Wednesday, April 29, 2009

nesting

B ran in the house with big news! she had discovered a robin's nest in the lilac bush...and there are eggs! oh, i love such excitement over the discovery of beauty in God's creation. there is nothing that compares to the blue of a robin's egg. i am amazed every time see them.

mama robin watched with concern from the cherry tree as i photographed the nest. she returned shortly after i walked away and seemed satisfied that her babies were safe. she really is an attentive mother. i am in awe of her patience while sitting on that nest. and when the eggs hatch, mama never rests, but is constantly feeding those little peeping beaks! i know the feeling! :o)


B is keeping a bird notebook. she is anxious to add the robin with photos from our own special robins. i must say, she does a thorough job of researching; reading books from the library, finding pictures on line, carefully coloring the birds to be realistic. she really is a joy to teach!





for the past 6 years, or so, we have had a pair of robins nesting under our deck. it is in an ideal spot for us to observe and we watch for the building process to begin each spring. this year, i couldn't figure out why they weren't collecting straw and wool from the sheep pen for this years nest. they were hanging around in the maple tree next to the deck as usual. yesterday, the reason became clear: they are re-using last year's nest! i didn't know they ever did that, but there she was, sitting on that old nest. through the slats in the deck above we can peek into the nest. 3 eggs this year.




everyday gift: blue robin eggs

Friday, April 24, 2009

spinach and roasted red pepper hummus


this turned out so good! the original recipe called for a handful of fresh parsley. i didn't have any, so, instead i substituted a handful of fresh spinach. i also had half of a red pepper in the fridge so i decided to throw that in, too! i roasted in the oven very simply; just placed the pepper on a baking sheet and put it in a pre-heated oven (450*). when the skin began to blacken i took it out, cooled it and peeled the skin off.

spinach and roasted red pepper hummus

2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup onion
handful of fresh spinach
1/2 red bell pepper, roasted and cooled, peeled
2 cans cooked chick peas, rinsed and drained
6 tablespoons tahini
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
dash of cumin and cayenne pepper

place garlic, onion, spinach, and red pepper in the food processor and mince. add the chick peas, tahini, and lemon juice and process to a thick paste. season with salt cumin and cayenne pepper to taste. serve with corn tortilla chips, crackers, or use as a sandwich spread.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

another keeper adventure

here is the latest installment in the keeper adventures! the girls earned their rubber stamping badge with the help of janet. (thank you, janet! it was wonderful!) they had a great time and made some very nice cards. the keeper handbook has an entire section of badges which focus on Others, serving family, church, and community in special ways. although the rubber stamping badge does not officially fall into this category, i love the way the girls naturally thought of others as they made their cards. a little note to someone is a wonderful way of sharing love and encouragement.


Therefore encourage one another and build each other up,
just as in fact you are doing.
I Thess. 5:11



i would also like to mention that O brought some very yummy brownies and lemonade as our treat! thank you! and to those who could not be with us, you were missed!!






working on her stamping (notice her finished weaving project. some of the girls brought their projects from the last meeting to show. very nice!)


cute pigtails!


janet demonstrating an embossing technique, it seems like magic!



on a side note, i want to share a silly story about the evening. before B and i left mark and the boys, they were trying to decide what to do since the girls were having their own special plans that night. they threatened to go to our favorite ice cream shop, for shakes. of course we convinced them to wait until we could go along, too...well, it just so happens that the ice cream shop is directly across the street from the coffee shop where the keepers were meeting. during our craft time we sat at tables near a large window, and who should come parading by with giant shakes and ice cream cones? very funny, guys! it had the desired effect as the girls moaned and hollered and shook their little fists at them through the window! but don't feel too sorry for us! janet's husband, jim popped in to make all sorts of iced frappuccinos, italian sodas, and smoothies for us. thanks, jim! you are so good to us! :o)
.
everyday gift: encouraging one another

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

running the race

track is one of the activities that has been keeping us running lately ...i know, i know, i have got to stop with those silly puns! ;o) the boys either have track or soccer practice almost every afternoon. i don't always enjoy having such a busy activity schedule, but it is great to see them outside, working those healthy bodies instead of idle in front of an electronic screen! i have been so pleased with the things that they are learning through their teams: discipline, hard work, aiming for a goal, winning with good sportsmanship, losing with the same grace, team work...such good life lessons!

here are a few pictures from their first track meet last week. i am not that great at action photography and my laptop does not have a good photo shop installed on it, so i can't crop them the way i would like, but here they are anyway! i was thankful for the beautiful weather, because i know how chilly and windy it can be during these spring sporting events.

S crossing the finish line

S receiving the baton

C running the mile



finishing the race strong!
.
.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1




everyday gift: healthy kids!

Monday, April 20, 2009

B's green thumb

do you remember this? we hollowed out a dried gourd to make a drinking gourd and decided to plant the seeds. we knew that they were a little bit old and might not sprout, but decided to give it a try anyway. well several weeks passed and all we got were a few grass sprouts. B had such a good attitude and was just pleased that something green had come from her efforts. so she continued to care for and water her baby grass. and it is a good thing she did. had we given up on those cups of dirt we would have missed out on this:


the gourd seeds finally sprouted! i guess seeds are like people...they are just a little slower when they get older. :o)


we have a total of 3 sprouts so far. and i have a feeling that we will have a large gourd harvest this year. we might have to go into the gourd bird house business! one thing leads to another...



everyday gift: new sprouts

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

wordless wednesday






















everyday gift: memories of our adventure to mt. rushmore and yellowstone ( august 2007)