Stuck in my head....What's stuck in your head???

"The wheels on the Bus go round & round, round & round..."
"I will make you fishers of men, fishers of men..."

I know I have a crazy heading for today's blog. Well it is actually something that started in my head yesterday...so, here it is....
As most of you know, I am quite musically challenged...the only tune I know and can follow is the one to "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" (sorry, by now you probably have all these tunes running through your head! Perfect for my story!!!) Back to that story....On Wednesday the four year olds have Chapel time with Pastor..the kids go into the Sanctuary, sit on the steps and Pastor helps concrete the bible story for the week. Then, the leader for the day, the Me-Board person (the kids each bring a poster board all about them that hangs in the hall for a week...fun, huh??!?!), and both Miss Susy and I to pick a song we want to sing. Of course, the kids have their favorites, and Miss Susy and I are usually desperately searching the CD's in our heads for a song. This week Miss Susy wanted to sing one called "Fisher's of Men" because the letter we were discovering was...(You guessed it...letter "F"!) So, Pastor is musically inclined and he led us in a new song.
Next, it's outside time for our kids...so, we are outside playing and as I'm patrollingthe playground I'm humming and singing the words to the new song, so hopefully, it can be recorded on that head CD! One of my bright, fun, squeezeable little boys was digging in the sand as I was singing, and he lookd up to me with these words..."You got that song stuck in your head, huh, Miss Tammy?" How could I not smile at that one...he was right! Then, he went on to tell me his Mom always gets songs stuck in her head and then, they get stuck in his!!! How very precious was that conversation!!! Mostly, because it got me thinking about what things we do get stuck in our heads...
Sometimes it is songs, sometimes it is hurtful words, sometimes it is negative thoughts about ourselves (You know the ones..."I can't do that, I'm not good enough, I'm not important"). Sometimes it is great memories from the past, (the day you fell in Love, going on a girls weekend with your best friends, a special birthday or magical sunset). Somtimes it is a compliment or a great accomplishment (graduating, job promotion, finally clearing the clothes that don't fit out of your closet :D). And, sometimes it is just plain nonsense! What I really started thinking about was what I do keep stuck in my head (What do you keep stuck in yours???) Mmmmm...there are a lot of CDs that I need to erase or throw out...and there are some that I will forever treasure and play over & over again...but, most of all I wish the things stuck in my head would be God things....His forgiving, disciplined, encouraging word. His dreams & plans for me...His amazing ways! So, the song that would forever be playing in myhead would be "Jesus Loves Me...this I know..." followed by a round of "This is the day...This is the day..." and ending with "I can only Imagine..". Thanks for listening to my ramblings...I hope your heads are stuck on a tune today too! Sweet blessings!

Our Sunday Night Adventure

Hello there...I just wanted to share Sunday night's adventure....it was a great day...mostly relaxing with my family, watching the new babies out the kitchen window...and just enjoying another perfect day of sunshine. Pat headed out to drive the tractor back to the property and feed the cows there. (Which meant he would be calling for a ride home sometime...) I had put a pan of scalloped potatoes & ham in the oven for dinner...and it was almost done...Ring, ring, ring...Pat was ready for his Taxi. No problem....I left my Mom & sister in charge of pulling the finished product out of the oven. As I pull down the gravel road to the property, I see Pat walking toward me...(Oops...he had finished before the Taxi arrived!) No worries, at least he didn't have to stand and wait on me...but, I noticed he was holding his arm and hand funny as he was walking...when he got in, of course, I apologized for not driving faster :D Then, I asked why he was holding his hand funny....WELL...apparently as he was closing the mesh wire gate...his hand was caught on a rough piece of wire puncturing his palm. Being the almost Dr. that I am...I said we should think about a tetanus shot. Remembering the last time he needed one seemed to be years ago...you know my husband.."I'll be fine...let's just go home." However, I was the driver...and this taxi-driver/Dr. thought a tetanus shout would be better than lock-jaw. You just have to love that things like this always happen on a Sunday night...so, ER here we come....after the usual 15 minute wait, we get checked in...and experience the $100 co-pay. Once inside the ER it's a nurse looking, waiting, another nurse checking the wound, waiting, and finally the first nurse coming in with the shot! And, bless her heart, she gave us the FYI...you can now get tetanus shots at Safeway & Bi-Mart! I am assuming that would need to be during pharmacy hours :D But, a good thing to know...especially with Pat's luck! Since we've been married, he has had at least four tetanus shots...two for dog bites :D and two for puncture wounds! So, that was our Sunday adventure...Praise God we live close to a facility where Pat could get a tetanus shot, and Praise God that my family had a nice meal in spite of it all....God is good!!! I hope you all had a great President's Day...and are on your way to a perfectly amazing week! Sweet blessings!

