Photos and questions...

I had my first photo shoot at the farm recently.

Such a great family!
(They are a bit pixelated on the blog, but not in full size.)




I have to be honest that large groups aren't my favorite to shoot.
They can be a bit chaotic and I have a softer personality, so it's hard for me to take charge and get done what I need done.
But this one was awesome!

They were so sweet, so relaxed, so fun.
They just got comfy, made themselves at home, even played frisbee...

The weather was beautiful, the scenery was great, the people were fab.
I can't ask for more than that!






Thank you M family for such a fun day!!
It was a blast!

*If you're in Central Kansas and would like photos, just email me for details. (families, kids, newborns, couples, seniors, etc.)
--------

On a different note, do you have questions for me?
I've done this before, but not in a long time... Do you have any questions?
I'm an open book.
And they usually make for a fun blog post.

What do you want to know? Funny, silly, serious, random, whatever.

So ask away!

------

We love our sponsors!

Badger Badger Badger

Sorry about that.

Okay, not really.

We caught the badger.
The Man and I wanted to kill it and be done with it.

But family members were softer hearted than us and insisted that we just relocate him.
So they took him in the trap on a very long drive and let him go.

Then they hugged trees.
Okay, not really.



Ugly little bugger, huh?

Yesterday I was at the farm while our new countertops were being installed and The Baby came running in telling me there was an animal in the trap.

I went to look and guess what... It was another badger.
A suicidal one.
He was dead.

How the heck does a badger die in a cage all by himself?
I've no idea, but he did.

So The Man buried it.
And the kids sang a hymn.
And The Girl laid a flower on it's grave.

For real.
Hilarious.



So yeah... this whole farm living thing is setting in hard and fast!
The thing I'm most looking forward to is decorating the new farmhouse.

Will you do me a favor?
Will you go to my friend Sarah's blog and leave a comment that just says "Badger"?

Pretty please? I'll love you forever.
We have a running badger joke and I know it won't take her long to figure out where you're all coming from.

Plus her blog is stinking awesome and you'll be hooked from now on.

I promise to stop posting pictures of rodents soon.

Okay, not really.

-----------
Update: I was wrong!! Donna correctly pointed out in the comments that this is a woodchuck, not a badger.

We actually debated it, as a family, when we first caught him in the cage.
Some family members insisted it was a badger.
Others thought it wasn't, but didn't know what it was.

Thank you Donna for clearing up the mystery for us!!
There's still talk of badger sightings on our property (from people more knowledgeable than our non-farm family...) So we immediately assumed that this was him.
Now we know!
And we'll be on the lookout for the real deal.

You guys, he was HUGE! Websites say groundhogs are up to 14 lbs. or so and this puppy was way bigger than that! And the second one (the dead one) was even bigger. ?? Weird.

p.s. No, I didn't edit out the bar in front of his face.
He had it in his mouth, trying to chew through!
He'd stand up on his back legs, grab ahold of the cage like that and shake it back and forth.

Fingerprint Friday

There is a song by Steven Curtis Chapman that says:
I can see the fingerprints of God
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of God
And I know its true
You're a masterpiece
That all creation quietly applauds
And you're covered with the fingerprints of God
So look around you and see where YOU can see God's fingerprints. Is it in nature? Kids? Animals? Where do you see them? Here's how to join in.

1. Blog with your interpretation of God's fingerprints. Be sure to link back here so others can find the entire list of participants.
2. After you've posted your blog, sign the MckLinky below. Have fun exploring the other links as well! Please sign in only if you're participating. Hopefully this will make us look at things through fresh eyes throughout the week.
-------------------
Todsy is moving day for us.
Moving to the farmhouse.

I wish I had more prepared for Fingerprint Friday but things are all upside down and backwards here.
It's a bit chaotic.
I offered to just give birth again, rather than move, but apparently that's not an option.

Thank you to all who participate in Fingerprint Friday each week!
I love looking through the links and visiting your blogs.

Have a great weekend!

Family Rules Subway Art (so easy!)

I've seen the subway art all over the internet and I love it.
But many of the tutorials are far too complicated for me.

I'm a simple kind of crafter.

So when I saw my friend Amy's art, I knew I wanted to copy her!
And I love the Family Rules at Backyard Eden so that was my theme.



I like it a lot.
There are definitely mistakes, but I still like it.

