Farmer Fin

 Finley loves going out to the chicken coop to check on the chicks and help us feed and water. He is becoming a fabulous egg collector and knows his way around pretty well now that he can latch up the cover on the laying boxes all by himself. He helped me check on the chicks this afternoon and noticed how big they're getting! They are starting to reach that awkward "tween" stage and losing some of their cute fluff. It's been so fun watching them grow!

Rhythm

Today we woke to somber skies and a quiet fog. In the dark of the night the rain lulled me to sleep as I nursed the baby and rocked in the chair. There is something about the rhythm of the rain as it falls to the ground. I could listen to it for hours, especially at night. As I drifted in and out of sleep my mind was filled with reflection and contemplation. I've had such a craving to write lately and have spent much of these past few days deep in thought. After a brief period of sunshine in the late morning, the afternoon brought more rain which helped solidify my resolve to sit and write. As I listened to the rain I couldn't help but think about rhythm and how it plays a huge part in everything around us. Rhythm is found in the flow of the universe, the beating of our hearts, and the changing of seasons.

Lately, I have felt like I am finally finding my rhythm again. Each and every time we welcome a new baby into our home the rhythm shifts a little. It usually takes 4-6 months for things to feel normal and rhythmic again as I learn more about who I am and how to manage the flow of our home.  With Spring here and more time to play outside we have found a wonderful pattern to our days that has left everyone feeling better. Everybody's rhythm is going to look a little bit different, but I love when I am able to find my own rhythm and transform our home into a happy place. 

As I've thought a lot about this concept I've discovered that there is a big difference between rhythm and routine. Routine sounds more rigid and structured where as rhythm has more ebb and flow. Rhythm is sometimes fast paced, and sometimes slow. It's the breathing in and breathing out in our days, weeks, and months. The daily, weekly and seasonal rhythms are the anchors that provide security and happiness for us and our children. They don't necessarily follow specific times on the clock and they can shift and change with the seasons. But overall, rhythms in the home are intentional patterns of life. They help bring us a sense of order and free up our time to enjoy more. Rhythm is fluid enough that changes can be gently added or taken away as needed.

Our home doesn't often follow a set routine, but it does have rhythm (a strong, regular, repeated pattern of movement) which consists of regular meal times, early mornings, gospel study, play, and family time. When our home follows that gentle rhythm, breathing in and breathing out, making time for work, time for play, and time to rest, we are all happier. Sometimes naps get bumped by an hour to allow more time for free play or filling hungry tummies. But generally the children are aware of the natural flow we have created in our home. Motherhood is a constant balancing act of planning and going with the flow. The rhythm of motherhood has a way of teaching us and helping us discover quiet strength and courage we didn't know we had.

Having six kids has taught me to treasure the "doing" a little more and the "getting things done" a little less. The dishes will always be there tomorrow, but that sweet baby will wake up looking older. And so I've learned to listen to the natural heartbeat of our home and take time to nurse that baby just a little longer and cuddle him in my arms long after he's drifted off to sleep. I've learned to take time to admire the way my toddler's eye lashes brush his sweet, rosy cheeks as he naps. I try to slow down at bedtime and listen to the big kids tell me about their days and ask me for advice. 

As I've learned to pay attention more to the natural rhythms of motherhood I am able to find joy in the little things like watching the sun rise each morning to mark a new day and watching it paint the sky each night to mark the end. Recognizing the different seasons of motherhood that I am in has helped me get into a smooth gentle rhythm, blessing our home with peace and our family with happiness.

"Sometimes, Home has a heartbeat" 

~Beau Taplin

Bird Song

These last few nights have been rough. I'm pretty sure that Sawyer is hitting a milestone or teething because he's gone from sleeping eight hour stretches to waking three times in the night. With Mr. Stannix away working for a few days I scooped Sawyer into bed with me last night so I could get more rest. 

Waking up to the birds singing and this little guy snuggled next to me was a great way to start the day! The sky to the east was bright orange as the sun made it's way up into the sky for the day, while the sky to the west was dark and stormy.

