WORLD WATER DAY.
we rocked it.
seriously…..YOU ARE SO AWESOME.
The Adventure Project raised over $27,000!!!
in ONE DAY!
that is amazing.
the Prem Rawat Foundation matched our donations and gave $25,000!
111 mechanics will be supported from that effort.
SO AWESOME.
thank you.
the winner of the swag giveaway is…………JAMIE J.
That was easy 🙂
$25 more towards training another mechanic!
Posted by: Jamie J | March 22, 2012 at 01:22 PM
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
email me Jamie J and i will ship your prize goodies to you. 🙂
ok moving on….
it has rained EVERYDAY of spring break.
ALL DAY.
and i was not prepared for that.
there is MUD everywhere.
we have practically ruined every pair of shoes we own….in four days.
what do farmers do with their dogs???
do you bathe a farm dog? or just let it go?
do country folk just not have indoor dogs?
these are things i need to learn.
craig stayed home today and we had a family day.
i wasn't convinced it was going to be any fun with all the crankiness that was going on before we left.
and the weather….it was ominous……AGAIN.
first stop….home depot.
isn't it always?
and our plans for mini golf were messed up from the cold so we went to the movies…last minute decison.
i took the girls to the Lorax….they'd already seen it.
and craig took the three oldest to the Hunger Games…i think they bought the last four tickets.
our theater was showing it in almost every theater every half hour!
kinda wish i'd gotten to see it.
but the Lorax was good.
🙂
made me remember that i don't want to live with regrets.
i want to make a difference.
my kids watch me so closely to see if i will cry…i only got misty eyed this time…annie called me out.
then we hit the bookstore.
my stack i browsed through.
sean spent some of his gift cards he had.
annie read as many Piggie & Elephant books as she could.
and i wished for a few more hours and a starbucks and silence….but we moved on.
chilis for dinner.
perfect place with the ball games starting.
it was interesting to observe that all of my children are old enough now (suddenly) to order their meal, have conversations the whole meal….without crying or fighting….and laugh together…it was pretty cool.
i think i like them!
we drove home and FINALLY the sun was shining.
i said "wow…i had no idea how bad i needed that sun?! it feels so good!"
scott left for basketball practice and i told the kids to play outside till it was dark.
she wanted to show me how fast she could ride.
last week she said "i think i was going 120 miles an hour!!!"
i stepped out on the main road to see the sun set….i took this for Pam.
she loved the sunsets on her kansas farm.
miss you pammie.
annie had come out to see the sun set too and then i told her she could go on ahead as fast as she could.
she did.
i stopped to take this picture and as soon as i snapped it i heard a crash in the house.
the kind that you wait for what comes next….
while arranging her bedroom lauren dropped the glass top to her dresser and it broke everywhere.
she cut her arm and was bleeding a lot.
oh my.
craig pulled up in the driveway 2 minutes later and took her to the ER….13 stitches….ouch.
she is fine.
she is making cookies right now as i type this.
but still….OUCH.
(you are welcome for not including pictures)
there is never a dull moment in a big family.
ever.
i think i am ready for bed…..it's been a really full day.
i will go to sleep smiling about World Water Day.
i love how God uses blogs to bring us together for a greater purpose…HIS purpose.
it really is SO COOL.
all of us from all over the world working together to help others.
in the words of the Lorax….
"Unless someone like you
cares a whole awful lot,
nothing is going to get better.
It's not."
sleep well.
and thanks again.
Susan - Wash waffle as many times as he needs it, there’s no way he’ll want to stay outside without the kids. Sometimes a good toweling can work wonders too!
Good luck and love your new place, what an adventure!
Happy Monday morning to you,
Susan
Julie KG - So happy World Water day raised so much money!!! And no, farmers don’t have farm dogs…I grew up on a dairy farm and our dogs were always covered in EVERYTHING. Plus, not to be gross, but dogs will eat anything they find on the farm, even stuff sitting on the ground after a cow gives birth, if you get my drift 😉 Hope that last comment doesn’t ruin anyone’s next meal.
Amy @ Little for a Little While - What gorgeous pics. It’s our dream to buy an old farm in the country. Your pics pretty much seal the deal 🙂
Jess - Farm dogs are definitely outside dogs…at least on our farm. We do let Lucy in our mud room and even that is a little much for me. And she definitely doesn’t get bathed often. She takes care of that herself by bathing in our lagoon. Nice. Can’t wait to hang out with you a little this weekend!
