So if any aunts are reading this, don't get rid of your tea sets. Or fancy hats and gloves. Or colored glass. Or pretty linens. I'll put all of it to good use one day!
tea parties and corn dogs
So if any aunts are reading this, don't get rid of your tea sets. Or fancy hats and gloves. Or colored glass. Or pretty linens. I'll put all of it to good use one day!
storm door sledding
felt christmas lights
Back in October I came across a picture of felt christmas lights. They stopped me in my tracks, I thought they were so adorable! And lucky for me, the very next day my mom was coming over with my partners-in-crime-crafty-nieces for MEA break. So we left the little kids home with mom and I took Mara and Sonna to JoAnns to pick out our felt. We didn't have instructions but talked through all the things we'd need and when we got back the girls got busy! They each did a different stitch and I think they're both adorable.
what a week
+What a week. What a week. What a week. Just want to acknowledge that I posted our announcement on Election Day as my own quiet way of adding a little happy into the crazy. And then while watching the results come in I decided to write the story of telling Rory about baby #4. My cousin recently posted a quote that said, "society radiates from the family out, not from the government down." A guy named Christopher Check said that, and though I have no idea who he is, I love those words and I believe it so much. I was sad at our voting choices to begin with, so here we are.
+Monday we bought a ram. Not a truck. A boy sheep. So sometime in May we should have little lambs on our farm. What a kick that will be! When the farmers delivered the ram, they brought shots to vaccinate our sheep, as well as the new ram. They had Rory give the shots and at one point, he was holding a sheep with the sheep sitting upright on it's hiney, as Rory held the head between his legs and lifted the front hoof to administer the shot between the correct layers of tissue. We caught eyes and he said, "I'm actually doing this right now." Sometimes the hobby farm learning curve is so steep we can only shake our heads and laugh about it later.
+Like Friday night when Rory was gone and I looked out to find the sheep in the garden. They had gotten out of their electric fence. This happens sometimes when we move the fence around and parts of the wire end up higher than we can tell, because the land slopes. Anyway, they were out and I had the kids. So the kids got to watch a show and I went out to unplug the fence, take part of it down, get some sheep treats, grab a long stick and gently guide them back to their pen. That's the short version. It actually took me about 40 minutes of trial and error to figure all of that out. But thankfully animals know the barn is their safety, and know to stay near. So they gave me many tries and eventually we all heaved a sigh of relief when they ran into their stall. Then all I had to do was reset the electric fence. Ha! But I did it. Add shepherdess to my list of hobbies.
+Tonight we painted the red room with a grey primer. And tomorrow we will paint over the primer with Benjamin Moore's Revere Pewter. Pinterest said it was the best grey, and I took Pinterest's word for it. The red was just never right. We knew that eight months ago when I painted it the second time, but it took a while to muster the chutzpah to get painting. And truth-be-told, neither of us have any real chutzpah this time around, but earlier this week I wrote on the calendar "painting begins!" and this morning I obediently began moving furniture and prepping the room. Sometimes you just have to do it for it to get done. I figured that out after eight months of not doing it.
+The kids and I have been doing a bird unit all month. We've learned about all sorts of birds, their calls and made bird feeders. We are genuine birders. We hung a feeder out the kitchen window and the kids have step stools to see who is eating at their feeder. So far we've had downy woodpeckers, black capped chickadees, song sparrows, gold finches, cardinals, robins and blue jays visit our feeder. It is so fun to watch them and even more fun to watch them with my enthusiastic kids. You can add bird-watching to my list of hobbies too.
+So there's the update. Life is good. I know the reason for the hope that I have. And the forecast is for another glorious fall weekend, right here in the near middle of November. Thank you, long-lasting fall!
baby #4
And so here we are, pregnant with our forth child. This baby was wanted, prayed for and planned. And we are so thrilled. The day we found out I was pregnant I decided to take the test on a whim. Rory had already left for the day and I had a Dollar Tree test and was eager to see. But I was shocked when the second line appeared. As luck would have it, that day my sister-in-law Lisa was coming over to gather grapevine from our grove to make wreaths. So I asked her if she would watch the kids for two hours so I could meet Rory for coffee. He had just been in Seattle for the weekend and we had hardly caught up.
I picked Rory up at Caribou and told him I wanted to go to the river. So we went to a favorite patio restaurant that overlooks the water, and Rory ordered us Fried Pickles and Cherry Cokes. How very fitting.
He had so much to tell me from his trip to Seattle. He had stuff to tell me about an exciting meeting at church. He had a lot to fill me in on with his business. It was a glorious day and we were so happy to be together.
After we left the restaurant we walked across a bridge and I told Rory about how that morning Ivar and I had been out in the barn talking about all we have to be thankful for. Ivar and I had thanked God for the goats and sheep, cats and chickens, the garden and orchard, for our barn and field. And I told Rory, "And you and me...we have our three awesome kids to be thankful for, and now a forth on the way." And I whipped out the pregnancy test out of my pocket and held it in front of him.
