Auction Score

Ronnie and I LOVE going to auctions! We have gotten some junk at some, but we have also gotten some great deals. We used to go to a couple every month (during the warm months), but with less (NO) disposable income, we don't go much anymore.

After my 5k Saturday morning, Ronnie mentioned that there was an auction on the way home that he would like to stop by. We didn't have any kids to wrangle, so I thought it would be fun to hang out for a few minutes.

We scoped out the goods from afar while we chatted with some people that we know, joking that we were going to bid and have to use someone else's number. An item came up that I would have loved, but I couldn't justify spending as much as it went for so I was okay. Around that time I saw something that caught my interest, so I got Ronnie to come investigate with me.

I guess it shows how country I am that the item that peaked my interest was an incubator to hatch eggs. I've been wanting a small one (my dad offered to let me use his, but it's huge) that has the windows on top for observation so that the boys could learn about how chickens get here. Unfortunately, I priced them last year and soon realized that even the styrofoam ones were too much for our budget. I dismissed the idea, other than a few times that I searched craigslist and came up empty handed.

The large "INCUBATOR" on the side of the cardboard box caught my attention and when we went to look at it, realized that it was being sold with an automatic turner as well. I couldn't have cared less about that because I always thought it was fun to rotate the eggs when I was a little girl. It was settled, I wanted this thing. So we got our own number.

Here's the thing: I'm competitive. I love the adrenaline when I'm bidding on an item. My heart starts racing when I see an item getting ready to come up that I want. It takes all I have to not raise my card before the price gets low enough for me. (I want the item, but I want the best price I can get!) When they finally auctioned the incubator they started with a $20 bid. No way! I know it's worth that, but I'm not starting there. No one else bid until it got down to $5 or $10, but once they bid, it was game on! I had set a limit in my head of $20, but we passed that and the other person was still bidding, so I kept bidding too! I wanted that incubator! The other person bid $30 and then it came to me for $32.50. Yup! I want it! Would the other person bid $35? How high was I really willing to go? I don't know! All I know is that I wanted that thing! Thankfully, the other person said no, $35 was too much for them. Yay for me!

I knew I had gotten a good deal, but I always have to check to find out how good it really is. A quick search shows me that the incubator sells for $45-$55 by itself while the turner runs $40-$50 on average, but I saw them as high as $135 for both items together. Score!

I also got a couple of other items I look forward to sharing with you. Do you go to auctions? Have you scored a great deal?

I did it!

I ran my first 5k on Saturday, April 26th!

I woke up late, got ready, got to the park, got my goods, walked to the FD to find Ronnie, walked back, found a high school friend by chance, waited for the horn, and ran for 3.1 miles! A great time!

Spring Chickens

Around this house we go through some eggs. Like a lot. When I make scrambled, I crack at least 18, and they all get devoured. If I'm making egg salad I have to do more than that. Even Melia loves them. )In the past I've delayed eggs until after the first birthday, but I've read up on them and decided to introduce them to her.)

There a couple of good things about eggs for us. 1.) Eggs are healthy. So much protein! 2.) Eggs are free (for us). My dad has several Rhode Island Reds and they put out some eggs! I can usually get 2 dozen each week (sometimes more) and it doesn't hurt my parents a bit. I've offered to pay several times, but they always tell me to take what I need. Thanks! I will! 3.) The boys love helping my dad with chicken duty at his house. They are learning that animals need to be cared for and are seeing some responsibility.

Ezra loves his "Little Fella."

With all that in mind, we have been discussing getting chickens for some time. I'm not much on caring for animals (I have 5 humans to look out for plus myself!) because I don't really have as much time to devote to them as I feel I need, so I usually convince Ronnie to wait until "later." "Later" happened last Friday. Ronnie woke up with the very precise intention of going to Tractor Supply to buy biddies. Ummmm....okay. He explained that he had checked prices online at different hatcheries and local folks on craigslist, and that he was going to Tractor Supply to see how much they were. I drove us to the store, and since the three younger kids had fallen asleep, I agreed to go in to check prices. I reported back, and Ronnie started getting out of the car, telling me that the price was good. I convinced him to let us go grab some pizza before we became chicken owners.

Elijah has been really good with the chicks

When we all went into the store, the boys made a beeline for the chirping chicks. They were so excited! We told the employee we wanted 5 pullets and a strait run, hoping for a rooster. She scooped them into the little box, and gave us extra from the strait run tub. We picked up the waterer and feeder, a bag of feed and headed home with our new family members.

Ethan is the main man in charge, but he enlists his brothers' help.

We have them in our living room in a plastic tote, under a lamp. The boys have to change the straw bedding, wash the tote out and give fresh feed and water every afternoon when Ethan gets home. We lost one on Sunday morning, but she hadn't acted right all along. We're excited that in several months we'll be getting our own eggs, that the boys are learning responsibility and that they get the joy of having their own chickens at their house.

Melia wasn't so sure at first....

but she's warmed up (even more so now). Poor baby had a fever that night.

Play Ball

For three seasons, Elijah has watched Ethan play t ball from the sidelines. He wanted to play so bad, but the first two seasons he was too young. Last summer he practiced with Ethan's team in hopes of playing on his own team in the fall. When the time came, we signed him up, but there weren't enough players so we got our money back. We had a sad little boy on our hands.

