Our new bed...

It is waiting for washed bedding. I hope to get my quilt back from the quilter soon. I told her I was in no hurry at all. But now with a new bed... I wish it were done. Patience. Everything comes back to patience. At least this week...

The hat I am done knitting...

Problem is it isn't done... And I need the needles. Plus I can't start a fourth knitting project. So this must be done today. Going to keep trucking. It is a easy style. Super easy. But I doubled over the yarn on tiny needles. So it is tight. And slow going. 

    Time to start decreasing now. So I should be done very soon. 

Take self portraits...

I might post them. ;) the truffle she has in the middle picture are her own creation. Mmmm

Lil is so bright.

She needs a shade...

Things I've learned being the only adult

1: I can roast yummy coffee

2: I can make a feather stick to start a fire. 

3: being the only one is tiring. Not more work. But mentally tiring. They can't go to dad for stuff right now. 

4: boys need to physically have their dad. They must wrestle. 

5: going to bed early is my first love. 

6: wisdom nurses much much more without dada here. He generally can quickly put her back to sleep.  But she expects me to nurse her. 

I thought I'd have to learn how to split wood. But little brother did that for me. Yeah! I am though about 5% disappointed. It would have been fun. Maybe. But it isn't something I'd try unless forced due to lack of wood. 

   Up earlier this morning. I used self restraint when up with woo last night. And focused on sleeping. Not free night time Internet. Yea me! Now to chore, pack soap orders and clean before our bed comes. And the little girls reading buddy comes. 

Mark! Get set! Go!

Today was a day that...

Resembled Monday. It has been a very long day. Not all bad. But oh so long. We are all tired. Judah is tired. Sleeping a late nap. I kinda hope he stays down all night. But he hadn't eaten supper yet. So I doubt he does. 

   Spent the day trying to help the children (youngers) be happy and get along. I decided about 10 am that today was gonna be a wash. Nothing but essentials real essentials would be done. I knew if I tried we all would be over stressed in the end. So since I expected nothing to be done it feels more relaxed. But I'll also pay for it tomorrow. Our new bed is coming tomorrow or Friday. I'm excited. Our bed is old. Like 25-30 years old. It died a lonnnng time ago. But we (me) can't stand buying things like that. I was scared. 

 1: of the off gases...

2: what if we hated it? We couldn't just return it...

I'm still scared. But also impatient and excited. And will really have to clean tomorrow morning... 

Need to head out to milk here pretty quick.  But I'm stalling. I want to eat dinner first. Patrick being gone is really wearing on us now. Looks like 1 more full day without him.. We can do it!

    Today I helped Parris with a pattern that we both got a little annoyed at. But hope to finish the project soon. They are a gift so once we give them we will post pictures. It is adorable! 

   Now Joelle is back to work on her dress for the costume contest. But my brain is too fried to help her much. She is putting in reinforcing stitches currently. I might feel better after milking and putting some children to bed. We will see. 

    Lilley is working on a cute pillow. Pictures later. 

   We all can't seem to keep busy enough. Spring seems close. Despite the dusting of snow today. We can't garden yet. But hope to start some seeds tomorrow. Hoop house is up! Needs a little more securing. But that should be quick. 

    And before the garden is in full swing we will have lots of handwork done. 

  We also ordered 900ish chickens. Sooo excited! I. Can't. Wait. For. Butchering. Day. 

I hate store  bought chicken. We have been out since fall. We didnt do chicken last year. I hope we never ever skip a yr again! Farm fresh food is the only way to do it. Only. Locals let us know if you want some. Mmmm

     

Fabric I worked with today.

KnIt was a gift from my friend Noel I love it. Super precious! 

  I was able to get this and another project (skirt for me) done. I should be knitting though... I have3! MT Knives signature hats to make... Sold 3 without even announcing them. I have 3 things on my knitting needles currently. And none are the hats... 

One is that poppy cardigan. (Doll sweater for practice) 

One is the TGV shawl.

Both ravelry patterns. 

The last is just a simple olive green wool hat. Nearly done with it. Which is great. Since I need those needles. ;) 

Wisdom wanted a dress for her baby doll. So Rhyyan started one. Caftan style. Then needed the seam ripper... So she decided to skip that And make a skirt they're faster and easier.

   It made Wisdom happy she really liked it. I'm proud to have a daughter that is willing to make something for her sister anytime.

   Joelle is sewing her dress for the contest at Baker's Creek. It is beautiful. I'll get pictures. Vogue. I don't like your patterns. The end. 

Our white board...

Erasing it is always hard on me. But it was time for a new memory verse on the board. So...

I took a picture. It will likely become a part of my blog. :)

Blessings...

