Off the grid.

I know I have been MIA for days 22-26 (27 including today). I am going to try and sum them up all in one. One reason I have been "off the grid" is due to the fact that we've had NO POWER! Yep! For 4 days now we have been with out electricity.
Friday (Day 22) we were out of power for a couple of hours, but it came back on quickly. That day was rainy and cold, but once the power came back on I got out stuff to make homemade hot chocolate with whipped cream and enjoyed the evening by the fire {a propane fire, but it gives the same feel!}.

I am thankful for electricity!


Saturday (Day 23) we woke up to white on the ground. No, it was not snow, but ice! These past 4 days have blurred together, but we still had power that day. We went and fed cows, enjoyed {except for the teams I was going for really sucked it up!} some football and simply just hanging out on a cold wintery day! One blip of power, but had power most of the day.

I am thankful for wintery days! {We don't see them too often around here. It's mainly just cold and windy!}

Sunday (Day 24) we woke to no power! I was planning on doing all this stuff around the house with the cold front, like baking Christmas cookies and sewing on some projects, but things changed. We had to scramble a little trying to find stuff to sustain life. This prego lady can't live too long with out a bite to eat. We got a camp stove going and got some grub cooking. It has been like camping {in your own bed} with candle light and kerosene lanterns and camp stoves. It's been a fun adventure. It is good to know that we can make it with out electricity!
Best of all, we got some good moisture!

I am thankful for rain!!

Monday (Day 25). Still no power. We took cows hay and made homemade donuts! Just enjoyed a day full of cabin fever! After 2 days already of being in the house, we had some cabin fever. Driving around helped a little!

This is just a pole that wasn't down. I heard there was over 1000 poles down!

The cows made the crunching sound on the ice! It was so cool to hear!

Homemade donuts!

There was an inch of ice on everything.

When you don't have power, you beat the socks off your husband in checkers!

I am thankful for being able to "rough" it for a while! Time with no distractions!

Tuesday (Day 26). Everything is melting! Still no power. Got a generator hooked up to the freezer and fridge! And watched a little TV!
My sister had a birthday!! Happy Birthday Mikkie!

I am thankful to have such a wonderful sister who is not only family, but a great friend!!

Wednesday (Day 27). I am thankful to be back at work today and to be headed home for Thanksgiving after work! So ready for some good mommas cooking and time with family!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

M

Thankful November. Day 20 & 21.

Day #20.
I am thankful for friends.
I have one particular friend that I am so thankful for today! And it is her birthday!! She means the world to me and even though we live many miles apart, space can't separate our connection. She is a wonderful woman of faith a challenges me in my walk with the Lord! She is funny, out going and you just never know what might pop out of her mouth! She is a blessing!
I love you Jessie Pope!


Day #21.
I am thankful for energy!
I think that second trimester has set in! I'm feeling better already and I have renewed energy! It is so nice to to have to prop my eyes open all day. I wasn't that sleepy before, but so tired and exhausted with no motivation to do anything. Now I am having more energy to get the things done that I need done!!
Yay SECOND TRIMESTER!!!


Happy Thursday!

M

Thankful November. Day 19.

Day #19.
I am thankful for my grandmother.
I totally forgot and this should have been yesterday, but my grandmother turned 98 yesterday! Happy birthday Grandma! She is one tough cookie. It still blows my mind that she is 98 and super strong! She's like the energizer bunny! Just keeps going and going!! One thing I love most is to hear her stories of when she was young and newly wed and the things that they did. A lot has changed in 80 years!!

M

Thankful November. Day 16-18

Day #16.
I am thankful for the Fall weather.
This has been one of the strangest years I can remember. It is probably not like this for most, but if you live in Texas, you'll know what I'm talking about. We have had actual seasons. That's right! Spring felt like actual spring, summer is hot as usual, but now we are experiencing fall! I'm loving it. Enjoying cool mornings, cool evenings, sipping hot cider {since I can't do coffee right now!} and cuddling on the couch. Most of the time we go from 100 degree weather to freezing over night. No warning, no time to aclimate. Most thankful for this cool FALL weather! And for the rains we've had with the Fall!!


