I N S I D E

It takes hands to build a house,
but only hearts can build a home.  ~Author Unknown

Good morning!  It’s been a happily busy one here at our place.  I got right up at 5:30 and read my Bible portion for today (from the one year Bible) got five children off to school, two baths have been given, animals are taken care of, two loads of laundry done, two loads of dishes in the dishwasher done, and the sink dishes were also scrubbed.  I also made my bed and got Seth bundled up so he could walk around in the snow for a few minutes.  Sarah played with her dollies.

There are still lots of things to do around here (more cleaning,  lots more loving on the little ones, reading books, coloring, playing) but I love to blog, so now I get to sit here at the table and write.  It will be a joyful part of my morning to do so.

I lost my camera last week and finally remembered that I left it in my husband’s car, so I brought it inside on Saturday morning and made up for lost time by snapping *lotsa* photos all weekend long.  It was fun.

Fresh flowers and candles are such a simple way to add color and warmth to a home.  I love to pick out bouquets at the grocery store or Costco as I shop for the necessities.  Soy candles are my favorites, as they burn so clean, but I also get Yankee candles quite often, at discount stores (like Marshalls or the outlet).

This bouquet is by our bed, and of course, all flowers look best in FIESTA vases, if at all possible.

One of my flowers lost it’s stem, so I floated it in a fiesta bowl and put it in the bathroom by the sink.

H O M E

Another thing I love about my home is being able to watch the birds through the window (I am watching them as I type this morning, too).

Chickadees are friendly, quick birds.  I’ve always thought they were cute.

I love weekends because we’re all home together.

I’ve started buying necessities online through amazon’s subscription program.  Things like toilet paper and laundry detergent, in bulk.

And, Hershey’s cocoa, which came in the mail on Saturday, much to the amusement of my family.

(it’s a “necessity” in this family!) 

One of my favorite penpals sent me some tea to enjoy, it was delicious!  Thanks, Hannah!

Now that I’m drinking so much tea, I have finally come appreciate saucers, which do such a great job at keeping the tea hot as it steeps.

A note to my penpals:  I owe several of you letters, so if you have not received a note back from me will you please message me your address again (Wilma? and, anyone else?)  Sadly, I have lost your addresses.  Thank you!

We love to spend time playing with our youngsters.

Here is Rich, hanging Caleb upside down. 

O U T S I D E

It snowed all day on Saturday, tiny and beautiful little flakes of snow. 

Caleb and Davy (and the other children, too) loved sledding down our hill~

We continue to enjoy our chickens.  They are a pleasure to watch and take care of.  This morning I went inside the coop just in time to get the first warm egg.  We gather 4-5 eggs a day now.

When the snow stopped Saturday afternoon, Rich shoveled the driveway.  He’s so handsome in his carhart jacket.  

We spent all morning (4 1/2 hours) on Sunday, at church.  We have recently started attending a new church (it’s been a few months now) and the experience has been such an amazing gift from God.  I really need to do a blog entry about it someday. 

After we got home, and the little ones were napping, I felt like I simply HAD to get outside to see the newly fallen snow.  I think that wintertime is much more beautiful here in the Northeast, with a good white layer of snow on everything.

This is wintergreen.  After I took the picture I picked one of the leaves and chewed on it for a while, yum!

I got under some pine branches and shock one to take a picture of the snow falling~

I think the temperature was around 27 degrees.  I was warm enough as I walked along. 

I love the way the snow sparkles in the sunshine.

I came out of the woods into the wide open field, always a glorious sight~

I couldn’t resist making fancy tracks. 

I was on the lookout for animal tracks.  I sure wish I knew who made these.  Some sort of small creature.  All four feet stayed in the same line.  How?

Who made these?  Is that a tail line coming out from the track?

I had to hang on to a branch and lean way over………..

……..to take this one:

Back in the field again, heading home.  My legs enjoyed the workout, wading through the soft fluffy snow.  (There were about 5 inches.)

Sending you love and joy and a reminder that you are special~

“Set our hearts with heavenly fire aglow,
that with hearts unite we love each other,
of one mind, in peace with every brother.”  ~Martin Luther

“Peace be both unto thee, and peace be to thine house,
and peace be unto all that thou hast.”  1 Samuel 25:6