Yesterday I was blessed with a call telling me I'd have lots of company. One friend wanted encouraged and we all were greatly blessed! Singing hymns, praying and speaking encouragement. All while the children played happily. It was so wonderful! 

   Today I was able to talk a little with a far away friend that I miss so much. One of the very best families I've ever known. Seriously they are in my top 5 in my entire lifetime. I was so encouraged and motivated in that call and my visit yesterday I feel like I .could do anything today. 

    My plan is to sew a few secret gifts I have started. If I fully finish 1 it would be so wonderful! 

We are expecting company again today and my girls are hoping for a tea party. And the boys want good food. ;) so cookies are also on the agenda along with a fruit tray. And veggie tray. Hopefully I'll get pictures. <3

   Life is good. My joy and happiness is overflowing right now. Today is a good day! 

The amount it takes to feed us.

Japanese sweet potatoes fried with butter and onions... So yummy!

See these eggs? It wasn't enough for us. Short by a half dozen...

And The Woo. Showing off her plate. 

Mmm country breakfasts are the very best!

Homegrown pecans and German scrambled pancakes...

Auntie took our pecans to the feed store to be cracked. And our Grammy picked them up and delivered them to us. We sent 30 some pounds! From our own trees. And rhyyan, Lilley and Joelle have been peeling them. Yesterday Parris made buttered pecan brownies. So yum!

This morning. Made German scrambled Pancakes. They are so good! About a mth ago Patrick had a apprentice for a week. He offered to make breakfast. I didn't argue. ;) it was so yummy we have made it 2-3 times since. Mmmm it is so easy too!

My sweet helpers...

Judah's best egg cracking yet!

Recipe:

3 cups flour (we have used oat and wheat with great results)

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup cream

Mix well. Then add

9 eggs.

Pour into a hot buttered skillet. 

Let sit til it starts to brown. Then stir like scrambled eggs. Til no longer doughy. 

For serving we use butter and sugar, maple syrup,chocolate chips, or like today a yummy cinnamon pecan topping. 

A rough recipe for that is: 

1/2 cup butter

2 cups pecans

2 tsp cinnamon 

1 1/2 cups sugar

Then I heated it on the stove til melted and yummy. 

Try this! You'll like it I'm sure!

Laundry.

I'm catching up on it.  Crazy how we can get super behind without trying to. I'll be caught up today but also decided to wish all the curtains and sheets. I rarely wash curtains. And they need it. I'm spring cleaning now. Rather than in the spring. Which is when I plan to live in the garden. 

   Which means I must start seeds. But I have no idea where or how to do that in my house. The O'Melays ( Omelay.blogspot.com ) used a neat block maker for seeds. And they made a little green house.  Which I might be able to pull off. I think I could do it from a cow panel. We had a hoop house a couple years back. But it ripped. Should have enough plastic to make a tiny one. Thinking as I type here.... But then I'd need soil. Really need to get them started.  If it is a little warm today I think I'll try to do the mini hoop house. 

    I am getting done with the house cleaning extra stuff. So my list for today is...

1: milk Jocelyn/ feed and water animals

2: pack soap orders

3: indoor chores including laundry

4: make lunch

5: put littles down for nap

6: get bigs started on today's school work

7: make or at least attempt the hoop house

8: clean out van

I'd like to knit tonight. But have wanted to do that the last 2 nights. Life is busy. Oye. I have two orders to get done. Must make it happen. Now.

 My coffee, my first roast from yesterday. It was yum. Mmmmm

Coffee Roasting...

Patrick left on a business trip. But DIdNT roast coffee before he left. Which around here is a man job. I've seen him do it several times. Looks like it is simple as making the bed. I had no coffee. Just the green beans. Which smell like grass almost. Kinda. At least the same freshness. But they also have a stink to them. 

    I told Patrick as we left the house that I'd be learning to roast while he was away. So he gave me a couple pointers... 

  1: medium heat

2: first crack sounds like popcorn

3: second crack is like Rice Krispies 

4: it should take 21-24 minutes. Otherwise not proper heat level.

Ok got it. 

Got home. Finished my kitchen cleaning. I'm currently on kitchen duty here. Well except I have Malachi take out the trash. And any naughty child gets to put away the dishes. (Shhh I don't like that part)

   I decided to right then roast up the coffee. What else should be done in a clean kitchen but to spill coffee beans and blow chaff all over the floor/ counters/ and stove? Next time I'll just sit on the floor with a cup of tea and look around at the beauty of it. But we all live and learn. 

 

    I thought about photographing the process. And might next time. But the act of walking to the living room when I am ready to make coffee... I decided not to. If I had I'd likely seen the laundry and guilted myself into folding it first. Told you we all live and learn. I've been known to never get to the fun stuff due to too much other stuff.

