A day of dragons

While exploring the Waldorf approach to schooling, we've happened on to a few celebrations that we otherwise wouldn't have known about. Some of these festivities are small and others are much more exciting and detailed...whatever the case my be, they are all simple and beautiful and I wish we were close enough to a Waldorf school to experience them fully. Until that day (hopefully someday) we just have to learn the best we can from what others share with us and make each festivity our own...




With that said, I introduce to you our day of dragons in the spirit of Michaelmas...a fall celebration of courage and determination. This is one of those celebrations that I knew/know little about, however we have always loved dragons so we thought we could give it a try! As I unpacked our book collection, I held out all the books we have about dragons. Surprisingly we had quite a few and the girls were anxious to read them all...all in one sitting if I'd let them...but then we wouldn't have had time to make this...











The girls loved decorating him with almond teeth, walnut spikes and cranberry eyes!







He looked a little rough after being baked...but boy was he yummy! lol This dragon bread was a nice addition to our chicken noodle soup for dinner and yummy spice cake for dessert! I had lots of other ideas for how the day would go but for a first time go around I thought it was pretty good. The girls played outside on the "new" swingset while I read this story of St George and how he slayed the dragon...by the end of it, the girls were sitting silently watching me read and so intend on listening that I could help but smile...I love homeschooling!






If you'd like to know more about this celebration, please check out these great blogs...they are great and such an inspiration to me. The education I have gotten from my fellow bloggers and homeschoolers is better than anything I learned in college! :)




Watkinseveryflavorbean


Crookedmoonmama




Frontier Dreams



Ancient Hearth



Twig and Toadstool


Our Little Nature Nest


The Lothians




I hope this season of change is a good one for you...and that you have the courage to slay the dragons in your life!

Our little Bits of Goodness

The last week has just flown by and I still have so much I wanted to share with all of you!

We are finally starting to get back in a schedule of sorts, and I am finally starting for feel more like being myself and less like being a zombee just going thru the motions of unpacking and sorting. We are getting to relax a bit more, explore and enjoy the natural progression of the summer turning to fall. I love this time of year...it just feels like mother nature is telling us to slow down and the rainy weather and cooler temps are just what we need to take a moment and enjoy the simple things...like apple sauce simmering on the stove and hot cider to sip while we read a good book!

Another excitement around our house is the unpacking of our comfort items...like the girls' play kitchen, my sewing desk and the nature table! While we haven't found all our nature table goodness, we have gotten back into swaps with Bits of Goodness and look what we found in the mail!



These lovelies are from the Tree swap that I recently took part in! Aren't they just beautiful!? The girls each got a tree, and the acorns/pouch but I claimed the necklace and the pouch for myself since the girls would only fight over them! lol It's nice to get something for myself once in awhile too and the girls didn't seem to mind... Ü





These are the little squids that I made for the Water swap! I can't wait to see what goodies we'll get in return! I just love the way these little guys turned out and of course I had to make a few more for the girls too! You can find the pattern here.

These swaps have been such a blessing to our family...the items we get and the quality of the craftmanship just amaze me! I am currently working on items for the fall nature table swap and the Christmas stocking/advent swap...more pictures to come!

A Free harvest

I almost feel guilty for the good fortune that seems to be blessing us lately....after the stress of a very drawn out move it all just seems too good to be true! Finding the house that we live in just happened on a fluke, and actually it happened when I thought I was ready to just give up trying. We had searched for months hoping to find a house to rent so we could have it all lined up and ready when we got here. We even had friends of ours go look at a number of them and they all turned out to be duds (which is putting it nicely!). When we thought we had a house all lined up we were overjoyed at the thought of just being settled. Now that house was far from perfect but it did have the largest backyard we had found as of yet and it did offer the square footage we were hoping for, along with a TINY kitchen and a yard that also needed an overhaul...but it was the best option we had found thus far and was the biggest bang for our buck....bang was right! We were knocked for a loop when I called to confirm the day we would be arriving only to find out that the house had been rented out from under us!!! This all transpired somewhere between South Dakota and Montana...in route to Washington!!! I was crushed and I'll admit there were a few tears...we were just so tired of being displaced and were so anxious to get settled and the thought of having to start our search all over was very daunting....