First mistake is my board is big. Really big. Too big. It was just a piece of scrap wood, but I should've had The Man cut it in half for me.

I spray painted it white, just in case there were any little gaps.

I sat with my kids and came up with rules that we all agreed on.
They loved getting to help with the ideas.

I put them in all different fonts and sizes and printed them off.
*I would make the fonts even bigger next time, even though they seemed to be huge already. They're dwarfed by my gigantic board.

And I just cut, then decoupaged them in in a random order!

Our rules: (there are lots of them because we had so much space to fill!)
(Oh, and we used our last name for filler in some spots because we had run out of rules.)
Laugh. Laugh More. Say I Love You Daily. Clean up after yourself. Feed the dogs. Say your Prayers. L.O.V.E. Live Simply. Respect Each Other. Use Kind Words. Smell flowers. Sing loudly. Put the seat down. There are never enough hugs. Tell the Truth. Say Please and Thank you. Homemade is always best. Eat chocolate. Celebrate life. Love each other. No whining. Be patient. ...smile... Keep your promises. {Be Thankful}. Forgive & Forget. Do your chores. Be helpful. Ohana: Nobody gets left behind. Use your imagination. Be responsible. Do your best. Control your temper. Share. Be creative. Work hard. Share joy. If you can't say something nice, don't speak. Read your bible. Obey your parents. Play hard. Brush daily. Dancy crazy. { Hugs }. Wash your hands. Enourage each other. x.o.x.o. Put God First. Make smart choices.

Once we're moved in, I'll put it on a shelf somewhere.
For now it's just propped against a wall, but I still love it!

p.s. This is an auto post. We're on our first Unplug It day. Wish me luck!

------

We love our sponsors!

Six and Six.

First, six photos of the past weekend.



Second, my summer resolutions.

Every year I know that there's no way I'll stick to New Year's resolutions.
So I make them at the beginning of summer.
(Summer, to me, starts when my kids get out of school. This is their first week out.)

1. Hang the laundry on the line. Only turn on the dryer if it's a rainy day.
It's better for the budget, better for the environment, and actually burns a few more calories.

2. Be firm with Unplug It Day. This is a struggle. When the kids are exhausted and cranky and hot and sweaty, sometimes I just want to plop them down in an air conditioned living room in front of cartoons.

3. Keep a gratitude journal. And have the kids keep one as well.

4. Not waste anything grown in our garden. Every year we get a huge crop of tomatoes or eggplant and a point comes where I'm too busy lazy to use them, so I just throw them out. Not good!

5. Take some Saturday mornings to myself to go thrifting, yard saling, flea marketing, and alone time. (I made this same resolution last summer and I didn't get to go out once!)

6. Lose 10 lbs. For real this time.

Yay Summer!!!


p.s. To answer the emails -
All the photos were taken at the farm.
Yes that's a snakeskin.
The feather was about 14 inches long, although you can't tell in the photo.
The top middle picture is a certain critter's toes.

------

We love our sponsors!

Get a job!

The Baby is 3 and that means it's time for him to get a job.
Enough mooching off mom and dad.
What?
We don't think children should be spoiled.
They need to earn their keep around here.

Do you remember his very impressive talent?

Well the circus came calling and hired him.
They want him to join the ranks of the clowns, fire eaters, and acrobats.




Maybe someone there will take pity on him and give the poor child a haircut.



By the way, I LOVE this random dimple under his eye.
It shows up when he smiles and laughs.


I hope he makes a good living.
If you see the circus train out and about, be sure to look for him...
The kid with the crazy eyebrows. And shaggy hair. And cute eye dimple.
Probably doing something naughty...


------

We love our sponsors!

Skunk shots...

I shot this skunk the other day with my camera.



He was in our yard in the middle of the day.
That's not good. If you see them out in daylight, the could have rabies. The should be nocturnal.


Then The Baby shot the skunk.


Then The Man shot the skunk.

Then the skunk shot the air.

And all was stinky.

The end.

------

We love our sponsors! (Isn't she lucky to get to share a blog post with a skunk?!)

Fingerprint Friday

There is a song by Steven Curtis Chapman that says:
I can see the fingerprints of God
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of God
And I know its true
You're a masterpiece
That all creation quietly applauds
And you're covered with the fingerprints of God
So look around you and see where YOU can see God's fingerprints. Is it in nature? Kids? Animals? Where do you see them? Here's how to join in.

