4H awards!

I am so happy that my children have worked so hard in 4H for so long. This year it payed-off big time for Blessing! She won the (record keeping), Portfolio of the Year Award. This gives her a scholarship to the summer 4H camp for a week. ( guess who will be doing her chores while she is gone.) She also won Junior Raiser of the Year for Sheep. (She is a junior in 4H, an age level) AND she won a Mover and Doer Award. Those are for 4H members that are active and know their project areas well, and have good attitudes, and help others, just generally an all around good and busy member. All this to say, I was just as happy with Alina Grace, just imagine yourself sitting there, while your sibling goes up again, and again. Alina Grace was smileing so hard I thought her face would split. And I think she had tears in her eyes she was so happy!
Two girls, both of them making my momma-heart meter go off the charts.

PS not bad for some unsocialized homeschoolers. Sorry, had to say it!

Life today

Things I am happy about;

Mary Janes Farmgirl forum.
Harvest Swap
Halloween Costumes
My new issue of Victoria-yes, finally back again
My pregnant baby-belly. So cute.
Beautiful weather
Friends
Family
Toby Mac Music

Things I am not happy about today;

My mom is not happy with me.
I hurt her feelings.
18 accupuncture needles in me.
TMJ, thus the 18 needles.
My daughters horse hates our new baby percheron.
scraping frost off my truck window, with a scraper that only makes small scratches.

THE END of my list.
Have a wonderful day!
Tomorrow I am gutting the garden, it's ALL gone now, except the cosmos, which I will leave.
Talk to you later!

a long time gone

Well it's been a while, I will do what I can to get everyone caught up over the next little while.
Our family has been going thru some huge challenges. We have also had time to think and grow, and time to celebrate the new baby coming. We are due, in the spring, with number 7. Those of you who knew us as a family with 8 children will start to realise that might have something to do with our challenges lately. I will have to go into that later. I want to stay on a positive topic tonight. For my family, so you know, if it's a girl, it will be Chloe, if it's a boy it will be Lliam. So, all my cousins can beware of those names! (Just kidding!)
If you wonder what we have been doing, we are almost done with the new bathroom. We took place in our first living history encampment. We bought a new horse, he is a percheron, named Leo and he is 4months old. A black and white roan. We have been making applesauce, baking new recipies, and searching for the perfect new sewing machine. After using my mothers since I was 7, it died, or is on vacation, don't know yet. I have about 35 sewing projects backed up. I have to find a new one or fix the old one soon!

Adoption updates!

Hello everyone, I wanted to say for the record, how things are going. I have come to realize there are more people wondering how things are going, than I even know. Spring and Rebeckah, formerly Lovetta and Princess, have been with us for almost one year now. I tell everyone that adoption is more like bumper cars, than the roller coaster it is always being compared to. You are zooming along then, crash! There is a problem. Also, like bumper cars, the crash is soon over, and usually with no apparent damage, even though we take a step back to re-evaluate our situation. There have been many bumps to our adoption car, but I have to say that overall, our family is good, our "adjustments" have gone well so far, and under no circumstances do we regret our girls coming home. WE LOVE HAVING THEM HERE!!!!
The accomplishments they are responsible for over the last 10 months are just wonderful,things like ballet and dance lessons, singing on stage at our church, trips across country, horseback riding, PAYING SUMMER JOBS!! These are just the ones I have time to mention. Some more important things, they are really learning what a family is about, and they are showing much love and respect. They are helpful around the house, they follow our rules. These things might sound small to some of you, but I bet they don't if you have a teen at your house! I really want to post a few photos, to show you our happy moments lately, but the internet is down on the computer with the photos. If I can I wil add them later

Living History

Hear Ye, Hear Ye! We just spent a great morning in the land of the Senecas. We went to trade for our authentic costume stuff that we need to gather for the history program we are in. So far we have made old fashioned home made ice cream, sewed (by hand!) authentic dresses and shirts, and learned the drop spindle, hearth cooking, heirloom gardening. (Organically, of course!) THe projects that the children have been involved in have spun off into other areas of their lives, we decorated journals, now we are selling them, and trading them in the mail. WE LOVE MAIL ART!!! I hope this might inspire one family out there to try learning by living it. You could read about the things our ancestors used to eat, and the thing they used to wear, but if you taste apples and rasins cooked in brown sugar over a smokey fire, you can step into the past! It remembers a lot better that way.

