SRKindredSpirits

Our family enjoyed a mini getaway to Clifty Falls State Park in southern Indiana this weekend....  Clifty Falls State Park is located on 1,416 acres, just north of the Ohio River in Madison, Indiana. The park features Clifty Creek, Little Clifty Creek, and a canyon in which the sun only shines during midday. Clifty Falls State Park has ten beautiful trails that vary from easy, moderate, rugged and very rugged. Our family hiked 5 of the trails. Clifty Creek Canyon traverses the entire north-south length of the state park. The upper rim of the canyon at the north end of the park is 800 feet above sea level, descending to the valley of the Ohio River, which is 500 feet above sea level. Two other major canyons enter Clifty Creek Canyon from the east, they are Deans Branch (Tunnel Falls) and Hoffman Branch (Hoffman Falls). Clifty Falls State Park is named for the waterfalls on Clifty Creek. The falls...

I love this book just as much as I liked Rory Feeks 1st book - This Life I Live. There is something so honest and real about reading this book. I can relate to just about everything, right down to ' white being my favorite color, even though people tell me it's not really a color'...... except the singing on stage and being famous part.... I can't relate to that at all.... I feel the exact same way about school- that pushing everyone to learn the same way is a bunch of bunk! That reading, writing and arithmetic are fine, but a child's character and life skills and compassion and heart are even more important.... I could have written about church hopping.... hubby and I never thought that would be us, but it seems that churches are either large, contemporary, progressive, and liberal or they are small, narrow minded, full of rules and bondage. We have spent alot of time looking for a home church, hoping to find the promised land, but somehow feelin...

We've lived in our home for almost thirteen years and we've never washed the stone on the outside until this year....  I'm pretty sure the people who we bought the house from never cleaned it either, although they lived here since they built it in 1975. Anyway, the mortar around the stone was beginning to crack, and chunks were falling out in some places. The whole house looked dingy and dirty. Most of it looked like this.... Hubby had been wanting to get it off his to-do-list for awhile now, but since last summer was spent in the hospital , it got put off to this year.... He started by removing all the loose and flaking mortar. Then he sprayed it all with water to get it wet, and  Basic H2 , and started scrubbing. Basic H2 is an all natural, super concentrated, biodegradable cleaner. I have flowers and bushes planted around the house and the Basic H2 will not harm them in any way.  We try to stay away from harsh chemicals as much as we ca...

I'm not sure why - but you were made a little different from the rest of us. You try so hard to do normal things and although you often fail, I know you tried your best.  You see the world a little different from most. Things are black and white to you. I love that you're all boy through and through. Tractors, ATVs, BB guns, cars, bikes and knives are your favorite. You never run out of things to say about them. I love that you care so deeply for others. That you worry when you think someone is hurting or in trouble. I love your sense of humor.  You make us laugh.  You have had gone through a lot in your 11 years of life so far. I love that you don't care about today's fads. I love that you're honest and obedient, and that you follow the rules. I love to watch you outside, in your element. You have a thought process about everything. I love to listen to you sing. You can carry a tune pretty well. I love that ...

To my husband...  I love you.  You make me smile.  You are my lover.  My best friend.  Keeper of my heart.  Father to my children. You know all my secrets.  You see the worst of me.  You are the man I've always wanted, and all I never knew I needed.  You are in my daydreams. You make me happy. Being your wife is the best decision I have ever made.  You are who I choose to spend the rest of my life with.  The one I want to walk beside me.  The one holding my hand.  The one I see in my memories.   You are my partner.  You are my protector.  Being in your arms is my most favorite place to be. I always feel safe in your arms.   You are my reason for living.  You make me want to be a better person.  You put up with my crazy. You always have my back.  You are my favorite.  ...

We painted the girls room a couple years ago, however I never messed with their closet.   See a trick for saving money on window dressing here. You see when our kids was little, my husband built shelves in the closet for the baby clothes and they worked great for the baby/toddler years, but the kids are older now, and it was starting to not work for us anymore. Everytime I put the girls clothes away or walked into their room, the closet always looked messy, clothes half falling off of hangers.... it was always a mess. The other day I had an idea. I decided enough was enough. I went to town and purchased some paint, six tubs, and two storage drawers, that you stack. I took out the shelves, and the extra clothes rod, then I started making over the closet. Here's a breakdown of the cost:  1 gallon paint = $15  (I bought a cheaper paint, as the girls usually change the color of their room every 3 years or so.) 2 storage units with dra...