Ever SO Slowly...

Spring really is creeping in...My crocuses are the first bulbs that are blooming, the tulips and daffodils are sprouting green shoots too...
And look who has returned!!!! Definitely a sign of warmer weather coming! And I am SO ready!!!!! Sorry the shot is not the greatest, I was in the house and the Robin was near the tree house, thank goodness for zoom!
Anyone else seeing the earliest signs of Spring?

Happy First Day of Spring!

No this was not today, we had flurries this morning! Riley woke up VERY sure it would be 70 degrees today since it was the first day of spring, I assured him I really did not think it would be! But this was two days ago, it did get into the 60's and the kids were so excited to not wear jackets! And so am I!!
They were working on a camp fire to make dandelion soup! :) The dandelions should be out next month, then we really will have dandelion soup!
Happy Spring!!

St. Patty's Dinner!

Just a little late! But we had the dinner on the right day!I made vegan Irish stew, in the crockpot! The recipe was from Fresh From The Vegetarian Crockpot, I used seitan or "wheat meat" for the protein!
And Dan made Irish soda bread from a recipe found on the Vegan Dad blog. It was yummy!

Last Weekends Fun!

Last weekend I found a maple syrup festival up in Hebron to go to, we ate our fair share of maple syrup cotton candy!There was also this great business who builds 1700 era barns (SO BEAUTIFUL), they had some super fun! Here is Riley making a tool box (for free)! And Jake making his! Fern got to make a little peg board to hang in her room (for free too!!)The boys are in love with these!

There was also a Revolutionary War Solider we got to see but I'll put those pictures on the schooling blog!
Here is Dan drooling! Dan loves to work with wood and would love to have more tools and have someone to learn from!

They also had a blacksmith shop where three generations where making hooks for the kids to see. And they each got to take one home! (for free, can you tell that is my favorite!)

Hot, Hot!

It was really fascinating to watch!

Then we got to go to a small maple sugar farm! The sap was really pouring out!

This was the loveliest, warmest part of our whole day! And it smelled good! :) We of course got to sample and we also bought some and enjoyed it on our pancakes Monday morning!!This is what Fern thought of the day! She was pooped, and cold! So she is in between the outer and the lining of Dan's jacket, then both of her blankets on top! :)

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I am backed up on pictures so watch for more posts ASAP!

Yea...

So I took this photo on Saturday when it was 72 degrees outside!!!!! Dan bought me these beautiful freesias because I miss mine so much that I had to leave in Calif. They smell so heavenly that I put them in my room! I did spare you seeing my alarm clock as it is Dan's old one he received as a H.S. graduation gift, it does not work but I have my own little alarm clocks! It is that really pretty plastic made to look like wood, but it keeps time! :) But THIS would look very nice there, too bad it has a very nice price! :)
Fern wanted to get in on the photo action too, isn't she just beautiful!

And I think I have been leaving my camera lying around too much, there were lots of interesting pictures! I liked this of Jake though, plus it was better than the one of his other end (an uncovered other end) that was also on my camera!

When I first found this one I thought it looked like Riley had a floating head! Ha Ha, so here is the giggle for you too! :)

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And you maybe wondering about all the surf music, yea well you know how I said it was 72 on Saturday, well it was 68 on Sunday (still respectable). But today it is in the 30's and now after raining all night, then sleeting, it is now snowing! It is a good thing Calif. is so far and that the van is a hoopdy otherwise I think Dan would be living in CT. all by himself for the next 2 months or so! :) So the kids and I are rocking out to all the music I grew up with and you get to too!

Do You Know...

...what is so lovely about getting life back to (this season's) normal?

Dan's YUMMY bread! :)

Among other things! With all of Dan's traveling, preparing for guests, and a sever lack of yeast that has now been remedied, I had to buy store bread two paydays in a row! GASP, the HORROR!!! But really what a blessing it is for Dan to make such glorious bread, not only because it is so good and so good for us (it is a high gluten bread, think lots of protein), but even with buying store bread at the day old bread store it was a strain on my food budget I did not appreciate!! :)

We have all been enjoying having good bread again so much that there is only two of these loaves left! I guess we know what Dan will be up to when he gets home!! :)

And on other things, it is nice to take the leaf out of the table and have more kitchen space, we actually got some "mom-school" in this morning, the cats got fed (yea for them!), and I am looking forward to "quiet time" this afternoon! :) As nice as it is to have visitors and festivities I am a creacher of comfort and enjoy our daily rhythm! :)

What simple joy are you enjoying today? Because I am about to go upstairs and have some more bread! :)

One WILD Week!!

