Adventures with the Dunhams

Great Vision Forum Christmas Sale - Black Friday Revisited

2011-12-10T10:57:00.002-07:00

Vision Forum 20% off sale

2011-11-14T13:00:00.002-07:00

Pressing On, My New Favorite Blog

2011-08-13T22:17:00.005-06:00

My new, favorite blog is Pressing On. The funny thing is, it is written by a 17 year old girl that Josiah met through the Curles' Girls. They get together to play (music, not Legos or airsoft) when we are in San Diego. Lyssa is a talented musician, an engaging writer and wise way beyond her years. I am encouraged by her insight. You will be too. Check it out and subscribe... and be blessed by a young woman dedicated to Christ, using her gifts to direct the rest of us to Him and His truths.

Soup Bones and Shanks

2011-08-11T16:01:00.002-06:00

I know that this is not a really exciting post for most of you after much silence on the blog, BUT, some of our bison customers will be happy. I often have requests for ideas to use soup bones and shanks. These cuts are an excellent source of nutrients because of the marrow in the bones. Not only that, but they make the best soup stock/broth that you have ever tasted. I have a double use for my shanks and soup bones. First I make soup stock, then I use the meat for enchiladas. Both are super easy. Here is how I do it:

Bison Stock
2 packs soup bones/shanks
Water to cover
Seasonings….whatever you like

Place unwrapped, frozen shanks or soup bones in crock pot (mine is 6 quarts). Cover with water. Add salt, pepper, and any seasonings you like (I use real salt, garlic powder, Montreal steak seasoning, pepper). Cook on low for 10 – 24 hours (if you cook them for the longer period of time, you will need to add additional water). Turn off crock pot and let cool for an hour or so. Pull out the pieces of bone and meat and place in a large bowl. Strain broth through fine mesh cheese cloth (the only place I can find it is at Bed, Bath and Beyond). Store broth in freezer containers and label. Pick the meat from the bones and set aside for enchiladas. Here’s the way I do it.

Easy Bison Enchiladas
Tortillas (corn or flour)
Enchilada sauce
Shredded Cheese
Meat from your shanks/soup bones

Pour enchilada sauce over bottom of pan (9x13). Fill tortillas with meat and roll them up. Set in pan. Once the pan is full, pour sauce over the enchiladas – I use a lot – and then sprinkle (or totally cover) with shredded cheese of your choice. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

I make this for our monthly church potluck - super easy, makes a bunch and gets rave reviews….they disappear immediately.

Our Summer Swimming Hole

2011-05-01T15:50:00.000-06:00

Last summer, a great public swimming area opened in Lakeside. Although Flathead Lake is HUGE there is very little public swimming access. This place is beautiful with a gazebo, bathrooms, a grassy area and plenty of parking. We just went down to hang out the other night. "They" let the water in Flathead Lake out through the Hungry Horse Dam in the winter, and then they let it back in a little at a time during the spring. The level is just now starting to go up. Can't wait til we can swim in it this summer. The docks and large rocks in the water make it a super fun place to swim. Last year, since it was new, we don't think a lot of people knew about it and it was never very crowded. We expect this summer to be a different story.

The Dunham Fun Bus

2011-04-27T16:57:00.000-06:00

And a bus it is!! We have had car issues all winter.....the Expedition is still doing great, but the truck (AKA The Black Beast) is not. It is a no-wheel-drive that has no business on the road anytime even resembling winter . And we haven't even discussed cosmetic issues - the poor guy has been through a lot and is missing all his teeth! See??

He is a great beater ranch truck, though, and unfortunatley, gets the best gas mileage of any vehicle we have. Brad has had to drive the Expedition while working this winter and so I have had to go out in the truck a number of times. I have been stuck twice and even had to call USAA to pull me out. I was not even a block away from home that time (if we had blocks out here by us). I was taking the neighbor's driveway because ours is way too steep and there was NO WAY I was getting up on account of the ice. I had visions of trying to drive up the driveway and sliding back down - backwards - into a big logging truck...not pretty. Even our neighbor's drive was too snowy for The Beast and about halfway up, he stopped going and the tires started spinning. I tried to go backward and landed my behind in a snow drift. The guy that came to pull me out had a good laugh at my predicament. HE would never have gotten in that situation ( I am pretty sure he's right - McGyver would never have ended up that way either) and he probably figured I was blond underneath all this dark hair. It's okay, I can laugh at myself...it didn't help that my then 14 year old son was laughing too.

And the Suburban has looked like this since the weather got bad. It needs a front end something-or-other and won't get that until the weather gets nice. Even then, the engine needs an overhaul. It will be a while until McGyver gets to that project.

So, as you can see, the situation was bleak....a wife that can't drive worth a darn in the snow, one non-working car and another that couldn't drive in the snow even if the wifey could. Brad has been sort of looking for a diesel truck so that we could haul a trailer of bison. However, a truck won't fit us all, so we would still have to drive two vehicles to CA when we deliver. Brad went in to talk to the diesel guy in town about engines/trucks, etc. The guy asked if we'd ever thought about a diesel Excursion. We had, but they are hard to come by and expensive. It just so happened that he was selling his personal vehicle that had been meticulously maintained. It has low mileage and the price was good. So, we are now the owners of one 2002, Ford diesel bison hauling Excursion with a 7.3L engine (somehow that was a good thing). The thing is indeed a bus and, compared to the Expedition, it has so much room we don't know what to do with ourselves....I am sure that real quickly, the kids will figure out how to drag everything they own into it when we go out. That is just their way.

Ah, Spring!!!

2011-04-27T00:20:00.003-06:00

Last week, this is what we woke up to....you gotta love spring in Montana.

Of All the Places to Love........

2011-04-02T00:20:00.011-06:00

The above two paneled painting is hanging on our living room wall. Since I scared everyone with the bison head boiling post, I thought I ought to post something pleasant for all of you about bison and the ranch.

A dear friend of ours, Scott Paul, is a painter who is an artist. Among other things, he paints unique finishes in high end custom homes - last year, on a job, he painted the outlets and other wall "things" in a bedroom to match a custom birch bark wall (literally, a wall made out of birch bark). The switches matched so well that they couldn't find them.

Scott has been to the ranch numerous times to help "harvest" bison (a little happy terminology for our CA friends) and has also has gone out with Brad at times during the winter so that Brad didn't have to be out in the remote recesses of Montana all alone. Scott is from Montana and is a true outdoorsman - he is a fisherman, hunter, and bison-harvester extraordinaire. He loves the eastern front and appreciates the beauty of the ranch as much as we do. As a surprise gift to Brad this year, he painted the above. It is truly a treasure. I wish you could see the detail.

This is a photo that I just took on Saturday from the same view of the ranch as the painting (a little farther away). Scott had to tweak things a little to get them to fit, but isn't it beautiful? Truly, it is the most amazing gift. Not only did a dear friend paint it for us (and choose to give it to us instead of selling it for oodles of money!), but it is of our favorite view of our favorite place in the world. Of all the places to love, the ranch is MY favorite. Where else do enormous looming glaciers, tall stands of prairie grass and free roaming bison make all the difference?

Oh So Cute

2011-04-01T20:15:00.006-06:00

A few weeks ago, around Josiah's b-day when I scanned the photos from his album to post, I also found some really cute ones of the kids when they were younger........oh, my, they were darling. They still are, of course, but there's nothing like having 4 little people under 5 to present you with total craziness and cuteness all balled up into one package. Micah hates the ones in which she is NOT - because she just WASN'T yet - she says it isn't fair and that we ought to get rid of all those. So, anyway, I had to post some of these....ah the memories. My parents will appreciate it and Kelly will breathe a sweet sigh of remembrance (remember how long we called Elias, Baby?). What I wouldn't give to do it all over again.

Look at the stinky crossing her eyes and sabatoging family photos....she was 4.

The first day of school - Josiah - 1st grade, Elisha - Kindergarten, Isaiah and Elias - along for the ride. Look how chubby Elias' little cheeks are!! That was before he decided that he only liked peanut butter, spaghetti, and meatballs.

playing car

The Long-haired Kings of France in the Middle Ages. I think they were more fierce-looking that this, and probably didn't have multi-colored hair.

One of my all-time, very favorites - and Micah IS in this one - she's just a few weeks undercooked. I am sure that she will not be consoled by that fact.

Hey, look, it's the Village People

Teenagers are Detrimental to Your Sleep

2011-04-01T00:26:00.004-06:00

OOHHHHH. If I had known that teenagers cause you such lack of sleep, I would have slept WAY more in college to make up for it. Why don't they just go to sleep? And why do they want to talk about everything under the sun at 11:30 pm?? Can't they do that at 7:30pm? Don't get me wrong - I WANT to talk about everything under the sun with my kids, but I mean, heck, we homeschool - we are here all day together....why is said kid not worried about how he wants to record the vocals on that song or what guitar he wants to use at 8:30? Just wondering why those things are not important until the "it's time for mom (and YOU!) to go to bed" time. Can't they remember that at 7 am, when I come down to drag them out of bed, they will be in a totally comatose condition because of this?? Doesn't he know that I am OLD now????

Hillbilly Haven

2011-03-29T22:48:00.006-06:00

I am pretty sure that most people are not boiling bison heads in their backyards........lucky me. Yep, and not your ordinary bison head - a full grown bull head. It has been sitting at the house in a trash bag - not IN the house, mind you - for a couple of months and since it has started to thaw around here, we figured something had to be done before it started stinkin'. It isn't everyday that you come across a full grown, bison bull head - you either have to pay for a nice, big bison hunt, or one of your stubborn bulls that won't come home to the herd has to die out in the wild and get half eaten by animals....then you get a bull head. We got ours by the latter means......jealous? Yeah, I didn't think so. We didn't have anything big enough to boil the doggone thing in, so we had to get a feeding trough. Then McGyver set up the system. It started out as a big fire with steel poles and sheet metal holding up the tub and it progressed to all sorts of other creative means to get the thing to boil. It was Boy Hillbilly Haven here this weekend. Some of The Miller boys came over to watch the festivities. Oh my. At one point there were 3 fires going and the pyromaniacs came in to get one of my cast iron pans, bread, and butter - they made toast on the open fire.CJ and Josiah sat around playing guitar on the steel poles so that they wouldn't bend into the fire.

