February Updates

Hello, Friends! Since it's been a while since I've posted, I thought I'd include some kitteny cuteness! (Plus I don't really have any pictures to go with my updates!) Here is Oreo and Miller, napping together. Oreo is on vacation up at my mothers, visiting her kitty cousins. Unfortunately her vacation was a necessity, as both her and her brother have reached maturity in a certain area of their lives (nudge, nudge, wink, wink!) and their appointments for "fixing" are not until next week. The kiddos and I really miss her, but Miller seems rather lost without her. He has taken to being my shadow, especially around bedtime. He cuddles with me and follows me around until I'm settled in bed for the night.

Last Sunday our friends from church came over so that the man of the family, Chris, could fix my Internet. Once again he proved to be an absolute wizard!!!! He has also offered to fix up my ancient desktop computer, which has sat over in our mudroom/office for about a year, untouched. I would really like to be able to use the old computer, especially since in all likely hood, I will be homeschooling Teddy Bear next year. Having 2 computers would be wonderful.

There isn't much to really report on the homesteading front, at least not anything happening now. We getting ready to gear up for sugaring season, which we are ramping up this year. We asked some friends that live up the road from us if we could tap their trees, and they very graciously agreed. The trees are easy to get to and there are lots of them! The kiddos and I will be collecting the sap from these trees so that Daddy will only have to worry about the trees down on the road. He doesn't want us collecting those because traffic is heavy down there. 

I've been really lax on planning the garden this year, except for knowing that it's going to be bigger this year! Last fall we expanded the garden plot, so that will need some attention before it's time to plant. I'm thinking of planting our corn their. Tomatoes will be going in containers on the deck this year. I'm hoping this will discourage the horn worms and I know it will keep my chickens away.

I'm planning on starting my herbs, tomatoes and green peppers sometime during this week. I have a plan for starting the tomatoes and green peppers, so that I'll have a better yield from the green peppers and won't have to buy seedlings for the tomatoes. 

My goals for the garden are to grow as many of our own veggies and herbs as I can. Without having a planned surgery this summer, I will be taking over the garden again. I'm a bit nervous, but more excited to get going. 

Miller is applying for some undercover spy work in the Middle East. He's got the head wrap down, but I'm thinking  that he might want to forgo the red, white & blue color scheme. I'm thinking earth tones might be more appropriate.

It's taken me some time, but I've reached the stage where I'm seriously considering raising our own meat birds this year. We will have to have help when it comes time to butcher, but I'm pretty sure we can do it. I'm also realizing that it may be time to cull our flock. We have some ladies that just aren't pulling their weight. We can't afford to feed hens that aren't laying. This means having to say goodbye to some sweet feathered friends, but it needs to be done. I have 2 girls that I know for sure may need to go, as they are the only 2 "Big Girls" that lay blue eggs. We've only gotten 2 eggs from these ladies since early in the fall. I'm giving them until late March or early April to pick it up.

Well, it's time to get going. I hope you all have a great day!

Many Blessings,
Kelly

Our Jesse Tree

Our Jesse Tree, before the velcro dots were added.

Velcro dots and out first ornament.

Happy Saturday, Friends! I sincerely apologize about bagging on you all for my Wednesday post. (Because I know you were all just on pins and needles waiting for it, right?! ;0) ) Wheels was home for his 3rd day in a row, and I had had to make a 2 am run to the pharmacy for some Benedryl for him. I was a very sleepy Mama with a lot to do around the house because I had a Four Winds class Thursday and worked on Friday. Blogging just didn't fit into the picture, unfortunately!

Anywhoo, I was able to make our Jesse Tree. In previous posts I had mentioned that I wanted to start this tradition, but wasn't sure exactly what I was going to do about making one. Due to time and budget restraints, I went with a poster board Jesse Tree. (Boy, I sound like I work for the government, don't I!) I had the red and green poster board already, and I printed out the ornaments from the computer for free. I have plenty of different colored card stock to back the ornaments. The only thing I had to purchase was some Velcro dots. So for a grand total of $2.47 we have a Jesse Tree!