Alice H - Quesadilla Explosion salad is my favorite!!
Karen - We are farmers and don’t know one single other farmer that has an indoor dog. Not only is it because of the “dirt” they would bring in, but it is also your respite from taking care of all of the (outside) animals when you come in the house to get away from work. (Hahahahaha! Like that could actually happen to a mom!) Besides, farm dogs prefer to be outside. They get to be dogs that way. Plus they serve a great function of letting us know when something is amiss or someone has arrived by barking! Do we still love them? Yes! Do they still love us? Yes! But it gives us time away from each other too!
Tina I - So glad Lauren is ok! That must have been scary! This was one of my favorite posts about your family. Love reading about your new country life. Today is our last day of Spring Break and was hoping to spend it at the movies with the kids, but then one of the kids has to go and get in trouble and lose the privilege of the movie. Ugh! Debating if I should give in….you guys made it look like such a fun day. Now, if I could just trade the Arizona desert for a day on a midwestern farm…….
Christina Self - We are on a farm and have a small indoor dog, Jackie is a jack russell terrier and she gets baths all the time. Where we live is more rocky than muddy so it doesn’t get to bad, but she does occasional roll around in something not so pleasant so she is a frequent bath taker. I actually think that she loves taking baths because she will hop right in the tub for me and stand perfectly still while getting clean. Love that pup!
The pictures of your little girl on this post remind me of Ramona Quinby. She looks spunky and fun. You have a beautiful family!
shauna - smiling at you from cali tonight…love reading your life.
Jen @ Paisley Print Shoes - you have such a fun blog!! i love it. and i love how God uses blog for His purpose too…isn’t it so cool to see how He can move in every situation! love it!
Wendy - My 2 dogs are trained to jump right into the downstairs tub as soon as they come in. I wash their feet and legs with a big plastic beverage pitcher … usually I have to dunk each leg into it. I only give full baths when I have too. Good luck.
Tami - I love reading about your small town KS adventures. We moved to KS when my kids were in high school. They went to a christian school and we had games in some pretty interesting places. I loved every minute of it though. Some of my best memories were made during our time there. Now we are in KY, and that’s a whole different world!
Jen - Farm girl here, no inside dogs. Inside kitties are OK, they wash themselves, but no inside dogs!
Maria - Our weekend consisted of camping with the cub scouts. Hunger games and Chili’s sounds good to me though…minus those stitches…ouch! We made it through the wknd minus any injuries until the last thirty minutes, then one head bump and multiple rope burns for two boys. Sigh, oh well. No blood and no vomiting, so I guess we’re good.
All is well now after hot shower and my cushy bathrobe and in about 2 minutes or so, hunger games book #3…until I pass out for a much needed nap.
One more week till spring break!
Maria Bryan - I love the stories of a big family…you are right…never a dull moment!
Meredith - So glad you are enjoying the farm so much. I think growing up I always wanted a farm with a lot of animals. I would love to have room for chickens but my neighbors and our dog would not have it. I love your quote from Lorax. I am going to post that in my house somewhere. It is worth reading every day. Have a blessed Sunday!!!
andrea - We live in a small town but have lots of mud this time of year. I keep a towel by the back door and EVERY time the dogs come in their paws, legs and bellies get wiped down.
Read in one of the comments that someone suggested Bogs boots. Found them last year and they really are the best. My kids wear them almost all year round. They are soooo comfortable.
I grew up on a farm. We always had good shoes and mud shoes. Also, shoes came off at the door. I do this now too. (But usually there is a path of mud to the bathroom! _grin_)
Mandy - We live in the country with our five kids too and yes our lab and our schnauzer both live indoors. Yes it’s muddy and its smelly sometimes too. Weve lost 10 animals to coyotes, bobcats, and packs of wild dogs! Our hearts can’t take another loss. As far as ruined shoes go, all my kids each have a pair of mud boots.
niki - i, too, live out in the country. no indoor dogs around here. we’ve only washed our dogs once, and that was because they smelled from eating a deer that they killed. good news is if waffle is like our dogs, he will enjoy swimming in the pond when it gets warm….instant bath.
best advice is to have ‘dirty’shoes for outside only. those and a pair of rain/muck/mud boots. they will save ya a fortune at the shoe store.