HOURS later, just like a roast, the meat fell right off the skull. Just for the record, we did NOT, I repeat, we did NOT, eat the meat or make head cheese as my husband suggested we should. I am sure he was kidding....pretty sure he was just trying to get a reaction out of me...pretty sure. Now, we have to figure out how to bleach the skull so that it whitens up. And then, what to do with it.....Brad says it is going over our bed....I laughed real hard and passed it off as a great joke. ha ha ha ha.....aaaaaaahhhhhh! There is no way I am sleeping under that thing. We will keep this one, though, and find some great place to put it - like maybe out in the shop. Or, one day, maybe we will have a huge stone fireplace and we can hang it there. I would love to have an artist paint it some funky colors - Carol Hagan-ish maybe.

In Which We Miss Church Because We Don't Know it's DayLight Savings

2011-03-13T20:05:00.004-06:00

Say it with me, now .....LAM-O!! It never even crossed my radar - not even once, but when we drove up to church 6 minutes early (so we thought) and the entire lot was packed and no one was walking into the building, Brad said "oh no.....daylight savings" (I said, "HUH?"). Apparently he had noticed earlier in the week that today was the day. Josiah noticed that his phone was an hour later this morning, went to check the calendar and since it didnt' say anythig about Daylight Savings there, he decided that his phone must have freaked out. So, we went to get coffee instead of going to the last 15 minutes of the service. Rotten.

Adventure Boy Turns 15

2011-03-12T20:36:00.015-07:00

Adventure boy turns 15 today. In honor of this memorable occasion I am posting fifteen things we love about Josiah and photos. I scanned some photos from our albums with Brad's phone (it IS smart) so that I could have some non-digitals. Love it.

Fifteen Things We Love About Josiah:
1. He has a great sense of humor. He's been that way from earlier than he should have been. It just didn't seem right having a 4 year old being funny, not because he was a kid, but because he really was funny. He used humor in ways that none of our other 4 years olds did - well, except for Micah (and they are my most similar kids!).
2. He is very musical - a kid after my own heart that way. He plays guitar, piano, and is learning mandolin. Music is his passion - it makes him tick. He is pretty much self taught (except for some early instruction by Mr. Lee....thanks, Gale!) and he is good.
3. Josiah is a thinker....which makes for great conversation. And he likes to talk!!
4. He is compassionate towards others
5. He knows Christ as his saviour and wants to follow Him all through life.
6. We have the same taste in music - and that is really fun.
7. Josiah is a great friend - he is very loyal.
8. He is a quick learner and is good at just about everything that he tries to do.
9. He is determined.
10. He has a great sense of style.
11. He is extremely athletic (see #8 for more details!)
12. He is our in-house go-to techy guy.
13. He is so much fun to be around - one of my favorite people.
14. He plays a great devil's advocate which helps anyone (and himself) understand why they believe what they do.
15. He's my son and first born to boot - that's the thing I am most thankful for in Josiah....I thank God that, in His sovereignty, he gave Josiah to all of us in our family. I don't know what we'd do without him.

I love this one!

Always in costume. For years, he was a "fire guy" wherever we went.

the King and Queen.

First grade - don't you want to just pinch his little cheeks??

First Tee Ball team. He was very serious.....all the other kids were picking daisies, but Josiah was in the World Series. also, each time he got to base, he'd pick up the base, dust it off and put it back down.

The Incredible Hulk showing us how big his muscles are and how NOT skinny he is.

2nd grade cute little punkin'.

The mighty Celts. Homeschool history at its finest. Check out Elias - he has been crazy from the get-go.

He loved his baby sister.

With Grandma Riggs

With Dad before one of his All-Star games

Goober - first day of school photos - homeschooler.

Still loves his baby sister.

He is happiest with his guitar

Happy Birthday, Josiah, we love and thank God for you.

petting a bison

2011-03-07T21:42:00.005-07:00

We just got a bison hide back from the tanner for a customer. It is a beauty. It is really fun because hides are as different as human fingerprints. This one has a dark stripe down the center of the hump and then is really blonde around the stripe. Then it gradually darkens down to the legs. And this one is really large. Bison hides are so thick and luxurious. I have never been a hide type of gal, but these things have changed me. Beautiful, soft, warm, and hairy, they make me want to snuggle up and sleep on them. Maybe it is my attachment to the animals themselves - I am sort of partial - that makes me love these. Maybe it is that I always wish the bison were snuggle-able. I long to pet them. Even Arnold, the bison that was bottle fed and would come right up to us, wouldn't let you pet him - he'd give you a nice big head butt instead. I guess these hides are the closest thing I'll get to petting a bison. I'm okay with that; it is much less dangerous.

Happy Birthday, Micah

2011-02-24T22:36:00.007-07:00

My sweet Micah turned 8 years old today - how do the years slip by so quickly? I hate that one day my little girlie that I love and snuggle and can't stand to be without, will run off and leave me. Micah is a dear, sweet, spunky, musical, hilarious, crazy, witty, totally fun-loving, compassionate, sarcastic, sensitive, affectionate, capable, take charge, fearless, dare-devil, dimple-sporting, cutie-patootie. Micah makes us laugh so hard - not because of funny little kid stuff she says, but becuase she has a great sense of humour. I thought that I would post some photos (digital ones - so sad that I cannot get all my film photos on here or I'd post some of her darling baby photos). I miss those pudgy cheeks.

She and her buddy, Elias. He takes good care of his little sister.

Drew's wedding. Love that face - goofball. In our family photos when she was three, she smiled and crossed her eyes - no one noticed until we got the photos back

Cute or what???

serious bedhead! How in the world did it get like that?

crazy bubby-girl

Nice outfit. That's a leotard on her head. That's what you get when you let a 2 year old get out the dress ups alone.

Her daddy calls her A.B. - Angelic Bubby. Doesn't she just look like an angel here? The rest of us have other substitutions for the A. part......like Amplified or Agro

Here is my baby, today at 8 years old. Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of Micah. Happy Birthday, dear girl.

The Wylds

2011-02-23T14:58:00.000-07:00

We just watched The Wylds last weekend. The movie, made by local film maker Andrew Wiest here in the Flathead Valley, is sort of a modern, loosely adapted version of Pilgrim's Progress. It stars Solomon Ray (Crystal Lewis' son; their daughter also was involved and wrote the end song). I knew it was an independent, small budget film and, although I thought it would be decent, I wasn't expecting anything incredible - films are tough to do without a big budget. Also, I knew there were some weird sci-fi/special effects scenes that made me skeptical. I was totally impressed - we all loved it. The script, the acting, the special effects and the filming were exceptional. It is one of the very best low budget films I have seen to date; WAY better than the films that have won a certain high profile, Christian film festival that many of us are familiar with! ;) There was none of the "cheesy factor" that often exists in lower budget films. It is even more impressive knowing that most of the actors were locals. One thing that I didn't care for was that Evangeline (Evangelist in the real Pilgrim's Progress) was a female preacher. I think that kind of limits the film's market and might make some people stay away. Although that is contrary to scripture, and I no way agree with that interpretation, I totally enjoyed the film and would recommend it to anyone. It is nice having movies that the entire family can watch and enjoy together. And imagine - right here in little 'ole Kalispell.

New Pianist

2011-02-15T21:35:00.004-07:00

We have a new pianist in the family. She just started two weeks ago. She is so excited you wouldn't believe it. We HAD to start her - she played the piano all the time and she only knew one song, "Heart and Soul". After hearing it played 400,298 times in 98,434 variations we said ENOUGH. The girl needed to add to her repertoire. We never have to ask her to practice - she is all over it again and again and again....... So, after the first week I asked Rachel (ye olde fabulous piano teacher), in order to help us hang onto the small amount of remaining sanity we have, if she could please give Micah more than 1 song per week. At least now she had TWO songs to play 36,002 times that week. ;)

Morning Dunham Smoothie

2011-02-07T21:56:00.002-07:00

I have been making a morning smoothie a lot lately. Mostly because it is a great way to get your vitamins (I have made my own vitamins in an herbal tincture over the past year, but I also have the same "formula" in a powder and can easily blend it in a smoothie. That'll have to be another post). I have certain non-vegetable likers who really need the greens and vitamins too and this is an easy way to get those to them. Here is our current recipe (well, I haven't actually measured anything - that's just how I cook):

1 1/2 - 2 cups frozen fruit (we use cherries and apricots from our trees this past summer)
1/2 cup plain yogurt (Brown Cow, Cream on the Top)
1 -2 cups fresh baby spinach (Costco, glorious Costco)
2 T orange juice concentrate (the kind with no garbage in it)
about 1-2 T raw honey
1-2 heaping T flax seeds
1-2 heaping T vitamin powder (I make my own, but it is very similar to More Than Alive Superfood. Or you can buy all of the individual herbs there and make your own.)
about 1/16 - 1/8 tsp. of cayenne pepper (depending on who will be drinking it)
enough water to make it all move in the Vitamix

If it isn't sweet enough you can add more OJ concentrate or a little more honey. Yes, it is kind of brownish green, but no one here complains - it tastes that good!

Freecycle Strikes Again

2011-02-01T19:52:00.004-07:00

We posted on Freecycle a couple of weeks ago for an espresso maker (again - the last one just died) and I immediately received an email from Father Rudy at a local catholic church saying that he had one we could have. In our email communique, he also said that he had a nice guitar and wondered if we wanted that too!!!!!! Us, a guitar??? Heck yeah!! We got over there to get the items, and not only was the espresso machine a Krups Il Primo - looks brand new - but the super
nice guitar was in a case, with a stand, and included an instructional DVD set - 25 DVDs with the books and extra bonus practice DVDs. What a huge blessing. The DVD set is awesome. All the boys are using it in their school day. I love Freecycle. Isn't the Lord amazing to do things like that in our lives? And God bless Father Rudy!

Differences

2011-01-25T19:30:00.005-07:00

People are always wondering if it was a big culture shock moving to MT after living in CA. It is funny, but the culture shock didn't come when we moved here; it hit when we returned to CA after living here for a while. The differences are many, but the most noticeable are the traffic, the crowdedness (pretty sure that's not a word) and the obsession with appearances (personal, cars, fashion) in Southern California. One small, but wonderful, difference is the post office. When I lived in San Diego the post office was one of my very least favorite errands second only to shopping at Walmart (which I avoided almost like the plague, until I had a very long, necessary list and had no choice but to go and wade through the stacked to the ceiling, unorganized, too-thin aisles - ugh). Things sat around gathering dust until I rustled up the gumption to withstand the misery of the post office. And I didn't go to places like Mailboxes, Etc. because I am too cheap to pay the surcharges, and the lines were just about as long there anyway. When we moved here I was amazed at how easy and quick a visit to the post office was. In Columbia Falls, the longest I ever waited was 10 minutes - AT CHRISTMASTIME. In Lakeside, where we now live, I have only had one person in front of me at any time. In East Glacier, the only waiting is for the attendant to come after you ring the bell at the counter. Now, I know it isn't always this way - the Kalispell main office is busy and I have waited 15 minutes before, but that's nothing compared to the30 - 45 minutes that I would normally stand in line in the Rancho Bernardo post office. I love Montana - difference #1.