I folded the green poster board in half length wise, and using a ruler, calculator, pencil and eraser, I measured out an even Christmas tree. (Yes, my Ms. Martha Perfect tendencies were in high gear!!!) Then Wheels used a glue stick to glue it to the red p.b. I measured where the Command strip hooks were on our bedroom door and used a hole punch to make holes to hang it from. Before I punched the holes, I reinforced the area with some clear packing tape on the back so it wouldn't rip easily. Then I counted out 25 Velcro dots, one for each ornament, but it wasn't symmetrical, so I added a 26th dot. I'm going to scale down one of our family photos to use as an ornament for the day after Christmas, because once you have accepted Jesus as your Saviour, you are then a part of His Family Tree! I thought that this would be a meaningful lesson for them.

This is where I got our free printable ornaments from. I really like these because they are all the same size, are paper economical, and easy images for the kids to color. So far, Princess and I have been the only ones interested in coloring the ornaments. Then I cut them out and glue them to a piece of card stock that is slightly larger, so you can see the color, and cover it with clear contact paper. I trim off any excess and add a Velcro dot. The download for the ornaments comes with a chart with Scripture verses for each ornament, but I wanted a little more for our time with the Jesse Tree. My pastor's wife and very dear friend shared this link for a free eBook on how to celebrate Advent with a Jesse Tree. This ebook has devotional readings for 28 days, but we didn't start our Jesse Tree until December 1st, so I'll just skip the "extra" pages. The reason I liked this one was because, first of all, it is free! But secondly, and more importantly, It includes a Scripture reading, a prayer, and a song. I only printed out the pages of the devotional section of the eBook, and managed to print out 2 pages of the eBook onto one piece of paper, then I cut the sheets in half, so I have a compact little devotional.

Well, that's all for now! I hope you all have a lovely evening.
Blessings,
Kelly

Friday Update

Friday greetings, Friends! Just a short update to let you all know what has been happening up on our hill, and some things to be looking for in upcoming posts!

• Youth hunting weekend starts tomorrow, so Daddy and I will be up bright and early to take the boys out. Prayers for a successful hunt would be greatly appreciated!
• I've been working since Weds. so I'm a little behind on house work, but so glad that I had my dinners planned out. I'm looking to next week's plan and will be posting that as soon as I come up with it!
• I finally got my printer unhooked from my piece of junk very old desk top computer so that the cord is accessible for my laptop.
• Yesterday I subbed for the receptionist, so I was able to bring in my laptop to work on my Holiday Planner sheets. I'm hoping to share these in PDF format, though I'm not very tech savvy, it's questionable!
• We have some chicken drama and trauma. Our poor hen, Fanny, is being very badly abused by her coop mates. There is something about her that the roosters can't resist, so her back is nearly completely bald. Despite repeated sprayings of Blue Kote, she is being terrorized by the other ladies. She stays in the coop for the majority of the time, but is skittish. I just don't know what to do to help her out. Any suggestions?
• We gave away 3 of our 4 roosters about 2 weeks ago. They are currently residing in my mother-in-law's cousin's garden to fatten up for the butcher block. They have quite a setup there, and I'm curious as to whether or not they all make it to the dinner table.
• I've been able to do some research on Thanksgiving traditions, Advent traditions and the Jesse Tree. This is only our third year of celebrating Advent, and would like to add the Jesse Tree to our tradition. The children really enjoy the Advent wreath, and it has truly enriched our holiday season.

Well, that's all for now! I hope to have a post tomorrow, though I can't guarantee it, what with hunting and baking! Have a lovely Friday!
Blessings,
Kelly

Happy Autumn 2011!!

O.k., so this is from last year. But I still love this pic!

Happy first day of Fall! Unfortunately, the weather doesn't really know it's autumn; it's warm and muggy. I'm hoping it cools down to a more seasonal norm for the temperature soon, like perhaps tomorrow, but I don't think that's going to happen!