I spent part of my afternoon re-potting plants that have outgrown their pots, like my pumpkins here... It felt good to get my hands in the dirt and ponder while the kids played nearby. I could smell the fresh tomatoes as I split the tomato plants and put them in their own pots. 

The littles are loving the outdoors and the extra hours of daylight. The older kids bike around the neighborhood with their friends playing here or there. When dinner is ready I call their names and often here the neighbor kids mom calling hers home too. It's so great! Also, having five boys sometimes means looking out the window and seeing pants around the ankles. Our spruce trees are well watered around here! Ha!

Monday Mornings

 I like slow Monday mornings...

 When the baby takes a nice long nap while the morning sun pours through his window...

 And the toddler helps me with chores, racing his shadow to the chicken coop...

 And it gets warm enough for t-shirts and little peep to come outside and play for a few minutes.

Surprise!

 Today my Mom and I went shopping together in Red Deer. We set the date a few weeks ago and agreed it would be a good time to go on the shopping spree Dad had gifted her for her birthday. We stopped at the fabric store in Sylvan and ended up spending a few hours at the quilt show spontaneously in Red Deer before hitting up the mall. By the time the late afternoon rolled around, I was anxious to get home as I knew the kids would be off the bus and Mr. Stannix would be leaving work a bit early to meet them. 

We got back into town way later than I had thought we would and Mom made sure to take her time driving home. By the time I got home, Sawyer was hungry and I was feeling pretty tired. I walked into the house to shouts of "SURPRISE!" and decorations everywhere! Mr. Stannix had done a stellar job at making sure the cars were parked at the neighbors and the extra BBQ's were hidden in the greenhouse so that I wouldn't be suspicious. He had been planning this for months! Suddenly the hush hush conversations he kept having with my parents about their "taxes" all made sense. 

All of my siblings as well as many friends from all seasons of my life were able to attend and my heart was filled with so much gratitude for all of these amazing people who have contributed to who I am now. The room was FULL of people! I spent a lot of the evening chatting and only managed to snag two pictures. I wish I could have taken a picture with each and every person who made the effort to be there and show their support. Mr. Stannix and my parents worked so hard to put it all together and it was so fun!

Serenity

"No one can posses an afternoon of rain beating against the window, or the serenity of a sleeping child, or the magical moment when the waves break on the rocks. No one can posses the beautiful things of this Earth, but we can know them and love them. It is through such moments that God reveals himself to mankind." 

~Paulo Coelho

A Woodland Blanket

This morning we woke to a dusting of snow, but the sun was bright!  This time of year is always tricky because it doesn't feel like Spring when it keeps dumping snow.

I wandered out to the coop to check on the babies and help fill food and water. Sawyer was down for an early morning nap and the other boys followed me out.

Mr. Stannix is still leaving me presents each day as he counts down to my 30th birthday. This bag of skittles was a welcomed surprise when I left to get groceries.

My mamma finished quilting Sawyers blanket late last night and came over to give it to him. It's so stinkin' cute! Knowing how much love and effort went into it makes it all the more special. 

Our kids all love their "Gramma blankies", hand stitched with love!

The sun came out in the afternoon so that we could spend some time weeding flower beds. I collected a whole bag of poppy seeds from my Gramma's dried up poppies in the back flower bed. I can't wait to find somewhere for them to be planted.

An early afternoon trip to the coop gave me lots of surprises to collect. I can't wait for our new hens to grow up and give us more different colored eggs!

April Arrives

Good morning from the hen house! Our little fluff balls are growing and it's been so fun learning all about raising baby chicks. We are looking forward to warm Spring days and afternoons watching the clouds float across blue skies.

Sunday Snapshots

 Sunday Morning 9:15AM

Sunday Afternoon 3:00PM

Girl Cousins

We were so lucky today to have my cousin Jenny and her girls here! Camilla adores these two girlies and after putting up with five brothers all week, she was super excited to have some girl time! We enjoyed lunch together and then spent lots of time snuggling new baby chicks and playing outside. It was a great way to finish off our Spring break week!