Mr. Toad visits

We had a lovely visit from Mr. Toad this week.

It was quite an interesting visit...this mommy screamed and tried to stay as far away as possible, while her brave man ran to get the camera and coaxed this hysterical mommy and frightened little prince over to see Mr. Toad up closer :)

He's the man, you know?!?! NOT Mr.Toad, mind you...I am talking about 'da hubby (smirk)

Our life is interesting... to say the least :)

This week has been a wonderful and rainy one...getting laundry dried is close to impossible now days.
The prince enjoys watching the rain and getting as close to it as he's allowed ;) He spends the rainy hours looking at books and talking to mommy while she works...it's a pretty good deal, I think :)

And he loves picking flowers for mommy ....sigh....I really am blessed!!!

He got a big scrape on the forehead and close to his eyes yesterday, just part of growing up, right?!?!

The rains came down .... and the bugs came out

That would be the most appropriate song for the rainy season out in the country ...

Just as soon as the rains start, the bugs decide it's time to come out of their hiding places.

Just this week we found this critter in the prince's room (again)...

This scorpion is about as big as my littlest finger...and it causes one a LOT of pain. I was so thankful the prince didn't find it and we could kill it before it hurt someone... we also killed about 10 spiders...no joking...and if you're dying to see a picture of what they look like, just look here and you'll be able to see our regular  un-invited visitors. Not to mention the frogs, lizards and bats that show up once in a while... sheesh

 Except for the bugs and the laundry taking three whole days to finally get dry, rainy season is not all that bad

The beautiful green and the cool weather are w.o.n.d.e.r.f.u.l for a change...so I guess I can handle the bugs for a while ..

On the good side,

All of our plants are thriving and we've got a huge watermelon vine and some adorable tiny melons coming.. they grow really fast so we are excited about having watermelon from our own yard ...pretty cool!

Then our acerola cherry tree is also loaded with fruit. We've been feasting on fresh juice, smoothies, and just the fruits itself makes a wonderful and healthy snack, can't beat that :)

These are extremely high in vitamin C... 65 times higher than an orange, so they are very good for you...and they're pretty yummy too..
We got in a couple of big batches of the cherries and I used up some and froze the others for future use

And of course, because no post is complete unless there's a pictures of him....

So I am here, enjoying the rainy days... now the critters, I don't really care for, but cooler weather?!?! YES! I will take it ;)

Starting the year off right...

We decided to start the year taking a day off to relax...we traveled a couple hours to the place where my dad was born and raised... hillbilly land... don't tell my dad I said that ;)
No, really....
The place is g.o.r.g.e.o.u.s....

I find it a little nerve wrecking that the river is right by the house we stayed in...the picture above is from the house's front porch..and I have a very curious toddler, soooo you understand my apprehension. Everything worked out fine though...we watched him constantly and explained to him he was not allowed near the river by himself...shivers... there were alligators on the banks all over...no kidding! Don't you think it's a perfect vacation spot?!?!
In reality we did have fun...expect for the lousy mosquitoes that chewed us up... it IS rainy season, so that was to be expected.

The trip there was quite an adventure itself... the roads are really wide as you will see...

We had to stop several times as the men tried to squeeze the cars past other cars and trucks... ugh...I am glad I wasn't the one driving! I was nervous just watching ...down below to your right is a swamp filled with nice critters...so I wasn't really excited about the possibility of falling in it. On the other side of the road is a jungle so I mustered some courage to hop out of the car to get this picture...aren't you proud of me!?!?
My husband told me I am not a hillbilly girl....thanks a lot, honey!!!


We had quite a time... trying to buy watermelon for cheap... they threw the price way up when they saw my uncle's brand new car.... seriously! Hubby is good at bargaining so he still got some for cheap, cheap...

On the way back home, we got to see the beautiful sunset... it was well worth it all the stickiness, the heat, the mosquito bites...

And I discovered there is a difference between country life and hillbilly country life... I'll definitely take the country life ;)

This is the life

I am loving this business of being home more often, having my honey home in the evenings and just really getting to be a home-maker...I feel settled, finally...and right at home.

There really is no sweeter word than HOME!

