Scenes from the 4th

Hoping you all had a Happy Independence Day! 

Occasionally I like to cook and get creative in the process. I found this recipe for a Patriotic Pie on Pinterest and decided to give it a try and it turned out great! You might have seen my picture before it went in the oven on Instagram or Facebook.

The recipe called for fresh blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries. I couldn't find fresh raspberries at the grocery store in town (that's a whole other story in itself) and I refused to use frozen ones, so I just added more strawberries. It still turned out great - yummy, juicy, tart, not too sweet, pretty, and patriotic!

Oh, and I didn't make my crust, but Jeff said it best "but you did roll that crust right out of the box and made the stars and stripes at home", so it was Home Made! That boys a keeper! I would definitely make this pie again - if it wasn't for the 4th, I'd probably mix all the fruit together and use a lattice top. It served up kind of messy, but I was able to dish out the blueberries and strawberries on each plate. Our family has decided that messy desserts taste the best anyways!  

Jeff and his brother replace their mom's flag for her. 

It was suppose to be supper and someone said "we will be home by dark." Ha! We had no idea that they were planning to pop some fireworks. If I had known, you can bet I would have taken my better camera and tripod, but I didn't, so here's a few pictures taken from my phone.

I love that I was able to get the new flag in a few of the firework pictures! 

We had a good time and glad we got to spend some time with family on the fourth.

4th of July

Wishing you all a Happy and Safe 4th of July! 

 As our nation celebrates its independence, I realized the date holds another significance in my life. It was 25 years ago today, I received my first paycheck.

That morning in 1992, my dad woke me up and ask if I wanted to learn how to drive a tractor that day. A few lessons driving out beside the house and I was in the hay field that afternoon. My Granddaddy stood on the draw bar of his Farmall tractor, giving me instructions on where to go and made me so nervous. I raked hay for an hour and a half and received a paycheck for $7.50! I was paid in the field, that very afternoon.

My family had a commercial hay baling operation and that day they needed two crews running and I became the new hay raker, at 11 years old! The first summer or two, I just raked for the square baler, but before long, I was in the out there everyday. I proudly sported a "farmer's tan" every summer and learned a strong work ethic from my family. I drove my Granddaddy's Farmall 140 when we baled square hay or "Little John," my favorite John Deere tractor when we baled round hay.

I've earned a paycheck ever year since and by junior high I had a checking account and buying most of my own clothes and remember writing a check at the book fare and paid cash for half of my first truck, before I turned 16.

I wish I had pictures of those tractors and events, but back then, the camera didn't get taken out very often, so this is a picture from the hay field a couple years ago.

Now, if you think that was the day I became a farm girl, you are wrong... I actually started driving a truck when I was 4 and you can read about that farm adventure here!