Hunters' Hearth

the beauty in a year

2011-12-31T10:05:00.000-07:00

2011

[photo credit :: top left taken by Elias]

In case you keep checking...

2011-12-28T22:19:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to drop by to say that there has been lots of joy happening...

potty-trained girl

holiday activities

birthday celebration

We find time for a bit of activity...

yoga

playing in the snow

dancing

siblings who practice loving-play and then need to find their own space

castle sharing

playing music

writing

sometimes we get bored but that can be good too...

it helps us make up new games

we find a bit of quiet time in our day

read/look at lots of books

and then there is snow

it has not melted off like it usually does

but the moisture for our plants is nice

we are glad for the woodstove - it keeps us toasty

Wishing you a wonderful new year!

smiles

2011-10-14T22:58:00.000-06:00

Just a quick note to say we had a great vacation with so many wonderful stops along the way.

We have been so busy since we returned home but feel refreshed with all the wonderful conversation we had on our trip.

catching up

2011-08-23T22:19:00.000-06:00

two stencils for nook floor upstairs
top grey color (london fog) for stencils
(woven) yellow color for walls
tea pot/daisy/strawberry plaque - it me and my inspiration for the room

a few stencils already painted on the floors.

daisies :: one of my favorite flowers that I am determined to have lots of ...currently I have ...one

peeking under the cherry tree you can see our fenced garden this year.
want to see a couple before shots?

that's right it was a big sand pile...with lots of weed-blocking fabric underneath and weeds.

here we started to mark the rows...one of many, many times. The deer fence is not up yet.
I'll work on getting a better after shot.

This here is my herb garden. I love this place, it is very special. It may not look like much but it has transformed the little space and is a work in progress.

inside the herb garden

outside the circle but the back of the herb garden.

ahhhh blueberry-rhubarb cobbler. I love thee.

two shots of this cobbler is justified. It is so good. Tart and tasty.
I will share the recipe, promise.

filling in the gaps

2011-06-18T22:41:00.001-06:00

Siblings :: having a good moment together

our little girl with "Pooh"

These photos where taken before the grass began to green but we were craving some outdoor time. Now the grass is green and we are still enjoying being outdoors and all the fun it offers.

Mulberry delights :: this is the first year we have really taken advantage of our mulberry tree. You can't really tell but her little fingers are purple but she wasn't alone.


rhubarb-blueberry cobbler :: Oh my! That is really all I have to say about my first cobbler. I will share the recipe because it is mouth watering-share it with the neighbors-want to eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner tarty goodness. We have had rhubarb growing on our land with no help from us since we moved in but this is the first year I have cooked it.


and what to say about this little girl. She is coming into her own personality and it is a sight to behold. My camera loves her and well who's going to blame it.

Hope all is well. Happy Summer everyone!

haircut

2011-06-04T20:49:00.001-06:00

Before

Some of you may have noticed our boy decided to cut his hair a while back after wanting to grow it out. We think he is handsome no matter what length his hair is but like seeing his face a bit this summer.


after

Our boy has actually had another haircut after this one and is sporting an even shorter haircut. He likes to cut his hair when Daddy.

who would have thought

2011-05-27T22:16:00.000-06:00

Tonight, as I diced some potatoes, the kids helped themselves to the frozen peas I had out to make with dinner. They munched as happily as they did with their strawberry ice cream just an hour before.

These guys are eager for the pea harvest in the near future. They just love to help pick them fresh from the vine and eat them while they are still warm from the sun.

I know Bila, it's hard to believe, but peas are tasty little treats.

Greetings

2011-04-30T09:35:00.000-06:00

Wishing you a wonderful weekend

We love you

two times around the sun

2011-04-05T15:23:00.000-06:00

I know we have done a poor job of keeping up with posting but I hope you enjoy a glimpse into our little girl's birthday from January. I will work on a post for our February birthday boy soon.

Enjoy!

Handmade photo album inspired by Christina @ Moment to Moment ::

When she discovered her album on her birthday table, she took it to her Daddy and sat down to look through it with him, exclaiming at every picture.

reversible popover apron (back view) :: pattern from The Children's Year

I think every cook should have a red apron for spaghetti night and she loves to help in the kitchen.

Mommy made waldorf doll :: Emmy

We bought a 16" doll kit from Weir Crafts and I spent the evenings working on Miss Emmy. Although the kits come with yarn for hair, I wanted something more colorful so I used yarn I had purchased separately. Emmy helped me learn more hand sewing skills and is my first handmade waldorf doll. Miss Emmy is a delightful addition to our family.

learning to simplify celebrations :: wrapping with playsilks, material and borrowed wooden boxes

A simple, peaceful birthday for our two-year-old. In addition to the above mentioned gifts, my little girl received a delightful wooden tea set, a couple books from Papa and Bila; two dresses with aprons for Emmy from Nana; and crocheted food from Gammy. We have been so thankful for family who understands our desire to provide simple, nourishing toys for the kids.

Hand-painted birthday figures for our birthday ring ::

This is our first year to celebrate with a birthday ring. We decided to make our own ring and figures to go with some wonderful ceremony candles we bought from bluecorn naturals. The wave represents my daughter's love for water and using a water birth pool for her big day. The black cat represents one of her favorite songs that we sing at night and her attraction to cats.

My son and I ventured out during naptime to buy our little lady some flowers.

Holiday season

2010-10-30T09:22:00.006-06:00

Thank you family for wanting to share your love through special gifts. The lists below are ideas if you so choose but we welcome homemade, simple gifts from your heart and hands.

:: For the kids ::
creative play :: small nesting water waves element
   Our children love to play in water and this would represent a fun element during their creative playing.
crafts :: kite paper, window crayons
   During the winter months, activities with lots of color bring cheer to our cold days and keep the mind active.
imitation play :: broom and dust pan (if found elsewhere, please no plastic)
   The kids love to help Mommy and Daddy and cleaning up messes is a common activity around here. Countless times we have found them trying to sweep and mop the floors with limited success. These tools will help them have more success whether it is a real or a pretend mess.
books :: All in a Day, Grandfather Twilight, Winter, Waldorf Kindergarten Snack book
   The first two books are much loved books that we have checked out from the library several times and just can't get enough of. The last two will be new but helpful as we nurture the kids with songs and stories, as well as, making special treats in the kitchen on baking days. Boy do they love to cook!