Day #17.
I am thankful for Sunday Fun Day!
This is stripping {cotton} season and that means that I get up, make breakfast, pack Bobby a lunch and then send him out the door. He doesn't return until dark 30 or later if they're on a roll. It's all part of the job, but I don't get to spend much time with him {or talk to him on the phone since he doesn't have service where he's been :( } Anyhow... Today {Sunday} has been a great day of getting to enjoy each other and the things we love. We did a couple chores around the house this morning, then after lunch went and fed cows, played with the dogs and then moved some equipment from one farm to another. It was good to get to spend time doing that together and working on our OWN things for a change! Love my love and fun Sundays together!!


Day #18.
I am thankful for weekly updates.
I'm not sure if I have mentioned this before {I'm probably I have, though}, but once I found out I was prego, I got on baby center to find out due dates and all that. I just put in some dates and then it gave me the info I wanted. Now I get weekly email updates with my babies progress. It is the best part of Monday's, by far!
Just since I love seeing what my little one is up to week by week, I will share this weeks update with you!

This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb. Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him -- a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb. In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches -- about the size of a lemon -- and weighs 1 1/2 ounces.

 

 

It is so fascinating to me to see how fast they grow and develope. It's a definite miracle and there is DEFINITELY A GOD!!!

 

 

Happy Update Day!!

 

M

Thankful November. Day 14 & 15

Day #14.
I am thankful for marriage.
Today is our 4th anniversary!! At times it seems like time has flown, and others I feel like we've been married for much longer. {Absolutely in a good way!!}He is my life and I'm not sure what I would do without him! I'm so glad that God brought us together! Marriage has been a difficult thing at times, but it is so rewarding! I love being his wife and look forward to many more years together!!

Day #15.
I am thankful for Fridays!
'Nuff said!!

Have a great weekend!

M

Thankful November. Day 13.

It is getting harder and harder for me to find something to be thankful about. That sounds so awful, but it seems like I've already covered the big stuff! So, here it goes!

Day #13.
I am thankful for cotton!
This sounds silly, but it is what provides a living for my husband and I. We live in the middle of cotton fields. I bring this up cause it is harvest time! It is a wonderful time of year for farmers. They get to bring in the crop they've been working so many months to produce. It is kind of like when Bobby and I sell calves. That is our harvest!
This is also one of those things that can be hard to be grateful for. Even though this is my husbands job, I don't get to see him much. He stays in the fields as long as its dry enough to get that cotton out of the field!
{Here is a goal! I will try and get pictures of the harvest before it is over!}

Happy Harvesting!


M

Thankful November. Day 10-12!

Day #10.
I am thankful for my second trimester.
Even though I have been super bless with no morning sickness, it still seems like a milestone to hit the second trimester. It kinda feels like time is flying by and I haven't done anything to prepare! I know that I still have 6 months and I'm not worrying about it at all!
I think I'm going to start weekly chalkboards. Maybe not weekly, but every couple of weeks or so! This is a big one, so I did a lil' mac {as my sister has dubbed the little gummy bear} update!

Day #11.
I am thankful for our Veteran's.
Today, being Veteran's Day and all, I want to be extremely thankful for all they have done for our future. They have unselfishly fought for our country for generations with honor! We have the freedoms we have in our country because of these brave men and women. I am forever thankful!


Day #12.
I am thankful for creativeness.
I think that this is also something that I take for granted. I have always loved doing crafts and projects. Anything from sewing to woodworking and everything in between. Since that was the way I was raised and have always done this, I didn't think that it was that uncommon. I have such a talented mother and so I was always trying to live up to her, not realizing how high I had set my heights, but also not knowing that it wasn't that common. I am very thankful God gave me a creative mind and the abilities to "craft" and build things. I love it!

