Whoops

This tire swing has been hanging from our tree for 17 years - one of the best, ever play things!!  The rope to hang that old tire was one of the best investments we made.  That old tire has provided hour upon hour of fun for all the kids - regardless of age - I've even seen, in the not to distant past, my 21 year old hitch a ride on the old thing!!

And the amazing thing - we've NEVER had an injury...

Until last Friday night...

When Sam took a tumble and his wrist could just not handle the whole weight of his fall...

And now the poor guy's summer is now looking vastly different than what he was thinking it was going to be...  And to make things just a bit more complicated the wrist he broke was his right one - I guess his left handed little brother will have to teach him how to get things done!!!

The blessing for me in the stressful time of injury is that my parents were in town - meeting their newest grand baby - having them here really helped me to keep calm (I don't do very well when ER visits are part of the day!!).  Thank you Mom and Dad!!!  (I knew there had to be a way to sneak a picture of baby into this post!!!)

We still love our old tire swing and I'm very sure it will see lots more days of wild and crazy fun (Sam will probably be back on it himself in a day or two!!).  Although, the mama in me wants to remind them to hang on tight when when going for a ride!!!

Blessings,

Christine

Babymoon

We have been so enjoying our babymoon!!  Time has gone so fast and now sweet baby is two weeks old!!  Hubby is going back to work tomorrow.

 I feel like I'm recovering slowly and feeling a tad frustrated over it.  Headaches and sore hips warn me when I overdo.  Hubby reminds me that I'm not getting back to "normal" as our family has changed (again) and we are finding a new normal (again) - and we don't need to be in a hurry! 
 

I'm soooo sleepy, Mama!

He just loves his new baby sister!!!

A few minutes of snuggling before bedtime

So we're not - in a hurry - that is.  I want to savor every moment.  To sit in the summer sunshine (rare as it is here :0)!!) and watch the kids play and enjoy the tiny one in my arms!!  To wrap wee one in my Moby and pull weeds in my garden with her next to my heart.  To take walks with the kids looking for treasures and having adventures while feeling Naomi's tiny breath on my neck.  To listen to the rain on the roof (and I'm sure there will be plenty here!!) and smell bread baking while I nurse sweet babe and the kids play Lego's on the floor!!  These are my hopes for the summer - to spend time soaking in the time with my family - to not feel hurried or stressed but the remember to enjoy these long, sweet days and not to wish them away in my rush to "get back to normal"!!!

Happy First Day of Summer,
Blessings,
Christine

Changes

She's here!!!  Our newest addition has finally made her appearance and changed our family forever!!!  Naomi Martha arrived a week ago today.  I had planned on posting her picture right away but somehow snuggling and healing took over and I ended up being away from the computer far longer than I anticipated!!

She is a joy and a delight and we are incredibly blessed!!  I will write more about her arrival soon but for now my life is filled with warm puddles of curled up babies, two year olds who fall apart super easily, eager visitors and pure joy!!!

Blessings,
Christine

P.S. Did you notice I changed my blog name to Joy of 9?  I have been so excited to make that change!!! :0)

Maybe...Maybe Not

In an effort to distract myself from the world of Maybe?!!!! ...maybe not

(by that I mean - the constant - or almost constant contractions that make me wonder every day if It's Time for Baby)

I decided to make up a cake recipe.

 I used some leftover homemade yogurt, blueberries, and steusel topping (well there were other things too but these items were my inspiration).

And yes - those are little feet on my counter - probably not very clean either - and there were probably little fingers in the batter when my back was turned :0)

But I could not leave my baker's helper out of this cake baking party!!!

I layered blueberries and streusel in the middle of the cake...

Ans put more sweet streusel on the top...

Put it in the oven and waited to see what would happen...

 And ta-dum!!!

 I made up a cake recipe that was a success!!!  I was advised by the hungry hordes in my house that this recipe was a definite do-again!!!

Off to find some more distractions....and eat some cake with a cup of tea :0)!!!

Blessings,
Christine

Herb Garden

We are starting to get a few more days of sunshine and dry weather and I am finding I just have to go outside - the housework just has to wait!!!

