C25K

Couch To 5K!  It’s this awesome program that helps anyone train for a 5k run in 9 weeks.  I downloaded an app on my iTouch that keeps track of my progress and trains me along the way. It is called 5k Trainer by DeltaWorks.  You can purchase it for $1.99 through ITunes Store.  Most of the other training programs were more expensive. It incorporates the music you have into the training.

My sister and I are doing this together.  We call each other and keep each other accountable for our training time.  We are looking a 5k runs in mid-December to sign up for.  Our completion date will be approx December 11th.

In addition to my 5k training, I have been exercising on the elliptical trainer an average of 45 minutes everyday except for Sunday.  I feel so energized and healthy.  I love feeling this way and hope I can stick with it.

A thinner and more fit me,

The Milk Maid

I get what I want and they get what they want. Score!

My girls are technology freaks!  As are most other children in this day and age.  I get it.  I’m a little obsessed with the internet and Twitter and Facebook and the list goes on.  One of my pastor’s described TV and Computers as amusement, which requires no thinking just enjoying.  Who wouldn’t like that?!? My girls could sit in front of the TV or computer all day long if I would let them.

But at the same time, they need exercise to keep them healthy and fit.  They need to get up off of their bohunkus’ and move around some.  Go climb a tree or ride a bike.  I guess they are getting to the ages when climbing trees and riding bikes aren’t their favorite things to do.  Snapper will go to her room and play with her dolls or pet-shops sometimes, but that doesn’t include any exercise.

I needed a compromise! I need them to move and they want to sit.  So here is my deal with them: FOR EVERY MINUTE THEY SPEND EXERCISING ON THE ELLIPTICAL OR SOME OTHER WAY, THEY GET A MINUTE OF TECHNOLOGY.

We have been working on this for about 5 days now and so far so good.  They usually get an average of 30 minutes.  I guess it will take time for them to build up the muscles and endurance to last longer during exercise.

In addition to their earned tech-time, we usually watch a family movie together at night before bed.  It’s a bonus for them!

The Milk Maid

I Heart Twitter

It’s all her fault!  That friend of mine who told me all about the secret world of Twitter.  You may be thinking that Twitter is not a secret and that everyone knows about it, but my question is, “Do you really know?”.  I mean, really?  I thought Twitter was like a mini Facebook where you only have the status update line and nothing else.  But, NO!  There is so much more to this wonderful thing called TWITTER!

My friend is a winner!  Really.  She wins things all the time.  I’m beginning to think that she was being modest when she said, “I win about once a week.”  One day while sitting at the table in the teacher’s lounge of our homeschool co-op, I told her that I wanted to know how to win things to.  I was only about half serious and half jesting.  You hear of people making a living off of winnings online and such but you don’t really believe that you could.  She told me start with Twitter.

My first thought was “Twitter, really?  Yeah right.”  Then I pulled out my “smart” phone and upload the Twitter application.  She then proceeded to show me how to maneuver my way around and find giveaways to enter.  It was all so simple; too simple really.  So I started playing with it and continued when I got home via my laptop computer.  In my mind, I was very reluctant but since I’m such an internet loving gal, I thought I’d give it a try.  I told myself, “If I win something in the first week, I’ll keep trying it but otherwise, this is a waste of my time.”  Little did I know……..

My first week I won a foot long sub from Subway and a coupon for free mayo from SmartBalance.  Now that isn’t much but it was something and I didn’t specify what I would have to win in order to keep going.

My second week I won a $20 gift certificate to LifeIsGood.com and an Amazon Kindle Bundle that included a free online class.  Now this is where I learned a valuable lesson in the Twitter game.  ALWAYS CHECK YOUR E-MAIL!  I neglected my e-mail over the weekend due to a very busy schedule.  I woke up that Monday morning to find out that I had won said Kindle bundle but was now unable to claim said Kindle bundle because I didn’t respond to the e-mail within 24 hours, which was that Friday.  I was heart-broken but learned a valuable lesson!

I’m in my third week of playing the Twitter game.  It has started out very well with two wins so far; a GAME OF LIFE: NY EDITION, and (drum roll, please) a new Apple iPad 16GB.  Yeah!  Now that is what I call success!

