A Little Family Trip

Yesterday, my family and I went to a near by Amish community to get a few things. They have a homeschooling store that a Amish family runs in a shed outside of their home. It was a challenge getting their because the road in front of their home was closed down because they are putting in a new bridge. My husband was determined to get there because we had traveled 2 hours to mainly go to this one location. So there for we drove right through the barricades and parked right behind the big trucks and walked right through their construction site. I wished that you all could have seen the looks on all of the men. Here we come a mom, who is great with child,a dad, and 4 little ones trotting across the bridge that they are currently working on, it was amusing actually. Anyhow, we got their and spent 2 hours while my husband and I looked through all of the books, and the children outside playing with their children. The most exciting thing for them was the buggy rides that the children took them on. I wished that we could have taken a few pictures, but the Amish don't care for the pictures.

We also got to go to a near by Country Salvage and get some good buys on some items in there.

Being harvest time we were able to show the children how the Amish harvest their land with the horses and all . It was a wonderful learning experience for the children. The drive there and home was beautiful with the trees turning and the leaves falling. On the way home we were able to see a beautiful sun set.

By the time that we got home we were exhausted, we all went to bed early.

What, no video games..........

My husband works at a drug and alcohol rehab center, and as much as possible he likes to sit down and chat with the boys. A couple of weeks ago he got into a conversation with a couple of boys about video games, and the way I took it, they think our children are deprived. The topic came up that he should go out and buy our children some games, and my husbands response was, we don't allow video games in our home, and they thought he was a mean daddy. I would like to mention that this may not be for every home, we feel that in our situation this is in the best interest for our children.

1 Thessalonians 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.

I would like to make a list of things that my children do for fun:

1: Read : We all like to read in our home and this is a highlight of the day is to sit down after Bible devotions of an evening and read a few chapters in a book.

2: Crafts : My children love to sit down, cut and glue anything, they also enjoy coloring or
drawing.

3: Chickens : This is something they look forward to doing every morning, going and letting the chickens out to run the yard and checking for eggs ( we only have 1 laying )

4: Chester : This is our dog, and although he can be playful at times they enjoy spending the
day with him.

5: Building : My son loves to build things, bird houses, bird feeders, and sometimes I am not
sure what it is that he is building, but I know that whatever it is he is learning.

6: Cooking : As you all know from my posts Chloe loves to help mommy cook, one of these days
I will be asking her questions.

7: Riding bikes : All three of my older children could ride all day, they love ( even Chloe ) to try
new tricks all the time.

8: Throwing knives : This is something that we enjoy doing as a family.

9: School : Although my oldest don't care much for school, ( what can I say, he is a boy ) Chloe
enjoys it very much.

10: Being Kids : My kids love to be out side playing in the dirt, sand, and water.


I have noticed that most children are talking about what is going to be on T.V. tonight or what level they are in on their hand held game. I am thankful that my children don't even know what is on the T.V, and when it comes to video games they are totally clueless. I see it as, they are out there learning. My husband and I are trying to raise them as the Lord would want us to raise them.

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

A lot of the things that they enjoy doing, Gage building, Chloe cooking, is raising them in the way that they should go, Gage being a hard working man :

Proverbs 20:29 The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the grey head.

Chloe being a keeper of the home:

Titus 2 :5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient, to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

My husband and I strongly believe that we as parents would be heading our children in the wrong direction if they sat in front of the T.V. watching something or playing a game.

Canning

Wow it has been a while, I am sorry that it took me so long to post again. There really is no excuse, except for this past week. Chloe and I started canning apples, and what a wonderful time we had together. We sliced and peeled 5 dozen apples, 2 finger cuts and 1 burn later we had 8 quarts, 1 apple pie, and the peelings, cinnamon, and cloves making the homestead smell just wonderful. Thankfully daddy was working over that night so there was no rush to keep up the laundry and other house duties.

Then on Thursday of last week someone had given us another basket full of apples, so after the children were all snuggled in their bed I set off to slicing in peeling once more to can the next day. I had put 2 dozen in the crock pot to make some apple butter, and all together I think I sliced and peeled another 51/2 dozen, with 2 more dozen to go. I had placed the apples in some cold water and salt and into the refrigerator they went to be canned the next day.

I waited for daddy to get home late that night around 12 I would say, he got home checked his mail and so on, by 12:30 my oldest daughter who is 5 woke up sick. She had never really been sick before, so needless to say she did not know how to go about running to the bathroom first thing. Not 15 min later, my youngest daughter, who is 17 mo old, started in. While I was cleaning up Chloe daddy cleaned up Rissy. Daddy went to bed being he had to be up early and out the door by 7. Mommy stayed up with the Chloe and Rissy till 4:30am, not to mention my 7 year old woke up somewhere around 2 and started in.

Now I don't want you all to forget, I have apples in the crock pot, and in the fridge to be canned the next morning.

I got daddy out the door, took a 2 hour nap, and started my canning for the day with out my Chloe by my side, being she was laying down all day. I sure do miss her when she is not there to help me cook and clean. :( With all that being said I got 6 more quarts canned, 3 pints of apple butter made up. I was exhausted that night, thankfully daddy surprised us with pizza so mommy did not have to cook.

