the great debate

I have a new SUV that I love to drive. It comfortably fits our family of 6 and I am always using it to haul around stuff and extra bodies.

I have officially "moved" into this vehicle. It has my lip gloss in the ash-tray and my tweezers on the dash. My library of CD's are in the middle console and my two car seats are installed and not going anywhere....until my hubs announced that we would be PARKING the car!

Ever since we got married we have always had a nice, new car...that we LOOK at and don't drive! My husband is a believer in "saving" the vehicles. 

My argument is....then WHY buy it??? Who buys a car (that you desperately need) to sit and stare at?!

He is afraid that the sun will beat down on it, since we don't have a garage, and the paint will fade. Well, our SUV is WHITE!! And since we don't have a garage, he wants to park our car at his parents house, in their garage!

I can't tell you how many times I have grabbed the two babies to run out to the car, late to pick up the kids at school, only to find that the car won't start. I then have to huff it...a few blocks...to his parents house to retrieve my perfectly functioning car. AHHH!

Then he will argue that it is getting "trashed" by our 4 lovely children. That is an insult to me because I wash it weekly, I don't let the kids eat in the car, and they have to take everything OUT of the car that they brought IN to the car...daily! I think it is in GREAT shape.

In exchange for parking my new car he has given me a Ford Topaz (from the 60's) to drive. Just kidding, I don't know the year but it was before they enforced seat belts...because there are NONE in this vehicle. It is a beautiful shade of peeling, crackled silver...and it doesn't go into first gear! It only has two doors and the front seats don't lock into place so if you hits the brakes hard the kids can go flying into your seat pushing you into the windshield. It's a beauty!

And so we have debated for many years whether or not we should drive our new vehicles.

His argument....PRESERVATION!

My argument...PRACTICALITY!

march winds

today is laundry day. 

the wind is blowing like crazy. 

the month of march we get hurricane strength winds.

it makes me feel bad for those who have to hang their laundry out to dry.

there is dirt blowing everywhere since we are surrounded by farms and unpaved roads.

my dryer broke last summer so I had to hang my clothes out to dry.

I can't tell you how many times I would find bird doo-doo on the clean clothes.

my kids loved to play in the hanging sheets. it was their new fortress.

i guess i love having the option to dry my clothes in the dryer or outside in the clean SUMMER air.

march is definitely NOT the time to be hanging your clean clothes out to dry...outside!

the garden

it is almost that time of year...again.

we have a garden...as do most in our town.

i asked garrett if he would help me plant a garden and he agreed.

little did i know his idea of a garden was like having another farm!

it takes a full-time team to keep the "garden" under control.

when the plants start producing you need to be prepared to receive tons...literally...of fresh produce.

this is when home bottling skills come in handy

or

an extra large deep freeze.

there is a small window of opportunity to distribute, can, or gift the veggies before they go bad

so

you have to act fast!

i am extending an open invitation to those interested in bottling to come and join me any or every summer.

 this is the area of our yard that we have dedicated to the garden. as you can see, it is bigger than the lot our house sits on. that's what you get with a farmer for a husband.

my pony

Living out in the country we have lots of animals. Not your traditional "farm" animals but...animals.

We have dogs, cats and horses. 

For my daughter's birthday I decided to get her a pony...one of her very own.

As you can tell, we went through a 3 Amigo's phase.

Little did we know...our pony was pregnant when we bought her. 

We woke up one morning to 2 ponies!! 

These little horses are very tame and follow you around the yard, like the dog. 

In fact, they are about the same size as our dog.

I love living where my kids can be comfortable with animals and can run and play outside whenever they want.

Mexican Coke

The Coke in Mexico is a lot different than the Coke in the States.

It is a sweet treat and once you taste one you will have a hard time going back to the other.

They have a stronger flavor and are very bubbly.

The people here claim that it is the only thing that properly washes down the greasy tacos.

No meal is complete without a Mexican Coke...in a glass bottle.

Here they have a "Coke Man" who will come to your door to pick up your empty coke bottles and replace them with full ones.

Just like the milk man...only he's the COKE man.

There are Coca-Cola advertisements on just about every building.

Coke is the unofficial mascot of Mexico.

You cannot visit Mexico without trying their COKE.  

shopping

Shopping in Mexico is a whole new experience. 

We usually get a few girls in town and go down in a group. 

We have done this in the past  for safety reasons and now it just makes it more fun.

Our large grocery store is about 20 miles from our little town. 

The stores carry tons of things...but finding them is another story.

They haven't mastered the art of organization.

We are just grateful that they have some of these "golden" items.

The isles are usually only big enough for a single cart. 

The like to put out promotional tables everywhere too. 

I was pushing a cart with a child hanging onto each side and one got knocked in the back by a stack of crates and the other one would have to get off and walk behind me to fit down the isles. 

It is truly an experience. 

When you check out they have "bag-boys" that bag all your groceries and they like to be tipped. 

Then you are met in the parking lot by men who will push your cart to your car and load your groceries for you. 

They too like to be tipped. 

I must say the service is excellent! 

We feel like celebrities when we go "down town." 

Not too many blond, blue-eyed, TALL girls here.

{death}

Sunday night one of the kindest people in town passed away from a massive heart attack.

She was loved by all and never forgot anyone's birthday.

I had the privilege of having her as my Visiting Teacher.

I considered her my dear friend.

Her death was very sudden. She will be sorely missed.

In our community we have a "burial committee." Instead of shipping off our beloved downtown to the local Funeral Home, we prefer to handle it ourselves. It is also much more cost efficient. 

We have a committee to handle the men and one to handle the women.

(Sorry, if this is too much information.)

Under the Scout Lodge is our little morgue.  The bodies are handled by those who loved, appreciated, and worked with the deceased while on this earth. They are never passed onto a stranger, which can be comforting. And to know your loved one is being handled with great care.

In our town we are able to make all the funeral arrangements within days so there is no need for embalming. Instead a method of closing or stopping up all orifices is performed using cotton, and a salt mixture is rubbed over the skin to help with preservation.  Then the body is tenderly dressed and made-up properly for viewing. 

Some are disturbed by this method but I think it is very personal and a great way to pay a last tribute to a loved member of our community.  

My father-in-law has been over the "burial committee" for several years, and on more than one occasion, has left my mother-in-law to find a body laying on her counter top.

It is a job that he holds sacred and considers it a privilege to be able to help.