Merry Christmas, Elias!

2011-01-18T22:43:00.001-07:00

After a very long and tiring mishap with Elias' Christmas present which involved the sending of it to a wrong address on the other end of the country (my brother and sister-in-law housed it for a few days until UPS came back to get it - twice!) and then being back-ordered, it finally arrived yesterday.

After a bunch of unpacking and set up, this is what we ended up with:

So, raise your hand if you think this was a good idea........Kelly's hand is raised ...........and..............and..............over there in the corner - is your hand up? No? Hm. Anyone else?? Anyone?

Friends

2011-01-07T23:18:00.004-07:00

We took our family photos with the Rickels and Millers. We just had to do a kid photo. I love it. 3 Rickel kids are missing (2 married, 1 soon to be married.....yahoo Paige and Josh - less than a month!!) and there are still 14 kids here. We are so blessed that our kids have such great friends.

Happy New Year!!

2011-01-01T01:07:00.004-07:00

So my father won't continue to be disappointed as he wears out his computer coming to my blog to see if we have posted anything....tada. The first photo of 2011. We rang in the New Year with a big group of great friends. And I only took one photo. Here it is. Happy New year, Mom and Dad.

Licked

2010-12-28T22:44:00.000-07:00

When McGyver got back from the ranch last week, our car was looking mighty odd.....the horses are staying at the ranch all winter this year and becuase of the snow, Brad couldn't get the car to an area where the horses couldn't get to it. When Brad arrived at the ranch, the car was a filthy brown from all of the snow, sludge and salt on the roads through the pass. Well, the horses not only cribbed the front hood (but we won't talk about that) but they also LICKED the entire car. You can't really tell by the photos - you can see parts of the car (I took these a few days after it had been driven around and sludged off) that look like there are weird brownish smudges all over. The entire car - really - entire car - bumpers, rear view mirrors, windows; were thoroughly licked by the horses. We figure it is from the salt they put on the roads ( I'm thinking they need some salt and minerals out there maybe?). I couldn't even see out the rear window to drive. I would love to have seen that taking place and loved even more to get a photo - or video!!! MONTANA CAR WASH!! HA! America's Funniest Videos here we come.

Family Photos 2010....our favorites

2010-12-28T21:10:00.003-07:00

This year's photos were taken in front of a great, old barn on some friends', John (Doc) and Marylane Heine's, property. Doc Heine (pronounced Hiney) was an OB/GYN in the valley for 30-something years....true story. We went with the Rickels and Millers to take photos, so our photos all look strikingly similar. Well, you know, except that all of the people are different of course.

We are all laughing, because my hubby had just turned around and acted like he was going to moon everyone.....thank heavens he did not!!!

Josiah - 14

Elisha - 13

Isaiah - newly turned 12

Elias - turned 10 on October 31st

Micah - 7, but will be 8 in a mere 2 months....shocking.

the Quest for the Tree

2010-12-15T01:20:00.002-07:00

Our good friends, the Meulis, have a very large cattle ranch here in the valley. We went to their ranch to get our Christmas tree this year. On the way, Brad announced to us all "Let's get this straight. We are not looking for the perfect tree today - I am not going to carry this chain saw around in the wilderness for hours. We are going to find a mediocre tree - it is a Charlie Brown Christmas tree for us, everybody got it? " Now that we had that straight, we headed out with the Meuli's truck (ranch truck with chains which is the only way we were getting out to where we needed to go). The kids were all in the back of the truck (brrrrrrr!) and my former race car driver husband was having the time of his life sliding all over the place and trying to keep it between the trees while I, imagining smashing into trees and kids flying all over tarnation, rode white knuckled and wide eyed up to Skaggs lake - the official Christmas Tree grounds. The snow was at least 2 feet deep, but we only had to trudge around for about 30 minutes to find the tree. It was cold crisp and beautiful out. It is such fun cutting down your own tree - I really do love it. HOWEVER, I would be even happier if we cut down a tree, for the "cutting your own tree" experience, and then ditched it in the bushes to go home and plug in a pre-lit fake. Not very politically correct or environmentally friendly of me, huh? But way easier than stringing all those lights. Ugh.

The Scale

2010-12-10T11:34:00.003-07:00

Elisha just ran in super excited because she stepped on the scale and she is FINALLY a whole 99 pounds! WOO HOO!! Hm. That's not generally the response I have when I step on the scale. ahem.

Raw Honey

2010-10-20T22:53:00.003-06:00

We have added raw honey to our product line - not just any raw honey, but the best honey we have ever tasted. I would never have dreamed of licking the honey spoon in the past - ugh. But, things have changed. Until we moved here, we'd never tasted anything like it. Everyone who tries it agrees. Not only is it delicious, but there are many health benefits to raw honey. It contains a complex assortment of enzymes, organic acids, trace minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, and antimicrobial compounds, vitamin C, vitamin A, beta carotene, the complete complex of B vitamins, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, magnesium, sulfur, chlorine, potassium, iodine, sodium, copper, manganese, high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, and formic acid (to name a few!). Honey contains more than 75 different compounds! Many of the remaining substances in honey are so complex (4-7 percent of the honey) that they have yet to be identified.

Because of the high sugar content, honey absorbs moisture in wounds, making it hard for bacteria to survive. Honey can contain large amounts of hydrogen peroxide which is regularly used to disinfect cuts and scrapes. In laboratory tests, raw honey applied to seven types of bacteria killed all seven.

About a year ago, Josiah (a.k.a. Adventure Boy), was riding his bike with a wrench in his pocket (who knows – don’t ask!). He crashed and got a cut where the wrench broke through his pants. A few days after the crash, he came to me and told me that his cut was hurting. I found a red, inflamed, angry looking wound. I immediately covered it in goldenseal and bandaged it up. It felt and looked much better the next day, but one evening a few days later (I should have been more attentive to it), it was back to its painful, swollen status, except this time, the redness was growing and there were small bumps further down the leg; tell-tale signs of a developing staph infection. First, I freaked out, then I slathered the cut with raw honey and bandaged it up. By the next morning it looked totally different: the redness was gone, it was no longer swollen, and the bumps had disappeared. It had begun healing and we didn’t have to attend to it again. I have also taken raw honey in a bit of warm water for food poisoning with dramatic results. Raw honey is amazing. And it is nice when it tastes unbelievable on your biscuits too! ;)

Hello Chia

2010-09-29T22:40:00.000-06:00

Goodbye flax seeds, hello chia. Remember chia pets? Those crazy porcelain animals that grew "hair" in just a few days? That is all I knew about chia seeds until reading about them recently, so I was thrilled to receive some chia seed to try from More Than Alive. I had previously taken flax seeds for fiber, Omega 3 fatty acids and the detoxification benefits. Unfortunately, in order to get the benefits out of flax you have to eat them freshly ground, so I did not take them as often as I should have - lazy me. I was thrilled to read that with chia seeds you do not have to grind them to receive their benefits. Not only do they contain a great amount of fiber, but they also contain both Omega 3 & Omega 6 fatty acids at a 3 to 4 ratio and provide great detoxification properties. Here are some other great benefits of chia seeds: high in protein, high in calcium and boron (which helps your body absorb calcium), help detox your body from intestinal yuck, high in vitamins E, C, and B, and regulate your blood sugar. AND they are so easy to take. You can add them to all sorts of foods you already eat including salads, cereals, smoothies and soups. Just last night, I was halfway through making cornbread before I realized that I was out of eggs. I had read that chia seeds and water will substitue as an egg when baking. I tried it and it worked great. It seemed a little flakier than usual, but the cornbread tasted great. Chia seeds actually taste good by themselves - they have that oily crunchy taste that flax seeds do. Just be prepared to spend the next fifteen minutes picking htem out of your teeth if you chew them up. I just take 1-2 teaspoons and wash them down with water. What an easy and healthy addition to your daily routine. For more information about chia seeds, check out the More Than Alive website.

No More Laundry

2010-09-26T18:32:00.003-06:00

There is at least one good thing about being without a washer and dryer for two weeks.....I don't have to do laundry. It's nice having all that extra time every day and not digging my way out from under Mt. Laundry. of course, there is that issue of running out of undies and kitchen towels and all......but I am trying to think on the positive side. Until MY underwear run out.

Relocated Californian

2010-09-14T00:05:00.003-06:00

I had an interesting experience today. Maybe it was because I was alone shopping at Costco without my 5 kids distracting me or maybe I would have noticed anyway. As I was walking out, I saw a guy walking in wearing an Encinitas Surf Shop hoodie. I had to suppress the urge to jump up and down and run over saying "Hey, we're from San Diego!!"; overcrowded San Diego with it's really clean cars (no kidding), beautiful hip people who look like movie stars, busy freeways, and lots of craziness - all things that I am glad we got away from. I realized at that moment, that although I am glad that I don't live there, I am happy to be FROM San Diego. It seems odd that it was somehow important that I was from that place that his shirt was advertising. It wasn't that there was anything interesting about him, in fact, it had nothing to do with him at all - I have no idea what he even looked like. Maybe it is because we spent so many years there or that all of my kids were born there or that I'm still on auto pilot when I drive out there or that we love visiting or that there are many people we love there. Or maybe I just had too much coffee yesterday. At any rate, I am truly glad that I am a relocated Californian living now - and forever (God willing) in Montana.

2 moms, 9 kids, 342 pounds of apples and 120 quarts of apple sauce

2010-08-30T21:39:00.008-06:00

And an all day into-the-night experience. When I told my kids "just keep picking" until all the 5 gallon buckets, laundry baskets, boxes and bags in the Expedition were full, I proved just how truly terrible my spacial reasoning /eye balling measurement skills are. I was just hoping that I had enough to make the applesauce experience worthwhile like it was last year - how could I be expected to remember what the 215 pounds of apples we had last year looked like? Well, I can tell you that it couldn't have looked anything like that pile of apples I hauled in, because we had 342 pounds....hello!! We pulled in the Rickel's driveway at 10 am and left at 2am; 120 quarts of applesauce later.