* We are so thankful for your love and desire to give fun gift to our kids. Please refrain from buying the battery-operated and/or plastic toys, for we are limiting certain types of toys for more creative play.*

:: For the Lady ::
Remember (journal) by Nikki McClure :: I love Nikki's papercut-art, it is truly stunning.
Cocoa Butter Wafers (1 lb) from MountainRoseHerbs :: The winter is hard on my skin and I have a recipe for a delicious oil to lather on that smells like chocolate, how lovely is that!
Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon :: Our diet is changing and I am needing wisdom. This book is highly recommended and has been on my wish list.
Needle felting tools :: needles (2-pk) or sample kit, and wool roving :: I have admired this fiber art for awhile. These items will allow me to get started and have a lot of fun.

:: For the Gentleman ::
I received an early birthday present this year--an Orion 6" Dobsonian Reflector telescope! Astronomy's something I've been wanting to get into for several years now, just hadn't yet. Lynnette helped push me over the edge. Consequently, most of the items you see on this Christmas/birthday list are things I've discovered will be either helpful or absolutely essential to really learning how to use my scope to its fullest potential.

either 1.25in. 2x Orion Shorty Barlow Lens (~$45)

or Orion 1.25-inch Basic Telescope Accessory Kit (~$100)

Red LED Flashlight--can be cheap, just need something to read star charts w/o ruining night vision
either The Observer's Sky Atlas: With 50 Star Charts Covering the Entire Sky by Erich Karkoschka

or Sky & Telescope's Pocket Sky Atlas by Roger W. Sinnott

IOGear Multimedia Keyboard with Laser Trackball and Scroll Wheel, 2.4GHz Wireless (~$50) or something similar, touchpads instead of trackballs, whathaveyou. This item's on the list because Lynnette and I will sometimes hook the laptop up to the television to watch online shows or whatnot, and it would be exceptionally convenient to be able to control the laptop from the couch (is this the epitome of laziness? you only think so because you probably watch television the conventional way--using the tv's own remote).

:: For the Home::

spices :: garlic powder, celtic sea salt, Italian seasoning, cumin, cinnamon

other cooking/baking items :: Coconut oil, aluminum-free baking powder, baking soda, instant yeast or active dry yeast, honey, molasses, arrowroot powder (cornstarch alternative for cooking and cosmetic use), old fashioned oats, plain popcorn kernels, apple cider vinegar, white vinegar

household goods :: toilet paper, cloth napkins, washing soda, borax, beeswax (for making candles), stainless steel scrub pad (link for image)
treats:: decaf coffee, chai tea, sleepytime tea, red rooibos tea, high percentage cocoa chocolate, goldfish

Oregon trip

2010-10-16T16:00:00.000-06:00

October 2010
Florence, Oregon :: Driftwood Beach

Jonathan jumping from drift wood on a California beach.

Mommy and Gwendolyn sharing "noses" while enjoying the beach in California.

Gwendolyn :: October 2010
California beach

Gwendolyn enjoyed playing in the sand and searching for treasures to bring home.

Jonathan and Lynnette :: October 2010
California beach

Elias and Gwendolyn :: October 2010
Redwood forest in California

:: To see more of our trip go to my blog tenacious lace ::

Papa and Bila's

2010-10-03T11:16:00.000-06:00

Elias looked forward to his first flight with Papa. He loved this special time, as I know Papa loved sharing it with him.

You can see the joy on this precious, big-boy face! Thank you Papa and Daddy for making such a special memory.

Papa and Elias September 2010

Bila and Gwendolyn enjoying time together, while family gathered outside.

Cousins enjoying rare time together. Barrel rolling, kicking balls and playing with dirt, what more could you ask for?

Gwendolyn getting so big and it was great sharing her cuteness with Papa and Bila.

"Soup from a stone," said the little old lady.

"Fancy that."

:: Stone Soup by Ann McGovern ::

A child's artwork

2010-09-20T16:31:00.000-06:00

Our son is beginning to enjoy drawing. Today we made little books and he formed on sentence stories and then drew his own pictures...mostly. You see, he doesn't feel he can do it so he asks for help.

from left to right :: dog, person, mommy's person, buildings, mommy's buildings.

This is a watercolor drawing by our son. We were experimenting with white and colored crayons then painting over the markings.

:: What do you see? ::

2010-08-04T22:43:00.000-06:00

Just a quick ditty to let you know that we are rockin' out here this summer. We are craftin' up all kinds of things, like a dancing kitty, boats and a bright, red guitar. All requested by Elias and enjoyed by all. He is quite confident in our skills and will ask for the wildest things.

This boy loves to sing. He sings all day long and his sister is right there with him.

Speaking of...this little girl is in love with scribbling, she prefers a pen on skin but paper and pencil work in a pinch.

Daddy has been up to his own creativeness too. He built a chair this week and it fit in just wonderfully. Elias said it was just his size to go with the table that is just his size too. He prefers to eat at his table in his chair but we get him to eat with us most of the time.

We hope you enjoyed this glimpse into our summer days. There is still lots of running on the porch to do, so you guys have a great rest of the summer and we will check in again soon.

July - Celebration

2010-07-17T21:57:00.001-06:00

We like to play it simple around here- buy $3.50 worth of fireworks and then watch our neighbors light up the sky with their $200 worth of fireworks. Elias got to stay up real late to watch our neighborhood fireworks and even sneaked in the town's fireworks over the skyline while we got him into bed. He liked it a lot!

Elias and Gwendolyn helped water the garden...Elias realized there was fun to be had and Gwendolyn was amazed that we were letting it happen.

No need to worry, she joined in.

Around and around the beans we go...

Elias took to splashing the mud on his sister and let me tell you both of them enjoyed it! Needless to say we hosed them off outside, stripped them down, showered them inside and put them to bed.

Elias is full of creativity, he made this horse "all by meself."

Jonathan and I celebrated our seven year anniversary this week. We got away for 24hrs while Nana watched the kids. It was wonderful. Visit here to see more of where we stayed.

Hope everyone is enjoying your summer!

Creative Spaces

2010-06-17T19:45:00.001-06:00

Here is a sneak peek of the kids table we recently finished.

More pictures and details in a later post.

While you wait here is our inspiration Knock-Off Wood.

A glimpse

2010-06-10T21:14:00.007-06:00

Kerri and Andrew visiting before they head off to Africa

Super Uncle at work

One special shot from our Mother's Day hike

A moment we don't want to forget

One step forward...

2010-04-11T09:39:00.005-06:00

and two steps back. That is what it seems like when you try and move with no job calling you on the other end leading your steps. We had decided to move down to Texas awhile back and hopefully be there this summer. As it turns out our time table is a little off. It has been nice to have a less cluttered house though.

