home again, home again

we are back from our vacation and i have so many pictures to share with you! so many in fact, that i'm going to have to wait a little longer to get them all downloaded. but that is good- because i have something important to share with you.

our family has recently been reminded that over 750,000 children die every year from malaria, a preventable disease. that by the time you finish reading this post, one child has died. please take time to check out bite back- a non-profit that distributes mosquito nets to families in africa. for only $10 your family can send a life saving gift to a family in africa.

my armpits

(don't worry- this post isn't really about my armpits. if you know me, you probably have already heard me talk about my armpits at one time or another. that happens when you don't wear deodorant. your armpits become a fascinating topic of discussion...)

well, i'm officially up to my armpits in laundry and muffin batter. we leave oh so early tomorrow morning for our long awaited family vacation.

and i cannot wait!!!

our weekend

along with a little a welding, a little dirt turning, and a little rain barrel construction, we went to a little autumn festival.

with little horses! have i ever shared here my love of all things tiny? big horses are a bit formidable to me. but miniatures! oh my, i could have a whole herd of these in my backyard. there is plenty of room in the chicken run!

this annual festival is at st. clare's monastery and miniature horse farm. this was our first year to attend, and we had such a good time.

moonpie and this man were fast friends. he let her hang out by the fence while he was watering the horses in between rides. they chatted away about horses, her kitty, and more! when it was her turn to ride, they talked the whole way around the ring. he even went one extra round. i like to think that he just couldn't get enough of the delightful company!

the games were sweet and old fashioned. here's buddy rolling the pumpkin! (this is the point he wondered aloud if the nun was in her halloween costume...ahem.)

after each game the kids were awarded a ticket- whether they won or not! some games were not even manned. you tossed a bean bag, and then got your own ticket. and then, in the middle of the grounds were a couple of buckets filled with prizes. you exchanged your tickets, on your own, for a prize. there was no one there to check for honesty-

just an expectation, that everyone would do the right thing.

i loved that.

the final reveal!

the rain harvester is up and ready for rain!

we used a 58 gallon, food grade barrel. john drilled a hole in the side to add the water spigot that we will later attach a hose to. then he ran 20 feet of gutter along the house and used a 'flexi hose' that attaches straight to the barrel. the nice thing is that the gutters are easy to add to, if we ever decide we want more water. he built the stand allowing us to utilize our friend gravity. that enables us to have better water pressure.

one more thing- and this only makes it all the more exciting to me! the barrel and all the wood for the stand were FREE! we did have to purchase the elements for the spigot and all of the gutters.

i am so excited to see how much healthier our plants are going to be on a steady diet of rain water!

now- bring on the rain!!!

glorious day

beautiful moments

i love those first moments when you discover there is a rainbow in the sky. perfectly arched overhead. and you just stand there, transfixed by it's beauty and it's mystery. the fun part comes in trying to find all of it, but often times, part of it is hidden. maybe behind a big old barn, or a bill board. i think of this sometimes with my children. here i have before me these two beautiful rainbows. full of utter delight and mysterious possibility. sometimes, the beauty of who they are can get obstructed- maybe behind a cranky disposition, or a snide remark. but it is so important for me to remember, that they are still rainbows- full of beauty and light. and if i just walk around that 'big old barn' of a hard moment, i can see it all there- all of the glory that is wrapped up in their little selves.

photos taken by my extremely talented friend, lynsey.

sneak peek

a couple of weeks ago i posted on what is going on the backyard. but here's what's going in the front yard....

a little sneak peek until the final reveal! know what he's up to?

(see all those lovely raised beds john made for me!??! they are busy growing broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbages, lettuces, beets, turnips, radishes, brussels sprouts and carrots.)

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and in other news, buddy is practicing using his self-control. we'll be doing it through several different activities, but here he is with his dropper. he carefully had to move water from one bowl into the other, without making a spill. he loved this activity!