Life Happenings

 I'm sorry I've been missing in action the past few days. I have been working on our blog and the next page I want to publish. 

I have been out and about a few times. 

Today I had to make us some more grab and go breakfasts. Now to assemble and bag. 

Tonight is chicken parmesean and home made bruschetta. Yummy. 

This is my next read.  If you haven't discovered Elizabeth George or her husband yet, I really encourage it. 

In my last post, I shared a pic of a project I am going to work on for the girls. However, I am not going to use the pattern. I did not know it was pieced together. I really want one solid poncho and no seams showing. So I researched some videos and found some that are so simple. I took one idea from one video and paired it with another idea from annotner idea and one more. I took notes as to how I wanted to piece it together and sew it. It's basically called a carseat poncho.  Since it is so simple I am going to make me a set,  our son a set and their mommy a set. Someone is always forgetting one or leaving one somewhere so surely they want this time. If I'm lucky. 😅

Here's u what's going on in our family. 

We are awaiting a ship out date for Dallas. Paperwork has taken forever. Even when he leaves, they will have to quarantine in FL I believe for two weeks and receive the vaccine which he is not happy about. We explained to him that vaccines have always been mandatory with military not just this particular one. David had to have all his childhood immunizations again when he got to bootcamp. Then every time they go overseas for duty they get vaccinated for whatever country they are going. Not to mention, when they went to Saudi Arabia, they were given experimental shots that weren't even tested yet. So basically they were the lab rats. We told him he will have to do alot of things he will not want to do but military is different. Dallas is sitting on pens and needles and is getting anxious. 

If he goes in the next few weeks he is going to totally miss Thanksgiving, Christmas and his Birthday.  This year will be so different for us on the holidays. He has been invited to go to the beach with an aunt and uncle and I think he is going to go. 

David gets to missing his momma some days.  His sister and brother have been going to her house and slowly going through some things. Mostly just cleaning out necessary things like freezers and pantries to cut off some electricity.  When we get back home they will probably want to start going through some personal things and I don't think he's ready for that yet but it has to be done. Alot of things she wanted to go to children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.  

I've been doing alot of praying over my kids here recently. I have actually been praying the Prayer of Jabez over my family. And I have encountered some answered prayers already. 🙏  

Dakota is seeing this really nice young lady. She us actually a child hood friend of his. She is practically family because she is a great grand daughter of the woman who baby sit David when he was a toddler. David also has another  family that loved and spoiled him like he was their own. David really looked up to the father of the family but passed when David was about 15 yrs old I think.  

Anyway, Dakota really likes her and the girls love her and she loves the girls. He is finding some peace and normalcy again I believe. This has been an answer to prayer I believe. They are just taking it slow. At least I know our girls are happy an she is beginning to be. I wish my ex Daughter in law all the happiness in the world. I've been called alot of things in my life but ex mil was never on my list. It makes me sad. We are all beginning to heal and move forward and just to see a smile on his face again is all I need. ❤

Momma is recovering quite well. She hates being in that arm contraption but she is OK. Daddy is still alive, she hasn't killed him yet. 😅😅😅😅 

Momma has to remember that daddy is still struggling with memory since his stroke. He forgets things constantly because  his short term memory was affected. I have to remind her to be patient which she doesn't have alot of. Being down doesn't help her any either.  He is doing very good after his knee replacement surgery.  

As for me and David, we are still enjoying our time together. But we are itching to get home and get started hunting. The way prices are these days, meat prices are rising and we are going to use deer to fill our freezers if the good Lord is willing. We grind ours and use it like ground beef and then he also makes a mean sausage with it.. these skills do come in handy when times like this comes. We do love some self Suffeciency.  

We have bought the girls some hunting gear too. Dear hubby has bought us some ground hunting blinds and a little heater. Isn't he just precious.  

Well, I have some work to do and a kitchen to clean before hubby gets here. Then we are relaxing and watching some hunting shows.  

🦌🦌

Thrifty Day

 I use Wednesday as my thrifting day. Well,  today I didn't go to any thrift stores but I was on a mission to find the girls some hunting clothes. When we get home we will be in full hunting season. We can do both bow and rifle.  We have a freezer to fill. With prices so high on things right now this will be a must. We process our own deer. Dear hubby likes cutting and grinding  our own harvests so we can use them for multiple things. He loves making sausage. We love eating it too. 

