Staring and Drinking

My oldest sweetie has been sick today. She's already on the mend, but we had to modify our day because of it. We canceled piano lessons, exchanged the spelling and history lessons for the movie Heidi, and just let her sleep on the couch as much as she needed.

As I was loving on her throughout the day, I couldn't help but marvel at her freckles!

There's just something about your own child that makes you want to stare at her and drink in all the details about her.

Indulge me a little public staring and drinking here!

I just love the red tint to those eyebrows and lashes.

Those dots across her nose and cheeks are the cutest,

and her blue eyes blow me away!

I am so grateful God put her in my life. She is a sweet blessing, freckles and all!

Such A Boy!

This boy of ours almost always makes us grin.

His imagination and creativity just make our life very UNboring!

Here is a typical moment at our house.


After shooting the chicken a couple of times with the Nerf gun, he decides to add a few more bullets to the poor chicken.


There's no way he could perform this task without the proper attire.

This shirt full of bugs,

and these Star Wars socks

are perfect for the occasion.

And just because he thought it would be a good idea, he put on the toboggan too!


The kicker is that this is what he dressed himself in to wear to bed!

It's an endless grin around here when it comes to this kid!

Some Days Don't Go As Planned

Some days don't go as planned. Yesterday was one of those days! But don't worry; in this case, it was a good thing.

The day had a lot planned in it: a power walk at our town square for exercise, home school lessons, a women's Bible study at my house, babysitting a friend's child and cooking for supper co-op.

But the day didn't go as planned.

It was raining at the exercise time, so there was no walking.

At about 10:00, a phone call came that canceled the Bible study.

And then another phone call....a friend invited us to go arrowhead hunting in a field adjacent to her house. The rain had stopped, leaving behind gullies and rivulets perfect for hunting.


So, the home school lesson suddenly changed from a math worksheet to a nature hike.


And what a fun outing it was! There was a lot of mud...


along with a few botany lessons.


We saw this strange thing.


Here it is up close. We are going to have to research to find out what it is (if you know, feel free to comment).


There was a entomology lesson....


and then at the end of the hike, the prize....what we had been searching for the whole time...


No, the day didn't go at all as planned, and I'm sure glad it didn't!

Check THIS out!

We Don't See This Much!

Some strange things are happening around here!

We are seeing things we've never seen while living in this small town of ours!

Here is a picture of one:

Yes, there is a fire in our fireplace!

I know those of you in warmer, more northern climates are asking yourselves, "what's the big deal?" Here's the big deal: We have lived in this wonderful blessing of a house for six and a half years, and this year is the first that we have used the fireplace.

As you are aware, it just doesn't get very cold here in southeast Alabama, so I never really had any desire to do the necessary work (haul in firewood, clean the ashes afterward, etc) to have a fire. I also had babies to care for and worry about and a fire just didn't fit into the picture.

But, as babies do, mine grew up and wonder of wonders, we are actually having a cold winter (for a couple of weeks, maybe)! So we have been enjoying our fire. Sitting in front of it with a nice blanket and a cup of coffee has become my favorite past time.

And while I am talking about wonders, let me show you this picture:

This is the fountain on our town square. I love this fountain and have taken many pictures of it during the time we have lived here. But, I have NEVER seen it like this! These two weeks of winter have provided a beautiful icy display.