Our weekend

Friday night we went to eat with our friends, Dennis and Robin. We went to a fish/seafood buffet in Benton. They had a deck with live music, so we sat outside, despite the heat, and ate. The girls were entertained by the band and the deck had large fans, so we didn't get hot at all. I was suppose to work Saturday and the plan was for Eric to take the girls with him to Bradley and Kerri's to play with Harley. Well, I ended up not having to work, but he took them with him anyway. The girls played on the Slip and Slide so long the well went dry!! Thankfully it's not one they use but for watering plants. It was over 100 degrees on Saturday, quite miserable. I painted for bible school, went to walmart for more stuff for bible school and cleaned out the pantry. I picked up the girls from Kerri's, because Eric was going to be a while working with Bradley on our airplane for bible school. It looks really good. They have outdone themselves on this airplane! The girls were so tired, that Leah fell asleep in the chair when we got home and Elizabeth crashed in front of the TV. That evening I finally got the rattlesnake cooked along with fried chicken, cooked cabbage, fried potatoes and squash, and cucumbers. YUMMY. After supper, Eric went to the river with some of his cousins and friends to go fishing and the girls and I went to Granny's to swim. We swam until 9:30 with pawpaw and granny. The girls loved it. The temperature of the water is like bath water, though. But it's wet. Granny gave us some homemade freezer strawberry jelly to take home with us. The girls wanted a bedtime snack when we got home, so we had toast and jelly. If heaven had a taste, it would be mom's strawberry jelly.
Today we went to church and had a great service. After church, off to lunch at mom's. I don't know how she outdoes herself each week. Fried deer steak, deer steak kabob's, corn, peas, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls, cucumbers and tomatoes. Then it was the pool for the girls and more work on bible school for the rest of us. Back to church in a little bit.

Already Friday

Yes - Aunt Janna - we really will have rattlesnake. I wish I could post pictures to show it in my refrigerator. It was a small snake, so I had to get some chicken to go with it. I was suppose to cook it for supper tonight, but we got an invitation to go eat with some friends, so I guess I'm going to have to put it in the freezer. Right now I am sitting in the early morning heat, watching my girls swim in the swimming pool and Dad build a mountain for Mom's bible school class. He seems to be in a good mood this morning, whistling while he works. Elizabeth has woke up in a bad mood today, and is going to be lucky if she doesn't get a spanking. Oh wait............There went one of those rare Arkansas occasions....... a breeze. And it's gone. It is planned to be over 100 degrees tomorrow. I have to work tomorrow, ugg. The heat is really taking a tole on mine and Eric's energy in the afternoon. We did a little work on bible school last night, and then laid down in bed. I got my grocery shopping done yesterday after I picked the girls up yesterday, so I don't have to go to town today. After the girls swim, I plan on getting busy in the house. It has went to the side since we have been trying to work on VBS. Tonight we are going to eat with our friend's Dennis and Robin. We are taking the girls, so this should be fun.

Nothing New

This has been "Work on bible school" Week at our house. We have had leftovers every night after work and then started painting and working toward VBS. It has been dry and hot here. I have had to water every night, because the sun just absorbs every ounce of water you put out. We have run out of left-overs and I will have to cook tonight after work. I will probably fry the rattle snake that has been staring at me in the fridge, but will add some chicken or ham to it. I also have fresh veggies from my friend, Kerri - cabbage, peppers, cucumbers and squash. I can't wait until the tomatoes arrive.

