Bloomsbury Farm 2017

Another year of great memories at Bloomsbury!

It was homeschool day which makes the farm affordable to visit.

We all love the jumping pillow every year!

The girls were so small the first year we starting coming.

They just keep growing up.

They still love coming though.

It was Ellie's first year on the farm, and she loved being carried in the ergo.

Water...need I say more.

It was a sunny warm fall day.

The corn maze was a hit as usual..

Swinging galore.

and  a quick pose at the truck on the way out make for a fun filled day.

Happy, tired girls left the farm as 2, 4, 6, and 8 year olds.

Next year will probably be here before we know it, but for now..I will savor 2, 4, 6, and 8.

Experiment Devotion

When Daddy found this experiment to illustrate Colossians 2 to use at Youth Group last week, he wanted to try it out with the little girls first.

They were thrilled to help Daddy of course.

Just look at my Jilly!  She is so engaged, so connected, and smiling at the camera.  In the beginning there were many dark days that I never could have dreamed this was possible.  All the more reason to praise God! 

My Anna Mei is obsessed with Jesus right now.  It is a beautiful thing, and I pray she keeps Him at the head of her life all her days.  She loves having  "preaching meetings" where she shares the gospel with her sisters.  Last week, she drew pictures of Jesus and wrote sentences about his dying on the cross to save the lost.  She took the pictures to the beach and hung them up in the restroom for all to see.  She loves Him with her whole heart so she was anxious to explain the illustration to us....

My days are so busy, but I love this life!  It is full of so much that makes each moment so much richer and more abundant than I could have ever imagined!  I am just so very thankful!

First Days of School

As of today, all of my babies are back in school!  We are all trying our best to adjust to our new schedule, but with different starting times, buildings, and therapies all over town, it can be tricky.

Jillian is in third grade and started last Wednesday.  She has her Miss Debbie back this year, and we are so grateful for the support she gives our special girl.

It is freshman year again for our dear Emily.  This time she is far from home on her first grown up adventure.

Four year old preschool  was the destination today for our tiny, but mighty Molly.  She has the same teacher this year too which always makes the transition so much easier on all of us.

First grade started today for my Anna Mei who is in her second year of home school.  I love having her with me, and she still needs to be close so it works out for both of us.  I can't wait to see where this year takes us, and all that we learn.  Eighteen, eight, six, four, and two will never happen again around here so I am determined to savor it!

Perfect

The weather has been beautiful here, and we have been living in our backyard.  Our girls love being outside, and while it is nothing fancy, our backyard is full of play things.  We live out there all summer in the dirt, mud, sand, rocks, and water.  It is our haven.  In fact, nothing in this world makes me happier than looking out my window while doing the dishes and watching my older treasures enjoying the yard.  It is the nearest thing to perfect this side of heaven.

Daddy built a fire for s'mores the other night and our girls were thrilled!  Jilly doesn't eat them as she can't chew and still has some serious oral aversion, but she LOVES the fire!

My Molly had to get some shades like her Anna Mei.  She still always wears them upside down.

Molly doesn't like marshmallows as she is not a super sweet tooth, but she loves cooking them.

This girl would live on marshmallows as she has a super sweet tooth.  She loves fire nights.

Only chocolate bar consumed by this sweetie!

Daddy let Jillian burn the marshmallows which led to uproarious laughter!

Our sweet girl Jilly still loves to swing, but this year she has learned to pump!  Praise Jesus!  She can go super high, and Daddy says we are going to need to build her a more sturdy swing set really soon.  Oh I am overjoyed to have me some summer coming!

Rolls and Cookies..OH MY!

 Every Christmas season, we are busy in the kitchen.  Like most families, food defines most of our traditions.  One traditional food that we always make, and give as gifts, is Jumer rolls.  They are a small rolled cinnamon sugar nugget of goodness that was served in a local restaurant back home.  Our church there would mass produce these at Christmas time to sell at our bazaar.  They always sold out.  We made 55 trays this season for others, and also baked about 6 that we consumed for ourselves.  The girls are very, very good at making them after so many attempts.

 There is nothing in this world like having a little help in the kitchen.  I love, love having these littles beside me every day.

They are a tremendous blessing, and they also make everything I do take about four times longer, but it is so worth it.


And then there are the cookies!  Boy do we make cookies.  I probably would have scaled back this year, but the teenager insisted we make all the cookies.  We got a late start, but I made more than seven kinds, and twenty dozen in one day.  Tradition is important to my biggest girl.

In most every picture this year, our Jillian is smiling.  This is the happiest holiday season she has ever had.  She has done this Christmas thing five times now, and I feel like she finally is enjoying it.  It makes this momma's heart overflow with gratitude to God as I watch her trusting so much.

 We make these cookies that I made when I was a kid.  They are not cut out, but formed by shapes we cut.

 Emily has been making them her whole life, and she insists we do it every year.  Many, many memories have been made while we have made these cookies.  Many Christmases spent with good friends decorating with laughter.

 Jilly doesn't chew so she won't eat a cookie, but she isn't afraid to touch and play in the trimmings anymore.

 This is the first one Molly ate.  She came home not liking sweets too much, but Anna Mei has successfully converted her to the sweet side.

 I am not sure there could be any more frosting on this cookie.  Anna ate it all though.

 Who needs to eat?  Throwing is so much more fun.

 Daddy stepped in and finished, as usual, when the girls were tired of decorating.

Here is Anna Mei over looking a favorite variety of ours for Christmas.  These are her beloved Mrs. Larkin's cookies minus the frosting.  We had no trouble polishing off three dozen of these babies as they are our favorite.  Now after I see all that we have been eating around here, we may need to fast for the entire month of January.  I hope your holiday was a blessed one, and you ate a bit healthier than we did.

Snow Good

 We had our second snow of the season,
and the girls could hardly wait to get
home from church yesterday to play in it.
I had dinner to make myself,
but I could hardly wait to get out there with them. 

 I left Daddy in charge of the mashed potatoes, 

and I went out to get to work on this guy with my two helpers. 

 

Happy girls!

This is the first time the sled came out.

They are heavy to pull so finding a hill will be necessary soon.

Here sits Molly.  

She did not want any part of playing outdoors in the cold.

Before the Snow..

Before this week's snow fall, we have enjoyed absolutely beautiful fall weather.  The girls and I have been living outside and enjoying every minute as I knew it couldn't last.  Raking, (or more like jumping in and throwing), leaves is a favored activity in these parts.  It is so good to have helpers with such adorable smiles and giggles.  How I love these faces to bits.  Spending time with them brings me such immeasurable joy!

I can't imagine raking leaves without these three.  I can't imagine not having them calling momma, throwing big handfuls, and giggling.  God is good to give me so very much!