Jan. 4, 2009 - Ketchup !!!WARNING 44 Pictures!!!

Yes, the title was meant to be what it is. :-) It was like, hey, I love ketchup.. and it sounds the same as catch-up, so, why not? Call me crazy if you like. This blog post will be going on both my blogs... On one blog, I haven't updated since September, and on the other, I haven't given a decent update since November! So, here is a decent update.. or ketchup. What I'll do is post pictures, and then say anything related to them... even though several will be quite random.
October

Early October us girls made hamburger buns! They were so good! Looking at this picture makes me hungry. :-P

Me doing a photoshoot of Elle the Adorable. Abby is the in the background, and so is Duke

Excited about something!

Smile!

Rolls I made for Ben's birthday dinner on the 5th. Yum! I can almost smell them.

Making rolls... No, I am not mad, just concentrating... though it could have been very possible that I was bearing hard feelings towards the photographer (Joe) for stealing some!

Ben and his cake. Guess how old!

We went gleaning potatoes and grapes with Mrs. H1. It was a lot of fun!

Katie H2. and Anne.. they look like they're dualing! We went to the H2's house for dinner.. I think this was because it had snowed too much to go on with our plans to go shooting that day with the H2's, so we went over for dinner.

We all got a laugh off of this sign on the way home from the H2's house.... ONE of the local caSINo's.

Snow!

Who is THAT!

Yay! Finally we got to go shooting! Snow melted. :-) Me and my Savage... NO, I am not shooting Kate!

The staggered line to the targets.

Katie H2 shooting Joe's .270

Mrs. H2 gave us this project. :-)

Another time shooting. Emily and AR-15. After shooting it, you can't help but go away grinning. :-D

Eric and SKS

Late October we went hunting.. you can read about it HERE.

November

Traditional dinner for when we butcher deer. I shall spare you the details of the butchering process. :-)

I certainly don't remember this picture being taken!

Anne teaching Elle to do... um.. as you see above.

Kate and Elle

Wrapping Eric's birthday dinner... Eggrolls!!!!!

The birthday boy. No, he is not sleeping, just blinking... and I posted this picture for lack of better picture. Just after this picture was taken, the battery ran out.

Elle wearing the dress Emily wore to a friend's wedding in '99, I think.

December

At my party, the girls and the little people made graham cracker houses. There was more girls/little people than shown in this picture. :-P

Waiting to open presents.

Mr. and Mrs. H1

Cake!

A few minutes after blowing some gunpowder, the boys are looking at the cross that Joe put up on top the house. Obviously, it was cold!

I had a lot of fun at my party. :-D I did the decorating and made the cake. We had 16 guests, then add our 14... The guests arrived at 12:30 PM and left at 5:30 PM! Guests brought finger foods.

Practice just before the Messiah Festival. A few days later, there was a story in the paper about the Messiah, and Tess was in the picture!

After the Messiah! Us girls with Katie H2.

Mr. and Mrs. H2. after the Messiah. Neither of them sang in it.

The hat and scarf that my friend, Britta, gave me for my birthday!

Presenting.... Mr. and Mrs. M with their armless daughter! Anne, Elle, and I.

I look like I'm falling asleep...

Acting like a punk. No, I did not dye my hair!

Emily and Jay working on Aunt Barbara's Mexican Wedding Cakes for giving to the neighbors.

Yum! Now to wrap 'em up, knock on neighbor's doors, carol for them, than give 'em these! For the recipes, go HERE.

Anne's birthday dinner of sushi, with cooked fish. Yum!

Birthday girl with her pies. Nmmmm...

Girls from Peru, and Anne.. Ada, Elibeth, Anne, and Gledy. Ada and Elibeth are sisters, and Gledy goes to school with Elibeth.

I really like this picture of Anne. :-D

Now, I'll scare you off with this picture!

This update was only up until December 18th.

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Dec. 10, 2008 - Christmas Meme

One of my friends from Blessed Maidens, Elise, tagged me!

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your family and friends.

Okay, here's what you're supposed to do, and try not to be a SCROOGE!!!

Change all the answers so that they apply to you.

Then tag a whole bunch of people you know. Tis the Season to be NICE!


1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper, totally!


2. Real or fake tree? Real! I love the smell. :D


3. When do you put up a tree? We haven't had a tree for sometime.. when we did get a tree, it would usually be around in the second week of December.


4. When do you take it down? Before January 1st.


5. Do you like eggnog? Yes!


6. Favorite gift received as a child? My bible I received when I was six.


7. Hardest person to buy for? We don't buy presents much, unless Dad approves and you have the means, but the hardest person to make for are the three big boys.


8. Easiest person to buy for? Twins


9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, two of them! Small ones, that would go on a mantle..  or on top of a fish tank ;)


10. Mail or email Christmas cards? I like to write email, but like to receive mail. :D


11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Haven't ever had one.