We have been busy bees around here. Of course, the bees were our example as they pollinated our apricot tree this Spring. Here are some of our adventures.

The kids playing around the house

Dyeing playsilks with Kool-aid

Discovering Spring

Family visiting and enjoying the wind in our hair

Inspiring our kids to be creative and have a little fun

Hope you are enjoying this new season without the allergies that have taken over some of our family members.

"Happy Birthday to You!"

2010-03-14T16:29:00.004-06:00

Many Birthday Celebrations have taken place around our "hearth" in the last few months. We delightfully recognized our little girl as she had her first birthday.

Then a few weeks later we welcomed our big boy as he turned three. We did have a bit more drama for his special day because he understood the occasion and was eagerly awaiting his turn to have a birthday. As you can see, he has been learning a new skill. Not only him but Mommy and Daddy too. There just might be a future family activity we all will enjoy.

Spring is starting to awaken us from our winter slumber. Of course, it is snowing as I write this but we have had some beautiful weather. The kids and I have been drinking in the sunshine and fresh air. We try to take more walks and have the pleasure of walking down our alley to the river. Fiel even enjoyed this particular journey.

We hope you all are doing well. Our move to Texas seems so near and so far away at the same time. In the movies it seems so easy to move from one home to another but there are so many little and big details that have to be worked out. Having dreams can be easier than acting them out but as we move closer to them we are filled with excitement and worry. Thank you all for your encouragement as we venture into a new chapter in our family's book.

This time last year...

2010-01-26T14:50:00.003-07:00

I was beginning to bring our little girl into the world. I am ever grateful for Jonathan, Julie and Gina who helped in my time of need. It was a joyous, peaceful, entertaining birth but I'm glad I'm done birthing babies. Home births have been the best thing for our family. We have met some wonderful people and had great experiences welcoming our 'little' ones from the comfort of our home.

Long over due

2010-01-20T16:00:00.003-07:00

Family and Friends,

For those of you who check this regularly, we send our apology. The kids are growing and growing and growing. Y-Y is an official walker and slowly the knees of her pants will stay cleaner. I cannot believe that next week she will be a one-year-old. Perhaps it has been the lack of sleep that makes the days run together (much like my sentences) or how much she has learned to do in the last year that makes it feel like time has flown by. Her favorite activities include being outside, taking a bath, playing with her brother and running around in her birthday suit. This first birthday is special and simple.

Elias is talking non-stop and some days it blows my mind how little time it took for him to open up and speak so we could understand him. Then there are days where I think I am going to pull my hair out if he doesn't take a breath and stop talking for just-one-second. There is little peace, quiet and tranquility around these here parts but I am already feeling the pains of knowing these days are short and will be over soon and very soon.

Jonathan and I are freeing ourselves from the clutter that we have moved around for way too long and refuse to do it again. Goodwill is learning to big a big container over to the car when we drive up and we have a dumpster outside our house for the things that will regrettably go to the landfill. We are anxious to get the house up for sale and when we come home from our vacation to Texas we will finish up some projects and see about getting this house on the market.

I have been taking pictures of the children so you will get to see their darling little faces soon, just not with this post.

We hope you are all doing well and keeping warm this winter.

Through my eyes

2009-12-01T22:10:00.003-07:00

Family

2009-12-01T22:00:00.002-07:00

Good times and the reason why we are moving to Texas.

Moving from Zone 5 to Zone 8

2009-11-26T16:47:00.004-07:00

Just a quick little note to surprise some of you. We are putting our house up for sale this winter and moving to Texas after it sells. More details to come and pictures of the family.

**edited to add: though we had started packing and looking for a place to live in Texas, it is not not our plan and we hope you don't hold it against us. **

Wish lists for adults

2009-11-09T22:56:00.003-07:00

Please leave an anonymous comment below to remove an item from the list.

2 Klean Kanteen bottles 27 oz brushed stainless with loop lid
Jonathan - Pocket screw kit : this is just a page to show what it does.
Jonathan - Cabinet scrapers and burnisher (example)
Lynnette - Elizabeth Zimmerman knitting books: to "learn the fundamentals of knitting & designing"
Lynnette - Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon

Wish lists for kids

2009-11-04T23:02:00.005-07:00

We are so thankful for the love and attention you give our kids. Here are some ideas and for most things used items that can find a new home are welcomed and treasured.

***Please remember to leave an anonymous comment to this post so others will know it is no longer available, Thank you.***

Klean Kanteen sippy (Gwendolyn) and classic 12oz with loop lid (Elias): both in brushed stainless
Any of Ed Emberley's Drawing Books: Animals, Make a World, Trucks and Trains, Fingerprint.
Books to read together -subject ideas: colors, alphabet, birds, nature
Playsilks: (25x25, 30x30, 35x35) we will dye them ourselves.
Small pretend toys that allow for open ended play: small puppets, felt and/or wood food, dress up clothes (boy items especially) *Please no noise/battery powered/big toys
Usable materials for craft fun: stickers, foam, craft sticks, felt, paint

Elias' interests: Cooking, trains, music and dancing, the color blue, playing ball, reading, riding his tricycle, birds

Gwendolyn loves the water, music and dancing and playing with her brother

Crawling in Chaos

2009-09-24T18:00:00.006-06:00

This month as been a whirlwind. We are accustomed to a little less wind around our hearth. Labor Day weekend guests, a tea party, birthday party (guess who's 32?!...no, really I'm 27), speech therapy twice a month, a concert this weekend, you name it, we might have it on our list.

Our thresh hold has seen it's fair share of great people this month and we will even have some repeats.

It's my birthday and I can smile big if I want to...

As you can imagine the forecast is windy with little change in the foreseeable future. I'll show you why.

He's two and wants to act accordingly,

and she is movable, very movable.

I also have my recent wedding photos due to deliver this weekend. The finishing touches are almost done. Boy-Howdy!

And speaking of weather...around these parts winter wanted to give us a taste of what we are in for...and made us turn on the furnace to heat our house to keep it warm enough so our two sick kids could have a fighting chance of getting better. Yeah. September and it's been COLD! Let's hope October holds on to its reputation as our favorite month.

Labor Day Sights

2009-09-07T11:52:00.003-06:00

Hope this weekend has been a good one.

A bit of summer

2009-08-27T14:52:00.004-06:00

Things are really starting to get "bees-y" around here.

