New at our House

In my last post I alluded to a "what were we thinking?" moment. I'll get to that in this post. No fair, looking ahead. I would have posted earlier this week but the batteries in the camera died and I kept forgetting to charge them. Oops!

These are non-consequential, but fun little blessings that have been given to use recently.

I have been wanting to get an aloe plant for years! Not sure why we haven't, but a lady that goes to our church had an extra one and brought it and a spider plant to us. I hope I can keep them alive! I don't have a green thumb at all.



A friend of mine brought this amazing zucchini to us. It is so big, I thought it would be woody, but it wasn't. The outside looks like a watermelon, doesn't it? I made a zucchini, tomato, browned hamburger, and cheese casserole with it, which I didn't take a pic of, sorry!



That same friend brought me this bouquet of wildflowers.



Benjamin tried growing a couple of watermelon plants this year which yielded almost nothing. I don't know of it was the cooler summer, or the rocky soil, or a combination of both, but he only got two tiny watermelons. One he picked too early, and unfortunately, it was uneatable, but the other they split six ways and enjoyed with lunch one day.





This isn't new to us, but it is the first time this fall season we had black been chili con carne and quesa with sour cream on top. With a slice of freshly baked whole wheat bread, it was a filling and cheap meal!



We had a new experience Sunday at church. I was home with Caleb who was running a low grade fever, and Dale and the others went over for Sunday school and found this box on the front steps of the church.



The sign says "Help these kittens. Thanks.)" Cheeky, if you ask me. Why don't you take care of your own kittens? It really irritated that someone would just leave them like that. It shows no sense of responsibility, in my opinion. And what pray tell is the church supposed to do with them? We are a church for crying out loud, not an animal shelter. Okay... stepping of the soapbox...

Leaving animals like that is a felony in NY, but we didn't report it. There were four kittens in the box. They took it in the church, and soon one of the kittens figured out how to escape so Benjamin came running over to the house and got one of my big blue totes that was empty at the moment and breathlessly explained what had happened.

Okay, yeah they are cute. Who could say differently?



Of course we all teased Dale to let us bring one home, but he very adamantly said NO. No question about, no kitten for this family. We have enough chaos anyhoo, and a small house as it is. Adding a pet at this point in our lives just isn't on the radar, though maybe when the kids grow up and leave the house we'll get one. And no, I don't believe that having a pet is necessary to teach the children responsibility. They learn that now through doing chores, helping with the baby, doing schoolwork, etc.

Caleb and I went back home (with Isaac, of course) and had a quiet morning. Later I heard the crew come storming in yelling, "Mom, we need to think of a name."

I tell you, you could have knocked me over with a feather.

Please welcome Mattan (gift of God) to our family.