The kids pared apples for 8 hours!!

NO wonder they look psychopathic here.

At 6pm, when it looked like this, I knew it was trouble - we had two ovens and 2 roasters baking apples so that we could run them through the mill; 2 large pots of cooking applesauce on the stove; 2 cannisters of canned applesauce processing (with 7 quarts in each); and all those apples UNcooked on the counter - still needing to be cooked in the roasters/oven. It was bad - very bad. About that time, I started apologizing for my over-zealous, apple picking episode.

The really crazy thing is - I don't even like applesauce, in fact, it grosses me out. BUT 4 people in my family do LOVE it and that makes up for it, I guess. And that's just the kind of self-sacrificing mother that I am. It had nothing to do with the fact that I am just a little bit social and spending all day with some of my favorite people sounded like a party to me, and I can't stand to miss a party - no, it had nothing to do with that - it was all a sacrificial, giving kind of thing on my part.
I don't think anyone will let me pick the apples next year (or any year after) without some very strict guidelines and supervision.

socialization and patience - the two biggies

2010-08-13T11:45:00.002-06:00

This post appeared on Pioneer Woman this week from a contributor. I love her explanation of the questions that all we homeschoolers get asked on a regular basis - I think that her answers are the best I have heard. The one that really gets me is the patience one. I am certain that when my kids are supposed to be doing math and I enter the room and they are ALL doing anything BUT math and my head spins around and sub-human noises spew from my mouth, that no one in the world would confuse that with patience. We are not born with it, nor do any of us just have it - well, Jessica Mallery I think might and Rebekah Tolopilo, but the rest of us got stuck with a little more of that sin nature than they did. I do believe that, although tough days make us wonder, that we learn patience through homeschooling - we just don't have any other choice. Anyone considering homeschooling their children should not determine they ought to do so based on their level of patience....it is a much larger decision than that. As the above blogger so wisely mentions, it is a family conviction put into action - don't let the reason you don't homeschool be your lack of patience. And forgive that previous double negative, grammar no-no!

Hobo Point

2010-08-04T22:20:00.000-06:00

Our friends, the Meulis, have a great 40 acres on the shore of Lake Mary Ronan - a perfect, lovely place where there are not many boats and almost NO people around. They affectionately call it Hobo Point. Every year (well, this was the second, but it has been tagged a yearly event now) we all get together (the Millers, Meulis, Rickels, Sibelruds and Dunhams) and camp for three days on the water. We waterski, tube, swim, canoe, float, eat, play airsoft, and get really dirty. We decided to start taking a group photo each year so that we can see everyone growing up as the summers go by - but maybe next year we ought to do it at the beginning instead at the height of our grubby-ness.

Grinnell Glacier

2010-07-31T19:35:00.000-06:00

It was our hope to hike once a week this summer, but that hasn't been the case. We did, however, hike to Grinnell Glacier. BEAUTIFUL 10.4 miles. There's nothing like Glacier National Park....gotta love it.

Hiker Boy

2010-07-28T19:22:00.000-06:00

Hiker boy after a three day backpacking trip in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. You should have seen his hair up close. He wore a bandana for three days - wet hair, dry hair - and slept in the woods with no shelter. His hair stood on end when the bandana came off. Even with high winds, cold weather, and a little rain, they had a great time. This mom prayed a lot in those three days - the wind we had at the ranch had me thinking that trees were blwoing down all over them, that he got swept away in the river and that he was suffering from hypothermia - silly mom. Nothing scary happened - except the hair. And all the dirt.

Bridge Jumping

2010-07-25T19:42:00.000-06:00

Here in Montana, you do crazy things and they are legal....like bridge jumping. Well, I am not actually certain that it IS legal, but I am fairly hopeful.....considering our pastor was with us - it wouldn't look good for the pastor to go to jail for such things, eh? Josiah left church the other Sunday with a couple of older young men to go bridge jumping. I thought they were going to jump the Bigfork Bridge (which I jumped myself appx. 18 years ago - yikes. About 40 feet into super cold, fast moving water - not the smartest thing I'd ever done. BUT, I did wear a life jacket), but they ended up jumping the Swan - about 15 feet max (I'd say 10 more likely). They returned to a friends' house where we were having a party. Then, we all went back together so they could do it again on the way home. Had it not been 9:30pm and cold I probably would have jumped myself! We laughed hard at them all freezing their patooties off - the water here isn't even warm in August in the daytime.

The Burke Resort

2010-06-28T14:27:00.001-06:00

I wasn't looking forward to our San Diego trip this June. Our dear friends, the Curles had just moved and we just knew things wouldn't be the same. I don't know why I was so grumpy about it all. We love San Diego and have great friends there, and without those greedy Curles around vying for our time, maybe we'd get to see other friends too! ;) Our trip ended up being amazing in so many ways. First, the weather fully co-operated. It was PERFECT; 72 - 76 and sunny every single day - no typical June gloom for us. AND, we stayed with our friends, The Burkes, at what we fondly call The Burke Resort. Can you see why??

The kids had to decide every day whether they should swim before breakfast or after breakfast or maybe after lunch or after we got home from the beach or wherever we were going that afternoon. Or maybe after dinner.....or maybe all of the above. Poor, sad, deprived children.

The Burkes are amazingly hospitable and just plain great folks. Brad is the expert architect that built that place. Honey Burke, among her many talents, is that of incredible cook. She makes those "fabulous homemade pies" they advertise at the Park Cafe here in Montana taste like pre-packaged Hostess items. Honey and I have been friends for years (the year before Josiah started Kindergarten). The Burke kids are older than ours so, although we were in the same homeschool group, we didn't end up in the same circle of activities. I used to weasel my way in to hang out at the resort every once in a while. That was the pre-pool era when they had lots of dirt, animals, a stocked pond for swimming and an outside shower (They still have all of the above except for the dirt. It was just as much fun then.). I loved every minute of being at their house.

On the Road to San Diego

2010-06-12T23:01:00.000-06:00

On the road to San Diego again to deliver bison. We always stop at this place near Beaver, Utah, and take a photo. This trip we had more time than usual. Our trailer had a bum tire - two actually - and we had to have them replaced. Glad we noticed when we did instead of later after a crash with packages of frozen bison strewn about the roadway.

We Love Lucy

2010-06-08T20:50:00.002-06:00

I am doing some work here at my computer and my kids are totally howling in the background.....they have discovered I Love Lucy. Right now they are watching the episode in which Ethel and Lucy take a job, in order to earn $500 each, doing a publicity stunt for a new movie "Girls From Mars"....hilarious. I had forgotten how funny these shows really are. Lucille Ball rivals Dick Van Dyke in the physical comedy arena. She and Vivian Vance are so fabulous together - they just don't make them like they used to.

Morning Commute

2010-06-07T15:00:00.000-06:00

This morning, Elisha and I had to drive to Valier to pick up the animal we had processed for individual cuts for this San Diego delivery. I guess if you have to drive 3 1/2 hours out and then back to where you started from in one day, it isn't a bad commute.

You Know you Live in Montana When.....

2010-06-07T01:27:00.000-06:00

There's been so much rain that the butcher can't get his truck into the pasture where the animals are and so your harvest date has to be postponed a week; which means that your animals have to hang later than you thought I am pretty sure these are things they don't deal with in Los Angeles.

The Ranch in Spring

2010-06-05T12:50:00.000-06:00

Spring has arrived at the ranch. Things are greening up and we finally have a bit of sun. It has been a wet spring following a very not-wet winter. We were out on the east side checking things out before leaving for our San Diego delivery. Beautiful day.

Fiesty

2010-05-04T21:46:00.004-06:00

That's a good name for it. Micah is fiesty....totally. She is also really funny - sometimes because she is a kid and other times because she has a great sense of humor. She has cracked us up this week because of her fiestiness. First, we were in the car the other day and Isaiah was saying that he wanted to be either a writer, an engineer, or a chef (well-rounded individual with high expectations - nice.). Micah yells out "I'm going to be a sky diver". Hm. Nice occupation. Today, Brad and I were bantering about the fact that he only gets his birthday dinner once (I reminded him that I did make it twice last year) a year on his birthday. It is tuna noodle casserole - anyone need to know WHY he only gets it once a year?? Didn't think so. I responded, that I haven't had MY favorite dinner, lobster and artichokes, in over 15 years . Well, I HAVE had the artichoke part a number of times (not so much since leaving CA), but not the lobster part. Micah calls out, "I'd try the artichoke, but I don't know about the hamster". Brad pipes up and says, "Yeah, Micah, I wouldn't eat the hamster either". Then Elias walks through the kitchen and says, "I don't think I'd like the hamster OR the lobster". So, there you go. Hamster anyone?? I also got a story today about something that happened this weekend in Plains. The kids were playing in the barn loft (see photos in last post where Josiah is using a rope to climb up to a window!). They were capturing each other and tying each other up. They got Micah once, but they couldn't get her again. At one point, Josiah was trying to grab her; she kicked him in the shin (not so very lady-like!) and took off running through the loft with Josiah hot on her trail. As she was running, she pushed the doors open and LEAPED out the window and kept on running!!! The kids couldn't believe it - no big deal for a sky-diver-to-be, I guess! Crazy girl. Another thing....Micah LOVES Switchfoot - she has very specific musical tastes. She thinks Josh Groban sounds like a goat along with Mac Powell. She cannot stand Michael Buble' - how can one NOT like Michael Buble'....she makes groaning, dying noises when he comes on. Today she came waltzing in talking about the Switchfoot podcast she had just finished watching on the iPod - "...the one where John almost threw up when they gave him that gross egg/bird thing (balut) to eat onstage at a concert in Asia somewhere". She loves that one....she watches their podcasts all the time. I want to know why she isn't watching something like Veggie Tales. She is a little odd for a 7 year old.

Spring in Plains

2010-05-03T22:11:00.007-06:00

This past weekend, we went to see our friends, the Olsens, at their river house in Plains. We have not seen them for an entire year - shame on us. Well, Brad spent 35 days in Minot, North Dakota working with Shawn, but our families have not been together a full year.

We met their new little addition, River, who is a 7 month old cutie pie.

The weather wasn't great, but it was good enough to get in one short hike and for the kids to play outside between rain showers. We always have such fun in Plains, or anytime we see the Olsens. It has been way too long between visits this past year. Wish we lived closer.

Are you Swagbuck-ing yet?

