Country Dad & Mom

Update

2011-03-04T08:30:00.000-08:00

Well, it did not snow on the valley floor, but there is lots of it that we can see on the Sierras. Lorissa is fully recovered, which is good because we have 2 table setting jobs this week. Nathan and Renee stopped having fevers around Wednesday, but are still coughing, fatigued, and barely eating. Nathan did go to school on Wed and Thurs so he missed each class only once. Renee has not left the house since she came home on Feb 21.

We got the dishwasher parts, hopefully Nathan and Keith can repair that tomorrow; I am getting dishpan hands! I hope they can also snake out the washing machine drain line, because I have to make sure it doesn't overflow with each load that goes through it.

Things are slowly improving!

Koetsier Ranch

2011-03-02T21:00:00.000-08:00

Lorissa and I set tables for Koetsier Ranch Catering. We had our first job of 2011 setting for a small group (48 people) for lunch. This lunch is for the judges of a dog show in Hanford. We wished we had more time to look at some of the dogs, but we had to get back home so we could go to our Wednesday night Bible studies.

Since it was off site we had to load everything up in our car.

The "Rose Room" as we were working on it.

I am sure Brenda will add to this buffet table when she gets there on Thursday.

When it rains, ...

2011-02-25T11:53:00.000-08:00

When it rains, it might snow! That's rare here, but a chance of snow is being predicted, as quoted in the Visalia Times-Delta:

Rain is expected to fall today, but as temperatures dip lower, the cold could result in a light dusting of snow tonight and Saturday in Central and Northern California as far west as the Central Coast. But Borgioli said he believes that the snow — if any actually falls — is more likely to occur farther inland, including the Valley.The last snowfall on the Valley floor occurred in January 1999.

It is pouring on other fronts too. Both girls came home on Monday from their youth retreat with fevers, colds, sore throats, fatigue, and no appetite. Nathan started feeling bad on Thursday, and woke up with a fever today. Lorissa is mostly just coughing, Renee is still feverish. Keith went to work not feeling the greatest either.

The dishwasher leaked, so new gaskets are on order and the floor is drying out. This of course happens when all my human "dishwashers" are sick. The washing machine also overflowed yesterday. I think the pipes don't like the cheap detergent which may have built up a sludge even with a water softener, so I probably need to go back to liquid detergent.

Roasting Marshmallows

2011-01-30T13:19:00.000-08:00

We finally took the time to roast some marshmallows in our fireplace; they were perfect.

Another Year Older...

2011-01-30T13:14:00.000-08:00

In the early part of January, I turned another year older and decided it was time to go gray. I got a short haircut and got some low lights put in to make the transition easier. It is taking some getting used to and I am trying to figure out what colors look good on me.

I have also taken up knitting, but not because I am getting old, even though it would seem so...gray hair, knitting. I bring the girls to Mom to clean house and then we sit and talk and do "hand work.". I figured I could learn from Mom, it would be a good craft to easily start and stop, and I would at least do it every other week. It is going better than I expected, and I am keeping it loose and even so far. This is after about 4 restarts where I added stitches, dropped some, and had them fall off the needles. Now I have a good start on a scarf that will hopefully be finished next winter. The variegated yarn gives me much more of a sense of progress than a single color yarn; I don't know if I would ever choose a single color to knit.

Kohl's

2010-11-06T09:46:00.000-07:00

Lorissa and Renee wanted some flannel sheets on their beds last week when the temperatures dipped a bit. So yesterday, when the temperatures were up to a hot 92 degrees we decided to get some. I had a 15% off coupon for Kohl's so we decided that was the place to shop. Before we left I saw a $10 off of $20 coupon in my inbox so I brought that too.

Twin sized flannel sheet sets were on sale for $19.99 originally $44.99. Then there was an additional 10% coldweather sale making the sets $17.99, so for two sets I was to pay $35.98. Then $10 in Kohl's cash was deducted bringing the total to$25.98. Then my 15% off coupon was used to subtract another $3.90, bringing the total to$22.08 which was raised by 9% sales tax to $24.07. So I saved $67.90 on two sets of twin sized flannel sheets.

So what is the deal with Kohl's? What are the real prices there? Would you ever pay full price for anything when shopping at Kohl's or are you signed up to get their emails for the coupons?

I Dreamed My Whole House Was Clean

2010-11-02T14:09:00.000-07:00

But it often looks like this.

Oh, the joys of homeschooling! Our home is lived in!

Reformation Day Celebration

2010-11-02T13:33:00.000-07:00

My brother Ed and his wife Jennifer hosted a Reformation Day celebration on Saturday evening. This was held in their shed, which was lit by torches and lanterns. The meal consisted of a roasted pig and turkey, cabbage and potatoes, bread, and desserts. We had speakers informing us about the Reformation and several reformers. There was a huge bonfire and the 95 Thesis posted on a door. We had a wonderful evening of fellowship with people of all ages and good food, while increasing our knowledge of church history.

I was in charge of setting up some replicas of relics. I gathered some information from this site, which states:

"In Christianity, relics are the material remains of a deceased saint or martyr and objects closely associated with those remains. Relics can be entire skeletons, but more usually they consist of a part such as a bone, hair or tooth. Pieces of clothing worn by the deceased saint or even an object that has come in contact with a relic is also considered a relic.

Relics have played an important role in Christian ritual since the earliest centuries of the church and were a major part of popular religion in the Middle Ages. Until 1969, relics were placed under the altar stones of all Roman Catholic churches. The veneration of relics was rejected by most of the Protestant Reformers and most Protestants today, but relics continue to play an important part in Catholic and Orthodox Christianity."

The relic display.

Eddie and Lorissa discussing the display.

The following relic replicas were on display:

I. The Axe Head that Elisha Made to Float

II. A Piece of the Cross of Our Lord
III. Forbidden Fruit That Eve Ate
IV. A Portion of Jesus’s Burial Cloth
V. Manna from the Ark of the Covenant
VI. The Nail That Pierced Our Lord’s Hand
VII. The Brain of Saint Peter
VIII. Leg Bone of the Cock That Crowed After Peter Denied Our Lord
IX. Crumbs from Feeding the Five Thousand
X. Flies from the Plagues of Egypt
XI. A Piece of Lot’s Wife
XII. The Stone that Killed Goliath

Tulare-Kings Right to Life Dinner with Bristol Palin

2010-10-11T17:58:00.000-07:00

Nathan, Renee, Bristol Palin, and Lorissa

Margaret, Bristol Palin, and Keith

We went to the Tulare-Kings Right to Life dinner on September 30. Bristol Palin was the main speaker and she did a good job for a 19 year old. This article is a good summary of her speech and the event.

And they are leaving for...

2010-09-20T08:50:00.000-07:00

the weekend. That's what it looks like with the amount of baggage they are carrying. But no, they are going for a day of classes at The College of the Sequoias. Nathan is taking mostly computer classes, so he has his books and laptop. Lorissa is taking a drawing fundamentals class, so she needs her pencils, sketch pads, and drawing board. They both take a lunch and snacks. Plus they have an extra long day, because they need to get there early to find a parking space.

More Sewing

2010-08-04T15:29:00.000-07:00

I made this tote for Renee.

