Sweet Country Life

To heck with my list!

2012-01-26T15:32:00.044-06:00

Did you hear me, boys?
Maybe I should say it louder.

TO HECK WITH MY LIST!
I am staging a mutiny.
I tell myself every day.
That I can do it all.
I can love you.
Guide you.
Protect you.
Teach you.
Treasure you.
And still accomplish the 7023 things on my to do list.
But the truth is.
I can not.

At least..... not very well.
I have done a fantastic job of stripping away the busy outside of our home.
But, what about the inside?
Is it possible, that I can be too busy here, in our home, in the midst of raising you?
I think it is.
In fact, I know it is.
Because I find the words......
"Just a minute.
Hang on.
Hold on a second.
Wait.
I'll be there soon.
I'm coming....."
Falling from my lips....
Oh so much lately.
And I just want you boys to know.
That you ARE more than an item on my list of "to do's".
And that while it's very important to manage our home.
Feed you right.
Try and serve others.
Teach you how to read and write.
And so on, and so on, and so on.....
What I really want you to know.

Really.
Really.
Really.
Is that I have been here before.
Watched your older sister and older brother disappear into the world of teenager's and grown ups.
And it happened at super sonic speed.
Faster than the speed of light or the speed of sound.
That..... before I knew it.
Little chubby fingers no longer twirled my hair or patted my cheeks.
Soft and squishy-wet kisses were replaced by a barely there hug.
Nobody was needed to linger at bed time.
Cuddle.
Read the same story for the 982nd time.
There would be no more tugs on the blanket in the middle of the night.
No more reaching for my hand.
No more begging for someone to be held or carried.
No more...."watch me, watch me, watch me, mama."
No more care free walks and hide and go seek.

And hot chocolate with extra marshmallows was replaced by mocha's and a wave, as they stepped out the door into the world of big boys and big girls.
So, here is what I am proposing to you, my beautiful, beautiful boys.
I will leave the dishes in the sink to "soak" longer.
I will ignore the dust bunnies.
I will shush the washing machine.
I will close my eyes when I walk by the bathrooms that need cleaned....again.

And pretend that I don't see the accumulation of dust, crumbs and fingerprints.

I will wait until later.

Later to work on that never ending list.
You know, the one that if I can just have a few more minutes...a little more time.
It may finally get done.

Because here's the thing.
All of that time.
To finish all of those things.
That always needs doing.

Takes away from you.

And really.

I have never, ever met someone who said.....
"I wish I would have spent more time on my list and way less time with my kids."
Or
"I am so glad that my house was so clean and beautiful, meals were perfection, others were served first, we were so busy, and that I never had enough time with my children."

Funny, isn't it?
Or maybe....just sad.

I want to watch you run.
I want to watch you skip a thousand rocks into the pond.
I want to watch your tiny hands and your big boy hands gather the "perfect" rocks for skipping.
Or....just for saving because you think they are cool, sparkly, pretty....
Especially....because those hands will transform into the hands of men, before my very eyes.
I want to kiss your freckled noses a million times.
And then a million more.
I want to look deeply, deeply into chocolate brown eyes and sparkling sweet smiles.
The kind that are given so freely and effortlessly.
I want to know you.

I take that back.
These are not things that I want.
These are things I need.
And even if I managed to somehow capture every single moment.

Every last one of them.
I fear.....
I would still want more.
More.
More.
More.
And that's what I am saying, boys.
You are worth more than a completed list.
A clean home.
A five course meal.
All of the "needs" out there.
A blog post.
The perfect curriculum.
And teaching it all to perfection just like so and so does.
Mama has been spending way too much time on other things.
Needless things.
Worrying things.
And lost track of time and priorities......
Just a bit.
But....
On our walk.
I was reminded.
Of you.

And our time.
And how every day I prayed for you.
Begged for you.
Desired you.
Needed you.
And how I would always, always, always......
Do my best to honor that gift.
Which is.....

You.

I love you.

I love you.

I love you.

Love, Mama.

Vintage Treasures~Urban Mining

2012-01-23T10:06:00.016-06:00

I love shopping second hand.
I love vintage treasures.
I love finding little gems that have an unknown history.
I try and imagine how they spent their life before entering mine.
And, I love reusing and recycling something old instead of buying something new.And a few weeks ago. After much begging by our daughter to come on the first weekend of the month. We road tripped it to the city and headed to her favorite vintage market.
She had been wanting to share this little sweet spot with me for a very long time.
And....
It was amazing and wonderful.
And.so.much.fun.
In fact....
I found these little treasures right away.

Vintage transferware.....in brown.....swoon.
Loved these at first sight!
The pattern is called "Bow Bells" and...if you have any that needs a home. Call me.

Another thing we love is.....
Vintage Pyrex.
I found this set of 3 nesting bowls.
In shades of brown and beige.
Yes, I know.
So simple.
There are so many fun colors out there.
And I, like, plain Jane.
What can I say?
I also found this small covered casserole dish with a fitted glass lid.
Loved the gold flower print!

I was in need of some great bowls and storage containers as I have moved away from plastics.
And the bowls and covered dish were exactly what I had in mind.

The covered dish has homemade chicken and noodles in it.
Should I have shown you that?
Are you hungry while you are reading.....

I even made the thick, egg style noodles from scratch.
Yes, yes I did.
Served over creamy mashed potatoes and with buttery sweet corn.

OK.

I'll stop now.

And this.....

Mercy.

A vintage homemade quilt.
Worn.
Very worn.
As in, all frayed around the edges and quilt squares that are coming apart.
See the black one?
I Love the simple muted colors and random squares.
I also love the blue and white checkered background.
I have been searching for a quilt this size.
It's perfect my little guy and his toddler bed.
Bigger than a crib sized quilt and smaller than a twin size.
It's the perfect weight and I am especially fond of using it, while sitting in the rocker, in their room, whilst reading a book.
This quilt alone was worth all of the time we spent looking for treasures.
It's perfect!
And finally....
Books.
I know, I know. I say it all of the time.
I LOVE books.
I cherish books.
I am addicted to books.
I found this book, in a reprint from 1980. Originally printed in 1952.
And, can I just tell you....if you want to see fine writing, engaging stories, great illustrations, good grammar, and a much more eloquent way of speaking. Pick up a reader from the 50's.
Oh.my.goodness.
We loved this story about a boy and a bear.

*And as a little FYI. If you have vintage books, printed before 1980, that your children routinely look at. They may contain lead in the color.
Just a note of caution.

And finally.
The postcard I picked up on my way out.
See where it says "New is over-rated!"? I love that. So true.

This place....was so cool.
So beautifully set up and exciting to explore.
There truly was something for everyone and in every price range you can imagine.

And the best part.....
Sharing this adventure with my daughter.

I love that we share a passion for vintage, frugal, thrifted and recycled treasures.
I love that we share a love of something "borrowed and blue" over something "new."

What about you?
What is your favorite second hand treasure?

XO
Kristin

Sharing this with:
Frugally Sustainable
Simple Lives Thursday

Sugar pie~Sugar pie

2012-01-21T21:52:00.002-06:00

So.....
You know how I wrote that post yesterday about how much this little man of mine wears me out?

Well....
I thought in all fairness, it was only right to share this sweet little clip with you all from a couple of weeks ago, while we were in the city, visiting our daughter.
We were at the the hotel pool and the boys were having me take turns making videos of them with my phone.

Love, love, love my phone!

Why?

Because it captures anything and everything.
Including this.
Which I had forgotten about.
Which melted my heart.

I lied yesterday.
This boy of mine.....

Pure sweetness.

Happy, happy weekend!

XO
XO

Hibernate:

2012-01-20T15:56:00.003-06:00

To pass the winter.

Which is what I would like to do.

Don't let the sweetness in this photo fool you.

This little bear cub is giving me quite the run for my money as of late.

He's 3.

Do you need to know more than that?

He has this mama bear.....warn out.

Good thing I love him more than honey.

But, phew, am I tired.

And so it begins.....

2012-01-16T09:31:00.003-06:00

The act of transparency.

I was talking to another mom the other day at our boys' basketball game.
And she mentioned how women, especially women at church, never really communicate with each other very well, how things are going with each other.
And that it's comforting and affirming to know when we share areas of struggle.

So I thought...If I am going to follow through with my word.
And commit to it for 2012.
Then I should tell you.
That after writing this post.
And using "grand" as a descriptive word for my marriage.

Days of miscommunication, frustration, exasperation and such would ensue.

Because such is the law of boasting.
Or, over confidence in any given area at any given time.

And while I do believe that I have a great marriage.
Bordering on grand.

In that....I have matured enough to accept my husband....and myself....as real people with real issues.

Sometimes marriage is just......

A lot.of.hard.work.

Not always fun nor easy.

Humble pie, anyone?

The Atmosphere Of Home

2012-01-12T15:18:00.005-06:00

"Ideas are held in that thought environment which surrounds the child as an atmosphere, in which he breathes in unconscious ideas of right living emanating from his parents. Every look of gentleness and tone of reverence, every word of kindness and act of help, passes into the thought-environment, the very atmosphere which the child breathes; he does not think of these things, may never think of them, but all his life long they excite that vague appetency [relationship] towards something out of which most of his actions spring."

Charlotte Mason
As shared by Karen Andreola in a "Charlotte Mason Companion."

*Emphasis, mine.*
Go ahead, read that again.
It takes a bit to settle in.

Then.....
Ask yourself the hard questions.

"What kind of atmosphere are we surrounding our children with?"

"What desires do we have for them?"

"What message of right living are we breathing into them, and how do we want to see that spring forth, in their future?"

Peace?
Contentment?
Faith?
Business?
Achievement?
Acquirement?
Love?
Grace?
Security?
Gentleness?
Quietness?
Competitiveness?

I'm sure y'all can name a few more.

Just a little something to ponder......

Love, Kristin

Where does one begin?

2012-01-11T13:52:00.008-06:00

You know how they say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach?

Well,
The way to mine.....is through one of these.

Oh, how I love books.
And do I mean L.O.V.E.

And, these are proving to be delectable little treasures for heart and home.

So delicious are they......
That I find myself sneaking off to the potty, under the guise of needing to "go", just so I can grab a few quiet moments here and there, to treasure up some soul food.

I have marked so many beautiful things already.
Maybe y'all can indulge me a little....and I'll share some golden nuggets with you!

And really, who am I kidding?
I started with "Warhorse".....and as you can see.
It's already off the pile.
I am a girl who loves, loves, loves horse stories.
And, if you or someone you know....loves a story about the timeless treasure of a horse and its bond with his master. You must read it. It's actually for younger readers anyways.

{cough}

But....I could not resist!
It was a classic.

XO
Kristin

p.s. To clarify, I did not buy all of these books!
Although....I may have eventually.
I love books that much!
I actually got these for gifts.
Christmas gifts.
Woo Hoo!

However.
I did buy "Warhorse"....in a moment of weakness, in lieu of spending a fortune at the theater, to see the movie, which I will wait to rent, and justified it as a book to be read aloud, for homeschool.
But, not yet.
As my sweet and tender hearted boy, needs to be a tad bit older to hear it.

There.
I feel so much better after that little confession. ;o)

Nurture~

2012-01-09T15:10:00.004-06:00

"Then our sons in their youth will be like well-nurtured plants, and our daughters will be like pillars carved to adorn a palace."
Psalm 144:12 NIV

We spent a beautiful and fast weekend with our girl in the city.
It was a much needed winter-wonder getaway.

We did all things city.
Eating.
Shopping.
Playing.
Vintage treasure hunting.

Swimming.....

Not to mention.....a list of tiny home projects that needed done by her daddy.
The girls rent a cute, but quirky, and old bungalow, in the heart of the city.

And as we drove home late last night, whilst little boys slept, we couldn't help but discuss the treasure that has become our daughter.

I'm sure.
Some of you must be thinking......
Wasn't she always a treasure?

Perhaps.
But mother-daughter relations are tricky.
Sometimes prickly.
Sometimes painful.
And always evolving.

And at this stage in my life..... and hers.
I can tell you what took me years and years to learn.

If I, would have quit trying to polish all of her rough edges, on my own, for oh so long.
We, would have had a much more pleasant time in the evolution of it all.

Needless to say.
The world is her oyster, and it is clear to her dad and I.
That she is becoming quite the pearl.

And because I mentioned in my last post about my "word" for the year.
It's only fair to tell you all.....
That I actually have TWO.
And I mentioned it, as well.

I am passionate about it.

Just as I am about this little boy at the top.
My other two boys.
My girl.
My husband.
My life.

And plan to use it accordingly.

There is not a day that goes by that this word does not apply.

Nurture~

Sharing With: Time-Warp Wife and {Titus 2}SDays.

What's in a word......

2012-01-06T09:03:00.006-06:00

Yesterday was one of those days.....
You know, so beautiful and unexpected.

It was 70 degrees!
I kid you not.
70 degrees in the Midwest on the 5th of January.

*I am so sorry for all of you readers back east. I know y'all are freezing your hiney's off, right now.

It was impossible to stay inside.
In fact.
This mama made a picnic for her boys.
We ate outside, we did some of our schoolwork.....outside.
We read about Daniel Boone, we read about warm air and how it rises. We read a story about an owl and the moon.....and how the moon appeared to follow the owl everywhere he went....much to the owl's frustration. We also spent much time learning the difference between "there" and "their." This at times, can be difficult to remember for a third grader. The English language is a tricky language.....

Today, it's not supposed to be quite as warm. But, we have a mild case of early spring fever, so we have cut up a big bowl of apples and carrots, to take on our nature walk and share with our favorite horsey friends. We also plan on scouting the pond, visiting the barn kitties, and looking for beauty and treasures in the midst of a January landscape.

And finally, are you wondering what all of this has to do with the title of my post?

Nothing.

I just wanted to share a regular day in the life, of my Sweet Country boys, and I.

You may be wondering about our oldest boy though. He is 17 and not much into picnics, nature walks or read alouds. :o) So he was busy reading a "Scarlet Letter", looking up biology definitions, discerning the different spheres of authority in our lives, learning about how to extract DNA strands, and starting a course on how to achieve financial freedom, in a world where many people, do not actually have any financial freedom. This should be a good one!

But.....

I digress.

As usual.