2010-03-08T21:38:00.000-07:00

If not, you should be - you can earn free stuff by doing nothing more than you already do on the internet each day. It took me a while to sign up for Swagbucks, mostly becuase I just didn't understand what it was or how it worked. I didn't see how I could just search on the internet and earn prizes by doing it. But that is exactly what you do. You can take a super quick tour to see what Swagbucks is all about. Just go to the Swagbucks website and click Take a Tour on the top right hand side of the page. After you create your free account, then download the Swagbucks toolbar (on the home page, go to the toolbars menu) and every time you go to the internet, do it through the Swagbucks search engine (instead of Google or whatever you use). By doing that, you can earn Swagbucks which you can then redeem for all sorts of prizes and gift cards. It really is that simple. So far, I have earned enough points for $35 of Amazon gift cards. So, what are you waiting for??? I LOVE SWAGBUCKS!!

Crock Pot Bison with Mushrooms

2010-03-07T22:12:00.003-07:00

Here is a something I tried last week that was a great hit.
Thickly slice a large pack of fresh mushrooms (about 1/2- 3/4 a large carton from Costco) and put them in the bottom of the crock pot.
Cover them with two packs (appx. 2 pounds) of round steak.
Make a roux (2T fat, 2T flour, 1c liquid - I doubled this and used bison broth as the liquid) and poured it over the meat/mushrooms. You can use cream of mushroom soup if you want, but making your own roux is really easy and so much healthier.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 2-3 hours or until the meat is falling apart and tender. It makes a delicious gravy. I served the meat, mushrooms, and gravy over brown rice. YUM!!

The New Him

2010-02-27T23:38:00.001-07:00

Ta-Da!!! What a cute kid - odd....but cute! ;)

Say "Goodbye hair"

2010-02-26T23:30:00.000-07:00

Today is the day - the long hair is going bye bye - give it a wave!!

Micah - the baby - turns 7!!

2010-02-25T22:07:00.001-07:00

Oh, how did it happen?? Our little Micah turned 7 on Wednesday. Micah is a pistol and is always up for fun - she cracks us up. It isn't because she is little and says funny little kid stuff....Micah is witty and sarcastic and just plain funny.....and crazy.....and sarcastic (at 6! -yikes) She is also a big snuggler - she always wants to be sitting on a lap or smashed right up against someone. Micah is smart as a whip and is doing really well in school. She is also a girl that knows what she wants. Many times I have walked into a room to find her standing on a chair, hands on hips, bossing around her older brothers and sisters. They aren't the only one she tries to boss - "I am the mother, and you are not" is one of my most repeated lines.
Micah loves: reading, being read to, PINK, outfits that match, gum, listening to Jungle Jam and Friends, Remedy Drive, Switchfoot, her dolls, back scratches, and snacks.
She does NOT like: Isaiah scaring her, being alone, oatmeal (she'd rather die!), Michael Buble', Josh Groban (she says he sounds like a goat), Bono, and waking up in the morning.

She has been talking about her birthday for weeks and asking me each day how many more days she had to wait. On her special day we had homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast (she did NOT hate getting up on this morning), went bowling during the day and then had bison burgers for dinner (per her request). She had a great day and loves being 7 already (well, actually, I think she sees it as a necessary stepping stool for becoming 20!) We love our little Bubby Girl and look forward to seeing what God has in store for her life. She is a blessing to us.

Spring in Winter

2010-02-23T21:46:00.002-07:00

Look like what you'd expect winter in Montana to look like? Not to me either. Our winter was mild and pathetic. BUT, semi green grass in February is nice!!

Homemade Yogurt

2010-01-29T21:51:00.004-07:00

We own a share in a friend's cow and so we pick up raw milk each week. Sometimes we get surplus milk (extra that won't last long) and if we aren't going to finish it all before it goes bad, I make things with it; buttermilk, kefir. Last week, Paige gave me some packaged powder starter and I used the recipe on the back and the package. I made 1/2 gallon and it turned out great - nice and thick just like store bought. This week, I decided to try it again using a Sue Greggs' recipe and 4 T from last week's yogurt batch as my starter. It turned out just as thick as the batch with the commercial starter. Woo-hoo! It was so easy too....in winter, you can just set the 1/2 gallon jar next to the wood stove to culture overnight - perfect. Not sure what I'll do in summer.

Good Friends

2010-01-27T21:50:00.002-07:00

We had the great privilege of getting together with some dear friends of mine recently. Terry and Nancy Clark were here in Whitefish at Potter's Field Ranch where Terry was teaching for the week. The Clarks and I got to be great friends traveling around the country together years ago (pre- marriage!) for a Horizon Christian Fellowship radio rally. We had all sorts of adventures - our plane we were traveling in broke down, we were stuck in a snow storm in Buffalo, NY, we played a lot of Hearts, and laughed a ton. It has been years since we have been together, and it was a precious treat for me to hang out with them and let my kids get to know Terry and Nancy too. In all these years, they haven't changed at all - neither of them have aged!!! Terry has a very dry, witty sense of humor - one of those people that can say things and keep a completely straight face so that less descerning individuals (ahem) aren't sure if he is kidding or not. Terry's amazing voice and incredible piano playing make worshipping with him something you long for. Nancy and Terry's voices blend together so beautifully. Nancy is one of the most gracious women I have met. She truly cares about people and has the gift of making everyone feel special and loved. She has never met a stranger. I love the Clarks - they befriended me at a time when I needed a surrogate mom and dad nearby. Aren't dear friends a blessing??

He's BAAACCCKKKKK!

2010-01-16T22:07:00.001-07:00

It looks like he is signing autographs

Finally, last night, Brad got home! After THIRTY-FIVE DAYS in Minot, ND, he is home. It was long and cold (in the negative 50's sometimes with the windchill) and they were working outside for much of the trip. He even missed Christmas (spent it in a hotel room - miserable. At least Shaun was with him then and for most of the trip). After hymn sing last night at church, a big group went with us to the train station to meet him.....it was a great surprise. He is oh-so-glad to be here and we are so happy to have him back.

Sledding Party

2010-01-11T22:11:00.006-07:00

The makings of the sledding pyramid.

After church yetserday, we went over to the the Millers for lunch and then a boatload of us went sledding at the bowl - this GREAT, huge hill in our old neighborhood. A highlight of the day was the 18 kid sledding pyramid. On the first run, they peeled off a little at at time and just a few were left. On the second run (pictured above), almost all of them made it to the bottom. After a couple hours of sledding, and lots of photos, we went back to the Millers for hot cocoa and snacks/dinner. It was a great day.

Ice Fishing

2010-01-09T21:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went out on Flathead Lake with the kids and some friends to walk out and slide around. It was freezing - appx. 9 degrees - Brrrr! They were doing a bit of ice fishing, and although we didnt' last for long in the cold, it was great to get out on a beautiful day.

Best No-Brainer Bison Pot Roast

2010-01-06T22:50:00.003-07:00

The first weekend of the month, we have a potluck at church. Things had been kind of crazy this week (see next post!) and I forgot to take my roasts out of hte freezer in time to cook Sunday morning. So, I did the following and it turned out so well that I am going to forget to take the next one out of the freezer too. The meat was extroardinary....both roasts were devoured in no time. Here is the recipe:

Place frozen bison chuck roast in the crock pot. Cook on high for 4 hours. (I used 2 roasts, so I did it for 4 hours, you may want to cook on high for less if you are just cooking one). Add onion (I used dried flakes), garlic powder, real salt, pepper, and Montreal Steak Seasoning. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or until the meat falls apart. Make sure to stir the meat around so that it gets in the broth. If it is all covered, it will stay really moist and tender. You can add vegetables to the crock pot for the last 5-6 hours if you want. The great thing about cooking bison this way is that there is so little fat, that the meat and vegetables just soak in the delicious juices while they cook. YUM!!!

Not So Good Afterall!

2010-01-05T22:47:00.005-07:00

Nevermind....about that last "So Far So Good" post. At least two of us didn't get the scrunge, but I was not one of the lucky few. Last Wednesday night, sitting here at my desk finishing up something that I really HAD to get done, I felt myself travelling that downhill road to the flu. Losing my cookies started at about 1 a.m. and continued throughout the night! Just as a side note - I probably will not eat popcorn again for years....ever thrown up popcorn? It isn't pretty. So, far, in my experience, it ranks just under white rice as one of the worst things in the world to have come back up.

I awoke at 6 a.m. to the sound of Micah throwing up in her bed....all over everything including herself (I know, TMI. - I should have posted a disclaimer at my title: "gory details to follow") I crawled to her room, where she was totally freaking out. Elisha and I got her to the bathtub. Do I need to mention here that I was still not in the clear yet? I didn't think so. I don't do throw up even when I AM well; it was pure torture that morning. When I got her cleaned up, I asked if she felt okay, to which she answered "I feel fine. I'm not sick, I just throwed up". Excuse me? Do we do this often in our not-sick normal days?? Not to my knowledge and I would most definitely know. And she was perfectly fine the rest of the day. Glad someone was! But THAT someone wasn't the one who had to clean up the mess. I prayed a lot that morning and finally made it through to get back in bed for the day. I think that we are in the clear. It has been one full week and everyone else is well. Praise God.

Stuck in the Snow

2010-01-05T21:30:00.001-07:00

We got a great snowfall today and it is about time. A friend from church that lives in the neighborhood called this morning to see if we wanted to get together for dinner. Her husband wasn't going to be home until late, so we figured we'd get together for the evening. It started to really get snowing in the late afternoon, and as I drove over to her house, I figured that this might not be a good idea....it was snowing hard and the visibility was low. Their driveway is long and steep and I, being a former California girl, didn't even think that I ought not venture up, so I did.....almost at the top I started sliding down backwards. It was terrifying. I couldn't stop the car and the back slid into the ditch next to their driveway. I missed the two wooden beams in the ground, the telephone "thing", and the mailbox, but I was totally stuck. We tried for an hour and couldn't get me out. Had McGyver been there, he would've had me out in a minute - no, actually, we never would've been in that predicament, because my husband would've been hooting and hollering while sliding down that driveway as he got us to a perfect stop. Since McGyver was gone, and Angela's hubby was gone too, she called her dad. He came over and, like a champ, got me right out - over the rest of the ditch and out the back. Mike Wagner is my stand-in hero. I NEVER could have done it. Parts of my car would be missing. When Angela's hubby got home, he drove the kids and I home (I was terrified to drive at that point and the roads were awful), and then he hiked back home!!! What a guy. I am so thankful that there are wonderful people to take care of me in my hubby's absence!!

