husbandry and wifery

flowers for fun

2012-02-17T13:11:00.001-05:00

After last weekend, I was worn out with painting! But today the mood struck, so I sketched some flowers and used some brighter colors than I got to use during beach week :) We had a very nice morning outside and are all playing quietly for rest time. (it doesn't always happen that way!)

(Lest you think my life looks idyllic, a mere 30 minutes after these photos were taken I was cleaning vomit up off the kitchen floor.)

In other news, it has been a good week at our house. We have been keeping the house pretty neat, and I have been organizing. Now if I can only keep the momentum up through the weekend! Here's hoping that basketball and fun and church searching don't leave the house in shambles by Monday!

mural completion

2012-02-13T09:31:00.001-05:00

The mural is (mostly) complete!! What do you think? I didn't paint the birds but did paint the ocean and the trees. There is also a tiki hut in progress on the other side of the kitchen. I'll keep you updated on the progress:)

original artwork thursday

2012-02-09T19:58:00.001-05:00

Still working on the beach mural... I dragged in an old piece of drywall to practice with acrylic paint on a larger scale. I think I'm going to be ready by this weekend to paint that mural! I'm really excited. This has challenged me to work outside my comfortable small watercolor zone and I'm glad for that.

original artwork thursday

2012-02-03T10:19:00.001-05:00

I know it's Friday, but I don't want to abbreviate my title to O.A.F., so there you go!

This weekend I'm supposed to help my sister in law paint a beach themed mural in her kitchen, so I have been practicing. I hope it goes well! If it does I might post pictures. Hope your weekend is lovely!

happy new year

2011-12-30T13:02:00.001-05:00

A sweet little ditty for you guys. Cheers to the new year!

the kids

2011-11-16T13:44:00.001-05:00

It had been a while since I showed off my kiddos, so here they are! Isaiah will be turning 7 tomorrow, as hard as that is to believe.

These guys are becoming more and more independent every day, and I am loving watching them grow up little by little.

snapshot

2011-11-14T13:35:00.001-05:00

Here's a snapshot of my day

Crochet, reading (twilight again), laundry and internet. It's turning out to be a lovely laid-back Monday. Anybody have any books they read and reread for fun? I love series.

The ones I have enjoyed the most are:
The Troublesome Creek series by Jan Watson
The At Home in Mitford series by Jan Karon
The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling
The Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan

Please share your favorite series or books with me! I'll try not to feel too bad when you come back with classic literature :)

i-mazing

2011-11-09T14:30:00.000-05:00

No one told me having an iphone is like having an awesome mini computer! I knew there were apps, but I had no idea what I was missing! I am thoroughly enjoying my new toy.

(gratuitous image of our chickens using my iphone with the hipstamatic app--which I love)

PS we got a great deal, as we were up to renew our contract. We got a huge discount, plus they were on sale. Hurray! I usually don't know what the newest technology is like until it has been out for 5-10 years and therefore no longer the newest technology...

let's play

2011-11-07T09:04:00.004-05:00

Let's play catch up!

-This fall we participated in sports activities for the first time. Isaiah played football and it was a great experience all the way around. At first I thought it was just going to be us hauling him around for his enjoyment, but I have to say, it was great for him. Plus football is just fun to watch. Next comes basketball, which Isaiah and Lydia are going to start in a couple weeks. We're just trying to figure out what sports they are going to like by letting them try the ones they are interested in at least once while they are little. i don't know how we are going to do it when the littler ones get older! I don't know if we can be 4 places at one time...

(go #40!!)

-A major clean up of our filthy basement happened yesterday! I am so glad to be able to use that space for the first time since we moved in. I have no idea how long it had been since it was cleaned--probably many many years before we moved here. It still needs to be mopped again, and the ceiling needs some work, but I can now use it as sort of a pantry, and hopefully, one day, a root cellar of sorts.

(Inside the airtight barrel are extra dry goods like flour and sugar, popcorn and oatmeal.)

-I just took 10 hats and 5 headbands to myrtle's this past Saturday. I'm hoping they sell quickly so I can get some extra Christmas money! I would love to eventually directly sell on my own, but this works so well for me I will probably sell there for as long as I am able. At least this way I don't have to advertise and/or run a shop of any kind.

-My kids are candy crazy. Chloe and Toby had sweetarts and bottle caps before breakfast this morning. We have got to get rid of this Halloween stash!

-I am on a Harry Potter kick. We just found the movies at walmart for like $4 a piece so we snatched up the first 5. Still waiting on the 6th and 7th ones, although I had 7 part 1 for like 6 months from netflix. I just keep watching them over and over...

-It's so nice to finally be back! Hopefully it won't be so long next time :)

guest posting

2011-10-06T09:05:00.003-04:00

Today I am happy to be guest posting for Annika at all the live long day while she is on vacation.

Go check out her awesome blog. I look forward to every post she has!

oringinal artwork thursday

2011-09-08T11:41:00.003-04:00

One day I will learn photography and photo editing. This is not that day. Enjoy the artsiness:)

a random collection

2011-08-30T08:19:00.006-04:00

Homeschool has begun for this year. Isaiah is in 1st grade and Lydia is in Kindergarten. One day down, 174 to go. This is a marshmallow igloo. Because it starts with the letter "i".

Check out this haul from our garden yesterday! Tomatoes, 2 baby bell peppers, 4 aji crystal peppers (hot peppers), a small watermelon and a bitty pumpkin. This was so exciting! The most I have brought in at one time yet! Oh! and Nathan brought in 16 eggs from the past 2 days!

I made a bunting! I have been wanting to make one forever, and finally just did it. I made a freehand cardboard triangle template, cut around that about 10 times on 5 different fabrics with my pinking shears. I pinned those inside double fold bias tape and then sewed on. I did not measure or iron anything! Myfavorite kind of sewing project, no measure, no iron, quick, straight line sewing that turned out super cute!

Hope you enjoyed this random collection from the past week!

garden update: 90% off

2011-08-25T22:04:00.003-04:00

First, our local dollar store had some garden stuff 90% off! I got 9 (small) bags of this soil for 15 cents a bag.
Some seed starter trays for 40 cents each, the little trays on top for 30 cents each. Those on top include seeds and dirt.

Some herb garden kits for 60 cents each! One of them is planted and just sprouted by my window in the kitchen.

Some of my favorite flowers growing on my front porch.

Our two raised beds are doing just okay. The tomatoes are doing pretty well, and cucumbers, but the beans produced nothing. We are getting ready to pull everything out of the garden on the right to plant for the fall. We are planning to plant lettuces, spinach, carrots, and maybe cabbage.

Our corn grew really tall, but we got no edible corn. The chickens got a few ears and all the buckwheat that I harvested and raccoons got the rest. The buckwheat was so pretty we will definitely plant that again. We ate our first bell pepper last week and I canned 11 (almost 12) pints of crushed tomatoes last week. I don't know how much more I will get to can, but I hope to get at least that much more. I would love to do spaghetti sauce too, but the tomatoes are coming in sporadically, so we'll just see.

Our chickens started laying eggs about a a week and a half ago!!! I absolutely love having our own eggs again. They are still small, but hopefully we'll be getting them by the dozens soon enough. If each chicken lays one egg a day, we'll be getting a dozen a day!

If there was one thing we learned this year with our garden it was : PREPARE THE SOIL!! Even the raised beds could have used more compost or manure. Next year we'll know better. That is something I love about gardening, the learning and changing--how the mistakes are made okay with the knowledge gained from them.

Hope you guys have a happy Friday!

original artwork thursday

2011-08-24T21:16:00.005-04:00

Finally picked up the paintbrush after a busy summer. I think I got a few good ones, and a few that are just okay. (I don't show you guys the bad ones!) There are more, but I'll save those for another week :) Let me know what you think!

2 years

2011-08-24T08:35:00.004-04:00

As unbelievable as it was to me, my BABY turned 2 last month. We had birthday pancakes and a fun day at home on the day of, and then the weekend after we had a pool party at my sister-in-law's house. It was so much fun and so laid back.

The cake was really the only part of the party that involved any work, but it was so much fun! I had seen rainbow cakes on MckMama a while ago and wanted to give it a try. Then I had the idea to put a marshmallow rainbow on top. I think it turned out really cute!

The trick to a great tasting rainbow cake is putting vanilla pudding between the layers. I found that tip after a google search (can't remember where). It makes the cake really moist without so much icing between every layer.

Look how big she is! She loves to swim, ask questions, color, play with baby dolls, and wrestle and fight with her brothers and sister.

She wrinkles up her noses when she thinks something is funny. She wants to take baths all the time. She is so smart and funny! Her hair would forever hang in her face if I didn't put it up in a top-knot. She loves to make huge messes involving make-up, crayons and markers, and dumping out the first aid kit and emptying the medicine cabinet. (after first climbing up onto the bathroom counter, of course.) She can count to ten. Her favorite songs are twinkle, twinkle and happy birthday.

I sure do love this kid.

making some jam

2011-07-18T21:51:00.005-04:00

Turning two of these bags of blackberries into jam today was exciting!

Crushing the berries

Sieving out some of the seeds

Boiling, ladeling, and processing turned farmer's market blackberries into this amazing jam.

Yum.