That's when our friend sent me a link to a house that she thought might work. It too was not perfect but it offered the basics of what we needed and to be honest I just didn't care. I just wanted to have a house waiting for us. I had given up on finding the house of our dreams and figured we'd just have to settle for a cramped little house where we couldn't sneeze without our neighbors hearing it. That house didn't work out after all but it did get us connected with the nicest realtor! She suggested that we try looking for a house out of the city in a more rural area. We had originally wanted to be in the country but after talking to a number of people, we were convinced that the commute to work would be terrible and not worth it. The realtor sent me a list of houses to check out and at least consider and the first one (that we happen to now be living in) really spoke to me!!! We decided that the commute was well worth what we would be getting in return.... 4 bedrooms, (we SO needed a schoolroom) and room to breath...5 acres to be exact! lol



Looking back, I can only imagine how funny God thought we were...all that worry and He knew exactly what he was doing! Why is it that we can see things so clearly looking backwards? Even at the time I knew that it would all work out, but I was just too tired to think clearly and needed to feel safe and comfortable again.


As it turns out, God really did a number on things for us...not only did we get our basic needs but He seemed to think of every detail along the way...



right down to the chickens that came with the house,



the huge garden area that we'll have next spring,





the very nice tiller we got on close out





....and the plethora of blackberry heaven we just discovered yesterday....








We make the best choices we can for our lives and the lives of our children and have to just know that we are doing the best we can and that God has a plan for us, even if it's not on the road before us but rather on a dirt road off to the side... I am speechless for words almost on a daily basis and wish I could thank Him more graciously for the free harvest He has set before us....but the words escape me so I'll just make the most of this free harvest and do my best to appreciate this life to it's fullest....

What would you do?

What would you do if someone handed you $45 and told you to spend it on what ever you wanted?

Well, that's exactly what Laura at Day By Day in Our World is doing with her latest giveaway! She is giving way $45 at CSN!!! This site has an incredible amount of things you could buy...the list really seems limitless of what they carry! Heck, I could even order a massive swingset and have it delivered!! lol But, I was trying to stay close to the $45 limit and that just wasn't hacking it ya know!? lol So I found THIS...itsn't it pretty and shiny? Wouldn't it look great in my kitchen?! Ever since I got to make pasta with my grandma this summer, I have been wanting one of these!! Oh the things we could make with one of these! :)

You know what I would get...what would you pick out?

Tuesday Tagalong

I have found some of THE COOLEST blogs this way and you can too!!!


Tuesday Tag-Along button art adapted from the "Follow the Leader" illustration by Diana Jones. I encourage you to visit her at her blog, Sketch & Jones, and her online shop to see more great illustrations and all sorts of wonderful crafts! Without further ado...Here's how it works:
Create a new Tuesday Tag-Along blog post. Include the Tuesday Tag-Along button by copying and pasting the code above. (You are also welcome to copy and paste these instructions in their entirety, or any portion of this Tuesday Tag-Along blog post!)
Add your blog name and the URL of your TTA post to the MckLinky below.
Follow Twee Poppets, the hostess blog listed in the first slot. Twee Poppets will follow you back! (Note: If you want Twee Poppets to follow you back, you MUST leave her a comment saying that you are a new follower and leave a link to your blog!)
Follow the Blog Hopper of the Week, listed in the second slot. To learn how to be chosen as the Blog Hopper of the Week, read the red text below.
If you can, please follow the blogs in the three slots before you (e.g., if you're number 20, follow numbers 19, 18, and 17). This is not mandatory, but it will help ensure that everyone who signs up gets a few new followers!
Follow as many other blogs as you want. The more you follow, the more that will follow you back! Be sure to tell them that you're following from Tuesday Tag-Along! You may also want to leave a link to your blog so they can return your follow more easily.
When you get a new follower through Tuesday Tag-Along, be sure to follow them back! It's just common courtesy. :) The weekly Tuesday Tag-Along MckLinky opens every Monday night at 8:59pm Pacific Standard Time (that's 11:59pm Eastern Standard Time), and the TTA blog post will be posted well in advance of that time. The MckLinky will be open to add your blog until 11:59pm Tuesday night. You then have all week long to visit blogs and return follows!There is a new list every week. The link you enter one week will not carry over to the next week's MckLinky. Please link up again each week to join in the fun!