I have noticed many people who have shared a "word."
A word that they want to use as sort of a focus point for 2012.
And as I have read about their word's.
I wondered to myself about words.

Do I have a word?
Do I need a word?

What's in a word?

Can one word be that powerful?

Maybe.

And so I asked God if He had a word for me?
Thinking.....no. I doubt it.

I'm pretty much a wordy kind of girl, already.

But, as it turns out.
He did.
Or....He does.

The word that kept coming up to me in one form or another.

Which also became harder and harder to ignore was.

TRANSPARENCY

Hmmm.....

So, what exactly does transparency mean?
And how does it apply to me?

I mean....basically....I would say....transparent means, to see through. Right?

So after rolling it around a bit, and thinking it was an odd fit for me.
I grabbed the Webster Dictionary and looked up it's actual meaning.

And it said.

Transparency~ A picture made visible by a light behind it.

I sort of felt a little jolt upon reading that.

Which then made me think and ponder....

Am I supposed to make myself, the picture of my life, more visible to all of you, in the hopes that the light behind it, which is Him, may become more clearer?

Oh boy.

Aye.Aye.Aye.

That sounds very.....uncomfortable if you want to know the truth.

A little like walking naked down the street.

It feels like.....He is asking me to share more of my heart, my inner most feelings, desires, fears, examples and opinions.
Opening myself up and revealing His work in my life.

Aye.Aye.Aye.

Which feels less like naked, and more like vulnerable.

Now, there's a word!

A word in which I feel the least likely to want to be.

And it's taken me all week, a week of rolling that word around in my brain, to write this post today.

Because you know, if you say it out-loud, then you have to follow through with the whole "doing" of it....right?

But, then again. I typed it. I didn't actually say it out-loud, now did I?
Which means.
Maybe..... I can slide right on by.

Without a major commitment on my part to follow through.

Ha.

If only once you "knew" some things you could pretend you didn't.

We. shall. see.

We shall see, what exactly this means for me, and for you, and for this little old Sweet Country Life blog, in the year 2012.

Love & Joy in 2012

2012-01-02T14:46:00.015-06:00

It's that time of year right now, where everyone is looking ahead to a brand new year.
Some are making resolutions.
Some are setting goals.
Some are looking back.
And most are looking forward.
I know for me, I don't typically make any hard and fast resolutions.
I do tend to look back and use the changing of the year as a marker though.
I mark where I have been, and then where I want to go.
Because, realistically......I can't see my future if I don't examine my past.
We celebrated New Year's Eve, quietly, at home.
We lit our Advent candles and some other candles and turned the lights down low.
I know.....We were supposed to be done celebrating Advent.
But we hadn't quite finished during the appropriate time frame.
And really.....Should the meaning of Advent leave us just because Christmas is over?
We also keep our tree up until New Year's Day.
And I have to tell you.
Both of my youngest boys cried when it was time to take it down.
They loved the twinkling lights and soft glow, first thing in the morning.
And late into the evening.
And, as we put the little boys to bed, and spent the evening watching a movie with our oldest son.
I couldn't help but think......
Our Christmas cards this year were a perfect reflection of our family goals.
In fact. So fitting were they, that I have decided to make it our mission statement this year.

Love and Joy.

And as we were drifting off to sleep, after the clock struck 12. I asked my husband.....where does he want us to go in the new year, and how does he want it to look?

And he said, "more love and more joy."

"More time together.
Reaching deeper into the hearts of our children.
More prayer, more growing together, more understanding each other, more God."

And I had to agree.
And when I look at this past year.
I see some lessons learned that were so clearly defined, that it would be impossible to ignore any and all directions that we must go.
For one thing.
And this was life changing.
I have for a long time felt the presence of God in my life.

But, I would say that it was more of a peripheral feeling.
Just a strong and faithful knowing of Him.

I know. That sounds very......topical.
But this year, after some defining moments in my life.
He became more real to me than at any other time in my life.
Or, at least since I first became a Christian.
And it wasn't just one cataclysmic thing. It was more like a series of deeply intense messages and signs......that were meant to strike me, in my heart and in my soul.
In fact, so big was His refining of myself, that I can't even express it to you, today.
It surpasses anything I have ever known.
And it is so deep and so big that it almost hurts my heart.
Does that even make any sense?

So deep and abiding is His love for me, and my life that I CAN NOT even eloquently express it to you.

And I pray........Pray. Pray.Pray.Pray.

That this will be given to you as well.
This past year also provided such a deeper, kinder more passionate love for my children.

Is that even possible?

I'm not sure why this was so.
Maybe because I constantly hear the march of time, beating quietly in the background of my life.
Love and Joy are at the top of the list.
As is nurture.
How can I, nurture them, into the children....and adults that they are to become?
And I love this sign that my daughter is holding.
Can you read it?

"Small acts can transform the world."

Is there anything truer?

I want transformation as well as to give it.
This past year saw a marked change in the relationship with my husband as well.
And while I would say that we have a very good relationship......it is being transformed into....

Grand.

And I will give this credit directly to God.
It has not been on my own.
It has come through a requirement of changes on my part.
And his.
God has definitely been at work in building a new foundation with us.
And finally...... A lesson that I think came fully to fruition in 2011.
Which I am sure, actually began in 2010.

The release of expectations.

Which almost felt like a physical response.
So deflating was it, as it left.

I think for many years.....I carried with me the expectant feelings that......other people will share my heart, feelings, attitudes, reactions, desires, responsibilities, needs.....

And that we will unite as one over this.
Boy.....
Was I wrong in this area.

And boy....was I a slow learner.

And now.
I approach relationships completely differently.
I think this is still, to some degree, unfolding in me and so I can't quite define it for you.
I just know, that there has been a major shift in this area, which has I am sure, released me in some very intimate ways, as well as released others who are in my life.

Does that sound vague?
I hope not.
That is not my intention.
Hopefully it will become clearer in this new year, and I will write of it again.
I think that I can say with all honesty......
This was a year that has stretched me more emotionally and spiritually than any other year thus far.

And I am excited to enter 2012 with a profound sense of love and joy.

The kind that comes from inside.
The kind that comes from Him.
The kind that says.....I want more and will seek it.
Which is my wish for you, too.
I pray you all love and joy in this new year.
I pray that you will continue to stop by, leave your comments and e-mails, feel a kindred spirit, find a little of yourself here.

But mostly.
That you will find Him.

I appreciate each and everyone of you.
Many of you are my friends, some of you are my family, and a few of you are strangers just passing by.

And I love each of you, even if I don't know you by name, or know your story, but He does.

And He is with you.
As am I.

Happy New Year, all of my Sweet Country Sugar Pies!
You each make my life beautiful.

XO
XO
XO

Favorite Christmas Memories~2011

2011-12-30T17:05:00.014-06:00

Life moves right on past us so quickly, doesn't it?
It seems like we just put up our tree, and that we had weeks to get ready.
And then....
Whoosh
Here it is.
And there....... it goes.
And over the last few days I have been thinking.
What were some of my favorite things about this Christmas?
And thought that I would put them down....before I forget.

This year, we had a bit of snow right before Christmas.
And if you are like me. There is just something so beautiful about waking up to a gloriously clear morning, when the world is hushed, and the sun is just coming over the tops of a frozen winter wonderland.
We loved having a real tree again this year.
And one of our favorite evening rituals was turning off all of the lights except for the twinkles on the garland and the tree, scooping up big bowls of ice cream, and sitting by the roaring fire.
So quiet.
And so beautifully peaceful.
We celebrate our Christmas on Christmas Eve.
We attended a candlelight service at our church.
And this year, my entire family was with me.
Two rows of us.....all singing, praying, worshiping and thanking.
Together.
Then we head back to the Country House.
We have lots of yummy snacks and appetizers.
Make the littlest people wait....
And wait a little longer.
Then we open presents.

This year we cut back on gift giving in favor of simplicity.
Next year.
I think we will cut even deeper.

We also had an unexpected guest.
When our daughter, (on the right) called on her way home from the city. She asked if it would be OK, to include her best friend and room mate, in our family celebration.
I, of course said yes!

So we scrambled to find some fun stuff to wrap up for her as well.
I didn't want her to feel the least bit uncomfortable while we had our gifting time.

As luck would have it.....
I have a few things on hand for times such as these.
But, I also had homemade goodies to give her as well.

She arrived in the afternoon, bringing her famous sugar cookies in the shape of giant snow flakes.
She had a cookie for each of us the size of a dinner plate.
With each one decorated completely different.
Because as you know.....no two are ever alike.

They were beautiful and delicious!

She also came toting her special bag of "tricks."

You see, she is enrolled in a culinary arts program in the city.

And considering I had been sick.
Was running extremely far behind in my hosting duties.
I turned the kitchen over to these two extremely capable girls.
They did a fantastic job.
I was so proud of them.

I have watched these girls growing into these young adult women.
I have watched them transition into city girls.
I have watched them grow up together.
And.....
They made me so proud this Christmas.
They are such good, good girls. And they were just so.....
Perfect.

In fact, city best-friend, hugged me when she left.
Which if you know her.
It was a huge gesture.
The biggest.
And told our daughter that this was one of the best Christmases that she had ever had.

Made me a little teary to hear that.
I'm not gonna lie.
Truly.
Then on Christmas day. We take it easy, easy, easy.
And the day after......
Clearance shopping at Target!
Oh, yes.
LOVE IT!
Where this sweet bird pillow kept chirping and chirping at me from across the store. I couldn't stand it! I had to have him. Ran back at the last minute and swiped him, much to my girlies chagrin.

The only problem was....we had agreed ahead of time that we were not going to be indulgent.
Just necessities.

I promised.....he was necessary to my well being.

And.....

He was half price.

That counts for something.
Right?

Then I promised I would get rid of a big bunch of stuff when I got home.
Crafting.....
Another favorite memory.

Yummy hot drinks while comparing all of the different bible translations at our local book store.
It's a good day for a mama, when she can discuss Bibles with her knowledgeable daughter, whilst sipping peppermint mocha's.

Very good indeed.

Followed by fabric shopping and ruffled market tote making.
And.
Lotion bars.
Homemade.
Late into the evening....
And smelling delish.

Snowflakes again.
I think I am detecting a theme.
And finally.
Sweet Baby E.
My sister's daughter.
Finally, after all of these long months of waiting to see her.
We did.
The last time I saw baby girl, was in the NICU in L.A., last February.
And she is absolutely precious.

The only problem was.
I had been sick.
Too sick.
Way too sick to hold her much, or compromise her health if I could help it.
So, I kept my distance until the end of the visit.
Then on the last day.
I snapped some of these shots.
Of the country mice and the city mouse.
And then did this.
Grabbed up baby girl, leaned back against the foot rest, rocked, swayed, snuggled and cuddled her tiny little self.

She is a keeper, for sure.

And to round out all of my Sweet Country memories.

Moments that I want to sear into my heart.

*A sweet boy of mine, who was ever so much more excited to give, than receive. Spending days coming up with homemade gifts for everyone he loves. It was so important to him, to find or make the perfect gift.

*A grown daughter and almost grown son, camped out on my bedroom floor, telling old stories, laughing until we about peed our pants, wrapping presents with me, late, on the night before Christmas.

*Hot tea and movies with my daughter.

*Having my whole family, everybody I love at church with me, on Christmas Eve. I know I mentioned it already. But....It's a big deal to me.

*Going down to our daughter's room and seeing all of her stuff spread out, seeing her snuggled into her favorite chair, with her laptop. Like time had stood still.

Caught my breath, and the lump rose in my throat, on that one.

I miss my baby girl every.single.day.

*Catching my husband's eye....and knowing. Just knowing that this is our gift to each other.
Our children. How did the two of us, all of those long years ago, end up here, in this place and this time with 4 of the best....that we could have ever hoped for?

It's all because of....

God

God has given us....me....so much.
I never, ever, want to forget that as long as I live.

XO

Before & After

2011-12-29T17:09:00.003-06:00

Leading up to Christmas can be very exciting and exhilarating for some.

I find it to be a little rushed and exhaustive for my Sweet Country disposition.

And try as I might.

I have not been able to wrestle the perfectly relaxed holiday, that I envision in my mind.

And in my heart.

Oh yes, I have made great improvements here and there.

But on the whole, this mama has more room for improvement, to be sure.

So if you were to ask me.....

"Am I a before kind of girl or after?"

I would most assuredly say......

"After"

After Christmas is by far my favorite time.

After all has calmed and quieted.
After all has settled.
After all has been finished.

That is my favorite.

Absolutely.

The week after Christmas.......
We really, really take a break.
We don't clean.
We don't take down the tree.
We don't get out of our P.J.s until near lunch.
We nap.

A lot.

We cuddle, snuggle, giggle, and rock a lot.
We watch movies.
We detox from sugar overload.
We eat yummy, healthy soul food.
We take all of the time in the world being with each other.
We don't worry about a thing.

We let every.single.thing. slide.

And.....my husband writes me notes about why he loves me so, "after" all of these years.

This is our 23d Christmas together after all.
I can hardly believe it's so.
Because sometimes I still feel like I am 23.

Oh yes.

After.
After.
After.

Happily Ever After.

XO

Quieting Down......

2011-12-28T12:44:00.004-06:00

Things are really quieting down around the Country House.

Merry~Merry

2011-12-25T08:40:00.001-06:00

From our Sweet Country Home....to yours!
XO

Five Little Snowmen Ornaments

2011-12-23T13:30:00.006-06:00

Hey all of you girlies....
It's almost time for Christmas!
Are you ready?
I am working on it.
Getting ready to sort and wrap gifts, and make a menu plan for the weekend.
But~
I had one last little bit of craftiness to share with you.
Just in case you need a little something-something for a gift.
Or....
Something just for you!
Have you seen this before?
If not.
Too cute!
All you need is a big round ornament.
White craft paint.
Sharpies.
A paintbrush and a q-tip.

And, of course some sweet little fingers!

Take your child's clean hand.
Paint on the craft paint.
Cover the the whole palm and fingers. And use enough to really make it stick.
Gently wrap your child's hand around the ornament ball.
Try not to let it slip and slide.....
Easier said than done!
And then gently pull away.

Let dry completely.
Decorate the little snowmen with sharpies or other permanent, fine pointed markers.

And add snowflakes by dipping your q-tip in the white paint and adding little dots all over.