It has webbed handles and an outer pocket.

On the inside it has two key loops and a divided pocket.

I also made three seat belt covers. The padded fabric folds in half and velcroes around the shoulder belt to keep in from digging into your neck.

Slipcovering the "Sick" Couch

2010-08-02T16:19:00.000-07:00

Awhile back I wrote that I wanted to slipcover the sick couch. When the kids get sick they like to hang out on this couch. It was looking pretty "sick"

I finally did it in mid July. I first bought two 12' by 9' drop cloths from Lowe's.

I bought the extra heavyweight ones and washed them in hot water. I air dried them, but they both shrunk at from 1-3 inches on the length and 8-9 inches on the width. A lot of fuzz also came off in the washer and the texture seemed a little rougher. I made tons of measurements of the couch and then drew the pattern pieces on graph paper.

This was helpful for the cutting layout, especially since each drop cloth was three sections of fabric sewn together. I over estimated with large seam allowances, but I probably was too liberal in that area. Sticking to the grain was also difficult. I would also advise using pins with large heads so you can handle and see them easier. Your sewing machine has to be able to handle thick seams.

It took me a week to get this completed. You need lots of patience to remeasure, recheck, and refit. I first pinned one side all together but took it out again because it was easier to sew and fit and pin each seam one at a time.

Doing this in the winter when the house is cooler would also be helpful. You have to ignore some folds, wrinkles, unevenness, and imperfections. I like how it turned out, but I am not ready to tackle a big piece like this again. I would also never do this with a pattern that would need matching or centering. I did use one of the original drop cloth seams centered down the love seat and it doesn't look bad. I like the neutral color of the couch, that won't compete with the pillows on it.

I would encourage you to look at blogs and websites that give tutorials and discussions on this if you are planning on tackling a slip cover.

Heading Home

2010-05-27T19:15:00.000-07:00

We walked from the cruise ship terminal to the train station in San Diego. I returned home by train and then the bus again.

A Cruise Dinner

2010-05-27T19:08:00.000-07:00

Salmon Dinner

We enjoyed the good meals that were served to us throughout the cruise, especially since there was no cooking, dish washing, or grocery shopping involved on our part. Just make a selection and it was brought to you.

Dawn, Barbara, and myself at dinner.

The pleasant ladies, a mom and her two daughters, whom we shared a table with each evening.

Ensanada, Mexico

2010-05-27T18:59:00.000-07:00

Items for sale in a shop. They are really in to skeletons from celebrating "Day of the Dead"

This shop had quite a variety of colorful items. Most of the shops offered silver jewelry, leather goods, pottery, blankets, and all the typical Mexican junk.

Ensanada.

Avalon on Catalina Island, California

2010-05-27T18:51:00.000-07:00

Avalon.

The exit from the ship to the tender that took us to Avalon.

A tender next to the Elation. These little boats could transport 40 passengers.

A view from the tender of the Elation.

Avalon.

The old casino in Avalon.

Barbara and Dawn.

The central square in Avalon with a group of tourists on segways.

Avalon.

The Ship's Route and Some of the Decor

2010-05-27T18:36:00.000-07:00

A map of the route we took. The first full day was "A Day at Sea" and we were just anchored out in the ocean somewhere between San Diego and Catalina Island.

We were on the 4 day cruise.

Some art right by the elevators.

This was on the walls close to the elevators.

TheTowel Animals

2010-05-27T18:25:00.000-07:00

Every evening we got a different towel animal left in our room.

The Cruise Ship, Carnival Elation

2010-05-27T16:33:00.000-07:00

Barbara and Dawn in our room making plans for our evening.

The ship's upper deck.

The lifeboats.

Directions to our muster station.

The Cruise Ship

2010-05-27T16:23:00.000-07:00

We went on the Carnival Elation on it's last cruise out of San Diego.

View of San Diego.

Our room.

Our dining room.

The 24 hour pizza counter, the one slice I had was not that great.

View from the front upper deck.

Leaving San Diego Harbor.

My Get Away With College Friends

2010-05-27T16:00:00.000-07:00

I attended Pt.Loma Nazarene College years ago with Dawn and Barbara. We decided when needed to have a reunion cruise together to celebrate our birthdays. I should have posted this right when I got back, but as you can see life happens and I did not. So I will be posting a series of pictures for my own memories, but I won't back date them like I did some previous posts.

I took this trip at the end of April. Keith brought me to the Bakersfield Amtrak station and I took the bus to the Union Station in LA.

Then I boarded the train to Oceanside where Linda picked me up. We enjoyed lunch at Ruby's Diner at the end of the pier.

On Sunday I got to see Benjamin's recent home purchase with Linda and Duane.

Linda then drove me to meet up with Dawn. I had a wonderful, relaxing time at the Koonce home. I enjoyed seeing friends at church, a Sunday afternoon walk, and a great bed, breakfast, lunch and dinner with Linda and Duane and Jonathon.

Amgen Bike Tour of California

2010-05-20T12:13:00.000-07:00

The Amgen Bike Tour of California passed by just a mile down the road from our house. Nathan and Lorissa got home from college, picked up Renee and I and we rushed down to Cairn's Corner. We were there for about 5 minutes and the bikers went by. They were all in a pack so it took about 3 seconds for them to round the corner. The CHP and support cars with spare bikes took a bit longer to pass by. It was neat to see, but not much action.

Janine's Summer Job

2010-05-19T14:49:00.000-07:00

Janine has a wonderful summer job in a beautiful office at Sierra Village Retirement Community. We are glad to have her home all summer.

Lorissa's Art

2010-05-19T14:30:00.000-07:00

Lorissa had one of her projects from her color and design class posted at the Community College's Art Gallery. We were a bit disappointed with the misspelling of her name and the wrong orientation of her design (I guess that is a possibility of abstract art). It was exciting to see her work on display in a gallery among other works of art. She has a lot more learning opportunities available at the college.

A Sunday Drive

2010-05-16T15:26:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we also took a drive to an area we had been curious about. We went 8 miles in on Mineral King Road which heads east out of Three Rivers. The road is windy, narrow and a bit potholed. It gets quite steep with a view of the East Fork of the Kaweah River below, and another small flume above the road most of the time. We enjoyed the old Kaweah bridge.We did not go the full ten miles to the closed gate because we wanted to get back for evening church services on time.

A Sunday Walk in the Woods

2010-05-16T15:11:00.000-07:00

On the trail.

We decided to take Janine for a walk at Potwisha, where we had enjoyed a hike in January. The drive was beautiful, and the river was full of rushing water. There were a lot of beautiful wildflowers in purple, pink, yellow and white. We had not counted on the mosquitoes though. Some of us got quite a few bites and when we saw bees; we decided not to risk going further, so our hike was quite short. We need to remember the bug spray next time!

I Finally Got an Answer!

2010-04-20T08:46:00.000-07:00

I have always questioned the value, meaning, skill, and talent that went into Modern or Abstract art. Well, I found the answer in the book Why A Painting is Like a Pizza: A Guide to Understanding and Enjoying Modern Art by Nancy G. Heller. This is an easy to read, short book. The art discussed is pictured on the same page as the discussion so you know what is being talked about. Well chosen quotes by a variety of artists are placed in side bars. These quotes are not repeats of the book's information, but are a great contribution to the material.

