Dahlia's on the Hutch

Looking like Spring but unmistakably Autumn because they look so good with the sunflowers gracing the table next to it.


And how could you mistake sunflowers for being anything other than Golden Autumn, right?

These flowers in my vegetable garden came a little late this year... but better late than never! And with these beautiful Indian Summer days, they're still very much being enjoyed.

The Perfect Summer Fruit...

...especially when it brings back such great memories of my childhood days. Back when all watermelons, it seemed, still had black seeds.

I was so delighted when I cut this one open after bringing it home from a roadside stand.

"This is the real thing, kids!" I said.

"Cool! Can we collect the seeds and put them in the garden?!" was their immediate response.

I love how they love the outdoors and how excited they are to watch things grow.

*****

What's your favorite summer fruit? And do you have memories of childhood summers eating them outside, as well?

On a Friday Afternoon

Warm sunshine but then it rains... and rains ... and rains. The boys are wild indoors but then out they go again... muddy boots, then flip-flops, winter clothes and summer clothes... it's just that sort of Spring.

*****

Photo's: Allan and Isaiah looking out at the rain, Isaiah in his first shorts of the year, Isaiah playing peek-a-boo with the curtain, the boys just hanging out in the living-room... a common sight around here.

The Gift that Inspired Me...

...to clean and reorganize Isaiah's room. Some of my favorite blooms for their sheer color and cheer and in such a sweet vase! How could I not be thrilled?

We've been spending the last few days periodically staring out at the rain and organizing our home, watching things green up outside and shine up inside.

And because I just can't resist...
Some more pictures of my little boy. These do have a purpose though, not just to show him off (grin) but to show you the adorable little coat that I made way back almost 10 years ago when I was expecting my first baby, Jayden.

Isaiah's the first one to actually wear it and that's because I finally asked my Mom to finish sewing on the velcro squares for keeping the coat closed. Thanks Mom!

And a huge thank you to all my wonderful friends for your gifts of love and beauty in celebration of my birthday last week. You all made me feel so special!

Lovely bits around my home...

Pictures cropped close so as to avoid the never ending messes that seem to accumulate quicker than ever...




...ever since this little precious boy came into our lives almost 8 months ago. Has it really been that long already?! He's the delight of our lives. And we think he's "SO CUTE"!
Jayden says that we should enter him in a cute baby contest because " for sure he would win!"




So, though I don't know what to do first half the time, I continually remind myself that baby comes first and when I happen to forget, his soft little hands on my legs, reaching up to find comfort in my arms, make me pause and savor these fleeting moments of babyhood.

Because, after all... "Cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow", right?! RIGHT.

Slow and steady.

Just a few things I've been up to lately.



-Making rhubarb sauce. (One of my favorite homey sounds is hearing the "pop" as the lid seals on the jars.)

-Slowly clearing out my kitchen of highly processed and refined foods.

-Finding ways to make snacks and other food items from scratch.

-Trying our best to stay off the "whites" ...sugar, flour, rice, pasta...

-Finding ways to get as much calcium and magnesium into our diets without having to drink pasteurized, homogenized (store bought) milk.

-Finding simple, eye pleasing ways to store the bulk items that I buy. (Eventually I would like to go with all glass containers and jars.) Slowly weeding out the bad plastics from our home.


I really love to organize my kitchen and am so thankful for the convenience of it's size and the simple look of it's decor.

What's your favorite room to keep organized?

Simple Pleasures

Sometimes it's the simplest of things that bring me the most joy and contentment.

I am finding so many little pleasures throughout these last few days and thought I would just make up a small list of them here to remind me of the peace that can be found in quiet and basic homemaking activities.

-listening to jazz and many other favorites as I putter about my home.

-folding laundry warm from the dryer.

-Exciting conversations with dear friends about all the new things we are learning.

-Lighting a candle while reading to my children.

- Vegetables grown local, purchased at the Farmer's Market.

- Savory, pure steaks from grass fed, organic beef barbecued to perfection... a treat for him on Father's Day.

-Being able to provide whole, real, often organic foods to my family. And having them say, "Mmm... this is GOOD, Mom!"

-Opening the fridge and pantry and seeing them full with nature's gifts, His Provision.

-Seeing the bread dough rise to perfection.

-Kneading that dough by hand.

-The aroma of baking bread that fills the house.

-Eating this again for lunch.

-Preparing a wholesome vegetable soup which now simmers in the crock pot.

-ridding our homes and our bodies of toxins and packaged, processed and refined "foods".

- having the energy to do my work as a mother and housewife and to find excitement in it.

There are so many more things that I could list, I am just so thankful and can think of so many things right now that bring a smile to my face, but I will stop here. What are some of your favorite pleasures today?

Homemade

I had my first ever attempt at making-bread-by-hand today! (In other words, without a bread machine).

