Don't be a hater, because we're famous...

What in the world could that title possibly mean? Well, I'm glad you asked. Today was a snow/ice day, and although I will HATE it when we have to make them UP, I LOVE them TODAY!!! I got SOOOO much done, I embroidered all day (mainly for other people, but that means, I'll have them all done when I need to do my OWN!!!) They have already called school for TOMORROW too, so just THINK what I can get done!! Hopefully, more sewing AND some baking!! But I digress... you are wanting to know why I've talked of fame...

So, my friend Beth calls today and says, "You OWE me one, just so you know." Now, you need to know about Beth to appreciate this. I LOVE LOVE LOVE her, and she truly is one of my dearest friends, but one may wonder why we are friends at all. She is very athletic, I bake. She is thin, I bake. She is EXTREMELY organized (is starting her own business with that by the way), and I bake. You may see the pattern here. Once I sent her a video clip and forewarned everyone to whom I sent it, that they would cry. It was about a little girl, whose brother had been gone a long time for some kind of chemo treatment, so when he got home, she had shaved her little head to give him her hair, and I mean, when I watched this clip, I SOBBED. You know, the body shaking kind of crying where you can't see the computer screen through your blurred vision. She emails me back, "If you want me to cry, you're gonna have to do better than that!" OK, now that you know about Beth, I can continue with my story. So I bite, and I say, "Now remind me WHY exactly I owe you?" She says, "Because I bought your chicken today at Wal-Mart and it was more expensive". (we also went through our Dave Ramsey class together, so I know that she was pained by doing this) Well, I assure her that Wal-Mart does not carry Perdue chicken, and she told me it wasn't Perdue, it was "Harvestland". Well, sure enough, Harvestland is a private division that Perdue provides chicken to. Again, knowing that she would not have that knowledge, I say that there is no way that she had done me a favor, as she didn't know anything about the chicken she was picking out. She said, "OH, but I DID. Ted (her SF husband, happened to be shopping with her today) saw this chicken, and HAD to get it because of the name that was on it. He INSISTED on buying this chicken!" Still not too impressed, but thinking maybe he and Shane had discussed Perdue being under a different label, she tells me, "He wouldn't get any other chicken because this had SHANE'S name on it". I say, "Yeah, right, whatEVER" and she insists, "SERIOUSLY, Shane's NAME is on the package." I hear Ted in the background (they are in Wal-Mart from what I can tell) and he is insisting that Shane's name is ON the package of chicken in the store, for all to see. She asked me didn't I know this, and I assure her that I didn't, and I am going to have to SEE it to believe it. Well, ladies and gentleman, may I present to you... A chicken that used to live at my house, but now lives in Wal-Mart for the highest taker. Actually, this picture was taken by Beth, so this particular bird is not available... Can you BELIEVE that?!?!?! I had NO idea!! My friend Theresa later calls, because she talked to Beth, and she too, didn't realize she was friends with a famous family!!! HAHAHAHA

This was almost as good as feeding the queen!! I'm posting the picture of the bird from the store, to show you guys too!! We were quite thrilled, although I DO think they should have thrown the word "Jerri" on the label SOMEWHERE... Thanks Beth for the pictures, and Ted, for loving Shane enough to INSIST on the chicken... He hunts here, so I guess he figures he should support us, so we don't lose the farm, and he lose his hunting spot!! :)

I thought you'd all enjoy that fame story, and thanks for reading a day in the life of the chicken farmer's wife!! love to all!! Jerri

And then there were 6...

My dearest chicken farmer called me today at school. We chatted for a moment, and then he said, "I have some GREAT news!!" You can imagine my thoughts... He got a raise? Perhaps won the Powerball? How about he wants to get someone to clean the house? Well guess which won of the above he said!! NONE!!!!!!!!!!! That's right! Not a one!! He proceeded to tell me that when I got home, I'd be excited to see that we were SIX horses richer. WHAT?!?! Did you say HORSES? Did you MEAN to say "$5 million DOLLARS richer?" Nope, he said horses... You can imagine how the conversation went after that, but the gist of it is one of his buddies knows him PRETTY WELL. Just kidding, a friend of his has these 5 horses, and they keep getting out of this fence where he keeps them. Well, they are tearing up the neighbors stuff when they are out, so they are threatening a lawsuit, so he had to find a place for them ASAP, until he could get his stuff done. Yeah, bring us your down trodden, your pit bulls, your kittens, your HORSES... "Give 'em to SHANE... HE'LL take ANYTHING!!! This is a picture of the pregnant mare. YES, you read that right, let's throw that into the mix as well. Now, for Shane being such a good friend, he's getting to keep the baby. SO?!?! Really? I know, you gotta love him... but come on... FIVE HORSES? I didn't even go out to the stable. I told Graceson to take a picture, and I'd come and look at them when it was daylight and warm. Then of course, let's not forget Lucky!! Shane said that whene they let the others out, he GALLOPED as fast as he could over to them, blowing and snorting, letting them know whose casa they were trodding on.
I will tell you that I do really like Lucky, but as for "his people" that are now visiting, I'll let you know... They aren't saddle broken, so it's not like they serve a purpose. When you come down to it, most don't. Last week, Lucky was at the gate, and Shane was putting up the lawn mower into our shop. One of the goats that share the pen with him, walked up behind him. He wasn't interested in her being there, so he picked up his back leg, and ever so gently put it up against her side, and pushed her away. He didn't try to hurt her, he didn't kick, it was just a "push". That's just his personality...
In the mean time, have a GREAT night and thanks for sharing a moment in the life of the chicken farmer's wife! love to all!! Jerri

You're a mean one...

You are about to see, perhaps one of the cutest things you have ever seen. OK, ok, I am to never use "cute" and Garrett in the same sentence, so I will rephrase, you are about to see something really FUN!!! In youth, Bill never wants anyone "NOT" to go on a mission trip because they cannot afford it. So, to help them out, they have the opportunity to work each week, and instead of getting paid cash money, it can go as a credit in their accounts toward a mission trip. Tonight, he had a contest. The contest was simply to dress up as your favorite fictional Christmas character. Sara talked to me about an idea, and we went with it. Now... at 5:30 this morning, if you had asked, I would have told you that it wasn't going to work out, because I thought Garrett had strep, he was up 4 times last night getting sick, and he was about as green as his costume when I woke him up. I got him into the dr. by 8:45, they did the rapid test, and it came back negative. His dr. wasn't confident that it really WAS negative, so he decided to grow the culture overnight, and gave us some antibiotics anyway... Now... fast forward 12 hours.

Garrett and Conley dressed up as the Grinch and Cindy Lou Hoo. As you can see, they were the BOMB!!! Lilli even got in on the action, and she dressed in drag, as his dog Max, with the antlers and a Santa coat. I felt like, they were without a doubt, the best dressed, but alas, the judges didn't agree. They did, however, get 2nd!! That is o.k. though, because EVERYBODY needs trip money, and ANY is better than NONE!!! How this came to pass... (besides their mothers saying, "you'll do this") is that Garrett and Conley are great friends. They will argue just like he does with Gra, but he would fight someone for her too. No matter how many times I tell him, he is convinced that they are related. I have told him and Gra too, that they are NOT, but they both agree that I am wrong. They share an uncle and an aunt, so therefore, they MUST be kin... There is no other option. It doesn't matter that Garrett's UNCLE is married to Conley's AUNT, it still counts... Just ask him (AND Gra as well!!) (They are the TX Fowlers that you've read about) You can also see my friend Anty from youth. This is more of a close up picture of Lilli dressed in drag, pretending she's a boy. Anty was excited to be "making" the blog!!

