Monday, April 30, 2012

Z - Zillion

Zillion: very large indeterminate number.

Have you ever wondered what came after a trillion (quadrillion...)
You can see the numbers up to 600 zeros here.

Whew, who made up those names?

Anywho...zillion. I love when kids dramatically use that word to describe something.

"Mom, there were a zillion mosquitoes out there!" (probably true)

"When I grow up I'm going to live in a zillion dollar house." (eh, probably not)

"If I sell my pictures I will probably make a zillion dollars." (yea, nope)

Cute!

When I think of zillion, I more often think of

clothes to wash

dishes to clean

chores to be done

papers to file

lessons to teach

and

errands to run

Can you relate?

What zillion things are facing you this week?  Hope it goes well!

I've enjoyed participating in the A-Z Challenge; it's been lots of fun! 

Thanks to all my new followers!! I hope you stay around and enjoy a glimpse into our crazy lives. I love sharing it with you all.

Blessings to you!


Saturday, April 28, 2012

Y - You!

I kept trying to think of something for "Y" that would entertain, but the harder I thought the more I felt compelled to write about YOU, my fellow-bloggers.

Just so you know, I can be a very sappy sentimental person so if I get a little too personal, I'm not really creepy, I'm just an effusively gushy person (at times.)

The first blogger I want to share is Sara at Make Music From Your Heart.

When I first started blogging in 2009 I came across Sara's blog and was immediately drawn to the sincere way she shares her life. I love that she has a page on her blog where you can share prayer requests! I love seeing the stage and props she and her team come up with for children's church. She is a pastor's wife who truly serves others and she shares so much of her life on her blog-even daily through the P365 weekly post.  Taking a picture each day has changed the way I view life. It's made me more thankful, more willing to create memories and a better photographer.  Sara's transparent posts about God's working in her life are always encouraging and often a little convicting. I'm glad to call Sara a bloggy friend!

The second blogger is Traci at Beneath My Heat.

Traci started blogging around the same time I did. She first started off sharing Wednesday posts about her mom, who had passed away from cancer and her posts were so endearing. I think I cried every Wednesday!  Traci has a love for all things decorating and she has a beautiful style. She's turned into quite the internet sensation and I still enjoy stopping by to see what new decorating project she's been up to. She's a sweet lady who loves so many things in life; her enthusiasm is infectious.

Many of you know Joyce From This Side of the Pond. Joyce talked a few of us into joining her in the A-Z Challenge and I have really enjoyed her tour through Asia this month! At church a few weeks ago a volunteer who serves with me started telling me about her spring break trip to China and I was so well-informed because of Joyce's blog. This friend asked if I had been there and I had to admit I just had family and friends who had shared that part of the world with me. Thanks for making me look so smart, Joyce! :)  I enjoy Joyce's posts about her family and adventures and I'm thrilled to have her as a bloggy friend too!

How many times can I brag about Sarah from In the Midst of It?  A lot! Sarah has literally changed my life. When I speak about her (and I do) I call her my bloggy friend from Texas. Sarah is another pastor's wife who embraces a simple country life. Sarah eased me into the idea of living on a farm and now with 41 chickens, horses and a dog I'd say I've fully assimilated!  Mark just came home from the farm store and is trying to talk me into turkeys. Stay tuned!  Anyway, Sarah is such a wonderful mother who has made her family a priority. She is super crafty and I decided to give quilting a chance after seeing the blankets that Sarah has made. I heart Sarah!

My two favorite bloggy grandmas are Nel at Fastenau Facts and Jewel at Down in My Little Valley. These are the sweetest ladies, y'all!  Nel is such a sweet lady who takes a real interest in other bloggers. I'm sure many of my readers can call Nel a friend.  I love how she shares her life, with candor and openness that's refreshing. She's such an upbeat person and I love that we've connected via bloggy-land.  Jewel is darling. I love how much she loves those grandbabies.  She makes me miss the older women in my own family! She is so spunky and honest. I love that she used to have to go to the library to blog; that's dedication! Thanks, ladies, for sharing your lives with us!

