Happy Halloween!

Our little ghosts and goblins will be dressing up

this evening as a devil, an army man, and a kitty cat.

The weather will be beautiful, yet a bit chilly and windy

so we are planning on all bundling up for the festivities!

I hope everyone has a wonderful, spooky All Hallows Eve!

Hugs,

The Nine Acres Crew

Hay...You Know What?

Inside our barn

It is COLD outside this morning.

(Yes, I know I used the word hay wrong 

in the title, but I was trying to be clever.)

Now that the grass is starting to die off,

Brian had to go and get hay for  the 

horses and goats.

These long winter months are rough on farmers

who have animals.

I just hope we don't end up with 4 feet of snow on the ground

like we did last winter.  

Now that makes for a disaster for all involved.

So, I am off to watch Ty and Ladybug

at their soccer games.

This is the last regular season game and 

then we will start the tournament.

It is only 32 degrees right now and there is 

always a breeze on the hill where they 

play the games today.

Brrrr.

Have a great Saturday!

Hoot Hoot, I'm Cute

I simply could not resist buying this shirt

when I saw it at Target.

Seriously, how cute is it?

I didn't pick out the rain boots,

but have to admit it was a good idea

that Toddler 1 chose to put these on

because I could not have lived without this picture.

By the way,

is anyone shocked that it is

almost November?

Ach.

That means Christmas is right around the corner.

And THAT means a new year will be ringing soon.

Holy lost time, Batman.

I hope you all have a wonderful Friday tomorrow.

P.S.  I will be answering reader questions

over the weekend, so feel free

to ask away here!

ALMOST anything goes ;0)

Mum's The Word- Wordless Wednesday

Fall(ing) For You

Our barn and back yard.

Dear Autumn,
 You are by far my favorite season.  Your colors and crisp air makes my heart thump.  Oh, and who can forget that Autumn is the season for football...my favorite sport to watch.  Tis the season for warm cider, pumpkin and apple pie, and bonfires.

I just wanted to let you know that you are loved.

Fondly,
Tracey

Spinning Out of Control

Ladybug enjoying some swing time this fall...

Can I just say you all rock?

Thanks to all of you for your kind comments

and emails about understanding that I am so busy

with my life right now.

I never thought I would be where I am 

with my family or my career

at this point in my life and I have 

to say that I am very proud of both.

Yes, some days it feels as if it is 

spinning out of control,

but I love it.

Most days.

I do yearn for a day of quiet when I can

wrap up in a blanket in front of a 

Sunday Raven's football game and just veg.

But, there is time enough in life for that.

Right now I would rather grab

the bull by the horns and hold on for dear life.

Life is funny that way...

the twists and turns on this journey of ours.

At least it isn't boring.

Thanks for all of your support.

I carry all of you in my heart each day.

A Lot Has Transpired Since Last I Updated

We've had an incredibly busy week.

I wish I had more time to update, but life happens.

Here are just a few of the things that have happened since 

my last post:

Two soccer games; one a tie, one a win.

Brian had a finger infection and had to have it lanced and drained.

Brian and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary.

Ty got pink eye.

Ladybug had a field trip.

Ladybug and Ty ran the Sandy Richardson Run and both

came in the top 10% of their class.

Social Workers and the CASA came to visit the foster children.

I attended a meeting for  foster care.

I had lunch with two good friends...one who is beating breast cancer.

I uploaded, ordered and delivered over 200 

pictures for my most recent rec shoot.

This week coming up promises to be just as busy.

I hope I will be able to post a few times,

but I am working Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday

out of the house on the baby product shoot.

And then Thursday and Friday are filled with

doctor appointments.

I tried to visit a few of you this morning before

all heck broke loose with 4 kids...

*sigh*

One of these days life will be back to normal.

I did get a chance to run outside and grab a few shots of Ty

driving the 4wheeler with my new Canon 100-400mm zoom.

Love it!

Have a wonderful evening, y'all.

xoxo

Foggy Fall Morn

Me As An Ape and a Lion

Scary, I know.

This is what I would look like as an ape or a lion.

Wowzers.

:0)

Miss you all!

Today another casting call...

If you live in the Maryland area and know of 

anyone who has a baby ages 2-7 weeks old

please let them know we are having a casting call

for a Well Known Baby Product print ad.

It will be from 10AM until 3PM

at the Embassy Suites in Hunt Valley, MD.

Today is the last day!

The company is choosing about 8 babies to move on

to the next phase of shooting.