I think The Edge is in my Basement!!

2009-12-31T21:22:00.000-07:00

For Christmas, Josiah got an effects pedal for his guitar from my folks. We haven't seen him for about two days unless we venture to the basement. He comes up for air and food.

So Far, So Good

2009-12-29T01:09:00.002-07:00

After opening gifts Christmas morning, we were invited to our friends' the Nye's house for brunch. Upon arriving back home to the total disaster of wrapping paper, boxes and "stuff", we quickly grabbed our coats and pjs (leaving the disaster behind) and headed over to the Millers for dinner, a double feature, and a sleep over!!! Woo hoo. We had tacos for Christmas dinner. We planned on starting the movies late, but we party-pooping adults were tired and decided that 7pm was a better idea. We watched "Night at the Museum 1 & 2". Crazy and really fun movies. The next morning we got up and went to Target. Can you believe we did that??? Nuts. but not as nuts here in Kalispell as it is in many other cities!! There wasn't even a line in the return area - they were all back in the 50% off holiday aisles which was where we were going. After eating lunch back at our home away from home, and lying around like couch potatoes, we gathered up most of our many belongings (We always leave a few behind. It is kind of like a treasure hunt finding the Dunham leftovers. Someone left ONE SHOE this time - ONE. And I am not sure you can really call dirty socks treasures) and headed home. The next morning, when we showed up for church, the entire Miller family was not in attendance - including Chris and he is the pastor!! They came down with the stomach flu in the middle of the night!!! AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! The kids and I just looked at each other and started laughing. Not laughing that the Millers are sick, but laughing at what's to come for us. Ha. When we got home, I started giving the kids Tummy Tune-up and garlic and all sorts of my concoctions. Isaiah was achy today and so, among other things, I gave him some activated charcoal and raw honey mixed in water. I guess it wasn't such a great idea, because he took one sip, looked at me like he was going to die, and then out it came. Elias is feeling a little "different", but other than that - so far so good. I guess we will see. The Millers are better now; it was a short but nasty bug.

Christmas

2009-12-25T22:00:00.001-07:00

We had a nice Christmas - how could one not?? The plan that always existed was set in motion on Earth - Jesus came to redeem us. What's not to love about that? All the other is just icing on the cake. The one thing that made things tough for us here is that Brad was away working in Minot, North Dakota over Christmas. He has been gone two weeks and will be away another 1 1/2 weeks. That was a bummer. More of a bummer for him, though, I am sure. It has been totally freezing there and he's working LONNNNGG days. So, McGyver - this post is for you so you can see our Christmas photos!!

Everyone wearing their hats and gloves from Grandma and Grandpa.

My folks got the girls two really cute outfits form Lands End. Here is one.

Go Fish Revival

2009-12-23T10:19:00.000-07:00

Three Christmases ago, my brother and sister-in-law sent this great CD by Go Fish. It is fun, catchy and intelligent (for the most part) kid music, by these three Christian dads. WE liked it, listened for a few days, but then it went into the pile of the zillion CDs we have and sat.....until lately. We are having a Go Fish Revival at our house. My kids must have listened to our Snazzy CD three thousand times in the past two weeks. I think it was sparked when the Super Hero song was used in a slide show at our friend's wedding in San Diego this November. Just this morning, I was getting dressed and had to succomb to the "Mom Song" ("If you work all day and you never get paid you're a mom") 8 times in a row- full blast - until I went out and told Isaiah to turn it down and play another song.... PLEASE! I really love the song, but....5 times in a row?? The kids want the Christmas CD "Snow" (great CD) and since they don't have it, they decided to listen to the next best thing - Snazzy. If you haven't heard these guys, you ought to. Some of their songs include The Jammy Song, It's Hard to Look Cool in a Mini Van, and the more serious Saved my Faith. Go here to sample and then buy one!

Let it Snow!

2009-12-22T23:53:00.006-07:00

Raise your hand if you think that Montana should have freezing cold temperatures and lots of snow right now! Me too; but, THINKING we should have snow does not produce results!! We HAD snow a week ago, but for the past three days we have had nothing but........RAIN! Yep, RAIN at Christmas. Can't wait until the temperature drops and all that rain freezes - now, won't that be fun? Kind of like ice skating, except on the highway in your car. No, it won't be fun, but snow would be. So, for those of you who think Montana is sort of like Siberia - you are wrong. Maybe you were thinking of the East coast. ;)

The War Wagon

2009-12-02T09:52:00.001-07:00

Shaun is driving back from California to Montana with us so that we can transport the “war wagon” to MT. It is an old step van that McGyver converted into a mobile media truck for Pacific Coast Communications business a few years ago. It has been sitting dormant for a few years. It used to have a projector and internet system inside and a screen on the outside for the display. It now houses a high performance gitty-up engine that we are going to change out to a different truck for Shaun to take back to San Diego. The heat in the war wagon isn’t the greatest…..Shaun and Brad are switching out every half hour so that no one freezes to death (it is -4 right now at 9:52 am)…..freezing to death would be bad. I’m being spared that duty – this is when being a female driver really pays off.

The best carne asada ever

2009-12-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, I had the best carne asada burrito I have ever had – and it isn’t because we are totally deprived that I feel that way – I know a good carne asada when I see one! There is a little hole in the wall in Escondido called Jilbertos. The hot sauce was excellent too (that’s how we judge a good Mexican shop – carne asada and hot sauce. And the beans were great too). If someone in San diego wanted to move to Montana and open a taco shop here in Kalispell, they could make a killing. All of us displaced Californians here (not sure who lived here before we all came) lament over the great Mexican food we are missing out on (and the fact that there isn't a Trader Joe's anywhere even remotely close by, but that's another story). So, if in San Diego, go to Jilbertos. BUT don’t use the bathroom – it does NOT live up to the carne asada standard. ICK.

Welcome Home

2009-12-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

We aren’t exactly home, but we are in Montana now, and what a welcome! It was -3 (yep, that’s negative three degrees) in Dillon where we stopped last night. HA! It won’t be near that cold in Kalispell, but it might be at the ranch. Brad met a manager at McDonald’s (my McGyver talks to everyone) and the guy RUNS to work and home every day/night – three miles – tonight in negative three degrees. Shaun says that people in Montana are crazy – we say they are just hard core!!

Do You Swagbucks?

2009-10-31T22:44:00.004-06:00

Swagbucks is my new, fun thing. Swagbucks is a search engine - just like Google, except that searching via Swagbucks earns you rewards and prizes. JUST FOR SEARCHING through their website, like you already do, you earn points. You can redeem them for PayPal cash, Starbucks cards, Amazon gift cards, and countless other items. You can download their toolbar which sets Swagbucks as your automatic search engine. It doesn't exactly sound the same as "Google it", but maybe it will someday, so go "Swagbucks it" - right now!!

Buffalo Rapids

2009-07-30T22:14:00.000-06:00

On Monday, we all went rafting with the Nelsons, Cassens (Happy Birthday, Weston), Maders and some of their friends. We started in Polson and rafted the Flathead River and the Buffalo Rapids. Karen and Doug Nelson and Steve Mader are pros. Doug and his brother owned a rafting company years ago and still have all the gear and expertise. I hadn't been rafting since I first visited Montana 20 years before, and I was with Doug and Steve on the Buffalo Rapids back then too. So, it was a blast from the past for me. We had so much fun. The day was perfect, the water warm and the fellowship even better. Forest was along with us on a kayak. I found out a few hours after we started that he had never kayaked before!!! He was amazing. Okay, well, he had gotten in the kayak on the Lake the day before because he figured he had better know how to flip back over if he went under. Yeah, good idea. So, I cannot technically say that he had never been in a kayak before, but in my book, jumping in the lake with the kayak to learn to flip doesn't count. We have some hard core, outdoorsy friends. He was so impressive - you'd have thought he had done this for years. All the kids did great. Doug has a great vision for teaching the kids to be proficient all these activities so that as they get older they will be has partners in adventure. He goes about it in a really fun way. On rafting trips, he gives them Pirate and Princess tests. They are fun "tests" that the kids have to do in order to steer the boats or earn other privileges. They are based on situations that they really might encounter, and his goal is for them to have already been though those situations in fun so that they can navigate through them during a possibly stressful time. For instance, one of the tests is for the kids to get in the water on one side of the boat and go under the boat to the other side. With a life jacket on, you can't swim under, so you have to dive down and then walk your hands along the underside of the boat and across to the other side. It is a very claustrophobic situation, but if a boat turns over while you aregoing over rapids, it could very well end up on top of you and you would have to "walk" your way out from under it. So, this Pirate/Princess test would make them more comfortable and less likely to freak out in a possible future situation. Jessica Cassens (13) steered her own boat. She did a great job manning her boat and hitting the rapids perfectly. The kids were in the smaller boats and really got to rock and roll on the rapids. Only one boat went over and Elias and Isaiah happened to be in it. There were bodies and paddles everywhere. I thought that Elias would freak out, but when we dragged him in our boat, he said "that was awesome!".

We stopped at two different cliff jumping spots. After doing the car shuttling back to where our cars were parked, we drove into Polson for dinner at the Burger Barn. Nora and Dan were in town visiting from Encinitas and bought ALL of us dinner.....there were 23 of us!!! We were all ready to go back and do it all again. Being on the water is such fun. It has been a fun summer for us being in the water much more than usual. We have missed that about San Diego.

Some Friends

2009-07-30T09:02:00.006-06:00

We recently received a flyer in the mail from some of our "friends" in San Diego....it was an In N Out Burger flyer with headlines reading "Fresh is Never Far Away", listing all of the In N' Out locations in the U.S. (not enough in my book). Right next to the headline, these so-called "friends" added a personal note which reads "However, in your case I think you would have to drive pretty far. We are only 20 minutes away. Are you jealous?"

Hm. Did I mention that we LOVE In N' Out Burger? Does that sound like a very "friendly" note to you? I didn't think so. So, here is my public rebuttal: Dear "Friends", you may be only 20 minutes away from In N Out Burger while we are appx. 15 hours away, however, even though you live in San Diego and we are in Montana, WE are much closer to the water than you!!! See photo below". LOVE, The Dunhams. Is there a way to blow a raspberry in writing? If so, consider it done! ;)

The Return of Bitty Baby

2009-07-30T08:56:00.005-06:00

Bitty Baby has been on vacation in San Diego for the past 3 months, along with many other items that decided to remain at the Curles' house when we came back to Montana...."the box" arrived yesterday. Micah was so excited that Bitty Baby was home that she didn't leave her side all day long.....she was pushed in the stroller, fed lunch and dinner (she arrived after breakfast), put down for countless naps and woken again, and in the evening we even had a tea party in her honor. Such festivities for a doll. Welcome home, Bitty Baby!

