Prairie Life Update! News from the country kitchen

 UPDATE TO THIS POST!! Logan has decided to stay in karate!! It was completely his choice and after talking to his Sensei he has decided to stay!

 WOW! Its been SOOO long since I have done a real update!! We have been very busy growing...kids (goat and person kind heehee), piglets, puppies, turkeys, chickens and gardens! I am happy to report that with a few exceptions all are doing well and thriving, and getting big! We have finished our official school year and have gone into "summer mode"...which does include some learning but we're very relaxed about it. Logan has succussfully gotten through his first year of high school, Gwenny is moving on the middle school level (can you believe it??!!), and Miss Mikala is already working well into 2nd grade level.

My grocery spending has had a bit of a hick-up, I must admit, in large part due to the new extreme couponing shows on TLC. Dear husband thought for sure I could pull off what those girls do (God bless him!!) but I am sorry to say, I ended up spending double my first month trying this....we now have a years worth of shampoo, lotion, tooth paste and body wash though ha ha. The next month I pulled back a bit, I realized what wasn't working (basically, and sadly, no double coupons here) and I went back to my regualr shopping method only using coupons that I could use on stuff that we need and many times found that the generics were still a better deal. I haven't given up, but I am much more aware of what the local limits are and actually ended up shaving $10 off the budget last month, not bad.

I have some updated pictures in slide show fashion below...you see that Logan has turned 15!! He is finishing up a Driver's Ed class and will be getting his Learner's Permit soon...watch out!! Recently, he expressed that he wanted to give up karate (he is 1/2 through his brown belt, and only has about 6 more months before he'll test for his black belt). My heart broke in two. We have been a part of our dojo for almost 5 years and I will be sad when that chapter of our life closes but after talking to his Sensei he has agreed to stick it out for a while longer. He teaches in the younger kids class and has said its not something he's enjoying as much as he hoped. That made me sad because I see him growing and changing...maturing through the leadership experience he is getting.He's very good with the kids! He has been taking a Hebrew class since last year and has really, really enjoyed it He is now taking an Advanced Hebrew class and I see him heading more and more into adulthood, and making his own decisions. Pray for me, its so hard to let them go!!

Well its time to figure out what I am going to cook for dinner...off to the country kitchen I go!