I’ve gotten brave and started branching out and searching for other ways (other than Twitter) to win goodies.  Facebook has an array of giveaways every day, week, and month.  And of course, there are loads of others all over the world wide web!

Why put the time and effort into all this?  It’s fun and rewarding.

Does this make me a materialist greedy person?  No, I don’t think so.  I have prayed about this and feel that somethings I will keep, some things I will give away, and somethings I will sell on Ebay.  I’m praying about what to do with the IPad.  My first instinct was to keep it but I’m praying about which of the above categories this falls under.  I don’t believe I’m to give it to someone.  I’m praying about selling it since it is worth $500.

I’m thinking this also makes for great Christmas shopping but without the expense.  I do have time that I put into it but I try not to devote too much time to it since I have a family to tend to first.  Early morning hours, lunch breaks, and late night hours tend to be my Twitter time.  But in all honesty, I can get quite sucked into it all and next thing I know, I’ve been on the PC a lot longer than I intended.  I like that I can take Twitter with me on my phone.  It is great for passing time in doctor’s offices; which I tend to be in a lot lately with a sick kid.

I’ll keep you all up to date on my winnings.  I’m not bragging.  I want to encourage you to explore the great world of Twitter and see what goodies you can get for you or your family.

I Heart Twitter,

The Milk Maid

Why do people like you?

I’m one of those people who wants everyone to like me.  It will drive me crazy if I meet someone and they don’t seem to like me instantly.  I want to stand on my head and perform circus tricks and do anything I can to make them like me.  Sometimes, I probably go overboard and push people away, but I just want to me to like me.  I want it oh so badly!

In my random thought patterns, I started thinking about this.  What makes a person like me?  What makes people like others?  What makes me like others?  I’m sure there is some psychological explanation for it but I’m not on that intellect level so I’m just going to think it out; here on this computer screen.

When I meet someone, I don’t like to feel snubbed.  I want them to be open to receiving me, my personality, and all my quirkiness.  I try to like everyone I meet; though, I do fail in the judgmental arena.  I often scold myself for judging others based on their outward appearance or what I may have heard of them prior to actually meeting them.  If I want people to give me a chance, then I should definitely return the favor to them.  I should approach the meeting with an open mind and heart.

But what is it about me that makes someone like me?  I would love people to see the image of Christ in me.   I hope they see kindness and hospitality.  I hope they see an open heart and open mind.   I want them to see a loving person and a good friend.

I am interested to know what you look for in a new friend?  Are you open to new friends or do you prefer your personal group of friends?  What do you want people to like about you?

Curiously Yours,

The Milk Maid

The Daddy of our Family

A friend recently pointed out to me that my family is blessed to have so much time with The Hubby.  He doesn’t leave most mornings till 9 or 10 am.   He is in and out of the house a couple of times each day before his actual “coming home” in the evening.  The Hubby has a very flexible schedule and can take off early or go in late.  He is the boss and owner of his company; thus has employees to keep things running even when he can’t be on the work site.

Today, Labor Day, he left the house around 9:30 am.  We had been up for at least 2 hours by this time; everyone fed and started school. The Hubby returned home at 1:30 pm to take us all out on the lake for the rest of the afternoon and evening.  This isn’t something just happens on holidays but random days when he feels the need to spend more time with the family.

My friend, that reminded me of this small blessing, is the mother of a military family.  Her husband is gone for days, weeks, and months at a time.  He is fighting for our freedom!

My sister’s husband is a trucker.  He can be absent from the home as little as 2 weeks and as much as 7 weeks at a time.  She often feels like a married single mother.

Many families have father’s with 9 to 5 jobs and get one week’s vacation each year.  They are required to work as scheduled and the family time is planned around it.  There is much to be said for a steady job like this.

Every family is different and they all have different kinds of Daddy’s.  I’m thankful for the “Daddy” of my little family.  He is a hard-working, dedicated man.  He is a loving father and husband.  We are truly blessed!

The Wife of The Daddy,

The Milk Maid

Milk Rations

While I am enjoying the lack of commitment to my 1/2 ton milk cow, I am starting to miss the never ending supply of milk that came with said commitment.  I am purchasing raw milk from a family that is family in the biological sense and family in the religious sense.  I am glad they are there to supply us with milk and to keep our urge to eat healthier viable.