Then write the date on the bottom.
Type and print this little poem.....

"These are not just five snowmen,
As anyone can see.
I made them with my little hand,
Which is a part of me.
So when I'm grown and older,
You'll look back and recall,
The Christmas of 2011.....
When my hand was just so small!"

I love you
(put your child's name here)

Isn't that so sweet?
I have been doing this with my little boys each year.....and they love to compare their hand prints from years gone by!
And it melts the heart of this mama to see their sweet little prints each year.

You can even do this after Christmas if you don't have time right now.
Especially if it's for your own little keepsake.

Love, love, love ya!

Sweet Country Gifting~Ornaments

2011-12-22T08:43:00.006-06:00

Good Morning, Sugar Pies.
How are y'all doing this morning?

I am doing a little better.
Lingering congestion in my chest, still tired, and a slight headache to boot....
But, you know what they say.

"The show must go on".....

And, so it shall.

I have been slowly plugging away at my lengthy list of "to do's".
And have decided that what I get done is what I get done.

Last night, my sister, her husband, and darling baby arrived.

(I will check with my sister and see if I can share her baby sweetness with y'all)

We all had supper at the main house.
And then, we came back home for early baths, and early bedtimes.
The little boys were asleep by 8:30.
And I was in bed, after a long soak with my Spiced Oatmeal Milk Bath, at 9:30.

So nice.....

Did any of you try it yet?
If so, what did you think?
Sure smells yummy and makes for some soft skin....in my humble opinion.

This morning.....
I am detecting some congestion in my littlest guy.
Which means.....Elderberry shots all around.

Which also means.
No holding of the baby.

Which is so hard for me.
As most of you know.....I am a baby lover.
And she looks quite lovely.

OK~
Moving on to last minute git ideas.
Do you need a little something fun, easy and inexpensive?
Then this is a great project.

We made these for our family and a few others.

Personalized Snow Globe Ornaments~
It's very simple.

All you need is a box of clear glass ornaments.
Your favorite scrapbook letter stickers.
And pretend snow.
These little, itty-bitty, foam balls are perfect for this.
We found ours in the Christmas craft section at Hobby Lobby.
You could also use glitter as well.

Then a fun ribbon, fabric or jute for hanging.

And it works like this.

#1 Place the stickers.
#2 Fill the ornament a 1/3 of the way full with your "snow".
#3 Add your fabric tie, ribbon or jute.
#4 Wrap and give.

Or hang on your tree!

But.....

A note of caution.
Those little foamy beads.....
Are a mess.
Make sure to fill your ornaments over a container.
Or you will have foamies everywhere!
Also, you may or may not want to do this without the "help" of a "me do too", three year old.

Just sayin'......

Wasn't that easy?
The possibilities are endless.
The time to create, super fast.
The cuteness factor.....
A 10.

And....everything you need is 1/2 price at Hobby Lobby.
Woo-Hoo!

XO

p.s. Thank you all for your sweet comments, concern, and recommendations, for quick healing.
You are the best bloggy readers!
For sure.

p.p.s It's snowing again.
Love it!

p.p.p.s I have one more sweet ornament idea for you. It's perfect for a gift to grandparents or anyone else who loves your little people. I will try and post it a little later today.
And if you want to grab some larger sized, non breakable, Christmas ball ornaments, and a bottle of white craft paint....you'll have just what we need for the next craft. K?

As luck would have it.....

2011-12-20T15:07:00.005-06:00

This mama is sick.

Too much stress......
plus
Too little sleep......
plus
Poor nutrition......
plus
Too much caffeine and sugar to combat.....
The lack of good sleep.
Coupled with the need to get 4003790 things done.
equals
One sick mama.
This mama is dead in the water.
Or.....
Swimming in quick sand.
I have pulled out all of my cachet, of big guns.
I am at war with my body.

Low grade fever~Check.
Sore throat~Check.
Cough and congestion~Check.
Super sonic headache~Check.
Earache~Check.
Exhausted body~Check.Check.Check.

Christmas cards were ordered on the 6th.
Finally arrived late Saturday.
Have a major printing error....continue to sit in the box, on the counter.
Not a present has been wrapped.
A bathroom cleaned.
A floor swept.
A menu planned.....

Oh.my.goodness.

Did I mention, that I am the hostess for our family Christmas gathering?

And that my sister, her husband, and baby are arriving first?
Which is tomorrow.
And that, my sweet little niece is not in a position to combat my illness?
Goodness.
Because who knows who will go down next at my house.....
If you are a mama of many, then you know of which I speak.
Then my Dad arrives on Thursday.

And our city girl on Friday.

Seriously.
I need a rally cry.
Or maybe just a good cry.

Letting go.....

2011-12-19T12:09:00.002-06:00

Letting my lengthy list go for a bit.

While we......

Lego craft.
Linger over a hot cuppa.
Look out the window and wait for the snow to start.
Leisurely living room, picnic.
Longing for someone to labor through my lengthy list for me......
Loving my boys lavishly.

Sweet Country Gifting~Spiced Oatmeal Milk Bath

2011-12-16T15:22:00.008-06:00

I am sure.
That y'all have been on pins and needles waiting for me to finally post this, huh?
I know. I know.
With all of your free time......
Well here we go, sugar pies!
Spiced Oatmeal Milk Bath.
Perfect as a pampering gift for someone near and dear to your heart.
Or.
Perfect for a little Sweet Country Love, that you can give yourself, tonight at bath time.
Which....... let me see a show of hands.
Who reading, loves a good long bubble bath?

Me
Me
Me

And even though this won't bubble.
It will nourish your heart, skin and soul.
Ready?

Spiced Oatmeal Milk Bath

4 cups of powdered milk
2 cups of baking soda
2 cups of finely ground oatmeal
4 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 tsp of nutmeg
1/2 tsp of cardamom

Mix all of these ingredients together in a food processor or blender.
Which is what I used. Since I don't have a food processor.
You are looking for a very fine soft powder.
Spoon into the container of your choice.
I used half pint jars.
Add your embellishment of choice.

Sigh over your pretty, nourishing package.

And give!

Wasn't that easy?

I know! I love gifts like this!

Some of the other gifts that I will be giving this year.
Pancake mixes with Apple Cider Syrup.
Wild Rice and Mushroom soup mixes.
Super Spicy Jalapeno Jam
Fiesta Rice mixes.
Turkey Noodle Soup mix.
Split Pea Soup mix.
French Bread and Homemade Jam.
Along with the Peach Butter, here.
And the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola, here.

And anything else that grabs my fancy at the last minute.

Counting down at the Country House......
XO

p.s. Up next.
Easy~Peasy Monogrammed Ornaments.

Holiday Home Tour~Unedited.......

2011-12-15T09:30:00.023-06:00

As I have had time.
Which has been very little, lately.
I have wandered past a blog or five that has offered up their home on a virtual holiday tour.
And I have been so impressed by some of the decorating that goes on.
Some of you people out there, have a real eye for design.

OK....a lot of you.
I have seen some really gorgeous houses!

But, I have a theory about beauty and design.

Beauty and design are all relative to the eye of the beholder, right?
Right!

Which means....that my idea of beauty and your idea of beauty......may be two completely different things.

And so.
I thought it would be fun to give y'all a little looksie into our home and how it currently looks, right now, all ready for the holidays.

But.
And this is big.
I did not change a thing for these photos.
What you see is what would greet you right now. At this very moment. If you were to knock on my door.

Welcome to our home.
The unedited version!
We have a wood burning fire place.
We love it.
We use it every day.
It makes a huge mess.
And my 3 year old can not stay out of the ashes to save his life.

He loves dumping, scooping, loading, hauling......

And with the ground either frozen or muddy at the Country House.
Then he has settled in deep, on the hearth, of our fire place.
It's a mess.
Truly.
But if you read my post yesterday. Then you know we were baking for a cookie exchange last night. And that I had to make a decision.
Ashes everywhere.
Or......
Frosting everywhere.

I chose ashes.

Which he is currently vacuuming up at this very moment.
And just to be sure.
These ashes were a couple of days old.
So they were cooled off.
Completely.
Sheesh.
What kind of mom lets her child play in hot ashes?
Not me!

Of course the better question begs to be asked.....
What kind of mother actually allows a child to play in any ashes?

I'll tell you.
The bad, bad, bad kind!

Or....the one who compromises to survive a situation with one little tornado of a boy.
Here is a look at our mantle.
A little bling.
Some twinkle lights.
And pine cones.
Grapevine.
I would die without grapevine.
For sure.

Got this big old wreath at a garage sale for 50 cents.
Using some faded and torn strips of this red ticked material.
I tied up a cute little fabric wreath.

A couple of years ago we painted these wooden snowflakes and added lots of sparkle.We don't have any tree farms in our area any more.
And all we have is cedar on our property.
Which we did try to use one year, but was too stickery.
So we have to buy a real tree at Lowe's.
And this year.
We waited too long.
And had a very limited selection to choose from.

OK~
They had one Frasier Fir left.
That was it.
It was 19 degrees out.
We said....
"Looks good".....and headed home.
It is a little.....unshapely in certain areas.
But with only one left. And the temperatures freezing. We didn't ponder it's shape much.
And because I decorate based on what I love.
You are just as likely to find sticks and stones as you are to find......fringe and fluffy frou-frou.
Which I am sure breaks some design code somewhere out there.
You are also very likely to find baskets of laundry waiting patiently on my bed.
Lots of laundry.
And yes, we have a pretty little tree in our room.
I love the sparkle at night.

And if you are one of those girls who always is behind on laundry.
This is for you, sister.
WE.ARE.IN.THIS.TOGETHER.
See the vacuum?
See the ashes?
See all of the toys?

This is a daily occurrence at our house.
Well....not the ashes. Because the fire is usually going.
But the trucks....yes.
The vacuum yes.
The messy floors, hauling firewood in all day.
Yes.
But.....here is the deal.
It's comfy and cozy for us.
Cushy chairs, with handmade quilts, and lots of pillows to grab and throw, (I live with boys, remember?) .
Christmas stories on the ready.And fluffy throws that just beg you to come sit a spell, in front of the fire, or to finish schoolwork.
Are all a thing of beauty on our home.
It may not be perfect.
It may break the rules of design.
But, it works for us.
And we love it.

That concludes our unedited holiday home tour.
Hope you all are almost ready.
Because Christmas is almost here!
XO
Kristin

p.s.
The sun is finally out. So I will be posting that recipe for nourishing your body later on, now that I have good photo light.
Watch for it!

Sharing with~
My Simple Country Living

The secret to life.....

2011-12-14T11:40:00.021-06:00

Or.
Should I say the secret to MY life?

Either way.

I have found the secret to life.

And the secret to life is......
Boys.
Boys who bake.
Boys who bake at home, with their mama.
Boys who love all things mixer, butter, sugar.....

(An insider secret......capturing it all through the lens of my camera)

We are attending a cookie exchange tonight.
And making Jamie's recipe for Almond Butter Sugar cookies.
Which you can find here.
We are also making these.....
At the request of my daughter.
And then saving some for her.
She used to do the cookie exchange too.

But, now she is a big girl. Living in the city. Going to school. And being a nanny for two boys. Who have been sick all week. Wearing her out. Just like if she were a real mama. And still studying for finals. But...wishing she were here.

Her brothers kept asking for her. So in the spirit of sisterly love. We will make something for her.
Another secret to life is......
Teaching my boys to measure.
And sample.
And sample some more.
The secret to life is.....
Boys with brown hair.
Freckles.
And sparkling brown eyes.
A big secret is.....
Butter.
Lots and lots of butter.
Butter makes the world go round.

And most likely increases the size of my back side.
Another secret to life is......
Boys balancing on one stool.
In comfy clothes, on a Wednesday, at home with their mama.
Rolling out cookie dough.
Lots of cookie dough.
Blond haired boys with mischievous smiles, and sparkling brown eyes are another secret to life.
So is a good cup of coffee.
Even if it tears up my stomach.
I'm a glutton for punishment, I guess.

And holiday music.
And a sink full of dirty dishes.
Which can only mean one thing.

A family lives here.
A family eats here.
A family loves here.

Every.single.day.
I love this secret to life.

A three year old, desperately trying to roll a round cookie dough ball.

Priceless.
A dining room table covered in books.
Which we are finding harder and harder to crack open this week.
Who wants to study.
With so much excitement in the air?

And.....
Who wants to teach with so much to do?

Not them.
And....not me!
New puzzles await.
And for one puzzle loving boy.
This sealed up box is almost more than he can stand.
And finally.

Boys.

Did I mention that the secret to life was/is.....boys?

Boys with gobs of cookie dough smushed in their mouth.

Blond haired boys, with cookie dough breath and sticky hands, brown eyes and a melt my heart smile.

That truly is the secret to life.

My life.

What about you?

What's your secret?

XO
Kristin

p.s.
I know, I know, I know......
I am supposed to share the recipe for a yummy and nourishing kitchen gift, for the body.

I will.
Soon.
Very soon.
I promise.

You'll love it and have everything you need to make something delish.
And it's perfect for last minute giving.
Which is what it will come down to whilst waiting on....yours truly.

Merrier......

2011-12-13T16:35:00.004-06:00

It really is beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....

Sweet Country Gifting~Butters

2011-12-12T08:19:00.007-06:00

The time is really flying by as I count down to Christmas.
I know that for us, in our home. There are so many fun and yummy things that we would like to do each day. And I am trying to pace ourselves.
OK~
Me.
I am trying to pace me!

So, if you are still looking for simple, wholesome gifts to give, from the heart of your home.

Which in our home is the kitchen....

Then maybe a spiced sweet butter is just what you need.
I love to make these.

Some of our favorites.....
Peach
Pumpkin
Apple
And pear.

The aroma in your home will be heavenly and cozy.
The wrap and adornment is simple, country and organically inspired.

The happiness that comes from sharing.
And the love of giving.
Partner up easily and perfectly.

And.....
The opportunity to be at home creating, instead of out and about with children in tow, hustling and bustling though crowded stores.....

Makes kitchen gifting the best idea for me!

Plus, my boys can share in the process of creating and giving.

I use this recipe for Peach Butter or Apple Butter.
I also make these in my crock pot as it creates a nice long simmer, resulting in a dark and rich butter.