How about some new friends before we wrap up? Gail from Gail's Great Atlantic Northeast has become a faithful commenter on my blog. I thank you, Gail, for all the feedback!  I enjoy going to visit Gail's blog - you truly never know what you're going to read. She keeps the variety flowing. Gail strikes me as a pretty honest person and I'm all for having more of those kind of people in my life.  I appreciate Gail's encouragement and her new friendship!

My fellow blogger at Soscrappy has changed my crafting life! This woman gets a LOT done in a week; I sometimes get a little jealous. She quilts the cutest blocks and blankets and hosts the weekly Rainbow Scrap Challenge in which I participate. I mentioned in my quilting (Q) post that she keeps me motivated with a different color each month. This blog has introduced me to several wonderful quilters and everyone has been so encouraging. I'm blessed to have found someone to lead the way!

Then there's Brenda from It's All Good!  Ok, this lady makes me laugh! From her falling in the fountain header to the funny way she looks at life...she makes me giggle. I love how she finished up the A-Z (you'll just have to go see it). I would have stressed and apologized for not posting for each of the last few letters, but Brenda, no way, she had fun with it and I wish her well dog-sitting. Wish I could have a week off with no computer. :)  Brenda is someone that would be fun to hang around with, so I do...on her blog.

I appreciate everyone who stops by my blog and leaves a comment. I've enjoyed this A-Z Challenge, so much so, that I have a folder in my Favorites of the new friends I've made this month.

Thanks, everybody, for sharing your lives with us! I am blessed to call you bloggy friends!

Friday, April 27, 2012

X- Xanthemia

Now that we are about to embark upon the tanning season are you ready to face all the fake-n-bakes? Or would that be Fakin' Bakes? Yep, both. (I googled!)

Anywhoo...while I was looking for a cool "X" word to write a clever post about, I came across this word:

xanthemia: excess carotene in the blood stream; can cause the skin to turn a pale yellow-red color.

It reminded me of a past experience.

In his lifetime my father-in-law had suffered with a condition called spastic (or Spasmodic) dysphonia.

Spasmodic dysphonia is a voice disorder characterized by involuntary movements or spasms of one or more muscles of the larynx (vocal folds or voice box) during speech.

In adductor spasmodic dysphonia (ADSD), sudden involuntary muscle movements or spasms cause the vocal folds (or vocal cords) to slam together and stiffen. These spasms make it difficult for the vocal folds to vibrate and produce voice. Words are often cut off or difficult to start because of the muscle spasms. Therefore, speech may be choppy and sound similar to stuttering. The voice of an individual with adductor spasmodic dysphonia is commonly described as strained or strangled and full of effort. Surprisingly, the spasms are usually absent while laughing, speaking at a high pitch, or speaking while singing, but singers can experience a loss of range or the inability to produce certain notes of a scale or with projection. Stress, however, often makes the muscle spasms more severe. (wikipedia)

On several occasions Dad went to see a specialist for this disorder and he had some success in it's treatment.  We were all thrilled that he found someone who could help him speak, especially since my father-in-law was a pastor! His voice was his livelihood.

Usually Dad would travel to see the Doc, but one time he said that the Doc would be stopping by the church (where we all worked) so we would be able to meet him. We were all anxious to thank him for taking such good care of Dad. I'm sure we figured it would be interesting to hear how he had become a specialist in this field.  We looked forward to his arrival.

When the Dr. arrived at the church we met in the auditorium. To our surprise we found a man that looked similar to this one -

Seriously!

Now the man in the picture I believe has a Fakin' Bake (spray on tan, maybe?), but our Dr. was orange because he was a carrot juicing fanatic.  He has what we call Xanthemia!  Literally, the man was orange because he juiced/drank so many carrots over a long period of time that it turned his skin orange.

