We are still having issues, but overall our connection is somewhat better. Mostly, the last few weeks I have been busy with the grandkids and company. That and the fact I nearly have to arm wrestle the bigger kids for my turn on the computer, I need to convince them, this isn’t some type of “timeshare” program.;)

If you are new here, hi! Welcome! I will visit you as soon as possible. Summer is a busy time around here – there’s the garden, separating mamas from babies (and teaching new mamas the ways of the milking barn), canning and freezing ~ and always with lots of company! I love summer!

*Update* ~As I post this, I am also putting up corn! It has taken me three days to get this written. I know, I am slow, but really?!! I wanted to go ahead and post, so pictures will have to follow later. Hugs!





FOR TODAY... from Cheryl's Daybook
Tuesday, June 22nd & 23rd, 2010

Outside my window... ~ it is mid afternoon (98 degrees), the sun is bright, but there is a nice (although warm) breeze. I’ve been watching through the window as dh and the boys work to get the swimming pool set up (finally). I am happy, because this will keep them out of the pond ~ I hope!

I am reminded… ~ a few years back, I thought going to the pond was wonderful. (Maybe wisdom does come with age; or maybe in our youth we are fearless!)

I am thankful for... ~ Like last week, I am still thankful for bedtime! (LOL) And let me tell you, bedtime seems to come later and later. We had old friends over last night. We visited until the wee hours of the morning. We are very blessed by the friendships we have.

I am wearing... ~ I am still in my pj bottoms and a navy blue tee-shirt (see above for why). Whatever would the ‘Fly Lady’ say? Probably, why on earth did you have company so late? (I have managed to pin my hair up, as it is so hot when I go outside.)


I am remembering... ~ summers spent on my great aunt and uncle’s farm and how much I loved being a part of everything there. I pray the children who spend time here will also treasure their memories.

I am going... ~ to be putting corn in the freezer tomorrow, Thursday. It looks very good this year.

I am currently reading... ~ Believe it or not, I haven’t read anything this week, with the exception of the mail, my new MaryJane’s Farm magazine, and my Bible.

I am hoping... ~ for a sudden burst of energy that will allow me to have the perfectly cleaned house, all the veggies put up, the garden weeded and the lawn mowed. (Dreaming, I know.)

On my mind... ~ the oil spill and what this means to all the people in the Gulf States. (and now a general relieved of command)


Noticing that... ~ My red hibiscus! It is gorgeous!;)

Pondering these words...~“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10


From the kitchen... ~ BBQ chicken, beans, fresh garden veggies and homemade ice cream.

Around the house... ~ it looks like a disaster area! (from last week, but there hasn’t been much improvement.)

I am praying for… ~ our children and family members, and those who have requested prayer. I am praying Proverbs 9:10 for our children, because we all need a healthy dose of wisdom.

I am creating… ~ an oasis, where stress is not an option.

One of my favorite things… ~ sitting in the garden, enjoying the moonlight and sounds of the night.

From my picture book... ~ Pictures coming *I promise!*

Blessings,
Cheryl

For more Daybook entries visit The Simple Womans Daybook.

Cheryl's Daybook ~

(Because AT&T Wireless was not connecting, I am posting this late ~ if, when ~ for the same reason, I was unable to visit many of the blogs I had hoped to visit. Continuing to try!

Hey, new followers! Welcome and thank you! As soon as my internet straightens up, I’ll return the favor! If you don’t hear from me in a few days, please leave a comment and remind me. ~ Cheryl)





FOR TODAY... from Cheryl's Daybook
Tuesday, June 8th, 2010

Outside my window... ~ it is a dark, moonless, cloudy night. We have a chance of isolated thunderstorms for the next three days.

I am reminded… ~ a few years ago, we scheduled an auction, money was tight. The day before it rained and rained. All you could see was dark heavy clouds, not the type of weather you would want for an auction. I was beside myself with worry and fretting (not praying, fretting). For just a short few seconds, there was a slight break in the clouds and the sun was shinning….then it was gone! And I was (and am) reminded, the sun is never gone. Somewhere above the clouds that hover, the sun continues to shine. And so it is with the Son, above our problems He remains, always there.

I am thankful for... ~ I am thankful for so many things, but frankly, here lately I have been most thankful for bedtime.


I am wearing... ~ black stretch pants, scrub top. I’m waiting on my turn in the shower. Cleaning the freezer is a messy job!

I am remembering... ~ my cousin, Mark. Today is his birthday. Mark is ten years younger than me. He and his wife, Teresa, have recently adopted two very small children. I am so proud of them! But, ten years down the road, I do not envy them. Where did my energy go?