The harvest from this year's garden is coming in,

Fiel is keeping "her" yard clear of riffraff,

our little girl is getting her crawling knees

and our son is keeping it real with Dada in tow.

Jonathan just went to California to meet some people he will be working for with his new Captivate work and I will be the photographer at a wedding this weekend.

MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) will be starting up on the 1st of September, family will be visiting for the first half of September and appointments and crazy children will be filling in the gaps.

We hope you all have had a great summer.

Lynnette's wish list

2009-08-22T14:42:00.010-06:00

Please leave an anonymous comment at the bottom of this post of the item to be marked off the list so other people will know the gift has already been purchased. Refer to this post if you have questions about Wish Lists and how they work, why we are posting them and how to search for other Wish Lists.

Bias Tape tools for sewing: 1", 1/2"
The Creative Family by Amanda Soule
any Treasure knitting books by Barbara G. Walker
Interweave Knits magazine
Slow and Steady Get Me Ready by June Oblerlander
The Preschooler's Busy Book by Trish Kuffner
Yarn and fabric: any shape color and size (this item will not be marked off because one cannot have too much yarn or fabric...finding storage for all of it is a different matter.) Although here are some great yarns.. Peaches & Creme, yarn from etsy sellers
Hammock
Creative Versa Tool : it is a wood, leather etc. burning kit

Used and homemade gifts are also welcomed with love and thankfulness.

You guys eat this stuff?!

2009-08-13T20:18:00.002-06:00

Don't be fooled by the pictures. She loves it now. They all come around sooner or later. I must confess that it is hard to see our little baby girl moving so quickly through this stage. Two teeth, solid foods, no more "baby tuck" which is one of my favorite things, army crawling around the house, sitting up by herself for a bit, sitting in a grocery cart with the belt on...oh how the list goes on.

Wish list introduction

2009-08-13T15:09:00.006-06:00

Hello Family,

I know some of you ask for ideas for birthdays and Christmas but don't want us to repeat ideas that we gave other people so here is our attempt at a solution. We will be posting Wish Lists for each member of the family with sizing and interests if applicable. A list will be up for each person in our family and a general family list, if you would like to send an item on the list leave an anonymous comment on the post for us to mark it off the list so no one else will duplicate the gift. I will try to make the lists easy to find but if you are having trouble you should look at the labels and look for "Wish Lists". Each member will have a separate post. Hope this helps.

This feature is not a cry for gifts but as an aid for those who would like to use it.

We love homemade gifts, handwritten letters and new-to-us items.

Thank you for your continued interest in our family. You are greatly appreciated.

It's a chocolate kind of day

2009-08-05T13:33:00.002-06:00

If you start your day off with little sleep because your six-month-old decided to wake up at odd times during the night and you know the morning is going to be hectic and she will miss her morning nap...then sneak some chocolate chips from the fridge while no is watching.

If you have to go to the Farmer's Market in the middle of the day when it is HOT outside while pushing an umbrella stroller (that has two front wheels that like to lock up at every inconvenient time), holding on to a two-year-old's hand ( meaning you're pushing the stubborn stroller one handed) all all while carrying your lunch with full ice water drinks (I like the Kretschmer wheat germ jars with lid), needed paperwork and the camera you just can't leave at home because you might miss a great shot in your Eco-friendly reusable bag...then you deserve a little bit of chocolate while the kids are "napping".

If your now movable baby and toddler have recked the house and you can't seem to muster the extra willpower to clean it up because you know as soon as they wake up it will revert back to its state of chaos...then you might need to motivate yourself with some chocolate.

I apologize for the run on sentences. My editor is off working his other job.

Tricycling for Health and Pleasure

2009-08-02T19:11:00.005-06:00

Jonathan here. Elias has now learned to ride his tricycle all by himself. He can even steer it in circles on the porch. It seems the largest hurdle in the learning curve arose when we first brought the tricycle back from Texas and Daddy the Handyman put the front wheel on backwards. Yes, that's right. The pedals would only engage successfully and turn the wheel when pedaling backwards. And it only took something like a year for us to figure it out.

I'm happy to say that once that little problem was cleared up, our boy took to it like a duck to water, or bread at the park, or whatever else ducks take to easily and naturally.

On a completely unrelated topic, the bar stools that I started building sometime last summer (are we seeing a trend here that involves Jonathan taking at least a year to do ______ ?) are now 90%+ complete. That is, they are built, the bases are painted and sanded, and the first coat of polyurethane has been applied. If we're lucky, the things might even be done and in our kitchen by tomorrow or the next day. We should not focus on how long it's taken to fulfill this wish (kitchen island and barstools) but merely the pleasure of at last being able to eat cereal in the kitchen. I might even have to go out and get a special box. Of cereal, that is.

You know you read too many blogs when...

2009-08-02T18:00:00.002-06:00

Hi, my name is Lynnette and I am a blogaholic. Throughout the day I write posts in my head that are witty, full of pictures and informative. Unfortunately, when I get on the computer and sit down to actually write a post they turn out nothing like what I had in mind. So I console myself by spending way too much time reading other peoples' blogs. You might be wondering what on earth could be so interesting that I would let laundry pile up, dishes consume my kitchen and toys take permanent residence on the living room rug. For those of you who actually are wondering and have a few hours to kill...please indulge with me:

The Pioneer Woman: This is a new one for me but it has me hook, line and sinker. Ree's must read is her Black Heels to Tractor Wheels.
Blue Yonder: It is truly a hoot to read about Stefani's days with her boys. Don't overlook this recipe for Blue Yonder daily bread...it is a constant at our house now. We love it. Daily.
Balancing Everything: All I can say is that I often read bits of Jessica's posts to Jonathan while laughing my head off. Here is a good example.
Centsational Girl: DIY galore with thrift store finds. It inspired me to redo a base cabinet we had in our upstairs bathroom that was moved to the laundry room and finally upstairs in our nook to be my wonderful sewing table. (pictures to come)

And just so you don't think I am a total slacker...yesterday, I made four loaves of whole wheat bread (for which I ground fresh flour from our 50 lb. bag of wheat sitting in our kitchen), made a batch of whole wheat peanut butter cookies, and cleaned the kitchen, washed a load of cloth diapers and hung it outside to dry before the rain came in, took care of our two little spitfires (one that is potty training) and lived to tell you about it. I have my days. Good and bad. Blogs keep me sane.

Introducing Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Meador

2009-07-30T18:11:00.008-06:00

I had the great privilege to photograph Kerri's (SIL) wedding this last month. It was a gorgeous outdoor wedding and reception that provided the perfect atmosphere for the joining of these two people in marriage.