Needless to say, we wished Dad had warned us. Cause what can you do/say when you are faced with an orange man? I think we mumbled some thanks, but in our minds all we could think was, "This man is ORANGE!" Ca-razy, I tell ya. Ca-razy! (Thanks, Joyce, for the spelling!)

While I like myself some fake tan (the lotion in a bottle kind), I try to take a second look before I go out in public so I don't end up looking like the ORANGE man. If I ever do, I hope someone will do more than mumble thanks my way.  Who knew "X" could stand for orange!

Thursday, April 26, 2012

W - What?

Have you seen the email circulating about

How Smart is your right foot?
It goes like this -

This is hysterical. You have to try this. It is absolutely true. I guess there are some things that the brain cannot handle.

This will confuse your mind and you will keep trying over and over again to see if you can outsmart your foot, but, you can't. It is pre-programmed in your brain!

1. While sitting at your desk in front of your computer, lift your right leg off the floor and make clockwise circles.

2. Now, while doing this, draw the number '6' in the air with your right hand. Your foot will change direction.

I told you so! And there's nothing you can do about it!

(I like random silliness, which is probably why I had each of my family members try this and then laughed at them! I couldn't do it either.)


Wednesday, April 25, 2012

V - Variety


I don't know about you, but I like variety! I like a variety of foods, movies, crafts, colors, styles, and even blogs!

I was thinking about "V" today and I wondered what other A-Z bloggers might write for "V."  I enjoy a variety of blogs, but I've found that my favorite blogs are ones that don't necessarily focus on one thing like cooking, decorating, writing fiction, etc. I tend to most often visit those blogs that spice up it's content with VARIETY!  A little humor, travel, creative endeavors, family stories, etc is what interests me. I think the one thing this A-Z Challenge has taught me is that I am on the www (world wide web) to make new friends. With that as my reason, I want to know all about the variety in your life, not just one facet of you.

I have followed bloggers who blog about one subject (I hear that's one way to make money blogging), but I get bored OR I don't want to read about organizing, decorating, cooking, or crafting EVERY day so I only visit occasionally. However, other ladies who just share their lives online, those are the ones I will visit everyday. I want to know what's happening...what's new.  I have dreams of meeting some of my fellow bloggers someday in real life. They feel like real life friends already so why not?!

How about you? Do you enjoy blogs that only serve up one topic? Do you feel like your fellow bloggers are friends? Would you enjoy meeting someone you've followed someday? Do you enjoy a blog that writes about several different topics?

As they say, Variety is the Spice of Life!

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

U - Ukulele


I have been helping my son prepare music he wrote/arranged for his Shakespearean Acting Troupe and one of the girls in the show is playing a ukulele. We have several guitars in our home (and a few players), but I've never really been interested in learning how to play the guitar. I play the clarinet and a little piano, but guitars...eh. However, when I hear the ukulele I always think to myself, "I'd like to learn to play that!" It might be because it reminds me of the beach.

One of my favorite CD's that Mark picked up at Pier One in the late 90's is Calypso Cafe. I don't know if it has ukuleles in it, but I really go for beachy music! A lot.

So when my oldest daughter and I were watching American Idol a few years ago (2008) we both fell in love with Jason Castro! He became our new guy to root for mainly (for me) because I like any boy who can teach himself how to play the ukulele in one week and then perform on national television. Plus, I like "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."



Did you know the ukulele is from Hawaii? ;) It originated in the 19th century as an Hawaiian interpretation of small guitar-like instruments taken to Hawaii by Portuguese immigrants. It gained great popularity elsewhere in the United States during the early 20th century, and from there spread internationally.

Think Don Ho. Hello, anyone out there?

I loved Don Ho.

I guess I do have a beach sensibility about me.

All I know, I love ukuleles. A lot.

Got any hidden loves that fit U?

Monday, April 23, 2012

T - Ten Things To Tell

Many bloggers have lists of 100 things they share about themselves.
I thought I'd use "T" to share 10 things about myself today.

1) I am the eleventh generation in a southern family, but my mother delivered me in IL...the first "yankee" born.