Rory's face lit up with an immediate joy that I won't forget. He was instantly happy. And we hugged and laughed and cried and thanked God. Because we are so, so grateful.
So baby #4 is on its way. I'm feeling fine and have a few hours a day of nausea, but it's mild.
And for the record, we feel good with four. With my other pregnancies I knew I wasn't done. But this one I have a peaceful feeling that this will be my last pregnancy. Of course I could be wrong, but I like four. We will fit in a mini van. Everyone has a partner. Groves Party of 6. I'm a fan.
ivar's reading lesson
Ivar turned six last week and chose to celebrate with family at the Mall of America! We ate at the food court, opened presents, ate cake, went to Lego Land and Ivar shared his latest reading lesson. I'll be back tomorrow with more details on the reading lesson. :)
We are thrilled! Hattie and baby #4 will be 20 months apart, just like Ivar and Elsie are 20 months apart. We prayed and planned for this baby and are overjoyed to be adding another life to our family!
lovely fall
These days are incredible. I can't get over this fall weather. Maybe it's always like this, but for some reason this year I am just so grateful for every glorious day. And there have been so many! We have been jumping in leaves all week, raking paths for toy combines and soaking up the sun. Hattie especially likes the sound and feel of crawling through the leaves. She's quite different from her brother!
pumpkin carving
Pumpkin carving with kids basically boils down to pumpkin carving with kids around. :) I scooped all the goop and Rory did the carving. But the enthusiasm was high and the kids were still so proud of their pumpkins!
happy halloween!
Here's Halloween 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009.
this slice of life
+My dad came over last night to babysit and I told the kids, "we need to pick up this mess, so grandpa doesn't trip on all our toys." Elsie thought about it for a moment and said, "Yes. Because he is a pastor." And Ivar added, "He's on God's team!" I told them that was all true, so just pick up the toys...
+Ivar has found a new favorite prank. Our small group comes to our house each Monday night at 7:30. The time from dinner to their arrival is mayhem, filled with barn chores, cleaning up supper, getting the kids to bed, making the coffee and tidying the house. Around 7 each night Ivar will knock loudly on the front door and say, "someone's already here!" Which throws me into a panic just long enough for him to laugh and yell, "Just kidding. It's me." The crazy thing is that so far he is 3 for 3 on this one. I fall for it each week.
+Hattie cut a new tooth on the top this week. One night I was holding her in the glider rocker, waiting for her tylenol to kick in. She picked at my lips and kept sticking her fingers on my teeth. And then she sang a sing-songy "la la la." And it dawned on me that she wanted me to sing. I started singing Children of the Heavenly Father and she lay back in my arm and snuggled into my body.
sogn valley orchard
Here's the thing about this orchard. We were there for over an hour, and only three other cars came in and out during that time. It's not a huge you-pick orchard. They have an adorable Apple Haus where you can sample apples and sample cider. And you can buy bags of picked apples. And then you are encouraged to walk around the orchard and we were told to each, "try an apple if it looks like a good one." So we walked all over, under and around the trees. They sell their apples to many area Co-Ops, so they aren't looking to make their big dollars as a you-pick. It felt more like a visit to a relative's farm.
And then there was this Border Collie named Collie. This dog is the best. In fact, at church today another young mom told me that they go to this orchard just so their kids can play frisbee with Collie too! My kids are usually afraid of dogs, but this dog is a wonder. I've never, ever wanted a dog and I came home and googled Minnesota Border Collies. (Rory is firm on his dog plans though. Ivar has to be eight. Because Rory knows the dog care will fall solely on him (Rory). And he's right... But this dog was a dream.) And after much online research I would like to tell you that Border Collie puppies are so adorable. And they are good and herding sheep, and sometimes people. My Aunt Louie and Uncle Jake always had a Collie named Skippy. Even if one Skippy died, they'd get another and name it Skippy. I just want a puppy so bad now... I even have the name all picked out. A Collie would be so happy on our farm...
But back to reality. Hattie loves apples and gnawed on one the whole time while I bit bites into small pieces for her like a mama bird. It was a happy, happy adventure.
combines and curly fries
This October has been so spectacular I can hardly handle it. I forget that I adore this month! I think I psych myself up for cold weather and forget these stunning fall days. But this last week has been so glorious I have said each day, "we're all going outside! This weather isn't going to last!" But it has!
Saturday we got home from an apple orchard (more later! a gem!) and found combines in our field. Everyone needed a snack to stretch us to supper, so I put some curly fries in the oven and then joined the family (Hattie was napping) to watch the show with fries and ketchup. And what a show! The man who owns the field behind us is aging, and they must have hired a harvesting service. Because there were two combines, two tractors pulling large wagons next to the combines to catch the corn and FOUR semi trucks waiting to take the corn away.