Becky Joyce - Hi Meg, posting a comment from my hospital bed, where I am on day three of Operation: Get Well. A bad flare-up of colitis landed me in need of major meds, nutritional supplements, and rest. But as I lay here, I’m reminded over and over of the thousands of people who will die today from lack of clean water. I may be suffering, but I will not die of diarrhea like so many others. I praise God not only for access to clean water and medicine, but for blogs like yours they call attention to just how simple it can be to help. So thanks, Meg, for bringing attention to this most important need. Glad your readers chipped in and can help make a difference! God bless you!!
Rachel - I have a standard poodle pup at our farm. Yes I know it doesn’t make sense but we keep him in a cut similar to Waffle only with a ball on his tail and fluffier ears! He loves playing outside and swimming in the creek (sometimes the creek helps out a bit!)and getting muddy as can be. Honestly it just depends on how clean of a house you keep or want to keep. Depending on how bad he is we throw him in the shower for a rinse. Otherwise, I hate to say it but we just let him go. Last week he had a spot of mud on his side from one of our friends dogs for a few days.
Oh my goodness. I have a phobia of glass dropping. Had never had stitches of any kind and I played coliegate volleyball, my first job out a college I tended bar and served for a catering company. A girl dropped an entire tray of glasses in front of me. 13 stitches in my knee. Awesome. Over 4th of July. Such a same! But at least she is ok!!
Hope your weekend is well!
Rachel
revolvingmarket.blogspot.com
Laura Phelps - LAUREN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SO sorry.
I hate that moment after a crash…you wait to see…crying? screaming? was it nothing? Hate that.
that dog is muddy
I have been complaining about little dirty paw prints from my tiny doggie
do you need to bathe a dog every day?
clean the floors?
good grief
this is all new to me
i like hearing stories about your family
we really are all the same, aren’t we???
miss you
mollie's mom - Meg. I am passing on some sunshine in the form of the Sunshine Award
http://madebymolliesmom.blogspot.com/2012/03/spread-little-sunshine.html
because your blog is one of my favorites. I may put meeting Annie and talby on my bucket list 🙂
Marcie
Sarah - “I think I like them” – LOVE IT. x
Tami - Should have added that we have hardwoods too. No neighbors anywhere for miles and we do own 9 hens and have our own eggs so you could say we have a mini farm, I guess. LOL
Tami - We don’t live on a farm but we live in the middle of the mountains where it rains a lot during the Spring and Summer. I also have 5 kids (although mine are younger) but the dog cannot stay in my house. She stinks and never has a bath and is always dirty so she stays outside. She sleeps on our deck outside our bedroom door. Love her but can’t handle a stinky mountain dog in my house. So just thought I would share that with you. I am amazed at how much you get done with your family. You are super mom!
Marianne - Sucks that you had a rainy spring break! Our March break was full of sunshine and 25 degree Celcius weather- which is completely unheard of (no clue what that is in fahrenheit)!! I got a sunburn in March!!!
We had an indoor farm dog. That’s what mudrooms/backrooms/garages are for. When it is muddy outside and they come in, they have to stay in the mudroom until they dry off and most of the dirt falls off. They still get a bit of dirt on your floors but it is just regular dusty dirt and not wet, muddy dirt. Farmhouses just get dirtier and have to be cleaned more- or are just dirtier than town houses. 🙂 I don’t recall ever bathing our dog except when she got sprayed by a skunk.
Holly - Country dogs dont get bathed that much. My sister gave up on her carpet. She lets it dry and vacuums it once or twice a week. She has work shoes and crocks for the yard. No work shoes once she gets in the house. If the driveway is muddy we take off shoes in the car and walk barefoot over the muddy gravel.
Glad lauren is ok. Ouch!
Hope the rest of your weekend is sunny.
