Silly Hats for Silly Boys

With all the excitement over the fireman hats, the boys have a sudden interest in all sorts of hats. They have found endless entertainment from wearing the different hats that they have found and pretending to be everything from farmers to baseball players to puppy dogs in hats, bears in hats, policemen in hats, train drivers, and many, many others. Joshua's favorite is a ridiculous looking circus hat. The funniest part is that he has no idea that...

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The Sweetest Things

It seems to me that some of the sweetest things in life are when little children are deliberately kind to one another. There have been so many little moments in the past few weeks that have just melted my heart.Joshua "reading" stories to his little brother, Jacob sharing his favorite toy and his beloved "nap" with Joseph. The boys telling each other "Good Morning" when they wake up, and hugging each other good-night before bed. These moments fill...

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A Neat and Tidy Pantry

In keeping with the theme of cleaning the kitchen, today I organized the pantry and cleaned out the refrigerator (my least favorite task:)-) But I do enjoy organizing! After straightening a few things the pantry looks less full, but I think that is because we have not been buying many pre-packaged foods. We are working through the last of the store bought items in the pantry and not going to be buying any more. Looks like I need to do some food preparations!...

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Kitchen Cleaning Challenge

A few lady friends and I have decided to really focus in on cleaning the house over the next couple of weeks. We are starting with our kitchens, which I think is a lovely idea. The kitchen seems to set the tone for the entire house. It is the room which is used most frequently throughout the day, and likely is the easiest to become messy.My Kitchen To-Do List:1. Take all decoratives off of the counters and thoroughly clean counter tops.2. Clean...

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Homesteading, Sewing, and Candle Light Dinners

It feels like we are in such a time of growing, and that life is just full of new discoveries right now! We have really started down the path towards simple living, and this path seems so full of hope and the peace that comes with trusting God. We have no false illusions that this is going to be easy, but we do know that by leaning on God and trusting in His providence, that great good will come. To document our journey towards a life of homesteading...

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Saturday Baking

Saturday was a busy day of baking and cooking. We made apple cheese pancakes, strawberry muffins, wheat crackers, whole wheat breakfast bars, chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting, and cinnamon raisin biscuits. Jacob particularly liked the cinnamon raisin biscuits! We ate them for breakfast Sunday morning. The crackers were a new recipe, I had not attempted to make crackers before. They turned out rather yummy, although next time I will...

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A New Apron

GRANDMA'S APRON"The principle use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath, but along with that, it served as a holder for removing hot pans from the oven; it was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears. From the chicken-coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven. When company came, those old...

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A Rainy Day

It is a dreary rainy day outside, but around here, we don't mind. We tend to like these rainy days. The boys enjoy watching the rain outside the window, and we find the constant sound of the rain rather pleasant. It does seem to be a bit of a sedative though, so not so good for getting things done. Perhaps we will find the energy somehow :).There's not too much on my to-do list today. I need to clean the "mouse" (guinea pigs) cage. I know it...

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My Brave Little Firemen

Ever since the accident the boys have been very fond of the fireman hats. They have worn them every day, pretending to be firemen and fire engines. Jacob is now "Firefighter Bob". We've even let him wear his hat at the table a few times (which is usually a big no-no). Pretending to be a fireman has it's benefits though. Firemen are good helpers, so all I need to do is remind Firefighter Bob of this and I have an immediate helper.Unfortunately the...

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Under the Weather and Brotherly Love

We are all a little under the weather today. Nothing serious, just feels like a little virus or something. I cannot complain too much because my little ones like to cuddle when they don't feel well, so I am enjoying the chance to just sit and hold them. I knew that Jacob wasn't feeling well when he has been asking to go back to bed. They still manage to find the energy to play, and to argue (a little) over the only fireman hat that isn't crushed....

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My Brave Little Firemen

Ever since the accident the boys have been very fond of the fireman hats. They have worn them every day, pretending to be firemen and fire engines. Jacob is now "Firefighter Bob". We've even let him wear his hat at the table a few times (which is usually a big no-no). Pretending to be a fireman has it's benefits though. Firemen are good helpers, so all I need to do is remind Firefighter Bob of this and I have an immediate helper. Unfortunately the...

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Trusting God

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." ~ Matthew 6:33This is one of my favorite Bible verses. I love knowing that God has things under control. If we struggle then it is because He has allowed this struggle, and when we prosper, it is because He has given this prosperity to us. All we need to do is focus on following Him, and everything else is up to Him. This is not easy to remember...

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Getting Back to "Normal"

This weekend I worked diligently on putting together a new menu using a few new frugal recipes and our family favorites. (I will add the new menu to my homemaking site as soon as I have time) I also cut pieces to make two more dresses. I was able to use a length of fabric that was given to me by a friend for one of the dresses. A free dress, how very neat! I hope to have some time this afternoon to do a little sewing. I have been busy cleaning out...

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