We are going to start practicing  with the girls on hunting but we need to get them geared up first with warm clothes and boots. I didn't have any luck finding all they needed except some thermals. To be honest, I didn't buy them. They were too thin and not warm enough. So I just got them some sweat pants and sweat shirts instead. These will go under their insulated pants and shirts and coats. We are going to have to find the rest of their attire some where else. We may have to order them. We will see. 

Then I headed to Dollar Tree to see if they had anything new for schooling.  I picked up some stencils for dot markers and some more things to put together for them. 

Dear hubby is always getting on to me because I'm always buying things for those stinky girls and not buying for myself.  He tells me I need to shop for myself once in a while.  Well, ok den....here's happy shopping for me. All Pioneer Woman.

Last week I found this little artwork display board. 

I was so wore out and sore when I got done I had to get back and get off my feet and legs. My back was also killing me since I have a degenerative disc. 

I also have a project to work on when I get back home to my sewing machines. 

Ponchos work so much better during the winter for carseats. The backs can lift up and over the back of the carseat and you can still buckle them in. Some states have this law about having kids buckled in while wearing coats. So...I found this idea of the poncho. 

After I rested I did some more blog work. I'm working on another page that has been in draft mode too for 3 yrs. 

Then it was time to cook supper.  

Stir fry

While supper was simmering, I fixed dear hubby some wraps for his lunches. 

And then I made our trail mix we eat for snacking. I get a can of Peanuts, a can of cashews, a can of mixed nuts and a large box of Raisins.  

Now, we are all full, kitchen clean and we are going to relax and watch some hunting shows. We are all geared up. 

Some Very Good Reading

 

Another Video and Random Tidbits

 Well Hey, Ya'll. Just another day. I have to tell ya'll what I did. I made another video and uploaded it to YouTube. Somehow the other night while we were watching TV, my mind wondered to cinnamon rolls, yea, that's how my mind works sometimes. But I was wondering how I was going to make them out here since I didn't have  my mixer and all my goodies like my flours, yeast, etc. So dear hubby said he thought he saw something on Facebook or Pinterest of making them using canned biscuits. So, we were so curious we had to check it out. We watched the video and we were impressed. Enough so much that I had to go get me some biscuits the next day. LOL I experimented and made them and I am so glad I did. They were so yummy. I will try to link the video and see if you can pull it up and go watch it. If for some reason the link does not work, just go to YouTube and search our channel, Keeper of the Home at 4D farms. Then search through our videos until you find the one on How To Make Cinnamon Rolls With Canned Biscuits. I will also walk you through it here on my post. 

Our Video How To Make Cinnamon Rolls With Canned Biscuits

1- I opened the canned biscuits on a cutting board or counter if you want to do it that way and floured the surface just a little to keep them from sticking to the rolling thingie I was using. Normally it would be a rolling pin but she didn't have one so I improvised, I used a water bottle. I floured it too so it would't stick to the biscuits. 

2- I rolled out each biscuit flat.

3- Now take each biscuit and line them up 4 on bottom row, 4 on top row to form some what of a rectangle. 

4- Roll them out to where you are getting a better rectangle and pinch any seams together and just keep working with it. 5- slather your butter. I love alot of butter. lol

Sorry, about number 6. That was the pic of me smiling somewhat. 

7- sprinkle brown sugar

8- sprinkle cinnamon

9-roll into a log starting at the bottom and work upward pinching any seams and closing it up. 

10- keep shaping it and make sure it is closed up.11- cut out how many slices you want. 12- just look at that swirl. I love it. That was pic worthy. 

13- place into a greased baking dish or cookie sheet whatever you have. 14- look how awesome.15- place in a preheated oven, usually any where from 325-400 degrees. Depending on your prefrance and your oven.  I eyeball mine and bake until golden brown. 16- remove from oven 17- I spread my frosting as soon as I take them out while they are still warm. I like  mine to get ooey and gooey. I'll share my recipe in a minute. 18-and of course, I had to taste test those babies. 