Could use some fairy help here...

When the fairies built this tree house, we thought it was great! We thought it was grand! We thought they did such a good job! One little detail we didn't think of was the fact that after dismantling it for moving....we didn't have any directions on how to put it back together! lol And where were the fairies when we needed their help?? Nowhere to be seen! lol

After many attempts on my own, I finally had to break down and cheat...by looking up pictures on my blog for a visual of what went where! lol When all was said and done, I did get it back together but I still think that tree house was made for fairies to put together because only a fairy could get those little screws to actually work in those long, dug out holes! lol

It feels good to be getting back to some semblance of "normal". The squealing that has been going on lately as we open more boxes of forgotten toys are almost deafening! I am enjoying the pure joy that surrounds us when a "new" old toy is unearthed tho...The girls are loving the unpacking and can't wait to dig in to another box, while I am a bit slower at it and make them wait for a bit (a few days at most) while they enjoy the new found toy for a bit longer before pulling out more. There have been days that I swear I only see them when they get hungry enough to pull themselves away from this tree to eat and then right back in they go!

I love to watch them, and the details with which they play...placing each little toy in place and then hearing the giggling that follows like they did with this one....Who knew a gnomes head was good for balancing?

J made sure that I saw that her fairy was watching out the window, much like we did when we had the deer in our yard....oh how I love the way their little minds work! Speaking of deer, check out what's next on my list to make! :) I just know I can hear the fabric and pattern calling me..can't you hear them? lol

On a side note tho, our schoolroom is FINALLY starting to take shape and feel like the end is near. I have been looking at Waldorf classrooms online for months, saving pictures and making plans the best I could without knowing where we were going to be living! :) I wish so badly they could go to a Waldorf school but it's just not feasible so we'll do the best we can here at home! I really like the way it is turning out! I'll share more when I have a finished product to show off! Stay tuned!

The speech everyone should hear!!

I can't begin to thank SimplyMontessori for sharing this on her blog!!!

As the sun is coming up on my quiet morning, often times I wonder if what we are doing to school are children is enough, is it the right thing for them, could I be doing it better...and after watching this (which I think every person should do!) my answer to all three of these is YES!!! Yes, we are doing enough...we are doing enough when I can see the love of learning growing in them everyday...Yes, we are doing the right thing to make our children free thinkers...to give them the opportunity to learn freely and with passion! And YES, I can and will do better! I am constantly striving to be a better teacher to them...and in turn they are teaching me...re-training my thought process of what learning is...they are giving me back the passion to learn that was long ago stiffled in a classroom of "must do" rather than "must inspire"....Watching this video/speech gives me hope for the future, hope for the students to come and the teachers who will teach them...hope for the parents to make a stand for their children....

Where were you?

Where were you when our lives changed forever?? I remember it like it was yesterday and can't believe it's been 9 years....

I think too many people have forgotten about that day, the images aren't so fresh and the pain has subsided....but it hasn't for the families that are still dealing with the loss....for the people that just can't forget...

Today I am saying prayers for those families, for the children and friends... Today I am saying prayers for our political leaders...Please join me...

Field Trip Friday- Unexpected stops

Now, I know how it is on a big trip. You map out your course, plan your breaks around gas stations and places to eat and you are on your merry way...sound right?

Well, then geography throw in a kink called the unexpected stop...

We saw this sign as we were driving on our way to our first night at the Cabella's RV park....we'd already stopped at the World's Largest Ball of Twine but couldn't help but wonder what that green blur of a sign had really said...so we.....gasp....turned around!!! My MIL and I looked at each other, and like kids were both grinning and both nodding....so we were off to see the geographic center of the United States! lol Nothing I would have planned on doing (ok so maybe I would have had I been aware that is existed) but never-the-less, couldn't pass it up when we were just a few miles away! And hey, it was just one more thing to put on our list of "been there, done that"!