So how is a painting like a pizza? The short answer is that there are many varieties and ingredients. Usually both are quite symmetrical. But, just like every pizza does not appeal to your tastes, neither does every piece of art. You can still react to that art, and it will still evoke an emotional response even if you don't like it.

The Sick Couch

2010-02-26T16:30:00.000-08:00

When the kids get sick they immediately take up residence on this couch. They like to be around the rest of the family but still take a nap, like Renee is during a recent cold. But this couch is also a sick looking couch! It is old, we got it from my brother John, who got it from my parents. Grandpa Haveman put a nice piece of sanded plywood under the cushions so it wouldn't be too soft. It has some tears in the back where the fabric was exposed to too much sun. So this is a future project; I want to make a slipcover for it. What do you think, is that possible and worth it? I tried buying a slipcover, but it just did not look good for the amount of money it cost.

Another PW cake

2010-02-26T16:13:00.000-08:00

Renee and I made another cake from PW's cookbook, the chocolate sheet cake on page 218. It involved lots of butter and cocoa powder. We liked the fact that you frost it immediately after you take it out of the oven so it is done all at once. It is thin because you put it in a 12 x 18 pan. It is a good substitute for brownies and would probably be a good thing to take for youth group snacks.

Another Pillow

2010-02-26T16:04:00.000-08:00

I got another pillow done with random widths of leftover fabric. I used an old bed pillow to make a new pillow insert. I may have to remake that insert, because it is not as big and firm as I would have liked.

Red Velvet Cake Taste Test

2010-02-22T20:17:00.000-08:00

The cake tasted good, but in our opinion it was nothing special. The cream cheese frosting was great. I guess one test should not rule it out, but in a rush I would definitely use a box mix.

Stop Reading, and Do Something!

2010-02-22T19:20:00.000-08:00

I like to read everyone's blogs that describe how to do creative things: decorating, crafting, spray painting, baking... Today I read a blog that described the rut I am in; reading and organizing and cleaning, but never doing some of those great ideas because the time is never right.

I determined that today would be different. I finally had all of the ingredients to make a Red Velvet Cake on page 233 of Pioneer Woman's cookbook that I got for Christmas. So I gathered the ingredients.

Of course I did do some substitutions. Nathan could not find cake flour when he did the grocery shopping last week, so I googled for a substitite and used 3/4 cup all purpose flour plus 2 TBSP cornstarch. I also used milk and vinegar for buttemilk as suggested on page 40 of PW Cooks. And I used much less red food coloring because I did not have 1 oz., but then added some water so the liquid would add up to 1 oz.

Renee made sure I followed the steps and that it looked just like the picture.

The batter looks quite red even though I used less food coloring.

I made quite a mess!

It looks a lot the the pictures in the cookbook.

We will have to give you the taste test results after we eat it for dessert.

Now I know why I rarely bake a cake from scratch, favoring the box cake mix:

Using a box uses less ingredients
I usually have these ingredients on hand
It takes less time
Since it takes less time I have less interuptions
It uses less dishes; this recipe had you mixing wet and dry ingredients in a bunch of different bowls
I don't have to make substitutions, so it takes less time, ingredients, and dishes

The advantages of making a cake from scratch:

More flavor choices
You see the science that goes into baking
More of a challenge
I am hoping it will taste better (But I have never tasted a red velvet cake, should I have used all that cream cheese frosting the recipe made? It just looked like way too much sweetness, so I had more than a cup of frosting left over.)

I will report back on the results. I am wondering if any of you have made a red velvet cake from a box. I saw it in the store once, but did not buy it, and now I can't find it again. Let me know how you think it compares.

Projects

2010-02-20T09:18:00.000-08:00

We have needed to repair the fences around all the pastures so the animals don't escape as they have in the past. The grass keeps growing, but our days off were rainy, we were out of town, or Nathan was sick. So I decided I had better help Nathan out last Thursday on a sunny afternoon. I am willing but not very skilled.

Nathan cannot figure out how I can get a horseshoe nail in a fence post like this, and neither can I. I am a better project cheerleader, gopher, and clean up crew. I am also good at dreaming up projects to do. My skills did improve somewhat after more practice, which is a good thing since we only have about 374 more posts to go.

Another project I tackled with a little more success was recovering these pillows. I have been meaning to do it since we got these couches about two years ago. I finally bought fabric before Christmas, and then recovered four pillows.

Here are the finished results. I am hoping to do a few more pillows, with a little more creativity.

Sequoia Hike

2010-01-21T15:13:00.000-08:00

Saturday we spent a beautiful afternoon hiking in the Sequoia National Park. We to the road opposite the Potwisha campground and parked in that lot. We walked to the river and crossed the suspension bridge. We met a photographer out there and he suggested we walk up to the flume and continue to the beginning of the flume. There was an easy to follow up hill trail, and then we walked on a path alongside the water flume. It was a gorgeous walk. The sun was shining bright and the weather was perfect. Good thing we did it on Saturday because we have had rain since Sunday.

We also took a little trail down hill by Hospital Rock. The path takes you under some perfectly balanced boulders until you get to the river. The entire day was a perfect display of God's majesty.

Lorissa is in College

2010-01-21T14:52:00.000-08:00

Lorissa had her first college class this morning. She is taking a Color and Design class. This is her first formal art class and I am so excited for this opportunity for her. She and Nathan have the same class schedule on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 8-11 AM, so they drive together. Since Lorissa is still in high school she does not have to pay any credits or fees. She has to buy some art supplies, but it is all stuff she probably will continue to use. I am sure she will keep you updated on her blog.

Another Birthday Party

2010-01-10T15:55:00.000-08:00

Keith and the kids arranged a birthday party for me on Sunday the 3rd. It was a nice enjoyable time with family. Little did I know that they also were planning a surprise party for me. They had been planning it since about September and pulled off the big surprise without me even having a clue!

Keith bought groceries on Thursday and left them in an ice chest in the car. On Friday, Janine said she was going to work for Jennifer as she has in the past, but instead she prepped all the meat and vegetables for a Dutch Gourmet Dinner. Then she came home and said she really wanted to spend some time with me since she goes back to college on Monday. She wanted to go shopping, but I protested that we had already been shopping and had done errands on Wed and Thurs and I don't like to shop just to shop. She did convince me though, because she had to go to the bank and do a gift exchange. Meanwhile Keith called and said he needed to shop for some boots for when he went to Deleware in the cold. So Janine dropped me off at his office and we shopped for boots. Every style he saw was either uncomfortable, not his size, or too expensive. But he kept repeating how wonderful it was to spend time together, and didn't I want to browse in Michael's a little longer? Even though I thought his shopping behavior was a bit odd, considering he hates to shop, I still was clueless.

We called the kids and told them to go ahead and eat without us. We arrived home around 6:45, came in the back door and I noticed the table all set. I asked the kids why they had not started eating and then I noticed the table was loaded with food, and it had both leaves in it. Then our friends came out of the entry way and yelled "surprise." I just stood there with my mouth hanging open, totally surprised and feeling really clueless!