2) I can't remember eating a canned vegetable until I got to college.
(I grew up with a two acre garden and we grew all the vegetables we ate.)

3) When I first heard my voice on a answering machine recording, I burst into tears because I thought I sounded like Nellie Olson (Little House on the Prairie.)

4) As a girl I used to spend hours cutting clothing models from the JCPenney catalog to use as paper dolls.

5) I am the only 45-year-old woman I know who has experienced a home with a two-seater outhouse, hand water pump on the back porch and a wringer washing machine. (at my great-grandmother's house)

6) I grew up singing in church and in the school choir. During my senior year of High School my small ensemble won a National Singing Competition at Bob Jones University.

7) I once dated my high school teacher (I was a freshman in college.)

8) I've been engaged twice.

9) I've had 4 c-sections, which resulted in 4 amazing kids!

10) I married someone my parents didn't like, but now I sometimes think they like him more than me!

* There might be a few stories in there, don't you think?

Saturday, April 21, 2012

S - Santorini

I've never thought much about traveling. I'm pretty much a homebody. I don't like change or surprises so home is my favorite place to be.

However, there is one place in the world that I would risk all the woes of traveling.

Santorini.

Santorini is a Greek island in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km (120 mi) southeast from Greece's mainland.

It is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen...in pictures.
It is the one place I'd like to visit in my lifetime.

The vividly painted shops and eateries

The sunsets - Can you imagine?

The white juxtaposed against the blue

The water

Santorini is the place I'd like to be!

Friday, April 20, 2012

R - Recovery

I'm on the road to recovery, but it has been slow-going.

Of course, I've shared the nasty cold with my family. Mark's symptoms started Wednesday, and Rhett's today. It will just be time before the girls get it, I'm afraid.

While being sick stinks, sometimes I think recovery is just as rotten. The dishes have piled up (hubs kept up with most of it!), the laundry is mountainous, the mail ignored, and the food in the fridge needs to be pitched. The house begs a scrubbing down to help reduce further infection.

What about school? When mamma's sick nobody is schoolin'. I hear some kids get two weeks of spring break! It just means we go further into the summer, but alas, that's better than the alternative of schooling them while I'm laid up. Sigh.

I shouldn't complain. My husband has been extra kind and helpful. Everyone let me sleep, no matter where I curled up. A three hour nap on the living room sofa meant everyone needed to be quiet. Thanks, guys!

Several friends and co-workers have had more serious colds and infections this spring and we've wondered if it was due to the mild winter. Maybe those nasty bugs didn't get killed off. Whatever happened, it sure feels like it's making up for not getting us in February.

I'm truly thankful for my health and I'm thankful that a cold is only a small disruption in life. We still have all our needs met and a warm cozy home in which to recuperate. I'm thankful and recovering!

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Q - Quilting

* This post is a little long, but if you have the time I hope you'll enjoy my journey in quilting.

I am sentimental about the handwork my grandmothers' crafted - crochet, embroidery and quilting.  The gifts they made me will always be part of my treasured past, but I wanted to continue these traditional crafts to carry on their legacies.

My quilting journey started in 2009 when my grandmother passed away.

I inherited my grandmother's quilts and quilting materials that she had tucked away.  I didn't have any idea what to do with the material, patterns and prepared blocks, but I was determined to learn the art of quilting so I could use what was passed to me.

Grandma pieced these blocks and put them away to be made into a quilt. One day I got them out and just played with an arrangement that was pleasing to my eye on the floor. I realized that I had to teach myself about quilting before I ever touched her stash. I was starting with zero knowledge.

One of my favorite bloggers had made some beautiful quilts for her family.  She made this candy corn quilt and I was inspired!

I began to realize that my favorite quilts were reproductions, especially from the 1930's. I enjoy a quilt that looks like it has a past...a story.  I can admire modern quilts, but I am drawn to the old.