Sweet Country Life~Butters

Take 4 qts. of peeled and chopped apples or peaches.
2 cups of sugar, sucanat, honey or brown sugar.
3 tsp. of cinnamon
1/2 tsp of ground cloves
A pinch of nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp. of homemade vanilla
1/2 tsp of salt

Combine all ingredients into your slow cooker.
Cover and cook on high for a few hours, stirring well, every 30 minutes to get the fruit nice and covered with all of that sweet goodness.
Reduce heat and cook until butter becomes dark and smooth.
You may have to use a potato masher on the apples to break up all of the chunks.
But a whisk will work great for the peaches.

The peaches will be done in less time than the apples as they are a softer fruit.

I have also used frozen peaches and apples for this recipe.
Thaw first and drain excess liquid, then proceed with the other directions for the recipe.

I usually simmer this recipe for around 10 hours.
But, you will need to keep an eye on yours.
Yours may take less time, or more, depending on the fruit and whether it was fresh or frozen.

The longer you cook the butter, the deeper the color and the thicker the sauce will become.

Taste periodically to taste level of sweetness and to decide if you need more spices.
The beauty in this recipe is that you make it your way!

Freeze or pour into half pint jars and seal.

So easy.
So beautiful.
So delicious!

Then simply send one of your boys.....or girls. On a mission to find little bits of branches and boughs to tie on with jute and paper tags.

My boys LOVE that job!

See. Another example of uncomplicated giving whilst enjoying the comforts of home!

Up next:
A little something yummy to nourish the body.

Merry Christmas!

p.s. Make sure to check out the recipe for Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola here.
It's pictured above in the little bags.

XO

Sharing with:
Frugally Sustainable

Sweet Country Gifting~Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola

2011-12-09T14:56:00.013-06:00

Yesterday I told you I would share a yummy Peanut butter Chocolate Chip Granola recipe.
Remember?
I knew you would.
One thing that I am striving for this Christmas....
Is beautiful, delicious, and simple gifts for my friends and family.
And a whole grain granola, mixed with milk, and tastes like a cookie.
Definitely fits that bill.
As does a simple homemade card.
Pretty jars of Peach Butter work, too.
But that's for tomorrow.
I like to keep you hanging like that!
After making this recipe, which I'll share with you in a minute.
I tied the bags up with a simple jute string, brown paper tags, and a cinnamon ornament that we made last year.
Which you can find here.

I like to keep clear bags to use for every season of gift giving.
Keeps things simple.
I also like keeping simple card stock with matching envelopes and neutral scrap book paper.
That way I can put a card together rather quickly.
In this case.....A Christmas Dove.

This year, I also wanted to make gifts that nourish.
Nourish the heart.
Nourish the soul.
Nourish the tummy......

You get the idea.
I know for me.
I would love a simple gift like this!

And what I love about this granola recipe is that, you most likely will have everything you need in your kitchen.

Are you ready?

Let's bake~

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola

Melt together:
6 Tbsp of butter
3 Tbsp of coconut oil
3/4 c of crunchy peanut butter
3/4 c of brown sugar
1/4 to 1/2 c of raw honey
1 tsp of vanilla

Pour over:
4 to 5 cups of rolled oats.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
Make sure to stir every 15 minutes while baking.

* If you would like softer, chewier granola. Then start checking the texture of the oats after 30 minutes.

* If you would like crunchier oats. Then you may need to bake longer than 45 minutes.

Let your granola cool COMPLETELY.

After it has cooled, mix in your mini chocolate chips. You can use as much chocolate or as little as you would like.

Store in a glass container with a lid.
Or bag it up for gift giving like I did.

This is wonderful on yogurt and ice cream.
OR......
It's delicious as a cereal with a big splash of cold, raw milk.

It's like having milk and cookies for breakfast....without the guilt!

Christmas gift giving should not be expensive nor difficult, right?

Tomorrow.....
We will make those pretty little jars of Peach Butter.
See you then!

XO
Kristin

Sharing with:
At The Picket Fence
Dandelion House
The Barn Hop
Frugally Sustainable

Fresh Cut Greens~Outdoor Spaces

2011-12-08T14:52:00.014-06:00

When we lived in a nice little subdivision.
I used to feel an overwhelming sense to decorate to the nines.
Probably because I knew that people would "see" our home.
And I wanted to make sure it "looked" good.
Really good.
But now that we live in the country.
And our home is set way back in the trees.
Nobody "sees" our house very often.

Unless.

You count the UPS man.

He has been making regular visits lately.

But.....

I'm pretty sure that he could care less about my outside decor.
So it comes down to me.
And what I want to see.
And I am finding that at the Country House.
Less is more.
In fact. I have decided that I have way.too.much.stuff in regards to oodles of Christmas decor.
And I want it gone.
Too much stuff makes me cranky.
I just want some natural.sweet.country style.frugal.decor.
Have I mentioned that I have decided to not buy any more "stuff" and to only use what I currently have? Or that, fresh cut greenery is my favorite thing to use for winter decor?

Well....
It is!
And, that the reason I took pictures and shared it with you is to say.......
You can do this too!
Don't be overwhelmed by fancy store displays, beautiful magazines, or.....your favorite blog.
In fact.
If you easily feel swayed to spend, change, buy-buy-buy and otherwise go crazy to match someone else.
Stay away from.....
The stores.
Throw away the magazines.
And get off of the computer.

I know.

BIG.BIG.BIG. words.
Says she, the blogger.
But the truth is.
You don't need the pressure.
You don't need a design degree.
And you don't even need any money.
Really.
You just need a little creative inclination.....
And If you don't have that.
Then just do what I say.
Capeesh?
You have a few options when it comes to finding greenery.
You can call me.
You can take a walk in the woods.
You can get some for free from your local home improvement store.
Our store, will give you all of the cast off branches from the trees that are sold, cut and wrapped.
The next step is to locate any containers that you like.
In my case, I used an old watering can and basket. I also like to use enamelware.
Anything that you own, love and find charming works!
Cut a bunch of random boughs.
And poke them in.
Then for textural elements.
Add twigs, berries and pine cones.
Burlap bows never hurt, either.
That's it!
Doesn't that sound easy-peasy?

The pictures here are of our back deck.

We have a very open kitchen, dining and family room.
And as such, I can see our deck from every angle while I am in this area of our home.
Therefore, I want to see a little winter inspired decor.
And notice. It is not Christmas inspired.
The reason being.....
This will stay like this past Christmas, and all the way through the cold winter months.
Then I will change it all to reflect Spring.

And finally.
I love using old quilts as table cloths.
I didn't spend more than $1.00 for either quilt that you see.
The Wooden chairs are from my Dad, the green chairs were a roadside find by our daughter, and the table was recycled from the barn.

It's not about expensive, matching perfection.
It's about natural beauty, love and Sweet Country Style.
Very simple.

XO
Kristin

p.s. I love, love, love being on the outside of my home looking in. The soft glow of lamps, the smell of wood smoke. Seeing my boys at the table.

Priceless.

Next up.....
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola.
Perfect for giving.

Love ya!

Sharing With:
Frugally Sustainable

Favorite things.....#4....Finally

2011-12-07T18:10:00.008-06:00

I know. I could go on with these posts forever.....
I mean.
Who couldn't think of a million favorite things?

Here are a few more.

Christmas candles and fresh cut greens.
Sweet little pictures of my favorite niece.
Handmade soap from one of my favorite girlies.
Handmade hats by another favorite girlie.
I love those two. Go check out their shops!
A surprise gift in the mail from a Sweet Country reader.

~Thanks Deb~
Thrifted quilts as table cloths.
Little gifts of "Joy" wrapped in sheet music.
Burlap bows.....
Berries and twigs.
Rusty old water cans.

Being pinned on Pinterest by a new friend, who had some seriously sweet things to say about me. I'm so happy to know that I have been a source of affirmation!

~Thanks Jamie~

These are all just a few more of my favorite things.

And now that I have totally posted 4 times in one day.
I'm done.
Maybe until after Christmas.

Just kidding.
Sheesh.
I'm a talker.
Of course I'm sure you never noticed.

So..... I'll see you tomorrow~

XO
XO
XO

Favorite things.....#3

2011-12-07T15:41:00.005-06:00

Oh...I am rolling now!
This is fun.
This is post 3 of 3.

Today.

Did you read the other ones here and here?

Seriously.

Go read them.

It's so fun to see what makes other girls tick.
Or is that just me?
Maybe I'm weird like that.....

Talk about changing gears.
Another one of my favorite things.
Calling it a day.

As in....
No school today.
As in....
Mama is going to take the day off, and clean and decorate.
As in....
My boys got an unexpected and yet much appreciated free day.
And.....
Supper is in the Crock Pot.
Italian Chicken and Potatoes if you must know.
You did want to know, right?
And the fire is crackling.
And my baby is napping.
And our tree is up as of last night.
And....here is a big one.
My oldest, you know the 17 year old, the one who did not particularly like school much.
Asked me to still give him his assignments for the day.
How sweet is that?
I'm pretty sure he is liking school now.
What do you think?
I still insisted he take the day off with the rest of us.
He obliged.
And man....
Or should I say....
And lady.....
This was exactly the right way to spend my day.

I love homeschooling.
And freedom to choose our day.
Or change it as I see fit.

I think I'm getting spoiled.

XO

p.s. Don't freak out if you see another post before the day is over.

Favorite things.....#2

2011-12-07T12:50:00.005-06:00

Ha! Two posts in one day.
Did you miss the first one?
You better go back.

Because today....is all about FAVORITE THINGS!

And here is number 2 of 2.

Another one of my favorite things......
Bedtime prayers with baby boys and big boys, by the colored lights of one tiny little tree, in their room.

Oh yea.....

Does it get better than that?

Go ahead. Add your favorites, too.
XO

Favorite things.....

2011-12-07T07:38:00.003-06:00

Suede boots in Mocha.
Sweater tights.
Denim.

It takes very little to make me happy.

How about you?

Tell me a favorite thing.

Home~Sweet~Home

2011-12-04T14:37:00.007-06:00

Our daughter is home.
And.....I wish I could say that she brought this little sugar pie home with her.
Isn't she darling?
So, so sweet.
Maybe some day.

But for now she is back in the United States.
Having had a grand adventure.
Falling in love all over again.
Loving the culture.
And most especially loving those babies.
We spent the last 24 hours looking at pictures, eating comfort food, and sharing all of the highs and lows of a fast and furious trip, in a land far, far away.

And.....
She is going to do a little something special for me.
And for you.

She is going to write up a special guest post just for you.
As soon as the jet lag has cleared.
And she has settled back into her regular life.

I think you all will love to hear about her trip and her thoughts......
In her own words.

Watch for it.

In the mean time~

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill can not be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

Matthew 5:14-16

Fitting of those beautiful lamps and our beautiful girl.
She is finding her way and letting her own light shine.

XO
Kristin

Little Moments~Big Love

2011-12-01T14:34:00.004-06:00

If someone would have said to me 9 years ago.

As I sat propped in a hospital bed, recovering from my third C-section, just one short hour after the birth of our third baby, and second son.....

That some day the older brother, who proudly held the baby brother, while the glowing with love older sister looked on.....

I would be sitting at a thrifted table, now, on a blustery day, with a now 3 year old boy napping, and these two boys doing school work, together, with me as their teacher, and the big sister getting ready to board a plane in Taiwan, after pouring out her heart the last couple of days on orphans.

I would have never, ever, ever imagined such things.

And, if someone would have said to me that whilst doing Biology and American Lit, along with readings of Robert Lewis Stevenson by my middle son, my oldest son would get up, head to the kitchen and then surprise me with a coffee creation of his choosing.
Which means....
Light on coffee.
Heavy on cream and sugar.

Or....that my darling daughter would text me a picture in the middle of the night, which was the middle of her day, with a tiny newborn baby girl, asleep on her chest, in an orphanage on the other side of the world. And e-mails filled with love and gratitude.

I would have never, ever, ever imagined such things.

And, If someone would have said to me that whilst sipping said coffee creation, that I would then jump up and blog it to you all, just so I could share such big-big love in the littlest moments of my life.

I would have never, ever, ever imagined such things.

Funny where life takes us......

My cup is so full at this very, very moment.
Literally.
And otherwise.

"Now Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."
Hebrews 11:1

November Passing.....

2011-11-30T15:46:00.017-06:00

I'm a season girl.
Did you know that?
I could never live where there were not any distinct season changes.
And of all of the seasons.....
Fall is my favorite.
Truly.
I love that in October and November.
We could just as easily get an 80 degree day as we could....
Have a snow storm.

I love the stacks of firewood that start showing up on my front porch.
Courtesy of living in a house full of men.
Big and strong men.
And snugly-cute little men.
And, we all love us a real burning fire.
I love golden mums.
Boys in barn boots.
And pumpkins and gourds.
I also love late afternoons and early evening hours.
Spent on the front porch in my favorite chair.
Sipping a hot drink.
And reading a good book.
Courtesy of my mama.
A soft throw never hurts, either.
I love that no matter where I look, we are surrounded by nature.
And I am one nature lovin' girl.
I love having extra room for a guest or two.
But...mostly.
These rocking chairs are loved and used most, by Gracie.
Who's Gracie?
This is Gracie.
Some of you have met her before.
She is our "queen of the castle."
We love her dearly..... and she loves us, too.
We also have to make sure we have a sweet little soft spot, for Lucky, the Compound Lab.
Who comes back every morning after her breakfast at the main house, plops down on the green cushion and spends the day.

And now, with this being the last day of November.
And the Christmas season calling.

It's time to say goodbye for now, to my sweet November.

We have yet to get a tree.
We had a real one last year.
And have decided that we really, really loved it.
So this, we will do again.

I have yet to pull out a single Christmas decoration at all......

Did I just hear a collective gasp?

I know.
For some this would be late.
For some it may be too early.
For me.
It will happen when it happens.
Maybe tomorrow....
Maybe next week.

Maybe not at all.

Just kidding.

I feel the eagerness stirring.
I just wanted to finish with November first.

Sweet November....
Until next year.

XO
Kristin

Tiny.Tender.Taiwanese.Treasures.

2011-11-29T09:43:00.005-06:00

Look what I found waiting for me this morning.
Isn't she precious?
There were many more.
I begged my girl to bring one home.
She said she would do her best.

