Today is Beautiful in every way. 

Coffee

Happy Children

Birds - tons of birds out in the A.M.  all sorts, we love watching the pileated woodpeckers

Sun & Blue Skies - lots of puffy clouds, short sprinkle in the sunshine this A.M.

Azalea blooms

Breeze

Bluebirds are here

Smell of soil & grass

Bees

Dogwood blooms - they are lovely cut and in a vase

Buds opening on the Pecan trees means it's time to put corn in

We hoed the garden  So nice to work with Avery, he's growing Chinese Cabbage this year

Three little boys dug out thistles - not perfect, just beautiful we still got the thistles to deal with

Wash on the line

Butterflies - makes me want to go out and buy all those clearance snap dragons to feed them

Clean house - No toys allowed out on a day like this! floors will have to be swept of sand and washed late tonight

Lunch from town

Digging through stacks of seed packets and trying to decide what to plant next

Planting more garden - more beans

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"No wonder the dogs just want to lay in the sun" - Avery

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Twilight - We love her. Comes with ejection tricks-we're working on that. 

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I have not seen our hummingbirds yet.

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School:

Pressing Pansies

Observed the trees and copied different bark patterns

Began Step 1 in dissolving an eggshell

This is what we want to do next with the soft egg.

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The Plan: Nap time for the little guys and then back outside till dark.  Then math and supper.

Time change didn't mess with the kids to much this time.  Last evening we didn't eat until 8:30. Supper (Chicken, Gravy & Rice) went in at 4, but everyone was to busy and didn't feel hungry until later. 

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Psalm 145:3‑7

Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.

One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty

acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate

on your wonderful works. They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and

I will proclaim your great deeds. They will celebrate your abundant goodness and

joyfully sing of your righteousness.

It's Spring again. 

I was so looking forward to "slow" days.  Where we would basically live in the den with the heat.  Those days were very sparse.  Winter never really came.  Not nearly enough books were read or games played.  Sure we got to the library and bought new books, but that cozy slowness didn't come and stay till we were tired of it and ready for warm weather. 

First eggs Clay fried himself!

The garden is halfway in, potatoes, beans, cabbage, broccoli, redbeets, radishes and onions.  Much happy sighing this time of year.  Inspired by books, magazines and pinterest - oh this should be a good and beautiful year!  I feel as though April just may not come this year with all it's weeds and allergies. Ha. It surely will, but for now the imagination reigns.  I'm trying several rows of straw covered potatoes.

School - its happening.  My goal of Isaiah reading by Christmas didn't happen.  February came around and so did the reading skills.  He's on a roll.  Avery, switched to Singapore math this year and in Nov. I didn't know why we did this, information overload.  He took a full month break in Jan. and I can say it's flowing.  We love percentages - love!. Not sure if it was me - maxed out with three to school plus, trying to include the twins as much as possible and trying to get the new cirriculum going or what.  But I mentally wasn't getting it and didn't have the time to just sit down with it.  And I'm just not great at angles or 5th/6th grade math in general.  Emma is moving right along in 3rd. They all love reading, math is boring, science is fun, history is tolerable and occassionally fascinating, geography a fun challenge, grammar/english/LA are thought to be horrible.

(snap - done  - opps - one blurred child - next year - maybe)

Nov. Dec brought all the crazy, fast paced life that it normally does.  We finished up in January with Christmas in PA and SNOW - just a little, but enough to dig out the boots and snowpants!  Family - there are no words needed, it's filled with that much fullness. Or else it'd need no less than a thousand words to describe and feel what that one word actually means. 

February MEW in Arthur, Illinois.  An evening with Tim and Michelle at Fresh Start. And, two days in Kentucky at the Pennyrile Forest State Resort.  Lee did a job nearby and we got to see Crofton, where Liz and Mark are from.  Valentines was spent test driving a van followed by Chinese, such a crime, with much laughter.  5yrs ago - Who woulda thunk it, and that we wouldn't even care.  It's great fun just being together and Isaiah was along.  He was so tickled. 

March brings all the pleasantness and terror of spring.  Budding trees, blooming azaleas, paperwhite, irises, dogwoods... I think I need one of those purple blooming tulip trees?? I always thought they were magnolias, but I've heard most lil ladies around here refer to them as tulip trees. Cold fronts, warnings, sirens, alerts, alarms, one room w/o windows filled with blankets on the floor, toys and flashlight, Tornados.

Mowed the lawn. Planted 2 new shrubs.  Started hydrangea cutting.  After a good trim to the peach tree I'm hoping we see some nice sized peaches this year. 