We had a great tasty dinner, lots of laughs, and fun fellowship. Thanks to all for keeping the secret and to Jennifer for opening her kitchen so it would stay a secret, and to Keith and the kids for all of the hard work they put into this. They all worked together to pull it off.

See Lorissa's blog for another perspective.

Pioneer Woman Cooks

2010-01-07T18:10:00.000-08:00

I enjoy reading Pioneer Woman's Blog. She blogs about her beautiful ranch, her remodeled guest house, home schooling her kids, and cooking with step-by-step picture instructions. The kids picked up on my interest and bought me The Pioneer Woman Cooks for my birthday.

Then they recalled watching the movie Julie & Julia, where Julie cooks every recipe in Julia Child's cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, some 524 recipes over 365 days, and blogging about it. They suggested I do the same with this cookbook. After paging through it they decided they did not want me to cook every recipe, suggesting I skip something like "Cheese Grits". So I am somewhat challenged to try a lot of these recipes, but I will not promise to do all of them or within the next year. I will try to blog about them and give my opinion of the recipe.

Fifty is Nifty!

2010-01-05T20:08:00.000-08:00

We celebrated my 50th Birthday on Sunday with cake and lunch with all the relatives. I had a real enjoyable day with all the kids helping out.

55 Years

2010-01-02T09:25:00.000-08:00

Mom and Dad Brower celebrated their 55th Anniversary in November with their brothers and sisters. We had a celebration with their children and grandchildren on December 30 at the Sierra Village Center.

Mom and Dad Brower with their grandchildren.

Mom and Dad with their children. Jeanette and Duane TeVelde were not able to be there.

Back Row, L - R: Renee, Janine, Nathan, Keith, Margaret, and Lorissa Haveman.

Front Row: Edna and Ed Brower

It Can Get Cold

2010-01-02T08:22:00.000-08:00

It gets chilly in our house at times. Here is Janine trying to fashionably combat the cold.

Gift wrap

2009-12-29T12:30:00.000-08:00

Like I said previously, we love to reuse gift bags. Since I had used so many of the larger bags, Nathan had to use this combination of bags to wrap his gift to me. The gift was a candle holder that he made in his Forging & Welding class. Isn't this a nice candle holder?

Sunset

2009-12-18T16:38:00.000-08:00

We have had some beautiful sunsets in the past week due to the clouds. It is hard to get a good picture though; our horizon is quite cluttered with poles.

It's Beginning To Look Like Christmas

2009-12-18T16:34:00.000-08:00

I got most of my shopping done and the gifts are bagged (I wrap exclusively in recycled gift bags, doing my part to be green). The kids decorated a few weeks ago, but I still need to start those Christmas cards. But the best thing is that both Janine and Keith are arriving home this evening. Keith spent the past week in Claymont, Deleware, for work, escaping just before a major snow storm blows in. Janine comes home from Covenant College for her Christmas break. We last saw her for about a week in August, since she spent most of the summer in Washington state.

Nathan's Hobby

2009-12-18T16:26:00.000-08:00

Nathan likes to work on computers, in fact, he took one computer class this past semester and will be taking four computer classes next semester. He was right in the middle of a major project, pulling out all these saved parts and cords when he got sick. First a cold and low-grade-fever hit him, and then it progressed to a stomach virus. Needless to say, all of his projects came to a halt for two weeks with all this stuff cluttering up the den. Oh well, I did get an upgraded computer out of it. He got a computer from his instructor that he could not use, and made Nathan refurbished it into a better computer than what I had.

Rocky Hill Walk

2009-11-21T17:45:00.000-08:00

Keith and I took a walk up Rocky Hill this afternoon. We do this for a change of scenery and to work our uphill and down hill muscles. There are a fair amount of walkers and bikers who do this stretch of road. Cars also take it to enjoy the scenery. What I always wonder though, is why do people dump their trash out in an area that they go to for its beauty? Wouldn't they want to keep it unspoiled? That really bugs me!

Fly Trap Update No. 2

2009-10-05T16:45:00.000-07:00

Good news! It is quite effective to use fruit to bait your fly trap jugs. The watermelon caught lots of flies, as well as the ripe banana chunks I put in last time. I will spare you the details of getting rid of this mess, and rebaiting the jugs, it is quite a stinky, messy, gross ordeal. I feel like flylady, but not the flylady of housecleaning fame at http://www.flylady.com/

Just wanted you to know how you can save money and catch a bunch of flies.

Fly Trap Update

2009-09-07T13:54:00.000-07:00

About three hours after baiting the fly traps with watermelon, they are already attracting flies.

Nathan at COS

2009-09-07T12:59:00.000-07:00

Nathan is taking College Algebra (at 6:10 AM Monday-Thursday), Health, Repair and Management of Computers, and Forging. He is enjoying his four days of classes at COS. He has a good schedule except for that early class. He goes Mon - Thurs AM and Thurs afternoons. Between classes he hangs around in the library, outside, and runs some errands.

Janine at Covenant

2009-09-07T12:52:00.000-07:00

Here is an update from Janine.

"Classes are going to be a lot tougher this semester, since now they are all upper division courses.  I am taking Principles of Management, Principles of Finance, Business Ethics, Accounting Information Systems, Business Research Paper, and 20th Century World History.  They will keep me busy, but I am enjoying each one so far.  The business professors especially are good at challenging us to excell, and very encouraging at the same time.

I am rooming with a different roommate again, Charity Masters.  Marie, who I lived with last year, graduated.  Charity has been a friend since freshman year, and we have already had a lot of fun together.  I joined her on her hall, so I also moved one floor up in my building.

Something that has stayed the same is my job at the school library.  I am working 14-15 hours a week this semester, but it doesn't really seem like it because my schedule fits in really nice with my classes, and the job is enjoyable.

Otherwise, I am back at it here in Georgia!  I do feel like I missed a summer, because the 4 hot days we had in WA weren't quite enough for three months, and here it is already cool and fall-like.  Oh, well, its not like I ever got very tan anyway!   :)"

Labor Day

2009-09-07T12:31:00.001-07:00

In spite of the holiday, we did a bit of work around the house. Keith and Nathan moved some old telephone poles to the side of the pasture to protect the fence posts. They have been replacing posts and then return to find another one broken. Hopefully this will help.

I had the fun job of emptying the jug fly traps. (Sorry, the kids would not let me post pictures). John told us that this was an effective way of killing flies. You put an attractant and water in a jug and top it with a baffled lid that allows flies in, but not out. Then you set it in a low sunshiny spot. The mixture starts to stink and that attracts the flies. I had attractant for four jugs. The fifth jug I experimented with and threw some cantaloupe pieces in the water to attract the flies. I caught just as many flies with the melon but I don't know if the other stinky jugs helped lure the flies. Today I emptied three of the jugs and refilled them with water and watermelon. We shall see if that works to get the flies into those jugs. If it does we can buy fruit and just use a little as fly attractant and eat the rest. I will have to update you on the results so you too can be as frugal as I am if it works.

In order to empty these putrid, maggot and fly infested jugs, you cannot be one who gets grossed out too easily. It supposedly makes a good fertilizer but I buried the contents further away from the house than my flower beds!