Praying for Bears

We are back from the trip to Tennessee. As you can imagine, I will be posting some great photos. The children had a great time and their Aunt Donna and U. Miah packed the week so full that we ran out of time for everything. We celebrated Rebeckahs Birthday at the Rainforest cafe in Nashville. I will post the pic of her, when they came out with her surprise birthday cake. We also did hiking in the smokey mountains, Dean was happy with how well everyone could keep up on their "Chimney tops" climb. It didn't work out for Micah to make the whole climb, although I think she could have, so Rebeckah and Donna sat with her near the river and I bouldered around until the hikers came back. The children had been wishing to see a bear the whole time, and had even been praying for it to happen. Once we came up on a sighting, but when we asked people said it was already gone. Everyone was pretty dissappointed, but even when we thought our trip was over, driving out of the mountains to go back to our hotel, and leave for home the next day...don't you know a cute little bear jumped right in front of our truck and went lopping off the other side. Everyone got to see him, and of course we jumped out and watched until he was out of sight. It was better than just a bear sighting, it was a close encounter!!!

This is us!

Here we are at Easter, the children are all happy, because they don't get candy otherwise! I just wanted you all to see the whole family updated!

Here he is, our beautiful purple martin. He is in the bird house my family gave me on Mother's day. The picture is next to our garden, and I will post pics of that next time. Also of our new baby, a jack russel named Spiney. We took the children to PA this last weekend, it's always the biggest challenge, when you farm, to get away. By the time you have your farm help lined up, and everything done enough to leave, plus packing up 8 children, it's better to just stay home!! And yet, I think I have some gypsy blood in me, because I keep doing that to myself over and over. Dean never ever plans a trip, he would just stay here, year after year, with the grass growing under his feet. He is nice to me though, and every once in a while, he helps me take off on some mad adventure that I have cooked up! Pretty soon, we are going to visit Tennessee. I dream of France and Scotland, but I think that the Smokey Mnts. are more realistic!!!!!

Our 14th Anniversary

I haven't been on in a while, but I wanted to post about the awsome date I had with my husband for our 14th anniversary. We went up along Cayouga Lake, and stopped at a couple of the wineries. We ate at one of the bistros and then sat and soaked in the beauty of the falls at Taughannok . It's so much more impressive than the pictures!!! If you are married and you are reading this, turn of your computer and go snuggle with your honey. Cultivate your dreams, plan on times together, grow the two of you. Don't let anything else come first! Your children feel more secure, your home will be more peaceful and happy.

Journals for sale

Did I ever mention that I am an artist? I think there are few people that aren't. All it takes is a passion for something. Whether it is painting, or cleaning your house. To me, my MIL's house looks as nice as a painting. For me it is the feeling of getting it, "just right". Whether it is my spinning, a sweet doll I made, or an apron.

Well, in this case it is journals. To be specific, they are composition notebook journals, with vintage artwork, and collage. Sound interesting? I would love to send one your way. Here is a picture. Email for an order.

book weekend

I just spent a rare weekend searching books out for our homeschool. Can you imagine a better job? I wish I could do this for my living! So many books, so little time. We were at a homeschool convention, can you imagine seeing hundreds and hundreds of unsocialized people? It was incredible how well we all got along, considering. Oh, okay, I won't go there. I found small treasures, like a book called Secret Keeper, the delicate power of modesty. And huge volumes that inspire generations, one called Ishmael. Written by intriguing names like, Fenlon. I need to go read, see you later. I hope tomorrow I can post a picture of our Purple Martins. We have a nesting pair.