Tonight was dress rehearsal for the Christmas play at church. If you aren't doing anything, you should REALLY make a point to come to one of the performances. They will be at 7 pm on Friday, 6 pm on Saturday, and 3 pm on Sunday. You won't be sorry if you do!! I've always thought that Graceson got her "drama" part of her body from me... Come to find out... it's her FATHER!! He is officially part of the "drama" team I guess, since this is his 3rd play!! Last year he was a shepherd, and he can man handle those farm creatures, like they were small cats. He also had a bruise on the top of his foot, where the goat that he led up on stage stomped his foot, since the shepherd's of Jesus' day were barefoot. He is a shepherd again this year, however the first night, he will be in "another" position. He came home the other night, and told me that Charlie was going to be missing, so just for Friday he would be the "Rabi"..............................

I gave you a minute to figure that out... Our church is: Hillcrest BAPTIST Church, so I am pretty sure in our Christmas production, we wouldn't have a Rabi, which is a Jewish leader. I thought it was QUITE funny!! I asked him did he mean he was going to be a "Magi" and he agreed!! I am a behind the scenes girl for the performance. I actually call myself "Jesus' nanny", although there was never such a person noted in the Bible. Mary is on stage, when an angel comes to her and tells her and Joseph what is going to happen, and then shortly, she is holding a baby, then in another scene, "kid" Jesus goes on stage. Our baby Jesus is named "Cash", and he is really precious. I get him to Mary, and then get him from her, get kid Jesus to her, take the baby around back, then come back and get kid Jesus, take him around back, eventually get the baby back, and deliver him to the opposite side to go back out on the last song. Our "grown up" baby Jesus (kid Jesus) is Jiles. I have never been around him before tonight, but he was SUCH a sweetie. His mom's blog is listed on the left, "Journey to our Baby". He was SOOO good behind the curtain, and just stood there, holding my hand, waiting to go out. You would have thought he was 14 years old, as good as he acted.

And in case the above happenings didn't make for a good day, I had a meeting after school and I won a DOOR PRIZE!!! Man!! An oil change, opry tickets, and a gift certificate? If you can tell me how to find my lucky numbers, I need to get a Power Ball ticket!! :)

There are so many things I could write about, but I am beat. I wish I could blog every day, but it is just not feasible with getting up everyday before 6 a.m.! Maybe if Shane ever insists that I quit work because we are loaded or something, THEN I can post daily!! Until then... I'll just update as I can!!

I hope you ALL have a GREAT night, and thanks for sharing a day in the life of the chicken farmer's wife!! ALSO... Graceson's choir performance is the FOLLOWING Sunday at 6 pm if you are interested. She has a solo, and we have listened to the practice cd so much, that I am certain that Garrett and I could BOTH be her understudies if we needed to be!! Talk to you soon!! love to all!! Jerri

WHAT a great week!!

I hope that all of you has had as nice of a week, as I have!! I say "week", not starting as of the day before yesterday, but since my last post!! It has been busy, but LOVELY!!! Of course, I was off for FIVE days last week, and although we're ALWAYS off 2 days each week, those EXTRA ones just are the BOMB!! You remember my YOGA from Wednesday night, well... you don't need a calendar to know that I go back TOMORROW!! I am going to try and do better about not opening my eyes, while they are supposed to be closed, seeing if everyone else thinks that they are looking like a big dork. It could certainly be relaxing if you can get past the silliness you feel from doing it. The part where you sniff up one side of your nose, then let the air out the other while holding the side you just sniffed from, made me as dizzy as a cat!! I guess I am not used to being "oxygenated"!! (is that a word? maybe I should go into one of those O2 bars the next time I'm at Opry Mills!!) I WAS sore for days, but I am looking very forward to going back tomorrow! Wednesday, I washed clothes, got a lot of stitching done, and seemed to have cooked one thing or another, all day long... That day was so so, but it was still marvy because I was HOME!!! Thursday was a GREAT day!! I have so very many things to be thankful for and about! We ate at Shane's moms, and had T'giving at my mom's on Saturday morning with breakfast!! Isn't that a great idea? You can only eat turkey so many times...

While at Shane's folks, his dad broke out his MeMaw's old "TENS" unit. You know, it is one of those things that you hook to yourself (like with those heart monitor looking pads), and turn it on. Well, I always seem to have a neck ache, so I was ready to try it out!! He hooked it up to my neck, and turned it on. OK, no big deal, how can it help? It just felt a little like the prickly needles when your foot goes to sleep, and they are poking you until the feeling comes back. Since it wasn't that bad, I guess he thought he'd let me see it a little higher... HELLO? I am a newbie at this... be gentle... He cranked it up to I am not sure what, but my neck started twitching, I was hollering, and it had it bent all over, with my ear to my shoulder, and I couldn't straighten it up. It WAS a good hurt though, but I had NO control!! We turned it down a bit, and I will tell you, I would LOVE to have one of these machines myself!!! After I took it off, my neck was SOOOOO much better, I couldn't BELIEVE it!! I even went back the next day and hooked it up voluntarily!!

Friday, I don't remember anything specifically that stuck out. Saturday, however, was EXCELLENT!! Shane and I went to the Melting Pot for our 16th anniversary!! YES, SIXTEEN years!! Am I old enough to have been married that long? I really don't think so. He must have had to get permission from my parents to marry me at the age of 10, but I'm not sure!! Before dinner, we went to Opry Mills and did some shopping. The GREATEST thing about going shopping with Shane, is that he VOLUNTEERS to carry the bags!! What a guy!! So, after making our rounds at the mall, we went to the restaurant. While we are sitting at our booth, the manager comes over and asks us if we enjoyed it. We assured him we had, as we were moaning from being so full, and he asked us which anniversary it was and blah blah blah. (they ask you if it is a special occasion when you call for the reservations) He came back a few minutes later, with a gift sack and said, "I looked at your reservations (you make them by phone number), and I see you've come here for the last 3 anniversaries. Since you've been so loyal, I wanted to give you a bottle of one of the dressings you ate tonight, and a bottle of the garlic and wine seasoning!!" OMG!! People NEVER just randomly give you stuff!! How super!!! We leave there to head towards home, and decide to stop in at Circuit City. We have been saving for a tv, and got Christmas money from the folks instead of a gift this year, so I thought we were just stopping to get an idea of what we'd get. We LEFT with a 52" flat screen!! I had no IDEA that Shane was such a "barterer". (I called him something else, but don't want to offend anyone!!)

Sunday was a great nap day, and I got some more embroidering done (you know the Christmas season is upon us, so between my gifts, and everyone else that wants things done for people, I stay pretty covered up). So Monday, is BACK to the grindstone. Graceson and I are on our way to school. (Garrett had the stomach bug again, so he stayed home in the bed). We were listening to "The Beaver". (I listen to several different stations every morning. When Shane worked at the police dept, I got in the habit of listening to WHOP, the local radio station, because I knew that if I didn't hear his name on it, then he had made it safely and uneventfully through the night, because he used to get off of work AFTER we left for school. Now, I just listen to it for the weather, and out of habit. THEN, when I get in the car, it is on the Beaver. I usually listen to WAY FM, a Christian Station, but I can only pick it up until I get about 5 miles from home, so I switch it over to the Beaver, and it stays on that, until I am headed back to town and get its service. Well, the "Beaver Brain Buster" came on, and everyone was answering and no one was getting it right, or getting the answer that I knew that it was. The question was, "What are people doing less of now, than they did 20 years ago?" My answer was "recycling", but I wasn't getting through, so it didn't matter. Well, I finally get through, and it rings and rings and rings. I keep saying, "recycle, recycle, recycle" in my head, so I wouldn't forget it. I guess I am next in line to be answered, because I hear them talking on the radio while it is ringing in my ear. All of these guesses, and no one is answering it correctly. Then, the guy says that you see something about this every time you turn the tv on, and the woman said that people may be doing it less because it's so expensive. (I'm still repeating the word "recycle" in my head like Rainman, and they PICK UP!!) The say, "Beaver, do you have a guess?" I then shout out, "DIET!!" WHAT?!?! Where did that come from? I was going to say RECYCLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And Fletch says, "YOU're the WINNER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I won 2 tickets to the Grand Ole Opry for this Saturday night, and a certificate to get my oil changed from a place here in town. Shane was SOOO much happier about the oil, by the way... So, they tape our conversation, and put me on hold to play it on the radio, and will come back to me to get my information. Well, evidently the "Beaver" is all they listen to when they are loading trucks at UPS, because while I was on hold for the Beaver, Shane called FIVE times!!! I did call him back after I got off the phone, and his buddies had all heard me on the radio. HOW FUN!!! I guess I should have bought a lottery ticket yesterday!!

