it's birthday season

Starting in February is a busy birthday season till June, lots of food, family and of course exhausting  creative birthday cakes.  Yes, I could just make a cake in a 9x13 pan, ice it and write Happy Birthday, but I'm pretty sure at this point my children would be disappointed.  Here are some past cakes, just in case you need some ideas.

Cooler weather = crafts

Well, it's been an unusually cold (and wet) late September in Indiana.  The leaves are turning, the fall decorations are out and the farmers are getting antsy for harvest.  Potato soup, pumpkin bread and chili are starting to appear back on our family's dinner table and that means I'm wanting to craft and scrapbook again.  Rebecca made a request last week about a dress covered in leaves for fall!  Haha!  Well, she doesn't realize her mother doesn't sew, but I do like to do other crafts.  So, after a little research this is what I came up with so far for my little princess, now I have to work on something for my little men! 

The tutu skirt was easy and kinda fun, she has another one coming but doesn't know it yet.  The girly girl would love if she could wear a skirt or dress everyday to school, she sure doesn't take after her mom!  The leaf shirt is just felt I cut into leaf shapes then used iron on stuff (that's the technical term) instead of sewing and the pumpkin shirt is the freezer paper stencil with fabric paint.  You can find out here www.dana-made-it.com/2008/07/tutorial-presidents-day-shirts.html and there is a link on that page that shows an easy version too!  The tutu skirt instructions are here http://tearosehome.blogspot.com/2009/09/tutorial-tutu.html.  The hair thing holder is just a ribbon covered cardboard circle with a long ribbon attached to it with a brad, and I made some of those hair barrettes too (mainly because I'm cheap).   So pour yourself some apple cider and cut a thick slice of pumpkin bread and get crafty!

Higher Ground

I’m pressing on the upward way,
New heights I’m gaining every day;
Still praying as I’m onward bound,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”

Refrain:
Lord, lift me up and let me stand,
By faith, on Heaven’s tableland,
A higher plane than I have found;
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

My heart has no desire to stayWhere doubts arise and fears dismay;Though some may dwell where those abound,
My prayer, my aim, is higher ground.

I want to live above the world,
Though Satan’s darts at me are hurled;
For faith has caught the joyful sound,
The song of saints on higher ground.

I want to scale the utmost height
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I’ll pray till heav’n I’ve found,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”

   As I was outside sloshing around in the mud, feeding the animals this morning, this beautiful hymn came to mind.  Our farm progressively gets lower (or muddier) from the back door down to the field.  By the last goat pen, it's almost quick-sand like with all the clay in our soil, then thankfully I can make my way up to the barn (if I don't slide in the mud) where the ground is more solid and eventually onto the concrete where I would prefer to stand on during cruddy days like these. 
   Well, last week my attitude was in the mud all week.  No one to blame but me and my hormones really.  I yelled, I complained, I cried, I was a grumpy and mean wife/mother all week.  I felt horrible.  I know everyone has bad weeks, but this one sucked.  I was displeased with everyone, when the only one that should of irritated me was myself!  I needed to be on "higher ground" more than ever!  Remember that wise man that built his house upon a rock?  Well, my house was on the sinking sand, how dumb.  As a Christian, I know better than this, sometimes I just let my emotions get in the way.  I believe I can wake up in the morning and decide right there before my feet ever hit the floor, that I am going to have a good day.  I truly believe this, I just didn't live it.  I needed an attitude adjustment!  Circumstances aren't going to change me this week, I need to plant my feet on the higher ground and stay there!  Now, if only I could get it to stop raining.

it's getting crafty in here

Yes, this is the only way

I could think of using conversation hearts that was worth while!  I personally don't like to eat them, so why not decorate with them?  Thanks to Trendy Pockets for the adorable and fun craft idea that only cost me the candy because I had everything else on hand!

oil slick, again!

Well, again my busy husband left an open container of dirty oil sitting in his shop for our children to discover! It was only a year ago May that Rebecca rubbed oil all over her pretty little arms and then just today my baby Joe (17 months old now) was escorted into the kitchen (where Karen and I were up to our elbows in sweet corn) by his big brothers, black oil all over his pudgy hands! Well, since I have experience in this I just laughed, picked him up and washed his hands in my (just scrubbed yesterday) kitchen sink with Dawn, dried him, kissed him and sent him back outside with the rest of them. Then only 5 minutes later, here the boys come again, same thing, this time not so funny! I figured out Kevin wasn't even home, so I sent the boys with a piece of plywood to cover the bucket, cleaned Joe again, kicked him back outside to we could finish my 4 bushel of corn. Today was a busy day here; 7 quart green beans, 6 jars jalapeno jelly, 67 bags of corn and 4 pint salsa, luckily I was able to cheat and run into town to the new pizza place and pick up some delicious sausage rolls! Did I mention Kevin and the kids all helped husk the corn and my awesome mother-n-law came over and cut corn so I wouldn't be all day doing it by myself. Two weeks ago when I had 2 bushel peaches staring at me, that angelic lady came over to help the kids and I with peaches also! I blanched, the kids peeled, Karen sliced and I filled jars and in general tried to keep up with the four of them. Two bushel done in under three hours, definitely a record for me. We are so blessed to live across the road from my in-laws, they enrich our lives on a daily basis. Now, if only my kids could keep their hands out of dirty oil!