Janine

2009-08-10T12:44:00.000-07:00

Janine is finishing up her job in Lynden, WA. She is a bus attendent and teacher's aide for a headstart program for migrant workers. She will return home late Saturday, August 15th and fly back to Covenant early August 20th.

Thankfully, Janine was able to stay with Jeanette and Duane for this job and got to spend time with her cousins Teresa, Steven, and Rebekah.

Nathan

2009-08-10T12:24:00.001-07:00

Nathan has 1 more week before he starts COS, a community college, on August 17. He is finishing up some projects. He built some shelves to increase the storage space in his bedroom closet.

School Started!

2009-08-10T11:28:00.001-07:00

We officially started the school year August 3. It was a typical Monday: laundry and getting the house back together. It was also an atypical Monday: Renee's 14th birthday, first day of school, me frantically trying to finish the paperwork I needed to do before the start of school, and sweet potato and peach casserole (the requested birthday dinner) instead of potatoes for dinner.

We each have our box of books. This year Lorissa and Renee are doing Bible, Classical Astronomy, Physical Geography, and Spanish together. They have a Speech class with Petey and Jerimiah Tiemersma.

Lorissa, Margaret, and Renee

Lorissa is a junior and Renee, a freshman. I remain the primary teacher, Keith, the principal, was at his paying job at Cigna on opening day of Trinity Christian School (TCS), our homeschool.

TCS has only half the students it had compared to the years of peak enrollment from 01/02 to 06/07. It also has no enrollment in the elementary classes for the first time since 96/97 when Nathan was in kindergarten and Janine in 2nd grade. Janine was in TCS for kindergarten in 94/95, the first year of TCS. She went to Central Valley Christian for her 1st grade year.

Janine Quoted

2009-04-30T19:37:00.000-07:00

Janine was quoted in the Covenant College Spring 2009 BUILD Newsletter about the improvements and remodeling of the campus library. See "milestones" on page 2 of the newsletter.

Koetsier Ranch

2009-04-30T17:49:00.000-07:00

Nathan and I work very part time at Koetsier Ranch, setting up for the events taking place at the ranch, as well as off-site catering events. Janine has worked there in the past also. Koetsier Ranch was featured in the Valley Voice this past week. More pictures of Koetsier Ranch can be viewed at their website.

Agriculture in Central California

2009-04-28T16:16:00.000-07:00

I love to see all the farming that goes on around us in Tulare County, California. We are already past the green season, anything not watered is getting brown and dry. If you walk through any weeds your socks get full of stickers, especially from the fox tails. Fruit is growing on the trees and vines, alfalfa has had 1 to 2 cuttings. Alfalfa is one of my favorite field crops because it is green, smells good, and is not tall and obstructive to the view like corn.
Today my brothers' field behind our house got the winter wheat chopped. Experienced silage choppers can get the wheat straw hauled in with well orchestrated maneuverings of their trucks and tractors. There were 3 mowers, 1 rake, 2 choppers, 10 silage trucks, 2 mechanics/gas pickups, 1 water truck to keep the dust down, and 1 tractor starting to plow. (I'm not even sure if these are the correct names for all of the equipment!)
Ree, of thepioneerwoman.com , always shows pictures of what is happening on her ranch in Oklahoma. I think it is very interesting to learn about different areas and people via blogs, so here are some scenes from California.

Monday, Monday II

2009-04-27T14:49:00.000-07:00

Since it is Monday again it is time to do laundry.
See, I am doing quite well, I have some loads lined up to go into the dryer. And being the good wife that I am I also made sure to wash Keith's wallet with all of its contents. Why was he at work and the wallet at home in his jeans pocket? Hopefully he doesn't need to buy gas or anything else today! Hopefully ATM and credit cards still work after a run through the washer!

Keith's Costume

2009-04-24T13:40:00.000-07:00

Sean Connery as Professor Henry Jones, Sr.

Keith Haveman as Professor Henry Jones, Sr.

Keith is ready for work in his costume. He got voted as having the best costume.

Keith Is Coming home From Work

2009-04-23T12:00:00.000-07:00

Sewing Again

2009-04-22T19:41:00.000-07:00

I got some sewing in again today. I can tell school is winding down. Today I made a skirt for Lorissa. It was going to have a zipper, but I changed my mind and made it with an elastic waist band. I really love this fabric so it was fun to work on. The sewing machine gave me some problems so I cleaned out a bunch of fuzz and re-threaded it and it worked better.

Some sewing tips from an infrequent seamstress: use good thread, make sure you thread machine correctly, iron as you go, take your time, take breaks, and pin things carefully.

Sewing Costume Accessories

2009-04-22T11:47:00.000-07:00

Keith needs a costume for work on Thursday. He is going as Professor Henry Jones from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. After a search at several thrift stores, family, and friends we scored a tweed coat from Ed. I decided to sew a bowtie and hat. For the bow tie I got a pattern off the Internet and made a batwing style bow tie. I got a 99 cent McCalls pattern for a woman's hat, that worked perfectly. I am glad I got a pattern, it had some good sewing tips that made the sewing much easier.

California Oranges

2009-04-22T11:18:00.000-07:00

It is such a pleasure to wake up and smell the orange blossoms. It is amazing that the five small citrus trees in our yard can counteract the usual dairy smell that we have around here. The blossoms are also beautiful.

Sewing Skirts

2009-03-18T11:30:00.000-07:00

I have had some fun sewing for Lorissa and Renee. I made each of them a skirt using a homemade pattern. I like the style but it does require some changes as you go. We only bought one yard of fabric per skirt and that was a bit skimpy to easily cut them out, but it worked. I also need the girls handy so I can get it to fit right. Fabric prices are somewhat reasonable if it is on sale or if you have a coupon for JoAnns. It is hard to find good dresses and skirts in the stores. Got any good pattern sugestions for summer dresses that are easy to sew?

First Swim of the Season

2009-03-18T11:19:00.000-07:00

Keith loves to swim so much that he had to try the pool out on March 12. The air temerature was around 70 degrees and the water was a refreshing 60 degrees.

Homeschooling

2009-03-10T13:23:00.000-07:00

Here is Nathan busy reading literature for school. This loveseat is his spot for doing his school work. Isn't that a comfortable way to get your schoolwork done?Lorissa and Nathan are taking chemistry this year, so that involves doing some experiments. Sometimes we sort of have to make do with our lab equipment. We needed two test tube this week so champagne glasses were the best thing we could think of. The left glass has water and salt, the right glass has vegetable oil and salt. This was to see what happens when you put an ionic compound in a polar covalent and a purely covalent substance.

World Ag Expo 2009

2009-02-24T17:38:00.000-08:00

We attended the World Ag Expo, commonly known as the Farm Show, in Tulare for three days. A large amount of that time was volunteering for the Love, INC. concession stand assembling burgers, making and selling popcorn and cotton candy, or taking customer orders. We did some walking around and saw most of the new products and technology. It is interesting to see the amount of science that goes into agriculture.
Keith drove a Toyota Sequoia around their test drive course. He was impressed with the SUV's handling but disappointed with the gas mileage (14mpg /city, 19 mpg/ highway) and price ($55,000 fully loaded).
The view from the top of the hill.