Blackberry is my favorite.

family camping fun

2011-07-12T21:46:00.005-04:00

We went camping last week. As you can see, it rained! Every day. We had a good time (although it alternated between scorching hot and rain the whole time we were there.)

We had a little glow stick fun.

We pet a real live skunk, and got to watch it eat.

I highly recommend the Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery as a family destination. We probably spent close to an hour there looking at the different fish and turtles (plus the skunk!) and other displays. We also fed the fish that were outside. This is so much fun--if you even hold your hand over them they start jumping out of the water looking for the food.

Nathan and the kids went fishing several times and caught (and released) a bunch of small fish. They had a blast. (I spent most of that time reading Martha Stewart Living in the air conditioned van. Chloe stayed with me most of that time either napping or playing in the van. I just don't like fishing very much at all.)

It was nice to get away as a family for the first time in a long while. We had lots of fun, but I will say that camping in Kentucky is much more fun in the fall than in the middle of a blazing summer! Next time we'll have the good sense to go in September (or maybe even get a hotel!)

Besides camping we have been having a blast this summer, spending lots of time at Nathan's sister's house in their amazing backyard equipped with an amazing koi pond and stream, a huge flat screen t.v., a pool, a covered patio and bar and lots of fun people. Also have been spending time hanging out with my sister and her daughter, while they are out of school for the summer. This may be the best summer I've had in a really long time!

How's your summer going? Is it full of popsicles and pools, parties and people?

pictures, finally!

2011-06-09T12:49:00.004-04:00

Welcome back sweet laptop!

A butterfly Nathan woke me up to come and see this morning. (He took this photo)

THE place to be at our house!

People kept giving us tomato plants, so we just dug up some ground and stuck them right in.

The sad raised bed. The onions are thriving, 2 tomato plants, and not much else.

The good raised bed. Beans and peas and spinach are doing well here.

The newest addition to our family of gardens. The tiller quit in the middle where the grass is, but it's a good walkway. Potatoes and tomatoes are planted here, though I'm not sure if they are going to do well or not. Wheat needs to be planted, but I'm not sure if that's going to happen or not.

The corn patch. To the right of the dirt walkway is our sweet corn. To the left is buckwheat in the back and popping corn up front.

These are some of the flowers given to me by my mother-in-law. The little orange flowers are my favorites, but I can't remember what they are.

This summer is going to be great. I've been doing a lot of sitting by (or in) the kiddie pool and sitting under the umbrella on the deck. I almost feel guilty that I'm not busy cleaning something, but it has just been too nice. I hope the kids continue to be entertained by 8 inches of water for months to come.

Garden Update

2011-06-03T09:35:00.003-04:00

Reportedly, my laptop has been fixed and is being shipped back to me currently. I am so excited! Maybe I'll blog more regularly then. That laptop sure makes it easier. Plus it allows me to be entertained while doing dishes or cleaning the kitchen (or while Nathan is watching a show I abhor). Although come July, I'll probably be permanently hovered over a water bath canner for months and wonder what blogging is.

Our garden has become several gardens and there is much planted. I think something like 40 tomato plants, 50 potato starts, beans beans beans, corn and some peas. There's watermelon and pumpkins and acorn squash. There are also buckwheat, several herbs and flowers given to me by my grandmother and mother-in-law. Our lettuces are being attacked by some kind of flea, but our spinach is growing. And strange inedible mushrooms are popping up everywhere here! Along with crazy amounts of giant weeds.

How does your garden grow?

PS When the laptop returns, so shall the pictures!

our days

2011-05-25T11:03:00.002-04:00

Our days are filling up with checking the gardens, checking on the chickens (!!!), and stargate.(Nathan has been making his way through all 10 seasons for a WHILE now, but the 9th and 10th seasons are pretty good especially since ben browder and claudia black are in them. What can I say? I loved farscape.)

Tonight is our last night of AWANA before summer break. I'm excited for the break.

I hope you guys are all doing great and enjoying spring!

original artwork.... friday?

2011-05-06T09:01:00.003-04:00

This is what I ended up making for the wedding gift, along with a basket of a couple of things they registered for and some homemade laundry powder. I think they liked it! I wasn't really pleased with the way the date turned out, but overall I thought it was cute.

I took my inspiration from this at Maybe Matilda. She's got some cute stuff!

We've got a super busy weekend ahead with Derby and Mother's day. Hope your weekend is great!

broken and a question

2011-04-29T09:58:00.003-04:00

The NEW laptop is broken, which is why I haven't been posting. I do have fun things about the garden to share, new crafty pursuits, and a question. Just the question today, though.

If you are married, what was your favorite wedding gift? What was the most used or useful? I am trying to figure out what I am going to give a couple in my Sunday school class who are getting married. They are registered of course, but I wanted to make them something. Or I might make and buy them something so I don't appear cheap. Do you think it's lame to give potholders? Okay I know it's lame, but that's one wedding present we have used every day since we got them. I'm also planning on making them something crafty and cute with their wedding date on it, I'm just not sure on the rest. I don't know them really well, but would like it to be a fun gift to open.

original artwork thursday

2011-04-21T09:36:00.003-04:00

When I looked back over my week I couldn't find anything crafty at first, and as I was about to pull out the supplies and draw something specifically for this post, Nathan reminded me of this little box I turned inside out. I just love the inside of the yogi tea boxes, so I decided to flip it. There are a couple of unsightly glue marks but I think they could easily be covered with a ribbon tied around or a cool sticker.

The inside could probably be painted or covered with fancy paper, but I kind of like it the way it is. If I do another one soon I may give that a try.

This is the perfect size for a couple bars of homemade soap, or even a crocheted headband! It was so quick and easy. I used elmer's for this one, but I recommend using hot glue. (That's what I'll use on the next one!)

garden update again

2011-04-20T14:03:00.003-04:00

The marigolds have sprouted! Lydia and I planted these and they have actually come up in spite of the bout of cold weather the other night.

Irises have actually bloomed!

I'm hoping there will be so much to update soon that I won't be able to keep up!

garden update: tiller edition

2011-04-20T08:16:00.003-04:00

Onions are growing in the compost pile. I don't know if we should eat these!

Flowers! I think irises are about to bloom! I love purple irises.

Marigolds are planted and another flower pot is painted. It looks like an easter egg, so I'm going to have to change it somehow. I have a few thoughts...

This is "the corn patch". Nathan has worked so hard on it! There is still more tilling to be done, but this part is ready to be planted come May 3.

The old OLD tiller required some cleaning and a couple of small parts (a filter and another little thing) It took a couple of days, but Nathan got this old thing working! I love that he can figure anything out. Personally, I would have called it dead.

Another couple patches like this will take 15 minutes off Nathan's mow time.

Did you notice how much I mentioned Nathan this post? I went out and tried to help him with moving the top grassy layer, and I screamed a couple of times because of worms. I am learning. Worms are not something I am prepared to deal with. Thank goodness he will do all this garden/farm stuff for us!

remedy this

2011-04-19T15:09:00.003-04:00

To those of you who read and are, shall we say.... more natural? I have a question. How do you treat your children for sicknesses, from mild to medium (anything serious and I'm headed to the ER!)?

Lately we have been trying to use a more natural approach for medication which, so far, has included waiting for a bit to see if it will go away and drinking herbal teas and lots of orange juice. Recently it seems Isaiah has been congested for far too long and I am searching for a possible sinus infection cure. I have been putting grapefruit seed extract in his orange juice every day for about 5 days now and am really hoping to see a discernible difference. So far, it might have helped a little. I would like to get this little kid feeling better, so I'm open to any and all natural suggestions.

Of course nothing I say about this should be misconstrued as medical advice:)

Vacation Recap

2011-04-18T07:49:00.007-04:00

These are some pictures of us at one of my very favorite restaurants. I could seriously eat their wings every day of the week. Amazing awesomeness.

Nathan cooperating for a picture for once!

Chloe digging the ice out of my cup Toby slept the entire time there

Isaiah and Lydia for the one moment they weren't asking if we could play pool on the pool table :)

Now for the recap:

We ate. Lots of yummy high carb foods.

We laid around.

Nathan fixed the tiller (it used to be his grandfather's) This sounds boring, but it was so exciting that for about $6 plus a lot of elbow grease we now have a working tiller! The area for our corn has been tilled up. Pictures will come in the next garden update.

We played outside and did very little housework.

We visited Nathan's grandmother twice. Prayers for her would be appreciated.

Nathan fixed the shelf in my pantry so canned goods aren't all over the kitchen anymore!

We went to church and had a great time in Sunday school yesterday. We are currently discussing which way our class should go next--what we should focus on and study. Next week everyone is supposed to come back with ideas and suggestions. I'm really excited to see where this goes. I'm thinking of offering sustainable living/frugal workshops over the summer. I was thinking we could do making your own laundry detergent, bread making, chicken butchering, chicken tractor building (Nathan's idea), canning and preserving (although I'm a real novice at this!) Any suggestions or other ideas to add to this? We aren't really sure we will have any response at all, but I'm hoping others will be interested in some of these things.

Everyone got new shoes EXCEPT ME!! What the heck?! I am really wanting these awesome shoes or a pair of birkenstocks. What do you think?

I had so much fun spending time away from the blog this week, but I'm also glad to be back with lots of new things to share with you!

original artwork thursday

2011-04-14T09:05:00.005-04:00

Quick and fun. I think I would still like to add to this one. And I got to use more puff paint!