Anyone chosen for one of these 8 positions will be monetarily compensated!

More info is available at the casting call!

Swamped

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth...

Just super busy.  Over 200 rec photos edited, now uploading and ordering.

Working all day assisting a casting call for a large commercial photo shoot.  Let's hope we get lots of beautiful babies!

I will return soon to regular posting.

Miss you all!

Day 276/365- Amish Country

Tis that time of year for beautiful farmscapes.

This is a beautiful, well groomed farm in 

the heart of Amish country...

near Quarryville, Pennsylvania.

Image was taken out the window of the truck

as we were zooming past.

I used a Shadowhouse Creations Texture,

which you can find here.

Have a peaceful Sunday, y'all.

Day 275/365- Up in Arms

Brian shooting a clay bird...can you see it in the sky?

One thing you might not know about me

is that I am VERY competitive.

I like to compete to win and

I like to try new things.

I especially like to do anything a man can do.

So, a couple of years ago

Brian took me to shoot sporting clays.

While I would never consider 

shooting an animal,

the thought of shooting flying discs

appealed to me.

So we went and I had a blast.

When I was a little girl,

my dad called me Annie Oakley

because I could shoot all of the cans

off the wooden railroad tie

one after another.

That, however, was a BB gun

and for sporting clays

you use a shotgun.

*slight difference*

The first time I went with Brian to shoot,

I did really, really well and stayed within

one shot of him.

Considering he had more experience 

than I did,

I was proud of myself.

This time, however, the course was

more difficult and the clays went a lot 

faster and a lot further than the

first course.

I am sad to admit that I didn't do as well

as what I would have liked,

but my poor performance just

motivates me to go again and do better next time.

If you live in Northern Maryland

or Southern Pennsylvania,

and would like to try out a great sporting clay course,

you have to check out

Warrington Sporting Clays.

The people were great...

(our trapper was Larry)

the surroundings are beautiful,

and the course is challenging.

A shotgun will give you an arm workout for sure!

How do you like that fashionable ammo bag?

I find I am  attracted to the power of a shotgun!

Brian whooping my butt,,,he got more than double the hits I did!

Out wonderful (and patient) trapper, Larry.

Thanks for a fun day, Warrington Sporting Clays!

Day 274/365- E. Biddle Street

Baltimore City, Maryland

Last week Brian and I had the chance

to head down to the Hippodrome to see

Cirque Dreams:  Illumination.

He was kind enough to renew our

Broadway Across America tickets

this season and this was our first show.

I guess because I am a country girl

and I grew up in the suburbs,

I am fascinated with the city.

The movement, the colors,

the action, the sounds, and the people

have a dangerous, exciting tension for me.

I love visiting the city

and taking pictures of the city but

I would never want to live in the city.

There is just too much stimulation for me.

The show, Cirque Dreams:  Illumination

was good.

The first half was great

and I was expecting a booming ending, 

but the second half was a bit of a let down.

It was more of the same

from the first half and I was hoping for something

even more spectacular.

I guess they don't like the motto

"Save the best for last."

It seemed to me that several of the acts

were taken from the show

America's Got Talent.

We saw the Quick Change people

and

a skit very similar to 

Fighting Gravity (see below).

Nonetheless, it was a good show

and even better was the fact that I was able 

to get out on a date!

Weigh In:  Are you a country mouse or a city mouse?

Day 273/365- Hanging Loose

How cute is this puppy?

He was playing with that branch

laying next to him until his owner 

came back.

When he saw his owner, 

he jumped and wagged his tail

so excitedly, I had to giggle.

You all know about my zoo we have over here...

Now tell me a bit about your zoo:

1.  The first pet I ever had was a _________.

2.  I have ______ pets now and they are ____________.

3.  An animal I can't stand is a ______________.

4.  If they weren't wild, I would love to have _______________ for a pet.

5.  The strangest pet I ever had was a _____________.

My answers:

1.   The first pet I ever had was a cat that I can remember.

2. I have 15 pets and they are a mess ;0)

3.  An animal I can't stand is a mosquito.

4.  If they weren't wild, I would love to have a monkey as a pet.

5.  The strangest pet I have had was a newt.

Happy Thursday!

As Promised...Warrior Dash Pictures

I was able to finish editing the pictures from the Warrior Dash

that Brian and Ty ran on Sunday.

This is one of the first sights we saw

when we arrived at the venue:

It was a HUGE pile of muddy shoes

that had been left behind 

by runners who had already run their heat.