It may be simple, yet it's home..and this week I have been busy making it cozier..
I "spring cleaned" the entire house, went through every item of clothing, every drawer, had a ton of stuff thrown out, given away...and it feels so awesome to have everything clean and organized!

I made my own version of coffee filters wreaths for our bedroom...

It was a quick craft and super cheap...and we're loving it ;)

I've also been enjoying making meals for my little family, now that we can sit down and eat dinner together every evening...loving this, I really am!!
I am looking forward to trying out new recipes on my two favorite people in the world (contented sigh)..

The hubs started on his new job position this week, it's been hectic and crazy busy for him as he tries to get a hang of the whole business of managing the company's finances, but it's just great that he gets to come home and relax after such a busy day! And...I am just so proud of him :) He's the best!

The prince is growing way too fast... he is talking a lot now, and surprises us with new words every day. It is so much fun to have a small conversation with him, and actually understand what he's saying. I just love being a mommy...

And.. my sibling arrive from the US to spend Christmas with us in just two day...so much to do before then, and we're just getting so excited! I haven't seen them for a year and a half...and I can hardly sleep..because I am sooooooo excited!

This is really the life!

Week in pictures

This is a crazy, crazy life...the days and weeks are just flying...I am having a hard time believing Thanksgiving is next week and Christmas will be here soon!

Our life just doesn't slow down either, hubby is as busy as ever finishing up school. He's got a ton of papers to turn in as he finishes in less than a month! I'm just so excited! It's going to be GREAT having him around more. The official graduation ceremony is on January 26th, so we still have a ton of stuff to do in order to be ready for it :)

I am so in the mood to decorate for Christmas! I'm counting the days for Thanksgiving, so I can get all the fall decor out and in with the Christmas ones :) Yes, I am impatient at times!

I made a wreath and just put it out to test the lights...ah, so excited and can't wait to hang it up on my door :) I bought a inexpensive green garland and just decided to make my own wreath, I saw some for sale, but the prices were outrageous and I really didn't want to spend that much. This one came out quite cheap, so I'm happy about that :)

We had some wonderful rainy days lately...I generally love rainy days, that is,until we have some unexpected company trying to get away from the rain, and wanting IN the house :( I'm thankful the hubby was home and took care of killing gently removing the tarantula from our porch. We've found 5 of these just during the last 2 weeks :( Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!

And...this is not the worse....On Friday, there was a snake in the prince's room....and there are no pictures of that, I was too busy screaming and running for my life (shivers).


Oh the joys of country life!

We're all still alive and well, though ;)

Then there was family picture day....sigh 


Why is it so hard to get a good picture, where everyone at least looks decent?!?


And I only have one kid ... what are we going to do when there's more? It will sure be chaos!

Any one else have the same problem? We had a ton of fun though, and I'm thankful for a sweet friend who was willing to come out at take our pictures :)

I have to add one of my super handsome guys, of course! I am so blessed ;)

Life is just grand...

Free as a bird

I just love the fact that prince is free out in the country! He loves it too! I captured this picture as he was running out on the soccer field just before a rain storm... please excuse the fact that he is only in underwear (blush)... it's his bathing suit, okay?!?!

The expression on his face is priceless! He's just happy to be free...that means out of the house for him :)

Onto more serious business, some of you asked for pointers on soap making... so I will have a special post on how to make the detergent coming soon. Stay tuned!

Have a blessed week!

Soapin' business and other randoms

Since I moved out to the country, I've made acquaintance with many people out there that have taught me so much about country living! I am sure thankful for them. There's one lady in particular that is totally awesome. She happens to be one of my aunts and she has it all.....she knows how to make anything. It's been a privilege for me to pick her brain and learn new recipes, new stuff...I just love it!

One of my new learned things, is soap making...this is homemade laundry detergent, it's one of the most awesome products I have ever used...no kidding! Soooo much better than the store bought ones. It's a very concentrated soap, so I use it for deep cleaning. It cleans like nothing else! I use it for white clothing and white sheets, anything white, cleans like a miracle. I also use it for our tile floors and I've never seen them sparkle so much! And the best part, I'm saving money. When I do my monthly grocery shopping, I don't have to buy so many cleaning products anymore. Hubby used to say I spent more on cleaning products than on food...that's because I love to clean....I love the smell of cleaning products ;) This particular homemade detergent smells like eucalyptus which I love too!