I am getting dangerously close to filling up my sketchbook!!

I hope your week is going great :)

what did you have for breakfast?

2011-04-08T09:55:00.003-04:00

Four bowls of cooling oatmeal on the windowsill makes me so happy. My kids love it and it's good for them. Everyone knows which bowl is theirs and they will be well fed and full for at least an hour... on the days we have it.

Today we had corn pops. What can I say? Sometimes easier/faster/less dishes wins. (more often than not this week!)

Nathan is on vacation next week, so I'm not sure when I'll be popping in. Probably a couple of times at least :)

Enjoy your weekend!

original artwork thursday

2011-04-07T09:10:00.005-04:00

I got in a quick sketch in the Lowe's parking lot on Saturday and finished it up with a little watercolor at home. I've had these basic lacy shapes rolling around in my head since I painted my boots and wanted to do something else with them. This is really a quick one that I don't love, but I might reuse this pink and ochre color combination again along with some of the shapes.

This paint is being used to spruce up some ugly flower pots.

I began painting them this lovely avocado color yesterday. I really want to get some aqua paint and have avocado and aqua flower pots full of marigolds and nasturtiums. Even though I dislike marigolds, we are using them as a companion plants for our garden.

How are your artsy endeavors coming along?

what I found

2011-04-05T08:41:00.004-04:00

I once mentioned that we had gotten a record player and that I was so excited about it. The search began for some good records. Or should I say albums? Every time I go to goodwill or a thrift store I look through all the records I can find, and up to this point have found only a few 33s that were worth the 50 cents I paid for them. This past Saturday, though, I found some beauties in protective covers. The lady checking me out said that someone must have died for me to find such good stuff! I surely hope not. First of all, JOURNEY. These were $10 or more on etsy and I got it for 50 cents Chicago! A little brass makes me happy. I play the trumpet, you know. Well, I can still play a little.

My mom loves Jackson Browne.

Mostly I know of foghat because of the movie Dazed and Confused which I watched about a hundred times in high school.

And another Journey!!! Before the ceremony at our wedding we played a little journey, along with some other classics.

Plus a Jimmy Buffet for my sweet husband.

Besides the records I found a stack of fabric squares. Some cute, some not so much.

And an emersion blender! It will be a handy tool whenever we start making our own soap. Eventually.

Grand total: $7.50

It was a good day at goodwill.

guess

2011-04-05T08:21:00.002-04:00

You'll never guess what I found at goodwill the other day....

swingset pics and video

2011-04-04T08:21:00.006-04:00

Here's the new swingset. The best part is the sandbox!

I just love finding such a great deal. This was $50 well spent (plus the cost of sand)

Here's a little video of everyone playing. Plus, you'll get to hear Chloe's sweet little voice :)

fun boots

2011-04-01T23:13:00.005-04:00

Inspired by a post here, I just had to give it a try. Here is the before: And here are the after shots:

I think they turned out pretty cute! What do you think? This project was so fun not to mention FREE! I already had the ugly black boots and bottles of paint. I think my favorite part is the lace-ish detailing at the top of the boots.

3/4 of my kids took advantage of all the bottles of puff paint sitting on the counter (the other was napping). Some lovely art was produced by all. I would show you a picture of them working, but since we were using fabric paint I made them paint in their skivvies. I don't think they would appreciate those pictures being shown around!

low carb lowdown

2011-04-01T08:49:00.003-04:00

I lost a couple more pounds this week after an accidental derailment at O'Charley's last weekend. I ordered something that I thought would be a good low carb option, that turned out not to be. So I would say that I am officially 25 pounds down.

Last night's low carb lasagna was so yummy. Just make your favorite lasagna recipe without the noodles and the lowest carb sauce that you can find. I prefer it the day after, straight out of the fridge. I was so excited that Toby ate some of it including the spinach! It has been hard to get him to eat anything besides PB and J or crackers and sometimes bananas for about a month. He chooses not to eat lots of times.

I guess that's it! Have a happy Friday and a lovely weekend!!!

original artwork thursday

2011-03-31T08:01:00.005-04:00

No sketching this week, I had crochet on the brain. I have been trying to come up with a headband pattern to sell at Myrtle's , and I think I have succeeded. So far I have only sold hats up there, and of course that means summer sales are nonexistent. As you can see I have created removable accessories

And I got to set snaps! This was such a fun project, inspired by Maybe Matilda's knotted headband tutorial. I did add the idea of snaps and removable accessories with the option to twist or knot as you see fit. I will be adding another set of snaps on the headbands so that they will fit kids or adults. And I made it a bit smaller in the width.

Wear 2 at a time!

Wear a huge flower on your noggin!

This green one is the headband we performed rigorous testing on. Snaps were new to me, so we pulled on it and snapped/unsnapped this one a whole bunch. Plus I wanted to see if it would stretch out so we pulled on either end and swung it around the room. It held up pretty well, SO this headband is mine now.

sweet kiddos

2011-03-29T22:49:00.003-04:00

Lydia's pineapple forest Toby goofing around in the kitchen Isaiah spelled these words :) Isaiah Lydia with her sweet new necklace (a birthday gift from her sunday school teacher) Chloe saying "cheese" I have about a hundred of these! She finds my camera, brings it to me and says, "cheese, cheese, cheese" until I take her picture.

why? just why?

2011-03-28T07:44:00.010-04:00

After reading this post, I was inspired to show the truth of wallpaper. The stuff that actually ends up in houses (at least the 2 we have bought here in KY). There is no pretty accent wall or easy to take off new wallpaper. There are 3 layers of ugliness that were put up 40 years ago with superglue and then painted over. If I ever want to have a pretty kitchen there will be hours and hours of stripping and washing of the walls. We got a great deal on this house, so this is not actually complaining, just more of a wondering why and how this mess was made of our walls.

To start, we have a lovely rendition of a weekend at the lake. Including a woody station wagon and a log cabin that looks nothing like our house. This is the room that will go last when we start changing stuff. The wallpaper is the least offensive as it is neutral and the ceilings are higher in this room so you don't notice the border as immediately. This americana "angel" border makes me crazy. It's in my bedroom and every time I lie down, I notice the ugly that is this border. Note that is is atop navy painted wallpaper. If there is anything worse than wallpaper, it is painted wallpaper.

Next comes a lovely combo in the mud room -perhaps the most puzzling of all borders I have seen- dogs with bags of ducks. Are the ducks alive? Are they ducks that have been hunted? Are they wooden ducks? Why would they be wooden ducks? The wallpaper underneath would be bearable by itself.

Lastly, in the kitchen we have a gingham and pie theme. At least it's not confusing like the other borders, but this gingham wallpaper has to go! I cannot wait to rip it all out and paint my kitchen a lovely pistachio or aqua color. Just so not my style. Bad news here is that there are at least 2 layers of wallpaper in the kitchen, some of it painted over.

In the bathroom, which I'm not likely to show you anytime soon, there are layers of wallpaper covered in a textured paint. I think we're just going to sand the walls a little smoother and paint over it again. Better than trying to strip all that off of plaster.

It feels good to get this all out.

quick update

2011-03-25T08:46:00.006-04:00

I have lost 7 pounds this week, for a total of at least 22 pounds lost (just a drop in the bucket really)
I can now wear jeans I haven't been able to wear for more than a year!
I have to clean my disaster of a house today. It's gross.
I have gone through bins and bins of clothes to organize them. It took days, but now they are organized by gender and size.
We disassembled and moved a wooden swing set/slide thing that Nathan found on craigslist yesterday. It was a great deal for us (only $50!), although it was pretty hard to move. We are excited to have a jungle gym for the kids to play on. We only need to reassemble it, which shouldn't take long, but now it's sooo cold that it will probably be a while before the kids get to play on it. Pictures will come soon!

original artwork thursday

2011-03-24T09:31:00.003-04:00

This week was more of a going through the wardrobe week and not very much of an artsy one. I did manage to fit in one sketch for today, plus I found a little something I worked on last week.

yard treasure

2011-03-23T08:26:00.006-04:00

makeshift clothesline across the deck

freshly mown yard

the first buds on our fruit trees

the last "flower in our yard after Lydia has picked them all

I'm so glad spring is here!

five today

2011-03-22T09:49:00.004-04:00

Happy birthday my beautiful girl! I can't believe you are five today!

It's not even ten, and we have already had a party! Balloons, presents, birthday pancakes (with sprinkles and chocolate chips) and her choice of movie on netflix have made for a great birthday morning. I hope she has a wonderful day :)

laundry in the tub

2011-03-21T08:31:00.005-04:00

Have you ever heard of doing laundry in the bathtub? I read about it somewhere on the internet years ago (maybe here?), and this past week I decided to give it a go. If you want to give it a try, I highly recommend separating your clothes into 2 piles: dirty, and funky dirty. The funky dirty stuff goes in the washing machine while you wash the merely dirty in the tub. I also used this info.

Wringing it out and drying it was the hard part. Even after wringing, the clothes were VERY wet and took forever to dry on the line. Maybe running through the spin cycle would help, but then, what would be the point really?

