Sonlight Garden

Birthdays

We woke up this morning to a beautiful patchy sunrise which has led to a gray day. It is Henry’s third birthday today. My sweet boy. He had a chocolate donut this morning for breakfast.

He is officially potty trained as of three days ago. He hasn’t worn a diaper since then. Even at night. We started introducing the idea about two weeks ago. He took to it with no problems and was super easy, meaning, he was ready. I have been changing diapers for the last seventeen years so this is just so strange to me not to have one in diapers at all. 

So anyway three. Three is fun and he is just awesome and doing more and learning more every single day. He is so funny and has a captive audience all the time. He will grow up with amazing self confidence because he is the baby and all ten (including grampa) of us in this house think he is totally awesome!!

My Mary Jane turned 14 yesterday and she is just the sweetest in all of the ways fourteen year old girls are. I just love her. She has surrounded herself with the kindest, non drama filled group of friends. They are all so sweet. I can’t believe how she is maturing and growing into a beautiful young woman. It is confirmation year this year so, pretty big deal. We are gearing her up for brick and mortar high school next year. I have mixed feelings about this, I think she does also but we have time yet. 

My babies, they are growing up.

 

 

Daybook~ October 3, 2014

A Daybook

 

 

**I started this post three days ago. I've updated some and am just going to hit publish.

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Outside my window~ It is cloudy and rainy. A cold front is moving in and I am OK with it. 

I am listening to~ The washing machine is humming. The dryer is drying. Children chattering.

I am wearing~ Boyfriend jeans, a cream colored tunic top and comfy Clarks shoes that I scored on sale. I wear these shoes with everything and all the time. 

I am grateful for~ 

• My family. Every single one of them. I feel blessed I get to live my life with them. I need to remember this when I get frustrated and overwhelmed. 
• When reading clicks. Confession time. One of my children has not enjoyed reading at all. It was a chore for them and he/she would never, ever pick up a book for enjoyment. Well, this now teenager, has started devouring books. It has just clicked. They said, “I can now see the story in my head when I read.”  (YAY!!!)
• For health!
• A new day!!

 

I am pondering~

Be the kind of woman who, when your feet hit the floor in the morning the Devil says, “Oh no she’s up.”

I love this saying. It’s a good question to ask yourself. Am I that kind of woman? From the way I’m raising my children to the kind of wife I am to the prayers that I’m saying; am I giving it my all for Him and for His Kingdom? What kind of witness am I for Christ? I want to be that kind of woman!! I want to be the kind of woman that makes the evil one say “Crud, she’s at it again.”

 I am reading~ 

How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare

Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child

With the kids:

Johnny Tremain

Who's Saying What in Jamestown, Thomas Savage?

 

I am creating~ I am feeling the urge to knit. Gosh, I haven’t knitted in so long. I felt like I haven’t sat down and relaxed in so long. You have to sit to knit. I have some unfinished projects that I need to finish. 

From the learning room~ We are slowly settling in to a routine. I am still adding things in slowly, like Latin for everyone and Writing & Rhetoric  for Catherine. Science! I am wanting to do Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Chemistry and Physics with everyone but I think that is going to have to wait until the winter. For now I think we will have to be content with going outside and researching what we find. Today it is going to be a walk to the back woods to see if we have any Sugar Maples. 

from the farm~ The garden is winding down. We harvested the potatoes last week and the rest of the squash. Pumpkins are coming out today. I still have carrots out there. Would you believe I am still getting broccoli? 

Beef steers are eating grass and growing.

Hay is up for the winter.

I finally had Pepper dehorned about two months ago. The dairy cows coats are beautiful and bright copper. Praying that whatever Daisy’s issues were regarding breeding are resolved. Now I just need to find a jersey bull or jersey bull straws to have them AI’ed. I am stumped.

I have been looking at the barn trying to configure where the milking parlor will be. how the traffic will flow in and out etc. I am picturing couple of different scenarios. The nice thing about our Florida barn is we built it with all of  this in mind. 

Chickens. We have twenty five and they should start laying any day now. Since our days are getting shorter I am wondering if they're going to go right into a molt? I also don’t know about wintering them. They are in a mobile coop right now and I think it is going to be to small to house them up in there. I just don’t know. I’ve never had to keep chickens in the winter.

All of these thoughts keep me up at night.

Around the house~ Last week I decided to spring clean all of the bedrooms. We’re talking moving beds, washing walls, vacuuming mattresses. I have the little kids rooms done and three more to go. I hope I don’t run out of steam before the project is done. Why I am starting this right out of the gate of a new homeschool year I am not sure, but I am just going with it. I am CRAVING some sense of order around here. I am having a hard time functioning without it. 

From the kitchen~ Okay. I have started Whole30. I am on day 4. I am doing this because I want to see how and what I’m eating is making me feel. I am happy with my over all weight. My one problem area is my stomach. I notice when I eat certain types of foods with gluten my stomach bloats and I look like I’m pregnant. (in fact a couple of seven people have asked me if this was the case.) I know part of that also has to do with carrying nine babies. My stomach muscles are shot. 

There is a lot that you can not eat, like sugar, grains, beans and dairy. Dairy! I love dairy. I am not getting the good raw dairy that I know is so beneficial for me because I don’t have cows in milk. So, I figure this is as a good a time as ever to try this out. 

Last night I was lamenting what a stupid time of year this was to do this! There are so many yummy treats in season right now, pumpkin bread and pumpkin roll and pumpkin ice cream and pumpkin spice lattes! I could go on and on…

UPDATE~ I walked into Trader Joe's this morning and caved. I didn't eat anything there but in that moment I decided I didn't want to do Whole30 right now. Not this time of the year. This is when all of the good baking starts. So I've decided this will be something I do during Lent and I am perfectly fine with this decision. Bring on the pumpkin muffins!

One of my favorite things~ a day with absolutely no where to go. I love being home. I won’t be seeing one of those for a long time. 

I am praying for~

• Jessica and her beautiful, sweet children, and for the repose of the soul of Jason. I can’t stop thinking of them. I wish I was closer so I could be there for them physically. 
• my Joseph. He started driving on his own last week. While it has been nice having him drive himself to school and doing some of the pickups and a little bit of grocery shopping, I must say, It has brought my prayer life to a whole new level. 
• for our crazy broken world.

A few plans for the rest of the week~ 

bridal shower

ballet

soccer games

Feast of the Guardian Angels today! Special dessert for the kids!

Picture thoughts: 

 

 

unpacking my mom's teacups