november sunshine

the sunlight in the pacific northwest is different from anywhere else i have ever been.  i know i've said it before, but it's so true.  there is some kind of beautiful warmth to it i can't describe.

anyway, we've enjoyed many sunny days this november, and today was as gorgeous as the past week or more of them.  here are some photos from today.

knitting baby booties in the sunshine with my baby on my lap.

the chickens follow amalie wherever she goes with the cracked corn.

our cochin bantams - featherton, whisky, custard, cleopatra, and speckled marilla hanging out there in the back.  love these little ladies!

these days

i've been horrible at keeping up, it's march already!!  time is flying by.  we've had new things going on, the kids are in swim lessons, amalie has started taking ukelele, papa has a new schedule at school which allows us to eat dinner together as a family again.  i'm stripping wallpaper, planning paint colors, trying to figure out when i am going to lazure the walls in the school room.  and then the every day stuff, keeping dishes and clothing clean, making sure food is in the house, taking the kids to classes and lessons.

recently though, through the generosity of a friend, we acquired 4 sweet laying hens and a very nice coop.  we've wanted chickens for several years, but in nashville we were renting for the last year and a half we were there as part of our plan to move here.  and once we were here, we rented for over 2 years while we searched for the right house to buy.  now we finally have a home that we own and has plenty of wonderful space for having chickens, and everything just fell into place!

luckily the move to new surroundings didn't seem to spook the ladies too much, and they have been laying for us every day so far.  fresh eggs every morning.  the kids spend hours just observing the hens and talking about their interactions.  we bought them the organic feed they are accustomed to, as well as some cracked corn for a treat, and meal worms which they will eat right out of the kids hands.

for now we have some chicken wire set up around their coop temporarily, papa has some plans for what he wants to build for them permanently, and we picked a new spot where they will have more sunshine.  it's been a great excuse for school, as we haven't touched the actual school books in a few weeks.  we checked out books on backyard chickens from the library at each kid's reading level, so they can learn about their new pets.

other than that big bit of excitement, there are the milestones like losing both front teeth, as amalie just did this week.  she is so proud, she has been showing everyone.  and she looks completely adorable.

and then there's the pregnancy, 11 weeks left.  even though most times i feel so excited i can hardly wait, 11 weeks is sounding not that far off.  that's 11 more weeks of my family as i've known it for the last 4 years.  once this new little person joins us, we are forever changed, a new dynamic will emerge.  i know it will be wonderful, as it has been many times before, but it's still a feeling i get each time.  i want to be present and in the moment to enjoy my sweet family just as it is, and recognize this as a special time for all of us.

this new year

at midnight paul and i rang in the new year, just us, on the couch, enjoying the peace and quiet (aside from the occasional fireworks), reminiscing about how far we've come with (and for) our family since ringing in our first new year as brand new parents in 2002.

we are so very happy with where we are.  we live in what is, to us, the most beautiful place imaginable, this little tiny spot on the planet, which is so unique and incredible.  we have worked really hard to bring our family here, to be able to raise them here, as we felt they deserved.  since moving back here we have worked hard at finding a home to finally put down roots in, a place that will accommodate our growing family, with plenty of space both inside and out.  a home to be ours, with the intention of not moving our family anymore.  and we found it.  and we have it.  and i can't imagine wanting or needing anything more.

so this new year, i'm not making resolutions in the sense that i have in the past.  i'm not going to create challenges for myself to meet, which i inevitably end up dreading.  i have goals, which i am happy to walk towards, and they are simple, and attainable.  i'm going to continue to settle into our new home, with the many projects we have lined up, which i really look forward to working on.  and in may, i'm going to let go of those projects when it's time to welcome our new baby into the world, and put everything i have into that new little person's arrival.  i will continue to enjoy every single day i have with my family - love my children and my husband, and to enjoy this life we have worked so hard to build.  we have put years worth of resolutions into getting to this place, and now that we're here, i'm going to enjoy it.  :)

here's to the new year and all the new adventures it will bring!