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Crockpot Supper

Chicken thighs, minced onion, 2c chicken broth, 2c water, 2 small cans black sliced olives with juice, 1 can artichoke hearts with juice, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1c dry macaroni, 1 envelope dry mix garlic and herb dip/soup. Low at least 5 hrs

Lucy & Ike moved in this summer.  Avery worked hard and has been waiting a long time for his dream of beagels.  Trying to find AKC beagels was like a needle in a haystack down south. 

Ike came home with us from PA in August.  We picked Lucy up 2 wks ago.  They are the first beagels we've had and are darling, we couldn't ask for more loveable dogs.  If Lucy is inside she wants to stand on a kitchen chair and look out the window.

September was Gator season and the guys worked hard for Steve's huge gator.

Mid October finds me feeling like we're not in a really good school groove. Life just changes, as does normal, and it seems I'm constantly trying to adjust to a new normal for our day.  Last year the twins played while we did school.  And if I remember right, it rolled fairly well.  This year they want to be right with everyone else and they are distracting - loud, noisey and funny.

Avery and Emma are in Guatemala for a few days.  They flew down with Lee's mom and are with Janelle and Brian.  Saturday they went to the mall.  Sunday they visited a very poor native family and went to church. Of course everthing was in Spanish and they were concerned about not knowing how to relate to the children.  Can't wait till they get home to hear their stories in more detail.  Today they are going to the Childrens Museum.  Last week Avery went to school with Austin and Isaac.  Emma stayed back with Janelle and her girls.  It's been raining so they've seen some mudslides.  Despite some uncertainty about going, they seem to really be enjoying themselves.

above Science: how much weight can eggshells handle? they each had 7 halves.

This year the twins are doing preschool - which they love, but it takes a lot of oversight and stirs a lot of interest from the others.  My plan was get them all doing their individual work then take 15 min. to work with the twins.  "okay dear children, everyone remain and work quietly in your area until the microwave beeps.  dear twinies run get your little books" - Why shouldn't that work? instead everyone is helping giving tips, helping cut, hold pencils properly, reminding to stay inside lines, till there is no room for mom and hardly a need for me.  I've told myself to relax, let them enjoy helping each other and the twins love the attention and learning to do it like a big kid.  And it takes LONG to get through it, not just 15 min.  So we stop everything and it's a good mental break for the older kids who may be grinding along in their work.  Just not quite the quiet, relaxed atmosphere I'd thought before.  And no one minds except me.  (learning to relax without stressing out your innards is no easy feat.)

above: nature journals - keeping track of anything that fascinates them

Clay has finally taken an interest in his books and writing letters.  The beginning of this year he didn't want a thing to do with it.  He wakes up with a bang and goes directly outside.  Either to dig for bugs in the flowerbeds or down to the dogs.  He hauls branches, pipes and containers all around the yard.  This morning he was down in the pond and declared he was hunting for a turkey, who's tracks he'd seen in the mud.  Breakfast wouldn't enter his mind until 11, we have to make him sit down and eat.  He also seems to be doing a rerun of the twos and I don't trust him a lick outside by himself.  While he does weigh the consequence it's usually all worth it - in his mind.

Carson has enjoyed working in his books since the beginning.  He wakes up and rolls around for a long time before deciding it's time to find me or go lay back in my bed for awhile.  And then as soon as his sleepy brain kicks into gear it's first thought is food.  He notices anything tastey, good looking and can taste something you describe.  Then he likes to line up all his trucks or tractors in front of the couch before moving onto building tracks.  He is, sometimes, his brothers voice of reason, not all fun is worth the consequence that may follow. (50% he to throws caution to the wind)

Isaiah gripes about school when he see's a stack.  He does much better working one page at a time.  I tell him to work on three pages and it brings on tears and slouching and words like NEVER and FOREVER.  If he could sleep till 8:30 every morning that'd be fine by him, even if the rest of the house is awake, he's not worried about missing anything.  He loves to volunteer to make eggs for everyone.  If I don't know what to make for supper he say something like "thats okay, i'll just make eggs" all cool and casual like just let me handle it then.  (for all of you thinking #3 will shake your world - go for it, they don't. no you don't have three hands, but the third child is a charm! that middle child theory is floof - everyone one adores this little guy)

http://www.rhodesbread.com/recipes/view/2230#

Got the idea from Rhodes just changed it to brown and serve rolls, used Crystal hot sauce and skipped the butter.  Everyone loved them!  Definately a fast make again meal.  

I'm so excited for cool weather.  Soups, yum, can't wait to eat more of them for lunch.  No one needs a steamy bowl on a 90 degree day.

above: roasting hotdogs and throwing frisbee on a Sunday evening.