Yet, I am feeling slightly constrained and committed to my new source of milk.  I am limited to my two gallons a week; as compared to the 21 gallons we were receiving from Maisy.  I am of course purchasing the milk with tangible dollars; as compared to the 2 hours each day I put toward collecting and cleansing the milk from Maisy.  I have to ration out our milk usage.  I don’t want to run out before the next week’s pick up date.  I want to make yogurt and soft cheeses.  I want to make butter!  Yet, I don’t feel like I can “waste” the milk we have available.

We have purchased 1/2 a share of a Jersey bull with our milk providing family purchasing the other 1/2.  They will use him for breeding their cows this month and we will let him court our cows next month.  After he is done getting his groove on with all the single ladies on both farms, he will be meat in my freezer.  He is a multipurpose bull!

So hopefully, he will impregnate (one if not all of) our 3 breeding age cows.  We hope to have some calves birthed around July of next year.  Once the calves are 1 week old, we can start collecting milk for our own usage again!  Yay!

But that is 10 months away!  Meanwhile, I am thankful for the milk we do have and look forward to the abundance of milking from my own cow again next year!  When I start feeling over whelmed by the gallons and gallons of milk I have this time next year, make sure you remind me of this post and how much I wanted all that milk.

The Milk Maid

He makes me laugh!

My Little Man is a constant source of humor in our house.  We have all forgotten what it is like having a 3 year old in our lives. All the nieces, nephews, and cousins in our lives are past this stage of life.  The Little Man is always saying something or performing some act that makes us all giggle and wonder at how his little brain works.

His favorite phrases are “I can’t” and “I don’t know” which is accompanied by a sad face with which he expects to extract some pitty from you.  He runs about the house screaming “Spider!  AAAHHHH!”.  The Little Man enjoys attaching himself to your leg and becoming yet another appendage for you to carry around.

My favorite performance as far happened this morning.  Ever since he became a part-time member of our household, he conveniently goes “poo” when The Hubby is at home; thus allowing The Hubby the duty of wiping him.  Well this morning was yet another morning of going “poo” and yelling for uncle to come wipe him.  He then gallantly marches into the dining room where I am situated, britches in his hand, not on his body, turns his bare rear end to me and says “Look, No poo in my butt!”.  I giggled and said, “Yes, now lets get those shorts back on”.

I guess this is a great accomplishment for a 3 year old.  He was so proud and was eager for some praise.  How can I deny him that simple pleasure?  I simply can not!

Oh how he makes me laugh,

The Milk Maid

Aw Shucks!

Yesterday evening, The Hubby came home with bushels and bushels of corn.  The pastor of our church had given us this corn from his garden.  What an abundant blessing!  The first thought through my mind was “Yummy!  Lots of corn!”.  The second thought through my mind was “Oh no!  I’m leaving in less than 2 days for my vacation.  What am I going to do with all this corn?”.  After some consultation between The Hubby and I, we decided to start tackling the project that evening and finish ( the remaining portion) the next day.

After dinner clean up, we (The Hubby, Thing 1, Snapper, Little Man, and I) sat out in the yard along the cow pasture shucking corn in the dusk of the evening.  Now let me give you a little visual of this precious family time.  Thing 1 had just emerged from the shower minutes before.  She was in her PJs with her hair twisted up in a towel and wearing fuzzy winter boots.  Little Man bathed directly after dinner so he was sporting nothing more than an over sized shirt and a slightly damp head.  The remaining three of us were still in that day’s clothing.  We are in a semi-circle with a huge pile of corn in need of shucking in the center.

We jump into action.  With the night’s darkness creeping in on us, we needed to act fast!  Little Man had probably never shucked corn before.  He gave it his all and did quite well for an inexperienced 3 year old.  The girls and I moved at a fairly decent speed.  We paused and said “eeewww” at every silk worm we came upon.  I had, what I thought was, a great plan for extracting the silk worms without having to come in contact with them.  The Hubby moved at lightening speed and shucked three ears in the time it took the other 4 of us to each complete one.