I'm still feeling a bit yucky, and I have company today. Poor Wheels is snuffling and coughing, so we kept him home from school today with strict orders of rest and plenty of fluids. So far he's done a wonderful job of keeping the couch held down and the t.v. warm! I'm not planning on doing too much, either. I have some paper work that needs attention and I'd like to do some sewing and mending. I think the most ambitious I'll get in regards to house work is to get the kitchen ready for tomorrow's baking. I might have to make a trip to town this evening after dinner, too, but we'll see.

I'm looking into some activities to do with the kids for Johnny Appleseed Day on Monday. We're hoping to go apple picking Sunday after church, but the weather will be the deciding factor. It could rain and the temp looks like it's going to be steamy. We might decide to hold off until the following weekend. This kind of bums me out, but if the kids are under the weather, it might be for the best. (And besides, who wants to pick apples when it's 80 degrees?)

Well, that's all for now. Be sure to stop in tomorrow for a Preparedness Challenge post. I'm thinking of getting together a cold-care kit, so I might be sharing about that. Have a great day!
Blessings,
Kelly

Dealing with Down Time

It's bound to happen: Mamas get sick (or even injured) enough that they just have to stay in bed and rest. It doesn't sit well with us that we have to stay in bed, or at least take it easy, but we do it because we know that if we don't, we'll just be worse off in the long run. There is still that part of us that is chaffing at the bit to get that laundry done, get the vacuum out, get those plants in the ground and those cookies made. We feel useless and unproductive. Believe me, I deal with "down time" quite frequently because of my back issues. I have days where I am fine, or days like last Wednesday where I wake up with such a back ache that I can't even stand up straight.

So, what do we do when we are forced to deal with down time? Lay in bed, frustrated? No! We save that energy for healing, and REST! Sometimes you may be so sick, that you sleep the day away. Good, you needed it! And then there are times like I had yesterday,(I think I have a mild case of the flu) where you aren't sleeping, but there is no way you can do anything around the house. (I'm so blessed with my husband and mother who helped me out with the kids and the housework.) At first I had a little pity party about how behind on housework I am, but decided to get over it, and focus on what I could do. So I finished reading The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom. How in the world is that helpful or productive? you might ask. In reading the that book, I was able to learn more about a spiritual life and about our Heavenly Father's character. That knowledge helps me to be a better wife, mother, daughter, sister,etc.

Today I feel better after a full, uninterrupted night of sleep; however, I'm still not up to doing all that needs to be done. I have 2 tasks that are to be done today, and that is all I'm allowing my self to worry about. Anything else I can accomplish is just a bonus! I'm drinking plenty of fluids and taking breaks when I need to. During my breaks I'm going to work on getting some planning done, doing some research and perhaps make some jewelry.

Here are some suggestions for when you can't be up and about:

• Read: You can keep your mind sharp even from just reading a novel.
• If you're feeling up to it, read with purpose. Get out that gardening book or women's magazine that you have wanted to read, and do it.
• Do some online research such as recipes, natural alternatives, etc.
• Write a note to send a friend or family member.
• Plan: write that appointment in your calendar, think about gifts you would like to make for upcoming birthday's or Christmas, make a list of some seasonal activities you would like to do with your family, think about next year's garden.
• Start making some of those gifts you thought of!
• Have someone bring you that bag/basket of mate less socks (you know you have one, everyone does!!!) and start matching as you watch a TV program
• Got Netflix? They have some educational shows that you can watch right over your television or computer.
• Remember how you were going to spend time in the Word everyday? Need I say more?

It's amazing what you can do and learn, even when you have to take it easy!
Blessings,
Kelly

Back In The Saddle Again!

Happy Monday friends! After a very long week last week, I'm looking forward to what is in store for us this week! We only have nine days before school starts, and the house is a bit messy after returning from our camping this weekend. I had a wonderful time at our church's Women's Retreat Friday night and Saturday, then my family joined me for camping late Saturday afternoon. Yesterday we woke up early, broke up camp and packed up so we could boogie home to get ready for our church's special baptism service and a cook out.

For today's post I'm just going to give some highlights of our week last week, and what is on the to-do list for this week.