I have some pictures of Chloe helping me do some canning that I will post later.

Canning the apples

Slice and peel apples
Place then in the bottom of pot with a little water
In another pot stir 2 cups of boiling water to 2 cups of sugar
After sugar is dissolved poor over cooking apples
Simmer for 2 to 3 min
Place in Quart jars
With a hot rag put the lids on tightly
Place jars into hot water bath for 25 min
When done turn jars upside down until completely cool

I also added cinnamon into some of my jars for cinnamon apples

Apple Butter

Place sliced and peeled apples into crock pot until the pot is full
Do not add water, and let apples cook over night for 12 hrs do not stir
In the morning add sugar, and spices. Stir well. Cook uncovered for 5 hrs
stirring often.

Place in pint jars and place in hot water bath for 10 min
When done place jars upside down and completely cool.

Homeschooling

The other day it was late morning, the children and I were outside working together hanging up a couple of loads of laundry out on the line. Although my children are still young and not yet tall enough to hang them, they were a blessing to watch try to help me, racing each other to see who could get the next piece of clothing next for mommy to hang up. As we were joyfully hanging up clothing and singing I was watching all the the vehicles and big farm trucks drive by. I was thinking to myself, hmmmm, should my children be out here being that the 2 oldest are school age, and people think they should be in school, and also, the ones that know that we homeschool, do you think they are wondering why I am not inside sitting down teaching my children??? The thought briefly went through my mind and then I said, naahhhh, what better schooling and child training could their be than for my 4 homeschooled children to be right by their mommy, hanging clothes, and singing together.



This is a side note and has nothing to do with my post but, this is the 1st yr that I have a clothes line and I have a feeling that I am going to miss my line. I live in an area that get cold and a lot of snow, do any of you have ideas for what I could do so I don't have to use my dryer that often this winter????? Any comments are welcomed.

Child Training

It has been a while sense I posted, and a lot has happened in the past couple of weeks. The one that I would like to talk about is the child training that we had dealt deal with this week.


We have been trying to raise some chickens, and we had only lost one out of 20 and things were, and still are going very well. Wednesday morning we ate breakfast and got daddy off to work. Before daddy had left for work he let our 19 chickens out to run around. After our morning duties I had my oldest son Gage who is 7 go out as usual and put the chickens up before we got started on a morning of schooling. I am putting away laundry and my 5 year old came in and said that there was a chicken sick. I went out there and the chicken was hurt, and could not stand up. Come to find out Gage was having a hard time getting 4 of the 19 chickens in and he threw a stick to try to get them to go in and hit one and broke its neck. To make a long story a little shorter, he had all of the fun things that he enjoys, knives and so forth taken away from him for a while to try to teach him how foolishness has its consequences.

Me being the mommy thought daddy was being a little harsh about the situation. I thought that it was an innocent mistake, but daddy thought he needed to learn a lesson. Later that night before bed, I was doing my Bible study and I was reading some scripture about child training, and the Lord dealt with my hart about what had happen that day. Once again daddy was right, the Lord puts the men the head of the house hold for a reason.

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old he will not depart
from it.

Proverbs 22:15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall
drive it far from him.

With In The Past Week

I am sorry that it has been over a week sense I have been able to post something, but because of some internet problems that we are having, I am sad to say that I am only going to be able to post every Friday for the time being. Hopefully soon though I will be able to post more often.


With in the past week in a half we have been busy here at the Stroupe house. My father in law came up from Kentucky to stay for a couple of days. We got to go to flee markets, and go out to eat more than we normally get to do. Wen enjoyed the time with him that we don't get to do often.

I had to go get some blood work done for my pregnancy on Tuesday. That was nice because sense we do not have health insurance we traveled about 1hr and 15 min away to get it done for 40$. Normally it would cost me 300$, and we were able to go a direction that we don't go often. The place that I went to was neat because the lady was probably 70-75 years old and all of the money that she gets doing this blood work she will take over to Haiti with her and help missionaries out with food and other items that they may need. I think that it is wonderful the ministry that she has going for the people over there.

After my blood work my husband took me to the Goodwill stores. I enjoyed this time sense I am not able to go often. I found a few clothes for my husband and children and a nice tea set for me for $3.96. I was so excited.

I apologize for no pictures this time. Hopefully I will get a Cooking with Chloe posted soon and some new pictures. I enjoy hearing from you all, please fill free to e-mail me, or comment at anytime.

Special Moments

Special Moments



I would just to like mention that this is snuggle bear, the name explains it all, he loves to lay in someones lap and he will stay there for an hour all snuggled up with a blanket. Tonight I got to have what I call a special moment with snuggle bear. My mom had found an old Sunday school book that we sang in Sunday school when I was young, and she gave it to my children the other day. Snuggles and I curled up on the couch for almost 1 hr and sang all the songs that I knew ( about 3/4 of them ). It was such a blessing, even though he did not know hardly any of them, he is only 2, the thumb in his mouth, lying back against my chest, was more than a blessing for me. It is these special moments that we as mommy's and daddy's should right down in our daily journals to be able to look back on and rejoice, and say wow that was really a special moment for me.