Camp breakfast casserole

While at the farm a couple of weeks ago we broke out the dutch oven for breakfast. We started the coals and waited for them to get ready.
While we waited for the coals we got all our ingredients out and ready.

We lined the oven with foil (makes clean up a lot easier) and we were on our way.

I started out by sauteing the onions and mushrooms on the underside of the lid.

After the shrooms and onions were ready I cooked the sausage.

While cooking on the lid we pre-heated the oven.

After the sausage was cooked we cooked the hash brown potato's.

Hash browns take a while so this is a good time to catch up on some reading as Bub demonstrates.

When the potato's where done we placed them on the bottom of the oven and the shroom, onion and sausage mix on top and topped it all with grated sharp cheddar.

Then beat 8 eggs and pour over mixture.

Cook for about 30 minutes with a few bottom and some top coals.

Enjoy!

Another busy weekend

A couple of weeks ago Clan Daniel had a busy weekend. Our youth football league celebrated homecoming and as soon as that was over we loaded up and went down to the farm in east Texas to fill the feeders and bring back some hay! Sissy is a cheerleader for her brothers team and Sister is the teams adopted mascot.
The whole family is ready to head out the door for the game.

At halftime Dad got to walk Sissy out to be introduced at the 50 yard line and then be escorted by her brother.

Bub had a rose for his sister.

Grace and her escort "court".

After the game we headed to the farm. Once there our neighbor came over and loaded the hay onto the truck.

Sister spent a lot of time while we were there playing in the sand.

Sunday morning we cooked breakfast in the dutch oven.

Bub helped with the fire.

After breakfast we hauled the corn to the feeder. Bub helped out with the heavy lifting.

He was tired but it will hopefully pay off.

The girlie girls relaxed while the boy and me did the work. All in all it was a great weekend with the family but too short as most are.

OK, now what?

Do you ever hear God talk? What's He sound like. He speaks real quiet to me, almost a whisper. He's a slow talker too. You've got to listen for a long time before you really understand what He's saying. I wish it was more like the burning bush. Seems as if that would be easier except that takes the Faith out of the equation, and you know how God is all about the Faith part. I've been thinking God was ignoring me lately. Or maybe He got bored with me and fell asleep. The Mrs. does it all the time. Turns out He was talking in real low whispers. Real slow. As a matter of fact I don't think He's done yet. He has something on His mind and I think it's pretty important. I've been asking for Him to show me what He wants from my life. That I am all His. Maybe He's telling me.
That's the scary part. Do I have the courage to do what He says? Or will I continue on my own way even though I know that never works. I honestly don't know yet what He is saying I just get the feeling that He's talking. It's still too loud to hear Him. (no by the way I am not hearing voices, it's God, I talk to those other guys all the time and know what they sound like)

Please pray that I have the courage to continue to hear Him and that once I'm done that I will be obedient and do His will. That's the hard part.

When life catches up

Do you ever get the feeling that you missed something along the way? Do you ever stop and wonder if this is all there is? Don't get me wrong. God has totally Blessed my life in ways that I could never have hoped for. I have a beautiful wife, three great kids, family and friends too numerous to count. We have a roof over our heads, plenty of food to eat, we are warm in the winter and stay cool in the summer. God placed us in a wonderful town and put us in an awesome church and has drawn us closer and closer to Him over the last almost decade. But there are times that I wonder if I missed something. Am I doing what I was created to do? I get the feeling at times that my whole life is get up, go to work, come home, work some more, go to a meeting, go to bed and then get up and do it all over again. There is a list of things a mile long that I want to do,mostly work around the home place, and I get the feeling that I get about 6 hours a week to do it. Needless to say I never come close to getting it all done.
How do you break the cycle? How do you make the time to do what you want to do in life? I'm not talking about climbing a mountain or seeing the world, I'm talking about building a barn or riding a horse or building a chicken house or trimming the trees. These are the things I don't seem to have the time to do.

My mother-in-law made a statement a long time ago that the more money you make the more of your soul they want and I guess that is true to a certain extent. I don't make that much money so I can't begin to imagine what really financially successful people have to deal with. All I know is that I've got to find some me time at some point. I volunteer for just about everything so part is my fault for not saying no but I thought that's what grown-ups did. Maybe I'm just getting old!

Saturday in the Pearl

What a jam-packed, action filled day here in the Pearl at the clan Daniel homestead. The Mrs. and I started our day as we are most likely to start any Saturday, on the front porch with a cup of coffee. This day was a special day on the porch in that we watched 2 deer in the pasture next to us for quite a time. The deer here in the Pearl usually don't come that far out of the bottoms and to tell you the truth they seemed a bit confused. Next I started trimming then trees along the front fence row next to the road. When we moved to the Pearl this was a really grown up area and I worked long and hard at getting that area under control.
It's been about 3 years since I trimmed on these trees and they really needed it.

Funny though, like most things I guess you don't realize how bad something is until you start working at it. The fence row looks much better now though.

It took 4 pick-up loads to haul all of the brush to the burn pile.

The girlie-girls hung out with daddy while I worked on the trees. They didn't help me much though because they were too busy...

Riding their bikes!

The whole time I was working on the trees , these two were up and down the road.

They truly seemed to be having a great time. Where was Bub you ask?

Homework!

After trimming the trees I went down and helped the Mrs. with the animals.

They all seemed to be enjoying a beautiful fall Saturday in Texas!

The Mrs. was working with the steers. That is an everyday occurrence.

I took a pic of the gate and a post. Don't know why, I just thought it was cool.

Then we all had to load up and head to Alvarado for Bub and Sissy's football game.

I like to run the chains during the game. It gives me the best seat in the house.

Here you can see Bub (#16) blocking as the Panthers drive for a score.

While Sissy and Sister cheer their Bubby on!

After the game (Panthers win 12-0) Mr. Happy poses for a pic with my two beauties. After the game we all went back home. Bub and Nannie went shopping for Bub's 12Th birthday. The Mrs. and I hauled the rest of the branches to the burn pile then we spent some more time with the steers. After it got dark we ate hot-dogs and watched a movie.

All is right with the world for us. Another glorious day in the Pearl!