It wasn't anything fancy but it was fun to get out of the car just the same. There was even a little tiny church that was there with a guest book to sign and a bucket of free wooden crosses to take. Each one had a scripture burned into it...The girls each got one, which let to us looking up the scriptures that were on each of their little crosses....for being unplanned, I think this was a really neat stop, and hopefully one the girls will remember for a long time!

The scenery on this trip was great...and I kept hearing the songs from Cars playing in my head...you miss so much by always taking the highways...take a country road..see where it leads you!

Apple goodness

Since moving to the northwest, I've been taking more interest in the fact that we have good apples more readily available and loving every minute! :) Not only are they a bit cheaper to buy but they aren't all bruised up and old by the time we get them! Sorry, I don't mean to make you jealous, I'm just so excited and have to gush! lol We are big into apples for juicing so this is just such a thrill!

My MIL also brought us some of her apple bounty from Montana, so I needed to find something to do with them in a hurry. (bags on my counter drive me crazy!) Hers were very pretty little apples but also VERY tart! OH my! You should have seen the girls' faces when they tried them! They are used to the very sweet taste of Pink Lady and Fuji so they weren't expecting the tart tastes! lol It was rather entertaining for me tho! ha!

Anyways, we decided to sit down and make applesauce! The girls were just beside themselves that we were going to make homemade applesauce and even more giddy when I told them they could help! We set down to the table with a big bowl of mixed apples (I've heard that makes a better sauce) and I commenced to peeling and coring them.... note my pretty "new" 1950's Pyrex bowl? I just love quality made vintage! ;) Oh, and I already have an apple peeler, slicer, corer on my list of things to get! lol

....after I was done, I'd pass the apples off to my helpers who were armed with their own little cutting boards and butter knives. (We had cold water in the pot we were adding the apples to to keep them from browning) The cutting kept them pretty busy and we just sat, all three working on apples and visiting. And while I can't remember any particular conversations that stand out to me, we had the nicest time just chatting and working together....it was so enjoyable!

When the apples had all been transferred from my pretty bowl to the large soup pot, I poured the water off, added about an inch of water to the bottom of the pot, threw on a lid and put it on high heat till it really got cooking and then turned it down to a medium heat and kept stirring it occasionally...eventually this is what we got! It really was like magic!

I added some sugar and cinnamon for taste and just kept stirring till it looked like this!

....wait for it....

Can you hear it?

The angels were singing....it was HEAVENLY!!!!

When I asked the girls what they thought....as they were stuffing their faces with warm applesauce.... J responded "It's mag-na-fic!" (like on Ratatouille) and then added in " It's better than I could imagine Mom!"

The smile on their faces and the smell that filled my home made it SO worth the mess of apple scraps that littered my floor...I am learning time and time again that it's the joy we find in the little things that seems to last forever. I hope these are memories that the girls will look back on and want to recreate with their kids someday....

What are some memories you have with your loved ones? Were they the big flashing ones, or the simple ones like this? I'd love to hear!