I am going... ~ start a couple of new projects. (Wait and see! *wink*)

I am currently reading... ~ I have read very little this week. I should be studying in the Book of Numbers, but Numbers and Leviticus are always difficult for me, so I procrastinate, which leaves me feeling somewhat guilty. I did read Karen Kingsbury’s Take Three, which is an off shoot of the Baxter series. Now I have to wait for Take Four to be released.


I am hoping... ~ for a few days of nothingness. A few days of no bad news, no sad hearts, no skinned knees, no one complaining about what’s for dinner or whose turn it is to feed the animals. You know…just dreaming the impossible.

On my mind... ~ People without God (how do they cope?), children who are ill ~

Noticing that... ~Memorial Day had a very defining affect on me, but I can’t explain it. Please, don’t misunderstand, as it was a good weekend, a wonderful holiday, spent with family and friends. There has been lots of craziness, which seems to be my norm, lots of material for future posts, but something is different.


Pondering these words... “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5 ~ Particularly, the last half of the verse.

From the kitchen... ~ I promised to make banana ice cream for company tomorrow evening. Update: We are having fresh green beans with new potatoes, spaghetti, yellow squash, and salad for supper.


Around the house... ~ it looks like a disaster area!


I am praying for… ~ our country and for wisdom.


I am creating… ~ chaos, unfortunately. When did I lose control? Okay, I am trying to regain control. My freezer is clean, awaiting this year’s bounty. The a/c filter is clean and the mountain of laundry resembles the Smokey Mountains instead of the majestic Rockies. Little, by little.

One of my favorite things… ~ early mornings in the garden with my Honey Hunk. (He makes the best coffee! Really!)


Picture thought for today… ~ I was going to share some photos of us cleaning the family cemetery, but I am so completely taken with the picture of this beautiful little girl, I wanted you to see her. Katie’s (at Dishin and Dishes) daughter, Kayla, is in Hyderabad, India, on a summer mission trip. This beautiful little girl is in an orphanage for children with AIDS/HIV. Please pray for the children in this orphanage and for Kayla, along with the other members of the ministry team.


Isn't she precious? So lovely!

You can see more pictures from the mission trip by visiting Katie.

To find more Daybook enteries, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook.

(I worked at trying to post this until after 3:00 this morning! I'm wondering if AT&T received some tower damage during our wind storm Monday? Anyway, here's hoping I get to finally post this!)

Blessings,
Cheryl

Catchin' Up!

Lots to talk about…..

Not a lot of time!

LIFE is interrupting my blogging time! Does anyone else have that problem?

First of all, I need to bring you up to date about the hCG diet. Without taking time to look for my form thingie, I’ll just give you the facts, along with the pros and cons.



I started Saturday before Mothers’ Day (I think) and my weight was 248. I had hoped to drop 24 pounds by Memorial Day, which was a little unrealistic for me, even with hCG. I did drop to 234, for a 14 pound loss and I lost 10 ½ inches.


I felt great most of the time. There were two days, I thought my blood sugar was dropping too low, so I ate a little more….an extra apple, a little more lean meat. In doing so, I found that rather than sticking to two meals and keeping my calories near 500 a day, I did better, breaking it into three smaller meals and trying to keep the calories under 700.

This allowed me to add an extra “meal” about 4:00 pm, when I would feel like I was going to “crash” and it prevented me from over eating once dinner was ready.

So, I think like anything else, you have to tailor this for the individual.

I was never really hungry! I did have the munchies….old habits die hard. I did cheat a little. I mean, this covered the time between two holidays and one family birthday, equaling three major family cookouts. When I did cheat a little, I felt like I had eaten an elephant! I mean, it would be like eating two peanut M&Ms and feeling like you had stuffed the whole (economy size) bag in your mouth. I am still very conscious of what I eat, which is a new concept for me. LOL

I also noticed my hair and skin have a healthier appearance and my nails grew like crazy! So that is a plus. Another plus, doing without sugar and grains, I seemed to have starved out the yeast in my system. No yeast infection! Yea! I did a ionic foot cleanse last night and you should have seen the nasty stuff that came out of me. Yuck! I should have taking pictures....not that they would have been pleasant to look at.

Over all, I will most likely do this again. When I get close to my desired weight, I will try to stick to the protocol, since this also makes changes in how the body reacts to food, as well as helping you to lose weight.

