Wedding Cake Replicas?? Yep!

Thirteen years later, I've finally made the cake myself.  I've a few things to note about the process to remember for "next time".  

If you weren't there 13 years ago, here are some memories of the original.  Thanks to Rebecca and Katie for being meticulous with frosting!  Wow!  

* Have lots of time.  Have some dip-able yummies on hand to sample the fresh frosting. Don't take wax paper off cooled cakes.  Don't refrigerate the frosting overnight, unless you want to warm it a bit.  Expect snitchers.  

Day 5 of 4-Day School Week

We try to work on a 4-day school week around our house.  Some weeks it works and we stay focused.  This school year my goal is to have an park/nature day as our 5th day.  So, we'll get up and do some chores (maybe some math, because why mess with morning routines?), snack and Bible time, then we'll try to get out of the house and to a nature area.  State Parks, city parks, backyards, sledding hills, hiking trails....hopefully we'll meet up with friends...and draw/record something from nature.  So, today we started.  

Mn is just starting Kindergarten.  So, while I was mixing up some muffins this morning, he got out a white board and we had some number fun!  One through 5 are my main focus right now, but we've been reading lots of number books up to 10+.  He's recognizing the single digits and starting to write some!  Yeah!  

Today, was the start of a series of outdoor homeschool classes that our community offers for free!  Kayaking and canoeing.  I brought the kids to class and a friend met me for a walk around the nature area.  Beautiful day and the kids had a great time.  When my friend and I got to the pond to watch L was on the shore helping kids in and out of the boats.  After a bit, she did go in.  Mn was in the canoe with his teacher, literally rocking the boat!  He did sit and paddle as well (forward and backward - pretty steady canoe), but I decided that I may never ride in a canoe with him!!  He's learned some canoing shenanigans from Okee Dokee Brothers!!

It was about noon when they finished and we picnicked in the park "backyard" and drew in our nature journals.  Here's L finishing up her drawing and here's the flower she drew.

As the finale, we stopped at the library and grocery store.  Now, I'm waiting for my wedding cake replicas to bake while the kids are having some quiet time upstairs.  Apparently, Mn fell asleep on the recliner...oh, and I hear Kevin arriving home.  

Jehovah Jireh

When we tell people that our 7-month old foster baby, that we picked up from the hospital is heading home, the response is often, "Oh, that must be so hard."  I feel a bit "heart-less" when I think that it won't be.  This journey has been hard, the hardest in our fostering experiences, for many reasons.  I might share those reasons later, but for now, I'll tell you my response to their comment.

"God always provides for my heart."

He has in the past, He does today and He will in the future.  He uses timing, changing circumstances, peace that passes all human understanding...  I trust Him and His omniscience (his knowing of all things).  Also, I trust that He sees (El Roi), He defends (Jehovah-Maginnenu), He judges, He knows (omniscient)…  My God is a good, good Father.  He loves these kids and my kids better than anyone else ever could.  He is their Jehovah-Jireh (provider) and mine.

If you want to learn more about God's Names, there is a great book by that name to learn about them with kids:  God's Names by Sally Michael.

We Followed Through - Nature Journal

So, here our the first drawings of our nature journals!  Thanks for checking back.  ;)  

Also, can anyone identify this vine in our yard?  Closest we could figure was noxious weed or grape...Bumpa?  Any ideas?

Gearing Up

Well, we've seen it done and heard about it and read about people doing it...  Now, Hobby Lobby is telling me that we should "just get started".  Haha.  We'll see what comes of "nature journaling"...if anything, I'll post some pictures.

Park Day

Saturday we decided to head to a nature conservation area.  Like a previous time, with Grandma, it was already mid-afternoon and a 20 minute drive to this new-to-us area.  So, we packed up some good food, drove through Wendy's for a burger to supplement and headed out.  What we forgot was that the prairie is much windier than in town and so, we were all a bit wind-whipped when we were done.  Also, forgot the pacifier for Miss T and she didn't want to be carried faced in and so she cried through most of the trail.  Consequently, Mama walked faster and kids got tireder...well, lesson learned.  Bring ear-gear, snacks for all and try again later.  It was a beautiful place and Kevin found the spot he would have settled if he had been a pioneer.  ;)  Here are some pictures of some wildlife and some sister love!  Enjoy!

My Own Hair

After watching several youtube videos that all told me to do the exact same thing, I decided that I'd give it a try.  What could I lose?  Nothing, is what I figured.  I'd either: cut my own hair for free and save $15-$40 or have to go in to get it fixed.  Kj was around to capture it on "film".  She's practicing using her camera for her upcoming trip to see her cousin.  So, here it is:

Make a ponytail at the center of your forehead.  Make sure to smooth out your hair around your head.  Someone with not very many waves said to straighten it, but that was a bit much for me.

Then from your forehead, you pull your hair straight down to where you want your first layer to start.  Typically, I'm not much for layering, but I went with it this time.  I expect it is possible that I will have years of experimenting in this...and on multiple girl heads!

Then start cutting, slowly and carefully, as straight as you can.

Check your progress from different angles and snip a little more.  ;)

Take out that rubber band and do some smoothing and separating.  Then taking smaller portions you do some snipping to make the edges seem less abrupt.  I even used the thinning scissors as suggested by one lady.  This is my kind of project...not too precise.  

Concentration!

Ok, seriously, this computer and the formatting on here is really getting the best of me right now!  But I did want to show you the final product and the final figures on amount saved that day.  5 heads home-cut = approximately $100 savings!!!  Winning!!

My Newest Voracious Reader

Guess what I did on Valentine's day!!  I got to stay in bed all day and people came to bring me food and they took care of the kids and I just relaxed all day...  Haha.  Yeah, for the most part that was true.  I had a fever all night the night before and my ears hurt so bad that I was a bit tipsy in the morning.  So, yep, I stayed in bed and rested and slept most of the day.  At one point I told Mn to bring a couple books and I'd read to him, but then I was beat!  I did come downstairs for supper to this lovely site...  L reading!  Oh, she's been reading for a bit, but this last month or so it is voracious!!  Multiple books at a time.  "L put your book away, it's suppertime," was heard that evening.  ;)  It's been a struggle, but like Leo the Late Bloomer, she made it!!

Richard Scarry and Legos

...what a great combination!!  These 2 had a great time building their own fire trucks.  Long explanations were give as to what each part was, but I'm sorry, that was days ago and I can't remember it all.  Kj is holding in her hand the fire hydrant and the black hoses hook up to them.  Mn has a fancy ladder in his - the pole with all the yellow circles on it.

Finally, the fire station...

Any Day Now

I'm finding treasures while organizing.

I saw a stack of books that were my dad's, that we haven't shelved yet...yes, it's been a while...  Looking through one, I found a cropped photo copy of a hymn.  I don't have the same hymnal, so, I found it in what I did have.  I decided to trace the note that my dad wrote on the hymn into my hymnal for safe keeping.  (You never know when I might recycle random loose papers!)

Melody: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE4DJtd-ihE