Snow Excited!

The littles are so excited about the fresh snow fall!! Finley was jumping up and down as he headed out the door to school today! I enjoyed a slow morning, watching the sun come up as we waved everyone off on the bus. My drive to and from town was dreamy. I love when the fresh white snow covers the bare branches and brown grass and makes things look fresh and wonderful again!

 

 

 

First Snow

This morning I looked out the window to see snow gently falling. It didn't take long for the leaves to be covered with a light blanket. Ollie kept looking out the window every five minutes and asking, "Is there enough snow to go sledding NOW, Mom?! I'm just so excited I can feel my tummy tickling!" We turned on the oven and whipped up a batch of ginger cookies for the occasion. When the kids got off the bus I could hear them screaming, "IT SNOWED!" as they ran up the lane way. I guess it's time to get out the snow gear...

 

 

Thanksgiving

We've had a full Thanksgiving weekend with a few of my siblings home. We've loved the cousin time and late nights. We enjoyed a big meal at my parents place when everyone was here and then I cooked a turkey, dressing (etc.) up today for those who stayed for the holiday Monday. I don't have many pictures to show for it, but it was wonderful to get together with family and enjoy a good meal. I made pumpkin pies for the first time in forever (thanks to my mamma for the crust) and they were so yummy! Hyrum said it's his favorite pie (which is something I didn't know) and he may have had like three pieces. Oh! And it's also important to note that Hyrum won this turkey at their school turkey trot. He was so stoked! 

 

Grateful

With freezing temperatures on their way, today became potato harvesting day! We had a few extra family members around to help dig and lots of littles to bend and pick up potatoes. The potatoes were a lot smaller this year and the hills weren't as full. We still feel blessed to have gotten what we did though!

Once the crates were full, we loaded them into the back of the truck to take to the root cellar. The littles were all super helpful and happy while we worked and stuck it out until the end!

Oliver has been begging to stop by the stairs every time we drive by on our way to town. We decided in the late afternoon to head out as a family for a walk. Unfortunately the weather wasn't very cooperative and it started getting really windy and spitting rain. 

 

By the time we finished, everyone was cold and ready to go home. But it was still so nice to get out on some trails and enjoy the smells and sights!

 

I am super grateful for this crew! When I think back on how crazy this year has been so far, they've shown such resilience and strength. I know it hasn't always been easy for them and there is things and events and people that they have missed so much. I appreciate their happy attitudes and willingness to persevere and help those in need along the way. 

 

Thanksgiving Crafts

 Today we had no school, but the littles were still up super early! I could hear the chatter of the little boys come up through the heat vents from downstairs. Soon Sawyer was begging to get out of his room and I heart someone tip-toe down the hall to rescue him. "Hi Joe!" said Sawyer in his little toddler voice. They whispered back down the hall to the playroom. It didn't take long for a fight to break out over some LEGO. Oliver was balling, Hyrum was upset. Once everyone was settled we made a batch of German pancakes and fresh warm syrup. As Sawyer peered through the oven door he pointed and babbled. "Yes, Pancakes!" I respond. "Pa...take!" he repeats. Everything smelled amazing and the kitchen was cozy. 

 

We spent part of the afternoon doing some Thanksgiving crafts. I had seen this cute idea on the internet for handprint turkeys and they all turned out so great! The kids had fun painting their fingers and each turkey looks unique! While each of them waited for a turn painting their fingers, they worked on their thankful trees. I love how the atmosphere changes as we all contemplate what it is we are thankful for. They came up with some good one's this year and it was so fun to read them all and see the differences and similarities. They are all growing up so fast!

A New Pet

We recently had a kitty show up on our door step. It has been hanging around for about a week, but only in the evenings. I've been begging the kids not to pet or feed it because it will never leave if we do. But the other night during a late night pressure canning session with my Mum, it kept Meowing on the back deck, and oh my heart! Mum and I put out a little bowl of milk for it and I've never seen a kitty drink so fast. I then set out a handful of dog food because that's all we had and she gobbled it right up. The poor thing was hungry. 

 

The kids were thrilled to see her the next morning and she's been loyal (as loyal as a cat can be) ever since. She is the friendliest stray kitty I've ever met and even lets Sawyer hold her tail while they walk around the yard together. 