This was such a wonderful family time.  I wish I had taken a picture.  I love when the family works together to put up food or take care of the animals.  The farm is a family operation and I enjoy sharing it with my family.  We have been truly blessed.

** Now let me take a moment to state that I am not “scared” of silk worms.  I am simply disgusted by them and every other non-legged creature.  EEEWWW!!!!!  Oh and caterpillars too!

We brought a Radio Flyer wagon full of shucked corn inside to the kitchen for cleaning and preparing.  Once again, we worked as a family.  The Hubby cut off the “yucky” parts and I cleaned the remaining silk from the cobs.  Snapper cut and sealed one end of the vacuum sealer bags.  Thing 1 researched and found a recipe for frozen creamed corn.  Thing 1 also placed the corn into the boiling water and kept track of the time.  After the corn was clean and boiled, The Hubby cut the corn from the cobb and the girls scraped the cream from the remaining carcass of a cob.  After mixing the corn with the cream, I bagged it up and vacuumed out the air.  By the end of the evening, we had 10 bags of creamed corn vacuum sealed, labeled, and ready to freeze and enough corn for 10 more bags left to complete the next day.

Where was Little Man during this part of the process?  In bed!

I awoke this morning with a list (a mile long) running through my head of the things that needed to be accomplished before we reunited with our beds tonight.  As I lay in bed contemplating my strategy for the day, I felt something move on my chest.  (yeah, you read that right)  AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I jumped out of bed screeching and searching for this thing that had victimized me.  As I look around and up and down myself, I don’t see anything!  I must have felt my hair brush across my chest because I can’t find the culprit anywhere.  Now I am out of bed and might as well start my day.  I go to pull my hair up into my morning ponytail, when I spot a long creepy crawly on my chest.  (I’m creeped out even as I type this.)  I fling my cami off over my head and the culprit goes flying though the air.  I leap onto my bed and screech for The Hubby to come save me from this horrible creature!  I’m convinced it is a centipede; as they are well known for being found in beds.  Of course, The Hubby comes flying into the room to my rescue.  Who is this culprit?  A silk worm!  EEEEEWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!  (GAG!  CREEPY! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)  I can’t even think about it with out my stomach tying itself into a knot.  That thing slept in my bed with me all night?  Possibly in my hair?  I’m going to need therapy now for sure!

At least the shucking (silk worm) portion of the corn production is over.  We have the remaining portion of the corn to complete this evening and we will have quite a store of frozen corn available to us this winter!  Yay!  Thanks to the Lord and my pastor for blessing our family!

Up to my ears in corn (and silk worms),

The Milk Maid

Finally!!!!!

Over the past 3 weeks, The Hubby and I have been contemplating a small quick vacation for the family.  We needed a vacation we could take in a week or less.  We needed it to be in our budget.  And The Hubby needed to clear some time in his schedule to take this so-called schedule.

The location has changed approx 4 times since the begging of our planning session 3 weeks ago.  The Hubby finally gave me a time frame last week, then put me on hold due to a change in his schedule.

BUT FINALLY…. The hotel room is booked and tickets are purchased.  We are headed to Williamsburg, Virginia next week!  I am ubber excited.

Historic Williamsburg

Jamestown

Yorktown

Busch Gardens

Water Country USA

Doesn’t that all sound like so much fun!

We haven’t vacationed as a family in 2 years.  I am sure I will be packed and ready to go before the departure day arrives.  Packing lists need to be made.  The girls need new suitcases.  So much to do!

Yay me!

The Milk Maid

The New Man In My Life

No, not like that!

My nephew, who I will refer to as Little Man, will be spending 3 or more days a week with the girls and me.  We have been excited about spending time with him, teaching him, and loving on him.

Little Man is three years old.  He is cute as a button.  This morning was his first day with us and he walked in so happily without any fuss.  He wanted to watch “a movie” so we turned on our Wii with Netflix.  He is sitting beside me watching “Caillou”.  I can remember when my girls loved watching that show.

Having a three-year old (boy) in the house is going to take some adjusting, but I don’t mind; it’s all worth it in the end.

Loving the new man in my life,

The Milk Maid