Today, was a super busy day at school, but THEN, we had our Christmas party!! It was SOOO much fun!! First, we went to Mary Jane's, one of our teacher's homes for appetizers-it was LOVELY, and then we went to the Carriage House for our meal. We played the Left/Right game, and just had a great time socializing. The talking was probably the best part!!

When I returned home, THIS is what was waiting for me!! You knew about the TV, but the part I hadn't told yet, was about this entertainment center!! The Pottery Barn people called and said that they'd be here between 5 and 8, and when I got home, they'd been here!! YES, I LOVE their stuff, and would love to be able to just open the catalog and get what I want, but that is really not an option because of their price. BUT... for whatever reason, I thought I'd call and check on my "points" from my credit card. I mean, I signed up YEARS ago for this "point" thing, but never really thought I'd use it. When I found out how many I had collected, I couldn't BELIEVE it!! There were a BUNCH!!! They sent me a catalog to see what I wanted, and I chose a gift card to PB!!! How great is THAT? Now, it certainly didn't cover it ALL, but it made it LOTS better!! In the catalog, the shelves were filled with baskets, but I couldn't bear to pay an extra $250 for 5 baskets, so I am just going to have to hope for the best that I can find some in the measurements I need!

Chickens go out over the next 2 days, so I am getting ready to go and set up one of the houses for catch. They are catching at 1 a.m., so I will go up at 12-12:15, and raise all of the water and feed lines, unlock doors, etc., so that they can be caught. The next catch is at 5 a.m., so Shane will get that one ready right before he goes to work... They always catch at night, but the hours this time are about to kill us both!! It's ok though! I can sleep when I'm dead, and that's what Red Bull is for!!

Well, I hope you all have a WONDERFUL night, and thanks for sharing a WEEK in the life of the chicken farmer's wife!! love to all!! Jerri

What a crazy, busy, beautiful day it has been!! It was sunny, and fairly warm. Warm enough to swing with the kids for a little while in just a t-shirt on the back porch!! We were out there, because I was helping Shane put the cover on the swimming pool. YES, it IS very late, and it has been "officially" closed for a few weeks, as far as the pipes blown out and plugged, and chemicals in and all, but I MAY have had to stay on Shane for a few days to get the cover on, so finally, after I agreed to help/do it, then he was ready to get it finished up!! Go figure!!!

The above picture is of Kristi Johnson and I eating lunch this past weekend. (It was the first day I broke out the Christmas sweater!!) She was in for her nephews birthday party, so we decided to try to hook up to eat and catch up. It was a GREAT time! We ate at Livingston's butcher and deli shop, and it was quite tasty, and it was a little hard to eat, with all of the talking we had to get accomplished in the short amount of time we had before her party!! We have been friends for a LONG time, as she is best of friends with a cousin of mine, but connected as of late, through the "blog world"!! If you don't read her blog, it is certainly worth the read. It makes me tired reading all that she does with her 4 children. They are #10 on the list to adopt a FIFTH child from Ethiopia, so she CERTAINLY is inspiring!! You can either click on at the left of my page, or you can click http://weloveourlucy.blogspot.com/ and get there too!! Thanks again Kristi!! When I dropped her off, I went by my friend Beverly's and got to hold baby Cooper for a little while, so that made all things wrong in the world, right!!

The picture to the right is to show you another project that I had this week. If you will remember from a previous post, this is the pit bull that adopted us. Well Sadie obviously was the princess at her old abode, and every time she came in, she found our princess Lilli's little bed, or even her kennel. This is a pillow for her that I made and it is more appropriate of a size!! I did something today that I have NEVER done before, but I have decided in this day and age, and with community happenings in the last month, was necessary. Last week, a glass company came to school and replaced my windshield... IN the parking lot!!! Is that a service or WHAT?!?! When my boys went to TX to visit Cary and Shanan, they brought me home a gift. It was a crack in my windshield. Well, what started out as 6 inches long, ended up completely across the windshield after it got cold the first time here. Well, it WAS great, except that after it was replaced, it must not have sealed properly or something, because the sound of wind was whistling in SO loudly, that you couldn't hear the radio good without turning it up a bit. So... short story long... they came BACK to RESEAL, but they came to the house instead of school. When the guy called this morning to tell me he was on his way, I told him to be sure and call me when he was in the driveway, because I had a dog that I needed to put up before he got out... Can you believe I did that? Whenever we get out of the car, she is barking her head off, and runs to the garden to let the weeds know we are home... I am going to do that from now on though. I found when Shane had the K-9 with HPD, bad guys and people in general were a LOT more afraid of his dog than his gun.

We've certainly had a busy week, and certainly a busy day, but it was a FANTASTIC busy day because I was OFF!!! Friday night our friend Tony celebrated his 40th birthday with surprise party that was a great time, and then I went to see a local production of Beauty and the Beast Saturday night. I know my friend, Ali H, reads this from time to time, so I want to make sure she knows and everyone else knows that it was GREAT!!! I LOVE to watch her dance, as it looks so effortless when she does it. I, on the other hand, look more like a frog in a blender, so GREAT job Al!! THEN... I got started on Sunday, with my HOMEMADE MARSHMALLOWS!! The whole fam LOVES them, and Shane has gotten somewhat spoiled to having them atop sweet potatoes. YES, they ARE a pain, and YES, you CAN get jet puffed at Wal-Mart for less than $1, but there is NO COMPARISON to the tastes!! I promise!! I am up so late tonight, waiting for the sweet potatoes to get done baking, so I can get them mashed and ready for tomorrow's casserole!!

Tonight I also went to my first night of YOGA!! I was really thinking, "How hard can this be?" But let me assure you... I KNOW now, and I am already SORE, and I haven't even gone to bed yet, so imagine tomorrow!! Belly dancing ended last week, and I am doing this with some of the same girls from the photo in my last post. It is not NEARLY as loud, but JUST as funny. The instructor seems nice, but is very serious. Everyone was supposed to be breathing and chanting, but I was looking around, seeing if everyone was "breathing and chanting" with their eyes closed... YES, some of them thought it was as odd as me!! One exercise, we were on our bellies, arched our backs reached behind us and grabbed our ankles, and then lifted our knees. (We were supposed to look sort of like "O's" I think... We were supposed to relax between counts, but I was afraid if I let go of my ankles, I wouldn't be able to capture them again, so I just held that position until it was over... not fun...

THEN, I got home, and while I was watching "What happens in Vegas" (I brought Shane and I and the kids home a movie from Yoga), I monogrammed our stockings. I am going to put our name on the tree skirt too, but didn't get to that yet. I did one for mom too, because I am planning on her spending the night Christmas Eve, she just doesn't know it yet!! (GOT IT MOM?) This skirt and stockings are from Pottery Barn and I LOVE how they look!! Last year AFTER Christmas, I got them on Ebay with other people's names on them. I carefully picked out the other names, and sewed ours on top. YES, it was a pain, but I saved SOOOO much $$, I couldn't resist!!!