On to other things…..lots going on! This past Sunday was the first day in over two weeks we didn’t have extra chillins! And I mean….extra! Instead of the normal 4, we have been running anywhere from 8 to 11 (when they are all here), plus distant cousins from the next farm over. Sunday and yesterday, I tried to blog, but I just “crashed” – sat in the garden, read and slept.

The garden is all planted for now and we are already picking radishes and eggplant. I have a little transplanting to do (mostly herbs), but other than that we are through with the planting until we start putting in fall crops.

Today, we are back to having three extra kiddos, plus we are babysitting DD#1’s two dogs. She and her husband will be cooking for church camps for the next two weeks.

On the agenda here….I am going to clean the a/c filter today and clean out the large deep freeze. Can you believe corn will be ready to start putting up in about three weeks?! Honey Hunk is talking about putting the pool up. I know the boys will be HAPPY! It will take a day or two, as we need to move things around and do some leveling ….but that will keep the guys busy!

For breakfast there is fresh cantaloupe, egg salad and beef smoked sausage, along with lots of coffee and apple cider! Help yourself, then come on out to the shop and help me unload the freezer!

I am going to try….definitely try….to post again this evening as well as visit some of you. I have missed you so much! I even dreamed about some of you and your families!

Besides, I love posting the “Daybook” post….it keeps me focused …..gotta try and get that done.

Have a beautiful, fruitful day!

Blessings,
Cheryl

Sufferin’ Succotash! ~

~ *And Other Favorite Sayings*



I love quotes and sayings that have been passed down over the span of time. And I believe often, we are somewhat surprised when we find out their true origin. Like, “I see the handwriting on the wall.” ~ Straight out of the Good Book! “A little bird told me,” you’ll find as a warning in Ecclesiastes 12:4, and one of my favorites, “Straight from the horse’s mouth,” only in this case, it was an ass speaking to Balaam in Numbers 22.

There are famous sayings, for just about any subject, from the powerful words of John Paul Jones, “I have just begun to fight,” to the even more powerful (yet sad) words of Chief Joseph of the Nez Perez , “I will fight no more forever.”

Over the years, I have been amazed at the influence other people’s words have on our own lives. Never more so, then when, my then three year old referred to me as, “Dispectable!” (Yet another that can be attributed to Bugs Bunny ~ or maybe it was Daffy.)

(From my soapbox) ~ Remember the song, “Be careful little eyes what you see. Be careful little ears what you hear. For the Father up above is looking down with love, so be careful ~” ? In this day and age, we need to be especially careful for the sake of our children and grandchildren. If not us, who will be?

Perhaps Peter said it best, “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind.”





“Hardy har har. Au revoire. Adios”

“Okay Okay I'm shuttin' up. Why should I continue to
keep yappin' when I'm told to shut up. I'm not the kind that
don't know when to stop.”

“I knew I shoulda takin' that left turn at Albuquerque.”

Be sure and go by the awesome Jenny Matlock’s and see what others are say about the letter “S” for Alphabe ~ Thursday.


Happy Thursday, everyone!

Blessings,
Cheryl

The Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY... from Cheryl's Daybook

Tuesday, May 25th





Outside my window... ~the moon is shinning and nearly full, a scattering of small white clouds, the sounds of the night

I am thankful for... ~LIFE, salvation, family, and good friends


I am wearing... ~ a red Old Navy tee shirt (year 2001), black stretch pants


I am remembering... ~ things that remain steadfast. We have been sitting outside in the garden the last few nights, enjoying the lightning bugs (or fire flies), the smell of fresh dirt mixed with the scent of honeysuckle, showing the boys the big dipper and how to find the North Star. These are the things that remain constant, regardless of the economy, regardless of our individual pains or sorrows; these are gifts that make up our everyday, ordinary splendor.


I am going... ~ to finish up two graduation gifts, so I can tackle some summer projects.

I am currently reading... ~ The Prophet by Francine Rivers (still) ~ This is an excellent book by one of my favorite authors. I just haven’t had a lot of time for reading lately.

I am hoping... ~ to shampoo the carpets this week. (Carry over from last week, still headed in that direction.)

On my mind... ~ All that God is doing around me. Amazing! This is one of my favorite scriptures:

"The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing." Zep. 3:17 (How amazing is that? He is going to spread joy over you with His singing!)


Noticing that... ~ that many people are making major changes in their lives, one step at a time. When I am out blog-hopping around, I find the most interesting people and so many of them are in a season of change. I am not referring to a political climate change, but change of a personal, spiritual nature. Noticing this change has affected my choice of words to ponder, also.

Pondering these words... “Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.” ~Jeremiah 6:16


From the kitchen... ~ beef stir-fry, salad, fresh strawberries

Around the house... ~ too many projects and not enough organization.


