In The Land of Goshen

 I just wanted to share few pictures we took along the way to Goshen Pass for when we were Immersed.

 Beautiful countryside on the way there.

  

 JD crossing a swinging bridge.  We decided on our way home that we would stop off and just for fun go across the swinging bridge. It crossed Maury River around Goshen Pass. And just as we walk up to it, three dogs come up to the other side.  Two of them kept crossing back and forth while we would try to cross.  But the sign above the bridge says to walk carefully not run as to not cause the bridge to sway.  It was kind of funny.  Because one dog would not cross it.  I guess he was too scared and he would sit on the one side and whine for his two dog friends. 

Charlie coming back.

                                           

Anna Caryn

This is me when I tried to cross but I didn't like it so I took this pic and turned around and we were done. See my finger?

Wild life we met on the way home.

Butters

I don't normally write about products I use but I just came across Out of Africa Shea Butter.  I bought the unscented in the tin, shea butter lip balm and the body lotion tropical vanilla scented made with pure unrefined shea butter. 

I love the unscented for my feet.  It has done wonders for my dry feet.  The body lotion, the scent is like being on a tropical island.  I have spent several days in the yard and got quite pinkish/red.  I put lotion on later that night and I haven't had any peeling.  Peelings, wo, wo, wo, peelings.  I peel all the time after getting too much sun.  But with this lotion I haven't peeled once.  And the lip butter.    It really is like butter when you put it on. Not that I wear butter.  It just melts on contact. And  I know butter.  I come from a woman that used to lick the butter wrappers.  Paula Deen has nothing on my mother.  You can order online straight from the company http://outofafricashea.com/index.html or you can do a search on their website of where to buy some where close to you.  I found mine at Vitamin Shoppe. 

I also have to tell you about Inesscents Creamy Cocoa Butter Sudanese Coconut  & Vanilla scented.  Oh, my goodness.  If I could bathe in this stuff.  It actually smells like my homemade chocolate buttercream icing.  Which I haven't made in awhile.  But that is for another blog.  This butter is so creamy.  It can be used all over, I even use it for my lips.  I have to hide it from my son. He actually ran off with it the first time I showed it to him.  I feel bad because he has eczema too.  I got it at Whole Foods or you can order it online at http://www.inesscents.com/store/home.php?cat=2  

Enjoy!

Windy Day

Did someone leave the fan on upstairs, like on hurricane force winds high?  Because it is a windy day.  Like we used to have two pink rafts in our pool,  the neighbor called and the dog is now in their backyard, or is that a cow that just flew by kind of windy day. 

Screaming On Shavuot

So on Shavuot, Chip and I decided to make enchiladas. The recipe says to fry the tortillas for a few seconds on each side. So, I am on the second to last one and the spring loaded tongs slips out of my hand and splatters grease everywhere... and I didn't really realize this at first.  All I know is Chip starts screaming. So, I start screaming and there we are just screaming at each other. All I remember is that I am looking at him wondering why are we screaming? Then I realize he is staring at my face screaming and I think "OH NO, I must be hideous because I must be burnt but I can't feel anything, but why can't I feel anything, OH NO, my face must be gone that is why I can't feel anything". He just had this look of horror on his face. And we are just standing there screaming at each other. And then out of the corner of my eye I see our three children sitting at the table staring at us like we have just lost it. What is the one thing you tell your children when something bad happens "Don't panic"!. Yep, that is Chip and I. We use to be cool. . . That was a long time ago.

 

 

There Was Light In Goshen

Just this past Sunday we decided that we wanted to be immersed.  So we headed out to Goshen, VA.   My husband, me and our two boys had been baptised in the church years ago.  Our daughter just wasn't ready.   But it is different now.  We wanted to be immersed in a river.  Living waters.  So we headed out early Sunday morning and took a beautiful drive westward.  My husband and I had been to Goshen many years before and just loved it.  So we knew it would be a great place to go, besides the name is so fitting.  We got there a little after lunchtime.  It wasn't  too crowded.  We were just concerned about how cold the water was going to be. I wish I had actual pictures of the immersion but we were thinking we would all go out at the same time.  But once out there is was a little more difficult than we thought.  We had to get to deeper water and the bottom of the river was all rocks.  Slippery rocks.  So Chip, Charlie and JD went out first to find the perfect spot and then when they were done Chip and JD would come back and Chip would take me and Anna out.  JD stayed on shore with our shoes and car keys.  It was so slippery and we ended up climbing/swimming over rocks .  And it was not really all that cold.  Or it was just we on a mission and was not being deterred by chilly waters.  Chip had immersed first then led the boys and then Chip led me and then Anna.  It was great!  Charlie kept saying I feel so clean. Lol!   The drive was gorgeous.  We were at Goshen Pass on the Maury River.  Another funny thing!  No one paid any attention to us.  We thought people might be staring at us, but no!  We had a great time.