Well all, I have to get in the bed... (AFTER I get the potatoes done)... I hope you all have a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving, and remember all of the things that you have to be thankful for today, and every day of the year!! love to all, and thanks for sharing a WEEK in the life of the chicken farmer's wife!! Jerri

Random thoughts

I could try and tell you what has gone on in the past few weeks that I haven't posted, but I think that would take a BOOK's worth of space, so I'll just hit a couple of the high lights!! Before I go any further, I have to take a second to shout out to Bridget and Ladonna!! I want to thank both of you girls for taking a moment to sign in, so that I know that I am not writing to cyber space!! Come back anytime, and if you know of others, encourage them to sign in!! ALSO, if you will notice, my last post had ELEVEN comments!! That THRILLS my soul- so keep commenting!! This first picture is of a few of my favorite people, with whom I have spent the past several Thursdays. Yes, it is my belly dancing group, and for the 6 of you that voted, I'll give you more details in an email!! This class is over, and they are offering an "advanced" belly dancing in January. Now, don't get me wrong, I am sure that I am "advanced", but I don't know if it is in the belly dancing way, if you know what I mean!! We felt VERY official, all the way down to our scarves, covered in coins, so that we could hear ourselves jingle...

Another event that has taken up a bit of our time is the chili festival for school. I have included a picture of this, so you can see what I spent some time doing that evening. If you know anything about me, you know that I am hot natured, so I can assure you, that by the end of the night, I thought I may spontaneously burst into flames. The good news is that I didn't!! I helped with several things for the festival, but I am adding the picture to the one I mainly did that night. The kids had an opportunity to tape the principal to the wall with duct tape. It was a HUGE hit, and she really did "hang" there until we cut her down!! I didn't really see the fam that night, but I feel like they had a good time. Shane, I'm sure, sat in a corner with his buddy Ted, solving the world's problems, and discussing very important hunting issues.

I also had a conversation with Shane last week, that went something like this: S- "Guess what!?!?!" I am hoping it is something like "I've finally played the lottery, and I got the million dollar powerball", but never fear, it was NOTHING like that!! So, Jerri says, "What?!?!" (again, not have a CLUE it is going to go the way it does) Shane- "Mr. Coker is giving us a COW!!!" (ok, here is excitement, that I can't seem to read, nor understand) J-"A COW? WHY does he want to give us a COW?!?" S-"Because she's PREGNANT!" J-"Again, WHY does he want to give us a PREGNANT cow?" S-"Oh, because she has mastitis, and won't be able to feed the calf" So I say, "And we WANT this cow?" S-"YES, Mr. Coker says she makes pretty babies, and we can have her AND the calf!!" I then say something like, "You mean, the mama cow, and the DEAD baby calf, because she can't feed him" and he says, "OH, we are taking her, so that we can BOTTLE feed the baby. The kids can feed the baby, and then when we sell her, they can get the money." (Now, this may be a good idea, if I thought that would HAPPEN. I am certainly not a prophet, but I know how this is going to play out. They will feed the baby about 1 week, get tired of it, and GUESS who gets to feed ONE MORE THING here... I think we both know!!!

The final picture I thought I'd throw in for fun. As you know, our newest family member, seems to have been used to being in the house at her previous home. If you remember, a few weeks ago, I posted a picture of her in a little ball, trying to sleep in Lilli's bed. She is obviously used to having a bed of her own, because of where she tried to sleep one day last week. Garrett grabbed the camera and snapped a picture of her in the kennel where we put Lilli when we leave, or when she sleeps at night. She looked like Houdini, trying to contort herself in way that was comfortable, but she stayed that way for HOURS!! She seems to have weaseled her way into our hearts and home, so enjoy the picture!!!

Well, I am spent, so I must get in the bed. I actually embroidered my FIRST Christmas present tonight!! I thought I was really ahead, but it wasn't for a gift *I* was giving, so it doesn't really help me, but it is at least something I won't have to do later!! I hope everyone has a GREAT night, and thanks for sharing a day in the life of the chicken farmer's wife! love to all!! Jerri

Part of our Halloween costumes

OK, I am going to take NO MORE than 3 minutes to blog. I am exhausted, and I can think of so many things in the last couple of weeks to talk about, but I have been too beat by the time I get a moment to type about it, and I am equally as tired tonight!! I thought I would show you what a few of my dear family members were for Halloween. First of all, I need to tell you that as I made the whole fam stand still for a picture, my camera DIED, so I had to get someone else to take a picture of them. I am HOPING that I find someone that got a picture of Garrett, and I will post it as soon as I get it! He was Joe Dirt, complete with a mullet, and looked very close to the real thing! Then you have Gra, who decided that she wanted to be a clown! Well, I had a friend's clown costume, and we had rigged a hoola hoop on the inside, so she looked very real! NOPE... that wouldn't DO, because it didn't "FEEL" right, don't you love OCD? So, I had to MAKE a clown costume. The one you see at the left is the result of me staying up until 2:30, and my mom adding the sleeves the next day while I was at school! Then, to right, you will see old Shaney boy, donning his hair and tatts. To show you the difference and Shane and our family's personalities, I have also added the picture of our family in TX, wearing the EXACT same tattoo sleeves... Same tatts, different Fowler boys... see the difference? A picture is worth a THOUSAND words!!
SOOOO, I am going to bed now!! I hope you all each have a GREAT night!! I've got LOTS of things to talk about, if I can ever find the time and energy to do it!! Sign into my guest book if you haven't or leave me a comment!! Have a great night!! Thanks for sharing a moment in the life of the chicken farmer's wife! love to all!! Jerri

Is it time?

Is it just me or do you think it is time that Shane fix the horse pen fence? It is about TWENTY degrees outside, and our heat is not working. I am wearing gloves, a sweatshirt, sweatpants, and a toboggan, and that is IN the house. The kids heat is working fine upstairs, buy I am afraid by morning, it will feel like Antarctica down here!! So I am getting ready to do my nightly routine and go to bed. Part of that routine includes letting Sadie in to sleep in the bathroom (her hair is pretty short, AND, if someone ever broke in, I am pretty hopeful that she'd kill them), and letting Lilli out one last time. I let her out, and she starts growling. I can hear something that sounds like a tyrannosaurus eating tree tops, but I am not ABOUT to turn on the light. Just about then, something at the edge of the porch triggers the motion detector on the light and it comes on. This is what scared me to DEATH!!!

YEP!! That is Lucky!! He is the same horse you saw a few days ago that was in the front yard! He was returned to his pen, but VOILA, he is a bit Houdini like, I see!! I got my flu shot today, had my hair cut and colored, and got to see precious Cooper Thomas Fort tonight. He is a GORGEOUS baby!! I could have sat and rocked all night!!! I am beat, and better go and find the Sand Man!! I hope you all have had a great day and thanks for sharing a moment in the life of the chicken farmer's wife! love to all!! Jerri

Tag- I'm it?!?

OK, I am not exactly sure how Kristi decided that *I* was worthy of tagging, but alas... here I am!! Here is the "tag" and the guidelines to follow. I will tell you 7 things you may or may not know about me, and then I tag 7 people to do the same, and I add their list of sites, in the event you'd like to see what their 7 bits of personal trivia is!! OK... let the madness begin... Let's see... 1- In college, I was an AOII (that last letter is supposed to be Pi, by the way), and an AGR little sis. I LOVED going to college and being Greek. I had a hard time in college at first, and I can't be sure that I'd have stayed without it!!

2- I wish my Dad had known my kids and Shane. Sometimes 1 of them will do something, and it will make me think about what he'd have thought about it. This month marks the year, when I have now been without him longer than I had him...

3- I can still do the splits. I know... fat and all... strange isn't it? And furthermore... HOW did I discover that I maintained that skill?