I later found out that a charity organization

was collecting the shoes.

I am not sure how they were going to use them

(clean them up and donate them

or recycle them somehow).

It is a great idea, since majority of the people

don't want to take home their smelly muddy kicks!

We arrived at the venue about an hour early

so we decided to chow down on some serious 

Warrior Food...turkey legs.

Ladybug the Terrible was able to eat the

whole leg on her own:

Brian and Ty showed up to the event nice and clean...

but alas, that would not last for long.

Here is the start of the race.

The serious runners were in the front.

Speaking of serious runners...

check out the guy in front.

WTH is he wearing on his feet?

They look like ballet slippers with individual toes.

Many of the runners had these on.

Apparently, it is cool to dress up in costume

to run this event.

We saw a banana,

a guy in a pink tutu,

lots of Vikings,

Batman,

Superman,

and

Ricky Bobby...

There were many more, but too many to recount here.

How does a Ricky Bobby costume translate to "Warrior?"

Kilts and body paint were popular too.

The dude with his tongue sticking out?

Yeah, he better put that thing in before he bites it off.

Warriors do not run with their tongues wagging.

It's a bird, it's a plane...it is Batman!  

Oh, wait.

That is supposed to me Superman's theme, right?

Anyhow, here come Ty and Brian at the middle of the pack...

After the beginning of the race, 

Ladybug and I had to wait for Ty and Brian

to come down the home stretch.

We couldn't see the rest of the three mile course,

so while we were waiting, 

I took some pictures of innocent victims

emerging from the Barbed Wire Mud Pit Crawl.

We had Swamp Monster:

And Saggy Viking Girl (who actually did the backstroke through the mud pit):

Oh!  Look!  Here come Ty and Brian...

Ty is looking a bit happier about this than Brian.

Happy as a pig in mud...so the saying goes.

And, yes, my butt cheeks were clenching watching this.

One, because barbed wire was just above my baby's head

and two because this is any mother/wife's laundry nightmare.

Brian makes it through, although later he told me 

he could not see a thing because he forgot 

to protect his contacts when he dove into the mud!

And not being able to see is not a good thing.

You see, (pun intended) the fire hurdles were approaching

and it is just a *tiny bit* important to be able to see 

to leap over them at the correct time or risk 

getting your hiney scorched.

But in the end, all was well.

Brian did get quite a bit of road rash

due to the rocks in the bottom of the mud pit,

but otherwise, my two men were injury free.

Ty couldn't quite open his eyes,

but he was happy nonetheless.

They did, indeed, survive the Warrior Dash.

I wonder if I will get up enough nerve to give it a go next year.

I think I will add it to my bucket list :0p

Day 272/365- Looking Back

Watching my kids navigate their way 

through middle school 

brings back some fond

(and some not so fond)

memories of my middle school days.

I never had to deal much

with bullying,

which is a very HOT topic right now,

and I am glad for that.

Unfortunately,

the Nine Acres kids are no strangers

to being bullied.

Ladybug was bullied horribly in

the third grade.

Yes, the third grade.

She has had another taste of it this year

but she is much more equipped now 

to deal with a bully than she was three years ago.

My biggest nightmare in middle school

was falling down two flights of steps

only to sprain one arm and 

break the other elbow.

This, of course,

happened in front of the cutest guy

in school.

I was mortified.

I am not sure why bullying is such

a huge issue now days,

but it saddens me that kids

feel the need to treat others

with such disdain just to make themselves

feel bigger, stronger, and more powerful.

Where are the parents?

*stepping off my soap box now*

What are your thoughts about bullying?

What is the most embarrassing moment YOU had in middle school?

Have a fab Tuesday all!

I am out shooting shot guns today...

more on that later ;0)

Day 271/365- Ewwwwwww

Brian After Running the Warrior Dash

This weekend

Brian and Ty 

ran the 

Warrior Dash in Quarryville, Pennsylvania.

They were not interested in winning 

the race, but rather wanted to spend time

doing something idiotic and manlike together...

you know, father/son bonding time.

Ladybug and I went with them to cheer them on

and I took a few photos.

(I am in the midst of working on 

editing tons or Recreational Soccer photos

for work, but when I finish editing 

the rest of the Warrior Images, 

I will be sure to post them.)

Ladybug wanted so badly to run the race,

which was just over 3 miles

and included such obstacles as

climbing over buses,

a hay bail climb,

spider webs in the woods,

mud pits with barbed wire,

muddy hills, 

a cargo climb,

a wooden plank walk,

tunnels,

fire pits,

and waist deep water with log barriers.