• I canned 9 pints of green bush beans for the first time ever on Thursday! My Mom was a BIG help with this project. I'm not sure if I'll be able to get any more canning done this year or not, but I would really like to.
• What I thought was a sinus infection last Monday was actually due to an abscessed tooth, so today I'm having that tooth pulled. Please be praying for me that all goes well.
• My darling husband was able to get some work done down in the cellar this week.

For the coming week:

• We will be putting the kids to bed at their school year bedtime of 7:30 and waking them up at 6am in the morning. 6 am is a little later than when they need to be up, but I'll make it earlier next week.
• I'll be helping the kiddos go through their bureaus to weed out clothes and take inventory of what they might need to start school.
• The kids and I will be divvying up the school supplies and getting them into their backpacks.
• I'll be taking inventory of the freezers and pantry to make up menus for the next week or 2
• The kids and I will go over breakfast and lunch choices for the school week.
• I'm hoping to get ahead in the baking department; I missed this Saturday, so I have some very large zucchinis that need to be shredded for zucchini bread.
• I need to get caught up on laundry!!!!
• I need to make up and print out new morning checklists for both the kids and I for the school year. I'm adding in the chickens to my to-do list and the kiddos need some personal grooming items added into theirs. I'm also considering having them take on more of their snack/lunch packing for school days.

That's all I can think of for now! I will be sharing more about my canning adventure later this week, as well as sharing some of my school year planning. I have some tricks and hints to making mornings smoother for those of us that have kiddos headed out to school, as well as us Mamas planning our time while they are away for the day. I'll be using my homemaking notebook for this.
Well, I hope you all have a great Monday and hope to be back soon!
Blessings,
Kelly

Happy Monday! I thought I'd just give a quick run down about our past week and the week ahead for us up here on our hill. I was hoping to be able to post some pictures and details about finishing our chicken coop and expanding the run, but due to a broken washing machine and flooded basement, the work on the coop didn't get done. I'm a bit bummed, but I'm looking at the flooded basement as a blessing in disguise. The flood didn't involve the entire basement, only the laundry area/entry way, which was in bad need of cleaning and organizing. We were able to get rid of some junk, and now I have  to get everything straightened out down there.

Saturday I picked enough green beans to almost fill a gallon size baggie! I'm so excited about our garden doing so well. This is the first year of gardening that I have been not only involved in the garden, but put real thought and effort into it. I also have been able to free up my darling husband from it, only having to have his help with rototilling, planting and some weeding in the beginning . The pie pumpkins are looking good, as we already have some growing on the vine. I've gotten 7 zucchinis so far, with more getting ready to harvest soon. The bell peppers have blossomed, even though the plants aren't very big. I'm hoping we have a good harvest of them.

Teddy Bear is out of summer academy, so I'm looking forward to the rest of the summer and our routine we had in the beginning. I think the transition to the school year will be easier for all if we stick to our routine. And speaking of the school year, I've been brainstorming and planning for it. I've purchased some school supplies for the kiddos (I can't believe that the sales started back in July!) and have been thinking about breakfast and lunch choices for them that are healthy for them and the bank account!

This is what I'm hoping to accomplish this week:

• consolidating the school supply list (each child has a different list)
• taking an inventory of school supplies we have
• finishing the run expansion (finish the fencing, make a small gate and large gate)
• finishing the chicken coop (installing permanent roosts, making some nesting boxes, finish staining the outside, painting and hanging the shutters)
• going through the mess on the basement shelves in laundry area
• sorting the shoes and coats in basement entry
• getting rid of clothes either by giving to friends or charity thrift shops
• working on Household notebook for the coming school year and updating the school info for the kids
• getting the roosters (Amos and Biscuit) to their new home
• packing for  Princess's trip to Kid's camp next week
• reserving lean-to sites for our Church's women's retreat

That's all for now! Hope you all have a great day .
Blessings,
Kelly

Waffles and a Fairy Tale

AntiqueClipart.com

Hey all! Hoping your Tuesday has been as awesome as mine has started out! Yesterday I told you all about finding a waffle maker. This morning I put it to good use. I pulled out my ragged old copy of the Betty Crocker Cookbook and found a recipe for waffles. It called for buttermilk, which I actually had in the fridge! I eagerly whipped up a batch, anticipating the chorus of delight from my children once they had forked their first mouthful of waffle in. I was not disappointed! They loved them, and I was one proud Mama. It felt wonderful to provide my kiddos with a filling, wholesome breakfast, made with love and care in my own kitchen. I know it might sound a bit, well, loony to gush on about something as trivial as homemade waffles, but to me it is a big deal.