I could totally see this sweet little bundle, all wrapped in pink, under my tree!
The faces of these babies....
Melt my heart.

I fear though.
That we may loose our girl to another country.
Another culture.
Half way around the world.

Permanently.

How our girl loves the Taiwanese people.

She is soaking up every single moment while there.
And I am sure, as with the other times.
She is anxious to come home.
And heart sick to leave.

Such is the life of a girl divided between two loves.....

Sweet Country Advent

2011-11-27T15:56:00.019-06:00

This year....
During this season.
When it's easy to loose track of yourself.
Your schedule.
Your time.
Your regular life.
And most especially.....
It's very easy to loose your focus in regard to the reason for this season.
I have been searching.
Thinking.
And praying for ways to make it more meaningful to, and for, my family.

And me.
So, when I saw how Julia had created a beautiful, and yet simple advent arrangement for her family.
I was inspired.
And did a little research about Advent.
What it means.
How it works....
I mean.
I knew what Advent was.

But....
I was looking for a way to see it and use it in a more tangible, literal, peaceful and beautiful way.
So that it was a part of our every day.
And also, so that leading up to Christmas, we would really, really wrap ourselves around this most special of holidays.
And I think I have found a beautiful way for our family to celebrate each evening.
As we gather around the table.
And we give thanks.
We will light a new candle, each Sunday, until Christmas Eve.
When we light the main candle.
The Christ candle.
Which is what my white bowl, with the white beans is waiting to be filled with.
A big white pillar, symbolizing Christ in his sinless state. And us being washed of our sins because of Him.
And to make it easier for my little guys to understand. I liked Julia's idea of using numbers for each of her candles.
And I wrote on the back of each tag, what each candle will represent when we light it.
I know.....
These are not technically the colors used in Advent.
But that's OK.
I am pretty sure that the most important part of this ritual is the representation.
And....being.
The practical kind of mama that I am.
And loving a certain kind or organic style.
My Advent was made mostly with things I had on hand, and from my pantry and our woods.

Which in it's simplest and sweetest form says....
Sweet Country love and thanksgiving for all that we have been given.

Thanks Julia, so much~

XO
Kristin

Sharing with:
Homestead Revival
Frugal Days
At The Picket Fence
Funky Junk Interiors
The Corson Cottage
Shabby Art Boutique

Eden~

2011-11-25T07:56:00.002-06:00

"Eden is that old-fashioned house...

We dwell in every day

Without suspecting

Our abode.

Until we drive away....."

By Emily Dickinson

Delightfully borrowed from "Lessons at Blackberry Inn."

Pumpkins~Papercrafts~And Pies.....

2011-11-23T11:04:00.009-06:00

Oh my!

Today is beautiful outside.
And it's technically....the last day to celebrate with pumpkins at the Country House.
Which means.....
After tomorrow.
The pumpkins will be stored to bake, and puree, on a freezing cold day in January.

You knew you could do that right?
Take all of the pumpkins that you have been decorating your home with over the last several weeks, and store them in the the garage, basement, or cellar.
Then when it's cold some yucky, snowy afternoon. You will bake them up and puree all of that orange squishy goodness to freeze.
And then use in any recipe that tickles your fancy and calls for pumpkin.

I'm telling you....
You will love it!
And....
With Thanksgiving tomorrow.
Me and my little Pilgrim Partners, have been busy in the kitchen, baking up a storm.
Pumpkin Pie
Country Cream Apple pie.
And last, but not least....PECAN PIE!!!!
The smells in this house right now.

DELICIOUS!
And, if you need a little something else to keep your little Indians and Pilgrims busy while you bake, or for entertainment tomorrow.
We loved this craft!
I found it here. And knew that my boys would love this.
I never can tell what they like more....
Cutting.
Or pasting.
But....considering one little renegade that I know, has cut his hair more than once, now. I believe it's the cutting that is the most enticing.
We made these Fall Tree's out of old magazines and construction paper.
And I am pretty sure most of you have the supplies at your house for this easy, frugal, and busy body little craft.
Please ignore the lighting.
It was dark when I took these photos.

And please ignore the smudges on my refrigerator.
The housekeeper took the week off, to celebrate Thanksgiving with her family.
HA!

Y'all know that I'm and she....and she is me.....

The housekeeper that is.

Right?
Right.

Well, all of my little sugar pies and pumpkin pies.....
That's it from The Sweet Country Kitchen of messy pie baking.

I hope you all have a lovely, lovely Thanksgiving.
And for the love of all things women should share....
Please join me, in gaining an 5 extra pounds tomorrow, after I eat a piece of each one of my pies.
XO
Kristin

HAPPY THANKSGIVING~

Let's talk Turkey.....

2011-11-22T09:47:00.011-06:00

Paper Turkey's that is.

And real life, sweet little turkey boys.
I love crafts.
I love for my boys to be crafty.
I love crafts that use your imagination.
I love crafts that are inexpensive.
Or....
Free.
And when I saw this idea, here.
I knew.
We would run with it.
Nature.
Paper.
Scissors.
Glue.
What's not to love, I ask you?
So....
This week.
We are taking the week off of school.
We have been working hard.

We needed a break.

Especially the teacher.

She REALLY needed a break.

Wait....

That would be me, the mama.

I was ready for a break from the books.
So each day we have worked on something different.
In our jammies.
With a yummy hot drink.
And yummy hot eats.

If you missed yesterday's post you better go back.
And.... who can resist Turkey?
Especially when designed by my favorite little turkey's of all.
So cute!

So easy!

So fun!

Send those kids out for some leaves!
Better yet....
Head out for a walk with your kids.
You need it and so do they.

XO
Kristin

Streusel Pumpkin Sweet Rolls

2011-11-21T09:24:00.009-06:00

Who's ready for Thanksgiving?
Well....
If not. You will be after I share this dreamy little recipe!

This is for all of my pumpkin loving girlie friends.

Me....

If you say pumpkin goodness....

I'm on it!
I found this recipe in the Fall Baking, Taste of Home, soft cover cook book.
At Lowe's.
Go figure.

Because it's only natural at a home improvement store to make the jump to.....
Streusel Pumpkin Sweet Rolls, right?
Right.
This recipe is perfect for this time of year.
Especially considering pumpkin is everywhere.
And....if you have company coming to share Thanksgiving, then this makes 2 dozen sweet rolls.
I even made my dough the night before, stuck it in the fridge, and then rolled it out the next morning, made the rolls and let it rise the second time, and baked them up fresh for the Sweet Country family.
We don't have company coming, so I just froze the extras.
So what do you think?
Do you want to make them, too?

I thought so.
That's how us pumpkin loving girls, roll.

Streusel Pumpkin Sweet Rolls

Ingredients~

Dough
1 package or 2 1/2 tsps of active dry yeast
1 1/4 cups of warm milk (110 to 115 degrees)
1 cup solid pack pumpkin
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 of a cup of melted butter
1 tsp of sea salt
4 3/4 to 5 3/4 cups of all purpose

Streusel Topping
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 of ground allspice
3/4 cup of cold butter, cubed

Glaze
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
1 to 2 tablespoons of milk

Directions~

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add the pumpkin, sugar, butter, salt and 4 3/4 cups of flour. Mix until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough 9dough will be sticky).

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes. Place into a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, or about an hour.

Punch dough down and divide in half. Roll each portion into a 12-in. x 10-in. rectangle.
Combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and allspice; cut in butter until crumbly. Set aside 1 cup.

Sprinkle remaining streusel over dough to within 1/2 in. of edges; press down lightly. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seams to seal.

Cut into 12 slices. Place cut side down in two greased 9x13 baking pans. Sprinkle with reserved streusel mix, cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Bake at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden. Meanwhile, combing the glaze ingredients , and drizzle over slightly warm rolls, not hot.
Serve and enjoy!

XO
Kristin

p.s. Thank you for all of your sweet comments regarding my daughter and her trip to Taiwan!
You all are so wonderfully sweet like that. I got a text this morning at 6:20 am letting me know she was on the ground.

Thanking God.

Have a beautiful Monday~

Sharing this recipe with:
Homestead Revival
At The Picket Fence
The Grant Life

p.s. If you all are looking for any last minute, and inexpensive crafts for kids....
Then look at these Paper Turkey's.
And these Fall Tree's.
So easy and so much fun.....

Our Daughter~

2011-11-20T15:25:00.004-06:00

Our daughter.....
In the next 20 minutes, our daughter, will be boarding a plane at LAX.
She and two dear friends, friends who were with her the last time she was in Taiwan, are heading back.

This will be her third trip to Taiwan.

She is so excited.
She came home yesterday, to eat with us, wish her dad a happy birthday, see her brothers three, and of course me, her favorite mama in the whole world.

We spent the evening preparing and packing her up.
And I, being the mama that I am.
Made sure I had a goodie bag of fresh fruit, dried fruit, almond milk, homemade whole wheat chocolate chip cookies, gum, and a variety of tea bags and stevia to travel with her.
Not to mention a little immune system defense.

Plane air.....
Blech.

Her daddy got up and took her to the airport at 4:00 a.m.

But, not before I hugged her tight.
Kissed her head.
Tucked a sweet little note in her carry on.
To find...... an unexpected message of love and encouragement from home.

And to remind her of her mothers love.

Which is like that of a lioness.

And with that.
They drove away into the dark night.
To catch the first leg of her flight.

And as the tail lights faded, down our long and winding drive.
And the world outside was frozen.

I watched through the window.
And images of a sweet little brown eyed girl....danced through my head.

And with a mamas heart.
And a mamas love.

I did the only thing I could do.
I gave her to God.
With eyes closed tight and hands clasped at my heart.
I lifted her up to the only One, who loves her more than I.
The only One, who can travel her life path with her, truly.
The One I have to trust to protect her so far from home.

The One she loves.
The One she trusts.
The One she is working very hard to follow.

And with that, our daughter will spend the next 2 weeks a world away.

And this is what came to my mind.

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

Guess it doesn't get much simpler than that, right.

Trust.
Hope.
Love.
And a beautiful future.

What else could a mama ask for?

One thing......
Just a little something.

Would you say a little prayer for her too?

Thank you.
So much.
Happy Sunday.
XO
Kristin

Tree Hugging~Orchard Growing~Berry Patching

2011-11-17T09:53:00.012-06:00

A couple of days ago, I told you all about our seed collecting endeavors.
And today we're talking trees.
Lots of beautiful and colorful trees!

A friend of ours has a tree business. And we recently got to pick out a few to plant at the Country House.
I love trees!
And while we have tons and tons around the edge of our property.
We have none up around our house..... until now.
We picked a couple of varieties of Maples.
For three reasons.
Shade.
Color.
And fast growing.

We also picked Clump River Birch.
For....
Shade.
Fast growing.
And architectural appeal.

This will also hopefully lower our utility costs in the blazing hot summer.

And finally.....
Flowering Crab Apples and Flowering Pears.
Mainly for their beauty and seasonal colorings.

Think~

Soft and profuse pink, purple and white blossoms in the spring.
Fragrant scents wafting on the breeze..
And beautiful bold and bronze-ish shades of leaves in the fall.

Big Happy Sigh~
Then we added in a Colorado Blue Spruce and a couple of smaller ornamental types.

(Love seeing my men at work)

Did you know that late fall is the best time for planting trees?

It's less taxing on their root system.

We also planted Lilacs and Redbuds.

So exciting for this nature loving girl!

We love to watch and feed our little fine feathered friends.
And, I can't wait for a jar of fresh cut, Lilac blossoms to sit sweetly by my sink.

And if that were not enough.
I have had a burning desire to grow our own mini orchard and berry patch.

Since before we even moved into the country.

So this fall, we added, two varieties of apple trees and a peach tree to the back of our garden.
And started a berry patch of sorts.
We now have strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries growing at the Sweet Country House.
And with the wild Mulberry Trees and Sand Hill Plums that grow around our property.....
I think I'm set!
I know it will take some time.
And I have to figure out a way to keep the deer away.

But.....
I can already taste blackberry tarts, plum preserves, raspberry sauce, apple and peach hand pies.....

The list goes on and on.

And.....
Wouldn't it be so cool, to at some point, have enough produce that I can share with other friends and families?

They could come out on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, pick fruit, press cider, or even can jam.

I would love that!
How about you?

Pace Yourself....

2011-11-16T06:30:00.009-06:00

First off....
Did you know?
That there are only 6 more Fridays until Christmas?

Secondly.....
Are you ready?
How are you feeling about the holidays?
What are your thoughts?
I'll be honest here.
I do not particularly like the holidays.
I kind of dread them.

So much pressure in so many areas can really wear on a girl.
There is so much to do!
And really. The time sneaks right up on you and then whacks you on the backside.
And laughs at you on the way out.

And each year.....
I tell myself.
That I will "handle" it all better.
"Do" it all better.
And "get through" it all much better.
Which is why.....
I am writing you this fine and freezing morning, 6 Fridays before Christmas, and the last week before Thanksgiving.
Because I needed a pep talk.
A motivational speech.
A reminder.....

To Pace Myself.

And just maybe, one of you, out there, needs it too.

~smile~

Aren't you glad that I am all "Sweet Country" like that?
Yakin' at you....and preachin' at you?

Plus.....
Since the time change.
My little guy.
My sweet, sweet baby.
Has decided that 5:37 a.m. is quite the right time to wake up.
Every.single.morning.

So there you go.
We are starting off bright and EARLY!
When we first married.
The holidays were relatively simple.
New baby.
No money.
Small and simple celebration.

Then as years passed by.
The holidays became more complicated.
More babies.
More money.
More busy.
More juggling.
More extravagant.

MORE
MORE
MORE

And.....

LESS
LESS
LESS

Joy.

Add to that the juggle of time, travel, family, expectations.....

Phew.

Can wear a girl out.
Which is what I was referring to on my post, this past Monday.

As the women, wives, and mothers of our household.
This responsibility can become quite large, heavy and burdensome.

Because....
Let's face it.
Most of the men in our lives, could care less about all of the pomp and circumstance of the holidays.

They get off kind of easy.

And around here.
My bigger guys are mostly concerned about.....

Food.

And the biggest guy is mostly concerned about.....

Finances.

As in, how much is it all going to cost?