There may have been more, 

but I could only see part of the course.

She couldn't run it, however,

because she is under 13.

I think next year I might run it.

I might.

No promises.

Day 270/365- Nuggets

Frozen Perdue Chicken Strips on the Silicone Tray they sent...

Ready to be baked

All white meat...no fillers

I was asked to participate in a taste test

for Perdue Frozen Breaded Chicken Nuggets

with all white meat

via SheSpeaks.

I was sent a coupon for a free bag

of the product and a silicone tray

on which to bake them.

I used the coupon at my local

Giant Food Store 

and tested the

Perdue Frozen Breaded All White Meat Chicken Strips.

This product was advertised as

100% all natural ingredients

with no preservatives or fillers.

So, the main concern for my family was:

1.  If they were healthy...

2.  If they tasted good...

 3.  If they were convenient...

and

 4.  if the value was good for the price.

Here were our official Nine Acres Family results:

1.  Well, for processed chicken nuggets,

I have to admit I like that there are no fillers

and no preservatives.  

There was nothing but white meat.

The breading does add a lot of calories, though.

2.  The result of the taste test was excellent.

Everyone loved the crispy breading and

the all white meat inside.

Everyone from age 2 to 30-something

was happy with the taste.

3.  They are very convenient, especially

on a day when you forget to thaw out dinner

or when you have two soccer practices in one night!

4.  I thought the full cost was a bit on the pricey side,

however, with coupons and specials at the

grocery store, they can be quite affordable.

My conclusion is that this product

really is better than many other brands 

of frozen chicken I have tried.

While I would not make this 

several times a week for my family,

it sure is nice to have a bag handy

for emergency situations!

I did not care for the silicone tray very much.

It got very hot in the oven and 

the chicken strips did not seem to 

get as crispy on the outside 

as they did with the strips on the cookie sheet.

It is so flimsy that it is easy

to drop the product off the tray.

I probably will not use the sheet again

unless anyone has advice on how to use

it in a different way.

Perdue was kind enough to send me 

ten $2.00 off coupons which I 

will be distributing to various

other moms in the neighborhood...

Thanks, SheSpeaks and Perdue!

*The above was not a paid endorsement.

It is my honest opinion.

Have a good one!

Day 269/365- Fall Finch Feeding Frenzy

Taken through my window on a rainy day

Well, fall is here for sure.

For the last 4 days it has been

more damp than not

and the temperatures have 

hovered barely near 50 for

the daytime highs.

I recently purchased a 

finch sock feeder that I hung

from a suction cup holder

on the glass door

at the back of my house.

It took the birds 

FOREVER

to find it, 

but when they did,

Boy, Howdy 

did they find it.

They must have told all of their friends,

their relatives,

and relatives friends.

I have had upwards of 6 finches

on the feeder at once,

all squawking and squirming...

carrying on with gusto.

I have prepared a MOST

professional video to 

illustrate just how much

movement was going on...

Until tomorrow myfriendly fall friends...MMMMwah!

Day 268/365- Pointy

Day 267/365- Cranium * More Reader Questions Answered!

Answering More Reader Questions Today!

Question 1 from Gayle:

Hi Tracey, thanks for asking the question about Obama... I don't think it was answered. Just a bunch of mumbo, jumbo. The right question would have been.... Do you believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the second person of the God head? Gayle

Well, Gayle...that is why I asked that question

the other day.

(For those of you who missed the discussion,

you can catch up here in the comment section.)

I am not a political person.

Nor am I what I would call a religious person.

I am, however, very spiritual.

So, I was curious which side of the road

most of my readers would take,

and it was fascinating for me to read all 

of your comments.

I appreciate both points of view

about how President Obama answered the question.

My personal opinion is 

I don't really think specific religious dogma should

be an issue in a country that supposedly supports

diversity and varying religious beliefs.

I do think we should know

that our leader has good moral standing 

and honest thought processes but,

I could care less if he worships Buddha 

or Jesus...

as long as he is good at heart and tries his best

to live a moral life.

This is in no way an endorsement for Mr. Obama,

as I did not vote for him and would not to this day,

but it is not because of his religious beliefs.

Great comment, Gayle!  Thanks :-*

The next question is from Anonymous:

What made you decide to be a foster parent? 

Is it what you were expecting it to be? 

What has been the most rewarding part?