I planted a new herb garden the other day and I am so excited!!  I can't wait until these little starts are big enough for us to run outside and pick a bunch to season my breads, soups and all kinds of yummy things!!!

I planted oregano, thyme, rosemary, parsley, chamomile, marjoram, chives and sage.  Mmmmm - all gonna be so good.

It's been lovely to see our shadows again after so long without having them around - for sure this shadow is going to be looking slimmer in the next couple of weeks :0)!!!

Blessings,
Christine

Spring is Springing!!

After a much colder and wetter than normal Spring things seem growing much slower than usual.  We've only had a very few days of sunshine.  I've found it hard to not complain.

This morning after waking up to clouds once again - after hearing a prediction for sunshine that didn't show, I decided to take a walk around the yard and try and find Spring.  And she was here - I just had to look!!

A little clump of violets - so sweet!!

English Daisies - hoping they will spread around my garden!!!

My faithful old Pie Cherry

a lone Welsh Poppy - another one I hope spreads around my garden!!!

I used to call them Bluebells - now I know they are Wood Hyacinths

I'm hoping for more sunshine but seeing a few cheerful blooms did lift my spirits and remind me that God's plans for the seasons continue - in spite of rain and chill!!!

Blessings,
Christine

After a Break

Well, after a much longer than intended break I'm back, I think :0)!!  With a pregnant mush brain and the chronic icky weather this last month here, I have to confess to simply having nothing to say!!!   Silly as it may be, that's really only reason for my blogging break. 

Life has been happening- birthdays, anniversaries, garden plans, children's activities have all gone on and I've enjoyed every bit - but - I just haven't felt inclined to write it down.  Maybe it's been the extra cold and rainy weather or the sweet babe growing within has sucked my brains dry - I don't know!!  But I am trying to be back and to record my days once again :0)!!!

I thought I ought to include a picture of myself (minus the tired face hahaha)

This is the main project I've been working on lately!!  It's getting quite close and the midwife says I've got to get ready NOW as she thinks the wee one will be arriving sooner than later.  So in a few short days I think it's off to the store to get those last few tiny necessities.  We're getting excited!!!

Blessings,

Christine

Baby News!!!!

So I had a baby on April Fool's Day!!!!!  A Sweet Baby Boy - 7 lbs and 8 oz. !!!

(okay - the birth was 19 years ago!!!  A good April Fool's trick don'tcha think?)

When I called my family to let them know Daniel Scott had arrived it took all my powers of persuasion to get anyone to come to the hospital to visit!!

Dan is such a Godly young man and we are sooo proud of him!! 

Dan and his brother talking with other youth on his missions trip to Hawaii

Happy Birthday Daniel!!!

Blessings,
Christine

Spring in the Hen House

My chickens are truly excited about the idea of Spring arriving.  While they do stay dry and warm in their lovely home my hubby built for them - we can't do much about the lack of sunshine around here in the winter.  They are thrilled about the lengthening days!!! 

My hens are doing a great job of eating up the weed seeds and bugs in my yet-to-be planted garden

 

 This young hen in particular is especially excited about Spring.  She has it in her head that she is going to hatch a few eggs!!  She isn't, as there is no Daddy around (roosters would be most unwelcome to my neighbors!)  But that fact does not stop her from her broody ways.  She has plucked all the feathers off her chest to make the eggs she is sitting on even warmer.

We have to kick her off the nesting box to get to our eggs and to make her eat and drink - silly girl.  I am contemplating getting a chick from the feed store and stuffing it under her wings so she has a baby to care for.

This never fails to give me a thrill - a wonderful source of healthy food for my family!!!

Mmmm mmmm good!!!

During the brief day of sunshine we had I got out and cleaned the food and water dispensers for my ladies - see, nice and clean - do you think they will appreciate it?!!  Next stop at the feed store will give them new straw to scratch in too!!  Spring in the Hen House is always good!!!

