Isn’t this the best drink dispenser ever. I found it at Sams club when I drove up to Casper a while back.
I finally got it out of the trunk of my car today. So in the middle of a snowstorm, I made a huge vat of lemonade. The kids decided they would charge us $1.00 per glass. Well at least they have a sense of humor about them.
Yesterday I had the privilege of driving down to Cheyenne at a way to early of time in the morning to attend an Authentic Intimacy Conference with speakers Dr. Juli Slattery and Linda Dillow. It was held by Women of Worship. Let me just say the conference had me a little worried and a little excited. I mean Intimacy within marriage and with God. What would these women talk about! More importantly what would I learn?
The issue of intimacy within marriage is pretty straight foreword right? Well apparently I’m wrong. I had so much to learn. It amazes me how the more I dive into learning God’s word the more that I find out that it is not about Sunday morning church service, but more about living with God in every part of our daily lives. Yes, every part even sex.
The conference was absolutely amazing. I learned so much about myself as a Christian wife and as a follower of Christ.
According to Psalm 127:3-5 “Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a nightly man, so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. ” Children are truly a gift from God. Therefore sex is also a true gift from God given to a man and woman who are married. Ephesians 5:31-32 “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. ” Sex is a gift from God that gives us pleasure. He speaks about this gift and how it is meant for married couples. If this is a gift from God then withholding and being dominating with our use of sex within our marriage is something that he would not want. How often do we hear of this in our society. Many couples use sex as a way to control each other or to exhort a consequence for the others actions. However we are to be loving and grant this gift because God wants us to enjoy our spouse and enjoy this special part that is only for married couples.
The ladies that lead the conference asked Do you know God? Do you love God? Are you intimate with God? I asked myself, Well yes I know him (I think) and yes, I love him ( I think). I mean I know I do but how much? Do I love him with all thy heart, with all thy soul and with all thy mind like he asks of me in Matthew 22:37-38? Do I truly devote that much love to him? I don’t think I do. To truly love him with all mind, heart, and soul, is not a small task. This is big. This is momentous. This is loving him all day, every day. This is thinking of him and wanting to please him.
Well all know what it is like to be in love with someone of the opposite sex. We think of them constantly right? We try to do our very best to please them, to make them happy. We plan special times for just the two of us to enjoy each other and so on. We spend ours on the phone talking about our lives, our worries, our celebrations. We do countless things to demonstrate our love and our devotion to our spouse or loved one. What about with God? I had never thought about it that way before. Do I devote time to just God? I pray, mostly at night, but I pray. Do I communicate with him?
“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 47:10 I do not sit silent and still within my day and devote time to worshiping God. The ladies talked bout how many of us will do months of workouts to achieve change in our bodies, but what about using that same amount of time to devote to God. To learn to speak to him and love him with heart, mind, and soul. What a change that would be in our spiritual life. I know for me it would. To know God at that level would change so much about my life. It is a journey that I can not wait to explore. I hope you too take time out of your day to sit quietly and truly worship our Lord.
These ladies also have a bible study called Pursuit of Passion that lasts for 10 weeks. My friend and I bought the DVD and workbooks. This is one study that I can’t wait to jump into. Check out the link and dive into Authentic Intimacy
This was taken in 2012. They have grown a ton since this picture, but I just love it. Right now they are fighting like crazy and I can look at this picture and be reminded that they are sometimes sweet, and kind, and loving, and not fighting, and ….
Check out the puppy pictures! They are so adorable and let me add on the move. It was a challenge to get the pictures.
So cluck on puppies on my categories and then the post Jipsey X Joe litter to see these cuties.
Look how they have grown!
What are you cooking? Mom! What’s for Dinner?!!
Those are constant sentences in my house and I am sure the same is heard in homes all around the world. I have become obsessed with meal planning. Well I am obsessed with anything I can plan and write and create. (Can you tell that since I quit teaching I need a certain amount of time to create plans, calendars, anything!!!)
At the beginning of each month I sit with my dry erase calendar and begin planning my month of meals. It really helps me to cut grocery costs, plan meals, and stop the what’s for dinner questions. I leave room for leftovers and when I know we will be in town due to activities.
However I am tired of my same old, same old meals. What I need is your help with something new. So help me out. Here is my calendar help me fill it up. Now be prepared I may ask for your recipe. Also we are ranchers, so meat must be in every meal. LOL
April
So please help me out. I am open to just about anything. Kid friendly is a must.