In the spring of 2010 my husband bought me a sewing machine for my birthday.  I went to the fabric store and purchased a pattern and material for a baby changing pad (couldn't think of anything smaller to quilt), but I procrastinated.  Zero knowledge usually strikes paralyzing fear in me. ;)

It only took 7 months of harassing by my family for me to lug my machine and supplies on vacation so I could conquer the fear and the first attempt at quilting. I procrastinated again until vacation was almost over before secluding myself in a room for a full day. As I saw the changing pad take form I got more and more excited! I loved quilting! It was exhilarating! I came out of the room with a finished piece and a new confidence.

A few months and the holiday season passed. The fear began to settle in.

I decided to join a blog swap to force myself to face the fear.  I signed up to send another quilter two mug rugs. I didn't even know what a mug rug was, but I knew it was small.

I signed up in early January to meet a deadline during the third week of February. I procrastinated January away in fear. Why on earth would I send a quilted piece to another quilter? I wasn't a quilter!

My in-laws came for a visit during the last few days of January and right after returning home to CA, my father-in-law unexpectedly passed away. As we were making arrangements to fly out in a blizzard I was stressing about how I was going to get my mug rugs completed if I were away from home. I talked with my children's art teacher who said she would help me if needed when I returned, but not to take the project with me. Good advice!


I returned home two weeks later (with one week to spare before the deadline) and under pressure busted out two beautiful mug rugs. I was very pleased with what I had produced. Again, my fear had been overcome and I even made a couple of extra mug rugs and gave them away as gifts.  I enjoyed the creative process so much!

Life happened again, as it always does. My oldest daughter got married in June and my spring was taken up with preparations.  I thought I'd jump back into quilting during the summer, but it just never happened. We spent more time at the pool than usual and I enjoyed what I did not know would be my last few months in our townhouse.

In August our landlord decided she was going to sell the townhouse we had lived in for eight years. It was the only house my younger two girls had known.  Thank goodness, we had been looking around our area that summer with the thoughts that maybe Mark's mom would move in with us. It made it easier to find our next home quickly.

We moved to the farm the first week of September 2011.  I hadn't quilted since February and now with a new homeschooling year and house to settle at hand it didn't look like crafts were in my near future.

Within a couple of days of moving, my sister-in-law and I went to check out the small town nearby. When we walked into the local thrift store there were 4 boxes of quilt material on a table near the doorway. It was a beautiful sight!  Each box had color-coordinated materials (red/blues in one, green/browns in another, etc). The materials had an old-time quality about them, as if some dear older lady had passed away and someone had donated her stash. My mind was filled with wonder.

Another quilter came over to the boxes where I was elbow-deep and started looking through the stash. An ugly little spirit of "it's all mine!" crept in my heart as the woman expressed an interest in the $100 collection of material.  I exclaimed over their beauty and that I was certainly interested in the material (when I wanted to say, "I was here first!"); I was just hesitant about spending that much money on material right after moving.  Could I justify investing that amount when all I had made was a changing pad and a few mug rugs?  I called my husband who quickly said, "Buy Them!"  (Don't you love when your men support you!)  I hemmed and hawed over the price and which colors I would like and the other lady grew tired of looking through the boxes. Before walking away, she said, "I don't know why I'm looking at this, I have a room full of material at home!"  I blurted out, "I don't have any!" How embarrassing!

As soon as my rival moved a few feet away, I hollered (truly) across the store to the lady at the counter, "I want all of these boxes!"  She casually walked over with a sold sign and attached it to one of the boxes. I said, "Please, put a sold sign on all four boxes. I don't want anyone to think they're available."  She chuckled and went to get more signs. 

When she returned she said, "I hope you'll really use all of this. Doesn't it seem like it's someone quilting stash?" I got teary ('cause that's what I do) and said, "Yes. I think so. I will definitely be honored to use this for quilting." She then looked at me and said, "You know, I will give these to you for $80."  I left the store feeling like I had more than one legacy to carry into the future.