Saying good-bye to my babies and Welcoming new ones....

Hello there....

Well it's been a busy couple of days here...as it always seems to be when Pat hits town :D ha, ha...I knew sooner or later he would take the Cows and babies from home(once the bull had done his work...) and rotate them at the other property with the Cows that would need to be bred....Lucky Bull he gets to stay at my house and never travel to different spots!!! We just got a new bull this Winter...he's not that old and still thinks he's a cow...I Love that...before all that testosterone gets going and they lose their cute look and become big, large & in-charge. Anyway, I've yet to name him...and just resort to calling him little guy (oops! That's probably hard on his ego, huh???)

Well, God blessed us with a beautiful day...the sun was out, no wind...and the muck pretty much dried up...so, that meant...time to sort and move. Pat also was bringing the tractor home to replinish they hay at home and get some loads for the property. (Life is easy & good again at my house....only the horses & cats to feed!! ) Oops..I seem to keep getting side-tracked today....back to the story at hand. The cows came in the pen very easily for me...I like to think it's because I'm a cow-whisperer...but, the truth of the matter is they Love alfalfa and will go anywhere for it! Pat & his John Deere got home, placed the hay in the pasture (it's much easier when you don't have to keep an eye on the gate so the calves & cows don't escape...which is usally my job!) Next, we sorted off the bull and an older cow with twins that has a bad hip...and my sweet little "Orphan Annie"...I think you can guess by her name, why she gets to stay. After a few fun attempts at loading, as it takes the babies awhile to learn about going in a trailer....the job was done...and Pat brought home 5 Mama cows and their sweet little babies....They are soooo little...only about three weeks old...and sooooo cute and adorable....I can hardly wait to find time to get acquainted with them, figure out their personalities and give them all names! Any suggestions welcome!!! :D The calves that he moved were all born in August and September and are now looking like cows! So, even though, I'm sad and it takes me a few days to get over my named, favorite babies leaving...it will only be a matter of days before I am totally in Love with the new babies and they'll become truly mine! So, through all the craziness of sorting & working cattle, the weather attacks...a.k.a. muck...it's sooooo worth it when you see those precious, amazing creatures with big brown eyes following you around! You just have to Love God's Creations!
It's sunny here again today....yeahhhh...I'm soooo loving seeing blue skies...I hope it's shinning on you too...Sweet blessings!

P.S. I'm really trying to figure out how to add pictures.....I want to share my babies with you...and I'm thinking it will help with the name suggestions... :D

But the greatest of these is Love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope it finds each of you enjoying a wonderful day filled with lots of Chocolate, hugs & kisses, and very happy hearts!

I just love Valentine's Day!!! Maybe it's because that's the day my husband asked me to be his forever Valentine (great choice, don't you think?) Or maybe it's all the chocolate...since being a chocolate conisseuer is my second career...Or...maybe it's because God loved me so much (and YOU) that he sent his Son to die for us. What a powerful way to show your love....it humbles me so much when I reflect upon what true love is.

I also love storing God's scripture on "Love" in my heart...here are a few of my favorites:

~ 1 Corinthians 13:4-8....What if the whole world put on that kind of Love every day?!?!