New Milestones

2009-07-29T22:08:00.000-06:00

About two weeks ago, I tried teaching Micah to tie her shoes. We were going somewhere and she wanted to know, so I gave her the quick tutorial. She was frustrated with the push-the-shoestring-through-the-loop part, but I told her that we'd keep working on it. Two days later she put her feet up on the seat of the car and said "Look, I tied my shoes". I looked and they were tied. So I, being the kind of mother that has great faith in her children, asked "Who did that for you?" I was amazed when she answered that she indeed had done it herself and proceeded to show me just how she did it. WOW!! Too bad everyone isn't that easy. I think one of my kids (who will remain nameless), didn't get it figured out until, well...um, let's just say we have issues there.

Make Hay When the Sun Shines

2009-07-28T22:26:00.005-06:00

...........well, that's the idea at least. It is cherry season in the Flathead Valley (well, everywhere, I guess). Our new place has 4 cherry trees.....one Rainier, one Bing, one pie cherry, and one that we can't figure out. My fingers have been black for about a week now. In the midst of moving, it is that time of year when you have to process your cherries or lose them. So, we did what all narcissistic people with boxes everywhere do.....we did cherries!! Tracy Rickel was my partner in crime. One evening last week, she and her girls came over and we all processed some pie cherries.....to the tune of 19 pies worth. Then, this Saturday at her house, we processed 84 pounds of Bing cherries.

Today, we all met here again and picked the rest of our pie cherries and after pitting them all, we ended up with cherries to make 24 pies. It is a good thing that I love cherries....or maybe it's a bad thing. I guess I'll let you know after we've eaten all those pies. HA!

The New Digs

2009-07-23T00:05:00.000-06:00

We just did what we do every summer.....MOVED. As much as we hate doing that, we cannot believe our new place. The house itself is great, we are on three acres, there are fruit trees everywhere (3 cherries, 2 apricots - big apricots, an italian plum, a 'regular' plum, 7 apple, and a pear), and we have a spectacular view. We are right across the street from Flathead Lake with a view of the Mission Mountains just beyond the lake. Amazing. We are water people - Brad is a surfer (avid) and we miss the beach in California, so it is great being so near the water again. We didn't realize how much we missed it until we moved in here. We are thankful and hope that we can be here a while - hopefully until we buy our own place. I am ready for a new summer plan.

The view from the back (which is really the front from the road)

The front (which is around back of the house)

Welcome! The living room.

The master bedroom. I love it.

Happy Birthday Elisha

2009-07-21T23:07:00.000-06:00

Oh, our sweet Elisha is 12 - unbelievable. There are so many things that I love about Elisha. She is just a gem of a person. People have always loved Elisha - for as long as I can remember, they have lined up to be buddies with her. I have had more requests for "play dates" with her than all of my other kids combined - times 20. Not that the others aren't loved, but there has always been something about her that draws people in mass numbers. Even adults love to be around Elisha. She is such fun; she is witty and oh-so-creative. Elisha is a great mix of tom-boy and femininity....I love that. She loves skirts and dress-ups (still), and tea parties, but one of her favorite places to be is up in a tree. And she wields a sword with the best of them. One of the sweetest things about Elisha, and one that blesses me as a parent, is her tender conscience. When she lies, loses her temper, or does something that she knows she shouldn't, she can't live with herself until she comes to tell me or apologizes. I am so thankful for her in my life. I love seeing God work in her life and I look forward to what He has in store for her. Dear Elisha, I love you - you are one of my favorite people - I want to be just like you one day.

Where there are no oxen....

2009-07-14T08:08:00.002-06:00

Proverbs 14:4 says "Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strenth of the ox." Hm. So, the natural correlation in my mind is that where there are no children the house is clean, but what would life be without our children? I needed to hear this today (and tomorrow, and the next day, and....). Bring on the dirt - it doesn't look so bad now.

My view from the front seat

2009-07-01T22:48:00.003-06:00

Have guitar, will travel. It makes for really nice background music - USUALLY! ;)

Redwall Scmedwall

2009-06-15T21:48:00.000-06:00

I am so thankful that my kids L-O-V-E to read, but I am ready for them to read and discuss something else. Elisha and Isaiah were introduced to Brian Jacques' Redwall series (21 big, fat books long) by Jeffrey Miller in the fall. They have both, since then, read all 21 books (at least once, some more than that). Isaiah is now listening to them on tape and CD as well. They are dramatized readings and so he now has voices to add to his own line recitals (oh boy!). Unrestrained (by me) breakfast discussion is no longer about anything other than Dibbins and Moles. They have gone over the deep end. This happened last year with the Lord of the Rings books until we made them give it a rest, so I know that this shall pass. I am sure that we all will be able to look back on it with fond memories...........someday.

Sale on Geneva Bible Pages

2009-06-11T07:50:00.003-06:00

At GenevaBiblepages.com they sell original 400 year old Geneva bible pages made available in a variety of ways: framed, matted, or unmounted. They over ordered recently and are having a great sale in order to liquidate their extra inventory. They are offering pages at 40% off and there is even a family bundle at 50% off. They are also offering an incentive for helping them put the word out at Inashoe.com. Go check it out.

We Aren't in California Anymore, Toto

2009-06-05T19:41:00.000-06:00

Two years ago, this never would have happened....but now.....hm, well, things have changed!!

Summer....finally

2009-06-05T19:17:00.004-06:00

we had a late two weeks of snow. The ranch got 4 feet of snow in late April/early May while we were in sunny San Diego....it was ugly and cold here (in the teens for a few day! br!) from the day we left until the day before we got back. Nice for us, not so nice for our fellow Montanans. The cows and bulls are losing their winter coats and look so mangy. We have bison calves everywhere. We all went out to the ranch together for a few days and had some fun. Look at that clean air - can't you just smell it? How about the clear water? And the fresh grass?? mmmm.

So What Exactly are You Saying?

2009-05-30T22:08:00.002-06:00

Tonight, I told my husband about Abraham Piper's blog (John Piper's son) called twenty two words and explained that all of his posts are 22 words or less (an experiment in getting to the point). He told me that I ought to follow that blog. Hm.

another bison recipe

2009-05-26T18:14:00.007-06:00

Not sure what to call this recipe, but you can use round steak, sirloin, sirloin tip, or just about anything cut into chunks. Stew meat or "beef" tips work great too. Here goes:
2 lbs of chunked meat (see above!)
1/2 - 1 large onion - thinly sliced
fresh garlic - 2-4 cloves depending on your personal garlic meter!
olive oil
cumin - lots
garlic powder (not so much if you have used a lot of fresh!)
salt
pepper
steak seasoning - a few shakes
2 cans stewed tomatoes/diced tomatoes

Add some olive oil, the meat, and onion to a large skillet. Sprinkle meat with seasonings. I like to use a lot of cumin. When the meat is browned, add two cans (or equivalent) of stewed, sliced tomatoes (italian style is nice, but Mx. or any other will work). Mix everything up really well. Bring to a boil and let simmer for as long as it takes for the meat to be extremely tender
(45 minutes?), and the sauce cooks down and thickens into a gravy. The tomatoes will cook down so that they aren't big and chunky. You can break them up even more if you have picky eaters that don't like cooked tomatoes (like my kids!). Serve the meat and sauce over brown rice. For a different twist, you can leave out the tomatoes and just add broth or water instead and LOTS of cumin. Spoon the meat and sauce into flour tortillas and have your own version of Carne Guisada (that's a TX, wet version of Carne Asada). Both ways of serving are yummy! Enjoy!

Happy Birthday to me

2009-05-25T19:11:00.001-06:00

My mom and dad sent me $50 for my birthday and this is what I bought!!! I know it isn't a Steinway (or even close), but we are thrilled. And we think it is really cute. Maybe we will paint it some funky color or distress it. So, happy birthday to me - thanks Mom and Dad!

I love Freecycle

2009-05-24T21:27:00.003-06:00

Do you Freecycle? Last week, our espresso maker died.....after breaking down and having a good cry, we resigned oursleves to regular coffee (shocking). A few days later, I posted a "wanted" ad on Freecycle: "wanted: espresso maker with milk steamer". Later that night, I got a response from a local gal that had one she didn't use. Dear Bridget handed over her machine yesterday afternoon. This is what we ended up with:

It is in perfect shape and we can barely believe it. Also, last Christmas, my son wanted a capo for his guitar. My sister-in-law got a like-new one on freecycle in her area for him. It was one of the expensive kind. So, if you don't freecycle yet, you ought to go here and check out the group in your area.

Remedy Drive

2009-05-21T23:43:00.000-06:00

When we heard that Remedy Drive - no, when we heard that A Christian band, any Christian band, was actually coming to Kalispell, we fell out of our seats. Then, we got up and bought tickets. I had never heard of Remedy Drive, but Josiah had read about them and by the time we went to the show at a local church, we had heard their newest album a few times. When the bass player started jumping off speakers and they all started head banging, I was okay, but when the lead singer started standing on his head/shoulders on top of his keyboard with his feet in the air, I started getting a little worried! It so happened that, other than the few strange antics, the concert was really good. The sound left a little to be desired, but I enjoyed their music. It was really fun and I felt really old. After the show, Josiah went up front to check out the guitarist's effects pedals. It struck me as funny that everyone was crowding around the door waiting for the band to come out and he was at the stage checking out their equipment. We hung out until things died down and talked to each of them. Since then, we have followed their website and Josiah keeps up with what they are doing. A couple of them mentioned really enjoying CS Lewis and Tim Keller on their blogs. I was impressed with the Tim Keller part - not your typical rock band. It was an exciting night for Josiah and I. I miss that part of my life - the music part. It is especially fun sharing it with my own kid who loves it too.