*Please do not print images from this post. The image displayed will not be a high quality print. *

Getting Mouthy

2009-07-25T13:34:00.005-06:00

Gwendolyn wearing Mommy's baby dress

Our little girl sure does have a pair of lungs on her, and she uses this high shrill scream to convey her frustration. I know this because we are working on her consistently sleeping through the night. It seems our kids like to tag team us during the night, and I must admit that I am feeling a wee bit tired.

Breast feeding is going well, though I would be fine if she didn't give me such horrible faces when I try to introduce her to some cereal. (You will have to imagine the photo since I am having issues transferring my photos from my camera to the computer - I will include them in the posts when I figure it out.)

Gwendolyn (or "Baby G." as Jonathan tries to find a name Elias can say - right now it is "y-y" perhaps because she catches his attention when she is crying) has two bottom teeth emerging. As far as we can tell she has only been fussy, but no ear infections so we are thankful.

And the biggest change for our little girl has been the change to cloth diapers. It means more work for poor mama, but it seems to be working out fine. We are very thankful to Grandma Jewel for helping us make this change. I spent too long trying to figure everything out but finally bit the bullet and purchased a variety to see what works best for us. If you would like to see where and what I purchased please go to http://www.babycottonbottoms.com/. Here's some links to show you what we found.

thirsties diaper covers - 2
thirsties duo covers-2
prefolds- dozen
flannel fitted diapers ( cover needed) -3
thirsties AIO Pocket diaper-1
liners-1 roll
bags for dirty diapers I got a lavender and chocolate size big

I really like the AIO pocket diaper because it is the easiest to put on, not as bulky and I can add prefolds to last through the night. But it takes longer to dry than the prefolds. We are line drying our diapers and it sun bleaches them and I have no idea what I will do come winter. Line drying allows the diapers to last longer.

Our little girl has lost a lot of her hair due to cradle cap, or rather the removal of the cradle cap. She is rolling all over the place and trying to get her knees up while holding herself up with her arms. So crawling may not be too far away. OH BOY! She still needs help sitting up but is getting stronger every day.

I hope these posts bring you joy and the pictures that will soon accompany them.

A quick learner.. sometimes

2009-07-21T16:13:00.004-06:00

Elias has a visitor twice a month, and her name is Ms. Becky. She is a miracle worker. Their first meeting was great, and that day Elias added five new words! Since that day he is practically unstoppable. He has not only begun to use "English" words but he is also able to pick out the letters "O", "A" and "E".

He is a spitfire though. Elias is jumping on the 2 year old bandwagon and giving me a run for my money...if I was paid, that is. It is amazing how quickly the complete joy of hearing Mama quickly turns into total frustration when you hear it every second of the day. Is that white hair on my head?!

Elias loves to tell us when the train is rolling through town. EVERY SINGLE TIME! Choo Choo! Since we live close to the tracks...well he gets practice making train sounds. He also loves lining his cars on the piano, playing in the dirt outside, singing and reading, helping us cook and watching videos.

Potty training is also in the works, but it is still a hit and miss activity...literally, but we are proud of his attempts.

Sometimes it is hard to remember that he is only two, because in many ways he has grown up so fast and can do so many things. Time is flying by and before we know it our little ones will not be little anymore; as I was reminded as I cried a bit over Elias' baby clothes before sending them off to clothe another little boy.

If any of you have suggestions for activities/learning that we can do together (or by himself) please leave a post or email me the suggestions. I am trying to use our days effectively but I must admit that most days I seem at a loss. Thanks.

Vintage cycling, anyone?

2009-06-20T17:43:00.006-06:00

This is the point where everyone born twenty to fifty years before the seventies says, what? Vintage? What does that make me? I took a couple shots of my latest motorcycle today for reasons that will remain obscure, but I liked the pictures, so I thought I'd put a couple up. For the record, it's a 1972 Honda CB350 twin, the best-selling bike in America. Well, not the '72, but the CB350 in general, which only sold from '68 or so through somewhere around '75. Vintage racing outfits all over the states have picked up most of these old bikes, although one old guy I know here in Fremont County has about 1,000 of these sitting in tractor trailers on some property outside the small town of Florence.

My neighbor had this bike sitting behind his shed for at least six years. I kept seeing it every time I went outside and kept thinking to myself, I wonder if I could get that bike to run? Happily, the answer was yes. After stripping it down to basically the frame and the engine (mostly for some deep cleaning), I managed to get it put back together with only a small handful of misc. parts left over. Changed the oil, greases, spark plugs, new battery, tore the carbs completely down to deep clean them and put them back together again with new gaskets and fuel lines, added a few newish parts (used parts in decent shape from ebay), did lots and lots of cleaning and polishing getting all the caked on grease and rust off, and that was about it. Put it all back together and hope it runs, which it does, wonderfully. It still needs a paint job and a new headlight bucket, but we can't have everything at once. Mostly we're figuring out that I just like to tinker with things.

Bedtime Stories

2009-06-20T08:23:00.003-06:00

Good day to you all!

Last night as I was trying to fall asleep, thanks to a delicious cup of coffee at 9pm, I began to spin a delightful treat for our kids' storytimes. The best part is you all will be telling the stories!

I will be sending out letters soon that will have the instructions of how you can help. Have no fear, you only have to write four lines of the story and you will have a line to help you get started. It will be a silly story for sure but the kids will love it. When everyone has added their own mark to the story it will be featured on this blog for all to enjoy. In fact, there will be several stories to share so watch your mailbox and Hunter's Hearth.

If you would like to participate please make sure to send us word in the comment section below this post or by emailing us so no one is left out by mistake.

Also, I would like to get a collection of songs for the kids sung by his extended family. In a perfect world it would be nice if they were in video form so he can see you but on tape or CD will work too. I know we all can't travel as much as we would like but we can still pass on memories. If we can figure out how to include them on the blog we will so you can all enjoy them. We might even include some for you all to watch too!

Summer Fun

2009-06-09T15:22:00.006-06:00

water + little boy= fun

...and a very wet boy

Gwendolyn enjoying our picnic lunch outside under the cottonwood tree

Elias learning how to maintain his bike

Mama and Elias

As you can see Elias is recovering nicely from his fall two weeks ago. We just got back from a tour of a local ranch in town. Elias loved seeing all the animals though he still enjoys touching the smaller ones that he can pet.

