Feeling BLESSED

 

Just sitting alone this afternoon with quiet music playing, two littles sleeping and two playing ever-so-quietly in their rooms. A few pieces of dark chocolate to indulge on and thinking about how quickly this week went by. Thanking the Lord for abundant blessings.

 

 Feeling this little babe kick inside of my womb is such a comforting feeling. Wondering what facial features he'll have, who he'll look the most like and what his personality will be. There are a few remaining weeks left where I feel the need to accomplish so much, but yet moments in the day that I just soak up in silence and awe and enjoy it.

 

Moments when my littlest baby just wants to snuggle and be held on the couch.

 

 Moments where I watch my four darlings playing outside, creating forts and secret hide-outs as I fold laundry and bake bread.

 

Moments when I wonder what my husband is doing at work and wish we could be together. There's something about having a new baby together that makes a couple even more deeper in love.

 

  My brain is warped with planning for the move, looking for more properties, getting rid of unnecessary things in the house and decluttering. And yet, I make it a daily prayer for peace about waiting until God reveals the right place for our family. I know that His timing is going to be just perfect.

 

I love doing what I do as a mother and wife. I love being here, staying HOME, not rushing around from school to errands to soccer practice. I love making warm soup with my girls. I love playing trucks and trains with my boys. I know that these moments don't last forever and they'll be grown up after a blink of an eye. I love that my own kids love being home and that we've created "home bodies". They like the simple things in life like playing with homemade flubber as the breeze blows through the windows and I'm making a hot lunch on the stove, experimenting with baking and just being together.

 

 I love reading stories about Beatrix Potter, George Washington, Davey Crocket and John Calvin with them, sharing what influential people they were. (For some reason, we've been reading a lot of biographies and they can't get enough of them!)

 

I love the thought of having five children and how God has placed larger families in our lives to minister to us and encourage us. I love the new friendships that are developing, rooted in the Lord. So blessed.

 

I love the relationships between our children and how although they have their moments, they always have someone to play with, love on and defend them when out and about. The way they have each others' backs is so neat to watch. The tight-knit relationships that they have are priceless and I wouldn't want them separated all day from each other, ever. They truly are best buds.

 

I'm encouraged by our newly adopted ways of learning in our home. Centered around the kitchen table, we're doing more whole group instruction, including everyone, even Isaac. Our workboxes were going well for awhile, but with adding the third emergent learner and lots of "Mom, I need help"s, one non-reader and one reader, but not well enough for all instructions just yet, we went back to the simplicity of learning together. So much more comprehension going on as well as FUN. Also, less planning for mom. :)

 

On the subject of homesteading...Molly spent three days with Beau and everyone is pretty sure that the breeding was successful. No pressure to be moved in 9 months or anything, just in time for a calf! We're excited though.

 

Chickens are laying up to 16 eggs a day now and although we're so grateful for the delicious, fresh eggs, this flock has been extremely difficult to keep in a coop. While we do let them roam the backyard, there are times when we want them enclosed and they continue to find holes and different ways of escaping...the little stinkers.

 

The garden, while due to the early heat this spring and fluctuating temperatures thus far, hasn't produced in quantity per se, it has given us a great lesson in seed reproduction. We're using this spring's garden to harvest many-a-seed and enjoying reading through THIS BOOK as we do it.

 

Although I would never discourage a gardener because they choose to spend lots of money on "ordering in" seed for their planting (which we do with most of our seed, right now anyways), it is crucial for our own family to learn seed re-generation and try our best to implement when we can and where we can to save money.

 

Lettuce is a no-brainer. One lettuce seed that is planted and allowed to go to seed can give off 100s of seeds per one plant. Same with broccoli, cauliflower and beans. No excuses not to let some of your best bounty go to seed for the following season's crops. Now, cukes, tomatoes and others are a different story. Much more work involved there, but again, not impossible.

 

I've been reading up on self-cross pollination for squashes and melons and although it appears difficult to comprehend in the beginning as far as cross pollinating the male and female flowers, it looks doable and I'm looking forward to trying it at some point.

 

I pray that you all are enjoying this spring and all of the BLESSINGS that God has bestowed upon us.