I am praying for ~our country

I am creating ~a haven, a place of rest

One of my favorite things ~the garden and spending time in it with my other half

A picture to share.... the wildroses, such a welcome sign of spring making way for summer.


I didn't take this photo (it is much to clear, to be one of mine). It is from an online gardening catalog. But I noticed over the weekend, the wildroses along our dirt roads are beginning to bloom! They are so lovely! This week I plan on dusting off the camera and taking some photos to share.

For more from The Simple Woman's Daybook go here or, better yet, post your own and link up with the rest of us!

Have a wonderful week!

Blessings,
Cheryl

Plans for the Summer

The lovely Mrs. Nesbitt is posing the following questions for this week's Monday MckLinky:

What are YOU doing for summer vacation?

Where are you going? What are your plans?

Are you loading up the car and heading somewhere or does this year
bring a "stay-cation" for you and yours?

In answer to the question(s)....good questions! I know we are staying inside the borders of Oklahoma. No venturing south of the Red River for us! ~ well, maybe LOL

We are letting the boys decide, kind of. The plan is, to take one day trip each month. They (the boys) have to gather the information, either via the internet or by snail mail. They also have to locate said destination on the map and have an active hand on plotting the route to same, said destination.

For June, we are looking at Arbuckle Wilderness, with a possible side trip to Chickasaw National Park (we've only been to the nature center about a million times, but they always, always love it ~ they're boys).

Also in June, there are two air shows (AeroSpace America at Tinker, and one locally) and the National Sand Bass Festival.

July and August are still undecided (except for a Rodeo in July) but in September we are planning a trip to Robbers Cave State Park.

The rest of the time there will be trips to the library, to the river, lots of work in the garden, working with their animals, and time in the pool.

I'd like to take them to Gainesville, Texas, aboard Oklahoma's Heartland Flyer. We can board at Pauls Valley (about 20 miles from us) and take the train to Gainsville (a little over an hour). Once at Gainesville, I understand there is a shuttle we can ride to the Outlet Mall, where we would spend the day, then return that evening. Not that I want to spend all day at a mall with four boys, but I think the train ride would be a great experience.

That's about it. Mostly, we are going to enjoy the summer, one day at a time!

Hope your summer's a blast! In the meantime, have yourself a blast and head on over to the Real Housewives of Oklahoma and see what others are planning!

Blessings,
Cheryl

Memorial Day Challenge ~ Week 3

This Memorial Day Challenge is brought to you by Sandy. You can visit Sandy at A Working Mom's Joy. Thank you, for doing this, Sandy. And I promise, no nagging this week.;-)

Memorial Day Challenge - Week 3

Weigh In Day: Saturday

Starting Weight: 248

Challenge Goal: Loose 24 lbs (I know, it is a lot in a short time. Keep reading!)

Week 1: May 8 - 248

Week 2: May 15 - 239 (Tada!)

Week 3: May 22 - 236

Week 4: May 29

Not as dramatic as last week, but (since I finally found my tape measure) I am happy to report I dropped 7 1/2 inches!

I know, I didn't drink as much water as I should have this past week. I am going to work on that.

I did exercise a little, which helped my over all mood.

As for the effect of the hCG:

I am no longer having the headaches that I was plagued with the first few days. And I did start taking potassium, which has seemed to help in a number of ways - less muscle cramps (I was already taking magnesium), resting better at night. And the real plus is, I am not having any cravings. I went to town yesterday with DD#2. She was hungry, so we stopped and she ate a cheese burger, chips and pop and I was fine with water. Not even a chip!! Before, I would have at least eaten a couple of chips without thinking.

There were two days, I didn't watch what I ate as carefully as I should have. Not that I really over ate (for me anyway), we just had too much going on and lots of company. By the time I cooked for everyone else, I just grabbed a little of whatever. Notice, I said little.....no huge helpings or going back for more.

At this rate, I probably won' make my goal, but it was a little unrealistic to begin with. I will be in a better place than I was at the start. Overall, I am thrilled with the results of the hCG....and another thing, my hair and nails seem to be growing like crazy!

This week I am going to work very hard at drinking more water. I have restocked with lots of fresh fruit and lean meats. I think we will have a reduction in "busyness" now that school is out, which will make life much easier on me, thus reducing my stress and the temptation to just eat something, because I am too exhausted to care.;-)

I am going to work at adding more exercise.

I am going to focus on positive thoughts, rather than negitive.

I am going to choose LIFE.

Be blessed!
Cheryl