During the next few months I spent time planning my first lap quilt just for me. I chose plaids from the stash that resonated with my storied sensibility.  I put together this top and then chose a beautiful pieced background. I even got it to the sandwich stage and it now awaits me in my sewing room. I want to hand quilt this piece, but I might need a class or a tutor to do it well.

I decided to jump into the blog swapping world again with a challenge to make blocks of a certain color for each month of the year. Here are my January blocks. I learned a lot about piecing and color choices and the greatest lesson of all, quilting is about experimentation and practice!

Here's February's blocks
(better variation in color and better piecing technique).

While the blocks were fun I wanted to challenge myself with something else. I had lots of red scraps left over so I decided to make one of my daughters' friend a blanket for her American Girl as a birthday present. I thought the top would make a cute blanket...

and the bottom a cute picnic blanket. Of course, after making this blanket, my girls had me in JoAnn's purchasing material for blankets for their American Girls. (projects to complete)

I pushed myself once more with a mini-quilt swap.  The old fear came sweeping back in and I worried about sending another quilter one of my pieces.  The quilt had to meet several specifications so I had to design it myself.  I love postage stamp quilts (all the small squares in the middle) and just built a quilt from there.  I had quite the sense of accomplishment when I was done, but also the anxiety of worrying about whether another quilter would like it. The recipient sent me a sweet email saying purple was her favorite color and when I received my mini-quilt from another quilter in the swap, I relaxed realizing that I was just so grateful to be apart of a group of women who were generous enough to share their time and talents with others.

Here are the sweet gifts from a dear lady in TX. She sent me knitting items 'cause she read somewhere that I'd love to learn to knit. What a story that will be! :)


M - Mug Rug Winner!

I wrote the names of the four ladies who participated in the Mug Rug give-away on small slips of paper and Tara pulled Susan's name out of the box!

Congratulations, Susan! I hope you'll enjoy your mug rugs!

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

P - People Colors

I have always loved to color!

My mom said that when I was a toddler I would spend hours sitting quietly with my crayons and coloring books. I've always loved a box of new crayons and a fresh coloring book.

When someone asks if I'd like to color, I'm pretty sure I've always said "Yes!"

I love to color!

I wish that when I was a kid we had these...


In 2009 Pioneer Woman introduced me to these wonderful colors!

People colors!


They have some of the most wonderful names...chestnut, almond, cinnamon, wheat, ebony and gingerbread.

Our coloring at the Martens' house has never been the same!


You can find them here.


Tuesday, April 17, 2012

O - Oh my, I'm sick!

I literally couldn't think of anything else for "O." My brain is in a fog due to a nasty cold/sinus infection. I am spending most of my days/nights sleeping and just trying to get better. Been hit pretty hard.

Since this blog is an avenue for sharing my life, well...there it is.

Oh, my!

N - News

News? How do you get it?

When I was a kid/young adult, newspapers were the go-to source for news. I have to admit, the comics were usually the first section I turned to, but I generally knew about what was going on in the world.

Today I get my news from my MSN homepage. The only problem, it's not very indepth. I've recently caught myself saying in conversations, "I saw something about that." The only problem is, that's it. I don't have a lot of information, thus, I don't have an informed opinion.

I also listen to news radio when my kids aren't in the car. I listen to a local station, but their news cycle is repeated hourly. Again, I'm just skimming for news, but not getting any meat.

Even though we don't have tv in our home, I did watch several of the GOP debates. I purposefully watched online so I could have an informed opinion regarding my choice for a candidate.

I have to admit, I read more blogs (love you bloggy friends) and WonderWall (MSN's celebrity gossip site) than I do anything resembling hard hitting news. Over Lent I gave up the celebrity reading and to be honest, I felt the void. Now that I'm back to reading who's dating who, who's finally getting married, etc I can honestly say I wish I'd never returned. I could be doing something more profitable.

I would prefer to not spend money getting news (ie newspapers that stack up), but I would love to change up how I'm getting information about the world.

So...how do you get news? Any tips?

Monday, April 16, 2012

M - Mug Rug Give-Away!

How about another give-away?