So now we have a cat. She is a fabulous mouser though, so she's actually been very helpful! Camilla named her Paula, I still call her kitty. 

We enjoyed the sunshine for the rest of the day. We harvested a bunch of things from the garden and sawyer pretty much ate a whole container of freshly picked strawberries. 

 

He learned how to pick the green part off and then stuff them in his mouth. I love the amount of fresh fruits and veggies I can get into these guys!!

The rest of the afternoon was pretty chill. The littles really enjoy the new carpet in the playroom and love reading books and playing on the floor.

On Fire

This morning I woke with a desire to try something new! We still have a crisper full of peaches in the downstairs fridge that desperately need using, so I pulled a bunch up and snagged some homegrown onions and peppers. I followed a new recipe for fire roasted peach salsa and couldn't wait to taste the final product.

 

Part way through I ran to town and grabbed my girl for lunch. I also stopped to quickly grab some groceries. It was nice to be able to leave Sawyer in the care of Camilla so that I could grab a few things. 

When I came back she showed me these pictures. He was giggling so hard he was snorting and it made us both crack up. We swung by Daddy's office to drop something off and then I brought her back to school for the afternoon.

 

I spent the afternoon getting my salsa into jars. It turned out so pretty! I made just a small batch so that we could try it and see if we like it. If we do, it will be something I'll make again next year. 

The sky was on fire at days end. After a busy day it was nice to pause, reflect, and enjoy the view.

 

Baby Bonnet

 

We woke to the gentle sound of rain, which just made me want to sit and knit all morning. I finished a bonnet for baby girl and am so pleased with how it turned out!

 

Sunday Sunrise

This morning I got the chance to go for a quick walk before church. The sunrise was glorious and the quiet let me ponder. There are so many beautiful things in this world if we are looking for them! I've been thinking a lot about joy lately and where our joy truly comes from. 

 

 

A friend shared an acronym for JOY that I love.

 

Jesus

Others

You

Tonight when everyone left the dinner table I felt a lump growing in my throat. Often I find myself alone at the table, surrounded by half eaten plates and a crumb filled table cloth at days end. The littles are finally getting to the age where they are learning to clear their plates without asking and helping out a little bit more, but we still have the odd evenings where everyone clears out in a hurry. 

 

As I sat tonight I wondered to myself how it is possible to feel so alone and forgotten when I'm surrounded by so many people. When I finally finished my cold plate of food, I cleared the rest of the table and did another round of dishes while tears silently slipped down my cheeks. In these quiet moments when my family doesn't notice and my needs aren't being cared for, I offer a quiet prayer. It is often in these moments where I feel closest to Him. When no one else understands, He does. Often when I think of Motherhood, the acronym for joy comes to mind as I selflessly serve. Even though there are sometimes feeling of loneliness or defeat, the eternal joy that comes from fulfilling this divine calling is incomparable to anything else.

“The work of a mother is hard, too often unheralded work. Please know that it is worth it then, now, and forever.” ~Jeffery R. Holland

 

 

 

 

 

Full Swing

Harvesting is in full swing around here. I brought the pumpkins in yesterday and we have been cooking down tomatoes into sauce and whatever else we can. I wandered up to the top garden with Grampa and Sawyer this afternoon and they managed to find a handful of raspberries to snack on. The weather has been so weird this year and because the berries were late, they seem to be lasting just a little longer. 

I enjoyed watching the two of them search the patch together. Of course that loving grampa let Sawyer eat pretty much every berry they found. Sawyer gobbled them up as quick as they could pick them. Soon his cheeks started to stick out and he looked like a chipmunk. That boy sure loves his berries!

I've been cherishing my late night canning sessions with my mamma. After the tomato sauce has simmered all day on the stove, it is usually ready to jar just after the littles are tucked in for the night. I am almost brave enough to use the pressure canner myself. We've made around 24 quarts of tomato sauce already and the shelves downstairs are almost full. While we wait for the canner to do it's thing, we sit around the kitchen table in the quiet of the night. We talk in hushed voices while keeping an eye on the pressure gauges and set timers and such. Tonight while I finished the last piece of apple pie (ate it right out of the pie plate) my mom swept my floor and tidied the kitchen. "There. Now you're ready for tomorrow." I feel blessed to able to spend this time with her and to learn from her.