4- My inlaws have "traditions" at Christmas, that I prefer to call "rules". Each Christmas, we go to Shane's aunt's for Christmas Eve. Only the "INLAWS" do the dishes. It is not a secret. The adult females will even say, "I don't have to do the dishes, I am not an inlaw". THEN, in case that's not bad enough, you are assigned a table. The "head" table is for the matriarch, patriarch, etc. Well, Shane is the oldest grandchild, so since MeMaw died this spring, he is slated to move into the room with the head table. Now, I didn't say, "WE would be moving to the head table", I said, "SHANE". OK, AGE wise, Cary would be next after the next person died, before I would, because he is older than me, so Shanan and I would be in the next room, while Cary and Shane would be eating somewhere else. Shane and I have already reviewed this situation. He moves sans me, he GOES sans me... I don't think it's too much to ask to eat with your wife of the eve of Jesus' birth, but that's just me. OHHHH, and one last "tradition" is that you get in LINE to fill your plates, according to birth order as well. What this means for mothers of young children, is that you cannot fill their plates while you are getting yours. SOOOO, I would be behind Cary, who is behind Shane, but Garrett and Gra, even when they were little, couldn't eat, until I filled my plate, went and set it at my "name tag" and then got back up and got in line where their ages would place them. I didn't have hot food for about the first 8 years of their lives!!

5- I like to embroidery. I added a picture of some burp cloths I did tonight. If you'll remember the surprise supper we had for my friend, Bev, a few weeks ago, they are for her. They didn't decide until about yesterday, what they were going to name this sweet baby, so I haven't been able to do anything with his name on them until tonight!! I am going to hold him tomorrow, Lord willing, after my cut and color!!

6- I rode "The Zipper" at the fair without knowing that I was pregnant with Garrett. I guess that explains a LOT!! That was the LAST time I have been on a fair ride, and that was in '95!!

7- I lasted 8 seconds on a mechanical bull in Mexico. I was with Paige Parker and our kids, and Terry and Shane were out SCUBA diving, so I thought I'd live on the edge!! **Note to self** if I ever am stupid enough to get on one of these creatures again, wear a jogging bra!!

OK!!! What do you guys think? That wasn't too painful!! I am now going to "tag" 7 folks, and see if I can learn some fun stuff about them too!! Have a great night and thanks for sharing some random moments in the life of the prissy chicken's life!! love to all!! Jerri

Journey to our Baby!!

4 Colley's & A Baby

The R Family Diaries

Hair Today

http://serendipitysunrise.blogspot.com/

Bringing Lucy Home!!
Our Texas Fowlers

Free range chicken... I mean HORSE

Living in the country, you are never sure what you may see. You'll see this picture, and think "Ah, a lovely picture of a horse, grazing in the field, it's picturesque, it looks as if it's sunset, or maybe sunrise". OK, you probably won't think ANY of those words, but roll with it, k? Anyway, YES, that would be such a pleasant picture to see when you gaze out upon your field, but alas... that's not where I was gazing!! This is the view from my FRONT PORCH this morning when I let Lilli out. YES, that IS our horse, and YES, he DOES have a field, but he wasn't in it. Lucky decided the grass was greener I guess, so this is where I found him this morning!! Free range horse? I guess!! Now, at least there is just one of him, because there have been MANY times, that Shane would be off state trooping somewhere, my neighbor would call or come down, I'd be on my way to Concord Baptist Church in a dress, and have to hike it up to my thighs, to get my legs across the 4 wheeler to chase the 55 GOATS back into their pen when they got out. One as opposed to 55, is an easier task!! Here is another fun photo that I snapped today!!

This is a picture of Sadie, our dog that adopted us. It was no secret when we got her, that wherever she was before, she was a princess. How she landed in Fruit Hill, we'll never know, but she is TRULY a sweet heart. At first, I was a bit nervous about her being here, but now, it feels like she's always been ours! Tonight when I went to the car to get my jump drive and a few books out of it, She was laying on one of the shelves on a book case in the garage just shivering. It is supposed to get to almost freezing tonight, and each time the door is open, she DOES try to get in, so I thought I'd let her in and see what happened. She went IMMEDIATELY to Lilli's bed and circled it about 3 times, before twisting her big self into a position to lie down. Now remember, Lilli weighs in at 4 1/2 lbs. and I'd say Sadie is about 65 lbs. She didn't even CONSIDER the floor!! She just laid there and looked at Lilli while she was being the big "Alpha dog" and barking like a maniac. Lilli hadn't been in the bed all night, but I think she is going to hate Sadie before it's all over!!

Well guys, I am beat... Shane and I divided the houses today, so I only walked 2, but the boots KILL my feet!! I hope you all had a GREAT weekend and have a SUPER week!! Thanks for sharing a day in the life of the chicken farmer's wife! Love to all!! JA

And the winner is...

Again, I want to thank EVERYONE that gave me chicken recipes. I DID try all of them, and although they were all VERY good, I think Sara's was just a LITTLE over the top. Of course, when you have cream cheese AND whipping cream in the same recipe, can it be bad at all?!?! hee hee Here is a picture of the prize that she won. I don't know if you can see what it really is, but it is a make-up bag with smaller bags that velcro in and out of the middle section... It's pretty cute, if I do say so myself!! Of course, the next picture is of Sara HOLDING the bag after I gave it to her tonight... Please, if you have other recipes, I'd LOVE to try them, as we are ALWAYS looking for new ways to fix the almighty "yard bird"!!

It's been a great weekend, but I wasn't too sure how it was going to end up, after the way it started! Thursday night, I made the executive decision to start the belly dancing class, and thanks to the 6 of you that voted!! I will send you the pictures that I take to your personal email addresses with my take on the whole thing!! All of you silent readers will just have to wonder!! :) :) ANYWAY... I rode home with my windows down and my moon roof to the van OPEN about 1/2 way. No big deal, I closed them when I got home and locked the doors... EXCEPT... I FORGOT about the roof part. AGAIN, no big deal, unless the cat gets on the van and jumps down into it. OR, unless it RAINS all night!!! When we opened the doors to go to school, it was DISASTROUS!! There was about 1-1 1/2 inches of water in the cup holders between the 2 front seats, water was STANDING on our seats, and EVERYTHING was wet!! No time to wet/dry vacuum it up, so off we went. Of course, it was FREEZING this particular morning, so I had the seat warmers on as well, as we were SOPPING up all of the water with our butts!! When I got out at school, you could see the steam coming from my back side. It was quite a sight I am sure!!

Although the beginning was a little rocky, so far, the rest has been good! Tonight we had a video scavenger hunt with our Sunday School class! First, we ate at the Woods' house, then we got our envelopes with our team members, got the rules, got our lists and video cameras, and we were off!! Husbands and wives couldn't be on the same team, (which is always good to make sure there is no not getting along), and we began our adventure!! My team members were Lisa, Ty, and Tim!! They were all a LOT of fun!! We even ended up at fellow blogger's house Rhea's, for her husband to sing, "I'm a little teapot" for us!! Everyone had a GREAT attitude, and it was just a GREAT time!! I will have to admit my faux pas, and I was MORTIFIED by it! One of the items on the list was "Find a deacon on the list who has been married for over 30 years. They must kiss on camera, and say how they have been able to stay together that long". Well, we all thought of one, and we looked his number up in the phone book. I call and begin the conversation with, "Hi, is this Mrs. Haile? This is Jerri Annette Crenshaw Fowler" and continued on. She asked me again who it was, and I continued with what we were doing, and what our task was. (I KNEW these people knew me, because I graduated with their daughter, had been to their house before, the works!!) At the end of the conversation, the woman says, "I'm sorry, but you must have the wrong number. You must want the OTHER Mrs. Haile. My husband is dead." She was very nice, but I felt SOOOOO bad. Not only did I tell her my FIRST name, but she also knew my middle, maiden, last, church, and cell phone number!!! Don't you LOVE being a dork? I am very good at it! I will have to take her cookies or something this week!!

Well, I am going to get in the tub before getting in the bed. I hope everyone has had a GREAT weekend and thanks for sharing a day in the life of the chicken farmer's wife!! love to all!! JA

P.S. Sara, Amy, Shanan, Anissa, Traci and Kristi-I'll send pictures from our next class!! Thanks again!!