We all got a T-shirt from Massey-Ferguson that says " Nobody loves the earth more than a farmer."

We gathered a herd of squishy cows for Janine to give to the city kids at college who were wondering how many "squeezy things" a cow has.

Here is more of the loot we gathered. We should have enough pens and pencils for another year!

Blogging

2009-01-24T15:24:00.000-08:00

Keith and I decided to combine blogs. He does not blog very much and lots of what I write concerns the family so we decided to maintain one blog together. We will see how this works.
Margaret

Car Repair

2009-01-24T11:29:00.000-08:00

Keith and Nathan are doing outpatient surgery on the Suburban, replacing the spark plug wires, cap and rotor.
Keith is the surgeon and Nathan is the operating room nurse.
Too bad the operating room table is not very ergonomic.

Fence Repair

2009-01-22T12:17:00.000-08:00

We have a history of steers getting out of their corrals because of old fencing, the grass is greener on the other side, and some are houdinis. Since we live right alongside a busy highway it is dangerous to have a black cow out at night or any time of the day for that matter. So Keith and Nathan are busy making repairs: replacing fence posts, adding 4-pronged barbed wire, and straightening gates. Here is some work in progress.

You Know You're Dutch When...

2009-01-21T17:04:00.000-08:00

You Know You're Dutch When...

The temperature is so low in your house that 2 sweaters is a bare minimum if you want to be remotely warm.
During the winter it's warmer outside than it is inside.
You open the freezer and are excited to find a container of ice- cream,only to open it and discover it's full of homemade soup or stamppot..
When looking in the fridge, you never trust that the yogurt or margarine containers contain what the label says.
You were green before it was popular. Why recycle when you can just reuse!
You have a pair a wooden shoes in your house.
Your china cabinet is filled with Delft.
You like pickled herring.
You've eaten oliebollen at New Years.
You enjoy chocolate sprinkle (hagelslag) sandwiches.
You have cousins who wear size 14 shoes and are over 6'4"
You wash and reuse plastic cups and plastic cutlery.
You have soup and open-faced sandwiches for Sunday lunch.
The most frequent phrase uttered growing up was "Turn off the lights!"
You get a chocolate letter every year for Christmas.
All the tables in your house are covered in tablecloths.
You like krokets.
You know that Vla is better than regular old pudding.
You drink tea with breakfast, coffee at 10 am, tea at 3 pm, and coffee again at 8 pm (with cookies or biscuits of course!)
You have an afghan knitted by your Oma.
You collect coupons like they're going out of style.
Your Oma had a calendar with everyone's birthdays & anniversaries spelled out in capital letters (bonus points if it hung in the bathroom!)
You've been known to recycle aluminum foil. And ziploc bags.
You own a special utensil that is only used for cutting cheese.
You know that Gouda is the best cheese ever.
You have at least 5 relatives with the same name (and somehow you always know which one is being talked about).
You reuse teabags.
When you hear all the "new ways to save energy" you yawn and say "I've been doing that all my life!"
You eat your sandwiches open-faced. "What?
You want another slice of bread? I'll make you another sandwich."
You rarely have both meat and cheese on the same sandwich.
You have never met half the relatives at your family reunion
You have 100 rolls of toilet paper in your house because they were on sale.
You put a little water into the jar of tomato sauce and shake it to make sure you got it all out.
You have trouble shopping for hats. There should be at least two sizes: 'one size fits all' and 'dutch'.
You wipe the last of the butter out of the container with your bun.
All your cookies taste like almonds.
You make the bed in your hotel room.
You have lace on your windows but not on your underwear.
You like dubbel zout drops, and have occasionally tricked a friend into trying one.
You've put mayonnaise on your french fries.
Your kitchen is filled with milk bags drying, waiting to be reused in the freezer.
You drink Heineken out of pride.
You have a front room but nobody sits in it (or it's only used for special occasions).
You have a spoon collection.
Your favourite mustard comes in jars that can be reused as drinking glasses.
You leave a window open year round to get fresh air.
You eat stroop waffles.
You love the colour orange.
You have a vegetable garden because there's no way you're paying that much for veggies at the grocery store.
Your fridge is always stocked with leftovers. Throw out food? Never!
You go to the "Dutch Store" because the smell brings back so many childhood memories.
You have pictures of windmills around your house.
Everything is Do-It-Yourself - it's cheaper than hiring someone.
You use "washandjes" (facecloths that you can put your hand into).
You have to explain what 'om' and 'tante' means when you're discussing your relatives with non-Dutch people.
You own tea towels and oven mitts patterned with windmills and dancing women in clogs.
You call it "MELK" not "milk".
All your cousins have the same names as your brothers and sisters,because everyone is named after Oma and Opa
or Paka and Beppe.

And finally, you know you're Dutch when..

You're laughing along with this list because you can relate to most it!

Thanks John and whoever made this list for this list.

Leash Laws for Lawn Mowers?

2009-01-17T13:37:00.000-08:00

So why is that lawn mower tied to the fence post? No, we are not trying to use up all the gas so it can be stored away for winter. Nathan is using it to move the fence post into a straight upright position. We are trying to get all of our pastures fixed up so the steers will not escape. This west front pasture needs the gate posts straightened up, a strand of barbed wire strung around the top to keep the animals from leaning on the fencing, and any loose fencing nailed back to the posts with horseshoe nails.

Homemade Tote

2009-01-17T13:35:00.000-08:00

Janine wanted a tote to carry her toiletries to the common bathroom down the hall in her dorm. I had large scrap of pink fabric and this flowery shirt that I liked.

I cut out the pieces using another tote that I had as a reference. I used the pocket on the shirt for an outside pocket and made another pocket on the inside.
Here is the front.

And the back. It was a lot of fun to make because the sewing machine was really cooperating that day. I had to consciously think out every step ahead of time so it would turn out the way I envisioned.

Homeschooling

2008-12-16T13:13:00.001-08:00

Ironing is not one of my favorite chores. While ironing the other day I thought of how nice it would be to send all of Keith's dress shirts to the dry cleaners to be cleaned and pressed. Of course it would also be great to get the windows washed professionally and have a regular house cleaning service. But I seem to have more time than money, so I do it myself with the help of the family.

I am blessed to be able to be a stay-at-home Mom. And the reason why? This quote from Gregory and Martine Millman's book, Homeschooling: A Family's Journey, summarizes the decision that Keith and I made.

"One of the most important decisions we made on the road to homeschooling was that our children would have a very costly "luxury": a full-time mom."

I know that homeschooling or being a stay-at-home mom isn't for everyone. I enjoy getting out to work at Koetsier Ranch at my very part-time job. But this lifestyle works for this family and I am glad for the 19+ years we have been able to do it!

Chemistry

2008-12-16T12:55:00.000-08:00

You know how when you are busy or immersed in some activity you start dreaming about it? Well, the other morning when Keith was getting up, I glanced at the clock and saw this:

I wasn't dreaming, but I read that as SO4 which is the chemical symbol for Sulfate. I am teaching Nathan and Lorissa chemistry, and I must have gotten too much of it the other day. They feel like any day with chemistry is too much!

OK, Kids and Keith...