Goodbye San Diego, Goodbye Curles

2009-05-10T18:19:00.002-06:00

Can you believe we all stay in one house for almost two weeks? There is much fun to be had! And oh-so-many messes to be made.
#1
the girlies The Goodbye Parade

I hate saying goodbye - the only consolation is that we go there twice a year on business, so I always know that we will be back. It isn't the place we miss, it is the people! We love those Curles. I think next time, McKenzie is going to stow away in my suitcase - or the trailer. Her mom wouldn't be so happy, but boy would we have fun until her dad came to get her!! ;)

Carlsbad Flower Fields

2009-05-03T17:31:00.001-06:00

We went to watch the Curles' Girls play in a Sonata festival on Saturday. It was a great afternoon of music and just happened to be across the street from the Carlsbad flower fields.

Guitar Hero

2009-05-02T18:14:00.002-06:00

Or so he wants to be.....I went outside the other day because I heard strange, outside noises. This is what I saw. HA! Amp and all. I thought it was pretty funny!! A trampoline makes jumping around on stage a bit easier, wouldn't you say?

$1 Taco Tuesday

2009-04-30T22:05:00.000-06:00

Have I mentioned that the thing we miss the most about San Diego is the Mexican food (well, other than our friends, of course!)? Shallow, aren't we? We lived there for many years and we miss the food (and Trader Joe's and Henry's, but those are food related as well. Hm.). We went to $1 Taco Tuesday at On the Border....the whole lot of us, except Wayne who always seems to be out of town the majority of the time that we are in SD. My husband is certain that Mr. Curles does it on purpose just to leave Brad with 11 children and the almost equivalent of 2 wives.....poor guy. Now, I know that On The Border isn't real REAL Mexican food, but we take what we can get - remember, we live in Montana. Anyone out there that is looking for a great investment ought to open a taco stand here in Montana. You know, a Roberto's/Aliberto's/Jaliberto's because almost everyone who lives in Montana is from California and we all miss the Mexican food - and the salsa.

On the road AGAIN

2009-04-25T21:41:00.004-06:00

I am a worry wart and I am thankful to post that the drive to San Diego went without a hitch - no thawed out bison(praise God!), no crashes, no tire blow-outs, no break-downs, no run-away trailers, no one broke in and stole our things OR the bison, and we didn't lose any kids at the gas stations. Those are just some of the things I have nightmares about before these trips.

We hit some really strong winds in Idaho - the girls had to literally hold their skirts down so that they would keep from flying over their heads as they walked from the car to the gas station. That was quite a sight. We stayed in SLC, Utah (one of my favorite cities in the U.S. and no, we are not Mormon. It is my alma mater - go Utes!). Utah was and is beautiful. Day two began with lovely weather and the worst part of the drive. Vegas was - well, Vegas..... and hot.....and crowded. That's where the culture shock starts. We hit Corona, CA (beautiful!), breathed a sigh of relief, and stopped at Rubios for fish tacos. Yahoo. All along the road we listened and analyzed music (well, Josiah and I did) and listened to books on tape (Dandelion Fire by ND Wilson was the book of choice for the trip down). Once again, our adopted family, the Curles', extended their precious hospitality to us for the visit and we arrived ready for a grand adventure. We weren't disappointed.

McGyver Strikes Again

2009-04-22T23:29:00.004-06:00

Have I told you that I call my husband, McGyver? No? Hm, well, I do, because it is fitting. He can do/make/figure out just about anything. One time, on the way to a church camping trip, we came across friends of ours who had broken down on the way to the campsite. We pulled over and with a mag-light handle, a bicycle handlebar, duct tape, and something else that I cannot remember (something strange!), he had them back on the road and running fine. Not only did they keep on trucking that weekend, but they ended up driving around for 6 weeks with it that way until they could afford to have the car fixed. ha. Well, there are similar stories, but that's our favorite. So, this week, McGyver did it again. We have been renting a truck/trailer each time we go to San Diego for a bison delivery, and this time, McGyver decided to turn our trailer into a permanently insulated box. We had friends over working with him all week (we really do have great friends!). We now have an insulated box that will require much less dry ice. We have another insulated box that goes inside the insulated trailer too. We should be good to go and no more renting trucks for us. That McGyver; he's amazing! :)

McGyver, with his lovely assistant, painting the trailer. Tad working on cooler box. Tad was here all day long - from bright and early until after dark. What trooper. I wish I had taken photos the day before too when Chris Miller and Jay Rickel were here helping out.

CROCK POT BRAISED BISON SHORT RIBS

2009-04-22T23:17:00.001-06:00

This recipe is for short ribs, which are not good on the BBQ - too little meat and no fat. BUT, cooked in the crock pot, they are delicious!!!! Here they are!

Crock Pot Braised Bison Short Ribs

3-4 pounds short ribs

½ c. flour

1 ½ t. paprika

1 t. salt

½ t. dry mustard

2 medium onions, sliced and separated into rings

1 c. beer or stock (bison homemade or beef store bought)

1 clove garlic (or more!!)

3 T. water

2 T. flour

If you are using beef, you’ll want to brown the short ribs to remove the fat, but with bison, you can skip this step – you want all the fat they’ll give you! Combine ½ cup flour, paprika, salt and mustard; toss with short ribs. Add rib mixture to crock pot. Place onions, beer (or water or stock) and garlic in crock pot. Stir to mix ribs with onion rings (be sure onions are under ribs). Cover and cook on low 8-12 hours or high 4-6 hours. Remove short ribs to warm serving platter. If thickened gravy is desired, make a smooth paste with 2T flour and water. Turn crock pot to high and stir in paste. Cover and cook until gravy is thickened. Or you can do the gravy in a sauce pan. They are absolutely delicious served over mashed, red potatoes.
Makes appx. 6 servings.

Lime Cilantro Tacos

2009-04-22T23:16:00.005-06:00

I promised to put two recipes on the bison website, but I cannot get on there to do it. So....I am putting them here instead. I will eventually get them on there as soon as my hubby has time to tell me how to get on! He has a secret password I guess - who knows what I might put on there! ;) The first is a Dunham family favorite. For all of you San Diegans who love carne asada, this first one will be one of your favs to. It calls for flank steak, but you can use round steak (we have our round cut really thin - it substitutes for any recipe calling for flank steak, which, on a bison is really kind of measly - they can't help it if they have little flanks, poor guys). I will put the second recipe in the next post. Enjoy!

LIME CILANTRO TACOS
1 ½ pounds flank steak (or thin cut round steak)
4 limes; 2 juiced, the other 2 cut in wedges
1 ½ t. paprika
1 t. salt
½ t. pepper
1 c. chopped cilantro
2 T. chopped onion
Tortillas, cheese, guacamole, tomatoes, sour cream, olives - any other taco garnishes you like.

Prepare marinade for carne asada by using the juice from 2 limes salt, pepper, cilantro and chopped onion. Place all these in a plastic Ziploc style bag along with the flank steak. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. Grill the flank/round until done (3-5 minutes per side maybe - watch it, tough bison is overdone bison??). Slice steak 1/8 thick along the grain first and then chop into small pieces. Fill tortillas with meat and garnish with other items. Yum!!

bison, bison, bison

2009-04-19T23:34:00.002-06:00

We are getting ready for a bison delivery in San Diego. We leave on Thursday and, as usual, there is little thought given to much but bison right now. We eat (yep, literally), sleep, and breathe (not literally) bison. So here's a photo for you from the last time we were at the ranch. ...of bison.

Rhett and Link links

2009-04-13T15:51:00.001-06:00

Do you know who Rhett and Link are? If you don't, then you should. These guys do skits, songs and crazy stuff for company promotions. For instance, in this video http://rhettandlink.com/blog/2009/04/08/413 Taco Bell paid Rhett and Link to do a singing drive through order promoting a new contest. The people working at the Taco Bell drive through had no idea about the deal. Here are a few of our favorite Rhett & Link links. Get ready for a few laughs....no, get ready to fall off your chair. We think they are hilarious.

http://rhettandlink.com/videos/#maine-man-series
http://rhettandlink.com/videos/#invisible-bed-fence
http://rhettandlink.com/videos/rlk-wales#mohler-mclaughlin
http://rhettandlink.com/videos/baja-inspection#
http://rhettandlink.com/videos/rlk-wales#bbq-song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LM5ubGwDfI0

And don't stop there - go to their site http://rhettandlink.com/ and watch some more. You don't often find really funny stuff that is clean. They also have done some things as the Fabulous Bentley Brothers (see Genesis and 2 Chronicles - they are our favs) for Jellytelly.com, Phil Vischer's (of Veggie Tale fame) new internet programming for kids.

The Mighty Bison Slayers

2009-04-10T22:04:00.003-06:00

We are getting ready for a bison run to San Diego at the end of the month and so for the past month we have been harvesting animals for the trip. We are so blessed to have great friends to help with the task. The funny thing is that they all love it. Good for us, huh? AND they are really good at it. Dennis (our asst. pastor) is an avid hunter and makes quick work at one of these guys. Scott has been out a few times too and really has the process down. The Haymond family is learning and enjoys getting the experience, and they were such a great help. It is fun being out there, and most of my kids love it too. Elisha LOVES gutting. She thinks it is so interesting finding the organs (ooh!). This last week, everyone but me went to the fields to do the deed.....every party has a pooper and in this case, I was glad it was me! :)

Trip to Bozeman

2009-04-07T23:01:00.002-06:00

Last weekend, we took a trip to Bozeman to deliver some bison and visit the Olsens. It was Colleen's 40th birthday! AND, she is 4 1/2 months pregnant, so we couldn't pass it up. Up here, in the Flathead Valley, we are all out of snow, so I assumed that they would be too. Not a chance. In town and on the other end of Bozeman, there isn't any snow at all, but at their house, they had at least a foot and it snowed all day Friday and Saturday. We got out the snow mobiles and the kids went bonkers. When the weather cleared up and got beautiful (Bozeman is a beautiful valley and they get lots of sun), they also broke out the mini bike. We spent a lovely evening with our good friends, the Behrendt's, too. It is always a great time when we visit. It is too bad that we live so far away. We are so thankful for the great friends that we have here in Montana - it is hard to believe that we haven't even been here for two full years.

Montana Ranch Beauty

2009-04-01T22:50:00.003-06:00

No photgraphic tricks here - these are the real deal! Spectacular

Vision Forum Spring Sale

2009-03-14T11:29:00.003-06:00

Click the above link to see what's on sale today.

Things that look great to us:
folding pink doll house
"The Widow's Mite" - the winner of the 2009 Christian Film Festival.
Incredible Animals - a beautiful, full color animal encyclopedia type book. The photos are incredible and it is a favorite at our house.
doll armoire
girls' pinafore pattern - my little seamstress is dying to get her hands on this.

Those are just a few of our favorites. What are yours?