Lots of little things have been irritating this week (don't even get me started on the skein of yarn from a different dye lot), so I want to go in the opposite direction. Here are some things that are just a blessing and a joy:
1. Our church family - we are surrounded by love and prayer from these dear folk.
2. Our 4 sweet children - they are hilarious with their nonstop ideas and conversations! "It would be hard to get a cheetah while it's running, right?" Just came up.
3. Fresh eggs every day from our flock of hens.
4. Protection and care of our health and strength.
5. A pantry full of ingredients; the choices!
6. A beautiful area of the country to live in - the leaves are just about to change!
7. Parents/Grandparents that pray for us.
8. Two little girls that still take afternoon naps and give a bit of quiet time.
9. So many good books to read - a whole lifetime of reading just doesn't even scratch the surface!
10. The internet with so many recipes and ideas to be discovered.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Friday, September 13, 2013
Five for Friday
1. My dad had a surgery this week to install a medicine pump in his abdomen. Hopefully this medicine will help with the stiffness and soreness on his left side (the result of his stroke a few years back). He is doing well, and I was able to visit him at his rehab facility this week. Praise God for watching over him.
2. A couple of weeks ago (before dad's surgery) our family was able to go to the fair! The Big Knob Fair was perfect for us - animals to see and ice cream to be eaten. Here are a couple shots of the kids and the animals. The baby is hard to see, but you can get an idea of one of her favorite modes of transportation.
3. Homeschool is going well. Jacob actually said he loved school when he was in the middle of his math page yesterday! Abigail is enjoying her piano lessons too (nothing like saving money by giving the lesson myself!). During the school hours before naptime, it is not uncommon to see this:
The baby particularly enjoys visiting in the dog cage. She takes her books, toys, snacks, whatever in there!
4. Our chickens have really started to produce. We've been up to 9 eggs a day so far (I think we might get to 11-12) soon!
5. This is site of my chaos yesterday:
I have some of my products for sale at a local store, and that store is having an open house on Saturday. I needed to make lots of lotion bars and body butters yesterday, so this is my counter and stove area. It smelled so good! I also played around with some of my beeswax (from a local beekeeper because my one hive doesn't produce enough) in a jar candle. Anyone dealt with shrinkage and beeswax as it cools?
Happy weekending to you all!!
2. A couple of weeks ago (before dad's surgery) our family was able to go to the fair! The Big Knob Fair was perfect for us - animals to see and ice cream to be eaten. Here are a couple shots of the kids and the animals. The baby is hard to see, but you can get an idea of one of her favorite modes of transportation.
3. Homeschool is going well. Jacob actually said he loved school when he was in the middle of his math page yesterday! Abigail is enjoying her piano lessons too (nothing like saving money by giving the lesson myself!). During the school hours before naptime, it is not uncommon to see this:
The baby particularly enjoys visiting in the dog cage. She takes her books, toys, snacks, whatever in there!
4. Our chickens have really started to produce. We've been up to 9 eggs a day so far (I think we might get to 11-12) soon!
5. This is site of my chaos yesterday:
I have some of my products for sale at a local store, and that store is having an open house on Saturday. I needed to make lots of lotion bars and body butters yesterday, so this is my counter and stove area. It smelled so good! I also played around with some of my beeswax (from a local beekeeper because my one hive doesn't produce enough) in a jar candle. Anyone dealt with shrinkage and beeswax as it cools?
Happy weekending to you all!!
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Weekend Recap and Such
Today is the soft opening of homeschool; tomorrow is the grand opening. We are celebrating my parents' anniversary today. What better way to mark 37 years than with homemade peach pie and homemade whipped cream?
Our summer ended with a bang. We squeezed every last drop of fun out of our long weekend. We sure do miss Big Fish when he goes to work!
Last Friday night we enjoyed dinner with friends. I am always impressed when somebody invites our family of 6 over! We enjoyed dinner, dessert, and a stroll around the grounds (their backyard has a swingset and a little garden with the most exciting crop of butternut squash on a trellis!). Friends are fun, and we are thankful for them and their fellowship.
Saturday was Fair Day! We had off to the Big Knob Grange Fair. Highlights included: a super friendly baby calf, a honeybee observation hive, teaching my kids the rules of the tractor pull, and wonderful strawberry and raspberry milkshakes for the kids. One attraction to this particular fair was the free admission. We had a nice morning of walking around with my parents. We were quite the caravan with a wheelchair, a stroller, and a baby in the backpack! Jacob did ask me why the rabbits had so many chocolate chips in their cages!
Sunday was church, communion, and a much needed nap for many of us. We were blessed with record attendance at our little country church. We had many college students from Grove City, so it will be exciting to make new friends.