In summation, I was really backed up in the laundry department, and this one "load" helped to nearly catch me up. It do not regret it and might possibly do it again in the future.

low carb lowdown: low(er) carb tamales

2011-03-20T13:23:00.005-04:00

Since we learned how to make them, we usually get the craving for tamales about once or twice a year. We use this recipe, halved, and this year since we are low carbing it we subbed 1 and 1/2 cups soy flour in with 1 and 1/2 cups of the masa. It was just the right amount for half of the recipe. It cut the carbs per tamale down to just under 4 and a half. I searched online for a low carb tamale recipe and couldn't find one, so here is my contribution to anyone who might search for such a thing. There was no discernable difference in taste or texture. Hurray for tasty tamales!

I demolished these like it was my job.

are you up?

2011-03-19T23:29:00.003-04:00

just howling at the supermoon.

garden update numero uno

2011-03-19T08:03:00.005-04:00

Our raised beds are lined with landscape fabric and filled with Mel's mix, and ready to be planted in! It has been finished since last Saturday. It is a little more expensive than using a hoe to dig up the earth, but starting with mel's mix really cuts down on the amount of weeding we will have to do (practically none) and it never has to be replaced, only add compost when you replant. We totally think it is worth it. We will be working on making our own compost this year.

Now we're only waiting on the weather. Although it was 70 and perfect here yesterday, I'm sure there will be some freezing temps to come.

Here's proof that I actually helped.

We still have a lot of tilling to do in the huge garden box on the front of the house, and in two other places in the yard. If the weather stays this beautiful there should be no problem getting it done before the last frost date. We are also planning on starting our vineyard with a couple of grapevines this year. We will be following the vineyard instructions in The Backyard Homestead. I'm still trying to talk Nathan into berries this year, but I have a feeling it will be next year before we start those. The garden excitement is still building, as I'm trying to figure out exactly how much I need to preserve for the next year. All I know is that we need a boatload of tomatoes.

Enjoy your Saturday!

original artwork thursday

2011-03-17T08:55:00.000-04:00

We go together like peanut butter and jelly.

some weeds and wrought iron

more weeds

even more weeds and a partial view of my backyard

a lamp post downtown in a nearby small town

It was a good sketch week with lots of inspiration and encouragement. I'm excited to fill up a sketchbook for the first time. I'm still probably a few weeks away from that, but, trust me, I'll let you know when it happens!

If you have any craftiness or sketches, leave a link in the comments!

the tale of the missing tooth

2011-03-16T09:58:00.004-04:00

Big news here last night--- Isaiah lost his first tooth! His daddy pulled it and he was very brave. He woke me up in the middle of the night to show me the money the tooth fairy brought him. Yes, his new tooth is already in. It came in behind his baby tooth, but the dentist says his tongue will push it into place. i'm just thankful that there was no tooth pulling or any major dental work! It's hard to believe he's so grown up.

a brief respite

2011-03-15T12:55:00.004-04:00

An hour at this little coffee shop, alone, with my sketchbook and a great cuppa joe was just what I needed the other night. It was nice to draw without anyone pulling on my sketching arm. Everyone in my house (except, miracuously, me) still has a hacking cough and running nose, and I needed OUT! Graciously, my sick hubs told me to go on and he held down the fort while I blissed out. This coffee had me amped for hours, to the point that Nathan probably regretted giving me the go-ahead for coffee in the first place. I need a cup now to get me up and at'em. Since the time changed it seems like the day is half-over before I even get started!

lovely

2011-03-12T20:29:00.002-05:00

Here's hoping that your day was as lovely as mine.

garden beginnings

2011-03-10T21:51:00.004-05:00

This fence area is where we will attempt to grow pumpkins and watermelons this year.

This rocked off area will hopefully become a flower garden. I want to be able to cut flowers and bring them in all summer. We will have zinnias, gladiolas were here when we moved in, and about 20 other varieties that I can't remember right now. (the littlest pet shops and my little ponies will probably be removed prior to planting.)

This used to have huge ugly bushes in it, but it will become a square foot garden for most of our lettuces and broccoli, and other veggies that might need some shade.

And these will also be square foot gardens which will have tomatoes and peppers, beans, herbs, and others. The flower pots on the end will have marigolds and nasturtiums to keep the bad bugs away. Nathan hopes to turn the entire front yard into square foot gardens with flagstone walkways in between. One day he might not have to mow at all.

Nathan also planted 5 fruit trees that he moved here from the farm. I hope they transplant well and produce fruit in a timely fashion! We are also planning a bigger plowed up area for corn, potatoes, and possibly wheat or buckwheat. I'm so excited to get these gardens going. It has been a few years since we have been settled enough to get a garden planted and I'm itching to see things sprouting!

original artwork thursday

2011-03-09T20:09:00.007-05:00

a tree in my front yard
the last cookie, and the recipe (our favorite and healthiest cookie!) with a flower from a placemat that my great grandmother made.

our spice rack, and a variation on a hot pad I crocheted.

all taken with my new camera which Nathan picked up for me today!!!!
I'm still no photographer, but at least it's not so blurry anymore :)

yesterday

2011-03-09T10:39:00.003-05:00

I got my second ever paycheck for selling hats yesterday!!
My daughter threw a tantrum yesterday, the likes of which have NEVER been seen around these parts, resulting in her absolute incarceration for as long as she continues to present such an attitude toward her mother. This includes putting away ALL of her toys into big black garbage bags which she may not access, and taking away pretty much every choice she had before, including wardrobe, hairstyle, drink choice...
I tried to buy a camera yesterday at 2 wal-marts, but neither had any of the ones I wanted in stock. Then I left my purse (full of hat money) in the shopping cart and didn't realize it until I got home. I prayed to God that it wouldn't be stolen, and by His grace it wasn't. Someone returned it to customer service with *all* of the money still in it.
the sickness is upon us. A gross snotty coughing cold has invaded most of our bodies, making it difficult to do anything but hold sad sick babies (or waste time on the internet) while the dishes pile up, and the out of control laundry officially wins the war.
I am grateful that it's only a cold, that people will buy the hats I make,that God cares to answer what I perceive to be insignificant prayers, that we have clothes to launder, and that my daughter might come out of this with a lesson learned (please pray it is so!!). And I am grateful that yesterday is over, and that today is looking slightly less sucky.

Low Carb Lowdown

2011-03-04T09:15:00.003-05:00

a terrible picture of our new "in home gym" ha!

This is my assessment of the low carb diet I have assumed since Feb. 12:

The first week was constantly searching, what can I have to eat? Open fridge, shut fridge, go to pantry, back to fridge, finally give up, or eat cheese and nuts.

The second week was a little better. I knew what I could have and anticipated for the next meal a little more.

the 3rd week was the best because it was grocery shopping week, so we knew exactly what to get.

Here is a typical day of meals:

Breakfast- 2 string cheese

lunch- salad with chicken and bacon, almonds, cheese and ranch

supper- taco salad without the chips (salad, cheese, taco meat, taco sauce/salsa)

snacks include strawberries, nuts of all kinds, a couple tablespoons of cool whip (1 carb per tbsp.), more cheese...

The things that have made it easier are:

1. low carb tortillas. we use them in place of buns, biscuits, chips, and pizza crust.

2. fitting in a treat every day.

3. diet mtn. dew. I know that it is so bad for me, but if I lose as much weight as I am planning to and diet mtn. dew can help, I'm willing to choose this vice (for a time) over sweets, bread, and pasta.

4. the fact that my parents, sister, and brother-in-law are all doing the same thing. When we go to my parent's for a meal we don't have to worry about a bunch of high carb temptations.

What makes it harder is that:

1. it takes forethought and preparation.

2. I can't have sweet tea :( (at least not the kind I am used to)

3. our restaurant options are somewhat limited, and in our small town, there aren't any good out food options. Which leads me to say...

Last night I ate chinese and dark chocolate. It was delicious and indulgent, and now I am right back on track this morning.

In total I have lost about 15 pounds and have been stuck there for several days. I believe this can work for me, and it's the first time I have ever had short term and long term weight loss goals. My husband and I are introducing yoga and cardio to the program too, so who knows? Maybe this can be a lifestyle change, like my mom keeps saying, instead of just a diet.

original artwork thursday

2011-03-03T12:24:00.003-05:00

As you can tell it has been a slow week in the art department. A couple of doodles is all I have really done. I had better get on the ball, because next week is my last week of sketch class and i would like to do something really cool/nice before the end of class. It has been lots of fun and I have gotten some great ideas.

Don't forget to leave a comment on this post to win some free original art!

Happy Birthiversary Toby

2011-03-02T09:37:00.005-05:00

Happy 3rd birthday, Toby! It's hard to believe that you are so big! Your mischeif makes me happy and I love you so. :)

(please ignore the fact that this picture was taken right next to the mountain of laundry that never quits. I would have used another, but this was the only one of him uploaded onto my new laptop!!)

P.S. Don't forget to comment on this post to enter the giveaway!

111

2011-02-28T10:20:00.004-05:00

Today we are celebrating my 111th post with a giveaway! If you leave a comment I will put your name in a hat and draw one out and the winner will receive a hand painted original. When I choose a winner, I will choose a painting just for you. If you've never left a comment before, now is the time! I love comments from random strangers or old friends. :) I will write a new post to announce the winner on March 8th!

original artwork thursday

2011-02-24T12:29:00.004-05:00

Couldn't get my camera to cooperate, so here is a banana from a while back to satisfy your crafty cravings. I'll post more current pics next time (hopefully!).