GA Fair

Above - Making music,  and a pig race/swim

Below - catching an alligator, feeding the baby giraffe carrots,

above: Clay with Mr Potato Head

below: fair = cotton candy

why does xanga erase my sentences when i add pictures?

Today

Picking figs - the closet we get to picking cherries.  It's a perfect tree to climb.

Weeding - I usually use a combination of preen and newspaper in my flowerbeds.  This year I'm trying cardboard - thinking long term/school term   And yes, I know fabric exists, I've had some of that down, but nut grass comes right up through that stuff.  I've even resorted to black plastic in some areas - shhhh, some people don't like this method  it's as "right" (or wrong) as asking the local Dollar General if I can get their boxes out back - seriously they like me, even let me know what day their big boxes will be back there!! yah, I like DG employees! 

E & I are dumping jars of canned corn we didn't like, unusual taste; and squash we didn't use

No wash - need to get caught up on the putting away, before we load the table again.

Freezer meals - Enchiladas and Soup need to be made this afternoon, then I'm done for a little while.

Van cleaned - Thanx to Emma.  Avery and Emma can do an amazing job with the van!  (my definition of amazing may have changed over the last 12 years, it used to include perfect, - still say amazing  love them!)

No A.M. snack today.  Coffee (named the most important first!), Hotdogs, Cheeseballs and Dill Pickles for lunch.  Leftover Cinnamon cake and icecream for afternoon snack.  Hamloaf patty sandwiches for supper - time to eat (quick )the PA food so we can fill up our box again.  Why is it that I have a hard time eating the stuff we can't get around here, then the few weeks before we head north (to restock) I want to empty the box?  Yesterday was chicken gravy over rice, w/sweet potatoes and leftovers for supper.  In the evening we had church.  We are going through Walter Beacheys Anabaptist History series - excellent!!

Avery is home, after being gone for 3 weeks.  We were all so glad to have him back again!  This afternoon he's on a service call with Lee.  He loved every minute of his tripping up north.  Traveled with neighbors, spoiled by Nana, worked and fished with Papa, Bibleschool, played with cousins, a week of camp, overnight with cousins, and back home again with Mama and Papa.  The ones "left behind" were so worried he'd get to sleep at a hotel too often , and that wouldn't be fair!  

I rearranged some of the kithen.  Turned the bread drawer into a place for kids cups, and a basket at the back with lids and straws, put bowls and plated in low drawers.  This way the twins can help empty the dishwasher, set the table and help themselves.  I was tired of cleaning dirty smudges from the little guys climbing up the drawer handles for what they wanted.  So far it's worked great.

Last summer I found lots of tiny coneflower and blackeyed susan plants growing in my moms meadow.  I was thrilled and I can't leave a plant die or pass up free.  So, not sure what was what, I just dug them up, plopped them in little cups ,slid them under the back seat of our overstuffed minivan, and all but a few survived 900+miles and 6 swinging feet.  This summer they look nicer, bigger than the ones I bought 2 yrs ago from Lowes.  I can see them from my kitchen window (many happy sighs) I am loving them!!  Now if only my limelight hydrangeas would decide they like it here too, it would be lovely.  In my mind I saw hostas, grasses, limelight hydranges, coreopsis and blackeyed susans and coneflowers.  You might chuckle (or gasp) if you'd see the beds, my Zebra grass has three little strands sticking up.  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, for sure!

The backyard is currently under renovation.  (The house for that matter seems to live in a constant state of upgrade)  The old driveway, that went around the house, has been torn up in the back, making a muddy sandy mess.  So even though we need the rain, my floors stay A LOT cleaner in dry weather.  (sand and dirt are better dry, less scrubbing) The yard has several trenches through it, taking water (to back bed, to back of house) where I need it and wires where Lee needs (to pump house).  The wirey mess is no longer visible, a new service/panel box was put in outside the laundry window (trench down to asparagus bed).  Now the north side of the house soffit and facia can be finished.  And one of my outdoor dusk to dawn ,out front, is disconnected, on its way off my property!! We'll leave the one in for the barn.  

It's decided  Do you ever redecide something every summer? We do.  Out the back door,part of the back yard will be made (more) level, for a table of some sort.  With a wall going from azaleas (at sandbox) to the the west (semi circle like), leaving a decent width for the mower to fit, right beside that big old pine tree infront of the garden shed, for a slope of grass, down towards the dogwood.   

We are so excited for the next few weeks.  Summer isn't over, but it is here at the house.  Cave, Creation Museum, Convention, PA then school starts ( the sit down, "boring" routine/sit at your desk part will begin mid August).

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Rhubarb  -

This is going into my oven this afternoon!

(photo from PW)

I'd like to try this  looks perfect for these HOT days.

(photo from Bake at 350)

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