~ Love the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. Matt. 22:37

~ Love your neighbor as yourself. Matt. 22:39

~ Love one another. 1 John 4:7

Thanks for letting me share those verses with you....Now, for how I saw them at work on my Valentine's Day! (Sorry, We have to side-step, of course, to a cow story!) Well, my day started off great...the sun was shining, the birds were singing...and my heart was full of joy! I did my usual morning routine...and was headed out to feed the barn cats and horses...I always scan the cows in the pasture on my walk to the barn...as I was scanning, I noticed a calf sitting up, sucking milk from it's Mama...Now, this is not common practice or usual for a calf...they like to drink standing on all fours....so, I started praying..."Please God let this calf be okay", and quickly got my feeding done so I could hop over the fence and head out to check on the calf! Okay, so you know the cows always start mooing when they see me because they consider me the feed wagon :D I start walking up to the calf and it doesn't care....The cow who I thought was the Mom (Persistence had walked away) And, Number 11 ( Yep! That's her name!) was standing over the calf. I started to get closer so I could touch it (which usually results in a calf bolting away from me...it's eyes, ears, & nose looked good...and he stood up! It was #707,a.k.a Blue Eyes...(because he was born - with you got it...blue eyes...another not so common thing in cattle)who just happens to think he's my pet and always follows me around the pasture...and sure enough he was healthy & fine!!
Praise God!!! He loves me so much he even cares about my animals! So, I finished getting ready for work, feeling even more joy! (Life's good when the animals are all healthy!)

Next, I head to work...my plan being that I would stop at Safeway and get my daily partner (Miss Susy) a Starbucks Ice Tea for an extra special Valentines treat...because she spoils me like crazy every day.I'm driving along praying and realize I'm turning into the preschool drive-way...oops forgot my stop...and Miss Susy isn't at work yet, so perfect! I get to Safeway just to see an all too familiar backside bending over a cart...next to a new blue car...Mmmm...that's my Miss Susy...I roll down the window and yell out "Hey, what are you doing here"...and she smiles...."I got you an Iced Tea". Wow! She is amazing and she beat me to the Valentine gift! Not only that, but she takes homemade sugar cookies (the best you have ever tasted) inside to the Starbucks girls that we now know by name! So, I know you are wondering where I'm going with this and the title of my blog....but, it made me realize that Miss Susy share's God's Love every day in very sweet ways. The girls at Starbucks were so happy and thankful...My Miss Susy was loving her neighbor today!
At Preschool we had Valentine parties....and we were soooooo very blessed by lots of Chocolates, sweet valentines & hugs! Our parents at preschool treat us like family....and the room was full of Love...reminding me of "Love one Another". Not to mention, the fact that the staff always shower one another with expressions of appreciation and Love. I am feeling totally blessed!

Then, I came home to find Melissa's boyfriend Ben calling to ask if he could put some things in her room...he's living in Walla Walla right now going to college...but, he wanted to make her day special....so, are you ready for this...he blew up 125 balloons, filling her entire bed & room with ovals of pink & red, a rose, candy and a very sweet card! Then, waited at his parent's house for her to come home from class and see his gift! She was in tears (well, after I had to call her and insist she come home to help me with my blog...I know she was more than annoyed with me...but, in the end I think it was worth it :D!)Remember when we were all young and our guys were courting us....Mmmm...good memories! The great gifts of Love!

So, even though my Valentine is not home...I do feel Mr.PPRM's Love...and
I had a truly great day...My heart was overflowing with sweet, sweet blessings! I hope yours were too...and that you take a moment to look at life through God's Love! Because Love is the greatest gift! Sweet blessings!

Starbucks & good friends...Perfect compliments to each other...

Today started with meeting great friends at Starbucks! What a perfect beginning for my Friday. You just have to love getting together, enjoying your favorite drink, and catching up! Friends are one of Life's best and often ignored Sweet Blessings. As we visited and shared...I couldn't help but think of how blessed I am that God has surrounded me with Godly friends and sisters in Christ. And, how very blessed I am to get to watch God's story for each of them unfold. It made me start thinking about friendships...

The ultimate friendship, is the one we have with our Lord & Savior...who knows everything about us and more and still Loves us. That's the friend I want to be....the one who is there in fun times, bad & good/ healthy & unhealthy..no matter what.... an always friend!

So to each each of my friends...Thank You for all that you bring to my life! I want to make sure that I don't ignore the Sweet blessings you each are!

Grab a Starbucks and take a moment to relflect on some of those magical, memorable moments in your life...created by a friend! And...then make some time to catch up with a friend. Sweet Blessings!

Joy in the little things...

Happy Wednesday! It's been a great week so far...nothing exciting or out of the ordinary....just the way I like it! The snow has come and gone, the rain visits off and on, the muck is starting to dry up....and I am soooo thankful for my winter attire of muck boots, bib overalls, my carhardt and newly found rubber soled gloves...(I don't know why it took me almost 10 years to discover them...but, they are perfect!)