Yesterday Big Fish and I tag teamed. He took Jacob for a father/son outing in the morning while I did some cleaning and laundry, and I took Abigail for a mother/daughter outing while Big Fish fixed dinner and hooked up my Kindle to the wireless network. I say "hooked up" because I really don't know what he did to get it to work!
The father/son outing was an early morning of fishing and breakfast out. This was Jacob's first experience fishing like daddy. Usually they fish at a pond when the kids are involved. Daddy likes to wade and fish a stream, so Jacob is learning the ropes. He had fun and didn't even fall in. I asked him if he saw any wildlife; he said, "not even a raccoon!" I think Jacob may talk a little and scare the animals :)
Abigail and I did many things! We went out to lunch at her choice of restaurant....the Chinese buffet! We are fancy, folks. I enjoyed watching her eat boiled crayfish, shrimp, squid, chicken on a stick, and some sushi rolls. At 7 years old, she seems to take after daddy's adventurous eating habits. Since the buffet is in the mall we strolled to the other end and picked up some hair elastics for the girls to share. Then we hopped in the car, picked up a cold drink from a drive-thru, and headed to the playground. Alameda Park in Butler has a nice outdoor playground - large, cushioned outdoor flooring, and lots of slides and climbing wall type things. Abigail enjoyed boppping around while I walked with her a bit and also did a little knitting. Then we headed to Panera and did a little reading and knitting (Abigail is learning!). Finally we picked up a few essentials at the grocery store - you know, the necessary butter and whipping cream that we all need. Actually, we needed these things for the peach pie.
After arriving home, we had a nice regrouping of the family over a big dinner of grilled chicken, cheesy spinach, and rice. I think we all slept soundly last night; I know I did!
Hope you all had a happy time with friends and family this past weekend!
Our summer ended with a bang. We squeezed every last drop of fun out of our long weekend. We sure do miss Big Fish when he goes to work!
Last Friday night we enjoyed dinner with friends. I am always impressed when somebody invites our family of 6 over! We enjoyed dinner, dessert, and a stroll around the grounds (their backyard has a swingset and a little garden with the most exciting crop of butternut squash on a trellis!). Friends are fun, and we are thankful for them and their fellowship.
Saturday was Fair Day! We had off to the Big Knob Grange Fair. Highlights included: a super friendly baby calf, a honeybee observation hive, teaching my kids the rules of the tractor pull, and wonderful strawberry and raspberry milkshakes for the kids. One attraction to this particular fair was the free admission. We had a nice morning of walking around with my parents. We were quite the caravan with a wheelchair, a stroller, and a baby in the backpack! Jacob did ask me why the rabbits had so many chocolate chips in their cages!
Sunday was church, communion, and a much needed nap for many of us. We were blessed with record attendance at our little country church. We had many college students from Grove City, so it will be exciting to make new friends.
Yesterday Big Fish and I tag teamed. He took Jacob for a father/son outing in the morning while I did some cleaning and laundry, and I took Abigail for a mother/daughter outing while Big Fish fixed dinner and hooked up my Kindle to the wireless network. I say "hooked up" because I really don't know what he did to get it to work!
The father/son outing was an early morning of fishing and breakfast out. This was Jacob's first experience fishing like daddy. Usually they fish at a pond when the kids are involved. Daddy likes to wade and fish a stream, so Jacob is learning the ropes. He had fun and didn't even fall in. I asked him if he saw any wildlife; he said, "not even a raccoon!" I think Jacob may talk a little and scare the animals :)
Abigail and I did many things! We went out to lunch at her choice of restaurant....the Chinese buffet! We are fancy, folks. I enjoyed watching her eat boiled crayfish, shrimp, squid, chicken on a stick, and some sushi rolls. At 7 years old, she seems to take after daddy's adventurous eating habits. Since the buffet is in the mall we strolled to the other end and picked up some hair elastics for the girls to share. Then we hopped in the car, picked up a cold drink from a drive-thru, and headed to the playground. Alameda Park in Butler has a nice outdoor playground - large, cushioned outdoor flooring, and lots of slides and climbing wall type things. Abigail enjoyed boppping around while I walked with her a bit and also did a little knitting. Then we headed to Panera and did a little reading and knitting (Abigail is learning!). Finally we picked up a few essentials at the grocery store - you know, the necessary butter and whipping cream that we all need. Actually, we needed these things for the peach pie.
After arriving home, we had a nice regrouping of the family over a big dinner of grilled chicken, cheesy spinach, and rice. I think we all slept soundly last night; I know I did!
Hope you all had a happy time with friends and family this past weekend!
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