Does this new feature work?

OK... still not enough votes to go public, so I'll give it a few more days. Belly dancing, or no belly dancing? There is supposed to be a new feature that I have added, so that instead of having to go "ALL the way to a different page" you hopefully will be able to post a comment just below the blog entry for that day. I can't see it-I think because it is from my own computer, and it recognizes me-so I don't know if I have successfully added the comment feature below it or not! I guess time will tell! Have a great night, and let me hear from you if I haven't!! love to all!! Jerri

Please take a moment to vote...

This will be brief... A friend that I work with is trying very DILIGENTLY to get me to attend a class with her. It is a 4 week class that is offered at the college. It will be on Thursday evenings, and I will know at least 6 of the people in it. I need your opinion(s) as to whether or not you think I need to participate in it...
The class is... wait for it... "Beginning Belly Dancing"!!! Now, I can assure you that I have no belly for dancing, but it is supposed to be a GREAT exercise, and I am sure that the photos and memories would be a HOOT!! I have one of those Ole St. Nick mid sections... but alas... I am still considering it!!
Here is what you vote for... tell me why or why not I should or shouldn't! From my IP locater that is on this blog, I figure I have about 50+ regular readers... I *AM* planning on taking pictures, whether or not I am IN the class, or just go to "visit" it!! IF you comment and let me know what you think, I will send you the pictures whether or not I go!! If I have a LOT of comments... then I will post them publically HERE!! :) When I say a LOT of comments, I am thinking at least from 20 different people!! SOOOO>>> I'll let you know the verdict!!!
2nd verdict.... Sara Sweeney is my new chicken recipe queen!! If you didn't snag her recipe when she posted it, you don't KNOW what you are missing! The chicken enchiladas were the BOMB!! I have a monogrammed make-up bag for you Sara!! Thanks to everyone for giving me new recipes and they were ALL great!!!
love to all! JA

Shane and I make pretty babies...

Did I say BABY? WHAT?!?! I don't HAVE any babies, but is this one of the most handsome young men you've ever seen or what?!?! This morning he was invited by his principal to an event called the "Eye Opener" Breakfast. If you know about this, please feel free to correct me, but I am going to try and explain to you what little I know about it... Our school district is supposed to have an "Academic Index" of 100 by the year 2014. Garrett, and several other 7th graders were chosen to go to represent the "Class of 2014". WHAT?!?! He's going to GRADUATE? Isn't he just a baby? How did this happen? I guess that it is probably GOOD that *I* wasn't invited to the breakfast, because I don't think I realized until it was explained to me this morning, that he was GOING TO GRADUATE? How did this happen? What was I doing when he grew up?! I know, it is a little funny, even though I have tears streaming down my cheeks as I type this!! That, by the way, is his "football look". You know, the tough guy, frowny, intimidating face. Fortunately, he doesn't frown as much as his FATHER, who I had to ask on our wedding day, when he was standing across from me with his frown, did he like me?! SEVERAL of the Fowler's are "frowners", but he is not as much as some of the others!!

Now, you MAY be thinking that he dressed up for the breakfast, but NO, that wasn't it!! His principal told everyone to dress today in red, white and blue, because tonight was the championship game!!! Well, everyone did, EXCEPT for the football players, who had to dress UP!! I LOVE that!!! That is SOOO "Friday Night Lights" like!! By the way... it's GREAT to have the GOLD FOOTBALL!! Winning is the best!! The score was 32 to 8. It could have been a wipeout, but the coach decided to put in the "little guys" for the last quarter. That made Garrett angry too. I guess if I was the MOM of the younger guys, I would have been pleased as well, but this was the first time several of them had been on the field. I can assure you that Logan Co., only had their 8th graders in, so I may have been a little nervous for my 7th grader to get out for the first time, in a championship game. OH YEAH, I DO have a 7th grader!! :) NOW... in relations to... the other team... one of the coaches... in relations to... say... me... used to be... MY PRINCIPAL!!! If you are reading this... and you knew him, you'll be giggling by now!! To pass the time in teacher's meetings, we used to sit, and make tally marks for the number of times he said, "In relations to..." and I am telling you, it would be no less than SIXTY, in an hours time, NO KIDDING!! After the game, the parents went out on the field. He saw Garrett and asked him if he used to go to Millbrooke. THEN, he saw me, and figured it out!! Did I tell you how GREAT it is to have the gold football?

To give you an idea how excited I was about the game, I left my driver's side door OPEN!! The ENTIRE GAME!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now, if we were in the old Walnut Street Stadium, all that would have been left in the parking lot would have been tire marks!! All was well in the van though when I returned. I guess I was so worried about getting in, that I never THOUGHT of shutting my door. I think this is the first sign of Alzheimers. It is called "Early Timers". Well, all in all, in the words of my old principal, Mr. Thweatt, "It's a GREAT day to be a colonel!!" By the way... Amy Colley, if you are reading this, tell your husband that the stadium needs "non specific 'pump you up' music"! We are warming up, getting ready, and they start playing "Eye of the Tiger"!! HELLO? Colonels are here... jump back... no TIGER music, K?

Well, I have a few things to sew. I don't want to forget to holla back at Anita for signing into the guest book!!! Thank you SOOO much for signing it! Tell your friends to also!! Even if they don't read it!! HAHA Just kidding, but if you DO read this, would you PLEASE sign the guest book for me? PLEASE? I like to think that I know who is out there reading, and although Cagney and Lacy can catch a stalker, and we have "ways of making people talk..." I'd appreciate you making the effort!! Also, you don't have to sign in with a picture if you don't want to, if that's what's keeping you!!

Have a GREAT night, and thanks for sharing a day in the life of the chicken farmer's wife!! Love to all!! JA By the way... I bet you thought that *I* was Garrett's biggest fan. I have uploaded a picture of our "gansta" dog in the hood, I mean HOODIE... In the second picture, I even happened to catch her when she was licking her mouth, as if she were hangin' her tongue out, "gansta style"!!

P.S.- I just wanted to say to all of you that read this, to send up a quick prayer on Matthew L's behalf. I just read his mom's post tonight, and he needs ALL of us to pray for him and his family! Thanks so much!!

Cagney is home... did I ever leave?!?

Hello friends!! It is official!! I am going to make myself not blog every night!! When I do, I get a comment here and 1 there, and they are from my same faithful friends!! I seem to write my heart out, and noone writes back (except those of you that comment REGULARLY and I LOVE THAT!!!), so, I am going to cut back on posts, which I am hoping will INCREASE the comments, like it did last time!! We'll see how it goes!!

If you'll notice the title, you'll see that Cagney is now my new code name. Lacy, my partner in crime, or rather SOLVING them, is still at her home in TX, and I am back in KY. When we got home, Shane had fixed a roast and mashed potatoes for us, (wasn't that SWEET?), but then as of today, I am pretty sure that my whole trip to TX was just a dream. Back to normal... as if I never left Kansas, I mean, KY! Baby chicks are coming tomorrow, so the day was filled with preparation for their arrival. I received the honor of scrubbing feed pans today. I got the last 500 or so done. These are pans from last flock, so they have been soaking in a disinfectant solution, and then I have to get all of the "last flock's yuck" off of them. Between the cleaner, and the UV rays of the sun, where we stack them to let them dry, I am pretty sure that a person could eat off of them, although I wouldn't advise it. If they could find a way to make this stuff non toxic, I am pretty sure it could kill cancer, polio, colds, and plantar warts. It is some good stuff!! I had to take Garrett to football practice, pay some bills, scrub the pans, do some laundry, etc., and it felt like I had never gone!! As for the Cagney comment, I can't say too much about it, but Shanan and I are some TOUGH investigators, and make a lovely team. Cary assures us that he is Law and Order, but we are old school, and I think age ranks beauty in this case. Surely, if speech ever fails me, and I don't get the job being the Wal-Mart greeter, I see P.I. working out for me...

