Turquoise & Barbed Wire

As most of my facebook friends already know, I've started selling my "creations" online. Out here on our little acreage (which I can't call a farm, because I'm growing nothing, and which I can't call a ranch anymore, because the cattle have gone away for the year) things never get dull. However, I do get bored when my husband is away at work. So I started making things. It all started a year or so ago when I decided that I would paint everything I could get my hands on turquoise. And so I did. Most of my furniture was turned turquoise.

After I'd changed the color of my furniture, I decided to start making signs out of boards. I'd seen this done at every ranchwear store, and they charged ridiculous prices for the signs, so I just decided to make them myself.

You get the idea. So now I'm making crosses from barbed wire and taking old horseshoes, cleaning them up & beading them. It keeps me busy & keeps me creative!

So visit my fb page & check out my newest creations! ~ Turquoise & Barbed Wire
Oh, and "like" it too! At 200 "likes" I'm doing my next giveaway!

Lightening Storms

There's a thunderstorm today & I'm kid free until 5 pm. SO many things I could be doing. However, there's a thunderstorm today and all I can think about are the rules that my Dad told me about lightening.

Things my parents told me I wasn't supposed to do during a lightening storm:

-Be outside. Duh
-Sit in front of computer
-Sit in front of tv
-Stand at front door & watch
-Take a shower
-Take a bath
-Wash dishes

Hmmm. What to do. What. To. Do.

Time for a pool?

I haven't bought Kirsten a pool this summer. So she's been improvising & making her own little pool out of the dogs water bowl.

Adjusting to Country Life

We moved about 3 weeks ago. I'm slowly adjusting to life in the country. I'm loving the sunsets and the way it's so quiet out here. There are a few things that I'm NOT loving. Mostly, the snakes.

Anyone can tell you, I'm terrified of spiders. Up until a few days ago I would have told you that I wasn't scared of snakes. I certainly don't like them, but I wasn't scared of them. Turns out, I wasn't scared of them because I was never really around them. Snakes in aquariums are fine, they are contained. Snakes hiding beside your car, slithering past you in the pasture, and popping up while you are mowing are not okay! So far, we've seen six snakes and killed two. I'm sure I won't be able to keep count after a few months.

This morning our neighbor was grazing his calves on our pasture. He had about 60 cows out there and I needed to move some things down by the pond. I stuck my pistol in my back pocket and headed down for the pond. I just knew I would see a snake. But I made it to the pond and back safely. So I decided to plant some flowers in front of the house. I had my shovel in one hand and my gun in my pocket. As I was walking between my house & my car (under the carport) I nearly stepped in a snake! It was a 5 foot black rat snake. Nothing poisonous, but an ugly, scary snake nonetheless. I scared the snake as much as it scared me. I panicked! I ran away screaming like a sissy girl. The snake, probably extremely scared by my girlie screams, crawled under the house to hide. Fabulous.

So now I have a snake under my house. I know that the snake could have been living under the house this whole time, but now that I know it's there I am terrified! In my mind, I'm certain that the snake is going to sneak into the house, wind up on my bed or Kirsten's bed and kill us in our sleep. I'm sure of it. Irrational, yes, but it doesn't stop me from thinking it! I've been banging around the house all morning, hoping it will go back to the pasture and leave me alone.

As for the rest of my "adjusting", everything else is going fine. It's a little lonely out here. Friends don't pop in to say hello & that's something I miss. But seeing the smile on my little daughters face when she gets to see the cows, run outside, and go fishing is worth giving up the "city life". (not that we even really lived in a big city)

I'll just make sure to keep my boots on, keep my gun read, and have a shovel ready for the next time I see a pesky snake.

Bedtime Songs

When I was a little girl, I remember my parents rocking me to sleep every night. They sang me bedtime songs like Rock-a-bye baby & Hush Little Baby.

Now that I have my own little girl she also wants me to sing songs to her before bed. Her requests: Oklahoma & Henry the VIII. I can't make these things up.

What songs do you sing your little ones before bed?

Clear Spring Road

My husband and I have been looking at houses for the past three and a half years (since we got married). He's not much of a "city guy" and I'm not much a "country girl". I'd say I grew up in a small town (15,000ish people). He'd say that he grew up in a small town (2,000ish people).

We live in my small town. It's where we met. I was working at the courthouse. He was working at the jail. Ahhh, love at first sight. You know how it goes.