Whoah Nellie!!!! They were delicious. Lip smacking, and finger licking good 

 Since dear  hubby is borderline diabetic, we can't do all the sugars. So instead of using white sugar as part of the filling, I used brown sugar. M frosting is a cream cheese frosting. I used room temperature cream cheese, add a splash of vanilla flavoring, and I substituted Stevia (or any sugar substitute) instead of powdered sugar. And just enough milk to make it a sour cream consistency. I like mine a little thick because if it is too runny it will not stick to the biscuits as well. There are so many things you can do to alter this and make it healthier and different flavors. For a sweetner you can add honey, syrup like Maple, and they even have a sugar free syrup now. If you don't like cinnamon, you can use pumpkin spice etc. I even thought of the idea of adding a little peanut butter for flavor. I might play with them next and come up with a fall version. All I know is the kitchen smelled amazing. 

I hope you like the video too. If you do, hit like and leave me a comment, especially if you go and try these. Let me know if you did anything any different and how they turned out. 

I had to make dear hubby some more egg bites for breakfast. Some of the guys at his work are a little envious that there wives are not with them. He took one of his coworkers some one day. He was curious as to what they were so dear hubby shared them. Isn't he sweet. 

And one more thing I am extremely excited about, I got our Marriage Page up and published here on our blog. a three year long process. Just go to to the header bar at the top and clink on Marriage and it will take you there. I am in the process of working on our Parenting Page now. It has been in the making for three yrs also. I am determined to get it done while I am out here. 

Got to to talk to our little buddies again and we played with the filters on the phone. They are too funny. They are missing us more and more and begging us to come home. I sent them a care package and that helped them a little. Tomorrow, I am going to find our girls some hunting gear. When we get home we are going to take them practice hunting to see how they do. If they like it ok, if not, ok. You go with their lead. 

New Page

 Finally,  after 3 years of writing down notes on every little  piece of scrap paper, notepad, notebook, journal,  app on my phone, computer,  reading every book I could find, marking pages, underlining and highlighting,  to organizing, planning, designing, typing,  proofreading, erasing, retyping, I finally had the courage to hit the publish button for this page on our blog. It has been sitting in draft mode for 3 years with me adding too all the time. It is our Marriage page. I share so much with you, from our story, to scriptures on marriage, tips,  and a whole lot of common sense. It is something I am passionate about. It gets real ya'll so you better settle in. I hope it helps someone seasoned or fixing to walk down the isle. 

Got up to the Header and look for the Title that says Marriage. Click on it and it will take you right to it. 

Quick Tip

 

My momma  had surgery today, so I had to  hang as close to the phone as possible. She  had surgery on her rotar cuff. 

Momma was home around 2pm and doing good.  I told her she was going to have to be a good little patient and not give daddy any trouble. She is already struggling. 😅😅😅😅

When you are making some lunch, make some extra and store in the fridge for Grab and go lunches. You're welcome. 😁

Why, yes, you can have your hashbrown casserole. Just substitute shredded sweet potatoes. And maybe add a little smoked sausage to it. I am a genius. If you already thought if this idea, please,  just let me have my moment thinking I am a genius.  😁😁

A few brain dumps for today:

Parents, it's ok to be all on your kids. After all, you want God's blessings and protection on them. So keep up the good work, it will come about some day. ❤❤❤

When we think unexpected things come our way, just remember, they are never a surprise to God. He knows what he is doing and he has a reason. Just trust him.

I can't stress this enough. Respect goes both ways. Men are naturally born to want attention and affection, why do you think they call them "Mommas boys".  Women are the nurturing kind, not just to children but should be to your spouse too. Our boys have never seen their parents fight or be disrespectful to the other. Heck,  I don't think me and David have ever fought or really argued. Yes, we have disagreements here and there and we aggravate each other but never out of anger. 🤗 

It's not ok to treat other people better than your spouse. 🎤🎤

Brain dump:

We, nor anyone else, can ever help us if "we" don't come to the realization that we need help! Read that again. 🎤🎤🎤

When and only when you come to that point, you will reach out and start to find ways to heal yourself with God's help through other people or circumstances.  

You can't cover up your problems, they will just come back. You've got to get to the point where you have had enough and want to make a change. And be 100%committed and determined.