This soap is cheap and fairly easy to make, one recipe makes a whole lot.


Gallons and gallons of them.....

Some ladies from church came over to my house and saw the effects of this awesome detergent, so they asked if I'd make them some...
Why not?!?!
I've sold almost all the ones you see in these pictures, and still have some ordered for this week, so I have to make another batch.
I really love this! Being able to make a little extra money for Christmas shopping, right at home! How awesome is that?!?!

Rainy season is definitely in full swing. I just love it!! The colors of the skies are just amazing! Prince loves to play out when it's almost ready to rain....the coolness of the wind and the rain drops falling feel pretty amazing!

Isn't the color of the sky just beautiful?!?! I could sit and look for hours! God's creation is just perfect!
Happy weekend!

A Tale of Frogs

I mentioned that there are several nasty critters and creatures living out where we live now.... this is the bad part of country life.

I hate critters.............. with a passion!

The most common one living out there are these:

I can't even begin to tell you how much I hate this things. They're nasty and just around nightfall they starts showing up....tons of them, everywhere. Now I kind of know what the Egyptians back in Bible times went through with all those disgusting creatures around.
 Yes, I am very well aware of the fact that they cause no harm, a ton of people have tried convincing me of that to no avail, but they're so ugly and so disgusting. I hate the fact that they hide in things and behind things and scare the life out of you. I've gotten pretty good at seeing them from far away, I always have a spray bottle with some bleach in them (I discovered that bleach makes them hop for their lives)...and I try to keep them out of the house as much as possible. That still leaves some nasty ones to scare me. Just this week I was cleaning something, when two of them jumped on me...  I won't tell you how long I screamed bloody murder ;)
My dad says having these creatures around means no snakes are around because snakes eat them....so I guess that's one thing I should be thankful about! I'd rather have frogs than snakes.....any day!

Now that the rains started, we've had some new creatures visit our house. Just Wednesday my hubby killed a huuugggeee tarantula ... I did not grab the camera, I was too busy hyper-ventilating and screaming! Sad, sad, I know!

This is the bad part of country life. I can't wait till our house is all finished and screened in, so we won't have any un-expected visitors around!

(Shivers)


Now onto some sad news, remember I had mentioned we had seven adorable puppies?!?! Four of them, including the one we had picked died from over-heating this week! We're just so sad.... they wandered away from their house while we were away, and when we got back they were dead, we think from the scorching sun :( So, so sad....

Sigh.... but such is country life!

Blessings,

Where did the prince go?!?!

I am constantly asking myself, "where did the baby go?" or "where is the prince?"

He's known for taking off as fast as his chunky little legs will take him, and boy, he can can disappear in a second. He loves being a country boy. He loves the open space and the freedom to roam around. It does give mommy a lot more work, to be constantly watching, constantly wondering where he is and what he's doing.

Can you see what I see?!?!

He's definitely all boy....:)

 Happy, Happy weekend!

Country "Bumpkins"

You ever wonder what country people do all day?!?! Before I moved out to the country, I often times wondered what I would do all day...(we still don't have phones or internet hooked up out there)..

Well, now I know what country people do all day....it's a busy life, but country life is seriously under-rated! It's awesome, people! I'm lovin' every moment of it..yes, I do feel lonely some times, and I do miss having internet access, but it's all good.. I rarely have time to feel down!

Prince and I bake and cook a lot now days. I think it's really great that I have an eager little helper :)
We make doughnuts together... doughnuts are one of daddy's favorites, so we like to surprise him with fresh doughnuts when he comes home from work...and mommy loves making some extras to freeze for a quick snack some other time!

Prince loves to taste things we're making :) He's a good little helper for sure!

After our cooking, baking and cleaning are all done, there are several more things to do....like pruning the rose bush! Prince enjoys watching mommy prune the branches and then he tries to "prune" the roses off :( At least mommy gets some fresh roses to put in a vase.

(Please excuse the prince's homely attire ...blush..blush..)

After taking care of the plants, there are 7 puppies to take care of. The prince loves them puppies...they're pretty cute, I have to admit.. but they sure make a big mess! They're nine days old today and their eyes are still not opened...I'm thinking they will pretty soon, though! It's soon going to be a lively, lively time with seven playful puppies and a toddler!

