it. Turns out, that GEOCACHING is an online community that finds hidden treasures around your area, using coordinates, gps and other little things. You should really check it out. I had a hard time learning the lingo, but maybe you could fair better than I did. It is a way for people to get out and see their towns and have fun doing it. I have to say, it was very interesting learning about this. For more information you can go to www.geocaching.com

So, we have lots to do this summer and we can do all of this (HOPEFULLY) without breaking our budget. We'll see how things go. I hope you are enjoying your summer vacations so far... and for the rest of you that haven't started your summer vacations yet, start making your plans now. It will be here before you know it.

Bless ya'll,
Jamie

New and Exciting News!

So, Just as I am getting on the ball with keeping my blog updated, my computer decides to take a vacation. So, thanks to some really great friends, they gifted me a "new" laptop. We are up and running again. Thank God!! He is so good to us.

Alright, where to start? Well, my newly turned 4 year old son decided to teach himself to ride his bike with no training wheels. I was working in the garden and he yelled "Look at me mommy" and there he was riding by me. He is so cute. I could just squeeze him.


We had started taking the chicks outside in the mornings when we get home from taking the girls to school. They love being in the sunshine and scratching around the yard. They never venture outside of the side yard and never got into the garden, so I didn't mind. One morning about 2 weeks ago, my son and I took them outside to play and we came back inside to have our breakfast. We do this every morning and the chicks always stay where they usually play. I went out about an hour later to check on them and there stood a huge, and I mean HUGE rotweiller dog. Let's just say that my heart dropped into my stomach! I shooed the dog away and then went looking for my chicks. They were no where to be found. I stated crying and immediatley called my husband. He said to go get the Cheif of police, their office is just accross the street. So, I loaded up my son and sped to the police office. ( WARNING>>> This story gets very country beyond this point!) I ran into the office and the chief was having his morning coffee with the mail man. The mail man looked at me and said, UH- someone is coming and she ain't happy... I yelled... A big ole rottweiler just ate my chickens!! He said, alright I'm on my way. He followed me back to the house and long story short, he knew who's dog it was and he went and got him. They came back to the house and the man paid me $60, yes $60 for my 3 lost baby chicks. I couldn't believe it. We were heartbroken, but my son and I loaded up again and went to Statesboro to buy new baby chicks before the girls got home from school. We bought 6 new chicks and only spent $13 of the $60. We weren't able to get a new rooster chick, they didn't have any. Instead we ended up getting 6 girls. Then, again... we lost 2 of them. 1 died in the cage, we don't know why, and 1 got loose outside when we were cleaning out the cage the very next day. Oh well, we still have 6 others... Yes, I can add... I was hoping that you would catch that. When my son and I returned home from getting the new chicks, the 2 girl chicks that we had, had come out of hiding. We did lose our rooster chick. He was eaten by the big ole' dog. So, we had 8 girls all together, but now down to 6.

My daughter, Lilly pulled her first tooth the other night. She was determined not to lose it at school. She pulled it herself and was too proud. Earned her $10 for that jewel. I told her that she could start pulling mine for that kind of money.

The garden is looking so good. It is growing up a storm. It is funny the amount of people from town that have come over to look at it. The other night, there were 5 people here looking at it at the same time. Just this morning another of our neighbors stopped and said to let him know when my squash is ready. The pastor from the church across the street came by about a week or so ago and said that I was the talk of the town with my garden. Well, at least they are talking about my garden and not about me as a person right!! I think it's funny the things people get all worked up about these days. I am glad that people are taking notice though. My next door neighbor who has plenty of space for a nice sized garden and says that he just doesn't have time to do it, even planted 4 tomato plants... that's right... I am wearing off on folks around here.... so you might want to look out!

We also have another newbie here on the homestead... Marley. She is a ?Chocolate lab puppy. We don't know how old or if she is a full blooded lab or not, but we love her just the same. She loves the chicks too. She will sit at their pen and bark at them. She only wants to play with them, but they peck her through the fence anyway.

Speaking of the chicks again... my loving husband has a new nick name... The Chicken Whisperer. He can go out and stand next to the bigger chicks pen and they will fly up and roost on his shoulders. He literally has to tuck them in at night. If he is out there and doesn't come to see them, they get out by flight and come to him. It is too funny to watch. I wish I could get a good picture of it.

We only have 1 more week of school and I can't wait!! I am tired and I, I mean WE need a break. I hope we are able to do some fun things this summer.

I am not well versed in how to properly upload pictures so that they will be in the right order. So, these are the pictures... hope you like em'

Bless ya'll,
Jamie