And last year, which by the way, these pictures are from, because I am no where near ready to decorate, yet.

I started Project Christmas Simplify.
And this year.
I will be continuing to do so.
Even more so.

I have a burning desire to scale back in every area.
I have a burning desire to share peace and joy this Christmas with my little family.
I have a burning desire for Christmas at the Country House to be sweet and simple for my little family.

I have a burning desire to focus on what the most important part of Christmas is.

And if we are all being honest here.
It's not even about us.
It's about Him.

However.
That is easier said than done.
Isn't it?

The holidays can be a roller coaster of emotion and challenges.
And the world SCREAMS at you to.....

Do more.
Give more.
Be more.

But...... if you only take away one thing this morning, from my overly long, as usual, post.

Help me.
Join me.
And pray with me.

That what we hear is the quiet and gentle whisper.

To.......

Pace ourselves.

XO
Kristin

Collecting Seeds.....

2011-11-15T06:21:00.012-06:00

Remember this post?
I shared pictures of these beautiful babies?
Well.... now that we have had a hard freeze or five....
And, a little snow.
I wanted to see about harvesting the rest of the seeds off of our Zinias.
So, I grabbed my favorite helper.
And a couple of ice cream buckets and headed out to the edge of our garden.
Fall in the Midwest can mean many things.
We can have an 80 degree day.
Followed by a day that barely reaches 30 degrees.
Truly.
In a 24 hour span.
It's crazy!
On this day, though.
It was about 7o degrees.
Perfect for fresh air.
Sunshine.
Gentle conversations.
And seed collecting.
And would you believe, and I kid you not!
That we ended up with a heaping 5 gallon bucket.....full of a rainbow mix, of gorgeous seeds for next year.
And all from one 5 inch, potted plant, from the nursery, two summers ago.
Yep~
That's right!
I bought a zinnia plant a couple of summers ago.
Harvested the seeds.
Enough to fill a qt bag, 3/4 full.
And this is what I have now.
5 GALLONS of seed!
Talk about a return on my investment!

So....
This is your friendly, Sweet Country Garden reminder.
It's not too late!
Go harvest some seeds.

My favorites....

Zinias
Sunflowers
Marigolds
Impatiens
And petunias.

To name a few.

Just make sure that you store them in a way, that they can continue to dry over the winter, as there may be some moisture left in your pods.

And next spring. As soon as the ground thaws and temps warm up a bit.
Get your pots ready, or your flower bed soil worked up.
Scatter and cover very lightly.
Water.
And wait.....

Glorious color is about to be yours.

Free!

XO
Kristin

Sharing this post with~
Homestead Revival
Growing Home
Frugally Sustainable

A Beautiful Monday and a Sweet gift for one of you!

2011-11-14T09:55:00.004-06:00

Good morning all of my little sugar pies!

I have to tell you.
That you all encouraged me so much with your sweet comments.
What would this world be like, without friends near and far, who lift us up?

I thought about deleting the posts that I wrote last week.
Why?
Because....
While we all know that we each have tiring, frustrating and exhausting days.
And that our mind, body and spirit become....weary.
I want your time here, to be filled with sunshine.
Sweet Country Sunshine.
I mean...really.
But....
I also want you to know. That some days, are more on the cloudy side. And last week was more like a thunderstorm.
And I realized....
That in being honest with each of you.
And not always being that perky little ray of sunlight, it would bind us all together, ever so much more. ( a smile and a wink )

Nobody.
And I mean nobody, wants to feel like they are the only one who can't get their act together.
And that means....me....too.

And, last week I could not get my act together for nothing.

But this week. I will.

But, not on my own.

And if you are banging your way through life.
And your days are feeling a little.....rugged.

I am going to say this.

Check yourself, sugar pie.

Because chances are.....
You are not walking with the Spirit.

I was not.

You also, are probably doing it all on YOUR own and YOUR way.

Which I was.

Which, by the way never works.
Or, at least for very long.

I spent some time alone.
I spent some time talking to my husband.
I spent some time talking with my dear friend, "C".

And I spent some time in prayer.
And I think I have identified my problem.

Which I will be sharing a little about later.
Because.....
I think we, as women and mothers, and wives....
Often find ourselves in this situation.

So....
Today is Monday.
Which I love.
Today is going to be beautiful.
Which I choose.

And today, I am extending grace to myself.
And today..... I am extending grace to you.
Because....
You need it.
You deserve it.
And most importantly, you probably won't portion it out to yourself, like you would someone else!

So here it is.....
Hold out your hands and close your eyes.

GRACE.
Grace be with you.
And grace that is sealed with a hug.

And now....
THE WINNER of the gift certificate for the LucieOElle Shop!

SHANNON!!!

Yay~
You are the winner.
Congratulations!

Shannon~ Could you please contact me?
Of all of the girls who entered for a chance to win, You are the only one that I do not have an e-mail address for. ;o)

You can reach me at kristinshouse7205@yahoo.com

And for the rest of you.
Many of you made purchases and ordered items before seeing if you would win.
And many of you just ordered without even trying to win.
And many of you helped by simply spreading the word.

Thank you!
Thank you all, for making Jessica's week a smashing success.
I love you all!!!!!

XO
Kristin~
Grateful mama of her Sweet Country Life

Yesterday was a......

2011-11-11T13:47:00.002-06:00

Fail.

Thank goodness for brand new days.

And forgiving children.

And a forgiving husband.

If you read my post yesterday......

Then you read about my long and grueling morning.

And while my post was a light hearted attempt at cheering myself up, and reminding me, about what matters most.

The day ended in failure.

And tears.

Theirs.....

And mine.

And that deep and lingering feeling of discouragement.

Followed by elusive sleep.

And while I, on bended knee, apologized to my children, and hugged them long and deep.
And telling them how much I truly loved them.
Asking for forgiveness for a largely impatient, grumpy and short tempered mama, last night.

I also prayed that today would be better.

Much better.

A fresh new start.

And thankfully it has been.

Today~
I am thankful for a beautiful sunrise, a new day, a last minute call from a friend....inviting us out for a field trip, hamburgers and french fries, a frozen yogurt, sunshine in the afternoon, a husband who calls to check on me, and three of the most handsome guys to teach, that a girl could ever ask for.

And.... I am thankful for all of the sweet and encouraging comments that you all left me.
You all have much faith and trust in me as a mama.
And usually speaking.....

I handle this job with much grace, love and patience.

And dare I say....a sense of pride.

And if you all could have been a fly on my wall....
Then you would have seen my failure, at any and all of the above mentioned motherly attributes.

I sucked.

And that is such an ugly word, isn't it?

But, a good and proper adjective for yesterday, in all honesty.

Sometimes this job threatens to overwhelm me.

And while I cherish, cherish, cherish it.

I can fall really hard on my back side.

Which I did.

I'm guessing a little pruning and refinement were in order.

Praying for a beautiful weekend.

For us.

And for you.

Love, Kristin

p.s. I have another tough and technical question for one of you supremely smart techie girls.
I took this picture with my i phone. And used it for this post, on a Mac.
Can you tell me why it's so small....or how to get it on this blog in a bigger format?
Thanks!

p.s.s Don't forget....you have until Sunday night at midnight to sign up for your chance to win a gift certificate to my daughter's darling little Etsy store!

It isn't always pretty around here.....

2011-11-10T14:06:00.017-06:00

Do you ever think when you see another mom....
That she has it all together ever-so-much-more?
And that she rocks the mama-hood.

Life in bloggy land can especially appear that way.
So, I am here to set the record straight.
For you.
And for me.
If ever you have come here, thinking.....
That I am a mama rock star.
Then think again, Missy.
It isn't always pretty here.
It isn't always beautiful cupcakes with butter cream frosting.
Sometimes, it's just plain old cupcakes with burnt edges.

It's messy.
And frustrating.
And tiring.
And messy.

Did I mention messy?
And this boy of mine has been on a role lately.
I know the importance of having him help.
Truly.

And I know that I am to be patient.
Kind.
Understanding.
Teaching.
Patient.

Did I mention patient?

But today.
I'm feeling a little like a burnt cupcake.
A little crispy around the edges.
Know what I mean?
And, just yesterday.
I told one of my dearest friends, just how much this life is beautiful, seamless, delicious....

And today I'm thinking.....
What in the world was I thinking!?!
Does this look beautiful, seamless and delicious?
Because, I have to tell you.
It doesn't feel this way, today.

Today has been a struggle.
We have had a long and grueling morning.

Is it the time change?
The last few days of bad weather?

Me.

Is it me?

They say the mother is the heart of the home and.....
The barometer.

My barometer, just may be, sitting on the wrong setting.
Why does my boy turn the mixer on when I clearly said...."wait for mama?"
Or, cut the shoelaces to the brand new shoes we just got last night.
Or, mix my eyeshadow and lip gloss together?
Or, toss the bat at his brother?
Or, run his tractor through a cold pan of bacon grease?
Or.....

If you are the mama to one of these kinds of children.
Then you know what I mean, don't ya?

And if not.
Then....Bless you.

Actually.
Bless me.

Really.
I wouldn't trade him for the world.

He's for sure a keeper.
And I wouldn't trade this life for the world.

It's for sure a keeper, too.

And some days, I need to repeat it more than others.
And breathe deeper.
And try harder.

(And find and eat a dozen cupcakes all.by.myself.)

And remind myself.

And maybe you needed a reminder, too.
Or a good laugh.
Or an understanding friend, perhaps?
And hopefully, he won't remember, that I discussed boarding school this morning.

In vivid detail.

XO

Handmade For The Holidays...and $10.00 for YOU!

2011-11-07T06:25:00.010-06:00

Do you know what today is?
Today is November 7th!
Which means....it's about 11 minutes until Christmas!
Or, it will feel like that if you are NOT ready.
And with the Holidays in mind.....
My daughter called last night to offer one of you, a gift.

Don't you just love a gift????

And, the best part is.
You can keep the gift for yourself or.....
Share it with someone you love!
We start thinking about our gifting in....oh....About JULY.
I know.
That may sound early.
But, I like to be on the look out for things that are sweet, simple and beautiful.
And perfect for that special someone on my list.
I also like to support HANDMADE as much as possible!
And so does my daughter.
And what better way, than a $10.00 gift certificate to the LucieOelle Etsy Shop!
Which just so happens to be.....

Yep, you guessed it!

My daughter's shop!

She is going to give each of you, a CHANCE to win a $10.00 gift certificate to her shop.
To be used on anything you would like!!!
And considering..... that the hair goodies are around $3.00 and the handmade and vintage inspired earrings are only $5.00....
Then you can SEE how EASY it would be to get a lovely gift for someone on your list....AND....a lovely gift for YOU!!!

What do you think?
Do you want to support Handmade for the Holidays?

If so~
Head over to the LucieOelle Etsy shop. And pick out something lovely. Come back here, tell me what you love and who you would get it for.

A gift.....or for yourself.

Then, I will pick one winner, next Monday morning, to head over to the shop and spend their $10.00 on line certificate.

The only restrictions are.
This is only available to residents of the U.S.A.
And....does not include the cost of shipping.

And as a sweet little side note.
The sale of any products in the shop. Support my daughter and her travel expenses to Taiwan.
To where she will be returning on the 20th of this month.

To which she is VERY excited about returning to the orphanage!

So, if you could please keep her and her travel companions in your prayers.
I would very much appreciate it and so would they!

Good Luck!

XO
Kristin

Finding our BALANCE and the 80/20 Rule....

2011-11-03T07:59:00.017-05:00

Morning, girlies~

If you are just joining me this beautiful, freezing and snowy morning....
Then you may want to read this first, and this second.
That way you will know what we are chatting about.
Or, at least me.
Y'all are such good listeners on your end!

With that part covered and out of the way.
You may recall from yesterday, how I left you with the word...."Balance."
So, that's what today is about.
Balance in our diet, lifestyle, eating habits and hospitality.

And, if you have spent any time here.
Or, looked at any of my recipes.
You will find, a mix of healthy and not so healthy.

My food choices, and my blogging are evolving.
Just like me.
And I never want to become.....stagnant in my learning and evolving.
Do you?
Some areas that I have really, really grown in, in the last few years. Especially, since moving to the Country House, is growing and preserving our own food.
I love, love, love this aspect of country living. And feel fairly certain that I am a simple girl, who desires homemade and homegrown simplicity. I spent a lot of time in my younger years trying to be more like a cool, cultural and urbanly cute city girl....and the fact is....
I am a country girl.
With all that IT implies.
And it took a looooong time for me to feel secure in the knowledge that it is OK for me to not desire a fast paced city life and all that IT implies.
Although, I love to visit the city and all of you urban, sassy and over all, put together girls.
You all have much to offer and share as well.
And I love ya!
However...
This blog and I, are all about Sweet Country Living.
And for me.
That means....
Gardening
Growing
Canning
Freezing
And cooking and baking from scratch as much as possible.
With baking being at the top of my lover list.
Which requires much of my time.
And much planning.

Which means we spend much, much, much time at home.
And also fills a great need of mine.
Planning and organizing are things that make me feel.....well.....a little.....swooney.
I love to have my life, time, day and areas in order.
It makes me feel GOOD!
So what does that look like?

Let's see....
If I can grow it. I will.
If I can preserve it. I will.
If I can bake it from scratch....for sure!
I also make our sauces, soups, dressings, syrups and so on from scratch
Along with cleaning supplies, pest control, laundry and dishwasher detergent.
To name a few.

At home.

Why?
Many reasons.
But here are my tops.
#1 I love doing it.
#2 I love knowing what is in the ingredient list of what we put in our body, on our body, breathe in...you get the picture, right?
#3 I save money. Which is just as much for me as it is for my hard working husband.

Do I have to work this hard?
NO.
But, I feel like..... and choose for this to be my job.
I love seeing pictures like this.
Knowing that all of us. Each of my boys, and even my parents. Help in preservation.
My boys have no doubt that growing and preserving, are hard work.
And that "free and healthy" food is a blessing.
At least, that is my lesson for them in living this way.
I love cooking and eating food from OUR garden.
It makes me feel quite accomplished and.....swooney.
Yes, swooney.
My boys love to find all of the treasures in our garden.
And my daughter loves the goodie bags that head back to the city with her.
I feel wonderful knowing, that there is nothing but water and sunshine on these homegrown goodies.
Preserving is hard work.
I won't lie.
And I have made many mistakes.
And I have learned so much.
But, spending less time and money in the grocery store makes me happier than all of the time saved, spent at the store and away from our Sweet Country Life.
No matter how cool the store.