1. Blog with your interpretation of God's fingerprints. Be sure to link back here so others can find the entire list of participants.
2. After you've posted your blog, sign the MckLinky below. Have fun exploring the other links as well! Please sign in only if you're participating. Hopefully this will make us look at things through fresh eyes throughout the week.
-------------------
We're on the verge of summer.
Today is the last day of the school year for us.
We're getting ready to move.
Berries are starting to ripen.

All I see today is promise, everywhere I look.
The promise of good things ahead.


Psalm 145:13
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.

Today only...

Get a free pair of (surprise design) earrings with ANY purchase from TheRustedChain.com.

Guaranteed to be lovely.

Just because we love you.
And you make us smile.
And we want to make you smile.

And you deserve something special.

Happy Wednesday!

Unplug It.

You know those things you don't like, but do anyway because they're good for you?
Taking vitamins.
Exercising.
Your annual exam.
Eating spinach.

Well this is one of them. We do this every Summer.
And we really don't like it. But it is so good for us!

And I'm challenging you to do it too.

Unplug it.

Pick one day a week and be willing to unplug.

The official Beki definition of unplug: Remove yourself from things that are a time waste for you.

In our case it's TV and computer.

So every summer when the kids get out of school, we commit to spending one day a week with no TV or computer.

(This is their last week of school before summer break.)

We picked Thursday.
Starting next week, every Thursday will be unplugged until school starts again.

We hate it.
We whine about it.
We try to cheat.

But you know what? It's always wonderful!
It's eye opening!

We have a craft day. A library day. A board game day.
A visit to the lake day. A picnic day.
A lay in the hammock and read all day day.
A help mom make dinner day.

It forces us to see things in a whole different way.
And one day a week won't kill anyone.

So you want to join? I dare ya.

Just commit to unplugging, one day a week for the summer.
You figure out what is your biggest time sucker.
And step away from it just for a bit.

If you want to help spread the word, feel free to grab this button.
Just copy and paste the code from the text box into your blog or website.

<a href="http://pamperingbeki.blogspot.com/2010/05/unplug-it.html"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v27/beki_and_babies/unplug1.jpg" /></a>

And if you want to join in the Linky list, you can do that as well.

Good Morning!!!

You awake yet?

Perry the possum keeps finding his way back into our badger trap.
He's not the brightest one, that Perry.

My genius kids, however, keep reminding me that it's actually opossum, rather than possum.

Whatever.

They think they're so smart.

They don't understand that if I write opossum, I have to come up with a name that begins with O, instead of P.
Then it will need an apostrophe and end up looking like an Irish rodent.

Wayyyy too much thought to put into a blog post on a Monday morning before coffee.

Silly kids.
Silly Perry.

Happy Monday!

------

We love our sponsors!

Gold rush.

I think my kids have the best school, with the best teachers, with the best ideas.
Ever.

Yesterday was the 4th grade Gold Rush.
Outdoor "class" all day.
The kids had to wear their best old timey attire.
The Girl's dress was from Chigger Hill Cottage.




They had to stake their claim.


They found gold.


And then they got challenges thrown at them.
Things like "You're not feeling well! Find the town doctor for a visit."
They had to pay the doctor in gold, and he would prescribe things like 2 skittles.

One of The Girl's challenges was "Uh oh! You're stinky! Find the Chinese laundromat and wash your clothes." So she had to pay.




They also had to pay in gold to get their lunch.
If they had run out, they had to go find more.
It was so funny to hear the kids complaining about having to work for their food!
I wanted to laugh and say, "Welcome to the real world, ya punks!"
But I was nice.
I just smiled and snapped pictures.


There's Gold in them thar hills!!
(or in our case, in them thar plains.)

------

We love our sponsors!

Fingerprint Friday

There is a song by Steven Curtis Chapman that says:
I can see the fingerprints of God
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of God
And I know its true
You're a masterpiece
That all creation quietly applauds
And you're covered with the fingerprints of God
So look around you and see where YOU can see God's fingerprints. Is it in nature? Kids? Animals? Where do you see them? Here's how to join in.