Qwendolyn is enjoying her new found talent...rolling over! But the poor little girl seems to have some allergies that are keeping her eyes all watery.

Thanks to all the family for checking in on our blog. The comments section is always open for you to say hello. We hope you all have a great summer.

A study of Gwendolyn

2009-06-02T21:45:00.003-06:00

2 June 2009: Gwendolyn

A little boy's voice

2009-05-29T20:43:00.006-06:00

In the land of "Daddy" this and "Dada" that, a new character enters the scene... "MaMa".

Today was a doozie, but at the end of the day my child finally decided to call me "MaMa". With a gleam in his eyes and a smile spread across his face, he clearly called out my name as I freaked out, clapped and squealed with delight. Again and again.

There is nothing like hearing your wee ones call out to you.

D70s

2009-05-28T11:24:00.003-06:00

Those of you who know me well will realize what a stretch it is for me to say this... I own a digital camera by choice. Jonathan surprised me with a Nikon D70s. It is a digital SLR body that I can use with my lenses from my N4004. I will be taking photos at a special wedding next month which was a great excuse to take the plunge into the digital world more seriously. Also, I have not been able to practice my darkroom skills or for that matter my film skills either. So, now with the digital SLR I will be able to practice without breaking our bank. We have been saving money here and there as we sold the extra stuff that has been just collecting dust and cluttering our home. It is always hard for me to buy the bigger purchases but we are so excited for me to pursue a passion that has been sitting on the back burner waiting for me to pay it some attention. I'm not giving up on the black and white darkroom magic but in this season of our lives it will have to wait.

I want to stretch myself so if you have an experiment or specific shot you would like to see let me know and I would love to take a stab at it. Please email me or leave a comment, and I will get back to you.

Morning Glories in the Land of Night Owls

2009-05-26T16:55:00.003-06:00

6 internal stitches and 13 external put Elias' face back together again.

Well, around 8:10 p.m. last night as we were getting Elias ready for bed, an incident occurred. Lynnette was in the bathroom and I was upstairs as Elias came down the upper staircase to the landing to head into the bathroom and finish brushing his teeth. All we know is that there was a whump! followed by screaming and lots of blood. Lynnette immediately grabbed a washcloth, screaming for me, and put pressure on the wound. I tried to calm her down and mop up a little of the blood, thinking all the red might be adding to everyone's hysterics. Then we looked at the wound and saw a gaping hole over an inch long, over half an inch wide and at least as deep.

2 minutes later we were out the door with Gwendolyn in her carrier, my mom on her way to meet us at the hospital, and two pairs of my shoes on our feet, one for me and one for Lynnette. It was surely a record departure for us, even if our wardrobe somewhat suffered for it.

So it was his first car ride in the front seat. I conveniently forgot which roads take us straight to the hospital.

(Lynnette writing now)

We were at our local Emergency Rooom from 8:30pm to about 11pm and then after a short stop off at the house so I could change into something without blood on it and some diapers ( which didn't make it on our first trip to the EM) we headed to the Springs for their EM. From 12am to 6:30am we forced ourselves to stay away while we waited, waited and waited some more and finally got Elias stitched up and waited for him to wake back up. I tell you he has never watched so many cartoons! Jonathan and Ms. Marcia kept each other awake on the hour ride home and thankfully at 8:30am we laid our heads on much missed pillows. Only to awake two hours later. Oh... parenthood. We used to choose to do all nighters!

Elias is doing well. We have our instructions and Monday we have an appointment to get his stitches out. We will let you know how everything goes.

We hope for no major scarring but I think they said in 6 to 12 months we should know if anything else needs to be done. ( or was I dreaming this.. who knows. )

Red Cheeked Fun

2009-05-21T09:28:00.005-06:00

" Isn't my hair the greatest!"

Papa enjoying "Wendy's" grins

The Hunter's first family trip to the zoo....(Gwendolyn is sleeping)

Elias' favorite ..the otter

" Did you seriously pick the hottest day to come to the zoo?"

" Don't look now but there are some man cubs on our backs"

We went to the zoo this week with the whole gang and two special additions. Papa and Abuela came to visit us this week and we had so much fun going to see all the animals for the very first time. Elias' favorite was the otter who was rescued from a waterless life and now enjoys to swim for little tykes like our son. He did such a great job at the zoo and walked the whole time...2.5 hrs in the high 90's... we blame the Texans for the hot weather. =)

Qwendolyn is all smiles and giggles these days...ok and a bit of fussiness too. She loves to have her big brother sing to her when she is upset and wants to see all that is going on around her. She has a well-child visit next week and we will let you know how she is "measuring up".

Jonathan has started his new job at Wal-Mart. He is the most attractive deli-worker the store has seen. And yes, he does wear the hair-net.

Rainy Day Surprise

2009-05-16T13:25:00.003-06:00

Well, it may not be raining where you are sitting, but we woke up to grey, wet skies this morning. It has been a bit of a rough morning, too. But as Jonathan was home on lunch break, Elias looked at me and let me know he knew something was different. I told him to go sit on his potty (we have already gone through the motions a few times and he understood what he needed to do). Well.... out came an excited, naked-from-the-waist-down boy wanting to show his parents his success. Success it was! Back and forth we went from his potty to the big potty making deposits of his glorious achievements.

His reward besides his Daddy and "Daddy" .. still no "Mommy" =( was a PB Mellow.

Ruffled Bum

2009-05-05T21:20:00.003-06:00

Peek-a-boo

I'm having some tummy time

If I lie still, the tiger won't see me, right?

I couldn't resist getting a shot of those ruffles on her sweet little bum. Gwendolyn's also wearing a little dress that I wore when I was a baby. I figured if she was going to wear it, I better do it now as she is growing so quickly.

Gardening

2009-05-04T20:28:00.004-06:00

Spring Love

Rhubarb

Potatoes

Last year's onions that survived and were moved to this new prime spot.

Thornless blackberry from my Grandpa's garden in Oklahoma

I'm behind I think in this year's gardening experience. I do have some seeds started indoors but they seem to have stopped growing much..we'll see. With Mother's Day coming up it is safe to start in ernest to get my garden up and running.

We watched five deer walk down our alley this evening which is not abnormal and the cheeky things have gotten into the garden already even though they have not had much to nibble on. Being right by the river they are always around. I do prefer them to the bears we had last year... which is also common.

Please share your gardens with us too. I love to marvel at everyone's green thumbs.

The going-ons

2009-05-04T20:08:00.004-06:00

Can you guess who is two?

You can't see us...