Interesting facts about bananas and my family:

1. when I was pregnant with Isaiah, bananas made me gag.

2. I didn't feed Isaiah baby food bananas because I was pregnant with Lydia and bananas made me gag.

3. Lydia eats bananas, Toby eats bananas, and Chloe eats about 2 bananas a day, but Isaiah won't eat one even if it's covered in chocolate chips.

4. We buy about 3 bunches of bananas a week.

5. Because of leg cramps I had to learn to eat bananas when I was pregnant with toby and chloe, and ate one almost every day cut up with pears (toby) or blackberries (chloe) and walnuts, with vanilla yogurt.

6. there are about 26 carbs in a banana.

7. That's probably more about bananas and me than you wanted to know!

do I look like a truck driver?

2011-02-23T09:33:00.002-05:00

This is the truck we are buying tomorrow. Nathan took it for a test drive last night. Truck that seats 6 = freedom! So excited to have a secondary vehicle again!

original artwork thursday

2011-02-17T12:56:00.003-05:00

these are a few pictures from this week's sketchbook. I'm on a rainbow kick... I don't know why. Hopefully I'll pull through that and create something actually cool soon :) (although secretly I love rainbows and clouds and swirls and birds...)

Nutty Goodness

2011-02-12T11:25:00.002-05:00

Today starts what I hope will be a waistline reducing sprint. Nathan and I both have decided to low-carb it. Four babies in 5 years added pounds that weren't welcome, and so we say, "Be gone!" Joining the gym didn't work, trying just to "eat healthy" never seems to work for us, so taking carbs out of the mix is just going to force us to make better choices. I think eventually we will add back in whole grains and yogurt which is just so good for you, but for now meat/fish, salad, cheese, nuts and berries. Plus other non root veggies. I'll let you know how it goes! For a late breakfast I had string cheese and nuts. I love string cheese so it was kind of a treat! We'll see how I feel in a week....

original artwork thursday

2011-02-10T19:13:00.003-05:00

original artwork thursday is simply a way for me to show you what I have been working on, from crocheting to painting to sketching. Feel free to leave a link of your artwork in the comments, and if enough people link up (or anyone!!) I'll think about getting a linky tool to make it easier.

This weeks art is from my first week of sketchbook delight.

here's what's up

2011-02-09T14:07:00.003-05:00

1. Fed lunch to 8 kids yesterday. Thank goodness for paper plates.

2. Can't get enough of my 2 yr old saying ninya tuttles (ninja turtles)

3. am loving my sketch class, and will have some stuff to show you soon

4. can't believe that kindergartners are supposed to know how to do algebra (4+?=7)

5. can't believe I am the party pooper telling my kids not to blow bubbles in
their drinks. I always wondered why I couldn't do that as a kid....

2011-02-07T15:15:00.003-05:00

It is quiet in my house right now. shhhh.... enjoy this silent moment with me.

Nathan and I planned our garden this weekend (we even have a binder now) and built two garden boxes. The warmer weather has gotten us all excited for spring! We are planning on getting chickens in may, probably between 50 and 100 meat birds, plus some egg layers, and probably a lamb and a couple of pigs. I am so ready!! We are planning a little comapnion planting this year, including a few flowers known to help ward off the bad buggies or make your food taste better. Hopefully there will be lots of pictures of the garden and any good tips we learn this year. I just need to talk Nathan into a better camera (i.e one that works properly!).

Do you garden? Do you know how to grow your own food? We feel like this was a part of our education that was sorely lacking. It would be nice not to wonder which plants to plant together or to know how many times to replant. There are so many garden kinks we could have worked out in the 27 years up to now.... ah, well, it's never too late to learn!

The quiet is no more... which means I have kiddos to take care of!

original artwork thursday (OAT)

2011-02-03T10:38:00.003-05:00

faux bois owl

5 things

2011-02-01T16:38:00.003-05:00

1. got Nathan's sister to do our taxes!!

2. got a real live record player and a few good records (still on the lookout for journey, chicago, the monkees, jimmy buffet, the who, hall and oats, and on and on.. I love that our kids will know what a 33 is :)

3. finally (finally!!!) got the mud room organized

4. signed up for sketchbook delight with alisa burke

5. am watching eureeka every night with Nathan (love sci-fi!)

finding beauty

2011-01-21T22:26:00.002-05:00

I have been contemplating taking an online art course that starts in february. I love drawing, painting, and such, but can never seem to find... not just the time--- but also the right motivation and inspiration. It is so easy to find the beauty in the ocean, sea, beach, forest, sunsets, etc... but here in pastureland USA, where I have always lived, the beauty sometimes escapes me.

Today I took about 20 minutes to just walk around and look at my surroundings with fresh eyes. While the younger two kids took a nap, and the older two watched a movie, I walked around in the snow and eyed the lay of the land around us, the barn in the distance, the icicles formed on the bushes, the random cat and dog prints in the snow, and began to see the beauty in the immediate surroundings of this new home of ours for which we are so grateful.

I want to remember to see the beauty in the bales of hay, and weed lined fence rows in the comfortable setting of my hometown.

back to life...

2011-01-11T15:32:00.001-05:00

...back to reality

Nathan and I took an overnight away from the kids this past Saturday. It was the best night away we have had in a very long time. It's the first night away in a hotel in at least 2 years, so it was overdue.

Tomorrow I will be 27. I am indifferent to being a year older, but I LOVE my birthday. Too bad the partying is already over. I want to go to madison garden for wings and drinks, but we were just there the other day, and I doubt we'll make it back there again for a while. Oh well, at least I'll have my free scoop from baskin robbins.

I am thinking about crocheting myself something fabulous for my birthday. I just can't decide what. I did find an awesome new sweater pattern on Ravelry that I think I just might give a shot. It might take me a year to finish, but it's so cute. Maybe I'll just make a headband instead. I could use some instant gratification today.

...since I last posted...

2010-12-03T14:45:00.002-05:00

Things have changed, since I last posted :)

Right now----

the babies are growing bigger and smarter and more beautiful every day

we have no animals or gardens, but hopefully in the spring we will

we love where we live, just minutes from family in the town where we were raised

i am totally obsessed with flash mobs

i am really enjoying earning a little money for doing something i love to do
(crocheting hats)

we are spending way too much money on Christmas gifts that we don't need

i am catching up on all my dental work for the last 8 years (and 4 pregnancies!!!)

i love my husband

i am addicted to reality t.v.

5 people in our house have a cold

i am in the process of creating a new craft area

and my house looks like a cracker monster with a toy center exploded all over the
floors of my house (I guess some things haven't changed that much :)

here in our corner

2010-05-05T08:21:00.003-04:00

Oh wow! I didn't realize I hadn't posted in over a month! It has been a busy month full of discussions and decisions, and covered up in more than 8 inches of rain. The highlights of recent adventures include playing settlers with Daniel and Kristin for hours and good times at Nathan's sister and brother-in-law's annual Derby party. The low-light was when our property flooded and my husband, Daniel, Kristin and Zeke got stuck at a neighbors house for a day and a night. The water came up fast and covered halfway up our camper, covered our tool shed completely (which was holding our appliances until we were to build, not to mention all our power tools and hand tools), and destroyed most of Daniel and Kristin's stuff. Most everything they had was in the hoop house that had about 6 feet of water over it at one point. We found things hanging in trees down the street that belonged to us. I am just grateful that everyone is safe! We have ripped cabinets and carpet out of our camper in hopes of saving the shell, so far it looks as though we got everything ripped out in time for it to dry out and be completely usable. We'll be working on that as we can. No pictures just yet as I wasn't down at the land when the water got so high. I'll bet Kristin has some pictures of it though. If she posts some on her blog I'll link up here so you all can see them.

I need to get ready for the day. We've been spending the past couple of days down at the camper ripping stuff out and the apartment is officially a tee-total mess. I need to work at top speed today!

babies at the farm

2010-03-30T10:08:00.004-04:00

Our friends are back! Daniel and Kristin and Zeke are in KY and I'm so glad :) Kristin took these pictures of 3/4 of my kiddos and they are beautiful! Just thought I would share.

Top 5

2010-03-15T22:31:00.003-04:00

Here's what's up in our corner:

-I'm still keeping the house clean!!! This is bringing such peace to me and making home so much better for us all.

-WE GOT A VITA MIX!!!!! Grinding grain, pulverizing fruit, making sauces.... Good times.

-The first seeds are planted inside for our mondo garden this year.

-House plans are coming slow. We really need to get on the ball with that.

-We're listening to a lot of Laurie Berkner lately. She sings goofy fun kids songs that I'm addicted to.

{this moment}

2010-03-05T11:53:00.004-05:00

Participating with SouleMama this week... A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Messy Me

2010-03-04T19:46:00.002-05:00

I am not organized. I am not neat. I do not "have it together". I am seriously messy, and always have been. I have been trying to figure the homemaking/housekeeping thing out for years with little to no success. Last week I found this website and although I have only been doing this for a week and a half or so, I feel like it could change my home life forever. I don't know if you were born organized like some people I know, but if you struggle with day to day basics like I have for years and are actually ready for things to be different then I highly recommend this system. I hear the system is great for anyone, really, who doesn't like to spend huge amounts of time cleaning. Apparently if you do things this way you never have to spring clean again, you just have to follow a few routines and spend 15 minutes a day plus one hour a week or so on cleaning. The thing I like most about this is that I don't have to feel guilty about what I'm not doing. Instead I can feel good about what I have done for the day!

