Secret Identity

My boy loves to dress up. Having 4 sisters, I often have to remind him that he cannot wear the Princess Pretty costume.  Luckily, he really loves being a cowboy!

at the park the other day I said "Come here, my child" to my Lil' Bird.

"I am not your child, I am the Lone Ranger!" was his response.

BTW- You pronounce that Looooooohne Rain-ger

Dude, you're awesome!

SOOC

That means Straight Off Of Camera for any of you non-photog family and friend.  I didn't edit these yet, I was just messing around in the back yard last Saturday.

It is SO pretty here!

Rhubarb Harvest!

Step 1- Pick huge rhubarb before the plant goes to seed!

Step 2- Chop

Step 3-Mix

Step 4- Devour!

Rhubarb Dream Dessert:

1 C Flour

5 T Powdered Sugar

1/2 C Butter

3 Eggs (Beaten)

1-1/2 C Sugar

1/4 C Flour

3/4 tsp Salt

4 C Rhubarb (chopped)

1 C Strawberries (chopped)

1 Bowl Cool Whip

Blend flour, powdered sugar, butter.  Press into greased 9x13 pan.  Bake 10 minutes at 325.  Beat eggs, sugar, flour, and salt.  Add rhubarb and spoon into crust and bake for 35 minutes at 350.  Cool completely and spread Cool Whip on top.  Then, you devour it.  Yum!

Proof That She is Fluffy.

Growler must be fluffy.

 She was posing so nicely for me.

and then came along Butter.

Just look at her beaming eyes!

Can't you just hear Butter "Growler, you are SO FLUFFY"

she absolutely LOVES her sister.  

(If this post doesn't make sense to you, clicking HERE will clue you in)

You Blinked again!

My Sweet, Little, Precious, Growler!

She is nine months old now, and really proud of her new abilities.  Last week she started crawling like she was born crawl, and she didn't even give me a week before she started pulling herself up on things.  She is keeping me busy, making sure the floors and now tables are cleaned off of any baby dangers. of course she loves to put everything in her mouth.

 I can't believe how time has flown.  Sniff, sniff!

You Blinked!

They are getting big, fast!  Though it will be a few more months before they are earning their keep by laying our breakfast, in just a few weeks the first set of chicks should have all their feathers and be ready to move outside.  Mr. Pilot, in-between learning to fly the super awesome Growler, has been building a chicken tractor for these ladies.  A chicken tractor is a coop on wheels, so we can move it all over the back yard so they can fertilize and de-bug the backyard without eating up the garden.  I can't wait to show you pictures. 

You're Bored, You Say?

What's that?  5 Chickens aren't enough?  Awwww, just get 2 more then. 

My husband has been waiting for these little Speckled Sussex to be hatched like a kid waiting for the Easter Bunny (who is that guy, anyway?) They were supposed to be ready the same time as the other chicks we got, but apparently they were delayed do to bad weather.  Every Friday (that is the day the local country store gets their new arrivals) my husband has been checking for these little guys.  Well, they were finally here this week, so he had me pick up two.  Never mind that the others are now too big to introduce these new little fluffy ladies.  That means two chick brooders in my living room.  Two feeders, two waterers, two more poopers, until these ladies are big enough to hold their own.
 TOO much fun!  Aren't they adorable!?

Here is what they are supposed to look like when full grown.

It's So Fluffy, I'm Gonna Die!

I have this precious daughter.  I think her love-o-meter was set on super high.  Even as a young toddler she had to squish other babies to show her affection for them.  I was a bit concerned when I was unable to deter her from smothering babies in the church nursery until a wonderful woman reminded me that squishing babies with extreme intensity would translate into being a good mother one day.

I took her for her word, and have seen the face smooshing in a new light.  I mean, when the baby starts crying and I say "please, let go of her and be more gentle" the reply is "but I LOOOOVVVVEEEEE her, I just love her, she is so cute" spoken with as much intensity as the hug was given. I am sometimes forced to pry little fingers off of the screaming baby.

Said child is now much older, 4 to be exact.  She is still smooshing.  She squashes anything she loves.  Dolls, and stuffed animals, and our dog seem to like it just fine.  Younger brothers, baby sisters, our cat, and little chicks~ not so much.