Today was a sweet one at preschool...I LOVE it when the kids actually get the bible story....and today one of my 4 year olds asked "Miss Tammy what are you wearing today?" in a tone that told me he thought my outfit was ridiculous (I had on a turtlneck and a crocheted shell over it). Anyway, I asked him..."You don't like how it looks do you..?" And, he said "No, I think you look really nice!" Yeahhhhhh!!! That made my day...you know four year olds have figured out clothing tastes!

So today was a day for finding Joy in the little things....Here are some things I find Joy in...

~ Waking up feeling healthy & good
~ My kitty cat curled up next to my leg (like she is right now!)
~ When my husband calls me just because...
~ My Miss Susy fixing me lunch (everyday :D)
~ The little "I Love You's & hugs" from my preschoolers

Mmmm....I hope you can find joy today...it's such a warming feeling! Sweet blessings!

Cooking...

It's raining here, I have the woodstove going, my house is cozy warm...and I feel bitten by the cooking bug. I do love to cook, but it seems to have become a lost art for me with Pat gone all the time. So today, I'm Cooking!!! I looked through my cookbooks and found a recipe my Grandmother Vivian had sent to me...for homemade Brownies...Mmmmm...that sounded good....Then, I thought maybe I would go ahead and make dinner (Pat's out doing "cow" work...which means I never know when he'll get in for dinner). So, I did it!!!...I made Lasagna...and it's all set to be popped into the oven when he comes in. Plus, I created a salad and some garlic bread to go along with it...(Okay, confession time...I didn't make the garlic bread..it's the frozen kind that you just pop in the oven!)
Back to the title of my blog today...as I was in the kitchen measuring, slicing, mixing, and cooking up a storm...a warm, familiar feeling of doing something important, right, and good eneveloped me. I came from a family of EXCEPTIONAL (and I do mean that capitalized :D) cooks. Some of my favorite memories are of my Mom in the kitchen on rainy days baking something yummy for us...the kitchen in our home was always the gathering place....and the smells that came from it always enticed a response! Cooking was sharing time...time to talk, listen, a time of warmth....(although, I do wish I had paid more attention to the process at hand...I'm no where near the cook my Mom is!) What a sweet blessing it is to be able to prepare a meal and share it with those you love....Today, I feel like a good wife...like I am doing what God created me to do....I wonder if the Proverbs 31 woman felt those same feelings when she was doing just that...loving her family?~? So...girls...on those days when cooking feels like another chore on your already over the top list...I hope you can take time to let it envelope you...that your children and family will feel the Love you are serving...and that they will have memories that will one day warm their hearts! Happy Cooking...& Sweet Blessings!

I'm surrounded by Lakes....

Well it happened....all the snow melted off in what seemed like one day...and now...I am truly surrounded by Lakes...big ones, little ones, you name I've got it...I truly never dreamed of having my own lake...but it's happened! It's quite a sight to see the cows all licking their mineral tubs while knee deep in Lake Mallon :D And, an even better sight to watch the water come up to me knees in my muck boots (sorry, I took pictures, but I've yet to figure out how to get them all posted) At least, there will be entertainment coming soon!

It's been a pretty quiet last couple of days...yeahhhh....I am sooo thankful for uneventful, calm days! If only I would use them constructively?!?!? Mmmmm...guess that should be on my "need to work on" list :D

I do want to share something that the Lord has placed on my heart this week...as you know I've become addicted to reading other people's blogs (I just sooo love hearing other people's stories...) Anyway, on one of the blogs, the blogger was struggling with some changes in her life...and a friend posted back a reply to her...remember "This too shall pass"...it made me think about how many times I stress, fret, & worry about something life has thrown at me...only later to realize it wasn't that big of deal, and that God already had the answer. Then, a sweet precious friend this week had a curve--ball thrown to her...and in her message to me she said..."This too shall pass"...it made me think again...and open my bible to find those heart-strengthening words of Jesus. For me Romans 8:35-39 truly is a source of strength and a good reminder ...that Jesus is my Lord forever! That whatever is happening today is helping me to become more like him....So, thank You to those friends are who sharing their hearts and inspiring me onward. I hope the next time I am feeling overwhelmed that I too can say "This too shall pass."! Sweet blessings!