We enjoy our trees throughout the summer months but the winter upkeep is tedious to say the least. We spent many days and nights working to clear the grass of the carpet of leaves. One nice day I went out with the younger three and we got a lot done. They are big enough to help but often overlooked. I was impressed with their stick-to-it-ness.
Merele found a snow shovel which worked really well the curved underside slid nicely on the grass and moved leaf piles really well. We initially worked to cover garden areas with leaves, then we made a leaf collection area to let them slowly decompose and become prized mulch and now we are just getting them off the grass in hopes the grass will continue covering the dirt.
John enjoying a cup of hot chocolate after a long day of work.
Reading scriptures. I started insisting on finding the place we were reading in paper copies of the scriptures this was a good learning activity and kept the kids more focused and quieter... sort of. I love our gathering time the banter and closeness has become foundational to our family structure. I'm not sure we get much from the actual words read but the time together is important.
My newly acquired easter tree fit perfectly in our downstairs room. We don't have many ornaments but it was a nice decoration to begin the season.
Uncle KEvin Corn sent two book recommendations "Never take no for an answer captivated these two. I'm still working my way through it, but discussing it with them are highlight for me. I feel or felt a real brain drain in the monotonous routine of stay-at-home mom life. But learning new information that can improve our situation is always enlivening to me. These two are smart and deep thinkers who make connections across genres and parts of life. Therefore sharing books with them is a joy. We also studied the book "Mindset" about how we see the world and life in general. Fascinating and important to believe we can grow and change- with Christ. Aliza pointed out we have to remember to include Christ as the power to change and become because it is with his power we are truly able to accomplish that transformation.
With my at-home crew, we had a moose day. Lia started the day asking for a moose bowl which led to a discussion with Aunt Brenda about moose- which roam around her neighborhood. Then we watched moose videos while we made decorations for our tree downstairs. No complaints about holding the circles to make the paper chain to decorate our tree.
We made paper chains and snowflakes they also transferred some ornaments from the upstairs tree to the downstairs. After a month of seeing gorgeous trees, I marveled people can preserve childhood ornaments for decades. Ours are lucky to last a few years. While that saddens me it's reality.
Livy was invited to attend her first Young Women's activity. She really enjoyed the time with the older girls. On her left is the other new young woman Addie. They will both be 12 next year though many months apart. These two became friends through the fair and 4-h last year. They are very excited for Trek, young womens camp, and going to the temple.
Almost everyday UPS and the mail lady would bring packages. Between Aliza getting ready for her mission and my intermittent shopping for Christmas we received many packages. The little kids enjoyed bringing in the haul.
Between the extreme mud in the fields and the constant coming and going of 15 people, our entryway is always cluttered. The cute organizing shelves and hooks are not adequate for farm life. So we try to keep a path and continually reshuffle the necessary equipment from the floor to containers to bodies.
We are blessed with health and strength and daily meat and bread. Farm life abounds in work and harvest. As the days got shorter and colder there was too much time inside Thankfully we have now passed the winter solstice and are working toward warmer longer days. Until then we try to be patient with the noise, dirt, crowding, and energy that overflows. Life is good these are blessings to be counted not shunned. Lots of people learning and growing is beautiful.
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