I am from the south and one thing that you find everywhere around the holidays is sausage balls. These are made with sausage, cheese, and Bisquick. Then rolled into balls and baked. They can be stored in the fridge and popped in the microwave whenever you need a little snack or a quick breakfast.
My mother always detested these creations. She mentioned more than once that they tasted like flour. I however adore them. Mom changed things to her liking. I don’t remember when she started making these pinwheels, but they are really delicious. When I make either this recipe or the sausage ball recipe I make a double or triple batch so that I can freeze them. If you have to make a mess it might as well be a big mess!
Unroll the package of crescent rolls. Pinch all seams to create a large rectangle.Place and flatten the sausage onto the dough
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Sprinkle the cheese all over the sausage. Beginning at the long side roll it up. Go slowly and pinch any seams that are ripping open as you roll. Pinch the last seam to the roll securing it.
Slice it using a serrated knife about 1/2 inch thick. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown about 10-15 minutes.
The puppies are now 10 days old and are growing well. Jipsey is doing a wonderful job keeping them all fed and happy.
She was very anxious to get back to cow work and went out moving cows 24 hours after giving birth. I kept it short, but she was so happy. Since then it is a daily break to go out feeding after breakfast and then out in the evening to move the cows off the flat and back down to the meadow.
This is the sire. He is a very attentive and aggressive border collie. He is 9 years old and has slowed down since he broke his leg in the fall of 2012. However he likes to trail cows from the back of the four wheeler, where he has the option to work a little and ride a little.
This is the Dam – Jipsey. She is 19 months old and is getting better everyday. She has been working on cattle since 10 weeks. She has a lot of go and is learning the commands easily. We have been to a clinic to help train me, and she did well. As soon as the pups are bigger, I hope to begin more avid training. She is aggressive and will work all day.
1. Female- Aaron
2. Female- Moriah
3. Female- Sharon
4. Male- Natasha and Keith
5. Male- Nick and Gloria
6. Male-Kaitlyn
7. Male – Pat
8.Female – Pat
9. JMooney-Male
10.
11.
Starting at 3 am Jipsey began having her puppies. We discussed quite throughly a limit of 5, but she showed me who is boss with 11. That’s right 11 glorious red/white border collies. So far everyone is doing well. This is the only pic on my phone and it only shows 6 or 7.
I will be putting up my reservation list and picking order tomorrow along with individual pics. So check back for their intro to the world!
What has occurred in my house is almost unforgivable. It is an unjust that can not be undone. It is just so…..well hard to talk about. What my children have done to me is almost to much for me to carry.
You see I am a very odd type person. I hoard weird things. For example when we go out to eat. I never drink very much of my drink. I just don’t. I hoard it. I have it for later. My husband and my children never! They guzzle it all away and then in 15 minutes have nothing. Then there is Mom’s drink! I have mine because I don’t want to be thirsty later. I always come home with almost and entire drink left. Unless we are on a road trip and then I give it up to those who have nothing. It’s weird and it drives my family crazy.
Well at Christmas last year I asked my mother to make and send me two things. These two things remind me of home and remind me of her. Being 1500 miles away I wanted those memories at Christmas. Well she sent them. That’s right I got to large tins filled with coconut balls and peanut butter balls. I was never so happy. I opened my tins, took a look, smelled the aroma of chocolate, peanut butter, and coconut. I then took one small ball out and slowly enjoyed the taste. It lingered in my mouth. Each bite was pure heaven.
As I pictured my mother making these especially for me. Well I decided to hoard them. I put them straight into the freezer. I never mentioned to the family what was in the tins or that it was there.
Here comes the moment of pure double crossing. My children come upstairs this past Sunday, smiling and grinning! They laughed and laughed. When I finally asked they told me that they had been into my stash. What! You have been eating my candy. Yes, they had been slowly sneaking candy since Christmas. I opened my tin and I only had Five. Count them 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 left. I almost cried.
These are my balls. My candy! My candy made for me by my MOMMY!! Well what to do. I couldn’t yell at them. It was sent to us. As it was pointed out by my children it didn’t say to you only and you don’t eat it. It is true. I hadn’t eaten it since that one taste at Christmas. It is true that they need to be eaten because like all southern women, my mom will be wanting her tins back come June.
I learned something very important. Next year I will hide them at the hunting house!
The Modern Ranch Wife 