You may remember back in March when we found three cats in our garage who seemed to have adopted us. Well, they won me over seeing as they are the sweetest lovable cats (I thought all cats were snobby as some I have known) and have stayed ever since. Seeing as I am allergic to them they are outdoor cats. When I posted about them I mentioned how we found out if they were male and female and how we assumed that Jumper would be having kittens. Evidently that did not take the first time as if it would have she would have had them around Memorial Day. Anyway, we did know she was expecting as we watched her belly get larger and saw other signs also. We knew it was getting closer as she managed to sneak in an opening door almost faster than you can blink and somehow managed to locate where the beds were. We did begin to keep our old garage open and prepared locations for her to have the kittens and tried to get her interested.
Sunday evening we came home and the boys went outside to play. They came running in saying that Jumper was skinny now which had been a question I asked them every morning when they fed the cats. Sure enough, she was and her tail was really wet also so we knew she must have just recently delivered. Next came the task of finding them. Jumper was all over us and obviously wasn't going to lead us to her babies. John heard mewing noises and found that she had delivered them in an old couch we had that was tipped upside down (don't worry, it was junk anyway). Somehow she managed to get them under the cushions three on one side and three on the other. She could not get to any of them to nurse so just sat there watching. I got her out and we closed the door so I could get the kittens put into the box we had prepared. I did not think that I would be able to do any of this but with my plastic kitchen gloves I can touch anything (I think).
She had six kittens but one did not make it as it had never gotten out of the sack and it seemed quite small to me. After we had the kittens settled we let Jumper in and she lay down by them but didn't seem to know what to do so I helped position the kittens near her to nurse. What a sweet little sound!
Jumper did not remove two of the placentas and I had hoped that she would get around to it but she didn't and as I saw it was starting to slow one down from getting to where it wanted to go I removed them for her with the assistance of my animal lover -- Pete. He did think it very gross but he stayed by my side anyway. She had two black, two orange (I guess technically called red), and one white kitten.
The children are so excited and wanting to hold the kittens but it is too soon so they only watch quietly. This evening unfortunately John found that one of the orange ones had died. He tried to revive it by rubbing on it but nothing. The children each took a turn holding it and studying it's features (yes, they did wash their hands after). The other four kittens seem to be vigorous and now do fit much better in line while nursing. We'll have to keep an eye on them.
Very exciting. It will be fun to watch their development each day.
Taken right after they were moved into the box and Jumper joined them. You can see some are still a little wet.
I loved this sweet little orange face. Unfortunately that is the one that died this evening.
I want to let you know about a great online t-shirt company I recently came across. It is Wild Olive Trees created by three regular Moms that God brought together. They make fun yet classy t-shirts for women with a scripture verse on the back. I am so excited to order one for myself but it is so hard to make a decision of which one, although I lean toward Such Things (I love that verse!). Their slogan is "Get Your Verse On" which gives us the opportunity to share our faith and spread the Word of God wherever we go.
The newest design is a t-shirt for charity using ideas from MckMama (Baby Stellen's Mama) called "Unfolding" using the verse "He who began a good work in you will carry it onto completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Phil 1:6
MckMama said the word unfolding reminded her of the phrase "unpacking scripture" and she described it "as normal emerging for us like the wings of an unexpectedly beautiful butterfly, born out of the pain and struggle of emerging from a dark, restrictive cocoon."
So, what are you waiting for -- Get Your Verse On! And for more Show & Tells please visit Mary at Raising 4 Godly Men.
Last week we had a family gathering for Memorial Day and my brother-in-law made roast vegetables: zucchini, onions, peppers, mushrooms that were really good but had a lot left-over. I took some to use in fajitas adding chicken with seasonings. I did not have enough tortillas on-hand however and while I have made them before wasn't sure I wanted to attempt that again but didn't want John to have to stop at the store on his way home.
Last time I made tortillas I didn't think they tasted that good or were worth the time it took to roll out the dough. But, if at first you don't succeed, try, try again. (I can hear the little girl in the black and white version of Miracle on 34th Street saying that). So, I made tortillas again with a few additions to give more flavor and let the dough rest for an hour first which I read was helpful and this time they turned out great. I can definitely see why people make them rather than buy them. It also is much faster when you have a helper to cook and flip the tortillas while you roll the dough. This is a big recipe but they were all gobbled up. Yum!
5 cups flour (I did half whole-wheat) 1/2 cup shortening (I used coconut oil) 2 tsp. salt 1 1/2 cup boiling water
(I added a little tomato sauce, chili pepper, garlic powder and cilantro for flavor)
In a large bowl, stir together flour and salt. Mix in the shortening until the mixture is the texture of oatmeal. (I use my kitchen aid which works great) Make a well in the center, and pour in the boiling water. Mix with a fork until all of the water is evenly incorporated. Sprinkle with a bit of additional flour, and knead until the dough does not stick to your fingers. The dough should be smooth.
Make balls the size of golf balls. Place them on a tray, and cover with a cloth. Let stand for at least 1 hour, or up to 8 hours. (I like that as I could make the dough the night before)
Heat a griddle or large frying pan over high heat. On a lightly floured surface, roll out a tortilla to your preferred thinness. Fry one at a time. Place on the griddle for 10 seconds, as soon as you see a bubble on the top, flip the tortilla over. Let it cook for about 30 seconds, then flip and cook the other side for another 30 seconds. Roll out the next tortilla while you wait for that one to cook. Repeat until all of the balls have been cooked. Tortillas can be refrigerated or frozen.