Have a great week!
M

Thankful November. Day 9.

Day #9.

I am thankful for my puppies. 

We have two adorable and cuddly pups. They are catahoulas and try our patience on a regular basis. They play dog games with each other and fight over who gets the chair {on the front porch}! But they love each other and they love us! So I love them. God has blessed us with some gummy characters for dogs and I am so thankful!! 

This is from our walk we took this evening!!

Sage 

Junior

Thankful November. Day 8.

Day #8:
I am thankful for health.
I am not one to complain, but yesterday I was suffering from a severe headache. I'm not sure if this is caused by the little one or not, but it is not any fun. I told my husband this morning that health is something that I think we take for granted. I am not taking health for granted this morning. It is a beautiful thing! I am feeling rested and wonderful this morning! God is so good! Thankful for feeling great!

And have a thankful weekend!!

Mandie

Thankful November.

In normal fashion I am behind on my days.

Day #5:
I am thankful for healthy heart beats!
I had a Dr. appointment today! It was my 12 week check up! A pretty uneventful check up. Everything was good and the babies heart beat is still at 160! So cool to get to hear him/her in there! Not much other evidence of it, so it is always good to get a fun reminder of the precious life in front of me!

Day #6:
I am thankful for my bible study group!
I have been doing the Beth Moore Jesus bible study with a group of ladies out here. It is such a uplifting thing to be a part of. I love love love the ladies that I do the study with and am so blessed by all their wisdom and encouragement. And Beth Moore is incredible. If you haven't done one of her studies, you need to give one a try!

Day #7:
I am thankful for my job.
Sometimes it is not so easy to be thankful for things in your life. Like today, for instance, I am not wanting to be at work. I want to go home and sleep. Days like these make it hard to appreciate the blessings in my life. I do like my job! I have great bosses and enjoy the things that I get to do. I have been blessed with great opportunities! Thank you Jesus for my job!

Thankful November!

I've decided to join the band wagon and do the "every day I'm thankful for..." thing that it seems so many people are doing. Even though I'm not one to jump in and do what others are doing, I am so thankful for so much in my life. I think that us as Americans have much to be thankful for and those of us as Christians have even more to be thankful for, that I should share and give God all the glory for the blessings in my life.

I am not super good about doing "day" challenges, but I will get every day done through out the month! Since I am already 3 days behind, I will just catch up as need be! Since the first things are so obvious, it doesn't much matter that I'm so late!


Day #1:
I'm thankful for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
He is my rock. I know I need to be more diligent in my studies, prayer and all in all my relationship with him, but I'm so thankful he is always there! He is my true romancer!!

Day #2:
I'm thankful for my hubby!
Anyone who knows Mr. Bobby knows what a little toot he can be! He is so stubborn and hard headed, but he still takes my breath away day after day! Even though marriage is not a cake walk, it has been one of the biggest blessings in my life. I have learned so much about my self and about life, and still have tons to learn. Thank you Jesus for bringing such a strong and Godly man into my house! I'm so excited to see him become a daddy!

Day #3:
I'm thankful for family.
It goes without saying that I would not be here today if it weren't for my family. Their love and support has helped shape me into the woman I am. Even though we've had our fair share of fights, I love them to pieces! I've enjoyed seeing them fall in love, get married and start a family. {Even though not all that has happened for each one, yet!!}

Thanksgiving last year! Will update hopefully soon!

Day #4:
I'm thankful for my growing little family.
It is such an overwhelming feeling to find out you are pregnant. Even though this has been something that we've been wanting and praying for, for quite some time, you never know how you are going to react until it hits you! We are blessed beyond measure to be apart of this little beautiful gift of life! It is a true miracle growing inside of me and I can't wait to see what God has in store for us!


Happy Thankful Month!

Mandie