1. Blog with your interpretation of God's fingerprints. Be sure to link back here so others can find the entire list of participants.
2. After you've posted your blog, sign the MckLinky below. Have fun exploring the other links as well! Please sign in only if you're participating. Hopefully this will make us look at things through fresh eyes throughout the week.
-------------------

I love the relationship between these kids.
Of course there is fighting sometimes, but there's also a lot of love and nurturing.
They couldn't have been placed in a more perfect family than ours.
They are the perfect children for me, they are the perfect siblings for each other.

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”- Psalm 139:13-14

Hi.

You can tell when I get super busy because I don't blog.
And I don't have time to visit your blogs.
And that makes me sad.
And I whine.

I can't believe it's Thursday already!
Updates: We still haven't moved into our farmhouse.
We're aiming for Memorial Day weekend.
Just as we made plans, The Man got overloaded with hours at work.
And The Rusted Chain got slammed with Mother's Day orders.
So we're still going up there every evening and working, but we haven't had more than a few hours at a time to get work done.

I really wanted things to be done my way before we move in but I don't think that's going to happen.
I probably won't have the light fixtures, flooring, and countertops I want just because we don't have time to do all of it.
And so I whine.

I want what I want, when I want it.

Mr. Badger is still there, but he's moved to a different barn now.
We still want him gone.

We planted tomatoes, jalepenos, eggplant, and watermelon in our garden.
By "we" I mean The Man and the kids.
That's my Mother's Day gift every year. They plant things for me.
I love it!

I've have some great photo shoots lately!
I'm trying to find time to edit the photos and then I'll share them.
Beautiful people in front of my lens.

We have several new items listed in our shop.
1. Funky Mama necklace
2. Wife of a Hero
3. Full of Love
4. I Love You More
5. It All Started With a Kiss



Also, Father's Day is coming soon.
Our Get In The Hole golf ball marker is always a great gift for men. (It can be personalized.)


And if you haven't entered the current jewelry giveaway, there's still time.

I'm ready for school to be out.
I'm excited to sleep in.
And enjoy my kids.
And live on a farm.
And pretend to be all domestic, even though I'm really not.

Only a week left until summer break!
What's your favorite summer activity?

------

We love our sponsors!

No Sew outdoor pillow...

I can't sew.
There, I said it out loud. For all 12 of my readers to see.

I. Can't. Sew.

I probably could if I really tried, but I'm too impatient to learn.

So any projects with "no sew" in the title are perfect for me.

This idea popped into my little brain recently.

Get a pillow that looks like this.
Old and ratty.
Or you could buy some at a thrift store.
Or even ugly ones on clearance at the walmarts.


Pair that pillow with some hot glue and a vinyl tablecloth.
Ohhh, you see where this is going, don't you?
You catch on fast!
My vinyl tablecloth was from the walmarts, leftover from last summer's clearance.
I think it was $1.50.


Place your tablecloth, pretty side down.
Put the pillow on top of the fuzzy side and trace about an inch or two around the outside of it with a pen or marker.
You want to give yourself room to pinch the sides together, so check how poofy your pillow is.
Cut along your pen lines.
Then do another one.

Put your pillow in the middle and hot glue the fuzzy sides together!


Ta-Dah!
A splash of color on your porch swing that you swore you'd paint, and even bought paint for, but never got around to it and now you're moving.

Waterproof. Cute. Colorful. Comfy. Cheap. And darn easy!


This is linked up with Works For Me Wednesday.
------

We love our sponsors!

Mother's Day Giveaway...

**This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for the entries!**

As much as I looove being a mom, on Mother's Day my mind always goes to other women -
Women who have lost children or never had the chance to become mothers.

All women deserve to be celebrated!
So today, if you're a woman, celebrate it.
Take a long bath, have a glass of wine, treat yourself to a pedicure, watch a girly movie, do whatever it is that makes you happy.

Laugh. Enjoy time with family and friends.
Play in the sun.

The Boy wrote a poem for me and I'll share it with you.

Roses are Red
Farms are Fun
Now it's time
To play in the sun!



Happy Mother's/Woman's Day!!

Enjoy today.

(And to my own mom, I love you! Your gift is in the mail. You'll probably get it tomorrow. Because you know how prompt I always am...)

Update: Let's do a giveaway!

Win a $30 gift certificate to The Rusted Chain!
1. Leave a comment to enter.
2. Blog it, tweet it, facebook it for additional entries. (leave seperate comments for each of these.)

------

We love our sponsors!