How Sweet It Is.....

No, I haven't deserted this blog, but life is busy. I've been blessed with two new grandbabes in the last month, our house is dusty with renovations, and I am still homeschooling two teens.

I won't play catch up. I just don't have time and I know I promised pictures but those too can wait.

However, we had some fun this week and I wanted to share. We are in the city now. City folk again, but hey, we have some lovely country in our back yard. A horse farm behind the back fence and in our own yard, some honest to goodness maple trees. So what does a countrified kid like my Patrick do with those? He taps them. Then he curls up in a lawn chair on the back deck and cooks up some yummy syrup for our pancakes. We started with a large pan of sap, but as expected, ended up with about a cup and a half of runny syrup. We chose not to boil it down all the way because that would have left us with nothing. Mmm. Those pancakes were delicious.

Next year we may go bigger and tap all four maples, but this year we just had two spiles so we didn't get too much. Still, a great deal of fun.

Still a little chilly this morning!

Our trusty little Coleman stove and a barbecue tank

Syrup of sorts, little thin but yummy!

Happy 2014

Pictures are coming...I miss this blog and the putting of life on paper. Once the tree is down and things are put away, I want to update. Blessings for a wonderful 2014 to all of you! This is a new year God has granted us, fresh starts, new ideas, new life to live. Take advantage of every moment.

The Everyday....

Life is made up of the everyday. There are those shining moments; new births, special events, parties, awesome 'standout' blessings. There are those sad moments; deaths, financial ruin, terrible tragedy. Most of it though is the everyday stuff....dishes, groceries, cleaning, jobs, church, school, things we can count on and sometimes become complacent about.

I am trying lately, to celebrate the everyday. If that is the thing we experience most, by gosh, we had better enjoy it and suck the life out of it! I recently bought some small glass vases at Goodwill. I told the lady shopping near me, "I could build a whole Christmas decor around these!" She chuckled and agreed.

This morning when I came downstairs, I saw the vases on my coffee table, I noticed the sun was shining through the patio door, bouncing off a mirror and reflecting through the glass. Beautiful. I walked into the kitchen and the cupboards had this great smell because I wiped them down with Hawes Lemon Oil last night. Out back, the neighbor's horses were neighing at the fence for apples. Soft breathing told me my family was still all asleep. I made a cup of tea and just sat for a while and appreciated all we are blessed with.

The everyday.....enjoy it.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-2

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Still Alive and Kicking...

Renovating has consumed us these past few months. I love to blog, but I love life outside of the computer more. We are 75% done fixing up our new house. I will post some pictures eventually but not yet. Bathrooms left to go. We are expecting three new grandchildren in the spring to add to the five we already have! Life is good but it marches on at a fantastic pace! Blessings, Anita

Break Time...For the Computer

...not for me. I am taking a blog free month. I will be back mid-September. We are making a move and I am busy, just busy enough that I don't have time to put things down here. I will blog when I return with pictures of our new home, the work we have done, and the whole wonderful story of how it all worked out. I will still pop in to read other's blogs!

Till the Fall! Blessings!

No Longer Littles....

I was going to join Kaitlin at http://www.homemakerdesign.ca/ for her blog challenge. I had ideas and great plans. Even though this is a very busy time for us, I wanted to do this photo challenge. However....

My subjects aren't being cooperative. And I don't have time just now to seek out some who are. My teens both laughed when I begged them. Yesterday's challenge was 'pretend'. "Stand here," I said, "Pretend you enjoy me doing this." They wouldn't!

Aah well. So there you have it Kaitlin. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak!" But I will eagerly watch to see beautiful photos of my grandchildren from day to day!

Happy....

Yesterday's photo challenge was 'silly' and I couldn't find any pose that worked for two teens to describe silly. However, today is 'Happy' and that we accomplished!

Happy certainly describes how this boy feels when he is spending time with his hamster. The first furry pet he has ever owned following a large assortment of frogs, snakes, and lizards...uh, geckos. Every evening just after supper Henry the hamster wakes from a day long sleep and is more than ready for some fun!