Here is a play by play... 

 2:20- 'pretty green beans' poured a pint into the cast iron skillet. ' wonder if this is too many? Oh well looks good to me' turned fire to a medium heat. 

2:23 ' stink! What was I thinking?!? Over 20 minutes of stirring this? Em you need patience, this is good for you' yes I talk to myself. 

2:25 ' oh a little bit of change! Looks like the army now. Army colors are not too pretty'

2:29 CRACK!! Whoa! That was not like popcorn. More like a bullet..' Zing! 'DUCK! And COVER!'

2:30 ' this is going a little fast and the color isn't uniform' turned down heat a little. Chaff is building up. 'Hmmm guess ill blow on it. Get rid of the chaff which burns and smokes up the house. Annnd doesn't taste so good. Kinda fun!'

2:33 ' now I see how Patrick makes such a mess!' 

2:36 ' ouch! Quit saving the flying beans!  Ah! Rice Krispies! Wait Rice Krispies sound yum! Shoulda stopped at the store! Hmmm glad I didn't. That would add to the mess I am making'

2:40 'seems done. But Patrick said at least 21 minutes. I'm not gonna fail this'

2:41 'times up! Yeah!' Turned off the burner dumped into a strainer and winced at the chaff hitting the freshly mopped floor. That was still damp...

2:42 walked to the back door to cool the beans outside. Slipped on the floor and... Got annoyed. Stepped outside to dump the coffee from one strainer to the other to cool it fast. 

I'll be making a pot very soon... Very soon. Ok right now. Cause I can. Mmmm if you come over I'll share! No promises on taste though...

Looks yummy to me!

Wisdom...

This is The Woo's idea... And Judah's hand on her head to show her to look at the camera. She was nursing here. She is entertaining for certain. 

No,Duh!

Until this week wisdom refused to say Judah. But now she says it freely! No! Duh! No!

I find it hilarious. I love it. My Woo and Duh. My lovies. She is the bossy one most always though. She is cute and they both know it!

Remodeling, cleaning and dreaming of knitting...

Yesterday I pulled up half the carpet in my bedroom and half in the children's bedroom. Along with various other chores. I was woken up at two in the morning to Rhyyan (9) saying she had ripped up all the carpet in her room. I thought yeah right the side that held the bunk bed and everything else... ( this girl has been known to sleep walk) so I told her to go to bed and get up i the morning. To which she replied 'it is morning, it is 2 in the morning' I again said go to bed. <I'd rather not get woke up in the night. Ick> 

    This morning I walked past their room... Carpet was all in a heap... Except where she and Joelle had left it under the legs of the bed. She said they tried several times to move the bed but each effort was fruitless... I wasn't dreaming. She really had came in to tell me what she had done. And in my grumpy let me sleep mood I hadn't even said thank you. She did however love my shocked look this morning. I think that made up for it. 

    Those are two of my children. Mine. Doing hard work. Just to surprise me. I'm thankful. I wouldn't have finished today had they not done that. I so thankful. They don't always keep their room clean. Or get their chores done fast. But. They can still work their tails off. They're awesome. 

    And I on the other side of their wall slept through it all... They were pretty surprised at that I hear...

    

Rhyyans brownies.

These were so good. They had the brownie glaze going on! We made them be breakfast. With a glass of raw milk. They were healthier by far than a donut!mmmm

Best friends I tell you!

Wis was tired so judah wanted to cuddle her to sleep. It worked out well for me! I pray they always love each other so deeply. They are currently sharing a plate of rice beside me.  I am so blessed by their love. 

Paper dolls

I was surprised to see this in our Dover publications 'Thomas Jefferson and his family' paper doll book. I'm not sure if it was common practice then or just the artists take. 

It is supposed to be Martha Jefferson Randolph nursing her new son. It was unexpected and made me very curious to the times. If it is true to what she has done, was she being a racey woman? Or just being like the other mothers? Interesting.

Ramblings

Currently nap time here. So it is fairly quiet. Patrick had to run to Lincoln,ne. So his phone is with him. I'd really like to call a friend I miss terrible. Not generally a phone fan. But I have for weeks wanted to call her and it hasn't worked or I forget til I'm either busy or time wouldn't be good. Two hr time difference. Bummer. 

    Back is hurting. Doing the exercises on this blog : gwensnest.com search align. I'm not as stiff. But still. Ugh. I'm too cheap to chiro it. But a friend is going to come over this week to practice what she is learning in massage school. In trade for dinner. Score! She has helped me so much with my shoulder. You know the one that carriest the 50LB feed sacks, children, and way too many grocery sacks... That one. Chiropractor was a waste of money for it. But her. Oh man. Worth feeding her for it. I'd pay her $100 a time to have her help me. Really. 