Anyway. After years of looking at houses out in the country, we have tried every way we know to find a compromise on where to live. I prefer to be closer to town, but on the outskirts of town, close enough to get to the store in about 5 minutes. He's perfectly fine with being an hour from the store.

He needs horses and animals. Our daughter NEEDS a pig (so she thinks). I need a safe place that I won't be worried about burglars or tornadoes. After all, we do live in Oklahoma.

Back to my story. It seemed like we could find a perfect house, but the land wouldn't be good, or the area wouldn't feel "right". Or we could find great land with a crummy house. Good price, poor house. Or the an amazing house& land, but ridiculous price!

So, three and a half years later, we made a compromise. It's 20 minutes from my home town, about 10 minutes from a grocery store, 3 minutes from a convenient store, and plenty of land for our (soon to be) horses & the pig.

The house was small, but the area was safe, the land was pretty, and it had two stocked ponds. So, my husband was sold on the stocked ponds and the rest is history. Our closing date is about a month away and so far, every thing is going smoothly.

This is the house, a little 3 bedroom house on a long dirt road. We are the only house on the road (that's not my car)

This is the back of the house

This is the storm cellar. Evidentally I have to go in there during bad weather. Terrifying, right? It's very clean, but I don't know that I will be able to go down there. Thankfully, I have the best mother in the world. She will help me put lights in it & probably a storm radio. Plus, she will make sure there aren't any spiders down there.

This is the barn and one of the ponds (it's the smaller pond, but still much bigger than it looks here).

So, life will soon be very different for us. I'm very excited. Also wondering how we will take care of 15 1/2 acres, since I only have a push mower as of now.

If you are keeping track, I need a tractor, 3 horses, and a pig.

While I was doing laundry...

Do you ever start doing your husbands' laundry and end with thoughts of what happened to these clothes?

I found this shirt and all sorts of questions came to me.

Did he set himself on fire at work last night and not tell me about it?

Did he fall into a vat of acid?

Was he attacked by someone with a cigarette?

What happened to these jeans?! Surely he would want to throw them away (but I was wrong, he's going to keep them). Should I sew them up? Was he attacked in prison? (hehe. ewwww...)

Hogs, Sisters & Cupcakes

It's been a whirlwind since Paul got home from the rig. We've been going non-stop! I love it!

One of the great things about marrying into a BIG family is that there are always people around. I only have one brother, so it's nice having tons of sister-in-laws, brother-in-laws and new cousins around.

Saturday we met up with some of Pauls' family. First we went to a friends house and killed a hog they had caught. (I'll spare you the pictures of that!) But here's a picture of the momma hog and her babies. We caught two of the babies and are keeping them to fatten them up. Tomorrow we are going to our cousins house to build those little hoggies a pen.

After the slaughter, we headed to my in-laws to smoke the hog. In our family, we turn it into a day long event. It's so much fun! ALL of the kids are just running around like wild animals and the adults sit in their lawn chairs and spend the entire day outside. I'm sure we all look like a bunch of rednecks. I actually turned into a redneck yesterday, well, atleast my neck did turn red. I thought I was turning red because I'd had a beer, but turns out I was just getting sunburnt. (One drink of alcohol will turn my fair skin fire red!)

The kids had some jello snacks, and evidently mine was raised by wolves and forgot how to use silverware. Hands work just as good, right?

By marrying Paul, I gained five sisters and one brother. So we've got a big family. Big Christmas gatherings and big birthday gatherings! This is my sister-in-law Bridgett. She's a month older than me. So she'll get to turn 30 before I will. =)

This is the best part about having lots of family, the kids! After dinner, the kids were hyped up and all started climbing on the Jeep. Don't worry, the keys weren't in it!

Lastly, today we went to another cousins 1st birthday party. Here's Miss Kirsten scarfing down a cupcake. Her face is still stained blue.

Trip to see the Pioneer Woman

On Valentine's Day, Ree Drummond was in Dallas, so Paul took me shopping, to an early dinner, and then off to meet Ree!

To our surprise, Marlboro Man was there too! (This is Pioneer Womans' husband)

Cooking Eggs for Kirsten (Ree Style)

My Mom & I have become quite obsessed with Ree Drummond. We've been making recipes from her cookbooks & her blog. She's just simply amazing. We also bought her book "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels". I started reading it this morning and I'm halfway through. I actually didn't want to put the Nook down to post a blog, but I'm trying to stay committed to the blog.