Unless....
I had a Trader Joe's.
Or a Whole Foods.
That would make me pause for a moment.

But~
Here is the deal.
I can be picky about how we do things at home.
I can do my best to avoid....
Preservatives
Pesticides
Food Coloring
Bad oils
Soy products
Nitrates
GMO's
HFCS
Harsh chemicals
And so on.....

And I do.

I can do my best to provide my family with.....
Homegrown goodness.
Whole grains.
Well balanced meals.
Real oils and fats.
Home baked and healthy goodies. Even when it includes lots of chocolate.
Safe cleaning ingredients.
Raw milk and dairy.
Free range eggs.
And grass fed proteins.

But....
In balance.

Balance is the key.

Which brings me to our 80/20 rule.

We eat very healthy and in a way that is most pleasing to us.

OKAY, me.
Don't ask my family about what they think they are missing.
You will get an ear full!

80 percent of the time.
For sure.

But the other 20 percent is my grace card for me, when time is not on my side, and grace card for them.When really....all they want is to eat chips and drink a soda.

And sometimes it borders on 95% healthy.
Because....we don't go to town for days.
And, if it is not in this house, then they are not consuming it.
Right?
Right!

So, if you see me out, or you come over, you may not always see the health conscious side of me.

Like last week, when I just did not have the time nor the energy, to make pizzas, bake cupcakes and homemade dip. If you were here, then what you had, was the exception and not the rule. And the left over 2 liters of soda went down the drain later.
But the fast food pizza and the store bought cupcakes were G.O.N.E.

And on a much more important note.

THIS BEING EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!!!!

If, I am eating with you, or at your house, or you have made my family a meal.
Then I will most graciously accept and enjoy any opportunity to spend time with you, or enjoy a meal prepared by you, with out blinking an eye!
Because love, kindness, generosity, and hospitality are what REALLY count.

The rest takes care of it's self.

And that, is a little bit more about how we live and eat at the Country House.

Would love to hear any thoughts y'all have on this.
What is most important for you in your household?
Or least for that matter.

And just a quick, but big favor.

Some of you are linking me on Facebook.
Which is fine.
Really!
But, could you let me know what you are linking or at least who you are?
I am not on Facebook and have no idea what goes on over there, but I can see on my site meters that it happens frequently.....and I would just love for you to tell me what you are linking, K?

Also~ If you are a regular reader and or follower...and have not introduced yourself. I would love it if you did!!! I see so many of you, and there are a lot of you, who come regularly and I would love for us to have a good, proper and Sweet Country intro! K?

And if you are a regular reader, and don't follow, I would love if you did so, that I can see your sweet little picture in my follow box.
Or if you have a blog....I would love to stop by and say Hi~ so send me a link.
Or a personal e-mail.
Tell me how you found me, what brings you back again and again what you would like to read about when stopping by, or....JUST SAY HI! Don't be shy!

Okie~Dokie

While I would love to spend the day with you.
My kitchen and pupils await....

Much Sweet Country love to each of you, today!
XO
Kristin
kristinshouse7205@yahoo.com

Sharing this with Homestead Revival and the other Barn Hop Girls.

p.s. If you are looking for a sweet little handmade gift for Christmas and are interested in a $10.00 gift certificate to this darling shop. Then head over here for your chance to win!

Hunt~Gather~Fish

2011-11-02T09:44:00.013-05:00

This post, is a continuation of the post I wrote yesterday about what we eat and why.
You may not agree with me.
You may not like what I have to say or even stick with me on this.
And that is O.K.
Really!
We are all on a journey.
And each journey for each family looks a little different.
I am still learning about whole foods and real foods.....
And, learning to embrace living with boys.
I live and eat with 4 males.
Every day.
Three times per day.
And, if at any given time....
You were to ask them what they were hungry for....
Then, the most common answer you would hear is.....

"Steak"

And that is no lie.
My boys would eat steak at every meal if given a choice.

But, seriously.
Who can afford all of that steak, all of the time.
So.... we have to be creative.
And what that means is....
I have to find ways to provide "meat" or protein for them in every meal, in some form or another.
And with my men.
Beans do not count.
They want a regular source of meat.
Every day.
With every meal.
And I have to tell you....
For myself.
I could live without meat.
But for them.
Not an option.
So, I have learned to embrace this in them and.....
Dare I say.
Encourage them to-

Hunt
Gather
Fish
Which has been h.a.r.d.
First of all....
Hunting, fishing, killing, cleaning.....
Freaks me out.
I am squeamish.
And....
I am soft.
Very soft.
And spoiled.
Hunting and gathering for me, has always involved pretty little clean packages, of previously frozen proteins, in the comfort of a well lit, and aesthetically pleasing shopping environment.

With no thought given to how it got there.
Or where it came from.

INTENTIONALLY!

I did not care a lick.
Nor, did I want to know.

Gross.
But then.
I would hear about tainted meat.
And, slaughter house practices.
And, large scale factory farming.
That was....unethical in it's practice and treatment of animals.
And, I watched Food Inc.
And, I read books by Michael Pollan.
And, I spent some time researching for myself.
And, I felt a stirring.
And, I looked at my boys, and I looked at my husband.
And, I looked at my grocer differently.

And, I realized, that the husband who hunted regularly when I met him, had quit doing all of that, out of his respect for me and my soft heart.

And that I have 3 young men....
Who had a burning desire to hunt-gather-and fish.
That it was a thrill for them.
A desire.
A goal.
And...dare I say a need?

A need to hunt, gather and provide.
I realized they were made this way.
Created to feel this way and I needed to embrace it.
Fully.

Which was..... and is hard.

Until.
I look at our market and see a package of beef that says....
This contains products of the USA, Canada and Mexico.

What the.....?

How can 2 pounds of ground beef, carry all of those countries?

And although my boys don't hunt a steer.
We purchase that from a local family, dedicated to raising a grass fed steer, for us.
I have had to give them the freedom to say....

"Mom~ Can we have fish tonight for supper?"

Knowing full well, that the boys will head down to OUR pond, and catch some bass or a large catfish or 2, head back home, with the fish still breathing, and proceed to kill and clean.

And my job goes something like this....

Exclaim over the size of the fish.
Take a few pictures.
Measure for comparison from the last catch.
Give them a bowl of fresh salty water.

And. walk. away.

Then I cook it.

And praise them for their manly desire to provide a meal for me.

This has been a long haul for me, to be sure.
I love animals.
I love my men.

I have had to reconcile this.
And I have come a long, long ways.
In fact.
I may consider the whole chicken operation.

Consider....is the operative word.

It is vitally important to me, to know what my family eats and the health of it.
And as I see the price of groceries rising....soaring really.
I see that in order to afford the quality that I seek, I will have to get serious about embracing this hunting thing more.

My husband is asking for turkey of late.
And...
I looked at an organic, free range turkey recently.
An average size bird.
10 t0 12 pounds.
$40 to 60 dollars.
Depending on the store.

Mercy.

We are frugal at the Country House, and our biggest expense goes to the feeding of this family.
By far!

I cannot justify the price of that bird.

However, every day, looking outside of our window, I see a beautiful and finely feathered gang of birds, waddling around, gobbling.
And all I can think is....

Free range.
Organic.
Cost effective.
Priceless.

And these words come out of my mouth....

"Son~ grab your gun. I see a turkey, and Thanksgiving is just around the corner!"

Next up....

Balance

How do we balance my desire to eat healthy and feed our family a healthy diet, whilst still living in the real world of the Standard American Diet?

And a disclaimer~
If you or someone you know and love, works in a factory farming operation. Or at the local grocer or meat packing plant. This post is not in any way, shape or form, meant to be offensive to you or your loved one. I am sure that you are doing the best you can, and do believe that many operations in farming are ran ethically and in a positive way.

This is strictly me, sharing with you all, how we do things at OUR house. You each are in charge of your own personal buying and eating convictions. I just am sharing our journey.

I am extremely grateful and thankful for the job that you or your loved one has, as a means to support you and/or your family, in such a depressed job market.

That's it for now.
I hope you like being able to see into our lives a little bit, and I welcome any thoughts or opinions you have regarding this subject....

XO
Kristin

p.s. I didn't even know what you called a group of turkeys.
Did you know....
That a group of turkeys is called a "rafter"?
But, that it is totally OK, to refer to them as a gang as well.
And considering the way they strut their stuff out here, I went with "gang".

Just a little Homeschooling FYI~

In other "Farmish" news.... and a field trip.

2011-11-01T09:37:00.008-05:00

And a little about how and what we eat.

I find it fascinating to read how other people live, eat, produce, and otherwise get along in this world of ours.

I think sometimes I should have gotten a degree in Anthropology.
Because I love cultural aspects of other people and their lives.
But as it turns out....
I just have a degree in Motherology.
So I thought today, it would be fun, for me to give you a little look into our lives.
What do you think?
Are you interested?
If so.
Come along with me!
So....
Last Friday, we grabbed ourselves a little snack and headed out on a Field Trip of sorts.
Fridays have kind of turned into that for us, as our work load for home and school is the lightest that day.
And....
What better way to end the week, than with a field trip?

We grabbed Grandma and headed west.
Our drive would take a little less than an hour and the weather was beautiful.
The prairie is alive right now with color and the area we were heading was along a beautiful river bed.
If you think that living in the Midwest is not a lovely place to live, then I beg you to come spend the day with me.
I will take you on a journey to see what I see.
It is a blessing for us to live where there are four distinct season changes. With each one offering a little something to stir your soul.

But....
I digress.
This trip was about food.

You may often hear the words "slow" food, "local" food, "whole" food, "real" food, "homesteading", and "sustainability" tossed around.
And be wondering what that means.
In a nutshell.

Grow, produce or provide your own.
The old fashioned way.
Or find someone locally who does.
Which means....
Not your traditional grocer.

Which leads us to the killing field.

I know, dramatic, right?

But...that is, kind of what it was.
You see.
A few months ago. I ran into a fella who used to do some work for my husband and he let me know of another fella, who was raising chickens, free range, to be butchered and sold to individual families.

Freedom Rangers.
To be exact.
Nice.

The deal was.
On the day the deed was to be done. We were to drive out and pick them up.
I was a little nervous. (grossed out, maybe)
But my boys.... they were pumped!
What they wanted to see was.....carnage.
Blood and guts.
The kill.
The cleaning.
The whole deal.

What is it with boys?
Why do they love this kind of stuff?
How in the world is it "cool"?

Anyways.
The butchering was to be done and finished between 2 and 3.
I, however, made sure we got there....after 3.
I was not nearly as interested as they were.

And thankfully.
They were cleaning the last birds when we arrived.
No views of killing today.
But, plenty of chicken carnage to be found.

And as a side note....
Aren't you glad I just took a picture of the trees?
No chicken guts allowed on the Sweet Country Life blog.

So....
We waited patiently.
Watched the big free range turkeys waddle around.
Who's days are sadly numbered unbeknownst to them.

Thanksgiving, anyone?

And then, when the chickens were done being wrapped. We loaded up and headed out.

We still had another stop to make.

This time to the dairy where we buy our dairy products and eggs.

I wish I could have taken pictures here.
But out of respect for our Amish friends, who shun the camera, I did not.

So picture this.
Green pastures.
Brown cows.
Blue bells hanging from their necks.
A simple and yet pristine farm house.
Clothes flapping in the wind.
Chickens scratching.
A buggy.
A sweet little shed for purchasing.
And flies.
Lots of flies.
Because Fall on a dairy, means lots of flies. Which I forgot. Which meant too many in my car, with the windows left down, while we "visited" with "Jacob".

At the dairy....
You can purchase anything from raw milk and cream, to kefir and yogurt, to butter and cheeses, to beef, to baked goods, to canned goods.
And eggs.
I know, right?

It was all very exciting.
And fascinating.

And, it is all grass fed.
Which thrills me to no end.

You see, I do not have the set up, nor the inclination to start a dairy, or raise me some butchering chickens.
Especially the latter.
I am not good at the whole....separate your relational side with the animals, so that you can eat them part. And living in a house of men, means....

Meat.

And just so you know....
The brothers that live here.
Would love to raise some chickens to kill.

Lovely.

And just so you know.....
Our daughter....
Is vegan.

Perfect.

Talk about a balancing act.

However.
It is important to me, to know the source of our food, especially if we are not producing it ourselves.

Because let's face it.
Food is a big part of our day.
And....
Makes up a big part of our bodily needs and nutritional needs.

And having local farmers and growers, who will do so, with the same sort of thought process going into their production as I would like for myself.
Saves me a lot of hassle.
And time.
And money.

Yes, I have to drive further for these items that are so readily available at the store.
But no, I don't worry about their living conditions, point of origin, hormones, antibiotic use and so on.

This is just one area that the Sweet Country Daddy and I feel strongly about.
I'll share some other areas in my next post....

To be continued~

Feel free to leave any thoughts or questions in the comment box.
XO
Kristin

Sharing this post with~ Homestead Revival

Fall on the "Farm"

2011-10-31T07:22:00.017-05:00

I know that my title is a little misleading....
Because although most of you know that we live in the country.
It's not technically a "Farm."
Although living out here on the compound, feels a little farmish.
And we do have a tractor.
And horses.
And my step dad affectionately refers to the property out here as the farm.
And we did, at one time, have chickies....
But, something got them one night.
And I just have not felt like we could replace them just yet.
Or, at least until I can build a better hen house.
But....
We do share a dog.
How? You may be wondering....
Well...
During the day she is back here at the Country House with us.
And at night, she heads back to the main house for dinner and bedtime.
She thinks she owns us all, and needs to be with all of us, all of the time. So she wears herself out going back and forth between the two houses, daily.
At the Farm you will find many a smiling faces.
It's like the Farm version of the welcome wagon!
And one with crazy hair....
And....
We love flowers at the Farm. So you can always find those, changing with the seasons.
See, this fella is saving a big old grin just for you!
Hey~
This looks farmer like.
We don't farm any crop land.
But....
We do have to work our dirt yard over, now and again.
Oh yes....
Trees.
We have a ton of those!
And me! I am at the Farm. See me waving at you?
And a Farm would not be complete without these beauties, now would it?
Or a gravel Driveway.
Our driveway is almost 700 feet long. So every day. The boys or the the dog. Always know when the sweet country daddy is coming home. He drives real slow like, so that the tires sound nice and crunchy like, on the long drive up. Then the littlest farm hand yells....
"Daddy's home. Daddy's home. Daddy's home!'
And makes a run for the door.
We still have some fall color.
Although it's fading fast now.
And the sunlight through the tress always makes me smile.
See...I told you we had a lot of tress!
And least you think I was exaggerating about the length of our long and windy drive.
And take a looksie here.
Here I am again.
Well not all of me.
Just me and my mocs. Which sadly have to be traded out from my favorite flip flops.
Because evenings are cooling off at the Farm.
Maybe I lied....
This kind of resembles farm equipment on a working farm, doesn't it?
Even if it is a pint size farm....
And here you go....
A barn red bench to rest your weary self on, after our long and tiring walk around the farm.
You can come sit with me and chat with me.
I could offer you pie.