And I am so pleased with how the loaves turned out that I just had to post pictures of them and of the delectable sandwich I made for myself for lunch. Avocado, tomato and lettuce seasoned with a dash of sea salt.

It was incredibly good and I think I'm hooked. I hope to make a couple loaves every 2 or 3 days,
thus eliminating the need for store-bought.

Do you make your own bread? I was surprised at how simple it turned out to be!

Hands Full of Sunshine

Gifts from a Small Boy

His small hands overflowing
with sunshine-tinted bloom,
He quietly, half-shyly,
tiptoed into the room;
"These posies are for you, " he said,
then hurrying through the door,
Left me with more than flowering wreath,
so much - O, so much - more!

Katherine Edelman

I've loved this simple poem, found in a little book of poetry that belongs to my mother, for as long as I can remember.

Long before I ever had small boys of my own I was enchanted by this verse.

Maybe it's because I was meant to be the mother of these treasures who think of me when flowers
bloom and bring me these offerings of heavenly scent and color.

Yes, always plucked too short for a normal size vase but perfect for the one I've kept just for this purpose
and which now resides on my dresser in my bedroom.

Photos: Grape Hyacinths plucked by son, Marcus, from amongst my tulips in the backyard garden.

Soak up the Sun

From Friday's photo's at the Park with Friends

So thankful for the amazing Spring weather we've been having here the last few days.
Soaking in the warm sunshine at the park on Friday, and again with just us, Dear Husband, the 3 boys and I, at a different park in the coulee's on Saturday, and a long 6km walk with another dear friend on Sunday.

And today?

Well, though I'm not outside, I did whisk up the blinds of our bedroom at 7:30 this morning and let the sun pore in as I organized ALL mine and my hubby's clothes. His were easy. Mine, well, lets just say it took me about 2 hours to go through it all and decide what to put away until after the baby, what to get rid of and what to keep for my pregnancy. I was amazed at the large box of clothes that I had to bring down stairs after I was all done! It feels SO good though! Then I went through the rest of the room dusting and tidying the drawers in the night stands and then washed the hardwood floor. So that room is done for spring cleaning! Except for the windows, I'll do in and out at the same time....when I'm ready.

Then! I was so ambitious that I cleaned and organized my linen closet (which had become much more than just a linen closet). And cleaned both bathrooms from top to bottom!
I'm almost done all my laundry which I've been working on amongst my other things all day. And I actually got to hang out some of my clothes outside today! Just over the patio railing, though... must remember to ask hubby to put up a new clothes line.

And what were the boys doing all this time? Playing outside for most of the morning, followed by a quick hour before lunch of some Phonics and Math and then out the door again. They just came in about 45 minutes ago and after tidying up the living room for me, they're now watching their movie for the day.

All in all a very grand day so far, all I gotta do yet is make a yummy dinner after I fold the last few loads of laundry and then I'll rest.

I love days like this. It's just been so long since I've actually been eager to clean.

Treasured Moments

I captured this perfect moment, not planned or posed at all, of Jayden reading to his brothers in the late afternoon light of our bedroom.

He actually asked me this afternoon while I was busy preparing dinner if he should read another chapter in the book he's reading right now and I said, "Sure, go ahead."

And then I came across this precious scene and was thankful my camera was just steps away.

Among the many special moments that happened throughout this beautiful, quiet day, I absolutely treasure moments like these.

*****

What was one of your favorite moments today?
Please share.

On Decorating for Spring...

Thinking about my living room, loving it, cleaning it, letting the sun shine through it and dreaming about decorating for Spring/Summer. Here are a few pictures that I found through google images that I am drawing my inspiration from. I love the red, yellow, green and turquoise colors in the rooms below.

We hope to get a new couch and love seat set in the near future and I think these colors of pillows would look great on a chocolate brown set. (maybe not the orange and yellow... still thinking on those...) I love my wall color so I won't change that, I would just love to brighten up the room with some cheery accents.

Images found here, here and here

Anyway, below is a shot of the amazing bookcase/fireplace/entertainment center that my wonderful carpenter husband built for our living room this past winter. I am so, so pleased with it. When the books are taken out, the shelves and wood behind are white to go with the center panel. It looks really great. I enjoy having my books out in the open (they were all put away in a cupboard before) and I like this warm look for fall and winter but for spring and summer, I would like to lighten it up by taking out a bunch of the book so that some of the white from behind can show through, and adding some simple vases or bowls in the accent colors I love... kinda like in the pictures above. Oh! and another great feature that I love is that the bookcases are both lit with little puck lights which shine down behind all my books. It looks so great, especially at night!

And here are some more shots of my home (including a different angle of my living room which shows the couch and chair)... if you're interested. I would love to brighten up my kitchen as well but don't like a cluttered look so I will continue to think on that a bit more... any suggestions?