Well it all started last Monday night and it ended this morning! We had visitors!! :)

Late last Monday night Dan went and picked up Daddy from the airport! Yea! He came because he had some Southwest credit to use up! Then Tuesday Mary, Ryan, and Novella flew to NY, and on Thursday my personal chauffeur (because we KNOW what happens when I drive to NY) and I drove to Manhattan and picked up this sweet bundle!! Yep! We stole Novella and brought her to Connecticut for a couple days!
Look at all these happy cousins!!
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BUT WAIT! There is MORE!!


Thursday evening Mom & Dad H., Laura, Garen, & Adara flew in! Fern and Novella were SO happy to have a baby to hold and Adara put up with it very well! :)


This all pooped out Jake! :) When Jake was a baby he would only sleep if he was in the living room with all of our commotion around, and as you can see he is still the same way! The only problem now is there is no way I can move him! So if Dan is not here he sleeps there for the night! :)
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Then on Friday evening Mike, Anna, & Zach; then Saturday, Donna, Sarah, Kira, & Ari all drove in! And Saturday afternoon the girls and I picked up Mary at the train station! What a house full!!
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And why you might ask? Well Daddy and Mary just happened to plan trips here and since they would be here we started praying that Dan would be here too so that Riley could be baptised! Then everyone else made time and came to be here for Riley too!
YEA! And it actually all worked out!

So this last Sunday Riley was baptised! Here is he and Dad in their white duds all ready!

Then all five of us afterwards. It was a great baptism, the Spirit was there in abundance!

Here is Riley with Aunt Mary, Grandpa, & Novella!

Riley and just Grandpa!

Novella really enjoyed Riley and wanted to get her picture with him!

Aunt Donna and Riley! Riley was so excited Aunt Donna could come (but was a little bummed she showed up with out Sam and Jarom, his cousins closest in age)! :)

And Riley with Grandma and Grandpa!

Poor guy he got caught by Mom and Dad again!!

We then said good bye to Aunt Donna and crew, and Mike, Anna, & Zach who all had long drives ahead of them!

Later after dinner Riley received his first set of scriptures (with his name on them)!!! And he has continued to carry them around ever since! :)

After dinner Grandma & Grandpa, and Laura, Garen, & Adara all headed up to Hartford ahead of the impending snow storm!

Everyone left at the house then crashed and everyone was in bed around 8pm!! :)

During the night we got a little snow! :)

Yea like 8 inches!! In the morning we said goodbye to Daddy, and then after lunch the kids all went out to play! Here is Novella all ready for fun!!

And our cute little stepping stones!! How cute are they!

Even Aunt Mary braved the snow for a couple runs! Then she joined mom in the warm kitchen and left all the kids to Dad/Uncle Dan! :) They had a great time!!

When everyone came in there was hot tang waiting for them! Here is Novella with her first glass ever (this one is for you Grandma)!!

Monday night we had a birthday party for Aunt Mary and Novella complete with cupcakes and candles (although we forgot to pull out the ice cream!! Opps)!! Novella was VERY excited!!

And she enjoyed her cake! :)

Novella got a baby doll sling from us and she immediately loved it! Yea! What a cute little mommy! (Made from this FREE tutorial!!) And Aunt Mary enjoyed her earrings that Fern spilled the beans about, before the party!

Fern and Novella were "matchy-matchy" all day yesterday, Fern thought this was too cool!! :) Don't mind my "ugly" chair it is the most comfortable in the house and someday I'll have $$ to recover it! :)

And here is Novella this morning, getting all ready for her plane ride today!

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Whew, I'm pooped! :)

Thanks everyone for coming and sharing Riley's day with us!