    Lilley is in the kitchen washing dishes and bawking like a chicken. Wisdom is clinking a coffee cup. Nap is too loud today. At least the boys are sleeping. ;) 

    I've decided. ( my friend Becca says this before she says something amazing or not) I'm a coward. I want to be brave. I'm braver than I was as a teen for certain. At least blunter in something's. I also complain too much. Working on that.  I think if something is not a sin I should feel free to do it. But I don't. Even though I want to so bad. I don't. I don't want to be looked at differently than I am. 

   Examples. Two things I have loved since I was a child. Owls and orange. But owls go with witches and orange clothing draws attention to a person and we should be more subtle. 

   Where did I get these ideas? I'm thinking owls and orange are both Gods creation. I freely love them both now. 

   I really really dislike make up. But my oldest wears it. Why? We don't see it as a sin. And she likes the stuff. I can't comprehend why. But I don't think that matters. But for some reason I can't give myself the same freedom. Oh well I guess. 

 

    Joelle got material and a vogue vintage style pattern this weekend. She is getting ready for the costume contest at Baker's Creek in May. She does great work in the craft area. She's amazing. I'll show her progress as she goes. She is sweeping the living room floor and will start cutting it out in a couple minutes. 

   

      I bought a 96 knit stitch guide book. And a beautiful set of knitting needles from knit picks. I love them. Currently on my needles are a doll sweater ( poppy cardigan on ravelry) and a wash rag. My plan is to do each of the 96 stitches in the form of a wash rag. I'm excited. :) 

      Weather is so nice yesterday and today. I hope it continues. After nap I need to go pick lettuce ( in my cold frame) and water it. I really need to start seeds. We buy from bakers creek heirloom seeds. Love them! The food is so much tastier in the heirloom varieties!

   

    I've sewn 3 dresses for wisdom lately. And two for a friend expecting. Also finishing up a baby quilt for her. So fun! I have supplies to sew a fun dress for Lilley. So I need to get it done soon! 

    Wisdom is now sleeping in my lap. I need to lay her down and get busy on something. :)

Noel's super amazing best curry ever. Ever. Curry!

Seriously. Best ever. You'll not get better. Truly. 

Best friends

 Never have two of my children loved each other this much. They are a little old couple. I love their relationship. It amazes me 

Tubby s

Valentines breakfast tradition

My Lilley was glad that despite my dislike of cooking that I made our special meal. She says I'm a good mom to do what I don't like. ;) I love her!

He loves me!

I. Adore. All things orange. 

Photo bombed...

Kydex color is more true to color as a sheet. My sheath photos are off in color. 

My manly man bought me the best kydex. Ever. And made me a sweet sheath. I'm in love. Next I need a couple feet of purple para cord...

Perspective.

It is 12:45. AM. I'm tired. I was nearly asleep... I had stayed up to late to begin with. Then was on the verge of sleep and Wisdom wanted water. I got her water. Leave it to me not to remember to send her to bed with her water bottle. She is a champion drinker. All day and night long....

   Then it was I was nearly asleep and she decided she needed a diaper change. Getting grumpy and annoyed now. I need and want my sleep,girl! 

   Ofcourse she is dry...  Your brothers get up at 7! I need to go to bed by 10 to feel good! 

  Now what. Grumpy baby. Grumpy grumpy mama. Maybe a bath would help. But that might keep me up way later.I don't wanta do this. I. I. I. I. I....

   Turned on the space heater in the bathroom. (Bathrooms on the north end of the house?! Why??)

Ran her water. She sat there still as a statue. I wondered if she was just gonna fall to sleep sitting there. Then in true Wizzy style... She came alive.  Splashing. Propelling herself from one end of the tub to the other.asking for Tubby repeatedly.  Making fun of ME. seriously. She is her daddy's baby. I started to change my toon. I was glad. Glad to be up with my baby. Glad to be one on one with her. No distractions. No obligations to distract me. Just me and my Woo. 

    I want and need to be a joyful mommy. Even in the middle of the night. And I realized that. And gave in. Now I must remember this in the morning. It is 3:03 am. 7:00 is super close. And I am laying in bed typing this entry on my iPad. Praying she finishes nursing and sleeps soon....

Double trouble!

Crayon guns...

We bought some fun silicone molds from amazon. This was a fun craft to do with the boys. They got to rip all the paper off then chop up crayons and melt them. So fun! 

Parris and Judah.

Daddy cuddles!

Not twins but they act like they are!