I recently saw this movie.  I am not really a fan of comparing my children to make-believe characters from Disney movies, but there is no denying there are some similar character traits in this little girl "Agnes" and my own.




These are really short:










I would have snorted milk out my nose, had I been drinking any.

Up to Trash.

Here is one of our most recent projects.

It's a compost bin.

We learned how to make it from the Homemade book we bought here:

I must admit, I have never really been one of those "Save the Planet" type people.  It doesn't help that most places we have lived, we actually had to pay to recycle.  Let me see- extra work and I have to pay for it? Not so much... 

But, I do like being a good steward, and I don't like wasting.  Add into that- our wayyyy too expensive, way, way too small garbage can that only gets picked up once a week, and you've got me sold on free recycling.  Seriously, we have to crush every single thing we can possible crush into the garbage can, have Boy climb into the bin and crush it some more, and then still call someone from church to see if we can throw an extra bag into their bin so we don't incur extra charges for our trash can lid not closing tightly... and we pay $94/month for this?  Anyway, Dad, Sis, and Boy built us a compost bin and we are reading all about it.  This is Science Class, 101.

The One Sunny Day...

I know you have all been wondering, how are they handling all that rain?

Why, we are having a festival, of course!

Actually, and very surprisingly I might add, we have been doing just fine.

When I'd mention moving to Whidbey, people would say "you don't want to go there, what are you going to do with all that rain, you will get so depressed" or, "you will need to buy a tanning light to keep your spirits up, you will be stuck inside every day." At first I was a little concerned. In all the other places I've lived (the midwest, the west, the southeast, and the south, just about everywhere I guess) I would have a little trouble if the skies were cloudy for too long.  Eeyore syndrome or something.  Turns out though, it really is a misconception. The concern was misplaced (much like when people say to me "are all these kids yours? I feel sorry for you, you must be poor, deprived, and a wretch..." (smirk))

We are in the "banana belt" or something like that, and it really isn't bad.  True, it rains often, but it isn't pouring. And it isn't cold.  And the sky is gorgeous.  And it is lush. I am not really sure how to describe it properly and paint a lovely picture with words, so I will hush up now but, eventually, when I am able to get a new camera lens (mine broke) I will take some Whidbey Sky pictures and you will see what I mean.

And, by the way, you only use an umbrella here if you are a tourist. So no umbrellas please. 

We will except any donation of galoshes in various sizes, however.  Just kidding.

Just know that we have no complaints about the weather and we enjoy splashing in puddles.

See, here is a Butter on the swing Boy and Dad made on a sunny day!

Joy in the Simple

In my ongoing search for true contentment, I have begun to realize the importance of finding joy in the simple and in recognizing the Creator's handiwork all around me.

My sweet daughter brought me some simple joy the other evening.

I could have said "those are just weeds, throw them in the trash" and thrown a daughter's smile in the trash along with the weeds.  I would have also thrown away my chance for a taste of joy.

By the Grace of God, I took those beautiful weeds and put them in my precious grandmother's creamer and placed it on the windowsill.  Simple, right?

At the giving of thanks for our bread that night, Sweet Butter (4) breathed pure Joy "Father God, thank You for this day, thank You for our food, and thank You for all the beautiful flowers You planted, like the Dandelions, Amen."

And my eyes swelled with simple joy.

Search for Him, He is there. And Smile. When you feel like there are just too many weeds, make a bouquet!

Cowboys Wash Dishes Too

You must wear your gun, even when washing dishes (and without pants).  You never know when a bad guy might show up. 

Chickens. All in a Row

  This is Dandy-Lion.

and Miss Muffet's Tuffet...

and all our chicks sleeping in a row.

Rhubarb!

We are so excited about our kitchen garden (more pictures later) and we have already harvested some Rhubarb.  I grew up with it, and never even knew the leaves are poisonous to eat...  

Some of us really enjoy it's unique and sour flavor straight out of the ground.

Some just want to play with it.

Don't worry, I read that you'd have to eat 11 pounds of leaves to have any toxic effect, but  I didn't let her taste any anyway.

Jams, Jellies, and Pies, here I come!  That is, if there is enough Rhubarb left to make some!