It's going waaaaaay too fast! This week we attended Vacation Bible School (VBS) at our church. First time EVER that the kids have been able to be involved in something like that. I'll be posting about that later but for now, I just want to know where time has gone. :) I can't believe we're supposed to start school in a month and I'm no where near ready.
Daddy's retirement party is coming up fast and we'll be having family in so it's massive cleaning time around here. All three kids and I are sick too but it's a small thing, nothing horrible and we'll get over it quickly. Sambucol and bone broth seem to have turned the tide of illness.
My husband is working hard to find another job. It's a weird thing to retire from the military. He was born into a military family and joined the military as soon as he got out of school. So he's never NOT been military. It's a huge adjustment for the whole family but right now we're just focusing on the party. I'll be sure to post about that some day! VBS post first... next week I hope. :)
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Friday, July 8, 2011
What we've been up to
Pickles
Tomatoes
Strawberry jam up front, tomato sauce in the background
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yeah! I finally learned how to can food!! All of this came from my CSA farmer, except for the first picture of tomatoes. That lot of tomatoes came from a friend who wanted to share.
The jam is made with Pomona's pectin. One batch (last picture) contains xylitol as a sweetener. That batch did not firm up like it should have. The second batch has honey and it appears to have firmed up but we haven't opened one to see yet. My small taste testers assured me that although the first batch didn't jell, it still tastes delicious! :D
Because I am new to this, I wanted to do it without kids. I know it sounds selfish but they distract me and I loose track of what I'm doing! lol But Daddyman stayed in there with me. He has fond memories of his mom, aunt and grandma doing this sort of thing while he was growing up and he jumped right in and helped. That was probably the most fun I've had in my kitchen EVER!
We weren't completely kid-free. Grace just had to see what was going on and b/c Daddyman was there to keep me on track, we did let her in to stir the berries while they were heating up. Tony had a serious lego build going on so he didn't come unless he heard someone getting to taste test. LOL Kate came in and out but mostly thought we were being boring. So all in all, it was great... kids underfoot and running around, both adults in the kitchen laughing and talking. THAT was fun. :)
Monday, July 4, 2011
Fourth of July
Nope, this isn't about what you think it's about! :)
Our church always has a huge celebration at a farm owned by one of our church members. There are all sorts of activities to be enjoyed, from the sprinkle fountain for the little people, to the climbing wall, to the rifle shoot, to the horse rides and even a helicopter ride this year! There is always a ton of food as well. Now of course if food is involved, it's big time stress for us b/c of the kids allergies; but when it's only our church people and a handful of visitors we go anyway b/c our church family knows my kids and generally the other children are VERY mindful of the need for safety.
This year there will be 700 people there, not to mention those who show up without the RSVP... so who knows how many really will be there; and most will not know about safety precautions needed for our children. Scary. So we may or may not stay today but we're going to go at least.
But the reason for this whole post is that yesterday was set-up day for the party. We asked and found out that there would be no food for that so we went b/c it's been years since we've been able to help... because food is always involved. (As an aside, it's truly bizarre how food is everywhere. If you want to minister while living with multiple food allergies to touch or inhalation, you're just outta luck. It's crazy!) We were so excited to be able to help! The kids and I are helpers...we really do love to help but rarely get the chance so this was a big thing for us.
So yesterday, Kate got to be the water hose girl (lol) meaning she stood there not knowing what to do so someone gave her a water hose and told her to water things. She got to clean off a bunch of large kitchen equipment pieces and then she got to water all the flowers. A young man and his mother went and collected all the flower arrangements (in pots) and brought them to Kate, who watered them heavily. Then we all went back and hung them up while she watered who knows what. At one point I stole the hose and watered the kids. Tony & Daddy worked together on projects outside while I took the girls inside and we helped with the table flower arrangements. Before we got done, Tony wandered in and helped water them too. I have no idea what all Daddyman was doing but he was sure sweaty and has a nice sunburn on his face. Once the flowers were done, the hostess and I worked on getting the American flags placed around the area and getting some of the large decorations in place, while the girls worked together to take water to everyone.
The whole day was fabulous... tons of work and sweat but oh so productive. And doing it with a crowd of people was just such a blessing for all of us. I am a people person and having to live a lifestyle where we frequently have to avoid people, this was just heavenly for me. And of course my helper son was enjoying the opportunity to be helpful and my social girls loved the whole day just being around people.
At one point, the girls asked me if they could go play on the playground. I was distracted and didn't answer but this sweet gentleman, who had a sling on his arm and walked with a cane, told me he would be happy to watch the girls over there. He had been looking for something to do but everything was manual labor that he could not participate in. And as is Kate's habit, she had made friends with him a while earlier by plopping a chair near him and saying "Hi, let's chat". lol He spent probably 15-20 minutes just pushing Kate & Grace in the swing and quite a long time just hanging out and being an adult presence while they played. He told me later that he loved playing with them and they reminded him of his daughter. She died when she was 17 (10 years ago) and while telling her story to me, he teared up but was grateful for the time he'd been given with her. Talking with him was humblings... such a sweet gentle spirit.
