Sick Day???

Woke up this morning not feeling up to par. Allergies abound due to the changes in season. We are starting to feel Fall in the air with some cool nights and everything is starting to die. Sneezing as I type. Called in sick and slept in till 11:30AM. Went to bed early for me also at 10:45PM. Thus the typing of this blog at 2:30AM because my sleep is now off.

Anyway, it ended up being a fairly productive day around the house. Got several boxes of books together and sent Hubby to a friend's house with them who is having a yard sale this weekend. Praying to get rid of the overabundance of books and curriculum in our house. Girls and Hubby went to the park and library with homeschooling friends. While they were gone, got to cooking and typing. In the end made four jars of applesauce and four and half jars of apple butter. Also sent out 13 job applications via e-mail. Then laid around the house watching the new fall shows on television and went to bed.

Unfortunately, I am back up after only a little more than three hours of sleep with the sneezes back again. Thank goodness for nose sprays as they help some during these changes in season.

Soooo let's talk about these job applications......Oldest is not thrilled that we will probably end up moving if any of these now 20 job applications come through. Hubby and I are trying to explain that the wonderful state of CA is just not so wonderful for us anymore and why. Oldest is not buying it as she does not want to leave her friends. It will be a challenge but hopefully a blessing in the end. I have applied to the following places: only two locally, two in New Mexico, one in Arizona, five in Washington, two in Hawaii, two in Indiana, two in Illinois, two in CA and two in CO. Already got a response from one in New Mexico that there is not an opening at this time but application is on file. Hubby is praying for the other one in New Mexico. Oldest is praying for the two locally. Both Oldest and Youngest are praying to not go to Hawaii as they do not want to leave behind our goats and chickens. The five in Washington are near Hubby's oldest brother. The two in Indiana are near one of my sisters. The two in Illinois are near Hubby's family farm. Soooo I am doing the footwork and it is truelly up to God where we will be led! Lots of prayers for guidance in what I am doing and where I should be applying for our next home and carreer. We are going to wait till mid-October then start another round of applications if needed. I have some more leads that will result in another seven applications. Then there is another round after that if needed that are for another 25 locations. That round is for a similiar field but won't be using my licensure so waiting and hoping that something will happen before then. But then again it is an option and maybe I will be led down that path by God also. I am just grateful that I have options and I truelly believe that God is my pathfinder and directional light!

Boy am I tired!!

Well today was spent doing tons of cooking and baking. The girls picked out two recipes for desserts this week to use up some apples. Oldest did so much peeling and coring she got a blister on her finger. She was a great help with that chore. Youngest mostly just stayed out of the way but she did help with the shopping of some items needed for our all day cooking and baking Sunday. Hubby made applesauce and helped me out. I made two batches of apple butter. Not sure of the amount that will result as not in canning jars yet. Made 5 1-quart jars of tomatoe sauce. Finally found a recipe that I liked (thanks to the book "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle"). Made 3 dozen apple cookies-one for eating now, one for eating next week and one for freezing. Didn't like the recipe as the cookies kept sticking even with greasing the cookie sheets. Have other ones to try next time. Made an apple upside down cake that was a hit by all. Loved cooking and baking all day and the wonderful results but boy am I tired!!

New friends, New activities

I am sooo excited!!! One of my homeschool family friends told me about a local group of women called The Tehachapi Family Connection. I signed up because they are going to spend the day canning apple butter, apple sauce and apple pie filling. I will end up with 24 jars at 8 jars of each. I can't wait as I really want to start doing this for my family and I. Today we were blessed with the girls making apple crisp for dessert and Daddy making apple sauce. The start of 4 cans of apple sauce from this apple season. This weekend hope to make some more apple sauce and some apple butter. Also plans to make tomatoe sauce and another apple dessert this weekend. What a blessing of the fall harvest!!

Apple Picking Field Trip and Cooking with the Family

Well, this morning was spent at one of the many local apple farms. We got a tour and picked almost a full box of apples. We topped the box off with some Gala apples and bought a second box of Gala seconds (slightly bruised). I have just spent the last hour and a half on the internet finding tons of apple recipes. Yum!!! I can't wait till this weekend to cook up those yummy apples. Plan to make applesauce, apple butter, apple cookies, apple crisp, apple bread, apple brownies, apple cake and apple pie in the next week. This should be great!

We are also getting a ten pound box of tomatoes this weekend. Going to make some tomatoe sauce. Our kitchen should smell wonderful and the kiddos are looking forward to helping. Let's hear it for homeschooling fun. Math and science along with Hogwarts Home Economics by making Swamp Goo-a apple recipe sent by owl mail.

We are so grateful that we can make our own food for the next year!

Looking for a new job

Well we have decided that it is time to start working hard on the next leg of my career. I am no longer happy at my current job and we have been discussing for some time that we want to leave this area. We have been blessed with finding positions that are open as a civilian working with the Air Force as a social worker. I have applied for six positions at this time. One is local. The other six positions are 2 in Washington, 2 in New Mexico and 1 in Arizona. I don't have to get another license for other states as my CA one will be good wherever we end up. I also applied for another local job about 45 minutes away that is not with the Air Force. This weekend I am planning to work on the next batch of applications that are again with the Air Force. Fourteen applications with locations in Oahu, Colorado, Washington, California, Arizona, Indiana, and Illinois. Who knows where we may end up??? Keep your fingers crossed that something comes of these applications and that it will be a blessing for us. Hubby is feeling very hopeful as getting this recent batch of five out to the post office went sooooo easily for him. Oldest is not thrill to hear us talk of moving but Youngest is like when and where. I just keep telling them that I want us to be able to continue homeschooling, having enough for our basics and we would like to have some land for animals (chickens and goats) along with gardening for Hubby. We made sure that the places applied to so far has farm land in the area. So God willing I hope to be working a new job in the next year that is challenging but enjoyable! It would be nice to stay in this area as we like our charter school and friends but who knows (only God) maybe we are meant to move???? Just doing the footwork and asking for direction from God with support from my loving family!!!

Seven Days at the Beach

Well, we had an absolute wonderful and relaxing seven days at the beach. We used our timeshare to enjoy each other and the extended family. Grandma and Grandpa from Florida joined us. Saturday we drove the four hours to our timeshare then we picked up Grandma and Grandpa at the airport. Sunday we walked out to the pier and ate at the restruarant on the pier. Oceanside Pier is the longest pier on the Pacific Coast. We played at the playground by the ocean. Monday we went to two museums-Natural History and Space Center. Both were a blast for the kiddos!!! Tuesday lots of activities were done at the timeshare with some movie watching. Wednesday we went to the beach again. On Thursday we went to Sea Life Aquarium at Legoland along with Farmer's Market. Friday the girls made dollhouses with Grandpa and Daddy. They painted them and have been playing with them since we got home. We ended the trip with a yummy dinner of seafood at Red Lobster. Throughout the week we had Hubby's side of the family visit us along with Godmother. It was sooooo nice to not have to drive around to see everyone and they got the pleasure of coming to see us at the beach. It was an absolutely great trip and there are tons of pictures to develop!!!