A Busy Weekend

Last week was very uneventful, until Friday. Thursday night, Eric purchased a tractor, so we had to go to Diamond head to pick it up. We bought groceries after that in Malvern, so it was late when we got home. On Friday, I had a long list of things to do, and I felt quite accomplished when I completed everything on my list. One of the things I did was try to clean out Mom's "new to her" pool. She has acquired a redneck blue pool, and I told her I would help clean it on Friday's when she got it. We were planning a trip to float the Caddo on Saturday, so I wanted to get some sun. My skin is very, very white. Well not anymore. Now it is very, very red. I put sunscreen on the girls, and thought I would be ok, because in the past, I have not tanned well, and I usually don't even burn. I am still hurting today in some places. Friday evening I took the girls to a birthday party, and then we came home and had a slumber party in my room. Eric had went to the "condo" on Friday, so it was just us girls. The condo is a small "shack" home that is on the White River Refuge. It belongs to his friend Mike's family and they use it to stay at when they go fishing. Eric loves going there. The condo, is really not that bad, but it is definitely a men's retreat. He brought home 2 gallons of fresh Bass when he came home. He had a great Father's day weekend. On Saturday, the girls and I went to float the Caddo River in Arkadelphia. Kerri and Bradley had invited us to go with them and their family. Kerri's mom and dad, sister and brother-in-law, Bradley's sister - Amanda and husband Chuckie and their kids, all went. We just blow up air rafts and float down. Of course my sun burn did not get any better despite pouring the sun screen on my skin all day. I got a little miffed at the kids too, because they wanted to swim away from me all day, instead of just staying in their inner tubes. We had a picnic on the side bank half way through and let the kids swim. Their were LOTS of people, more than the last time we went, but we had a good time. When we were done, the girls and I had planned on visiting some cousins of mine in Sheridan, at my uncle Donnie's house. I went through Malvern on our way home and we were going to change clothes before we went to visit, but I had left my pants in one of the other vehicles, so home we went. When we got there, Eric took me and the girls on a ranger ride and to see the surprise he had found behind the old chicken house. He had found a baby deer. It was hiding in some tall weeds, and didn't move a bit. We made the girls be real quiet, pulled the weeds back, and took a quick peek. We then left it for the mom to come back and rescue. We then rode to the river and picked a few wild blackberries. We had to fight too many mosquitoes and Elizabeth was eating them as fast as I was picking them.
On Sunday, I fed the dad's. Well kind of. Eric wanted his fresh fish that he had caught, and I don't think I can fry fish very well, so Eric and Dad cooked fish. I fixed everything else - cole slaw made from cabbage from Kerri's garden, pinto beans, hush puppies and fries. The fish was soooo good. I am glad Eric brought that home.
Last night we started working really hard on getting things prepared for bible school It is less than two weeks away. On the way home from church, Eric killed a rattle snake. Aunt Janna - sorry - Eric skinned it and it's in my fridge waiting on me to cook it. We'll see.

A Warm Monday

Yesterday was very warm. Its hard to work in this heat, and some of the old people I see still think that it is January, instead of June. I saw a 90something year old man that had his long johns on. AND covered in a blanket. He was soo cute. As many people have, Eric began last fall to think of ways we would survive if hard times fell on us. So he filled our freezer with deer, duck, goose, rabbit, and coon. I will never try to cook the coon. It makes me jump every time I open the deep freezer, because Eric has put it up in the freezer with one foot sticking out of the freezer paper. He says he has to do it that way, because when he gives it to the black man at work, he won't take it any other way. Eric says that they won't take it unless it is wrapped like that, because people have brought them cats before. Nope, don't think I'll be trying coon. I bought a cookbook to give me some ideas on how to cook this wild game. I haven't been real impressed with the recipes, but it does help to know how long to cook some of this stuff. Last night I tried my hand at rabbit. Let me just say, Rabbit will not be on my last supper wish. I cooked in the crock pot all day, and it turned our really dry. Eric wants me to try Barb-b -q -ing it, so I will give it one more try. Poor bunny.
After supper, Eric mowed and weed-eated, I watered my plants, and the girls dug for earthworms. They said they were getting them for the next time they went fishing. After going outside, I made Leah practice reciting / recognizing her letters and made Elizabeth read a blog on the Internet that her friend from school is writing with her mom. It's something that she is interested in and helps her read. Then it was bath time and off to bed after that. Eric stayed up watching Swamp Loggers, while I charted for the evening. He went to sleep around 9:45, so when I finished my "homework", I enjoyed a glass of muscadine juice and read my bible. As Janna says "Life is good."