This first picture is of when the boys were going to TX. They went the weekend before Gra and I went. We don't travel well together, so we went separately! HAHA (Just kidding) I didn't realize that they had the camera in the car, but they took a few photos of their journey. They both had a great time, and really enjoyed the game and especially getting to visit with Cary. Shanan and the girls rode back with them, as they had been home the week before. I am guessing that Shanan took the next picture, because it looks as if Shane is telling everything he knows about whatever topic they were on at the time. I will tell you that 12 hours or more is a LONG time to be in the car. It is even LONGER, when your passenger is in the very back, watching movies, and singing their church musical! Of course, Graceson doesn't WEIGH enough to sit in the front, so I entertained myself on our trip in MANY different ways. I listened to a sermon on the radio about the rapture, I counted cows, llamas (yes, I passed several different llama farms), I had many deep thoughts about armadillos (which basically, from what I can see, are possums in travel trailers), and numerous other things to pass the time!! This last picture of the billboard is another one I found on the camera. I am not sure which one of them took it, but I am sure that they were thinking they were witnessing? Who knows, but here is the billboard that they photoed!! Last, but not LEAST, is the picture of Lambie, and it appears to be Shane picking Lambie's nose. I know, I know... they never grow up!! Garrett got lambie when he was ONE for his very first Easter from Aunt Beetle. Lambie has been washed, repaired, stuffed and restuffed more times than I can remember. When Lambie gets a hole, we patch it. When Lambie gets filthy dirty, we wash it. I keep thinking that Lambie is going to finally DIE, and Garrett asks if I can sew it up AGAIN. Lambie even went to with Garrett to KY Changers. I was sure that big, bad football playin' Garrett would not have wanted his buddy to even KNOW about him much less SEE him, but I was obviously wrong. Bill told me that we were probably going to have to burn Lambie, as much molesting as the animal had at Changers by the other boys in the room, but Garrett wouldn't DREAM of throwing it away!!

While the GIRLS were in TX, we decided to go to the movies and see "Beverly Hills Chihuahua". It was really cute. It was actually Bella's first movie, but I know that the bigger girls loved it. We had a really great time while we were there. Shanan even COOKED for me!! She fixed me nachos that were DIVINE!! I even took a picture as proof of it!! What I WILL say, however,

is that I am not sure if she has been cooking for a LONG time, or if she was previously such a good cook, that she doesn't want to show me up!! This store that they have called "Braums" has some chili that Cary LOVES. Shanan wanted to fix it for me. For those of you that are from here, I am sure you have had Ferrell's chili, and know how it comes in somewhat of a "stick". You add a little water to the frozen "chunk" of chili, and as it melts down, it turns into the chili we have all come to love. WELL, this chili was frozen in sort of a square shape. (the package reminded me of a folger's coffee bag that is vacuum sealed, if you know what I am talking about). Shanan read the directions, and began the preparation. The instructions indicated to add a small amount of water to the bottom of the pan and add the chili. SHE DID!! She put the water in the pan, and then put the WHOLE package of chili (I am talking COMPLETELY wrapped), into the water to wait for it to boil I guess. Once I composed myself from laughter, I showed her how to cut the package OFF of the food, in order to reduce the fiber addition from the added packing. She swore that she just thought that it was a boil in the bag product like the Jolly Green Giant's corn. I told her that I understand how she could make that mistake!!! NOT!!!!!! Anyway, Shanan, when you read this... remember that I love you dearly, and LOVED the nachos!! I know you were just checking my skills!! :)

The football game that we went to was GREAT!! Shanan noticed how my football knowledge has really improved since the last game I attended with her. I even used a few words that were football related, and used them at the right TIMES!!! Cary's team was playing his old team, where he'd coached for 7 years, so I think that the victory may have been a little sweeter than normal! Shanan was certainly hostess with the mostest, and here she is taking us to the movies. We stayed up late each night working on our "investigation", but then we would lay in bed and talk for another 2!! By the way, she passed her LAST test today, so I guess she is official!! Congrats and thanks again for everything this past weekend!! One last side note, and then I have GOT to go and fold some laundry... again... did I ever leave? While we were there, Graceson just HAD to go shopping, as she had a little money in her pocket and she HATES our mall. We go, and I decided to pick up something for Shane that I never do. I always try and get a little something when I am out of town for them, hoping that they will look forward to me coming home... if not for ME... then for the gifts!! Anyway, this time, I got him some cologne called "SoCal". It is actually the smell that you smell each time you walk by a Hollister store in the mall. I liked the smell and am hoping he will wear it. I say that I am HOPING, because there is a story. Shane USED to wear Eternity for Men. Let me tell you, I LOVE(d) it when he wore this, and I actually got it for him when we started dating. Well, soon after we married (did you notice this time frame) he stopped wearing it. When I asked him WHY he no longer wore it, he told me that it gave him heartburn. WHAT?!?! Don't DRINK it... WEAR it!! SOOOOO... we'll see how old Southern California works out for me. Now, he won't HESITATE to put on "Dead down wind" deodorant, or "I'm a deer on my period" spray to go out in the woods... I think that stuff it WRETCHED, so SURELY he can overcome, you think?

I hope everyone has a GREAT night, and thanks for sharing a day in the life of the chicken farmer's wife!! love to all! Jerri

What's this? A Post?

This is what I have learned... I may or may not get a comment or 2 from my 2-3 friends that I know follow this blog pretty regularly... When I DON'T post, I get MORE comments. I think I have found the happy medium!! Wait a few weeks between posts!! :) Actually, it has been very difficult to post these last 2 weeks, I seem to have been covered up with one thing or another. I haven't even gotten on the blogs I typically follow, so I have GOT to get back in the groove, because I feel so disconnected from them!!
I really don't know where to start, so I'll try to skim through the last 2 weeks, and add details later. In a 2 week period of time, Gra got the stomach bug TWICE. Yes, you read that correctly... How does that happen? The second time, when they called me to come to the back hall because she was throwing up, I was most certain that they meant to call someone else. I mean, YES, I have been there for over a decade, and Gra has been there for 6 years, but I thought someone STILL must have been confused, because you just CAN'T get the stomach bug TWO different times, in that short of a time. W-R-O-N-G!!!!!!!!!! Bless her little heart. She is back to normal, but she had a time for a while!
Shane's grandfather passed away last Sunday. I lost my grandfather when I was about 6 from my mom's side, and I lost my Paw, who's farm we now live on, when Gra was 6 mo. old. Shane is 39, so that is just incredible to me that he's had him as long as he has...
Shanan came in with the girls. They were in for a week. It was great to see them, and it is remarkable how much those babies change each time I see them. We had dinner over at Sara's the Friday that she got in, and it was so much fun!! (Michelle, if you're reading this, you are such a hoot! and Sara, thanks for the invite!!) The girls rode back to TX with my boys, so I am sure that was a walk, I mean RIDE to remember. I think it went fine EXCEPT that it took them 16+ hours. Now, PART of it was that there was a wreck and they were stuck in traffic, but the OTHER part of it was they were lost... HELLO? They had Garmin IN the car, but yet... they didn't PLUG HIM UP, until I insisted on the phone!!!!!!!!! I guess it's just me, but I'll tell you, that bad boy would have been on from my DRIVEWAY...
Speaking of Shanan, her blog is going private. There appears to be an individual that would like to attempt to make a jab here and there. I may not know WHO they are, but I certainly know WHAT they are. Their agenda is crystal clear, so I guess there is beauty in the transparency of it. You can take care of what you can see, it's those hidden agendas you need to worry about!! SOOOO, with that being said, if you follow Shanan's blog because of mine, and would still like to continue to read hers, if you'll let me know, then I will send her a list of my friends that I can vouch for, that are coming from me, along with your email address. You'll have to be approved to view, so send me an email if you'd like for me to do that for ya!!
FINALLY, while my boys were gone, I had a "situation". While I was still in town, my mother-in-law called to ask me where I was. It seems that our house alarm had gone off, we weren't able to be reached, and they contacted her. EOC told her that they had dispatched a unit and everything looked o.k. Well, I know that sounds well and good, but you see, about 5 years ago, our alarm went off. We were at church and county was dispatched. They called and left the message that they had gone all around the house, and everything was "all clear". YES, but they went around the WRONG HOUSE... They went around the house that was EMPTY... the one where the basement is caved in, where my grandparents lived, and we lived until this house was finished. The house where goats had gotten in and left small black reminders all over the floors... You get the picture. Now, if I were a policeman that walked into an EMPTY house with goat ca ca on the floor, and thought that someone was paying a monthly fee to have an alarm set up on it, I MAY have to give that some thought, but that's just me...
When I got home, my front window screen was cut, and the window was up about 1 1/2 inches. Now, the screen may or may not have been torn before, but I KNOW that the window was down, because the alarm would not have set when I left for school that morning. Do you ever wonder if you could shoot someone in that situation, when you are faced with protecting yourself and your children? I don't wonder. Is that bad? Have I lived with Shane too long?
Well, I have laundry to do!! I hope you all have a wonderful night!! I expect LOTS of comments, or I'll wait another 2 weeks to write again!! love to all, and thanks for sharing the last 2 weeks in the life of the chicken farmer's wife!! Jerri
P.S. I found out yesterday that my favorite exercise tyrant is putting WOG on hold for a while, since there was really only 1 youth committed to it... Was all that pain for nothing? Because I KNOW, that I am not just going to do it on my own for FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WHAT A DAY!!!!