2008-11-29T18:46:00.000-08:00

My dear husband Keith did admit to opening a new jug of syrup the other day. He was busy fixing breakfast and did not spend a lot of time checking to see if there was an unopened bottle. And I am spoiled because Keith and the kids usually are the ones to fix breakfast. Nathan makes burgers on Saturday nights and the kids take turns cooking up some eggs on Sunday evenings. So all are forgiven for the extra open syrup jugs.

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-11-29T17:19:00.000-08:00

The tables are all set for Thanksgiving 2008 at John and Rita's house. Mom and Dad Brower, Joel and Irene and kids, Ed and Jennifer and kids, and our family ate with John and Rita in the garage. With 19 people it would have been a bit crowded in the house. Lorissa made little cards for each person with a picture and a Bible verse about being thankful.

Irene and I caught up with the latest while doing dishes.

Pake played games with the kids.

The girls served up dessert while the rest of us relaxed. It was a nice evening without too much work because we all brought something. Hopefully Rita did not have too much to do before or after, but it was very organized and the evening was over too fast.

OK, Kids....

2008-11-29T17:01:00.000-08:00

What's up with this? Why do we have three jugs of syrup open at one time?

Firewood II

2008-11-29T16:54:00.000-08:00

That pile of firewood only lasted until Tuesday. We have not gathered firewood this year so I hope we have enough at this rate.

Firewood

2008-11-22T15:19:00.000-08:00

Nathan hauled in firewood and stacked up a large pile. With daytime highs in the low 60's and nights in the 40's, how long do you think this pile of wood will last us? Of course today is Saturday and Keith is working at home, so he likes it warm when he is just sitting with the computer. We have been burning the wood since about 10:00 A.M.

Nathan said he would rather haul a lot of wood at once rather than making a mess everyday. We also are getting a bunch of daddy-long-legs hitching a ride in the house on this wood.

Chili Dogs

2008-11-21T16:49:00.000-08:00

We usually eat spaghetti for Friday night dinners. Last week I decided to change things up a bit so we had chili dogs. This week we will be having Winco pizza for Friday night: haven't had pizza in ages!

I try to have plans for dinner, but I have had a hard time lately. Maybe it is the change of seasons.

Usually the menu goes like this:
Sun~ scrambled or boiled eggs and toast
Mon~ meat and potatoes
Tues~ ?
Wed~ ?
Thurs~ Mexican
Fri~ Spaghetti
Sat~ Hamburgers

How about some good and easy dinner suggestions, especially for ground beef?

You know you live in Central CA when...

2008-10-29T12:29:00.000-07:00

This is the Severe Weather Warning for Central California for this week as found on weather.com today. I think we will get a spritz of rain because I decided to do my biannual window washing.

Watches and Warnings

Visalia Forecast

WEST CENTRAL SAN  JOAQUIN VALLEY-EAST  CENTRAL SAN  JOAQUIN VALLEY-
SOUTHWESTERN SAN  JOAQUIN VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN  SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-
MARIPOSA MADERA AND  FRESNO COUNTY FOOTHILLS-
TULARE COUNTY FOOTHILLS-KERN COUNTY  MOUNTAINS-
235 AM PDT WED OCT 29  2008
 
...AN END TO THE DRY WEATHER IS ON THE  WAY...
 
AFTER A LONG PERIOD OF MILD AND DRY  WEATHER...A CHANGE TO COOLER
AND WETTER WEATHER WILL TAKE PLACE LATE  THIS WEEK AND ESPECIALLY
THIS WEEKEND OVER THE  REGION.
 
A SERIES OF WEATHER DISTURBANCES WILL MOVE  INTO CENTRAL CALIFORNIA.
THE FIRST IMPULSE WILL ARRIVE THURSDAY  BRINGING JUST SOME CLOUDS.
A SECOND SYSTEM WILL ARRIVE FRIDAY BRINGING  A CHANCE OF RAIN TO
AREAS MAINLY NORTH OF KINGS AND  TULARE COUNTIES. A  THIRD...AND
MORE IMPORTANTLY...WETTER AND COOLER SYSTEM  IS SLATED FOR LATER
SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY AND IT WILL LINGER  INTO MONDAY. DUE TO THE
STRENGTH OF THIS SYSTEM...RAIN IS EXPECTED  OVER MOST THE AREA.
 
AT THIS TIME RAINFALL TOTALS ARE  UNCERTAIN...HOWEVER A WETTING
RAIN WILL UNDOUBTEDLY OCCUR AT MOST  LOCATIONS IN THE CENTRAL
CALIFORNIA INTERIOR.
 
PERSONS PLANNING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES THIS  LATER THIS WEEK AND OVER
THE UPCOMING WEEKEND SHOULD PREPARE FOR WET  WEATHER. CHECK RAIN
GUTTERS FOR DEBRIS AND BRING INDOORS ITEMS  WHICH MAY BECOME
DAMAGED BY RAIN WATER.

Monday, Monday

2008-10-07T13:59:00.000-07:00

There is something about Mondays. One should never plan too much to fill that day, because it will get filled up with the unexpected. Lorissa looked out the window and noticed our mailbox standing all crooked. So we went out and determined that some vehicle loaded with tree branches had scraped by it. We pushed it back into place, removed the leaves, and hoped the dented box will still keep our mail safe.

At lunch time I was reading emails and I sniffed wet soil. Sure we had some sprinkles on Saturday but I shouldn't be still smelling the dampness. A sniff at the heater vent in the living room and Renee's room verified the damp smell was coming from under the house. Nathan crawled under the house and confirmed that my washing machine was draining under the house about in the area of the bend in the hallway. Could this be in anyway connected with the plumber coming out about 3 Mondays ago when he had to unclog the bathroom sink? The same Monday when he punched a hole in the elbow under the sink and sewer water drained into the bottom cupboard and bathroom floor? When he explained that this can also happen when you snake out other lines, which we had him do because that one usually clogs on a Monday which coincides with the main laundry day at our house?

Then Richard from the next door warehouse comes by, while I am on the cell phone talking to Nathan who is under the house to check out what is happening. He wonders if we could help him get rid of some frozen stuff because he has more than his freezer can handle. Sure we could, but there goes another 45 minutes.

Well, today is Tuesday and a plumber fixed the leak so we can finish laundry, run the dishwasher and drain the water out of the kitchen sink. The mail was delivered to the dented box, and we heated up the frozen goodies and enjoyed them for our 10:00 AM snack. Now I better get going so I can get caught up before next Monday.

Church Camp at Kaweah River Resort

2008-10-02T22:07:00.000-07:00

We went camping at Kaweah River Resort with a group from church on Sept 26-28. It was very relaxing, had worship with Pastor Dieleman on "The Tabernacle As a Shadow", a short walk up a dry creek bed, Saturday night potluck, and Sunday morning breakfast. It was quite hot in the afternoons so we were pretty tired when we got back home.

Daniel By Beth Moore

2008-09-04T13:28:00.000-07:00

Our church's Bible studies started again this week. I will be facilitating Beth Moore's study of Daniel. We are just a small group of women who meet on Wednesday nights, but we learn a lot from God's Word watching Beth Moore's video sessions and completing our homework.