Another great question!

I could write for days on this topic,

so I will keep it short.

I have always thought about fostering/adopting

a child in need, 

but the real push came when my 

close friend became a foster parent

many years ago.

I met our foster children through her 

and fell in love with them.

I wanted to share the blessings we have in our life

with children who needed a safe, loving home

while they were in limbo waiting 

to go back to their own families.

It is more difficult than what I was expecting it to be.

However, it is more rewarding than I imagined too.

The most rewarding part has been 

having the opportunity to watch the children

bloom into such beautiful, unique personalities.

They have developed language skills, life skills,

humor, a love of reading, and 

have a stable environment to call home

for now.

The hugs, kisses, and "I love you"s are payment enough

for such an all encompassing,

responsibility laden job.

To read more answers that have to do with

fostering, please visit this post.

The next question is from Anonymous too:

Where did you get that Flicker Fun Gadget on 

the side of your blog?

Well, to be honest, I couldn't remember off the top of my head,

so I went into the html to see if I could find a clue.

I was led to this site

and so I think this is it.

If it is not, I am sorry for leading you

in the wrong direction!

Let me know if this was right!

The next question is:

If you could have one super power, what would it be?

Tele-transportation

I am not a good traveler,

so if I could just close my eyes

and transport anywhere in the world I want

in a matter of seconds,

I would be in heaven.

I could see all the places and people I want

to see without the hassles of time consuming travel.

I could see the pyramids by day

and be home for dinner.

Now THAT would be fun...

Thanks so much for asking such amazing questions.

You all are the best!

Keep them coming...

You can ask more questions here

if you are so inclined.

My turn!

Be sure to weigh in:

What is your favorite fall activity to do?

I am feeling better today, so I will send 

kisses along to you...

xxoo

Day 266/365- Harpist

I hope all of you are having a heavenly Sunday.

I am a bit under the weather today,

so I don't have much to say besides

HURRAY RAVENS

for kicking some Pittsburgh butt!

Today is a good day to be a Raven.

I won't send kisses to you all 

because I don't want to give you what I have ;0)

Day 265/365- Morning Fog

The morning fog is getting burned off by the sun...

What a beautiful Saturday this was.

We were up and about quite early today as

both kids had soccer games this morning.

I am pleased to announce Ty's team won 

their game a whopping 6-2

and Ladybug's team tied the 

championship team playing on turf

instead of grass...

the other team practices on turf and knows how it affects the ball

whereas our team plays only on grass.

Woot!  Good day for sports in the 

Nine Acres clan.

On a different note, I only have 100 mores pictures

to post until I reach my 365 goal.

I am ten days behind in posting as I should 

finish up on New Year's Eve,

but New Year's Eve is not even 100 days away 

if you can imagine that!

Where did the time go?

Hope you all are cherishing this Saturday.

xo

Day 264/365- Ben Dover

How I Typically Find Ty Nowdays...with his ears plugged.

This image was taken with the Canon Powershot G11.

It was layered with two textures.

I got the music note texture here if you are interested.

So, why is the title of this post, "Ben Dover"

when this is clearly a picture of Ty?

Those of you who read my Facebook page

probably already know, 

but for the rest of you

I will explain below.

Unfortunately a few days ago 

I received a phone call home from Ty's teacher.

She was very angry at Ty and of course

the worst case scenario was running through my mind.

Ty has always been a good boy, but he is 13

and feeling mighty big for his britches lately,

so my Mom heart was pounding with fear,

waiting to hear what his offense was that 

required a phone call home.

The offense?

He had written a letter to a fake person per the teacher's directions

for a social studies assignment.

He addressed his letter to a "Ben Dover."

Don't get it?

Say the name of the person very fast.

Um, yeah.

So, apparently his teacher was super angry

because she said that he addressed it to 

"an obscene name."

I am not supporting what Ty did,

as he did use humor at an inappropriate time,

however I do not find the name "Ben Dover" obscene

by any stretch of the imagination.

I mean, it could have been addressed to an "Eff Ewe"

or something similar.

Now THAT would have been obscene.

I was relieved that the offense wasn't something

more severe and I had to take a step back before

deciding on what Ty's consequence would be.

After talking it through with two of my close friends

who also have teen boys, 

I decided that having him redo the assignment with

an appropriate name

and then write an apology letter to the teacher

for using humor at an inappropriate time

would suffice.

Lesson learned:

Do not use 13 year old boy humor

with your social studies teacher.

*sigh*