12. Favorite Christmas Movie? N/A


13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Seeing as we don't buy our presents, I'll say when I start making Christmas presents. I start making Christmas presents around the first snow... usually in October. As long as there is snow on the ground, I am enthusiastic about making Christmas presents. :D


14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? As in giving it to another person the next year? No.


15. Favourite thing to eat at Christmas? Fondue


16. Lights on the tree? What would a Christmas tree be without lights?


17. Favourite Christmas song? I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day and God With Us both by Casting Crowns


18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Ever since I can remember we have stayed at home for Christmas.. though I think an older sibling told me that we used to go to the beach when we lived in OR. Fore about the first 4 years of living where we live now, our family in OR would come out to us.


19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Nope. Never have cared. We don't do Santa.


20. Angel on the tree top or a star? An angel


21. Open presents on Christmas Eve or morning? It all depends.. We have done all of them on Christmas eve, or half of them on Christmas eve and the other half on Christmas day.. I don't think we have ever done them all on Christmas day. =P


22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Santa. He has become the focus of Christmas in most families, instead of Jesus. Santa didn't come down to earth to die for us so that we may receive salvation.


23. Favourite Ornament theme or color? We never have had a 'theme' or specific 'color' for our tree... we put homemade ornaments on, or ornaments that were given to us when we were little.


24. Favourite for Christmas dinner? Christmas Eve we have Rubin sandwiches, fondue with french bread cut into bite sized pieces, spinach dip and the french bread cut into bite sized pieces, l'l smokies, and I can't think of what else, if there is an else. Christmas day I think we usually have Ham.


25. Favourite Decorations? Lights.


26. What do you want for Christmas this year? IDK

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Now, to tag as many people as possible: Anybody to read this through!

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Nov. 29, 2008 - Home-Educator Appreciation Day

I am nominating my Mom for the Home-Educator Appreciation Day over at GGM!

My Mom has been homeschooling since Anne was born, you could say, which is 22 years. She gave up a good job and career to stay at home for us kids. She has been/is a godly wife to Dad, and mother to us 12 kids, which I know can be quite a job at times, and requires a great deal of patience! She has helped me to try to reach my goal of graduating early, and is continuing to. She was in Oregon for 3 weeks recently, with Joe, and boy howdy did we miss her!

Fact: She is very deserving of this award!
Ok, ok, I know that my school would say that what I said above is an opinion.. I don't think so! But that is just my opinion... LOL :D

I love you, Mom!

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Nov. 20, 2008 - GGM

Growing in Grace is having a cool contest! Go here to see http://www.growingingraceonline.com/2008/11/countdown.html

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Nov. 1, 2008 - Hunting, 2008

Saturday, 25th
Here we are just starting off. It is 10:06. We are taking the van, which has the twins, Jay, Dad, and Abby, the car, which has Tess, Rase, Elle, and Mom, Ben's pickup which has Anne,  Eric, and Ben, and finally, Joe's pickup, with Joe, Duke, and myself. We are plans are for Joe's pickup to go to the gas station, the van goes to McDonalds to get us brunch, and the car and Ben's pickup goes to Wal-Mart to get some last minute stuff. All these places are in L-----. Then, we will rendezvous at Dad's work, then head out to the mountains!

10:40 Just entering L-----. Joe just got out and is filling his tire with "free air".

10:53 Getting gas, now. Just filled up on free air. Saw a pickup that would have been cool if it hadn't of had a short box! Saw another guy with a cowboy hat in a VW van! LOL Yes, I know I am crazy for mentioning these.. but the were to funny not to mention.

11:30 We are at Dad's work... ate our hamburgers and now are leaving.

11:43 Just entered and just left R-------. Duke's head is on my lap, sleeping!

11:45 I think we just went through a tiny town.. not sure, though!

11:48 In J-----. Will be out again in a minute. We have seen 3 deer so far, and 1 was road kill.

11:55 Went through B---. Duke is still on my lap! See the mountains ahead. Beautiful!

12:05 Passing through R-----. 13 milkes till RL. Duke just got off my lap. The weather is getting cooler, and I have seen some remnants of snow drifts.

12:15 Entering RL. When we got 2 feet of snow a few weeks ago, RL got 4!

1:20 Here we are in ------ National Forest. Actually, we have been here for about 20 minutes. We passed through L------ already... of course! Mom, Joe, and Dad are going down in the car to the "hole" (our old camping spot from last year) to see if we should camp there. We are, right now, at our normal spot in the big meadow. I got some pictures of deer in L------, and the scenery.
I just heard Dad say we are staying here.

