Stilts and Marshmallows

It's been forever since I blogged. But here it goes.

Wade and Bret spent a couple of nights in the garage building stilts out of scrap wood.

Bret spends every spare moment practicing! He's much better now then when we took the pictures this morning!

So proud to have an innovative son, and a husband who can help make his son's ideas reality!

What are we do to with left over marshmallows? We had a little fun tonight!

Indoor S'mores! Graham Cracker, Vanilla Frosting, Melted Chocolate Chips and a Marshmallow on top! Yum!

Lilly after her indoor S'more!

This is a princess wand! Well, I guess Garret and Bret's were prince wands!

I thought they'd ditch the pretzel, but they all ate the whole thing!

We're missing Rachel and Wade tonight. Rachel is hanging with friends, and Wade is at his sister's election party. Sorry I couldn't be with Wade, but I want to get these sugar high kids in bed at a decent hour.

One Year Later

A year ago this week we were moving into our new home!   For a long time, Wade and I dreamed of one day living in the country.  Wade wanted to walk out his back door and shoot his gun without anyone noticing!  I dreamed of trees for neighbors instead of houses.  We both wanted our children to have the freedom and adventure that came with living on acreage.

After many years of praying, saving and waiting - the Lord brought us to His perfect place.   We're so thankful that Jim and Mary patiently waited for our house to sell.  Especially grateful to the Lord for working out all the details.  So, here we are a year later.  The pictures are in date order from the middle of February - forward.

Here are a few of the lady bugs we've managed to rescue.  They like to come into the laundry room during the winter months.

The view last week from the school room.  It's hard for me to keep schooling, looking at this makes me want to run outside!

Garret and Lilly hard at work in the school room!

Rachel doing her math in the office.  

Bret - "Oh, was I supposed to tell you when I finished my math?"

A view from the front.

The new rope swing!

Our running track.  The kids and I are getting fit with the Presidential Fitness program.

Every kid needs a place to dig!

The winter garden.

Thankful for all the wood cut last summer!  We've been toasty warm all winter!

Bret's taken an interest in football.

He and Wade play catch almost every evening!

An Azelia bush I brought from Mt. Airy.  This was a gift from a cousin when Wade's mom passed away.  I couldn't leave it there.  It warms my heart to see it blooming again!

This is Sal.  He's one of our new kittens.  What a great hunter he turned out to be.  We love it when he gets a mouse.  I'm not as happy when it's a bird.

Almond Blossom Parade and Party!

The Almond Blossom Festival is an annual event in our town.  We call ourselves the Almond Capital of the World. 

This year the celebration was a little more special for the Crew's!  We've been enjoying our own Almond Blossoms!  We were also glad to have two of Wade's co-workers and families join us for the festivities!

My pictures of the day are seriously lacking!  Here are a few from the parade!

Clowns, and more clowns!

The Starbucks Float!

I asked Jack (my Sunday School student) what his favorite part of the parade was.  He said, "The tractors!"  

Yeah, Ripon Sea Lions.  Notice the little guy with his head sticking out the bottom of the float!  When we expressed concern for his safety, they told us his dad was a doctor.  Oh, I guess we don't have to worry, then?!

Garret is waiting for the adults to quit gawking at Papa's Bike!

Lilly wanted her turn!

This is pretend!  Wade and I share the same dream of seeing our beautiful country when we retire.  However, the mode of transportation has yet to be decided.  This is his idea!

The parade, and motorcycle gawking was followed by a great BBQ and fellowship at our house!

Spring flowers, and No TV, No Computer!

Spring has sprung!  Garret and Lilly are learning a poem in Grammar right now.  One of the lines says, 

"March brings breezes loud and shrill,

 Stirs the dancing daffodil."

We're getting a few blossoms.  The bee boxes are in the orchard, but not sure when those little guys will come outside as we're expecting rain through Wednesday!  Maybe the Lord will bless us with a little sun in between the showers!

This is what our children accomplished Friday.  I was on the couch recovering from oral surgery.  Wade was working at home.  Our four children rushed through school and chores in anticipation of endless hours of computer time!  The fun ended (or so they thought) when Dad said, "Go play outside!"

We now have a rope swing.  The camera quit taking pictures for some reason...but you get the idea.  Our children were not killing brain cells on mindless games until 4:00 p.m. on Friday!  And I think they did end up having fun!

Weeee!!!!

It's a Little Nutty Around Here!

We have the most beautiful walnut tree right outside our back door! It's also the biggest mess maker we have in the yard! The boys and I arrived home from an ortho. appointment and I could stand it no longer. I told the boys we have to speed up the process of this nut dropping! They were happy to oblige. With helmets to protect their heads from falling nuts and "long sticks" they batted away at the tree and managed to get all of the low nuts off! We picked up three bags full of nuts and swept up two wagon loads full of leaves! Wade assures me that a strong wind will do the rest :)! However with temperatures in the 70's, I'm not sure when that strong wind is going to come! Armed and ready!
This is fun!

Watch out for falling nuts!

Every evening we've been cracking a few. Bret is the pro nut cracker in the house!

We're so happy to have a walnut tree!!

This is the reward my boys earned! Persimmon cookies with walnuts! This was Mae Crew's recipe. Quite tasty! We found out we have a persimmon tree too! Makes it handy - since I would never pay $1.00 a piece for them in the store!

The Winter Garden

Lilly and I finished our planting today. We hope to enjoy Broccoli, Cauliflower, Kale and Swiss Chard. We planted Romaine Lettuce - but you'll have to scroll down to see that. Sal reminds us of a dog. When we go anywhere in the yard he needs to be with us.
Here he comes, looking for trouble!

He was pretty annoying. He tried his hand at digging in our holes, then decided Lilly needed to pet him. He was purring so loud! This is a cat who normally shrinks away when you reach out to him! Not today, he sensed our business and decided now was the time for love!


Here we're planting the very last of the broccoli.

This is what happened to the Romaine. We guess either a gopher or raccoon has eaten it. For some reason they left my Swiss Chard alone. My kids would have done the same.

This is our answer to the night time nibbler (unless of course it's a gopher)! Wade finished the fence that was originally going to keep Frisbee out - we hope it keeps our critter out as well. Lilly thought she was trapped in the garden. We told her she'd have plenty to eat in about 50 days!