Tuesday Tag-along

Welcome to this week's Tuesday Tag-Along blog hop, hosted by Twee Poppets Review and Giveaway! This is a great way to discover new blogs while increasing the number of followers for your own blog. Please feel free to grab the TTA button for your blogroll to help bring more bloggers to this blog hop!
Tuesday Tag-Along button art adapted from the "Follow the Leader" illustration by Diana Jones. I encourage you to visit her at her blog, Sketch & Jones, and her online shop to see more great illustrations and all sorts of wonderful crafts! Without further ado...Here's how it works:
Create a new Tuesday Tag-Along blog post. Include the Tuesday Tag-Along button by copying and pasting the code above. (You are also welcome to copy and paste these instructions in their entirety, or any portion of this Tuesday Tag-Along blog post!)
Add your blog name and the URL of your TTA post to the MckLinky below.
Follow Twee Poppets, the hostess blog listed in the first slot. Twee Poppets will follow you back! (Note: If you want Twee Poppets to follow you back, you MUST leave her a comment saying that you are a new follower and leave a link to your blog!)
Follow the Blog Hopper of the Week, listed in the second slot. To learn how to be chosen as the Blog Hopper of the Week, read the red text below.
If you can, please follow the blogs in the three slots before you (e.g., if you're number 20, follow numbers 19, 18, and 17). This is not mandatory, but it will help ensure that everyone who signs up gets a few new followers!
Follow as many other blogs as you want. The more you follow, the more that will follow you back! Be sure to tell them that you're following from Tuesday Tag-Along! You may also want to leave a link to your blog so they can return your follow more easily.
When you get a new follower through Tuesday Tag-Along, be sure to follow them back! It's just common courtesy. :) The weekly Tuesday Tag-Along MckLinky opens every Monday night at 8:59pm Pacific Standard Time (that's 11:59pm Eastern Standard Time), and the TTA blog post will be posted well in advance of that time. The MckLinky will be open to add your blog until 11:59pm Tuesday night. You then have all week long to visit blogs and return follows!There is a new list every week. The link you enter one week will not carry over to the next week's MckLinky. Please link up again each week to join in the fun!

This moment

I got this idea from SouleMama...

A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Tag You're it!

So, I've been trying this new thought of getting up when DH does for work. Whose idea was this? His! lol I am giving it a go tho and secretly enjoying it for the most part. Now that we are in the new house, and the layout is different the girls are actually staying asleep till a more normal hour of the day so they don't get up the moment I get out of bed! Bliss! So, my day gets to start in the dark early hours of the day, with a cup of hot coffee in hand and a fresh look at my blog for the day. I am so enjoying my time with far away friends via emails and blogs so for now this change is good...

I couldn't even tell you how I happen on to this blog but I am so enjoying it and haven't gotten quite thru all her back posts but I did happen on to one that I thought was fun...list ten things about yourself that someone might not know! I know the post was back in April but since I just found her blog I thought I would join in too! So, go check out her blog, and then think of 10 things I might not know about you and post them on your blog too....if you are reading this please consider yourself tagged...but incase you need that extra push I am personally tagging Robin, Kathy and Mandie too!

Ok, on to my top ten!


1. I am SOO not a morning person... lol

2. I actually miss Texas sometimes....gasp...yes... I'll admit it! While I am very content here, there are fleeting moments of just wishing for something familiar.

3. Someday I want to write a book..

4. I love bunnies...and have collected them since I was a baby...statues, stuffed, anything and everything bunny related!

5. I believe in fairies! Or at least the possibility of them...God can do anything, why wouldn't he create something to take care of nature? :)

6. My favorite candy is almond rocha.

7. I wish I was more like my Grammy and Papa.

8. Going into a craft store is like a high to me...who needs drugs when you could create?!

9. I see moments in the day like pictures in my brain and then automatically think how I could scrap them! lol

10. As scared at the idea of putting down roots as I am, I'm also excited at the same time. Silly girl, I know!

Ok, it's your turn..sit down and tell me about yourself and then leave a comment with a link so I can visit back! :)

Rhythm of the Home

My excitement is just busting at the seams! I haven't even been able to give it the quality time it deserves yet....I just had to tell you all about an online magazine called Rhythm of the Home and it's newest fall edition that is live today!!!!





My printer is already humming as it prints off the pattern for the felt dragon and I can't get to reading about the fall wreath fast enough! I think I'll be making a trip to the store for fabric before the day is out and crossing my fingers that the quilt shop I spied in town will carry wool felt so I won't have to wait to order it via mail!





It's only 7:30 and I only have one cup of coffee in me so far but I feel wired with excitement to get back to reading! (I know, I need to get out more lol) but really this fall edition is AMAZING and so full of good info and activities....





Where to start....what to do first? Can you tell I'm a little excited!!! lol











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What are you still doing here? Go... check it out....I'm telling you- it's great!!!