Me and Dallas had a long conversation yesterday.  He says, "In a relationship,  you are supposed to meet each others needs even if you don't want to." 

Wow! I think he's getting it. ❤❤❤❤

Hes 18 y'all,  just 18 and he gets it. 

So this was on my time line from 5 years ago:

David: you are one lucky gal that I love you so much like I do. 

Me: why?

David: ( smiles and laughs) cause I could just choke you sometimes. 

Me: :) he loves me.

Have you ever found that one person who is just crazy enough to put up with you for so long and stick beside you no matter what? Yea, they are keepers for sure. ❤❤❤❤❤

I'm gonna be honest with y'all about something. I am living breathing proof that God can take a rebellious,  used up, washed up, sinful soul that went down a wrong path for a while, and then turned around and gave me a good man and set my feet back on the right path and here we are living our best life. I have been blessed with far more than I deserve and I give God all the praise and glory for it. So.....Pilgrim......he can do it for you too. ❤❤❤❤

I hope yall liked those and I hope they helped someone. 

I am going to finish getting supper ready and get off of here so I can give my sweetheart all of my attention when he gets home from work.  ❤❤❤

Nothing Exciting

 Well, I haven't done anything really exciting the past week. Oh, except for dear hubby said I could go thrifting one day. He may regret that because I'm going back home with a whole lot more than I came out here with. I told hubby what all I got and he said, "I meant for you to shop just for yourself!" Well, he knows I can't turn down anything for my girls.  ❤ He should know me better than that. I was on a mission to find the girls some Bible story books and Bible stories on dvd. I found alot. I also splurged and just went to a bookstore and bought a new one. The one I have at home, we have been through it three time. The one I got now will grow with them because it gives the scripture reference where you can find it in the Bible and I can read the story from the Bible first then as they get older, and they learn to read, they can do the same. I'm fixing to start teaching them their books of the Bible. And I did get me some new shirts and a few odds and ends. 😁

I have still been busy working on a page on our blog. 

This is my next read. I will start it in the morning. 

 Reading and studying the scriptures had brought peace to my soul the last few days and I have prayed so much over my family. Especially my boys. 

I went grocery shopping this morning just for the essentials we ran out of. Then I came in and live streamed our services from church back home. 

Me and dear hubby had such a good day while he was off yesterday. Well, he did have to go in early just for an hour and take three tests. He had to take them once a year to keep his certifications. He was back in a jiffy and brought breakfast. I was finishing getting ready. We plopped down and watched football 🏈 all day.  Boy, talk about some nail biter games. We rested and just enjoyed each other's company. 😊 

Well, gotta go and start getting supper ready for us. 

Hope everyone enjoys their day in the Lord. 

Happy Birthday In Heaven

 

On this day 102 years ago, this amazing woman was born. My Ma Ma Oliver. My grandmother.  She was truly a woman of God, wonderful wife and mother. That Proverbs 31 woman. 

I learned so much from her growing up. I spent as much time with them as I possibly could. I patterned my life after her. She is the one who inspired me to be who I am today. Little did she know, I soaked everything in while I watched her. She was so caring, nurturing, and loving. So many things I could tell you, but I will just ponder them in my heart today. On Oct 8th, her and Pa Pa would have been married 85years. He worshipped the ground she walked on. 

This is why I wanted my kids to have the best relationship possible with their grandparents and we made sure of it, and now, I want that kind of relationship with my grandchildren present and future.  Lord willing, I will. 

I know they have been enjoying their time together in Heaven.  I still miss them today and miss our time together. What I wouldn't give to be able to sit down and talk to them right now. So many questions. 

Happy birthday Ma Ma, and happy late anniversary to you both. ❤❤

Working On My Blogs

 I have had the time to sit down and do some work on my blogs. Yes, I have two. I started one years ago on WordPress but get a little aggravated at it. They want me to pay for extra storage. Uh, no. So I created my blog here at Blogger too. 

I keep mine going at WordPress but I don't upload anything.  I have too many subscribers there and don't want to loose them. 

If you blog there too you can subscribe there also. It's 4dfarms.wordpress.com

I am working really hard on two new pages. They are Marriage and Parenting. I have been working on them for three years. 