It has been quite a day. Graceson was well rested, so she woke up and was so pleasant. That ALWAYS makes for a better day for EVERYONE in the house and those around her!! :) (Gotta love her though...)
Today at school was an o.k. day for me, but it was certainly a stress filled one. You could cut the stress in the air. Tomorrow is the big "walk through" from all the powers that be. Yes, as long as you are doing what you are supposed to be doing, there is nothing to worry about. It still makes you nervous though, and I don't care how good you are. When someone is "critiquing you" they can always find things if they are looking for them. Does this make you better? Sure, if you embrace it and change it. Is it ever something you look FORWARD to? Not at ALL... SO... think of us tomorrow. I am pretty sure, that if you could cut the stress in the air today, tomorrow you'll be able to taste it!! Hopefully by Friday, the level will start to recede!!
THEN... I walk into church tonight, and it was SOOOOO "freeing", for lack of a better word. Tonight was the last night of revival, and it was certainly spirit filled. It was as if the Lord was saying, "I'll hold on to the stress for ya. If you need it back when you leave, it will be waiting outside". The evangelist focused more on the youth tonight, and one of our youth recited an AMAZING poem that she had written. It was EXXXXXCELLLLENTTTTT!!! GO ANTY!!
I think our message on Sunday that was delivered by our youth pastor, helped to prepare me for today's. He said, "I am going to help you figure out what kind of Christian you are. Are you a "get" Christian or a "got" Christian?" If your buddy says to you that he just got a new boat, it is supposed to be the perfect weather, and he wants you to go to the lake with him on Sunday, do you say, "I can't go, I've GOT to go to church, OR do you say, "I can't go, I "GET" to go to church." OMG!!! What a revelation THAT was... I would have answered the "got" but I AM going to do better, since it has been brought to my attention!!
You'll remember that a few days ago, we got the midnight hour call, that said that the bobcat driver had hit the end wall of one of the chicken houses. Well today, our flock supervisor told Shane that they were probably not going to pay for it, because they are worried that people are saying things happen, so that they can get their stuff repaired on the company's dime. HELLO? Their number is still on the caller ID at midnight!! WHAT?!?! I think they may have lost their mind a little. The flock supervisor said to one of the repair managers, "Shane may or may not be able to get through to the manager, and he may get a little loud, but they'd sure rather talk to him, than to Jerri". WHAT?!?! What is he trying to say? Have I ever yelled at him? Should I be offended?!!?!? Should I feel privileged that he thinks I won't let people walk all over us? I'm not too sure, but I am getting a script going on in my head... just in CASE I have to talk to the big dogs...
Mom got home today!! She is brown as a biscuit, and if she wants them published on the WWW, I will post some of her pictures of her fishing adventure!! Welcome home, Haze!!
Have a GREAT night and thanks for sharing a day in the life of the chicken farmer's wife!! Love to all!! Jerri

busy, busy, busy

Kristi asked where have I been? The better questions is, "Where do I START?" It has been a busy last several days, so I am going to give you a quickie run down, and then go to bed!! I guess the first thing I did Friday night was have a couples get together for a friend of mine who is having a baby in a month. Her name is Bev, and she INSISTED that we were to do NOTHING for her because this is her THIRD, but her ONLY boy!! OK Bev, I submit, whatever you say!!! HAHA I told her I was having everyone over for Shane's birthday, but VOILA, it was a couple's thing for HER!!! I think she was VERY surprised and I LOVE that she didn't know!! (Now, Shane really was having a birthday on Monday, but that had nothing to do with the dinner, other than to get her there!! We did play a game where I bought these little teeny babies in the cake section of Walmart. I then froze them all in water in small dixie cups.


The rules were simple, you wanted to be the first one to give birth to your baby, but you couldn't run it under hot water OR bite the ice off of it. It had to thaw. You wouldn't BELIEVE how aggressive the men were at trying to deliver their babies. QUITE a hoot!! This is what I made for the winner...
Now let's move on to Saturday. This weekend, the rest of the flock went out. Here are a few photos of the birds at 49 days old. They will weigh in right at 5 lbs. or a little over. If you'll look back at some of my previous posts, you'll see their growth from the day we get them, until the day they come and catch them back. One of the pictures, I thought was SOOO cute, because Shane was trying to take a picture of the bird while holding it. It made me think of all of the teenage girls, that had rather hold out the camera to take a picture of themselves and a buddy, that to simply have someone else take it!! I have succeeded in documenting the stages of our chicks to adulthood, so I guess my blog is complete!! I need to think about whether or not to keep on writing, since you now know all that goes into (well not ALL) the chicken's life cycle after hatching!!

By the way, we got a called at almost midnight from the catch crew manager. He was calling to let us know that one of the crew members was new and learning how to drive the forklift with the crates full of grown birds. It seems he should have had a bit more training before he went live on air. The man (I think his name was Vin?) was calling to let us know that he had ripped the end out of one of the houses. GREAT, just one more thing!!

Sunday revival started and we had a youth workers meeting. I am responsible for getting the food taken care of when we have these. I ended up feeding around 50ish people spaghetti. I was in need of a nap, but Garrett had to get back for a CORE meeting, and then revival started that night.

Monday, was Shane's birthday!! Happy birthday my little hottie!! I won't tell you how old he is, but I will let you know he's only 364 days away from the big 4-0!! We got home late that night too, because Graceson had softball, and of course Garrett had football.

Tonight, they both had games so it was my turn to go to the football game and Shane's turn to take Gra. We won, by the way, both kids!! After getting home, I had some embroidering to do. I put an initial on a dress for the girl that does my hair. She is getting her baby's one year old picture in it barefoot. Is that precious or what? I added that to, just so you could get a visual!! NOW, I'm beat!!

Cary... if you are reading this, scroll down, pause the music, and see if the you tube video will come up of the Browning Springs game, where the refs were in the other teams' pockets. It took FOREVER to upload it, and it is only about the last however many minutes. I have to do the whole thing in stages, and I didn't feel like doing it ALL today, but will try to do the rest for you later. I believe this is the very last though. I haven't watched it yet, but I am sure that the crowd is unruly as well, so beware!! Have a great night, and thanks for sharing a day in the life of the chicken farmer's wife!! love to all!! Jerri