Blessings,
Christine

A Sunny Day

We had a sunny day this week - a truly sunny day with warm, yellow sunlight streaming in the windows beckoning me outside.  It was amazing!!!

So out I went with one of my big boys at my side to man the shovel (big belly syndrome, again :0)!!)  My blueberry bush has been lonely all winter so we got busy...

And dug a few holes....

And planted a couple of baby blueberry bushes...someday we will have an abundance of those luscious purple berries right out of our own yard!!!  I can't wait!!!

We also planted a rhubarb crown - oh such a yummy thing to grow - pies, cakes and sauces oh my!!!

What lovely things to do on the rare, sunny, spring day in my neck of the woods!!  Happy Spring!!

Blessings,

Christine 

Birthday!!!

We had a birthday!!  Young Miss Abbie turned eight!!

 She has officially has moved from the "littles" to the "mediums" in our home :0).

(Her cake was supposed to look like a slice of watermelon - my baking abilities were severely limited due to the lack of full sized oven so it turned out lopsided and not at all what my vision was - but the kiddies liked it so that's all that mattered hahaha).

Abbie is such a source of joy in our home - something I could see in her from the time she was born.  She surely fulfills her middle name of Joy!!  Happy Birthday sweet Miss Abbie - Mommy and Daddy love you so much!!!

Blessings,
Christine

New Friends

After several weeks of having a non-working oven and me nearly going crazy not being able to bake much for my family we finally found what we were looking for - a new-to-us oven in good working order!!!

 Yahoo!!!  I am able to bake again - and I sure have been enjoying my new friend in the kitchen!!!

Mmmm and the kids sure have been happy too!!!

 The first bread  made for my family in the new oven - yummy good!!!

 The other new friend is this lovely new-to-us refrigerator we found at a scratch and dent store.  And there certainly are some scratches and dents but it is so nice to have a fridge that fits what we need in it and to have our other old, far too small fridge in the garage to store extra milk and stuff!!!  What a delight!!  We've never had a fridge that makes ice and give us lovely filtered water - oh my - such fun!!!

My weekly menu posted for all to see

Isn't this just the cutest cup ever?!!!!  I found it for a dollar at the local grocery store and fell in love with it's pretty spring cheer.  Since I have had trouble drinking enough water and my puffing ankles are telling me to get going on the fluid intake I decided that this sweet cup would be mine - to cheer me on in the water drinking endeavor.  And it's working - along with the lovely cold water and ice from my new friend I am doing tons better getting that water down!!!  Yahoo for new kitchen friends!!  We are so blessed to have found both of them at very inexpensive prices - love shopping used!!!!  Happy Spring!!

Blessings,
Christine

Yay for Digging!!

After many, many, many days of dreary rain in which we more than doubled our rain average for the entire month of March we have a break!!!!!

In spite of the mud I just could not resist the lure of the dirt!!

 Out came my pitch fork and grubby shoes and into the garden I went.  Oh, how good the earth smelled!!  How wonderful the crumbly soil felt under my fingers!!  Bliss!!

I got most of my veggie garden turned over until big belly syndrome took over and I just could not do any more - then I made my big boys go out and finish for me while I tried to soak away the aches and pains of digging while pregnant :0)!!  But truly, all the achiness was worth it!!!

So now that the turning part is over we will add some compost and hopefully get some early spring veggies planted very soon!!  I can hardly wait - my mouth is watering for my own homegrown veggies!!!  Happy Spring!!!!

Blessings,
Christine

Mischief Maker

Sometimes even the littlest ones get into mischief!!!

A few minutes in the corner is just the ticket to remember why it's important to obey mommy!!!

I have to confess, I thought she looked stinkin' cute sitting there so seriously - thinking about her naughty behavior.  An "I'm sorry, Mommy" and a hug and she was back on her merry way!  Hopefully with a lesson learned (I kinda think not though - she is one busy, busy two year old!!!  She keeps me hoppin').

Blessings,

Christine

P.S.  Thank you all for your encouraging comments about being over 40 and pregnant!!  They all were soooo encouraging!!  I really felt uplifted when I read them all!!!