The chef hard at work making pizza

Carnival Time!

Kids and their love of playing with water

Oh what a weekend

2009-04-26T08:02:00.003-06:00

Thursday night I started to feel not normal but it wasn't until Friday morning that I knew I was under the weather. Low grade fevers, shivers, sore throats and an aching body. Yes, you know exactly the type of sicko I was. Thankfully, Jonathan has been here to hold the family together. He waited on all of us and I am so thankful for his care. It has been off and on but I have mostly stayed in bed and complained as is par for sickos. Last night was the last straw though. Gwendolyn started crying and would not stop. I tried to nurse her but she would have non of it. And if you know me, when I am sick, loud noises are painful. Well, trying to soothe a SCREAMING baby was not quite. Jonathan and I kept passing her off to each other and finally we calmed her down enough to nurse and then sleep. It felt like we tried everything! I'm glad she was asleep cause this little lady needed to get more sleep and start feeling better...after all I only have one more day to recover before the weekend is over.

Elias has been a champ mostly and that has made things ten times better.

We finally had our Easter egg hunt. Elias enjoyed it and we will have pictures up soon.

Playdates

2009-04-18T13:25:00.005-06:00

"What!!! girls don't wear blue? Well I do and look gorgeous!"

Elias sleeping with Papa Bear

Elias' Easter slippers

Gwendolyn's cloth shoes I made for Easter

Gwendolyn's legwarmers

Friday was filled with playdates of sorts. In the morning we ventured out into the rain/snow to a friend's house six blocks away to play with a boy about Elias' age and his older sister. It took a little bit of nudging but he played and had a morning snack with his new playmates. Later that evening we were invited over for some pizza at another house. Elias took no time at all in warming up to the fire engine bed and toys... well and of course playing with an agreeable playmate who seemed pleased enough to bang on ottomans and look into a pellet stove with excitement. Hugs were exchanged freely and hopefully new friends were made.

The shoes and legwarmers were made by me but the knit cartigan was knit by my Aunt Annie and the bear Elias is sleeping with was made by Jonathan's Grandma and Mum. Thank you all who share your love with our family. We truly do appreciate you and all that you do for our family.

The Twitter of a Crafter's Heart

2009-04-11T08:11:00.005-06:00

Photo: Gwendoyln enjoying her Moby Wrap

I am a knitter, hear me roar. This little knitting lioness is about to embark on a whole new adventure...sewing. Yesterday, Jonathan and I went on a date/shopping trip to the Springs. Joann's was our first stop and I was delighted.

.99 cent Simplicity patterns - bought 8
clear ruler with angle marks
rotary cutter
self-healing mat - 24"x36"
Pinking shears
dressmaker pins (with big heads) - 175ct
5 tapestry needles (Elias is learning to sew with cardboard shapes that are holepunched)

Gwendolyn was a wonderful third wheel for the evening and Elias enjoyed time with his Nana.

Grins and Giggles

2009-04-02T14:55:00.006-06:00

photo: Gwendolyn grinning but not really giggles

photo: Elias showing us a thumbs up while eating his cracker

photo: a rare treat.. Mommy in the picture too!

photo: exploring the world around us

Longer days means more time to figure out what to do with a toddler that won't sit still unless it is for a video. I have been looking all over for ideas of what to do with Elias and trying to set some type of schedule so I don't lose my mind. The picture above is an experiment to play a sort of twister game while learning shapes, colors and following directions. He does pretty well and actually can identify all the shapes but it tends to be a short lived game. Glue sticks were a good thought but he has trouble getting enough glue on the paper for it to stick so we might just have to go with the messy stuff... he might like that more anyway. =) Today we made pinecones covered in peanut butter and then rolled in bird seed. Messy, the dog wanted them, the squirrels commandeered them but it was something sorta fun...plus we got to eat some peanut butter afterwards. Yum!

If anyone has any ideas for me please leave a comment by clicking on the title of the post or on the word "# messages" at the bottom of the post and make sure to leave a name if you don't have an account so we know who to thank.

oh! I almost forgot. The kids recently went for their well-child visits and here are the results:

Elias: has an echo screening May 1st beacause he has chosen not to speak much

30 lbs
37.5"

Gwendolyn:

12 lbs
23.25"

A Black-eyed Monkey

2009-03-28T16:53:00.006-06:00

Photos: Gwendolyn and Elias; an afternoon craft- EliasTown; Gwendolyn blowing bubbles; Elias playing in the snow; our little climbing monkey

Yes, you did see correctly our little boy has his first black eye. I say first because Jonathan tells me that little boys like how "cool" it looks to have a black eye and I am sure there will be more, although it breaks my heart to see him hurt. Elias and Fiel were playing and Elias first got bonked by Fiel and then by the dining table. He allowed us to put some frozen peas on his face and decided it was a good time to eat a snack and since the peas were there he started munching...and munching.. and then wanted some in a bowl so he could snack more in the living room. Who would have thought, frozen peas!

Jonathan and I started a little project of drawing and coloring in a little town that Elias can drive his cars around. Elias "helped" with sidewalk chalk which you can see at the top. We have a bit more to do and it has received some more work that is not in the picture but we will put up the finished copy when it is done.

For some reason Gwendolyn's favorite spot is her car carrier. The crib is fixed up and in the room but she rarely lays in it. She has taken to taking up most of mommy's side of the bed or sleeping in her car carrier at night.

We just had a snow storm and got LOTS of snow. Of course Elias wanted to play in it so Jonathan bundled the two of them up and walked around our property with Fiel running around them. Elias pulls that green wagon everywhere! In the house and outside. If we are missing anything there is a good chance he has decided to pull it around in his wagon.

Boys! I just don't understand them sometimes. With all the falling down Elias has done this week you would think he wouldn't want to put himself in a position to get hurt but he has quite the adventureous spirit. You can imagine Mommy was biting her nails ( I know I know) waiting to get him down while Daddy took some pictures.

Elias is also learning some many new things like: changing his sister's diaper ( no kidding! ), saying some things like "It's hot", "Fiel" and "truck" .

Gwendolyn has her first well-child visit on Monday. So we can give you more news about her then.

Hope you are all enjoying the pictures and little bits of everyday news. Please feel free to leave a comment so we know you have dropped by.

Lynnette's Teeth Are So White

2009-03-23T14:36:00.006-06:00

Since I am forced to choose only 1 photo of our beautiful little primate, I will choose the photo that I took. Really. It's the best.