I guess the best way to explain is by a fairy tale I once heard. Once upon a time, there was a little girl born in the Green Mountains of Vermont. She grew up dreaming of living on a farm. She dreamed of a beautiful white farm house with a large red barn filled with cows and horses. There would be a large garden in the summer, cornstalks and pumpkins in the fall, sap buckets on the maples in the spring and sleigh tracks in the snow during the winter. She would be awakened by the crow of a rooster in the morning and go to sleep by the sweet sound of cows lowing in the barn. (O.k, I know this sounds crazy, but stick with me!)

The girl grew up and married her Prince Charming, moving into their own home shortly after the wedding. She was thrilled to be in her own home, but unfortunately this Princess was long on the daydreams & fantasies, short on ambition and discipline. Her house looked more like the pig sty she once envisioned, minus the pigs. Even after the birth of her first 2 children, she still couldn't get her act together. Homemade didn't happen very often, the house looked more like "Hoarders" than "Country Living", and her P.C. was not interested in livestock. There was a garden, yes, but it was sickly looking and usually full of weeds. The dreams of a truly rural life lay dormant under debris and self-loathing.

One day while pregnant with her third child, the Princess was visited by her Fairy Sister, who was actually a bit like an avenging angel. She sternly (loudly), but lovingly told the Princess to snap out of it, suck it up, and get busy. The Princess pulled herself up by her bootstraps and proceeded to never let her house get that awful again. The house was cleaned (as clean as it can be with 3 kiddos under 4 can be!) and she continued in good stead for a number of years.

Then, the Lord called to her and she answered. She invited Jesus into her heart and committed herself to living in His will. She taught her children about Him, introduced her Prince to Him and joined a loving congregation of fellow believers. Many of these believers were self-sufficient homeowners and owners of livestock and gardens. The Princess' dream of gardens and chickens came alive again, though she never expressed it in prayer. Long story short, the Lord answered the longings in her heart for a homestead and a family. The Princess endeavors to grow everyday to be more like Christ, to be a light to the world and her family, a Proverbs 31 wife and the Mother that her children deserve. Homemade waffles are just a jewel in the crown that she will lay at the foot of her King someday, but right now, that jewel is bright and gleaming with promises kept and yet to be fulfilled.

O.k., so that was long winded and perhaps hard to follow, and rather lame and embarrassingly true. And yes, I am that Princess. I am eternally thankful to my sister for giving me a well deserved dressing down, my mother and my Grammy Horton for teaching me how to cook and bake, my Grampy Horton for all of the wonderful memories of gardens and fresh veggies, my own Prince Charming that has loved and learned by my side. And  my Lord, Saviour, and King, for loving me when I was His enemy, calling me into His camp, and answering unspoken prayers.

Dear readers, it is my prayer that you would grow everyday in your walk with Jesus. If you don't know Him, He knows you, and is waiting for you with open arms.
Blessings,
Kelly

God Shed His Grace on Thee

The Patriot Flag visiting a local city. My Darling Husband took the pic for me.

Happy Fourth of July!

I hope you have an enjoyable holiday filled with family, friends and fun. Amidst all of your fun, though, please take a moment to thank the Lord that we live in a nation where we are free to worship our Lord and King openly, freely and without fear of persecution. Let us not take that freedom for granted, and instead live boldly for the Lord (Not obnoxiously, though!) , reaching out to the lost and hurting and passing on our blessings to others. Please also pray for our government and leaders, for their wisdom and integrity. And of course, don't forget to pray for the men and women who serve our country, and their families. We would not be able to continue to enjoy our freedom if not for them. Pray for their protection and health, physically, spiritually and mentally.