So all in all we had a GREAT day yesterday just helping. Being around all those people, busy working and doing and talking, it was a breath of fresh air! When Tony was first born I had all these grand plans on how we would help and minister to others. I grew up helping people and knew it was a good thing for children to be able to see beyond their own needs to the needs of others. But God had other plans for us when He made it so we cannot be around most "helping" situations. I really don't understand that part but since there's nothing I can do about it, I just look for opportunities that work for us. Yesterday was that opportunity and I am so grateful for it!
So in a few hours we will head out to the party and I don't know if we will even be able to stay; but if we have to come home b/c of the dangers there, we will still be grateful that we had yesterday. And we'll probably eat some coconut ice cream too. :)
Happy Independence Day people!! Enjoy it!
Our church always has a huge celebration at a farm owned by one of our church members. There are all sorts of activities to be enjoyed, from the sprinkle fountain for the little people, to the climbing wall, to the rifle shoot, to the horse rides and even a helicopter ride this year! There is always a ton of food as well. Now of course if food is involved, it's big time stress for us b/c of the kids allergies; but when it's only our church people and a handful of visitors we go anyway b/c our church family knows my kids and generally the other children are VERY mindful of the need for safety.
This year there will be 700 people there, not to mention those who show up without the RSVP... so who knows how many really will be there; and most will not know about safety precautions needed for our children. Scary. So we may or may not stay today but we're going to go at least.
But the reason for this whole post is that yesterday was set-up day for the party. We asked and found out that there would be no food for that so we went b/c it's been years since we've been able to help... because food is always involved. (As an aside, it's truly bizarre how food is everywhere. If you want to minister while living with multiple food allergies to touch or inhalation, you're just outta luck. It's crazy!) We were so excited to be able to help! The kids and I are helpers...we really do love to help but rarely get the chance so this was a big thing for us.
So yesterday, Kate got to be the water hose girl (lol) meaning she stood there not knowing what to do so someone gave her a water hose and told her to water things. She got to clean off a bunch of large kitchen equipment pieces and then she got to water all the flowers. A young man and his mother went and collected all the flower arrangements (in pots) and brought them to Kate, who watered them heavily. Then we all went back and hung them up while she watered who knows what. At one point I stole the hose and watered the kids. Tony & Daddy worked together on projects outside while I took the girls inside and we helped with the table flower arrangements. Before we got done, Tony wandered in and helped water them too. I have no idea what all Daddyman was doing but he was sure sweaty and has a nice sunburn on his face. Once the flowers were done, the hostess and I worked on getting the American flags placed around the area and getting some of the large decorations in place, while the girls worked together to take water to everyone.
The whole day was fabulous... tons of work and sweat but oh so productive. And doing it with a crowd of people was just such a blessing for all of us. I am a people person and having to live a lifestyle where we frequently have to avoid people, this was just heavenly for me. And of course my helper son was enjoying the opportunity to be helpful and my social girls loved the whole day just being around people.
At one point, the girls asked me if they could go play on the playground. I was distracted and didn't answer but this sweet gentleman, who had a sling on his arm and walked with a cane, told me he would be happy to watch the girls over there. He had been looking for something to do but everything was manual labor that he could not participate in. And as is Kate's habit, she had made friends with him a while earlier by plopping a chair near him and saying "Hi, let's chat". lol He spent probably 15-20 minutes just pushing Kate & Grace in the swing and quite a long time just hanging out and being an adult presence while they played. He told me later that he loved playing with them and they reminded him of his daughter. She died when she was 17 (10 years ago) and while telling her story to me, he teared up but was grateful for the time he'd been given with her. Talking with him was humblings... such a sweet gentle spirit.
So all in all we had a GREAT day yesterday just helping. Being around all those people, busy working and doing and talking, it was a breath of fresh air! When Tony was first born I had all these grand plans on how we would help and minister to others. I grew up helping people and knew it was a good thing for children to be able to see beyond their own needs to the needs of others. But God had other plans for us when He made it so we cannot be around most "helping" situations. I really don't understand that part but since there's nothing I can do about it, I just look for opportunities that work for us. Yesterday was that opportunity and I am so grateful for it!
So in a few hours we will head out to the party and I don't know if we will even be able to stay; but if we have to come home b/c of the dangers there, we will still be grateful that we had yesterday. And we'll probably eat some coconut ice cream too. :)
Happy Independence Day people!! Enjoy it!
Sunday, June 26, 2011
School's out!!
WoOOOohoOO!
I have already started picking out curriculum for next year and it's shaping up nicely. It's so much fun to look at new options and decide which things to keep and which things need to be done better. I feel like a kid in a candy store with all the choices and books out there!!
Kids are having a GREAT vacation so far. Tons of outside play time and the kids and I have enjoyed spending a lot of time doing NOTHING. We're all turning nicely brown from so much time outside.
We'll be spending time fishing (well eating while the pole sits in the water anyway)
Fixin' stuff
Harvesting and eating from the garden
And fermenting veggies, canning and dehydrating enough food for the rest of the year (I hope!)