Observe the knitting needles at the local watering hole. Bundled up against the chill, they're looking rather cozy. Kindly disregard the fact that Joe is sitting in a teacup. He'd be embarassed.

Oh my gosh! A four-eyed, coffee-sucking anteater!!! And Lynnette said there'd be no room for sugar and cream...

If it's blurry, there's a reason. This photo was posted in response to a remark made by a man that has not had children in a very long time and seems to be enjoying the fact a little too thoroughly.

Here we see the happy baby in its natural setting. She's obviously got milk, money, and moonbeams on the mind.

Yes, he got up there all by himself. More spectacular was the front flip with a 180 that he did to dismount, but the camera couldn't handle the badness.

Nana treated us to ice cream yesterday as a thank you for us letting her help us clean out our ditches. We told her that it presented no difficulty for us whatsoever, though with the Economy the way it is, she might have to start paying for rake and wheelbarrow rentals in the future.

I just found this picture on a dvd today and thought I would share it. Don't ask me why.

It speaks to me.

The Sights of Spring

2009-03-21T18:29:00.005-06:00

Elias deciding what to do first

Our first pollenating bee on our apricot tree

Gwendolyn and Mommy

This morning the garden was calling out names, " Jonathan.....Lynnette.... come get your hands dirty." So, we gathered the wee ones and headed out to the garden.

Mocha enjoying just chillin' in the morning sun

And of course Mocha loves to be a part of the action. We have roughly planned out how the rows will be spaced but one goal we had for this year's garden was that it would be watered with or without our thought. We already had the "fence" up from last year which determined our boundaries and we needed to plan how to run the water through the garden for the irrigation water. And then we got to work while some of us watched.

Jonathan and Elias tilling the garden

I hope you enjoy seeing our progress. Our hope is that you will see lots of green this summer and yummy vegetables to show for all this hard work. I must say March has been a great work out month for me with digging, raking, hoeing and the like.

Happy Spring everyone.

When God Closes a Door...

2009-03-18T09:05:00.003-06:00

Jonathan here:

Well, I suppose several of you know that I'm unemployed and looking for work. I did not get the cable installation job, as optimistic as we were about it, so, it's on to whatever else we can scrounge up.

The good news of sorts is that I've set something of a personal record for job hunting in the number of jobs I've applied for in the last week and a half. Contrary to popular belief, there are still plenty of jobs available in this Economy that everyone is so scared of, there just may be slightly stiffer competition for some of them.

While it's true that a lot of people are getting laid off across the nation, many of them are professionals whose careers and skill sets are miles beyond my own. That's probably why many of them find the layoffs so devastating. I suppose if I was used to having a great job with a great future, looking forward to retirement or whatnot and then had it all snatched out from under me, I'd freak out a little, too.

Anyway, wish us luck while looking for those open windows. :)

In other news, the tiller is running again, kind of. I think it's an angry monster that wants to eat me, but we'll try to feed it the dirt and compost in the garden instead. Pictures of tillers, gardens, small children and babies to follow hopefully later today.

Sneaking a peek

2009-03-14T09:51:00.005-06:00

Photo: Gwendolyn and Elias ( with a haircut ) with Jonathan

Photo: Elias saw us carrying the bed up and took the initiative to help.

Photo: Jonathan showing his skills while we read Elias his bedtime story

Can you hear me?

2009-03-09T13:45:00.004-06:00

This morning we took Elias to have his 2-year well child visit. We knew what they would be concerned about but braved the waters anyway. Elias has chosen not to speak very much but is very responsive, can hear very well and uses sign language. Despite this, the medical field is concerned that Elias is not developing as he "should". Mind you he can use some more playtime with other kids and I will be trying to get that for both of us.. well, adult conversation for me. Otherwise, Elias is growing well and has no major problems. Eczema is a bother but he has not had major outbreaks in a long time. I would give you his weight and height but they forgot to write it down and he is taking his nap right now so it will have to wait.

In other news we will soon be able to grind our own wheat grains, dry our own produce and make some great food as the growing season begins again.

Also, I have added a few more helpful features to the blog. One, you can subscribe to the blog to know when a new post has been...well posted. Second, we would like to add your blog to our "Loved Ones' Blogs" list on the right side. Please leave us a comment with your blog's name and we will add it to the list.

Thank you and hope you have a wonderful day.

Elias Goes Potty!

2009-03-08T11:24:00.002-06:00

Our little boy is growing up. He wanted to take his diaper off and sit on his potty this morning, and while there went tinkle tinkle! Hahaha, we did the potty dance and gave him chocolate. I suppose now Mommy and Daddy, a.k.a. Lynnette and I, ought to take some initiative and help him turn this experience into an everyday kind of thing. Good times, good times.

Goodbye (and Good riddance! says Lynnette)

2009-03-07T17:35:00.004-07:00

Photo: 1978 Suzuki GS1000

Well, after four years of sitting in our various garages (at three different houses) collecting dust, getting taken apart and being put back together again, we said goodbye today to our first motorcycle. We sold the bike for the full asking price to a couple of enthusiasts who drove all the way down from Denver. They were actually former Harley riders who got tired of the scene and converted to these old Japanese bikes. One of them flips houses for a living and the other was a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate working on his dissertation in biological anthropology while teaching anthropology at Regis University in Denver. He formerly practiced law and will now specialize in the evolution of primate and hominid brains. I mention all of this merely because, being the small-town fellow I am, I found it all terribly fascinating. However, I am going through a bit of withdrawal now that the garage is empty.

Lynnette and I will split the proceeds of the bike sale (as we traded her car for the bike in the first place, it's only fair that she get at least a share of the takings), and she will be shopping for a food dehydrator and grain mill while I look around for another bike, something a little smaller, probably, and a lot cheaper that will leave me the financial room to put the little money into it that it will need.

Check up

2009-03-06T14:56:00.002-07:00

For many of you this post many not be of much interest but for those that are interested...

We went to see our midwife today to check how Gwendolyn Moira and I are doing after about six weeks. The results were great. I am completely healed and no complaints besides seasonal allergies. Gwendolyn has great head control and is growing beautifully. She curently weighs 11lbs 7 oz and is 23" long and her hair is still long and dark.

Elias loves holding, kissing, hugging and dancing with his little sister. He really loves having her around and can't wait until she is old enough to play with him.

Thank you for all the support and love that has been sent our way. May this Spring bring new life into your days as Gwendolyn has in ours.

Introducing our new family member

2009-03-03T21:47:00.004-07:00

Photo: created by Lynnette Hunter