Our fathers' God to Thee,
Author of Liberty,
To thee we sing,
Long may our land be bright
With Freedom's holy light,
Protect us by thy might
Great God, our King.

Beneath Heaven's gracious will
The stars of progress still
Our course do sway;
In unity sublime
To broader heights we climb,
Triumphant over Time,
God speeds our way!

Grand birthright of our sires,
Our altars and our fires
Keep we still pure!
Our starry flag unfurled,
The hope of all the world,
In peace and light impearled,
God hold secure!
America by Samuel F. Smith

stanzas 4, 7 & 8

Blessings,

Kelly

Tackling Tuesday and F.R.O.G.

Greetings this rainy Tuesday. It has not started well for us, but I'm thinking I need an attitude adjustment! Poor Teddy Bear woke up with the tummy bug AGAIN! And Mama woke up with a horrid back ache and not feeling rested at all. Fortunately, I have been blessed with a truly amazing husband who let me stay in bed an extra half an hour with the heating pack, while he got Wheels and Princess their breakfasts, etc. Wheels was a very responsible boy and woke his sister up for Daddy and made his own lunch!

So, I find myself working on tasks other than housework. I have lessons for Children's Church to make up, coloring sheets to look on the web for, info to search for, and a craft for next week to prepare. Then my Mom (the kids call her Mimi) came up to keep an eye on Teddy Bear for me so that I could take a nap with the heating pack. When I woke up, she had done the dishes and folded laundry for me! Again, I am so blessed to have a caring and helpful mother that is always there for me! Teddy Bear hasn't gotten sick since early this morning and is actually on an eating rampage. Good thing I went grocery shopping yesterday!

I've decided to take it easy for the remainder of the day, and besides helping the kiddos with homework and making dinner, I'll probably be working on the computer. I know that if I don't, I won't be good for anything tomorrow. And that can just set me further behind.

One more thing before I go- April is Autism Awareness month, a condition that touches the hearts of our family. Please visit Autismspeaks.org to learn more. Also, April is Frog month! As you may or may not know, there is an acronym for frog meaning Fully Rely On God.  This is not always easy, as we are human and prideful and impatient; however, I think that this is a good month to start remembering F.R.O.G. What in your life are you not fully relying on God for? What is keeping you from doing this and what do you need to do to hand it over? I really encourage you to take some time to do this. And then sit down with your Bible and read about all the times the Lord has shown Himself mighty and faithful. He loves you, and knows what you need, and will see to providing it.

Have a good rest of your Tuesday! Many blessings,

Kelly

Manic Monday

Happy Monday to all! Before I get started, I apologize if I ramble. It's one of those days where I have too much buzzing around in my brain. And, it's been a crazy morning. I should have known how may day would be when I woke up 20 minutes late, forgot my coffee on the table as I rushed out the door and got everything loaded onto the belt at Walmart before realizing that my darling hubbie had forgotten to return the debit card to me and I'd forgotten to return the checkbook to my purse. Luckily, I did remember that it was out in the car in my Bible case. I love how creatively the Lord can use His Word to save us!

These are some of the things going on in my head:

• getting a craft binder together
• coming up with craft projects for school vacation next week
• a special outing for Princess and I while the boys are in Conn. with Gramma and Grampa
• getting some mending done on my *new!!!!!!!* sewing machine
• getting Princess' purse made on my *new!!!!!!!* sewing machine
• finding information on raising chickens
• getting the laundry done
• getting the hutch cleaned off
• finishing the Easter lap book I started for the kiddos
• washing more canning jars for syrup (so far we've made nearly 4 gallons- not bad for only 25 taps!)
• putting a dinner menu together for the rest of the week
• finding my last paycheck so we can buy building materials for a chicken coop
• looking for seed starting flats
• 
  

  getting a craft binder together
• 
  

  finding information on raising chickens
• 
  

  planning our garden

 Can you tell what things I'm most excited about? The craft binder idea is not my original idea, I saw it on a youtube clip, but I have plans for my own! (I promise to share when done!) And I need info. on chickens because after years of asking my husband if we could have chickens, he finally relented and agreed. Of course, it took having a tick embedded in his skin and a trip to the ER and the doctor telling him that chickens eat ticks (I'd told him this YEARS ago!) for him to realize what a wonderful idea having chickens is! I'm really excited and so are the kids, if I can gauge by arguments over who's going to collect eggs and feed them! So far, Teddy Bear is the only one to volunteer to clean up the poop!