Melissa - My husband and I live in the country and we rarely bathe our dogs unless poop is involved. Instead, we keep a dog towel by the door and wipe their feet and bellies every time they come in, even if it’s dry out because who KNOWS what they’ve been stepping in out there. We have self-cleaning, short-haired dogs, though, so that might make a big difference 🙂
colleen from alabama - We have had sunny days for spring break except for 1 1/2 days of rain but also did the movie and chili’s. I laughed because it looks like ya’ll ordered the same things we did! That roasted corn guacamole is AWESOME and my husband would sell a kid for the quesadilla explosion! (kidding) Hope the arm injury doesn’t mess with Lauren’s volleyball! Last night i had 2 extra kids spending the night and today it is SUNNY! Have enjoyed extra time with the kiddos though (most of the time, we did have our moments). Hope you have a great last day of spring break!
Alisha - Country folks do have indoor dogs. We do. He’s a small dog so he’s easy to bathe, but what other country dwellers do is to keep a towel for the dog by the back door and wipe down his feet, legs and belly when he comes in if he’s a mess. He will have to be bathed more often than when you were in town, but it won’t always be muddy either. 🙂
Lisa - 13 stitches!!! Yikes! Glad she is ok!
Love how Annie dresses herself. Reminds me of my kids. Makes me feel better since some kids always look so put together and matching. My kids are completely responsible for dressing themselves from a very young age. Makes my job easier! 🙂
So exciting that the Adventure Day Project raised so much money. So glad to be a part of that!
whitneybens@yahoo.com - Meg, I know you LOVE Starbucks…just thought you might be interested in this…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/22/starbucks-gay-marriage-support-hrc-nom-protest_n_1372500.html
Lorel - It was the opposite for us! We had all sunshine, really nice, but this whole past week was rain and cloud. Bleh! Tell Lauren to feel better!
Bec - My mom had a similar CRASH experience. When they were moving into their house, she was trying to put the attached mirror on her dresser and it crashed on her head and shattered. She had a few knicks and cuts, but nothing major. My dad was in the shower in the basement at the time and ran upstairs still wet, hit the linoleum floor, and ended up putting a major hole in their brand new wall when he fell. Later he dropped a big chunk of the mirror glass on his arm and ended up with stitches. It’s a classic story in my family 🙂
Penny - I am so glad that Lauren is alright. 13 stitches would be bad if it were me! I am battling the muddy dogs, too. We have three dogs, two Goldens and a doodle like Waffle. The mud is awful. We do not live on a farm, but we have lots of mud. And one that loves to dig. Ugh! I try to dry them off when they come in, but what a mess! We just deal with it and complain every spring and fall. Not fun though. I am enjoying your move to the farm! How exciting. I love being able to say I really like my girls who are mostly grown now. They are great young women. I do miss those sweet moments when we would do crafts together and watch movies and cook. But now it is different, they are like friends!
Renee - my husband tells me his mom always used to say this to him and his sister: “you know, your dad and i love you. all parents are supposed to love their children though. we really like you too”
i think it’s so stinkin’ sweet. he says it to me too 🙂
let your kids know you like them!!
Kim - Glad to hear that Lauren is okay! Poor girl.
Footwear: You need boots. Rubber boots. Or Bogs. Bogs are awesome – good from 15’c to -30’c . I’m not sure what that is in fahrenheit. My kids wear them in the rain and mud and snow. They love them.
Waffle: Poor muddy Waffle! Growing up in the country, our dog was allowed inside, but only by the back door of the kitchen – no other room. And he got bathed. A lot. Outside in an old metal wash basin. We would fill it up with the hose in morning and let the sun warm the water.
Enjoy your weekend!
Holly - ouch! Poor Lauren. I am taking my 3 girls to see the Hunger Games this morning. They are so excited. As for Waffle I dont know how farm folks do it. We had a german sheperd once and it was so much work. I know one complaint alot of my county friends have is that their dogs like to roll around in any wild animal “stuff”. Yuck! Good luck! You need to inest in rain boots at the Walmarts for the entire family! ha!
drea :: dre of white stables - Wasn’t it wonderful to finally get some sunshine?! It was nice to meet you yesterday at the movie theatre. 🙂
Sarah @This Farm Family's Life - We live on a farm and our dog is indoor/outdoor and goes with my husband every day to the farm. It is usually a constant battle especially in the spring time when it is really muddy. Then we have to deal with cow poo and such, but we deal with it. We rarely give him a bath because he is too big, but you just learn to accept it. He got sprayed by a skunk yesterday and we had to give him a bath in tomato juice to get rid of the smell. It is a lot better but he still had to sleep in the mud room last night. Just think of all the fun Waffle is having with all that space to run! Life in the country is great! I wouldn’t trade it for anything…even a clean dog and house! Happy weekend!