5:10 Us kids broke out some of our surprises for Mom and Dad's anniversary, which is on the 27th! Ritz, Triscuits, cheese whiz, summer sausage, and sparkling red grape, white grape, and apple cider. We still have two more surprises!
We have a fire going. Earlier we went wood hunting. We're having steak and potatoes for dinner late.. nobody is hungry right now.

7:55 We ate our charcoal on the outside raw on the inside steak and potatoes. LOL Then us kids broke out our last surprise, Ding Dongs! The stupid heater isn't working. Arg! See ya in the morning, unless something interesting happens.

8:15 Dad's about to read a Pat McManus. Good night!


Sunday (first day of hunting season), 26th
6:22 Dad, Ben, Joe, Emily, and Katie just left in Ben's pickup to get to their stands. I think Eric left already for his spot. He walks there. Anne and I are waiting a while because it is still an hour till we can shoot. I am taking my notebook and pen  to my stand, so I can write how cold I am. :P
I had a delicious pumpkin chocolate chip muffin for breakfast, with a cup of icey water. The nozzle of the water just was frozen shut so Joe took it off.
This morning we were rather cold, since we couldn't get our heater to work. Right now, we are using a burner to heat.
Elle was quite the spark plug this morning. We woke up at 4:30, or, at least, those of us who weren't awake by then. It was sleeting.
We are hoping Ben will get an elk today, 'cause he has to go back home this noon to go to work. He will be back later this week, just before we go home. Today is the opening day of hunting season, so we are expecting to see lots of people driving past.
It is really funny seeing myself in my hunting suit, because I look quite large!

1:00 Ben and Eric just got back to camp from walking all over tarnation. On their way back to camp, they both shot a deer each! Eric first, with a doe, then Ben, a few minutes later, with a buck! Ben has to leave in a few minutes. I really want to go walking later. Walking is my favorite way of hunting.
Earlier we went around the loop after sitting at our stands. Mine was quite cold.

7:30 Back at camp from the evening hunt. Joe got a doe! I was freezing in my stand by 5:20! We left for our stands about 3:30. When I was getting quite col, I counted to 2000. Later, when I told Joe, he thought I was crazy! It took my mind off of being cold, anyway. I left my stand about 6:00, and walked to Anne's. stayed there for 10 minutes, then we slooowwwlllyyy walked to the gate, which normally would have taken 10-15 minutes, took us 25!
We've got a roarin' fire going.

9:45 Mom and the little kids left. They're headed back home. Duke is with them.

Monday, 27th (I didn't really write on this day, but I wrote about it on Tuesday)
It was pretty cold in the morning, but by noon, it was HOT! I had to take off all my layers! It started getting cold about 5:00.
Nobody got any deer. Emily saw a bear, though, and Eric and I saw a moose. The moose that I saw was pretty small for it's kind, but large for an animal!

Tuesday, 28th
7:05 Eric and Joe just left the camper. Ben got here at 2:15, and went to the boys camper to sleep. I'll write in a bit after I walk to my stand.

7:30 Ok, here I am, at my stand. A pickup just drove by. I am rather close to the road. I am hoping I'll see something besides magpies, crows, squirrels, and these little annoying insects that if you touch them, they die! I just put my big suit on. T'was getting a bit chilly. I might write later

Later Tuesday The Game Warden was here. Checked the tags on the boys' deer. Needless to say, they were all fine. This is the first time we have seen the Game Warden in this forest!

Wednesday, 29th (I didn't actually write on this day, so I'll just write a review of what happened that day)
Wednesday morning I sat at Eric's stand. It wasn't as nice as I had hoped for. The position I was in made me feel rather sick. I shot at a deer, which after I shot, I realized it was a baby, because it was so stupid! I shot at it once, and it ran about 2 yards. I shot again (not because I wanted a bambi, but I was so focused on getting it) and it ran behind a tree, stood there for a minute, then ran across the hill into some trees. After I climbed the hill to see if I hit it at all (which I didn't) I saw 2 bambi's (Joe's doe's babies) run from the trees... then I went and sat with Anne. Told her about it. Then, a few minutes later, the two bambis came up real close to us! Anne and I weren't very quite. We were whispering about if we wanted a bambi or not. We didn't shoot.
Thursday, 30th
Wednesday noon time, Eric and I went walking. Eric shot at a deer. We saw about 9 in all, mostly tails. While walking, the mountains moved, so needless to say, we couldn't hardly find the way out. Plus, Eric's compass is quite the liar! We saw some bear tracks, moose tracks, elk tracks, atv tracks, horse tracks, dog tracks, and boot tracks!

11:50 We are packing up to leave camp.

12: 10 We are hoooomeward bound! (we are hooomeward bound!) (That is a really stupid song that gets stuck in peoples heads badly.

~(~)~(~)~
~Elizabeth~
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