Counting Stars

Today I picked some more peppers from the greenhouse and did up another batch of salsa. Camilla helped me chop the veggies and I enjoyed her commentary as we laughed at the peppers shapes. "This one looks like it's mad." "This one has four butts." So much fun!

This time I added a few Hinklehatz  and Black Hungarian peppers along with the jalapenos to add a little extra heat.

 

The kids worked with Mr. Stannix and moved all of the branches that grampa pruned a few days ago from the orchard to the fire pit. 

These flowers bring me so much joy! Especially on days like today.

And there's nothing quite like stepping outside to find yourself covered in a blanket of stars. It always reminds me that "He counts the stars and calls them all by name." Even though we may feel insignificant or forgotten, we matter to Him. It's pretty incredible when you truly stop to think about it!

Apple Cider

Tonight I introduced the kids to Hot Apple Cider. I'm pretty sure they've drank it before but none of them could remember. I loved watching them warm their hands on their mugs and inhale the wonderful smell as they sipped away at their hot drinks. I'm so glad Autumn has stuck around a little longer this year!

Movie Night

After the regular morning shuffle I decided to take the little boys for a quick walk to grab the mail. We all enjoyed the warm sun, chilled fingers and Ningxia juice waiting in the mailbox. The boys were happy and the fresh air was so welcomed!

The Ningxia was in the mailbox all night, so it was perfectly chilled and made a delicious treat for the walk home. 

I spent the rest of my day organizing. I can only seem to manage one corner or area of the house at once, so today it was the laundry room. The laundry that had been neglected and piled high atop the folding table was put into baskets and brought upstairs to be piled high atop my bed in hopes of being folded and put away at some point during the day. Once the laundry room was tidy and organized again we spent some time outside enjoying the Fall colors and visiting with my Dad on the back deck. 

I went into town a bit early to pick up the kids and deliver eggs to happy customers. While I waited in the van for the kids I was able to call and get them all signed up for swimming lessons. The kids told me all about their Terry Fox run today and Camilla showed me that she ran for a dear friend of ours at church who is battling cancer right now. It was so sweet! 

After dinner the kids begged to watch a movie with Daddy. Since there is no school tomorrow we agreed and he went to work popping popcorn while the kids cued up National Treasure 2. While they hung out in front of the TV I put the baby to sleep, cleaned the junk corner in the kitchen and duct taped the high chair cushion in hopes of making it survive on more child. Soon, Joe got bored with the movie (he's not a movie watcher) and we ended up playing Uno together in the living room until it was over. Camilla started running in every few minutes to check her loose tooth out in the mirror and did eventually manage to get it out! I managed to get all but two pots washed. I left them in the sink for tomorrow making Mr. Stannix cringe as he hates to leave a job unfinished. My hands are dry and cracked, but I feel content with what we got accomplished today. As I put up the Fall decor bit by bit my heart is filled with gratitude.

Homemade Salsa

This morning as we stepped outside to do chores I could see my breath. The sun warmed our cheeks as we made our way across the yard and drank in the cool Autumn breeze. 

Oliver made a pretty cute chore buddy as he danced his way to the chicken coop in the morning light.

When I got back in I decided to start working on a batch of Salsa. I've never canned anything on my own before, but this looked pretty simple. It's so fun to know that we grew all of this! It's satisfying to make things from garden goodness!

Sawyer was ready for his nap shortly after I had washed everything up, which worked out pretty perfect!

After an hour or so of slicing and dicing I ended up with a huge pot of salsa simmering on the stove. The house smelled sooo good! I let the flavors mix and the salsa thicken for quite a while and finally jarred it in the afternoon.

We ended up eating so much of it fresh that I only got three jars. But it was exciting listening to them all "pop" and seal. 

Once I finished the salsa, Ollie and I made cookies together. He loves helping in the kitchen and always has the funniest things to say. Today he said, "I was holding on wif two hands and stirring wif ALLLL my might!"

We had a nice walk around the orchard before the big kids got off the bus and admired Grampa's hard work pruning trees.

Then I let the after school chaos wash over me as I juggled the kids and dinner. Camilla built the little boys a train track to play on. I rocked and fed Sawyer while soaking in the sounds of happy little boys and Camilla plunking out her scales on the piano. The counter is currently full of dishes and I am thick in the middle of motherhood, but there's no where else I'd rather be!

Roaming Around

The sky has been looking pretty fabulous each morning and we are loving this warmer weather. Last year at this time we were trudging through a foot of snow just to catch the bus. The kids always laugh at me because some times in the middle of breakfast or packing lunches I will pause and open the front door to "ooh" and "ahh" at the sunrise. It really helps me start the day off on the right foot!

Some mornings my kids wake up looking older! As I watched Camilla head out the door in her carefully picked outfit and new uggs I just had to snap a picture. I still can't believe she is already in fifth grade!

The rest of our day was spent roaming around the acreage, hanging out with the chickens and picking tomatoes in the greenhouse. 

Some of the tomatoes are getting quite large! And boy are they tasty when they're vine ripe. After the littles go to bed at night Mr. Stannix and I pop some bread in the toaster and make toasted tomato sandwiches. So good!

We only picked what's ripe or very close to being ripe, and got a pretty good haul! There is still lots and lots of tomatoes.

Little man is still a nursing champ and I can't see any reason to give up these special moments together quite yet.

