gratitude

 I came across these photos of the day the rope was put back up on the tree. The girls look so carefree. And that's how it should be for these little ones. I am every so thankful for that in their lives...not burdened down with the heaviness of this world. They already know of so much devastation. Today I am thinking of the families down south that have lost loved ones, homes or both in the tornadoes that came through yesterday.

Being so mindful of  my little family over here in Washington and that disaster can strike at any time...being so thankful for my family. When especially hard times hit the last thing we naturally think of is to be thankful for something...but it is the very thing that can pull us through that time...gratitude for the simple things.

Hoping you and yours are safe
xo

Lovin those kids!

 Last year Easter just kind of rolled through without much fan-fare. This year there weren't trumpets or anything exciting like that, but no-one was sick, we all got to go to church, had an egg hunt, egg dying, and yummy food. Mostly large servings of cut up strawberries, bananas, grapes and apples with whip cream on them....we could't get enough! :o)
Then some of us snuggled into the couch and watched a movie...end of a great day together being thankful for the gift that Jesus gave us.

I sure LOVE spending time with these kids.

How was your weekend....I know I am a little late in asking. ~blush~

Spring work :: pruing plum trees

Last year there were many plums mocking us from the tree tops. This spring Zack and I have been doing our best to foil the plan of the happening again. This is our first year with pruning these trees and I think we did a mah-ve-lous job! Aside from the fact that plums will be at the level that we can pick, I loved working alongside my son.

a job well done and we will reap the rewards this summer....

YUM! 

chocolate cake with plum pieces nestled in it anyone?

the reckoning

There comes a day when that cute little fluffy headed steer becomes a large, strong meat-headed locomotive. Today was that day.
Picture walking out into the pasture as many time before and all of a sudden that previously fluffy headed steer comes running full speed ahead at you and skids to a stop about 3 feet in front of you. sheesh.
He may still love me, but the brawn outweighs the brain at this point. Love me from a distance.
that's all folks!
xo

btw, i am knee deep in school, garden, kids school, house, blah, blah, blah and too lazy to upload any photos today...thats the truth. (added one now!)
Have a GREAT day!
xo

purposefully

Life can get to the place where we find ourselves catching up instead of choosing. you know? Distractions whether they are good or bad can steal the time away from things we had intentions of doing. For me this is sewing...I need to get some picnic blankets and clothes pin sacks made for my shop! I have stared longingly toward my sewing desk for at least TWO months now. I have other things in my day with my kids that I would like to do to...so I need to free up some time somewhere.

Many things have distracted me. Like I said above, some good and some bad and some in between like Facebook. I love keeping in touch. And as a single parent with my plate (and two more) filled with agenda all day it serves a great purpose for me to keep in touch and not get isolated for lack of time to play. BUT I have let it take over other places in my time. So this week I start timing myself and getting off after a specific time period. I am excited about this recognition because this means there really is time in my day for other things. Chit-chatting is good, but for a specific time. ;o)

:: Today I will ::

*spray down our huge array of seed starts with Sophie and Hannah.
We planted half a pool table full...really. hehe

*move tree limbs with Zack from our plum tree pruning and possibly prune the other large plum tree

*read my book in college and write my assignments out

*eat another of the homemade gluten free carrot cupcakes that Tessa made for my birthday this weekend

*read books with Hannah and Sophie snuggled up between them

and I don't know what else...
I am SURE that it will fill in quickly...looking out the window right now it looks like a family walk with be in order if the weather continues

What are you choosing to do today?

Traditions

I like to think about what makes different families tick... What traditions do they have within their fold? It's amazing where some traditions come from. Some are from really lean times, but are carried through to better times. For instance in our family when I was a little girl we had a tree topper that was a cardboard star covered in tin foil. You and I both know the many choices for tree toppers out there now, but my children and I choose to have the cardboard star covered in tin foil still. Tradition.


This brings me to another tradition in our house. Birthday breakfast in bed. If you aren't here on the morn of your b-day then it is postponed. But no longer than a week..hehe
The birthday tray that was given by a friend years ago is filled with yummy foods and carried in with love and loud singing. The bed is filled with family waiting for the first bite to be taken and the smile to spread across the face and then the smiles spread across their faces too in satisfaction of a great birthday breakfast tray.

Today is my turn. I have requested fluffy scrambled eggs, toast cut in triangles(always tastes better that way dontcha know), greek yogurt with frozen blueberries in a glass sundae dish and caramel coffee.
I betcha I get all of it. with FIVE kiddos here wanting to show me how special I am to them just like we all do on their birthdays.

the simplest tradition, cant even remember how it was started, but it stuck.

What traditions do you do at your house? xo

feeding :: more than food

I CANNOT believe that it has been a week since my last post. bad, bad blogger...
Maybe I secretly thought you liked the Plum cobbler? or maybe I  liked it? hehe

this morning I was writing to a friend about the garden..or more the dreams for it. I thought I would share them with you.


My garden is the corner of a pasture that I go to every morning after feeding the horse and steer. I gaze past the fence that will become a wide gate welcoming others to come stir the dirt and plant seed. For now the robins flit from horse apple to steer pile in search of treasure on the foggy mornings. BUT soon....soon there will be a country fence sectioning of that corner for more than steer and horse meals. SOON there will be helpful hands pounding in posts and stringing fencing, THEN you will hear the sound of the hungry rototiller turning the dirt for us that has been prepared by the livestock.
Then the fun comes...oh the dreaming I have done this past year since we have moved to this farm. the garden...THE GARDEN! First dreamed of to sustain my children and myself.
Now to sustain more than that in so many more ways.

Family plots, corn rows, garden chatter as friends weed, a Friendship House plot, green bean teepees built out of limbs from pruned plum trees, the sun beating down on my back and the crickets buzzing in the nearby slough.....

the garden...

Food Diary Friday :: Plum Cobbler

I have previously been writing "this moments" on Fridays. Now that I am noticing the amount of photos on my camera of food I had the idea of  hosting Food Diary Fridays.

YUM

We baked and baked this week I must have gained a few pounds this week....No better way to do it though. Cream pies (banana and chocolate), rhubarb chocolate cake and rhubarb cobbler.
We also baked up some fall apart ribs....mmmmmmmmm. Just to keep it healthy, protein ya know? ;o)

I am especially happy about the plum desserts though because the fruit was picked off the trees on our farm and put away by me. I know, I know they got bit by the ice, but they were still so good! I'm sorry I don't have  a recipe to share. It was bits and pieces of other recipes. The plum filling was fashioned after an apple pie filling and the topping was a cobbler topping with oats and cinnamon added in.

 If you have a favorite food "to share" from this week leave a link to your post in the comments below.

Happy weekend to you!

Lori

xo