We are off on an adventure!

I am not actually going anywhere. This is what I frequently say to the children when we drive out of the driveway. I think it's more than a saying, it's an attitude of life. I read a poem today, that reminded me of how taking our everyday life for granted robs us of seeing so much. How, if I were single, how happy I would be to have someone to cook for, someone to wrap my arms around at night. How, if I were childless, I would be so happy to pick up small toys, and wash small faces, and calm small fears. Remember not to take your life for granted! If you lost someone important to you, it would only take that moment, to remind you what they meant to you. So have an adventure with your life, your husband, your children. Don't waste a plain day of it.

First Blog Day (original date Feb. 27th)

First blog day
{ 03:58, Tuesday, February 27, 2007 } { 2 comments } { Link } I am hoping to talk to some people who wonder what it's like to be a huge, homeschooling family that has adopted! I want to share what it's all about. I get so many blank stares, when someone asks how many members there are in our family, I thought, blogs are cool, maybe I can shed some light on what it's really like. We aren't crazy, we don't crave attention, we do know what birth control is, etc. Here is our life, we enjoy it, and here's why!

Bird's nest naps

We spent today enjoying the sun. Everything we did revolved around the house with the suns' travel. We did our school books, cooked and read in the area of the sun. We put our seedlings out to get them ready, we played, we rode bikes.
The babies took their naps in the old Airstream. We have done it up in retro. Down to the old afghans that my Grandma made when I was young. She used some real color!!!! It's so nice in there, nestled into the trees, the branches are brushing the windows. Right now they are covered with blooms. It's a little like being in a nest. I read a great book, "A Barn in New England", while they rested.
I am so sorry that you can't see my pics. I don't know why but I am attempting to find out. How embarrasing! I will try another one, just to see. Here is a new lamb photo. We are just finding him and getting him set with his mom in the sheep jug. We now have 11 lambs. Finally had a female that is a purbred Jacob. First time in two years!!!

Gardening

I think that gardening is so much more than just planting and weeding and harvesting. When I am working in the garden with the children, I am gifting the next generation with a love for the soil. I am passing on the knowledge of self sustaining power. What about big families sucking resources that should be for others? Not happening here, these children reuse, reduce and recycle in a way that makes smaller families seem indulgent.
Instead of supporting Old Navy and Ambercromby, these children are yard saleing, planting their own potatoes, growing their own flowers, shearing sheep and selling their own organic compost. They raise their own chickens, and they know the importance of Organic vs. conventional. Fossil Fuel? They will lecture you on the merits of biofuel. They are equipped to go out and make a change.
At the same time, the girls love makeup, my older son loves baseball and we all dance hip hop in our spare time. We live life, we love it , but we don't misuse it. It's all about balance.
When we are in the garden, we are preparing for the future, our children are the future...Plant well.

Monarch the lamb

This is Monarch, our farm's first 4 horned Jacob. Jacob sheep are able to grow many horns, some as many as 4-6!! His are just tiny, but you should see his Daddys. We are going to be finding a farm for him, in the fall. He has perfect markings, and his white and black are just about 50/50, like they should be for a Jacob. If you know anyone who is looking for a good ram! Send them this way. He is going to the county fair in July, I will be sure to post his ribbons. Our Abi is showing him, she is 6. It's going to be so cute.

Try this site for Pics!!!

Hello everybody, I am coming to you from a new site! I hope this host will have all the photos I post, and you will get to finally see my cute little lambs. I will try to move my archives over here. Lets face it, there aren't many yet, so it shouldn't be that hard! This was an awesome holiday, I gardened and I made art, and I spent individual time with my children and my hubby. One of my best friends stopped over, the sun was shining, I had a swim...I can't think when I had a better day.

So... here are my lambs.