A Beautiful Day at Our House

Beautiful....I am overwhelmed with the beauty all around me-- my family, the new green world, flowers, life, the little plants in my garden that will one day feed my family, God's grace, the Cross.

Today we enjoyed this beautiful day homeschooling.  We focused heavy on phonics and reading.  We read It's Not Easy Being a Bunny and Peter Rabbit for the 50th time.   It is so beautiful to watch Clark grow in literacy.

Today he said the funniest thing.  We were reading The Bear Escape, and I asked him if he knew what escape meant.  This is his anwer.  "Yes, Mommy.  Escape is when you have to run away from an ominous bad guy who is wishing you harm." 

 That boy cracks me up.

Here we are all cuddled up reading.  We made bunny masks to act out the stories.  The boys love me chasing them around like Mr. McGregor while they act like little naughty rabbits eating my carrots.   I actually get them to eat a whole bag of carrots each time I read that book.  :-)

Beautiful...this is the view I see of my feet almost all day and everday.

Beautiful weather...We got outside today to play.  The boys found all kinds of life and fun things to explore.  We found something extra special outside today.

Clark and Joel will show you....

Wasp lavae!!!!  Some people actually eat them, but we didn't today.

God's creation is BEAUIFUL. 

I hope you enjoy the beauty that surrounds you today.

Candy Party for Clark's 5th and Levi's 1st

To make life simple, we decided to combine Clark's 5th and Levi's 1st birthday parties!  It was a hit.  Clark loved sharing, and I was able to put a little more energy into one big party rather than two small ones.  Clark picked the theme in December after seeing a picture of another candy party.  I got to work creating our home into a candy lovers' paradise.

Here's the boys' Candyland cake.  With a chocolate swamp, ice cream cone mountains, and lollipop forrest, I copied the traditional game board.  The top of the cake is covered with a thick layer of whipped cream.  The sides are frosted with butter cream.  YUM!!

One night when Michael was out of town, I decided to make game boards to show the boys' lives.  Clark and I painted it together.  He did a really good job painting all the colored rectangles.

I also got a refrigerator box, and I made it into a Sweet Shop Photo Stop booth. 

All my guest were able to pose for a sweet shot while the camera took pics on auto!

We had carnival type games at the party to keep our little sweeties busy.  Here's one of our games: Gumdrop Toss.  Others were Skittles Toss (water balloon throw game), Chocolate Swamp, Jelly Bean Race where you use water guns to shoot plastic eggs across a table, and Candy Bingo.  During each game, the kids earned tickets to buy candy later.

After the kids played the games, they took their tickets and their baskets to the candy store and bought candy.  I hit up the stores after Valentines' Day and got all the loot for 50% off!  Each child was supposed to go home with their basket full of candy and a new toothbrush.  However many of my peeps did not want to take the sweet stuff home with them. 

Here's some of our candy decorations: colored plates in cellophane and tons and tons of balloons.

Joel is having fun digging in the Chocolate Swamp for prizes.

Here's my three big boys posing at the Sweet Shop Photo Stop.  I love my boys!!!

Here's Clark digging into his main birthday gift: 3DS (thank you Craigslist!)

He loves videos games! And he is obsessed with Mario Brothers and Lego Star Wars.

Thanks to all our friends and family for making it an extra special SWEET day!

We love you all.

Here's some of our very special guests.

What's Cooking Today? Laundry Soap!

 Yes, I cooked laundry soap today.  I decided to try it out a few months ago, and so far SO GOOD!
The benefits to making my own soap are:

• It is dirt cheap.   All the supplies to make multiple batches cost way less than one small bottle of premade detergent.  I estimate the cost is just pennies a load!
• It takes less time to make the soap than to drive to the store to buy it.
• With simple ingredients that are more natural, the soap is better for our skin and the environment.  (or at least I hope)

Four simple ingredients: washing soda, borax, bar of soap, and water!!  Even a one year old can do it!!!

Here's my dirty boys wearing CLEAN clothes!!  That big jar behind them is one full batch.  It cost about a dollar to make and last us months!

Here's the link to the recipe I use below. 

Happy laundry day, everyone!

http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap.htm

My Big Babies

The other day, the boys were playing in Levi's room, and it got strangely quiet.  I peeked in to find Clark and Joel inside Levi's crib with pacifiers in their mouths!  They were playing like they were babies.  As I smiled back at them to assure them I understood and approved of their play, tears started pooling in my eyes. 

Wasn't it yesterday that I would sneak in and watch Clark sleep in this very crib with his bottom poking up and  his blanket held tight in his tiny hand?  Wasn't it just moments ago, that I would rock Joel asleep and lay him down milk drunk?  Just for a minute, I sat down and watched my boys act like babies and remembered that just yesterday they were my babies.