Wednesday, November 14, 2012

around the house : : progress


these two deer come every afternoon to eat fallen apples... we have been enjoying them so much... maiko is sure that one day he will get close enough to pet one



grammy and grampy's chuckers.... they visit often too.... they are really fun birds... great markings and they make the most interesting sounds



a new space for me... right now it's crowded into a corner but i am still thoroughly enjoying this little space of my own... and i'm beginning to realize how badly i needed it


in this new space i can feel free to leave out my sewing projects as well because it is my space.... and being able to leave them out makes it so much easier to make progress


have i mentioned how much i love succulents? seriously.... a plant that thrives on neglect.... and is beautiful... the one on the right literally came back from the dead this year... like i said.... love them


search and rescue... awesome game... we can't get enough of it right now.... it's a cooperative game so we all work together to find and rescue a missing little girl, an older man, a young woman, and a family..... if you click on my "book shop" tab up above it will take you to my amazon shop and in the games section you can find this game and many of our other favorites.... if your interested


painting progress... i have actually painted up that stairway now and it looks so good.... i am almost finished with the living room.... i bought a beautiful chocolate colored brown for the door (below) this weekend along with about eight gallons for the upstairs!!! so exciting!! this method of painting has been working so well for me... just a little bit at a time.... it takes patience.... but it is working


isn't it amazing how a few well placed hooks can make life so much simpler? and so much more tidy






we recently adopted eight more chickens and two more ducks bringing us up to a grand total of fourteen chickens and four ducks.... and we love them.... it's such a beautiful group.... the pictures i took really don't do that duck any justice... it has such a beautiful sheen of colors

i feel so excited about so many things right now. i can't wait to share more of them with you as they all progress. it seems like we have so many little and big things happening all at once. i must say the one i'm the most excited about is something i've been calling "the great room swap around" because that is pretty much exactly what it is (more on that soon). then of course there is christmas right around the corner.... it's funny... i never would have pictured myself getting this excited about a holiday, but oh, it is so much fun when you are sharing it with children. we have so many little traditions now... which i think is a huge part of why we have so much fun. 

do you have any special christmas traditions?

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

learning to let go


apple picking grampy style




i just love her style.... layers upon layers.... and usually backwards too


the beginning of yet another project (what i should really show you is the one he just finished...... beautiful)


layla's office..... i swear she can make it look like this in an hour.... sigh.... i think some office organizing supplies are in order for christmas


the "issue" of maiko doing his evening reading was instantly solved as soon as i gave in and let him read to his little sister instead of me....


one of the many deer that have been enjoying the apples that i didn't get picked



taking breakfast to daddy


the chuckers scratching up my bark chips... they are lucky i like them so much


one sick sweetheart snuggling another



each year i have raised my expectations of myself and what i should be able to accomplish in a season but i have discovered that this year it has gotten quite hard to keep up. so, i am slowly but steadily letting go of some of those expectations and trying very hard not to feel guilty about it.... the apples are still getting eaten right?.... and little bit by little bit as i carefully decide which projects are the best use of my dwindling time i am suddenly finding my life so much more manageable and i really like it that way.