August

 My goodness it's August, and school is just around the corner. The air up here in the mountains is starting to slowly change. In the morning the coolness of my bedroom reminds me the days are going fast.  As September creeps around the corner plans of wood chopping are being made for the weekends, and fall activities are being scheduled out. I don't know if I am fully ready yet. Every year when I notice the air change it brings about a slight panic to hold everyday tightly, and remind myself that the warm autumn days are still ahead. We've been busy around here. We spent sometime up in northern British Columbia with friends and came home to our living room carpet gone and new floors in.  This was such a huge burden lifted off our shoulders. With the amount of vomit that we deal with from Henry I just couldn't go any longer. My dad said when he pulled it out the smell was terrible.  We are just so grateful to have that small problem taken care of.


 

September dance..

  This time of year is like a delicate dance.... The September dance. . These babies of mine are getting older but not just the twins all of them. Their interest in the world beyond our doors increases, we find ourselves looking at the calendar each night, chatting and devising a plan of attack for the day that follows. Dance classes, gymnastics, homeschool coops, teenage work schedules, PT/OT medical appointments and the list goes on and on.....with a home and small farm to manage it adds up fast . My head spins a little trying to find our balance and grove... I bet you all feel it. Back to school ( I know some of you have waited weeks for this), back to work, back to it -

As I embrace all the exciting new things ahead for all of us this season, I gently remind myself  to breath and love these little people in a way that no one else can. That in fact, this is my job as Mama to stay strong and steady, to breathe deeply, to walk slowly through these wild and full days. To be the anchor of home.

These days.. these amazing glorious days... I will one day wish for them back. .. The messy pile of books read, the art made, the paint dried on the table, dolls, blocks played with and nine children snug in bed sleeping soundly under one roof.

 

Homeschooling, unschooling, deschooling, back-to-schooling - whatever it may be

It's that time of year when summer starts to fade and the morning greets you will a frosty chill. Where every morning you do a dance of should we light a fire or throw on another layer?

 Im slowly putting together our fall schedule of classes and activities. It's a full schedule with teens middles, littles and babies. Like most changing seasons it seems impossible to avoid the busyness as they grow. It's all good - a pleasure, really - to watch it all unfold. 

This week was our official back to school week, once again as we opened fresh packs of pencils and markers I was reminded of this lifestyle we live.... To allow our natural family rhythm to lead us.
Our morning starts with a warm breakfast and animal chores to follow. There is wood to be chopped and stacked, books to be read, soup to be made... and then of course medical appointments to make it too.  As I sit here with my steamy hot tea and a baby bedside me playing with lids I breath a deep breath of contentment. We are home.

July

 

Summer on our mini homestead has been busy. Henry has kept us on our toes in and out of the hospital but between all our medical concerns life keeps trucking along and unfolding before us. The children have been crafting in their free time. Zach has been building a Waldorf village and Austin has been making and selling survival bracelets.  We have had friends up for farm campouts, bon fires, smores, and day trips.   Our days at home are slow and perfectly-paced. Not knowing what is happening from day to day with our wee little man stretches us all and we hold plans loosely in our hands. But here we are - growing alongside each other, trying new things, and falling back into the arms of each other to rejoice in the glory, the mistakes, and mostly, the adventure of it all. A lot of adventure. We continue to dream and plan and do things that are "crazy" in the eyes of the world.  Choosing to stand naked before our sovereign God, stripping off any and all fear and distrust. God's love is bigger than any earthly crisis. His ways are higher than mine so what do I have to fear. I rest knowing he holds every detail of our life in his gigantic loving hand, even though the enemy comes and tries to whisper his lies I breath deep and find my rest in his never-slipping grip. 

Swings

Baby got to try the outside swing today. Ah, he is growing so fast. You can almost here his squeal in the photo's. A few weeks ago it was too cold to do this, very thankful for the warmer temps on the way.  The children have been keeping themselves busy making paper airplanes and boomerangs. We decided to close our books for the summer and focus on natural learning.
This has been such a hectic year for our family I am ready to just be.

Good-Bye Old Barn

I love old rustic things, and when we bought our little homestead the barn was a huge highlight.  It had this awesome loft with a latter the kids would climb up hanging their legs out. Little did we know it was sinking and falling over. We managed to get three years out of it, but this is the summer it is being took down and the wood salvaged to build a goat house/chicken coop. I am super excited about this project, Chris and I drew out the plans and I am pretty much giddy about the whole thing. I love the challenge of spending next to nothing to create something spectacular. 

Our bunny has become so trained he now doesn't need to be in a cage and stays right around the coop grazing with the goat. It's quite a sight.   While the boys were working on the barn the littles and I started in the garden, I heard there was a cougar in the area last night so I was on high alert with my wee ones.

A Normal Day

I am relishing in these couple days of 'normal'. Making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches watching my little ones run trying to catch chickens. Everyday I get with these children is an unexplainable gift that squeezes my heart in a way I can't even put into words.

The Lord promises He will gently lead those with young,

if we but look for Him and walk with Him each step of the way. He has proven Himself to me over and over.

 You know what I have learned very quickly Joy doesn't always come in laughter and mirth. Joy isn't always dependent upon our circumstances. 

 The deep joy that comes from what Christ has done for us constantly fills our hearts, 

and sustains us through trials and difficulty. 

 

Outdoor Living

        The garden's are growing! I absolutely love growing my own food.  This box is full of peas!

                                                               Beans and cucumbers.

                                                        Onions and herbs.

                                                                Carrots and beats.

                                This has been the big fun over the last week. My kids have built this fort all by themselves without the help of any adults.  They have done a fantastic job and started from the ground up. Chris and I believe letting them have hours of free play to be creative and problem solve is essential in childhood. I am really excited to see what they finish with. I love to see them work together building friendship and strong bonds together.

                                                                  Potatoes growing in straw.

                                                    And our rooster Isaiah with some of his ladies.