Saturday ramblings...

Malachi's artwork...

It was a permanent black marker and thankfully he only drew on his cheek. He was quite pleased with himself. He said he was drawing "whiskers". :)
I am a firm believer that children don't need a lot of stuff. I think it stifles their creativity. We had a basketball goal for years that finally bit the dust. We told Matthew (being that he is a baseball player- not a basketball player) that we weren't spending money on another one. One day after school I heard him banging out by the barn. He took the rim and made a "new" goal.

I really love the tarp wrapped around the tree. :) He told me it was like the cushion that they have on the gym walls below the goals. I thought he was pretty creative. He is pretty handy to have around.

We had a spring rain late this afternoon. It was so pretty this evening looking out the front door at the freshly cut green grass. The pecan trees have buds that are bursting open. This is my absolute favorite time of the year!

Look who.....

is 18 months old!

Sunday evening...

It was a beautiful weekend, upper 70's and sunny! It was perfect for being outside, and that is where we were pretty much all weekend!

They have had so much fun running around with the baby goats. It is adorable to watch them hop around and run.

Marc bought the girls a round pen for their horses. We have been searching for a used one for over a year. It seems people don't want to part with their horse pens! It is going to be nice for moving around the field and getting the grass eaten down!
When Marc and I went to town Friday night to get the round pen I had to return a few things to Kohls. He knows that if I have a coupon in my hand I probably won't come out empty-handed! I passed a display of graduation 2011 picture frames. I glanced at them and thought- MY child is graduating this year! I don't know what it was, but seeing that frame it just hit me! I decided to use my coupon and get one for her, and I wanted to cry as I was buying it! You know your children are going to grow up but it just goes by so fast! I think that is why I cherish the little things with my younger ones so much. (Not that I didn't with the older ones, but I know how fast it goes now!) I keep journals and write the funny things that they say, trace their hands, take tons of pictures, save their artwork AND write this blog! There are times that I just stop and watch them and wish that I could stop time. Times like this weekend when they are running around playing without a care in the world. Watching McKenzie garden and working so diligently with her animals knowing that she probably doesn't have many years left at home. Seeing Matthew out in the yard working by his dad's side and so thankful that he is content to be there. Yes, it would be nice to stop time...

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:" Ecclesiastes 3:1

Math with Mariah and other musings...

I always love math lessons the first half of the school year when things are so easy. After Christmas when we start hitting so many new concepts it always takes longer. Mariah is in her last twenty lessons of Saxon 2nd grade math. Today the subtracting two digit numbers where you have to borrow "clicked" with her. She excitedly said, "This is easy now!" Happy day for me too! We were sitting there doing the lesson and she said, "Sometimes you leave your lesson book open while I am doing my math and I see the answers." I asked her if she ever copied them and she said, "Oh, no ma'am. I just realize I am getting a whole bunch wrong!" Love her honesty! :)

McKenzie took some pictures for me recently. She has a much better eye for photography than I do.

Her personality coming out!

She is terrified of dogs!

She climbed up here to get away...

but the dog out-smarted her!

More goofiness. These two keep our house full of laughter!

Hope you all have a good weekend!

Zorro...

Malachi's Solo...

Last Sunday our music minister at church heard Malachi sing "Amazing Grace". He asked him if he would sing it in church and Malachi said he would. I wondered when it came down to it if he really would. He surprised us this morning and did a great job! Some of the men gave him a "high five" when he finished--- I think he was pretty proud! :>) (Yes, he was sock footed!)

Happy Birthday Madeline!

Happy Birthday to my sweet Madeline! It seems like just yesterday I was walking through our neighborhood picking daffodils trying to get labor going! I blinked and she is now twelve!

Madeline's middle name is Grace. It fits her perfectly because she is so very gracious to those around her. She is the most positive person and never says anything negative about anyone! I even told her yesterday that one of our goats was ugly and she said, "Oh mama, that is terrible. She is such a sweet goat!" She is a blessing to us and I am so thankful that the Lord saw fit to place her in our family!

Madeline's birthday is not complete without daffodils in our house!

A blessing from her daddy:

Madeline,
Continue to walk uprightly and keep His commandments and God will always pour His glory into your life.
Have a great birthday!

Love,

Daddy

"For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will be withhold from them that walk uprightly." Psalms 84:11

*Head over to Madeline's blog and leave her a birthday greeting! I know she would be excited to hear from you!

Happy March 1st!!!

I love when the calendar turns to March! Spring is my absolute favorite time of the year! It appears we are having an early spring this year! The Bradford pear trees are always the first thing to bloom in our yard and it is full of white flowers. Hope it is warming up where you live too! :)