So I guess the cat's out of the bag. I'm messy. But maybe this will be changing as I form good habits over the next weeks and months. Ask me about it in a few months. Ask me after the excitement has worn off if I'm still with the program. I'd say I probably will be. I feel better about myself than I have in a long time just after this first couple of weeks. It's amazing what wearing tennis shoes and cleaning your sink can do for you.

Happy Birthday, Toby!

2010-03-03T08:16:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was Toby's 2nd birthday! It's hard to believe two years have passed since he was born. I love this boy. He makes every day joyful.

Chloe

2010-02-05T16:53:00.002-05:00

Chloe has hit some milestones this week that I want to document. Like....
1) Crawling! Not full-on all over the place, but definite hands and knees action
getting where she wants to go.
2)Speaking! Starting to babble me me, ne ne, and da da!
3)Eating! We officially tried her on bananas and mashed potatoes (in very tiny
amounts), but she gagged and I don't think she's quite ready for flavor even though
she reaches for my plate or cup whenever there is one near. Unofficially, she has
tasted goldfish cracker, apple with nutella, a peanut, a ritz cracker, paper,
magazine, box, and my personal favorite, various and assorted floor crumbs of
unknown origin.
4)Sitting! For short amounts of time when propped up she can remain in a sitting
position for a little while.

It's really only a matter of time before my sweet baby girl grows into a big girl-- excitement and heartbreak are all mixed up together.

holiday and other happenings

2010-01-06T10:04:00.005-05:00

Big stuff going on around here these weeks. Christmas was wonderful and I really enjoyed every gathering we went to. I really enjoyed being with my and Nathan's family. I really feel like this was our last commercial Christmas, since that's the way we are shifting, but it was very fun and the kids had a blast and I loved watching them enjoy it. New Year's at Nathan's sister's house was fun too.

This week we decided to go as organic as possible to see if we can afford it. We wanted to see how much we would actually spend if we eat healthful meals at home instead of semi healthful at home and going out to eat several times.

Also, we joined a gym this week!!! I am so excited! It's a little further away than I had hoped, but the ones that were close were outrageously expensive comparatively, and not nearly as nice. We joined Urban Active Fitness, and it has a pool for Nathan, a room full of equipment to use while watching a movie, LOTS of other equipment, a whole floor of weights (which I will never use) an indoor track and best of all a child care center where I can take all 4 kids to play and exercise while I do. Not only can I take them, I can afford to take them. I don't think I can afford not to! Nathan and I could even go on a date there. Put the kids in the kids room and go for a walk together on the track, or race in the pool, or even just read a book while I bike (like this other girl was doing last night:) or take a shower. There is also a mini-gym inside the ladies locker room in case I don't want to work out in front of men. This is so exciting for me!

Since we are eating healthfully this week we go to shop at whole foods (yay!) and I was wearing Chloe in the moby and she was wearing her super cute crocheted hat that I made her and I was approached by a lady who is opening a kids clothing store to see if I would consider selling them!! I am so excited. It would be nice to make some money from a craft! Especially one that I enjoy :)

My birthday is next week, and I'm not sure what we're doing yet, but I think we're going out with Jamie and Josh Pike since her birthday is one day before mine. Here I come 26!

Nathan posted iso of a church on freecycle and we got some responses, and there is even one church we are going to try! Cross your fingers eyes and toes that this is the one cause I'm tired of searching. It should not be this hard to find a church that we like! There is not one church in H-burg that we like well enough to consider, so we'll still be driving a ways, but at least it will be less than one hour and 10 minutes to our old church.

Alright I'm sure that's enough information about my everyday life for now. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Birthday!

PS I am a total nerd and read all 4 twilight books, and I. loved. them. In case you haven't heard (ha!) they're great :)

home again, home again

2009-12-11T08:08:00.002-05:00

We're back from our mini-break and it was wonderful! We had such a great time and just relaxed. We read, went to the movies (that's a rarity!), shopped, ate, and we got to swim for the first time in a really long time.

Nathan is going on a business trip next week for four days, and I'll be home by myself with the kids. We have never been apart for more than 24 hours, so I'm a little anxious. Plus he's going to Boston, so if there is a blizzard, well, I just will try not to think about that. I will also be responsible for the cows for the first time. We'll have to get him packed up and ready to go. We also have another Christmas celebration this weekend, so it'll be busy busy here for a couple of days.

Also, hopefully I'll be getting a haircut! I'll let you know if it changes color :)

gettin' the heck outta dodge

2009-12-07T11:10:00.002-05:00

Packing, cleaning, and planning for our vacation this week! Three days and two nights of fun, reading, crafting, sleep, and shopping! I can't wait! I got snacks and drinks at the grocery store last night and started packing the kids bags. Right now Nathan is at a foreclosure auction hoping to score some cheap land right across the street from our property. I had a dream that we got it for $500 dollars last night! Hoping that was a premonition :) I'll let you know if we get it or not.

Thrifty Finds

2009-12-06T14:39:00.002-05:00

I found some 100% lambswool yarn at goodwill--a gallon size freezer bag full-- for $1.50... Are you as astonished as me! And it is a pretty brown with some other specks of color thrown in! It does smell a little like old people, but I'm willing to work with that. Any tips on washing wool? I love thrifting. I also found 3 books and 4 orange place mats that are going to become a tote I think. I'm going to go to a different goodwill today:)

Update on the gym--not cheap. I would almost consider it false advertisement, so I will be looking around for a good deal. Sometimes the wellness center in Danville runs a special after new year's.

Hoping your advent season is wonderful!

and so it begins...

2009-12-04T12:46:00.004-05:00

Well, Christmas celebrations begin this weekend with an annual pot luck/family reunion of sorts hosted by 2 of Nathan's great aunts who are just super ladies. After that one there will be at least 5 more Christmas celebrations. I'm getting nervous that I am not going to get all my crafting done in time for Christmas. I'm pretty sure of it in fact, but...

Next week Nathan has the whole week off! We are going to take a couple of days to disappear and have some fun without the kids. Of course, we'll take Chloe so she can eat, but the others will go have some fun with grandparents or other relatives (not exactly sure which ones yet:) I think we're going to the Gatlinburg area, so if you have accommodation suggestions, please leave me a comment. Maybe I'll get some crafting done while relaxing in Tennessee.

Enjoy your weekend!

Disconnect...

2009-11-30T17:05:00.001-05:00

Lately I'm becoming more and more aware of the disconnect between the way things are and the way I want and need them to be.

I want to be this on fire for God Christian showing Christ's love literally with every breath and word. I am failing miserably to do that and even struggling to spend time in prayer. Struggling with myself as we search for a church to know exactly what I believe, and to know that the kind of church I'm comfortable in may not be the kind of church i should be in. And, honestly, just struggling to understand why I believe what I believe.

I want to eat sustainably and responsibly but there is a struggle with actually cooking that way and affording to cook that way and spending my time that way. I know this will come with time especially once we're all moved out to the farm and raising almost all our meat, fruit, vegetables, and grains, but it very frustrating to want one thing in my head and another in my mouth. I'm not gonna lie, I could eat a whole box of hostess cupcakes if I had to :)

I want my house to be clean or at least moderately straight most of the time. I am not talking immaculate, I would just like to not have to freak out if company is on the way in 20 minutes. Housekeeping is a struggle for me and always has been. Growing up I always said I would have a maid. Ha!

I want to be a normal weight and I'm not. I want to eat healthier and exercise more (it wouldn't take much to be more!) in order to lose some of the 4 babies in 4 1/4 years weight I have put on. I think I am actually joining a (very cheap) gym tonight. I'll let you know how that goes.

As disconnected as I am feeling right now, it is a very happy time in our family right now. Nathan and I are getting along famously and the kids are growing and amazing. I guess this is the way it is in this life, ever striving...

Happy Belated Birthday, Isaiah!

2009-11-23T08:30:00.002-05:00

Isaiah turned 5 on the 17th! I can't believe my baby is a big kid now! We took him bowling with all his cousins yesterday and had a really great time. It was the lowest stress party we've ever hosted because we didn't cook, clean, or stress in any way. :) Happy birthday my sweet boy!

Sick Day

2009-11-20T09:31:00.003-05:00

5 vomits (from 2 kids)
2 loads of laundry
1 shower
1 trip to the store
2 diaper changes
3 popsicles (liquid breakfasts)
3 real breakfasts (as real as cereal can be. Kashi honey sunshine anyone?!)
2 nursings
15 trips up the stairs (approx.)
And it's only 9:30 in the morning.

Welcome to my world on a sick day.

5 Dozen Eggs

2009-11-11T08:40:00.001-05:00

There is freedom in having 5 dozen pastured eggs in the fridge. Eggs will be enjoyed thoroughly for the next 2 weeks.