Beautiful Weekend

What a hot weekend. Summer has arrived in my book. On Friday, after doing laundry, the girls and I went to our friend Pat's house to swim. I really didn't have time, but the girls had bugged me about it all week, and I really want them to have a fun summer. The good Lord saved me on this trip. He sent an afternoon thundershower while we were there, so the girls only got about an 1 hour swim. Enough for me, but you know they were unhappy. After swimming, we quickly bought groceries at WalMart, then went to Granny and PawPaw's for supper. Dad had went fishing the day before with a church member, so he was cooking supper for us and Bro Dub and Sis Yoko Allen. Sis Yoko is a dear, sweet lady, from Okinawa, that always sends good food that she has cooked to Mom and Dad. It's usually fried rice and egg rolls, and sometimes something extra. So Mom and Dad, I beleave, were re-paying the favor. The girls spent the night with Eric's dad and step-mother on Friday night, so that Eric and I could go riding again on our motorcycle. We got up early on Saturday and rode with 7 other friends to Queen Wilhemina State Park. It was beutiful. I have never been that far west in our state, and I think I could live there. If you squint your eyes enough, you can imagine you are in Montana. We ate at a nice restraunt in Mena, I think the name was "The Chopping Block". We rode over 300 miles Saturday. My tail end was very sore by the end of the day. And it was a very hot and humid afternoon. I have never wanted a bath so bad. We came home, got our baths, and Eric then went to pick up the girls. They had a great time being spoiled by MaMaw Sherley.
Sunday we went to church, then went to Mom's for pork tenderloin, fresh cucumbers, fried potatoes, squash, and zuchinnie, green beans, and cabbage slaw. Yes, I gained another 5lbs Im sure, just from lunch. The girls got a suprise at Granny's house. She got a pool from Uncle Ross that they were not going to set up this year. She is now an official member of the "redneck front yard blue swimming pool society." They talked her into letting them swim and Eric and I went home and took a wonderful nap. Went back to church last night, and off to work today. Lord - Please let the week be easy.

Not much to blog about. Tuesday night we went to the youth softball awards. I can hear some of you now, mom, "I didn't get invited". I am so glad I didn't invite anyone, because it was soooo informal. We couldn't hear their names announced and all my girls cared about was getting their trophy. They got a cute little trophy and then we went home. We watered the plants and looked for slugs when we got home. With all of the rain that we have got this year, slugs are taking my garden over and eating some of my flowers. I have found something that they like much better than plants, and if you have a problem with slugs and want to know my secret, call me. This Baptist will not put in writing her secret!
We went to church last night, not much excitement there. Tonight we are going to Diamond Head after work and look at a tractor Eric has found. He thinks we need one, and I guess we have borrowed Chucky's enough that maybe we do need one. We'll see. Maybe I can at least get ice cream out of this trip.

Back to Work

As you can tell, since I haven't posted in almost a week, things have went back to being busy. I also don't have great connection to the Internet at home, so I get frustrated trying to type and getting disconnected. Last Thursday the girls and I went shopping for clothes for Elizabeth. It wasn't sooo bad. I thought they would have drove me crazy, but they acted pretty good. We even had lunch with Granny. Of course, that was the highlight of their day. On Friday, we continued to stick around the house most of the day. Eric mowed, I did laundry, and the girls played in and out all day. We did make one trip to town to get Eric's hair cut and replace my salt shaker that Leah had broke the night before. I started out with a rooster and a hen shakers. I think Eric broke the rooster, and so I found a replacement for it at a flea market/antique store. Of course it didn't match, but it had character. So Leah dropped the chicken salt shaker in the floor on Thursday night and I had to replace it. I did find lots of shakers that were chickens, but none really matched what I already had. But I did find a cute set of bee hives. If I find a chicken in the future, I might pass them on to my father-in-law, who works bees.
Friday night, Eric and I tried out a new restaurant for our anniversary. Capers is not a new restaurant, but new to us. It's suppose to be really nice, and it was, but a little pricey. I did expect it to be pricey , but when I pay for pricey, I want a little extra service to make up for it. Don't get me wrong, the food was excellent - very, very good, but they sat us at a very tiny table, of course next to the kitchen, and the place was not full at all. They were slow also to fill our drinks and our water just lacked personality. We had crab and crawfish cakes, set in this wonderful horseradish cream sauce, with a mango/pineapple chutney - it was to die for!! That was our appetizer. Eric, once again, had steak and I had bacon wrapped shrimp with a side of cheese grits ( they were almost as good as mine). We had strawberry shortcake for desert. Eric was disappointed that the shortcake was real shortcake, and not the cheap Hostess kind of shortcake. Redneck! It also had real whip cream on top. Sooooo gooooood.
Saturday we got up and went for a motorcycle ride with Chris and Kim Paty. We left at 8am and rode to Murfessburo, to the Diamond State Park. You can dig for diamonds, but we just enjoyed watching the rednecks. It was better than late night at Walmart. We even met a terrible 5 year old boy, who obviously had never had a spanking. He was very lucky that Chris was more scared of the law than him, because if Chris wouldn't have been afraid of jail, he probably would have given that little *bleep* a spanking. After the diamond mind, we enjoyed a wonderful hamburger in town, then drove onto Old Washington State Park. This state park has over 40 buildings, well actually it's a town, that has been restored to how it was around 1850. They give tours of the homes and some re-enactments. It was very nice. It was a good ride, but it was very late when we got home to rescue Granny and PawPaw. (Sorry Granny!)
Sunday was dad's first day back to preaching and he did a fine job. I know everyone was glad to have him back and you could tell by the attendance, too. We had a church full. Mom made bar-b-q chicken, fried zucchini and squash, and potato salad for lunch and I brought a salad and sweet potato rolls. Very yummy. Eric, Leah and I went for a ride on the Ranger in the bottoms after lunch and Elizabeth stayed with Granny.
Monday was back to work as usual. Of course it was a crazy day, but I am alive. Eric said he had a fine day. We had breakfast for supper last night, since that is quick and easy to fix, and then cleaned house. The girls finished cleaning their rooms, Eric and I worked on the rest of the house and we both took turns running the vacuum. I still have laundry to put up. Its a never ending job at my house! Eric said last night " I wish I knew how to keep this place clean" and I said "I know how, but it won't pay the bills - Let me quit". Guess he will have to continue to help clean house. Poor guy!