Scents of Autumn

 This afternoon we went for a walk around the acreage and let the scents of Autumn tickle our noses. The sunflowers are huge, the apple trees are full of fruit, and the greenhouse is loaded with delicious things and the colors are stunning!

 This dill caught my eye while I was out walking too! My Mum has made so many jars of dill pickles this year!

 When the little boys when down for a nap I tried out a new recipe for pizza sauce. It turned out so good!

 Camilla loves the chickens and is always out there after school to grab eggs and hold one or two of them. She loves to tame them and they like her!

And even though it's late, I've just pulled out a batch of double chocolate zucchini muffins for school lunches tomorrow! I cleaned up the last of the dishes while listening to the rain pitter patter outside and Ollie snore loudly from his bedroom. The house is still and I cherish these quiet evenings where I can get lost in though.

Autumn Lovin'

My favorite Season is practically here! We have been waking to the most beautiful skies and the crisp morning air can't be beat!

We are trying to get out and enjoy the sunshine as much as we can. We know how lucky we are that the snow hasn't come yet and getting outside is one way we can show our gratitude.

I can't believe how big Sawyer is getting already! It's funny to think back to this time last year and how anxious I was to meet him. Now he is pulling himself up on things, crunching leaves in his chubby baby fists, and thoroughly enjoying life.

Autumn, you are fabulous!

A Morning Fog

This morning the fog hugged the ground as the sun slowly rose above the spruce trees. I will never tire of watching the sunrise just over the tree line, painting the sky tangerine and rose. While I packed school lunches Ollie exclaimed, "Mommy, I did it again!" I turned to see Ollie, lip stuck out, looking down at his sweater as porridge dripped down the front. I wiped it up and then he went right back to shoveling big bites into his mouth. He woke up famished. 

The blue sky called us outside and brought peace and calm to the rowdy little boys. The energy from the wrestling match they were entangled in earlier was put to good use as their legs carried them down the lane way and onto the gravel road. When we returned home I put the stroller away in the greenhouse and then we ventured up to the orchard to check our the apple trees. The boys spied the red and green apples and ran through the field. I resisted the urge to photograph them in the glaring mid-day light and made a mental note to come back again at sunset when the sky was painted and the lighting more agreeable. 

We had fried eggs on toast for lunch and then I rocked the baby to sleep. The rest of the afternoon flew by and before I knew it we were picking up the kids from school. Somehow they convinced me to pick up a dozen donuts. I smiled through the sibling rivalry and after school chaos and spontaneously pulled off at the river on the way home. We ate our donuts on the hill and then ventured down to the water to skip rocks. 

A few minutes in, Oliver told me he peed his pants. The rest of the kids weren't ready to go home yet, but I was feeling frazzled. When we arrived at the van I noticed a spare change of clothes that I had put in at the start of our potty training adventures. We did a quick change in the parking lot and everyone agreed that they would get along if we could go explore the stair case and trails. I let out a deep breath and smiled and they were so excited.

By the time we arrived back at the van I was feeling renewed and more at peace. It was so beautiful in the trees and so good to see the littles getting along.

While Daddy was away at meetings we decided on smoothies and snacks for dinner. As the kids were sipping their smoothies they began to argue again. I told them I was going outside for a few minutes and Finley begged to come along. I left Sawyer in his highchair and had Camilla feed him his dinner. Finley grabbed my hand and asked if we could run together. He giggled the entire way to the orchard and back again. 

We admired the sunflowers as the sun went down and then joined the others for bedtime.

A Rainbow Dozen

Today I finished the novel that I began yesterday. It's nice to get lost in the pages of a book every now and again. The littles giggled and looked at me like I was crazy when I skipped across the kitchen after reading a particularly good part. As the weather turns, the season of crochet blankets and slowly devouring novels begins. 

Between chapters I'm able to fold a load or two of laundry, and put some pumpkin muffins in to bake. While the timer ticks away I read a page or two at a time. The wind howled outside as we cozied up on the couch. 

I enjoyed doing some kindergarten with Fin today. We worked on how to hold a pencil and drew some numbers. 

The chickens are all laying now and we are getting beautiful rainbow dozens. Collecting eggs is like a treasure hunt!

While Ollie is pretty much fully potty trained, there is still the odd reminder that I need to make.

Sawyer is moving all over the place and pulling himself up on everything. 

By the time dinner rolls around I am usually exhausted! When I look at the dishes on my counter it's hard not to feel defeated. They are never ending. 

The beauty of motherhood is that we are able to keep going no matter how many sleepless nights might have passed or how many messes we've cleaned, or how many loads of laundry we've done. Mothers are able to show up each day and put one weary foot in front of the other until all of the jobs are done. The extra hugs and kisses definitely help!

At days end I find myself standing over a sink full of dishes while a cool breeze from the open window rustles the stray hairs that have slipped from my ponytail.

Rocking my Baby

My baby is almost ten months old and I still snuggle him to sleep. As soon as I sit in the rocking chair he cuddles in and surrenders to sleep. Some might say I've spoiled him, but in these quiet moments I can't help but feel that it's just right.

With earlier babies I let others dictate what was right, how often they should be waking, and when they should be sleeping through the night which resulted in feelings of failure when they didn't fit in with the ideal.

After six babies I'm a firm believer that mother knows best and that babies can't be spoiled if they are held too much! They grow so fast and these moments pass so quickly. If you need me, I'll be rocking my baby...