In Rees' cookbooks and on her blog, she documents every step of her cooking process with pictures. So, this evening when my sickly daughter (who rarely eats anymore) told me she was hungry, I jumped out of my chair, and prepared to make her a wholesome meal. But she wanted scrambled eggs (her favorite). So, in true Ree style (and because it's lonely here tonight), I decided to document the way that Kirsten wants her eggs made. (note: she's not much of an eater, so I use the entire egg for her, along with vegetable oil & butter ~ not the healthiest thing, but when she rarely eats, then it's not much of an issue)

Scrambled Eggs ~ Kirstens' Way

Preheat a small skillet to Med or Med High

& add a small amount of vegetable oil (use Pam if you want to be healthy, but that's not how we eat!)

Add a small spoon of butter, let it heat up

In a small bowl, crack open two eggs (we use the whole egg, but you can use whites if you prefer)

Stir it up with a fork or a whisk (I prefer forks, because they are easier to clean~and I have no dishwasher!)

Add a few pinches of cheddar cheese (salt & pepper if you wish, but I don't)

Once your pan & oil/butter is heated, then add the egg mixture to the pan

Meanwhile...

Stir eggs with a spatula & continue to cook them until they are light & fluffy

Chop them up really good with the spatula. Much easier for serving to kids. Eggs are done when they are light & fluffy with all the liquid absorbed.

And finally, serve.

Enjoy watching them eat it, then get to cleanin' it up! Miss Independent makes a big mess.

~~ I'm sure you all know how to scramble eggs. Basic cooking 101, right? But thanks for reading, I had fun sharing our eggs escapades with you.

Kerry

More Fun on a Snow Day

The weekend was slow, due to the snow. But, thankfully, it's mostly melted! That is, until it snows again on Tuesday.

Kirsten had a great weekend. Paul is away at work, so we spent lots of time with my parents. Here's some pictures:

Helping her babydoll make snow angels

"fixing" Granlees' hair

My VERY independent little girl dresses herself now.

(notice the shirt is on backwards ~ and stylin' with the mismatched pants)

Granlee made "octopus" for lunch. yum yum!

We had a great weekend!

Snow Day #4

This is the fourth day of snow this week, and it's about to hit again. We love the snow, but we are ready to get out & have some fun! Thankfully today was actual snow, instead of just the nasty ice. The wind chill wasn't too low and we were able to go outside for a while.

I've never had snow ice cream. My parents say that I have, so I'm sure they are right, but I certainly don't remember eating it. So today we made some. It's the third big snow this year, so I figured it was safe to eat. After gathering a gallon of snow, some sugar, vanilla, & milk; we made snow ice cream! Kirsten was convinced that she didn't like it, but we finally convinced her to eat it. She loved it! I wasn't a fan. It wasn't bad, but I could do without eating it again. Maybe I just didn't make it right.

Starting Over

Well, I'm trying this "blog" thing again. On one hand I hate documenting my thoughts. But then again, it's nice to have something to look back at, since my memory has disappeared. Remember Diaryland? I found my diaryland from long, long ago (2001). It's so much fun to look back on all my old thoughts (meaningless as they were), first loves, and the beginning of my college years. I managed to keep that blog going for 3 years. These days I can't keep a meaningful thought in my head for three minutes. *sigh*

So to catch you up, Kirsten is 2 now (2 yrs & about 4 months). She's a sassy little girl, with blonde hair & blue eyes. She looks nothing like me, but acts just like me. She's full of energy and as smart as she can be. I wouldn't trade her for anything, but I'm certainly glad she's the only one. I barely have the energy to keep up with her.

Paul has started working in south Texas for weeks at a time. It's been quite an adjustment learning to do the day-to-day life without him. I don't much like it, BUT I've certainly learned more about myself. I've learned to handle lots of things normally Paul would do. I'd say it has toughened me up, but I'd be lying.

I had the day off today. It's been one heck of a blizzard here in Oklahoma. We've been stuck indoors for the past few days, but Kirsten went to daycare today and I'm home alone all day. Instead of doing my long list of chores, I decided to relax and watch tv most of the day. Sweet Home Alabama is playing in the background. I just love that movie.

Life has sure changed these past few years, and I absolutely love it.