Back home

Oh the joy's of coming back home. Eric was a wonderful chiefer for our entire trip. I did not have to drive one inch of our trip. We drove forever on Monday it seemed. I did persuade Eric o stop in Memphis for lunch. It helps when there is a Joe's Crab Shack to help convince him to stop. When we got home, we quickly watered the plants that were in dehydration, before going to mom and dad's for supper. They went to the White River while we were gone for a mini-vacation of fishing. They both had a good time and brought back some trout to eat. Dad tried two different recipe's for the trout, and fried trout wins out hands down. Eric and the girls liked it grilled with lemon pepper and lemons and limes. But the fried was liked by all. Dad says they will do "catch and release" next time. He is not a fan of trout. It was very nice to not have to cook when I got home, and was well appreciated.
On Tuesday, the work began. Eric decided to stay home, thinking he would relax before he went back to work. But instead, he bush hogged all day in the heat along with worming the horses, and spraying fly spray on the horses. I spent most of the day cleaning house and doing laundry. I didn't get finished before I had to start supper. Eric volunteered me to cook supper for mom and dad . I think he did that so that it would guarantee he would get a home cooked meal. We had grilled deer tenderloin (butterfly the tenderloin, place cream cheese and a jalapeno pepper, then wrap with bacon), grilled corn on the cob, and fried sweet potatoes. So yummy!. After supper, we went to the ball field for one more tball game. It ended up being very boring, because the coaches on both sides decided this would be a learning game. They wanted to teach the girls to throw it to the bases, and have all the girls run the whole way around. No competition, no fun!! The girls did have a good time though, because they never got out!
So today I should be up and finishing up my job from the day before, so that I can play the rest of the week. But........

Red River Gorge

We left Lexington late yesterday morning and went to Natural Bridge State Park and drove around Red River Gorge. It was very pretty, lots of dense forest and rocky cliffs. It reminded me of the Buffalo River area. There were lots of people there hiking. Eric and I wanted to role down the window and yell "EAT a CHEESEBURGER!" There are suppose to be a lot of rock formations and arches, but we didn't see any. I think you have to hike to those and the girls were fussing about having to walk, BRATS. When we got to Natural Bridge, we found a sky lift. Eric fussed about paying $34 do go into a cave the day before, and again he had to pay $34 to go up the sky lift. It was to take it us up to the Natural Bridge. It was very pretty, but if I might not have went up if I would have seen how it went straight up the mountain. You could see it go over a hill, but not past that. Once you got over that hill, it went straight up and I mean STRAIGHT UP, that mountain. Elizabeth didn't help at all when she said "We're gonna die." It ended up not being so bad after all. When we did get to the top without dying, we were able to walk across the natural bridge and look into the deep valley's of the gorge.
When we were done driving around the gorge, we headed back in the direction of Arkansas. We made it about 30minutes north of Nashville. The girls got to swim one last time and Eric got to eat at one more steak restaurant.
We are now headed down the interstate toward home. The girls are a little restless and cranky, but what's different. Eric has to go back to work tomorrow, and the rest of us are off for the rest of the week. Poor Eric.