On the crafting front, I am big into crocheting this week and have kind of abandoned the sewing machine. I will return to it before Christmas, but it is so easy to take crochet wherever I go. Not so much with sewing. I found a great little crochet flower tutorial in video form and I learned how to crochet a flower in 2 viewings. Now I am addicted to making all different colors and sizes of flowers. Anyone know how to crochet any other cute shapes?

In baby news, Chloe is rolling over and laughing a lot now. She is starting to actually play with toys and she loves laughing at her brothers and sister. She is still the most satisfied baby ever and still sleeps a lot. She startles easily, and is utterly beautiful. Toby is saying a whole slew of new phrases. I was a little concerned about his lack of verbalization, but now he has a new phrase every day, usually directed at his siblings. I believe I heard him say, "Hey! Get offa me!" yesterday. He is starting to show us his defiant side, but overall is a sweet, funny kid who loves and responds to music in a way that my older two didn't at this age. He sings (in his own language) and dances any time there are tunes on. It's so funny to see how each kid is different. Toby has been called "bruiser" by many and he is so tough! Lydia is so funny and independent. She is the bossy sister who doesn't get her feelings hurt very easily. And she is a princess. She makes up songs all day long. Isaiah is a sensitive ninja, always karate-ing his way through the house and world. He is sweet, kind, and his little mind never stops thinking things through. Yesterday I was trying to get him to move his toys and he told me, "I build things. It's what I do!" like it was his purpose in life to construct his block tower at that exact location. I guess yesterday it was his purpose in life.

Okay, I must get to work! A clean house is the goal today. Must accomplish!

pear butter and costumes

2009-10-30T08:44:00.002-04:00

I made pear butter yesterday with some free pears that got sent my way. Yummy plus there's enough to save for a couple of Christmas gifts. I also made a no-sew tutu for Lydia for halloween and it is awesome! So easy to make and only took a couple of leisurely hours. Pictures will come sometime after trick or treat. I have to fix my sewing machine so I can sew the boys costumes before trick or treat tomorrow. The thread is getting all bunched up on the underside of whatever I am sewing. I have no idea what I am doing wrong, so if you have any suggestions please enlighten me!

Monday Update

2009-10-26T13:57:00.005-04:00

1. House is a disaster!
2. Thinking about moving to the camper. Must get soil evaluation so we can get building permit, so we can get temporary electric run to the farm.
3. Homeschooling is not going as planned, but we are still learning things most days.
4. I have been working on Chloe's birth story, and it will probably be my next post. I am trying to remember everything so I can read it again in 20 years and feel like I am there again.
5. Thinking about making sprouted grain bread. Any ever done it? Have any tips or recipes?
6. I think I am gaining weight. Hence the thoughts about sprouted grain bread. Yes thoughts of sprouted grain bread while eating a cupcake.
7. I love fall. Spending a lot of time at the farm and the wood smoke in the air with the bubbling of the creek mixed with the damp, fresh country air... well it makes for an enjoyable scenic afternoon.
8. I actually nursed in a field while keeping cows in. In the dark. Chloe couldn't wait any longer, and the cows had to be contained.
9. Halloween costume ideas are welcome. Lydia will be a "tappy princess" per her request, Isaiah will be a pirate or an alien probably, Toby will be Jedi warrior Toby-wan Kenobi if I find the right material before Saturday, and sweet Chloe...I'm just not sure yet.
10. Vegetable soup for supper. Yum.

Crazy Crafting

2009-10-10T16:26:00.003-04:00

I love making things. This year I am crafting with a purpose. Our Christmas is going to be a mostly handmade Christmas this year (hopefully!). I have a really good start on my sewing projects and am hoping to keep up the momentum. I am working on making this doll and this doll for all the little girls in the fam. I have already completed one, and most of another but I can't steal any more stuffing from the couch cushions to fill them with, so I have yet to put my 2nd and 3rd ones together. I am planning on making these capes for Isaiah, Lydia and Toby, and maybe a niece or nephew or two. I want to make some ribbon twirlers, felt shapes, and a geoboard also for Christmas. I have already started a magazine bowl (for a gift) and a rag rug (for me). Handmade Home has been an inspiration to get me started and then I found all the free patterns and tutorials at The Long Thread and now I can't be stopped!

Somebody posted a craft supply swap on freecycle that was held at the Jessamine County Public Library and I went today! I got two sacks full of craft supplies for FREE! This is stuff I was going to have to buy! Embroidery floss, fabric, ribbon, bias tape, zippers, lacing cord (a whole roll which I needed for my rag rug!), and more! I just had to take some craft stuff to exchange, which I already had a box of just waiting to put on freecycle! Plus I found some awesome vintage bedsheets, a tablecloth, and some fabric remnants at goodwill! It has been a thrifty crafty weekend.

In other unrelated news, the cows got out this week while Nathan was in Lexington at work and had the van. He rushed home and we all got ready. We found the cows in the neighbors yard munching on some hay. Nathan then led them up the road to our property with a little bucket of grain. Just picture me with the van parked across the road and the gate pulled across the road blocking the escape for the cows, while he leads three cows with a tiny coffee bucket of grain. He is working on fixing the fence and providing a water source other than the creek. They have been walking up the creek bed to escape.

The Farm is beautiful right now (minus all the rain) and monarch butterflies are abundant in the field. They love all the purple clover and the kids are loving spotting them. The mosquitoes and lightning bugs have gone for the season, and we can't hear the bees swarming on the sunflowers anymore, but fall is hands down my favorite time of year here. And we discovered that there are three black walnut trees on the property. Anybody know how to get one open? They have such hard shells that a hammer doesn't even make a dent.

Another fun find this week is Adventures in Odyssey and StoryNory radio programming for the kids online.

Happy crafting this week and enjoy this beautiful season :)

favorites

2009-09-25T09:12:00.010-04:00

The giant cool tree at Old Fort Harrod.

With kids of mine on top.

Nathan says 10% of our pictures are of food.

Our first home canned goods.

Toby loves bubbles.

I love Toby.

And bubbles.

Homeschooling has begun.

My very first thumb sucker.

Words cannot describe how much I love this.

And her.

My first picture of the Rose Hill water tower.

There will be many more hopefully.

It could be my favorite part of the drive to our land, passing this water tower.

a few pictures

2009-09-18T11:56:00.006-04:00

Also..

2009-08-28T14:37:00.002-04:00

My BABY is one MONTH old today!!!! How did this happen?! She is so sweet, and such a good baby and now she is 1/12 of a year old! It's ridiculous I tell ya.

This week

2009-08-28T10:32:00.003-04:00

Typical morning... one child naked, one in time out, one sleeping on my chest, and one leaping from couch to couch. Can you guess which is doing what?

Interesting things from this past week include my first time making nut butter (didn't follow this recipe exactly, but still super yummy!), buying fabric and "making" my own moby wrap, kind of setting up my sewing area and proceeding to sew nothing. (I'm totally waiting to get this book), Turning 3 gallons of tomatoes into spaghetti sauce which is in our freezer (we will be getting 10 or so more gallons hopefully!), stretching one gallon of milk since Monday, and only eating out once this week! That was last night and it was pizza and it was GROSS. Today is pay day so we might go out again! And we will be making a trip to the grocery soon as well.

Update: now 2 are naked

We also received our first copy of Countryside and Small Stock Journal this week. We can't put it down! So many good ideas!

Well 2 are screaming now! Gotta go!

back in the swing of things

2009-08-19T15:58:00.001-04:00

Hello all! I have been putting off posting until my pictures were all uploaded, but I can't wait any more! Pictures really will come soon(ish)! Things are going well around here as we get to know our new sweet little one. I'm feeling more and more like my old self every day, and I am so relieved to feel inspired and also have the energy to follow through! Current projects include changing my pantry over to all glass from plastic, creating a sewing area (haven't started this yet), and cleaning out the refrigerator and using the food that is about to go bad. Tell me, would you use the organic sour cream that expired August 2? It's unopened and I'm thinking hard about it as long as it doesn't smell bad, or look funny. Suggestions for its use are welcome :) Oh, also, buttermilk that expired 12 days ago. Is that safe? I mean, it's already soured, right? Ditto the SOUR cream.

Moving on... The kids are all adjusting pretty well to life with a new baby Chloe. It also helps that she sleeps like, 20 hours a day. Eight hours at night almost every night since we brought her home. Some nights she'll wake up and nurse, but most of the time if she wakes up and I pull her in the bed with me, she falls asleep before I can even feed her. She reminds me a lot of Lydia that way. I haven't yet made my Moby type wrap, but I need to do it soon. I have wanted it several times already.

We are trying very hard to get back to a healthier eating style after the insanely bad eating we have done for the past couple of months. Me being SO pregnant and only wanting garbage, and now I'm nursing, so I get extra calories right? NO! (Says the woman who had Long John Silver's for lunch yesterday) It's slow going incorporating the healthier foods back in with our garbage, but we are working on it now. And Nathan is experimenting in the kitchen lately, making his own BBQ sauces and after paying $3.19 for taco sauce at the grocery store last night he made taco sauce that's pretty darn close to what we buy. I love that he cooks. While I have been pregnant and recovering he has done so much cooking. I'm hoping that it doesn't stop!