Well, that's enough for today. Come back soon, as I have our Easter lap book and the links I used to make it, to share, as well as some craft projects. Have a great rest of your Monday and hope to be back tomorrow!

Blessings,

Kelly

Monday Musings

Our Family Faith Wall

Monday greetings to all. If you're in the same neck of the woods as we are, then it's cold, snowy and windy. Another snowday for Mama and the kiddos. I'll be honest, my enthusiasm for snow days is waning- o.k. it's altogether nonexistant! I'm longing for Winter to take her snowy, frozen mantle with her and be replaced with Spring's fresh and green.


I'm intending for this to be a sort post, but we'll see how that goes! ;)


As you could tell, I've changed my look! I wanted to wait until the first day of spring, (March 20) but I couldn't take it anymore! I'm feeling a need for change in my surroundings, so the blog was one of them. The first was our Family Faith wall. I had talked about my plans in a previous post, and here it is. I had had the same look since the beginning of Advent, so it was a definitely time for a "makeover". I even swapped out the wall sconces. Unfortunately it is difficult to see the middle frame, but it has a deep purple background with a wine colored cross. I'm not sure if I like this look or not, it could get edited!


Also not seen, or hard to see, is our Alleluia on the top of the secretary.Tommorow evening our family will "bury" the Alleluia. I made ours from scrapbooking paper and laminated it with clear contact paper. I was even able to fashion a easel back on it. I think this is a lovely custom for a family to practice. I have some other plans for our family faith wall for Good Friday and Easter Sunday that I thjnk will have visual impact, not just for the sake of visual impact, but hopefully to evoke emotion and understading of the Crucifixtion and the Ressurection.

Also in need of change was our Learning Window. I've made a maple syrup inspired banner and changed out our books. We've got shamrock window clings and some more changes to make there. We'll have some more spring, St, Patrick's day amd maple syrup books and items to put up there.

Well, it's been a long day, and I meant to have this posted this afternoon. It's now after 7 p.m.! Have a wonderful evening and a great Tuesday!

Blessings, Kelly

Thoughtful Thursdays

Home Keeping Notebook

 Today is the last Thursday of 2010, and so I've turned to thoughts of the last year and what I'm looking forward to in the coming year. Now, before you get geared up for a New Year's resolution pep talk, this isn't going to be one. (okay, maybe just a little!) I also started thinking about some of the things that I'd like to share on this blog.


One of the things I'd like to share (and one of the reasons that I started this blog) is my Home Keeping notebook. In it I have my cleaning schedules, kids' school information, important information, to do lists, etc. Everything necessary for running (somewhat) smoothly our home and family life.

Coupon Book

Next is my coupon organizer. This organizer has plenty of room so nothing gets lost and has a place for shopping lists and receipts. It's also customized for the kind of items that I buy for my family.
Along with these types of posts, I would also like to share some other helpful tips for home and family. I am by no means an expert, but sometimes a fresh new outlook can be very helpful.


Finally, nature is something that is a source of inspiration and relaxation for both myself and my family. We enjoy the native wildlife here in our Green Mountain home, as well as the beauty of the landscape. My husband and I enjoy teaching our children about the animals and plant life and how they play a role in the way of life for us here in Vermont.
Along with pictures I'd also like to share ideas for

Winter Sunrise



sharing nature with your children. The Lord blessed us with an amazing and beautiful world to enjoy. We should get out there and take advantage of this blessing.

Well, I pray you have a happy and healthy New Year.

Blessings,

Kelly