A few months ago, Ethan's coach called and asked if Ethan was playing because he needed another player. We hadn't even heard about sign ups. We talked to Ethan, but he said he didn't want to play this year. Elijah, however, wanted to play badly, but sign ups were over. We got a phone number and Ronnie made some calls and Elijah got put on a team!

He played his first game a couple of weeks ago and he did great!

These next two pictures show what happened the first time he hit the ball. He took off running to second base! It was quite funny, but he listened to all the yelling and corrected to first. He got out, but had he gone straight to first he would have made it!

The last inning he was put on the pitcher's mound. This picture is just before he had a major meltdown. Elijah has always been sensitive and can get emotional quickly. We're not sure if he was upset that a ball went by him, that he thought he wouldn't get ice cream or if he was nervous being in a different position, that someone hit his sunburned back, or who knows.... He started crying and the coach walked him off the field. Whatever upset him, I hope it doesn't happen again.

I am so proud of this little ball player! 

 

Easter

Easter has to be my favorite holiday! I just love it!

I have such fond memories from when I was growing up. We got to pick out a new dress or pattern if Grandma was making it that year. We got new shoes and a bonnet! I loved wearing a bonnet to church! I remember getting up super early to go to Sunrise Service. We were all tired and cranky, and we fought all morning, but we knew we were doing something special. We would sing "Up From the Grave He Arose!" and stand out at the graveyard, shivering from the cold, while hearing about how Jesus died, but lives again! We were cold, but we knew this was amazing stuff. After that, we'd eat breakfast with our church family, then we'd find a pew to sleep on until church started. After church, we'd make the rounds at the grandparents' houses for Easter lunch and supper. All the cousins would bring their eggs (real ones that we had decorated with dye or those PAAS shrink wrappers...no plastic around here!) and we'd hunt eggs all day.

I remember my freshman year of high school when my grandpa had been fighting cancer, but asked to go to Sunrise Service. I remember him sitting in the car while my brother played his trumpet. I remember that it was his last time at church before he died. But the reason that I love Easter today is the reason that Grandpa wanted to be there that day - he knew that Easter is the reason he was going to Heaven!

Now that I'm older, I still love Easter, but I have a better reason. I love Easter because I know that it means that Jesus died and rose again. Not only did He die, He did it for me because He wanted to. He knew me, but He loved me in spite of me, and He wanted me to have the chance to go to Heaven with Him. What an amazing love!

I can't imagine the pain Jesus went through. I can't understand the love that He has for each and every one of us. I don't know how He could willingly die for people, but I'm so thankful He did!

My thoughts this past Sunday turned to Mary. I have three sons. I want nothing but the best for them. I want them to live long happy lives. I know Mary knew her son was born to die, but I can't fathom the heartache she felt as she watched her son be crucified. Imagine the faith that she had!

I pray that you know Jesus as your Saviour today. If you don't, you're more than welcome to message me and I'll be glad to talk with you about it.

 

Easter Egg Hunt

It's been a tradition in my family to go to our church's Easter Egg Hunt the day before Easter. We have a cake walk while the eggs are hidden, then the kids hunt eggs a couple of times before we devour an outrageous number of hot dogs. I love sharing this tradition with my children!

Elijah's cake walk win! 

Grandma Carolyn walked and walked and walked with Ezra.

He finally won!

Melia didn't walk, but a sweet lady at church gave her a bunny for her first Easter.

Ethan's serious face. He got frustrated because he didn't get many eggs. He's just not as aggressive as other kids, but that's okay!

Elijah was a hard care egg hunter! All the other kids were walking around the mowed yard...he took off through the tall grass hunting!

It paid off for him!

Ezra understood the deal this year, but he walked past 50 eggs before he decided to pick them up! 

His problem was the need to know what was inside each egg so he cracked each one open when he picked them up. It was a slow process. 

 Grandma Jackie helped Melia hunt eggs. 

She was amused by the process.

The whole gang!

 

Children's Museum - Alamance County

Last Thursday, I picked up Grandma and we took the kiddos to a children's museum while Ethan was on Spring Break. It took a little while to get there, but it was only $5 each and the kids enjoyed themselves for over 4 hours. They were able to run, climb, "fish," paint, build, and so much more! Get ready for the most pictures I've ever posted! Enjoy! (It posted all of these in reverse order...and I don't feel like taking the time to correct them so this is our day in reverse.)

Melia and Ezra were able to play in the 2 and under section. They enjoyed being the only kids in the area.

Elijah and new friend were a little jealous.

This wall and these items could velcro to each other. The object was to build a track for the ball to travel through and get it to land in the bucket at the end.

Fun mirrors were quite funny! 

There was an awesome glass room where the kids could go in, paint to their hearts' content, then when it got covered the workers could spray it and squeegee it for new creations! The boys loved it!

Dr. Elijah DDS checked out my teeth.

There was a beanstalk that was at least two stories high for the kids to climb. All but one of my kids chickened out. Ezra, the baby, made it to the top and I ran out to take his picture in the window. 

 A fishing river and sand pit were the highlights of our day!

There was a farm with chickens, veggies and a farm stand.

Poor Melia started running a fever, but she was sweet all day. It was nice to have Grandma along to sit with her while I chased the boys.

This sand is AH-mazing! Seriously! Not gritty at all, packed very well. I have to get some!

Melia volunteered to be a patient in the nursery. She got a clean bill of health!

This cool drum would beat to your heart beat. It was loads of fun!

My mad scientists at work!

If you're anywhere near Graham, and have small kids, I would definitely recommend this place!