Do you like pie?
What's your favorite kind?
I'll bake it.

Because....truly....what kind of farm chick would I be, if I did not offer you pie?

Pumpkin Pie Scented Playdough

2011-10-27T12:48:00.004-05:00

Are you like me, and always on the hunt for fun and crafty fall ideas?
Especially ones that will keep a busy little person in your life.....well....busy?
I ran across this idea from The Marathon Mom a couple of weeks ago and thought I would pass it on to you.
Because isn't that one of the great bloggy world perks?
We see something somewhere else and share it with someone else....
And round and round it goes!

This is sure to be a hit for your little pumpkins.
And I have to warn you....
It makes a big batch, so if you have a smallish family, I would consider cutting the recipe in half. Or be prepared to share. ;o)

XO
Kristin

Free Day.....

2011-10-26T15:03:00.029-05:00

This is a continuation of the post I wrote yesterday.
I wasn't planning a two parter.
It just kind of turned out that way.

You know how that goes?
Too many photos....
Too perfect of a day.
Too much to share.

That sort of thing.
One of my favorite things about being a homeschool family is....
Freedom.....
Freedom to take a free day.
Freedom to do our own thing.

Freedom to march to the beat of our own drum.
Or in the case of this little guy....
To march across the stumps as many times as he wanted.
And in the spirit of "freedom".
We hit our local nature center.
Which incidentally.....
Is
FREE!

We played in the sand and water for hours.
We hiked.
We had sandy, wet hineys.
Or, at least he did.
We looked for creatures in the pond.
We scouted out turtles, snakes, and fish.
We admired mother nature.
We hiked some more.
And collected some beautiful leaves.
And just like the ducks that travel in a row.
So do the brothers.
We followed migration patterns.
And listened to bird songs.
We oohed and awed over the size of these antlers.
Watched funnel clouds form.
"Rubbed" some fossils.
And played in the leaves.
But, mostly we just celebrated the special day of this newly turned 9 year old.
And the freedom of having a class room with no walls, books or schedule.
Life is good.
Real good.
Thanks for indulging me, yet again, in some of the loves of my life.
XO

9

2011-10-25T17:22:00.018-05:00

Yesterday you turned 9.
And I can scarcely believe it is true.

In fact.
I am quite positive that it was just yesterday you were a new babe, nestled in my arms, already a heart stealer.

I can see it so clearly.
That moment you arrived.
They handed you up and over the protective sheet of surgery.
With the words... "It's a boy".
But, I already knew you were a boy.
And that you would steal my heart.
Just like my breath, at that moment.

Eight long years I had waited.
Cursed God.
Begged for you.
And at long last....
You were here and I cried and cried.
Knowing that God had finally poured out a full measure.
Just for me.
And just for you.

You changed my view of motherhood from entitlement.
To gratefulness.
You changed our whole world the moment you were born.
You lured us all in by your sweet natured way.
We were filled to the brim in those first moments with love and thanksgiving.

And that has not changed one bit in the last 9 years.
In fact....
I keep thinking.
There must be a way to stop time.
And while we love watching you grow and change.
Mature and move forward.

My heart.
My mamas heart.
Says STOP!
Stay this way in this moment forever.
I know.
Selfishly, I would keep you with me forever.

Because there is so much to teach you.
So much to share.
So much to experience.

Just like our lesson this past week.
That it's so important to build your "house" on rock and not sand.

And that relationships matter most.

You are such a little leader to this little brother.
He worships you.
He hangs on your every word.
He follows you everywhere.
And yes.
Gets into all of your things.

It is the way of brothers. I tell you.

You love exploring.
You love observing and learning.
You love discovering.
And you absolutely love life!

And you love him.
He is your constant companion.
You are peas in a pod.
The age thing....
Never mind that.

I love these days together.
These moments we share.
The silly times.
The crazy times.
The learning times.
The hard times.
The precious times.

I look at you both and think....
How could one mama be so blessed with so much?
And even though your older brother and older sister have grown too fast.
And I lost track of time.

I am determined.
To take in every moment with you two.
No holding back.
No giving in.
No lost moments.
No regrets.
No feelings of could I?
Should I?
Would I?
Because I can.
I shall.
And I will.

Be the best mama, teacher, protector, lover, and guardian of you and your heart.
You have given me a lifetime already of love and happiness.

And although I mourned the passing of 8 yesterday.
I graciously accept and am thankful for 9 today.

Happy Birthday my sweetest 9 year old.
You are the best I could have asked for, hoped for and prayed for.
I love you~
Mama

On the hunt for the perfect one....

2011-10-21T08:52:00.028-05:00

I should probably warn you....
I have an addiction.
A predisposition.
An affliction.
To gourds.
Pumpkins.
Squashes.
And the like.
In fact.
I swoon at the thought of them.
The colors.
The shapes.
The size.
The varieties.
All of them.
And, if you add in a couple of the most handsome men that I know.
All dressed in orange.
On an early fall evening.
At a roadside patch.
With grandma in tow.
And a Cannon dangling from my neck.....
Then I practically.....
Fall apart.
It's love all of the way, baby.
LOVE
LOVE
LOVE
Mercy.
How could one possibly decide?
How could one possibly pick?
Which one should we choose?
Warty....
Smooth.....
Short and fat or big and tall?
I have to tell you truthfully.
That the problem of picking just one was nearly impossible.
And some of us took longer to decide than others.
And some of us cared less than others.
And some of us just wanted them all.
What about you.....
Does the sight of all of this color make you feel all swooney, too?
Goodness.
This time of year just could be the death of me.

The Junkin' Punkin' Family

2011-10-20T09:27:00.008-05:00

A sweet and elderly fella at our church.
Gave my soon to be 9 year old, a box of treasures the other day.
And the timing could not have been more perfect.
And....you would have thought my guy had won the lottery!
He was ecstatic to have a box filled with nails, screws, bolts, washers, various knobs and so on.
It was an eclectic box of "junk".
Which my son exclaimed over and over, "must be antique!"
But when you are 8 going on 9.
The possibilities are endless.....
So we went on the hunt for the perfect pumpkins.
He wanted a pumpkin family on our porch to welcome all who visit The Country House.

And as you can tell one is missing.
It's on the counter in my kitchen.
Mainly because he is so stinkin' cute.
And mostly because I am so proud of my boy and his ingenuity.

It's amazing what our children can imagine and do when given the freedom to create.
XO

p.s. Sorry that the photos are so small...
I took them with my "smart" phone, but was clearly too dumb to figure out how to make them larger on my blog!

Beauty~

2011-10-18T12:42:00.003-05:00

Beauty is God's handwriting.

Welcome it in every fair face,
every fair day,
every fair flower.

Charles Kingsley

Borrowed from and shared with you, from Lessons At Blackberry Inn.
By Karen Andreola

Embracing "mubby" hand prints....

2011-10-13T06:22:00.012-05:00

Following up on the post I wrote yesterday.
About my boys and all of the mud.
I read a comment form Amanda that got me thinking.
Along with a comment from Barbara a couple of days ago.
Then I chatted with my mom about it.
And now I am going to chat with you about it.
Amanda said....

...don't you love when we can mooove past that point of not really giving a hoot about anything besides the fact that they are having hardcore fun?

And Barbara said.....

I read your bio and immediately felt a bond between us, although I will admit that I am many years ahead of you in this life. I have four children and chose to be a stay-at-home mom. I only wish that I could have embraced my situation as enthusiastically as you do. Your outlook on life makes me smile.

And I scratched my post for today.
In lieu of one about embracing "mubby hands" and motherhood.

And yes, you read that right.
My little guy says to me.

"Mama, I mubby," about 100 times per day.
And each time I say.
"Yes baby, you are. Go wash up."
And he gives me a cheeky, melt my heart, still my breath, ornery little grin.
And he heads to the sink.

Trailing mud.

And I smile.

And I want you to know why.

You see, as a mother of 4.
From 21 down to 3.
I have learned a couple of things about myself and about them.

And while I always knew I wanted to be a mother.
And that I loved being a mother.
I didn't always embrace it fully, like I do today.

I struggled a lot in those earlier years.
And I want you all to know, that while we have moments at the Country House that are less than ideal. I don't dwell on it, get bothered much or otherwise overly stress out.
And that's why in my writing, it may all seem to be happy go lucky.

All of the time.

I am choosing to embrace.

Instead of....

Dwell in a less than positive attitude.

And when I was a younger mother.
It turns out.
That what I realized.
Is, I was a perfectionist.
And as a perfectionist.
There isn't much room for "mubby" hand prints.
Or child play.
Or....
Children for that matter.
They are by nature. Destroyers of all of your perfectionist thinking and idealism.

So as a younger mother, I tended to be over critical.
And impatient.
And easily irritated.

And I am ashamed of that.

Because what message did that send my older kids?

Surely not the right one.

I cringe at the thought of how I put perfectionism, and my to do list, above my relationships with my older children.

And my husband, for that matter.

I also tended o be rushing the whole motherhood, growing up thing.
Trying to get to the finish line, to mark it off of my list, as another task completed.

Perfectionists tend to be tasked oriented as well.

I cringe to think it now.
I cringe to write it now.
I cringe that you may all think that I am some sort of....

Perfect mother and wife.

Because I tried.

Because clearly.
It was not to be.

And my mom and I spoke last night, about how the woman you read the writings of, on this here blog.
Is so different than the old one.
And that what you read is a product of my maturing.
And my gratitude.

Immense gratitude.

Intense gratitude.

Because when you face years of infertility.
And your children start growing up faster and faster.
And you are suddenly 40-ish.

You let go of your perfectionist tendencies and your lists.
Clean floors, clean windows and mubby door handles.

And you hold on tight.
And you savor.
And you enjoy.
And you appreciate.

You become exceedingly grateful.

And you don't care about things like a yard filled with mud and water.
Or what your neighbors, friends or even family thinks.

* Thankfully, living in the country, and clear back in the trees, and having only my mom and step dad for neighbors, has eliminated a lot of concern there!

And you are especially OK with 4 showers, 4 changes of clothes, and of course....

"Mubby" hand prints.

Because what you really want now.
Is all of the time in the world to embrace this role.

This glorious role of motherhood.

And mubby hands.

For the love of mud.....

2011-10-12T06:45:00.015-05:00

This past summer.
My boys discovered a new project.
Every day they would build, dam, stream, irrigate, maneuver, redirect and pool.

Mud
and
Water

Every.single.day.

Sometimes
Oftentimes
Multiple times.

In fact.
They still do it today.
Yesterday, it was 4 times.
So yes.
That means,
We had 4 changes of clothes
And 4 showers or baths
Times 2.

But the kicker is.
They have to be hosed off before coming in.
Which felt good when it was 100 degrees for weeks on end.
But now.
Not so much.
It's getting a little chilly to be hosed down.
4 times per day.
In fact.
The little one cries when he has to be sprayed off.

But, does it stop him from getting muddy again an hour later?

No.

It does not.

In fact....
We kept a pool filled with clean, water when it was warm.
That way they could hop in and rinse.
But the pool, finally sprung a leak after having the sides bent down to release the water, over and over again.
And last Thursday.
It went to the dump.
So now.
Just the hosing off.

And me....
I find the constant mud, showers and laundry a little tedious.

OK

A lot tedious.

But,
For the love of mud.
This is only going to be available so long.
And little boys just can't help themselves.
And someday we will all look back fondly at all of the fun they had.

Especially the brothers.

Which besides lots of fresh air, imaginative play, and old fashioned fun.
Is my number one goal.

Let's Bake Breadsticks!

2011-10-10T07:24:00.006-05:00

With the cooler weather now.
It's so much more enjoyable for me to be in the kitchen.

I love comfort food.
My boys love comfort food.

I love baking.
My boys love eating.

This is a win-win situation!

I also love for the meal prep to be fast, easy, healthy and delicious.

And somewhere along the line.
I found this very easy and versatile breadstick recipe.
And since I jotted it down on a piece of paper way before I had a blog. I have no idea where it came from.

I love this simple recipe.
It goes with soup, salad, pasta....
And I have been known to make it just for lunch, served with this sauce for dipping.

It also works great for when you don't want, or have the time, for full on bread baking.

Breadsticks

1 package of instant yeast
1 tsp of raw sugar or honey
1 1/4 cups of quite warm water, but not super hot.
1/4 cup of olive oil or coconut oil
3 1/2 cups of organic and unbleached flour
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt

Dissolve the yeast with sugar in the warm water until slightly foamy or frothy.
Then add oil, yeast, flower and salt.
You can either mix by hand or with a heavy duty mixer.
Knead for 5 minutes or more, and until you get a nice smooth dough.
Dough should not be sticky.
Place in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
Set aside, let rise until doubled in size.
Then roll or press dough into a well oiled 9x13 baking dish.
Brush on a little better or olive oil.
Sprinkle generously with your favorite seasonings.
I used a combination of garlic, basil and herbs.
Then using a pizza cutter, cut into sticks before baking.
Don't worry about cutting all of the way through.
This is just a step to make it easier to pull apart when done baking.

Bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes.
Serve hot and fresh.

Delicious!

Enjoy!

Sharing this recipe here~
Homestead Revival