Sarah @ This Farm Family’s life
Megan - I love your blog… I wish I knew you in person because I know I’d really like you. 🙂
I am really looking forward to the stage where I can say “I like my kids”. OF COURSE I love them, but at the ages they are (3 and 18 months), I really feel like most days it’s just about survival right now. Dinner with the kids while talking and laughing really sounds like a dream.
So awesome about World Water Day! And I’m glad Lauren is okay. Have a fun weekend!
Kelly - Finished reading The Hunger Games this week so I could take my older boy on an “adventure” (aka~ Mommy Date) to see the movie. We are headed there today and I’m anxious to see it. If we lived closer you could join us! 🙂
Awesome news about World Water Day!
Glad Lauren is OK.
Have a lovely weekend!
happygirl - I bought LGF stock. It’s the company producing the Hunger Games movie. I’m hoping to make some money on the franchise. Fingers crossed. Do you think it will be the next Harry Potter? Hope so. Hang in there girlfriend, it’ll be summer before we know it.
Sarah{Handbags*N*Pigtails} - P.S. I’m very glad Lauren was not hurt worse (although 13 stitches…yuck!)
I used to re-arrange my bedroom as a kid all the time and that has carried over to my own home. I just pass it off saying I have decorating ADD.
Take it easy Lauren:)
Sarah{Handbags*N*Pigtails} - Ugh, the picture of Waffle does NOT make me envy you but I laughed at your question of “what do people do with farm dogs?”
I love the picture of Annie riding out on the open dirt road. Looks like an awesome area to go bike riding-something I miss by living right smack dab in town with bumpy sidewalks and people who drive way to fast down the side roads. It doesn’t allow our girls much bike practice.:(
janet @ ordinary mom - Oh! I missed World Water Day. 🙁 Oh well, went and made a late donation. Better late than never, right?
Love your road. We are on a paved crescent and although there aren’t many houses, there is still construction so the kids couldn’t just let it fly like Annie. Love that!
Sabrina - I grew up on a farm and the big dogs had to stay outside, they were just too dirty. My mom however, had a little lap dog that was allowed to live inside and be spoiled. 🙂
Helen - Yes farmers have indoor dogs 😉 I have three, and it almost drive me crazy at this time of the year, mud everywhere on my floors, including the cats… I try to vacuum the floors once a day. And yes we do give the dogs a bath, and then they stay clean for about 15 min 😉 !
You have a lovely blog.
I am Helen from Norway.
Annette - I meant to say in earlier post….don’t care IF THEY get messed up shoes….LOL passed my bedtime….
Annette - Gave up on indoor dogs in the country. It was just to much to keep them clean enough for the house. We also had to go with two pairs of shoes. Good/school shoes and outdoor/don’t care it the get messed up shoes. Glad Lauren is alright.
tristan - no indoor dogs in the country..unless every.single.night. you want to give them a bath..ha..it is a hassle..we learned the hard way as well. the bigger the dog..the bigger the stink!!!
glad you had a little sunshine!!
Leah - Sounds like a lovely day! Movies, Chili’s and bookstore. Perfect for me and my family.
Valerie @ Chateau A La Mode - WOW, that is really one full day…a day full of making memories with your amazing kids. I really think I feel a little jealous of you living in the country…I want to live in the country. I think that would be cool. Happy weekend Meg!
P.S. Please give Lauren an extra hug from your crazy blogger friend.
Terrie G - Regarding the ‘farm’ dogs…we didn’t have indoor dogs…and now you know why.
We did bathe them though…and then they got to stay indoors on special occasions…like Christmas and when it snowed big. But only in the backroom.
I’ve been thinking about our farm ever since you moved.
Today, we went to clean the shed out a bit.
I took pictures…got nostalgic and cried almost the whole way to the dump.
Annie’s bike did it to me again…our daughter’s bike was hanging in one of the bins and looked almost just like hers, only all pink. Took me back to the days of her riding down our country roads…thanks for the memories! And thanks for no bloody/stitches pictures! 🙂