I'll end with a few things I'm loving right now:
Little tiny baby snuggles
little tiny baby yawns and "o" mouths
being able to hug my husband without a baby in my belly (I feel like me again! Well, almost:)
reading stories and playing puzzles with the two oldest
Toby's snuggles and new words every day (but only when HE wants to say something)
and watching Design Star on hgtv.com

Welcome

2009-07-31T12:01:00.008-04:00

Welcome Chloe Jean!

We are so glad you are finally here!

More pictures will come soon! 4 sleeping babies at my house right now! Ahhhhh. Just wait until you see the good pictures! She has a full head of dark hair, a beautiful complexion, and she is just SO sweet! I love love love her! Plus, she's a good sleeper :) The picture above is shortly after she was born, just a little over an hour after we got to the hospital. Maybe I'll write an all-about-the-birth post soon. Right now I'm just gonna enjoy the peace around here.

Still Waiting on Baby

2009-07-27T09:27:00.003-04:00

I have about 2 or 3 half finished posts that will probably never see the light of day. We are still getting used to "plex" living, especially with neighbors who have children who want to play ALL day, every day. (No knock on the door yet today, so cross your fingers for me!) But, when school starts we won't be as bombarded, and that's only a few weeks away. Plus, any day now we will have a new baby and will probably be spending a lot of time away at the camper. We spent the night up there on Saturday night, but this time we had light! We got a couple of tiki torches and an oil lantern that we filled with citronella oil to keep the bugs away, plus we have a little oil lamp for inside. It made such a big difference. It also stormed while we were there. The lightning was amazing all across the big hill on our property. We just sat on the couch and watched it for about an hour, while I had contractions that eventually went away. (boo!)

Do you all ever basically run out of groceries and then spend the next four days wondering why you have been eating out for every meal, or cursing the empty cabinets and having peanut butter crackers? We do this about once a month. Finally, I got groceries last night. The only things I didn't get were oikos yogurt (they didn't have it at the H-burg Kroger, and by the way, the greek yogurt is soso yummy and thick but too expensive), and pears (hoping to go into labor and didn't want rotten pears waiting at home for me). Plus my dad gave me a huge bag of fresh corn and 2 bags of cut up apples.

This weekend we got popsicle molds! If you have any good recipes let me know! I think I'm going to start with a blackberry yogurt pop....

Starting to Settle In

2009-07-10T13:37:00.008-04:00

I'm back! We have moved into an apartment just about 10 minutes away from our land. On said land we have a 28ft fifth wheel parked and a shed (from our old house) full of all our appliances and mower and other things we didn't want to bring to the apt. We are very busy still getting things in order, but thank goodness we finally got the internet here this week. The kids are adjusting (some are taking the move easier than others) and there will be more to adjust to once the baby arrives. I think the hardest part for the kids is all the going we have been doing. They have been staying with relatives lots while we move and we are having a hard time establishing a good routine that doesn't get interrupted. The one thing that has seemed to help is reading books to them. We used to read occasionally, but now we read books when we wake up, books before nap, books before bed, and last night all 3 of them snuggled with a book in their bed. It was so cute to see them all asleep with their arms wrapped around a book. That is one thing I can do without having to chase them around and we can stay entertained for hours reading. It's easy on pregnant mama.

There are still lots of chores to do around here, but moving into the smaller apartment made for getting rid of lots of stuff and so dealing with less stuff is always helpful. Also, paper plates are awesome. We basically gave up paper products (except toilet paper) when gas went up to $4 and then just continued to save that money, but we bought a giant stack before the move and my mom gave another huge stack a few days ago, and that has really made my life a little easier. Obviously we won't use paper plates forever, but for now, they are my friend. Another thing that has helped make my life easier is the layout of this apt. Upstairs are bedrooms (and the only bathroom!) and down are living/kitchen/laundry. The laundry "room" is a closet in the kitchen which I love so far. I am always in the kitchen or living area, so it is so easy to keep the laundry up with it being so close at hand. Taking the clean laundry upstairs to put away, well, that doesn't get done quite as much.

Other various tidbits:

This baby needs to come out. Very Soon.

Garbage pick up day is Friday here...so weird.

We are completely using the microwave again. I gave it up for about a month, but it has made its way back into my day. I'll try again. Maybe it's like smoking...I'll beat it on the 3rd or 4th try.

Our CSA finally sent some veggies I recognize this week!

I made bread this week! Hurray!

Nathan made brownies this week!!!!!

We have enough chinese leftovers in the fridge that I won't have to cook until next week. My parents brought a whole bunch of food over last night when they came to visit. :)

I miss whole foods, but Kroger and Wal-Mart are closer to us now than ever before.

When we moved I got a new shower curtain and hooks that just slide on and off!! I had some hooks kind of like them a year or two ago but they rusted. I don't think these are going to, at least not at the rate the others did.

Nathan and I "celebrated" our 6th wedding anniversary on July 5th. I love him and I love being married to him more every day. The sixth year was very great and I hope the seventh is even better. He really is the coolest. I love how his brain works (although sometimes I wish it would take a break:) and his sense of humor. And our ability to produce the coolest kids ever. And his sweet patience with me toward the end of this pregnancy. I have been so uncomfortable, and huge, and whiny and he has been so helpful and kind and serving. Really serving. Like gets me stuff all the time and helps me up whenever I ask and bends over for me, and cooks a lot, and I love him.

Also, Toby loves fireworks, Lydia prefers to stay inside. Isaiah loves them a lot too. I think they would all love the little stuff too, but we didn't have sparklers and smoke bombs this year, just a few bottle rockets and snakes. Maybe we'll find some on clearance at Wal-Mart when we take our next giant trip. You know, the kind where we have put off and put off and dollar stored it for as long as possible only now to have to go and spend $$$$$ to re-stock our entire house. Yeah, next paycheck that trip is coming.

Such a long and random post, but there is a lot to catch up on. I'll come back soon!

Museli-tastrophe

2009-06-12T11:48:00.003-04:00

Attempt at granola-ish type bars from leftover museli failed. Gross, yuck, gross. Worse than in a bowl with milk. Instead of "saving" our leftover breakfast I spent some honey and an egg among other ingredients. So much for my eperiment.

Closed!

2009-06-12T08:12:00.002-04:00

Officially, we are land owners! And still currently debt-free!!!!! We are still discussing our options for what we will be moving into as more and more objections and potential problems come up with our current plan. I am pretty highly stressed, but I am trying to take it easy and relax and pray. Pray for wisdom for us to choose rightly. We have to be out of our house by July 15 officially. I am due on July 26.

New dress! I got one and it. is. cute. I have been wearing it since I bought it basically. Maybe I'll post a picture later of it and my new haircut, although that would mean I'd have to shower and somehow take a picture of myself.....

We tried an apple raisin muesli this morning and it did not go over very well. 2 kids gagged and the rest of us only ate part of what we had in our bowls. Sooo, I think I will try to make some granola bars out of what is leftover. Not sure if it will work or not, but, what's to lose (besides half a $4.29 box of muesli!)? I'll let you know how it turns out.

We took a giant load of stuff to goodwill yesterday and I am so glad to have it out of the house!! We also plan for a BUNCH of large items to be picked up next week and we have another large load for goodwill. Plus I have a bunch of stuff I am wanting to freecycle and 6 or 7 bins of clothes will go to be stored at Nathan's sister's house. I can't wait to be rid of all this stuff. Also, all our dining room furniture belongs to Nathan's dad technically so as long as he still wants it, it will be going away too. Stuff be gone!

Random thoughts and incoherency is the language of my brain these days. Pardon the abrupt shifts of thought please!

New Yummy Bread

2009-06-08T13:25:00.003-04:00

After taking a bread making hiatus for about 6 months, I finally decided to make some. I wanted to try a new recipe for oatmeal bread but I love this recipe because it is EASY and comes together so quickly. So I used the aforementioned recipe with a few changes. I always use butter instead of shortening in my bread but I changed a few more things this time. I used molasses instead of honey and added about a cup (probably a little more) of leftover oatmeal from breakfast. I also used all whole wheat flour (no white flour) as that is the kind of bread we generally tend to prefer. I just pulled the bread out and had a warm piece with butter. Mmmmmm. I like this so much better than my other whole wheat recipe. I think I am just going to use this recipe as a basic recipe and make all my breads a variation of this super easy dump it in the kitchenaid, watch it mix and knead and let it rise recipe. Definitely a success :) And I definitely want another piece right now.

Good-bye Mortgage!

2009-06-08T08:48:00.003-04:00

Just a note to say that we paid off our mortgage on Friday! AMAZING to be debt-free! Also, got a killer haircut and I feel like a new woman. VERY VERY pregnant today but still hoping to get a lot done around the house. I need to be packing since we no longer own the house we are in. We have approximately 27 more days until we need to be out. We would like to be out a bit sooner because thirty days from when we got paid is our anniversary and I would kind of like to enjoy it! Starting to stress a little that the baby might come before we get moved. That would really throw a kink into things. Supposed to close on new property this week. We went over there on Saturday to walk the property and see where we might put our shed and eventual house and think we found a spot we might like. I actually got to go on top of the hill this time and it's really just beautiful. The creek was pretty shallow so we just waded across the easement. I guess that will be our first official project once we own the property--to build up the easement so that we can get across in the vehicle.

Feeling old. I saw a kid with his window painted '09 and was remembering the big '02 on my car when I graduated. 7 years!!!