Covenant College's Ranking- Part II

2008-09-03T13:27:00.000-07:00

Forbes Ranks Covenant College High in National List

Forbes Magazine, in its newly released ranking of America's Best Colleges, puts Covenant College #117 among the nation's colleges and universities.

"We are always delighted when people recognize Covenant for its strong program," said Covenant College President Niel Nielson. "We take such recognition with a very large grain of salt, in that we don't consider it a goal nor do we modify anything we do in order to gain it. But it's wonderful to hear such confirmation of our efforts!

"The Forbes criteria certainly correspond to some features of Covenant that we take very seriously: outstanding faculty, students, and alumni; overall financial value; and graduation rates."

A number of Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) member schools were present in the Forbes ranking, including: #91 Wheaton College, #117 Covenant College, #205 Biola University, #257 Westmont College, #308 Taylor University, #357 Messiah College, #372 Calvin College, and #374 Dordt College.

Other ranked schools in the Georgia and Tennessee region include: #67 Sewanee University of the South, #105 Vanderbilt University, #248 Berry College, #282 Union University, and #364 Rhodes College.

Copied from Covenant College's website.

Covenant College's Ranking- Part I

2008-09-03T12:50:00.000-07:00

Covenant's Rank Rises to #4 in U.S.News & World Report

In its 2009 edition of America's Best Colleges, U.S.News & World Report ranks Covenant College #4 among baccalaureate colleges in the South and #4 in the "Great Schools, Great Prices" category in the same field.

This placement continues a steady upward trend for Covenant, which ranked #7 and #6, respectively, in the same categories last year. This marks Covenant's 6^th consecutive year with a solid position among the top ten baccalaureate colleges in the South.

Covenant continues to have the 4^th highest graduation rate in its field.

"The U.S. News rankings are based on a set of criteria that, while they aren't the most important or mission-critical values we embrace, nevertheless reflect some of the attributes that often characterize excellent institutions," said Covenant College President Niel Nielson.

"We are pleased with Covenant's high ranking in terms of both overall excellence and financial value. At the same time, we pledge to continue to focus on those aspects of Covenant's work that enable us to stay true to our founding mission and our aim to declare and demonstrate the preeminence of Jesus Christ in all things."

Copied from Covenant College's website.

Hume Lake Campground Scenery

2008-09-01T15:51:00.000-07:00

Hume Lake is beautiful, but unfortunately once again our camera was not fully charged up so we did not get any pictures of our Saturday morning 2.5 mile walk around the lake. People were in sailboats and kayaks rented from Hume Lake Christian Camp. We also attended Sunday morning church services at the Christian Camp.
Thanks 1flatworld for this picture of the lake.

Camping at Hume Lake Campground

2008-09-01T13:49:00.000-07:00

We decided to take a final outing before Janine went back to college so we took some more school days off and headed to Hume Lake Campground in the Sequoia National Forest. We left on Friday afternoon August 22 and came back on Sunday, August 24. On Friday we set up camp in the only campsite left that was not reserved for either of those two nights.
Providentially, the campsite was flat enough to accommodate this tent for the kids, our tent trailer and plenty of room for cooking, washing dishes, and eating.

Renee and Janine washing dishes.

Renee, Janine and I doing more dishes.

Lorissa and Janine.

Nathan.

Lorissa.

Janine and Rebekah

2008-09-01T13:32:00.000-07:00

Janine and Rebekah enjoyed a final cousins get together before Janine leaves for Covenant College and Rebekah leaves for Seattle Pacific in September. Have a great time girls!

The Olympics

2008-08-20T19:03:00.000-07:00

We have been watching the Olympics regularly, and have been enjoying the increased coverage this year. We have even watched during the day to see what is on (we rarely watch daytime TV). It is neat to see all the sports like synchronized diving, fencing, and swimming.

Michael Phelps has impressed us, and we have tried to recreate his speedy swimming in our pool. We haven't quite got our times down to his but we have a few disadvantages, like not having size 14 feet and dolphin ankles.

Back to School

2008-08-20T18:55:00.000-07:00

We started school on August 4 and then took August 7 and 8 off. We enjoyed a visit with Linda, Rebekah and Jonathon on those days. We had a full week, and now this week we are planning a short camping trip, so more days off. Keith is taking some days off for Janine's final days at home. She returns to Covenant College on August 26.

Was it worth starting school and then taking so many days off already? I think so, we have put in 11 more days than we did last year at this time and we usually get spring fever. We would rather be outside when the weather warms up in May. It was a short summer of only 2 months off because of our late start last year. And now days off are already stacking up!

Kiwi

2008-06-18T17:21:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, this kiwi was picked at the end of November and refrigerated. We are still eating them and they are delicious. It seems to go in streaks, we will eat some and then quit for awhile. The kids seem to get sores in their mouths if they eat too many at once. Thanks Jennie and Debbie for getting these kiwi to us!

Countdown Completed for Lorissa

2008-06-17T17:29:00.000-07:00

Lorissa got her braces off today. Her teeth look "Hollywood Perfect" according to her orthodontist Dr. Jay Perko, and I agree. She wore her rubberbands as ordered and completed her treatment in 21 months. I hope to get a picture posted soon.

One Countdown Done!

2008-05-10T15:31:00.000-07:00

Janine arrived home on Thursday evening, so one countdown is complete. She had a good trip from Lookout Mountain , GA to Yerington, NV from Monday to Wednesday. We picked her up from Yerington on Thursday. Lots of miles put in by Janine this week!

Countdown

2008-04-26T20:35:00.000-07:00

We have a couple of countdowns going, these numbers are from Thursday 4/24.

Family Game Night

2008-04-26T20:21:00.000-07:00

a We played some Scrabble games the last couple of nights. Keith won this game. I believe there are some words on there like "pib" that are not actual words, but they went unchallenged. This was a real close one!

More Bird Eggs

2008-04-23T12:07:00.000-07:00

We have this wreath on the front door: we can change the little wooden cutout according to the holidays and seasons. The birds thought this was a good spot for one of their nests. I thought I heard a lot of birds twittering by the front door a while back. Now i don't hear the birds as much; I will have to see if they are really sitting on this nest. So watch out as you approach the front door.

Earth Day

2008-04-22T16:00:00.000-07:00

The kids were so impressed because I took care of recycling a bunch of bottles and newspaper on Earth Day. They were afraid that all the green people would be lined up at the recycling center, but we were the only ones there at the time, and the place was not overflowing with recyclables.

Spring has Sprung

2008-04-16T15:04:00.000-07:00

We had a weekend in the low 90's so Keith and Renee decided to swim.
The birds made a nest in my hanging flower basket. Here two of the four birds have hatchedThe citrus trees have blossomed and have a heavenly scent.

Home Made Pizza

2008-04-11T20:00:00.000-07:00

Trying to stretch the pizza dough. I made the whole wheat dough in my bread machine. It seems like when I want to make a rectangular crust it ends out round and if I want to make a round crust it wants to be rectangular.

I ended out making 4 pizzas: 2 ham and pineapple, 1 pepperoni, and 1 taco meat/tomato. this was enough for 2 dinners. They all tasted good but the taco meat one wasn't the pizza taste that you crave.