The combines never stopped moving. And it was so mesmerizing. And incredibly fast. We sat and waved to the drivers and they waved back, and made another favorite memory on our farm.
so long, Shadow
The last six weeks we have had a special visitor to the Grovestead. Shadow, the billy goat came for two cycles, with the hopes that come February we will have little baby goats born to Darcy and Precious. We loved Shadow so much. He is a young Billy Goat, which means he doesn't smell like the older billy goats (we had been warned that they can be quite stinky!) Instead, he joined in and was a happy and easy addition.
He went back to his farm on Monday, and it was quite the ordeal. Rory used brute force to get him into the trailer, and the sounds from all three goats made for a very dramatic farewell. Goat bleating was heard all over the farm and many human kid tears were shed as well.
But here's a fun fact for your next dinner party: The first time a goat has a baby, she will have one kid. But thereafter, she will have two at a time. So come February, we are hoping Darcy will give us two goat kids and Precious will give us one goat kid. We're eager to grow our herd to help us clear out the grove.
cheesecake bars
It was at a neighborhood bbq that I was first introduced to these bars. I took a bite and then stopped the picnic yelling, "excuse me! who brought these bars?!!" It was our next door neighbors and I begged them for the recipe. When he sent it he wrote, "I am sorry for what you are about to read. There is a reason I need to drop twenty pounds."
This week I made a pan for our small group. That's sort of the perfect excuse to make them...a large group to help you eat the pan. Now brace yourselves:
Cheesecake Bars
3 packages cream cheese
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp Mexican vanilla
2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup honey
Preheat oven to 350
Spray 9x13 baking dish
Beat cream cheese with 1 cup sugar and vanilla until smooth
Unroll first tube crescent dough on bottom of the baking dish
Spread cream cheese mixture on dough
Cover cream cheese mixture with second tube of dough
Stir 3/4 cup sugar, cinnamon and butter together.
Dot butter mixture over the cheesecake
Bake until dough is golden brown, about 30 minutes
Remove from oven and drizzle with honey
Chill completely in the fridge
That last step is probably the most important. You have to make these far enough in advance that they are good and set and very cold when you serve them. In fact, I made them on Monday afternoon and served them around 8pm and they were great. But the next morning I had half a bar with the kids and it was sublime. And that must be really good, because I've never used the word sublime in my life before this moment. So I'd recommend making them a day ahead.
File this one away for your next potluck or party. It's a winner!
the start of a sport
We signed up for our first organized sport this fall. Soccer met once a week for a few hours on Friday afternoons and it was the perfect introduction to a new sport. And all I have to say is thank goodness for the shin guards and knee socks. Because the excitement over these items alone seemed to motivate my boy to head out on the field.
It's amazing how quickly you are suddenly the parent. Our very first day brought a lot of nerves and worry. In the parking lot and I found myself repeating all of the things my mom just said to me when I was filled with nerves and worry. "Everyone is feeling the same butterflies. It's totally normal. We just have to be brave for a few minutes and then we'll feel more comfortable. Just try it for today and then you'll know if you like it or not. The coach is there to help you learn. How could you already be good at something you've never learned before?!!"
And, thankfully, he did feel comfortable right away. And loved it. He wore the same blue shirt with a soccer ball on it, blue plaid shorts and blue knee highs each week and did really well on the field. Hooray for positive experiences when trying something new! And hooray for an awesome coach who could deal with 4, 5 and 6 year olds and their attention spans, tears and enthusiasm!
baby mobile
I helped host a baby shower for friends at our church almost a month ago. The friends lead our children's program and my kids absolutely love this couple. I was trying to figure out what we could do that would include all of the kids in the congregation and decided on a mobile. The adults wrote blessings on the leaves and the kids wrote their names on the birds, promising to keep this baby in their prayers. I found the branch under our oak tree, assembled it last night and figured the thing out as I went along. I absolutely love how it turned out and want to make one for Hattie now.
It felt so good to be crafty again! And I have so many projects in my head now. It's amazing how one project can inspire other projects. I remember my sister-in-law Sara telling me that whenever she feels stuck in writing a song, she'll crochet a pair of slippers, or get her sewing machine out, or do anything creative. Because somehow the act of creating spurs on greater creativity. How amazing!
Here's to more creative projects!
kitchen help
But there is one other thing that I have to mention if I'm going to be totally honest. I got kitchen help. She comes in first thing in the morning and has really helped me streamline the way my kitchen runs. She's big into accessibility. For example, the first thing she does is open the towel drawer and pull all the towels out onto the floor. If I'm ever loading or unloading the dishwasher, she is right there, pulling out the sharp knives first, lending a hand. She pulls out the tupper ware each day, and I can only assume she is trying to match lids to bottoms. Once we found her sorting the garbage can all over the floor, making sure there wasn't something that should be in the recycling bin. She's so thorough! Above and beyond!
It was when she dumped the trash out that I realize her genius in pulling out all of the dish towels, very first thing. Because suddenly we needed all of them to wipe the mess off of her, the cupboards and the floor.
She's great company and I'm grateful to have her assistance. And also for a locking gate on the kitchen.
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