This is my favorite one from the bunch...I think he's just adorable!

Isn't he cute?!?!


After the animals are taken care of, it's time to sit for a spell and watch the rain storm come our way! It's just beautiful!! We enjoy such a lovely view from our porch, I drink it in every time I walk out and look around. Lovely, just lovely...

 After showers and some more clean-up, Prince sits quietly reading a book while mommy gets supper ready....

 After supper, it's time for some FUN! Mommy & prince play peek-a-boo while we anxiously await for daddy's arrival from school!

It's been a long and busy day for the prince and his mommy...it's definitely bed time for the country bumpkins...
So, know you know what keeps these country people occupied....country life really is great!

Gardening 101 and other miscellany

We're having another busy week, and I cant believe September is almost over! That means Thanksgiving and Christmas are just right around the corner! That makes me happy, extremely happy! But, enough about that, focus...focus!

Country life is just swell. I think I'm finally adjusting to the new surroundings and the silence...I think I'm actually beginning to like it now! And the critters don't bother me as much now.
Me and the critters, long story...we don't really like each other, but at least I don't go into a screaming-bloody-murder-fit anymore when I see them or they jump on me! Aren't you proud of me?!?! One of these days I will muster up some courage and go take pictures of them for you dear readers, I know you just can't wait to see them!

Onto a more interesting topic, I'm so excited about my new plants. I'd never planted before, so this is my first time. I started out with cilantro, green onions, and jalapenos. I figured if they would grow okay, I would start planting some more...

Check out my plants:

Green onions

Jalapenos

I'm so pleased that they're thriving and I have to say that I really enjoy weeding, watering and planting! I plan on incrementing some other plants soon...tomatoes, lettuce, kale, green peppers, zuchinni, and others are on my list. Gardening really is fun!

The prince loves "helping"...he has some small little shovels and he enjoys poking around while I work on weeding and watering the plants! He's a great little helper!
He hasn't been feeling the greatest, we've had some rough sleepless nights lately. He has 2 molars coming in, and he got a nasty, nasty cold to top it off, so he's been up coughing all night :(

I'm so ready to see him feeling better and to get a good nights sleep again! And........we have new puppies at the farm. 9 of them, to be exact! Too many puppies, too much noise if you ask me. They were born yesterday morning and they're really cute.The prince was in awe when I took him over to see them. I am sure he will love playing with the them.......and his daddy even said he can keep one of them!

Life's good and busy...and I'm going to take a nap because this business being up all night is really wearing me out. Yes, I am thankful for naps today! ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Country Life & Cashews

Country life is interesting and busy...
The amount of work there is to do is unbelievable!
We're enjoying our new home and are adjusting quite nicely to the changes around us. I've been able to start a little garden with some chives, peppers, and cilantro. I plan to plant more, but that will take some time to get the beds ready. It's a busy, busy life!

The prince seems to really enjoy the freedom of country living. He loves playing outside and exploring around. He's also so excited about his little room! I walked in there the other day and look at what I found..

I ran to grab the camera, isn't that just too cute?!?! He was laying on his bed reading a book! The photo isn't very good, but I just had to post it ;)

I'm also learning to make things with the fruit that grows around there. We have plenty of lemons and cashews right now. Mango season is coming soon, so I'll be busy freezing and trying out new recipes with them.

Cashews are in full season here.. and to those who didn't know, yes... cashews are a fruit! (Some people think cashews are only nuts)..
Here's a cashew fruit not quite ripe yet..they are bright red when they're ripe and ready.
See the nut hanging?!?! That's where the cashew nuts come from.

We just throw the nut part out because it's highly acid and you have to have a proper system to remove the toxins and acid from the nut before it can be roasted and eaten. Some say the cashew is from the poison ivy family, thus explaining the allergic reaction it can cause.

Here's a ripe cashew fruit without the nut..

I learned to make a typical brazilian dessert named "Doce de Caju".
Here's the cashews boiling in sugar and water...

It's definitely not my favorite fruit, but the hubby likes it, so I make it for him :)

So this has been my life this week. It's really a lovely life :) I think I'm enjoying everything, except for the critters and frogs..ugh! There will still be some post about these yucky critters that live around us...I'm sure you can't wait ;)

Blessings,