These two subjects in life is what I am most passionate about second to Loving Jesus. 

Just a little work for today. 

One day I will have them finished. 

Just A Tidbit

 Crunch wraps. Fill a large tortilla with your desired fixings. Do not let it be too wet items. Do not spread all the way out to the rim. Keep it in a circle in the middle. 

 Fold your tortillas overlapping the edges. Place folded side down in a pan and toast both sides to deal. No butter or oil. Or place on a sheet pan, folded side down and toast on both sides to seal. Add salsa, sour cream and lettuce on top if desired. You're welcome. 😁

Here is another one for y'all.  If you know me you know. Ain't  skeered. 😅😅😅😅😅😅

Oh yes baby,  the owner of this house was kind enough to give us some okra and squash yesterday.  ❤

I have been having some of my brain dumps at the moment. Here are a few:

Brain dump moment:

You're never gonna get anywhere if you are not motivated to stay consistent.  Or, if you are not consistent to stay motivated. 

I needed that one. 🙌

Brain dump moment:

There is a big difference between running from your problems and fixing them. 

If you run, they will follow you and hang on. 

If you face them head on and fix them, you can move on. 💯

Brain dump moment:

I see alot of relationships just  in survival mode. If you will turn it into trying mode, I promise you will reap the benefits and blessings. ❤❤❤

Brain dump moment:

Solomon wrote the Book of Proverbs to teach his child,  his young son, wisdom,  to instruct him in the disciplines he would need throughout life. 💙  Father's play an important role in raising the children also.

New Video

 Just got a new video up on our channel. I still do not know how to post our channel link on here. 

Here is our channel 

Keeper of the Home at 4D Farms. 

Grocery Haul for meal plans for the next two weeks and tips on how to stretch the meats to make them last for more than one meal. Excuse my squirrel moments too. 😜😜😜 

 Hope yall enjoy and hope it helps. Now get to cooking.

After I got done with the latest video I got busy cutting up that big boy Butternut squash. Geez that thing was a doozy.  Plus I managed to get 12 chicken breasts out of that one big pack of chicken yall. That's 4 meals. I put them into ziploc bags and put them into the freezer. I got two bags out of the butter nut squash for two meals. 🤗🤗 

Got supper in the oven and it's smelling good up in here.

My Girls Are Missing Me

 Two times now I have gotten phone called from both our girls mommy and daddy saying, "The girls need to talk to you!"

And when I say need, that's what I mean. It means they were in the middle of a melt down or missing me and they were crying and saying, "I want Gmaw!" 😪😪😪😪

I feel so blessed that we have a great bond with our grandchildren.  They are our little buddies and they will tell you that. 🤗

I was able to calm both of them down on two separate occasions and make them feel better.  I feel honored knowing that they want and trust me that way. 🥰🥰❤❤

And then after they were settled they just wanted to make funny faces and show me their boogers and read to me. 😆😆😆😆😆😆🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Sunday Blessings

 

I asked God a long time ago to help me to help others with words of wisdom or encouragement.  The problem with that is, my mind goes 90 to nothing like a squirrel sometimes with thoughts just popping into my head. This is why David teases me about having squirrel moments. I can go from one though to another in 3.2 seconds. Maybe sooner. David honestly quit trying to keep up with me. Bless him. I can just be sitting and minding my own business and, bam! God puts something on my heart and into my mind. And God forbid if I don't say it because I feel like he is saying, " I gave you an opportunity and you didn't take it. I am disappointed in you my child." I honestly do not like it when I think God is unhappy with or disappointed in me. 

Occasionally,  I have to have a brain dump and get it all out. My kids have heard alot over the years and know how I work. I guess why they never talk to me because they don't like lengthy conversations. If it's going to last longer than 20 minutes they are done. 

I wake up in the middle of the night with thoughts and have trouble going back to sleep.  I have to write it down.  

My point is, I say what has been laid on my heart or pops into my mind because I feel as if it may help someone. Sometimes they are aggressive,  sometimes soft. Even when Jesus was on earth, some of his thoughts and teachings were the same. 

I will not let Satan rob me of speaking out for Christ. 

Love to everyone 💕