Last spring I was involved in a mug rug swap.
What's a mug rug, you ask?

A mug rug is a small quilted mat on which to enjoy a drink and dessert.

It's a cute way for quilters to try new blocks and use up their scraps.
(A mug rug from England made for me; I love the owls.)

Mug rugs make lovely little gifts.
(These are the two mug rugs I made and sent off in the swap.)

I would like to make the winner of this give-away two mug rugs in the colors of your choice. With two mats you can share a treat with a friend, spouse, child, etc.

All you need to do is leave a comment and let me know what color choices you would enjoy in a mug rug AND what small drink/snack would you most likely have with your mug rug.

You might want to match your colors with an eating area in your home or you may choose your favorites. It's up to you!

(Open to US and Canadian residents only)
I'll choose a name on Thursday and announce the winner!

L - Life (P365 for weeks 12 - 15)


Sara hosts the P365 Project over at

I have participated off and on for 3 years and I'm trying to be more diligent this year. So far I haven't missed taking a daily picture, but I have been remiss in posting my pictures each week.  Here I am with another post to catch up!

Monday, March 19 -

The chicks move out of the office into the barn.

Tuesday, March 20 -

I begin a week long baking frenzy to make 500 sugar cookies for a family Easter event at our church.
(15 batches total. Whew!)

Wednesday, March 21 -

The car wash has been out-of-order and I truly look like I live in the country. Eww.

Thursday, March 22 -

The horses enjoy getting sprayed down. 
They will turn around and back up to the fence to get their showers.

Friday, March 23 -

Easter event at church - a big success

Saturday, March 24 -

Six new chicks added to the pen in the office. These are bright yellow!

Sunday, March 25 -

The Martens' girls are ready for a special drama/worship program called KidStuff.

Monday, March 26 -

Remember the quilt I made for a mini-quilt swap?
Here's the quilt and extra gifts I received from a sweet lady in TX.

Tuesday, March 27 -

Time to fire up the grill for our first spring burgers.

Wednesday, March 28 -

We tied up the dog on the front porch and she got bored and made puzzle-pieces of my doormat.
I asked the girls to take a trash bag out after dinner and pick up the pieces, but they had already begun putting them back together in front of the door.  That cracked me up!

Thursday, March 29 -
I love dandelions and Picnik effects (how I will miss you picnik!)

Friday, March 30 -

The chickens are growing!

Saturday, March 31 -

The horses have to be brought into the corral at night to curb their eating of the rich grass.
This is their usual sleeping spot where you can find them in the morning.

Sunday, April 1 -

Mark came to church casually dressed and said this was his Palm Sunday shirt. :)

Monday, April 2 -

April's calendar page

Tuesday, April 3 -

The chickens explore outside for the first time.

Wednesday, April 4 -

We filled 170 eggs for an Easter egg hunt on the farm.

Thursday, April 5 -

We invited 9 families from our Homeschool CoOp (30 people) and enjoyed a picnic lunch, Easter egg hunt and smores.

Friday, April 6 -

Easter Mantel

Saturday, April 7 -

We celebrated Easter a day early so we could serve freely at church the next day.
The pic at the top left makes me laugh. They are looking diligently in the pantry for an egg and it's sitting right on the door handle just past them. Love it!

Sunday, April 8 -

I made a sunflower/peep cake for Easter. So easy and cute!

Monday, April 9 -
A clear spring day with soft clouds.

Tuesday, April 10 -

Katie being silly.

Wednesday, April 11 -

Jewelry give-away on my blog.

Thursday, April 12 -

Tiny Taco Meatball appetizer on Doritos. (watch for the "T" post on my cooking blog)

Friday, April 13 -

Rhett becomes an Eagle Scout!

Saturday, April 14 -

We had a BBQ with 18 people at our house. We had three different countries and four different states represented - it was quite the international crowd! We shared the Martens' smores with them.
(Again...wait for the "S" post on my cooking blog!)

That should catch you up! Hope you're enjoying your spring!