My leftovers (for a brief moment) they were gobbled up not long after
Pete wanted to try his hand at flipping and he did a great job and it speeded up the process.
A year ago today little Owen Matthew was born still. (You may remember my post about it HERE) My cousin and his wife have had a year filled with ups and downs but have been such an encouragement to those around them. Their faith is so strong and they testify that God is good ALL the time. Today should be a day to celebrate with family a little boy turning one. A time when he would be pulling himself up to standing and taking his first steps. So many things missed but yet we trust in a God who knows best and wanted little Owen home with Him. There are still hard days and it hurts and I know there will always be days when the pain is weighing down.
My heart hurts for them especially when my baby boy hugs me close and I long for them to also be experiencing that unbelievable kind of joy. How wonderful it would be if we could see things the way God sees them and understand His plan but that is not possible this side of heaven.
I was reading this verse the other day and it is exactly how I was feeling today as I thought about Owen Matthew on this his first birthday in heaven.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9
Heather recently began a blog called Fullness of Grace that chronicles Owen's story and how they have been blessed. I encourage you to visit and read their story. You can find it on my sidebar or click HERE.
Thanks Heather and Jason for sharing your story and bringing glory to God through it. I love you both and as always am praying for you!
We love to be outdoors exploring and playing and enjoying the amazing beauty of God's creation. However, there are a few effects of the fall that have not been very pleasant this week. To quote a children's bible story we enjoy -- "What a mess sin did make, thorns, thistles and cursed ground for man's sake".
We had some of our family over for Memorial Day and a number of us went on a hike. Some of the trails ended up being a little overgrown but the boys and I enjoy forging our way through. We are very well acquainted with watching out for poison ivy as John has had very bad reactions to it so always watch out for that. I also brought along our spray to keep bugs away. It is the season for those pesty no-see-ums that bite our necks and leave them bloody. We often end up with scabby necks and when my Mom sees them says "It must be spring".
The other night Re-Pete wanted to show me all of the little bug bites on his ankle. Low and behold, he has poison ivy, although he wasn't even on the walk with us. We do have it on parts of our land so he must have stumbled upon it. Thankfully Re-Pete isn't bothered by it too much. It did spread to the other leg now but we have been washing it with Burts Bees Poison Ivy soap and then applying a salve and that seems to help.
This morning I itched on my lower back and felt something that seemed to be a scab of some sort. I couldn't recall what I might have done but went on with the day. Later on it was itching again and I thought I should see what it looked like. Well, it looked a lot like a bug to me and seeing as it was still there from this morning it most likely was a tick. George confirmed that yes indeed there was a tick stuck in my back. Just great! None of the boys wanted to attempt removing it and truth be told, I preferred they not as I wanted to make sure the entire thing was removed. I called my neighbor but she wasn't home. I tried another neighbor down the road (at the farm we work on) and the line was busy. No, I wasn't panicked or bothered too much but we hopped in the van and down the road we went.
Thankfully my friend was able to remove it for me and found that it was a deer tick. Seeing as it has been raining here for most of the week the only time I was outside was when we went hiking on Monday. So I assume it had been stuck in my back for a few days. That area has been quite sore for the rest of the day and I will watch for any signs of anything else.
So, nothing really serious but inconvenient none-the-less. Oh, for the day when the world will be just as God originally intended it to be.
Last Friday we took a field trip to a nature reserve. We walked through three different habitats, prairie, forest, and pond, and learned about the various animals that make their homes there and other fun facts. Did you know that white flowers are pollinated at night by bats and moths? I had no idea. The rhyme to remember is "white flowers at night".
This trip always reminds us of home as we basically have all three areas right where we live. Our backyard is like the prairie complete with the huge ant mounds we saw that day. The state forest is right across the road and walking down the road brings us to natural springs with a creek that is similar to the pond area. The field trip enhances our walks so much more and now when we see the trillium scattered throughout the woods we know what pollinated them.
Tank being wrapped up in a deer skin. Nice and warm!
Last summer George earned money cutting the grass for my grandpa and my parents. By the end of summer he had earned enough to purchase a nice off-road remote control truck (not the cheap ones that fall apart quickly). Throughout the winter the boys have been discussing how they could earn money this summer as they would like some larger lego sets. Now that grass-cutting season is upon us Pete and Re-Pete are going to try their hand at cutting grass also so they will divide up the jobs.
Last week was Re-Pete's first time and while he struggled a bit seeing as the lawn mower is a little high for him, he pressed on and no matter how often I asked if he wanted me to help him out he declined and pressed on. He didn't cut it perfectly but he did his best and for a first time I thought it was great!
Now that there was a slight job shift John decided that it is time for George to take over cutting our grass. Seeing that this is a job that takes about 2 hours he has been looking forward to giving it up for a long time! The other night John rode on the golf cart while George followed behind on the riding mower and that worked out well. Our land is hilly and rocky so it isn't the easiest to cut and we also mow paths through our fields which make for a nice nature walk.
I am so happy the boys enjoy this type of work and look for ways to earn money.
Re-Pete cutting Opa's (my grandpa) grass
George heading toward cutting a new path in our field of grasses. He looks so grown-up to me.
Taken right after they were moved into the box and Jumper joined them. You can see some are still a little wet.
I loved this sweet little orange face. Unfortunately that is the one that died this evening.
Tank being wrapped up in a deer skin. Nice and warm!
Re-Pete cutting Opa's (my grandpa) grass 
George heading toward cutting a new path in our field of grasses. He looks so grown-up to me.