Aahhhhhh I love summer break.
I have already started picking out curriculum for next year and it's shaping up nicely. It's so much fun to look at new options and decide which things to keep and which things need to be done better. I feel like a kid in a candy store with all the choices and books out there!!
Kids are having a GREAT vacation so far. Tons of outside play time and the kids and I have enjoyed spending a lot of time doing NOTHING. We're all turning nicely brown from so much time outside.
We'll be spending time fishing (well eating while the pole sits in the water anyway)
Sorry about the fuzzy picture; Kate took it. :D
Aahhhhhh I love summer break.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Laughter... it does a body good!
This evening I would outside rolling up hoses and checking on plants when I heard a great sound. It was a toddler laughing. You know, that GREAT belly-busting laugh? Yeah, that one. One of our neighbors just finished installing a playground in their back yard and the little one was swinging while Daddy was putting on a show in front of him. Mom was laughing beside him and both ended up with gut-busters of their own from laughing at their baby. I found myself laughing too... there truly is nothing more contagious than a baby laugh!
Research shows that laughter is good for healing. A commonly heard saying is "Laughter is good for the soul". Children laugh upwards of 40 times a day, adults less than 5. I need to laugh more!!!
I just got back from spending 2 weeks helping my parents as my mom underwent some surgery. The recovery process needed a second pair of hands and my dad couldn't take that much time off work so I went. Not to mention, my parents are some of my very favorite people so there was no way I could endure knowing my mom was under the ole' knife and me not be there!! Anyway, I had read an article just before her surgery that laughter would help.
Well it's really hard to laugh when you're feeling super cruddy and recovering from surgery!! But we were determined we were going to get some laughs in so every few nights, my mom and I would get out the scrabble board and dictionary and look for some crazy words with high point values. It was awesome! We discovered vugs (go ahead, look it up), boinks, ixia and a plethora of bizarre words that no one but a scrabble nerd would know. LOL We were puzzled, confused on occasion, but mostly hysterical to discover these crazy words and how to use them in a sentence.
As I stood out there unable to work b/c I couldn't stop listening to that baby laugh, I realized I don't laugh much during the day. The kids do but I don't. Maybe I need to teach the kids to play scrabble. :)
What do you do to make your day more laughter-ific? (Yes I did just invent that word) I'm up for ideas to make laughter more common around here!!
**For those interested: my mom is recovering nicely although we both miss me being there. HA! The kids miss Grammie & Pawpaw and the puppies and my mom said she misses the kids noise. And I suspect she misses those scrabble games too.
Research shows that laughter is good for healing. A commonly heard saying is "Laughter is good for the soul". Children laugh upwards of 40 times a day, adults less than 5. I need to laugh more!!!
I just got back from spending 2 weeks helping my parents as my mom underwent some surgery. The recovery process needed a second pair of hands and my dad couldn't take that much time off work so I went. Not to mention, my parents are some of my very favorite people so there was no way I could endure knowing my mom was under the ole' knife and me not be there!! Anyway, I had read an article just before her surgery that laughter would help.
Well it's really hard to laugh when you're feeling super cruddy and recovering from surgery!! But we were determined we were going to get some laughs in so every few nights, my mom and I would get out the scrabble board and dictionary and look for some crazy words with high point values. It was awesome! We discovered vugs (go ahead, look it up), boinks, ixia and a plethora of bizarre words that no one but a scrabble nerd would know. LOL We were puzzled, confused on occasion, but mostly hysterical to discover these crazy words and how to use them in a sentence.
As I stood out there unable to work b/c I couldn't stop listening to that baby laugh, I realized I don't laugh much during the day. The kids do but I don't. Maybe I need to teach the kids to play scrabble. :)
What do you do to make your day more laughter-ific? (Yes I did just invent that word) I'm up for ideas to make laughter more common around here!!
**For those interested: my mom is recovering nicely although we both miss me being there. HA! The kids miss Grammie & Pawpaw and the puppies and my mom said she misses the kids noise. And I suspect she misses those scrabble games too.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Random outside pictures and one tiny little cute story
This little fellow played peek-a-boo with us today!! We were sitting on the back porch watching the chickens and he kept coming over to the feeder but got nervous b/c we were there I guess. Finally he got bold and perched right where you see him here but he kept peeking around the corner looking at us!!! LOL It was the cutest thing ever!! Unfortunately I did not get a picture of him peeking but maybe next time. :)
Chicks enjoying the fresh bugs. :D
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Look what we have!!!!
Yeah baby!! Chickens!!!!!!
We are not allowed to have farm critters here in our HOA so they are living in our garage while me & my fabulous friend, who lives 4 miles away, work on plans for the chicken coop. We hope to build it within the next few weeks and the chickies will move to their permanent residence there. While the kids cannot have eggs, Daddyman and I can... not to mention here's a real life skills lesson in the flesh. The kids are ridiculously excited. :D
We're taking home school to a whole new level. :)
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