See all the rocks!

By the way this was not taken by me but I wanted to show how nice it was!

Blessings!!!

Groundhog???

Sitting at my desk the other day, this caught my eye.  What is that?  So I grab my phone and took a picture. 

 So I take a couple more.

Totally didn't expect to see this little dude. 

  Isn't he cute.  Then it was like he stood up to pose.

Chuppah: Why the Tent?

                

Blessings!!!

Not Sure Which Color Siding To Pick

How about all?  I guess they couldn't decide. 

LOL!  

Back to Eden Movie

I came across this great movie the other day and it is about gardening.  It is a must see for anyone that gardens.  You can watch the full movie online and/or buy the dvd.  I have a friend who has done this herself and she says it works.  I look forward to one day doing it myself when we have land. 

Back to Eden Movie      

 Enjoy!

Holy Smoke, Oh, Wait, Never Mind!

Okay, I was just about to take a bath when my husband comes in my office/laundry room and let's me know that JD just texted and there is a fire at the school.  What????!!!! "What did he say?" "Nothing yet, I texted him back to see if he is okay and hasn't gotten back with me," Chip says.  We wait and wait. OMG this boy needs to learn how to text faster.  All these questions are running through my mind.  He texts back, "there is like 15 fire trucks."  What?  Wait, why haven't we heard from Charlie.  Why isn't he texting.  So I text him and no answer.  So we ask JD have you seen Charlie.  No answer, OHH!   I try again, then I realized that oh, wait, Charlie is punished from his phone for two weeks.  It is sitting on the kitchen counter.  Of all the times to be punished.  So JD text back that it is a huge fire.  Oh no, where is Charlie?  Chip says,  "I'm heading up there".  "Wait for Me", I say.  Throwing on shoes and heading out the door.  All these pictures keeping running through my mind.  And where is Charlie?  I text his girlfriend, Kristen.  Where are you, I ask and have you seen Charlie?  She is up in Northern Stafford, her bus is in limbo waiting to know if they can return.  Then I ask where would he be in the school.  She text back that he is on the 2nd floor but right next to stairs.  Oh,  now I feel better.  Then I let her know we are headed that way and she wants to know if that is a good idea.  I never said it was smart, but us crazy parents do these things.  So, by now, we are  making a left and see a fire truck leaving.  Another sigh of relief. We pull up and instead of huge flames we see nothing.  Ah, another sigh of relief.  We talk to the security guard and all is okay.  Everyone is headed back in and it was just a small fire in carpentry.  Oh, ok. Let's go home.  So we feel good that Charlie is fine and turn around and then Chip says, he was prepared to jump over the fence and run around looking for Charlie and even run into the burning building if he had to.  Looking down at his sandals he was thinking he should have worn his tennis shoes.  We laugh.  That's what parents do.  We love 'em that much.

Not so funny thing though.  As I am typing this our boys come home from school and Charlie lets us know that unfortunately his classroom at the time of the fire was right over the carpentry class.  Ugh!!!  Not what I wanted to hear.  Thank you Abba Father for his protection. 

Just another day in the Pindell household!

Slower Pace of Life

Someone who embraces the yoke of Torah is removed from the burden of worldly affairs.  I recently read this at Aish.com.  It is so true.  Ever since studying Torah, I just look at the world differently.  And lately, I just want my life to be a lot simpler.   I grew up in a time when things broke, you fixed it.  Things were made by hand and they lasted a lifetime.  You made do with what you had. No running out for the latest gadget.  Times were simple.  I remember old wooden screen doors, gardens, my maw-maw's chickens, old barns, going to see family, porches where people sat and talked for hours, swinging on the swing, and a time where everyone waved to each other passing on the road whether you knew them or not.  Our yard took a whole day to cut it on a riding lawn mower.  It was great.  Put on my headphones and get a little sun. It cleared the mind.  Now, it just it is go, go, go.  Work harder, spend more money, repeat.  Now, families are so spread out.  It just saddens me.  I miss the days that I grew up in.  Things just moved slower.  I recently heard that by 2050 or so most of the population, 70%, will live in the city.  Wow! 

I think I will take the front porch, chickens, barns, cutting grass, the slower pace of life.

Blessings!