chickens? Chickens!

Back in early spring I asked someone what they suggested I do about the bugs eating my peaches every year before I got a chance to pick them. {{disclaimer:  I knew this person might be able to give me a chemical free solution}}  And so they suggested chickens.  Easy enough we got some chickens.  And let them out of the cage to see what they would do...

 I have yet to figure out the getting them back in the coop for the night....but these past three evenings I have managed after chasing them around ....which feels as silly as...

this!  Glad no one has videoed the nightly chicken bedtime struggle!!

Special Days

Special Days...actually any day is best marked with festive pancakes!

Every House Has A Secret

And mine has a loom.  Actually more than one loom.  But this one is the one that you probably wont see.  It is usually not in the living room...but away from little hands that pass by.  Anyway it isn't really a secret but I do get asked questions about it...so I thought I would introduce you to my loom.  And if sometime you are at my home and ask to see it...I will show it to you--maybe even let you weave a little :-)

This is a 32" 4 harness Ashford Table Loom with the tredle kit stand.  She was made in New Zealand from Silver Beechwood. 

The project below is a scarf I am weaving...the warp is Lion Brand 1878 a fine American wool yarn available in yarn shops like Blueball Mountain here in Elizabethtown.  The weft is Wollemeise a german hand-dyed yarn.  If you are not a yarnie you dont get the importance of the Wollemeise.  Wollemeise is so hard to get that you have to be on line logged in at 5am EST on Friday mornings grab the first yarn you see available and put it in your "shopping basket" and by the time you enter your credit card number half of it will be sold and out of stock.   CRAZINESS!!  And the company owner Claudia...if she catches you selling it on eBay or Ravelry for an inflated price...she will block your Wollemeise account!  Lovely yarn indeed..but there are many other lovely yarns too :-)

Maybe I will weave you something...just ask me...I love a reason to create!  Want to try to learn to weave?  Or just want to give it a try to see if you like it?  Come over and after you are addicted...I will take you shopping to find the perfect loom for you.

100 DAYS of School!!!

When Ben was in Kindergarten he went to a public school and on the 100th day they had a celebration.  I made Ben a special shirt to wear to school that day.  Nate fell in love with the shirt!  He called it the "party shirt" and wore it proudly every time he could find it in the closet.  So with Nates' 100 day of Kindergarten nearing I made him a a special shirt!  {{and one for each of the other two boys :-)}}

Magic Traveling Suitcase!!

Mrs. Wizzle may have a magic traveling school bus...but she is a cartoon charactor and I cam a real, breathing, likes to eat cold cereal mom! And the other day I found a beautiful leather suitcase at a yardsale for 50 cents...it came home with me and it is going to "travel" all the land of Imagination ;-)


I packed the suitcase with secret supplies....


We took our "school" outside to the nearest cool shady spot...

---yeah someone is wearing their pjs...hope you like their uniform!!

Then we climbed up in the learning tree to read the story of Madelines Rescue


Back to the desk...so that we would still be in school...we learned about France where Medeline lives...we enjoyed some french food...koolaid(wine) and cheese(cheese sticks).


Thus began our lapbook about Madeline and our study of France:




travel courtesy of Magic Leather Yardsale Suitcase and Imagination Voyages

From the Tree to the Table

Best Moments

the good life is eating Mickey Mouse pancakes

For lunch

Just because your mommy loves you ;)

I am taking up "flying"

I have decided to give up and join the Flylady. I have been busy organizing cabinets and throwing out partiel bottles that I have no idea why I haven't already done so. I decidedto leave between behind CHAOS...Cant Have Anyone Over Syndrone. Organized and free from clutter...the less stuff I have to put away is less work for me.

Pictures to come soon!

Week Four!!

So here we are in our fourth week of homeschooling!  We schooled 15 days this month--which is really great seeing that we had a holiday and out of town guests!  The deal was that I could home school the month of July as a trial run and if it wasn't working out then the children would attend government school.  Things are going great and everyone is learning!  Praise God!  On Sunday an old college roommate --that works in Taiwan as a missionary called me and was coming on Monday!!  So we schooled Monday and cleaned like the President (well maybe not)  was visiting.

Jen and I...I tried to find a picture of us from the early 90s  but our hair was too big to get in the picture!!

We tried a little bit of "Charlotte Mason" home school technique and took a picnic to a local park....made leaf rubbings and just enjoyed being out in nature...may try this again in the fall when it isn't 96 degrees in the shade.

rubbing from the end of a bleacher set.

Massive leaf...glad that I don't have any of these trees to rake :)

Ever wonder wonder how things look at a child's eye level? {note to self: keep the camera put away!!}

So next week public schools start back.  we start @ lesson #16 & study more on our Australia unit study.

Homemade Vanilla Cookies!!

So I was just tapping "Next Blog" and I found this recipe by Coffee, Tea, Books and recipes.

Let me just say that these cookies are S-U-P-E-R  E-A-S-Y and oh so yummy!!

Half cup of butter and one cup of sugar being creamed.

one TABLESPOON of vanilla!

One egg

mix in

one and a third cup of flour, 3/4teaspoon of baking powder...and 1/4teaspoon of salt...not shown

mix well

how the batter will look

spoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet...place into an oven preheated to 350 for 12 minutes

not done cookies...{shown here after 10 minutes}

Ah perfection after 12 minutes!!  Remove soon as the cookies harden quickly and crumble when you try to remove them

Thanks Brenda!!!  I love these cookies!

I am linking this post upto

The DIY Show Off Parade :)

Deep Breath!

I got this picture from a lady over at Two Peas in a Bucket....some day I will have it printed and framed for my family room.

Today is a big day.  I made a huge decision--with my husbands approval.  I have decided to just be a mom.  I am finishing the weddings that I have for this year.  And have cancelled out of ones for next year.  Lately I have wanted my total focus to be on my family.  Making a home that I would want to live in.  Educating my children.  Taking time to read to the boys at night.  Dropping the mop for time to play tag.  And cooking whole foods for my children and husband.

I don't want to miss even the tiniest moments....because I have pictures to edit and albums to design.

I want to be available and ready to enjoy every moment.  The boys will be little once...and the money that I make will never bring these days back.

I am indeed the luckiest and most blessed woman in the world and I want to enjoy it.

It is big deal...in my world yes but then again ...it is my calling...so here am I Lord.  I place my trust in Him to continue to take care of us while we raise our family for His glory.