Random Winter Pictures

The whole reason I haven't blogged much lately is because of time. I have so much going on these days! Adding pictures takes time because of sizing, editing, rotating, etc. Well, today I just decided to add some pictures without doing any of that. I will type a little explanation below the picture and I apologize, especially, for those pictures that needed rotating. Hope you don't get a knot in your neck. :-) It would be best and more orderly to go to the very bottom of the post and go backward to get the pictures in order. ;-)

Winter is for.....

taking apart broken microwaves and looking up the parts on the internet....

Winter is for fun Christmas gifts... Monkeys, in particular...
Ryan, below with one of his many monkeys he got for Christmas (he expressly said he wanted a thousand)

Jonathan and Uncle Joe trying to get a battery into his remote control spider

My sweet little niece Megan with her new cooking set from Uncle Steve

winter is for building block robots

and reading Knight stories to your little brother

winter is for lots of snow

and for building blocks (My neice Hannah came with my mom to visit the day after Christmas)

Yes, that is my mom target practicing with Justin's new BB gun

Justin, with eye protection so he doesn't "shoot his eye out"

Hannah doesn't get much snow where she comes from

winter is for making cookies

My mom giving her grandsons spy equipment, robots, and microscopes

Ryan with his monkeys
Jonathan's swords (these are the kind they use for martial art practice and fencing!)
Justin's new BB gun
Hope you have enjoyed your winter!

Recycled Houses

"I LOVE THIS! Even if this is not how you would build/decorate your home, you have to appreciate his view on life! His view of teaching others skills, especially to the working poor"...

Check this out! Love it!

EEEEEEk!!!!!!!

Jonathan and Ryan drew these creatures and cut them out. Ryan said "Mom, you are really going to be grossed out when you see this."
I have to admit, my first reaction was a chuckle. I think they were disappointed that I didn't scream and gag. Jonathan drew the one on the left; Ryan drew the one on the right.

Grrrrr!!!!

This makes me angry!

The chief thing

“To bring the human race, family by family, child by child, out of the savage and inhuman desolation where He is not, into the light and warmth and comfort of the presence of God, is no doubt, the chief thing we have to do in the world.”

From A Charlotte Mason Companion

We've moved!

We are now happy home owners. We moved in last month (this explains my lack of blogging!) The picture below is an aerial of our home and property.

Our boys can run like crazy now, and hopefully next spring I may have a more interesting mini-farm type blog posts. For now though my camera lense is broken. Maybe I can get it fixed soon!
This is an aerial photo that the previous owners gave us. Click for a close-up.

Excuse this house

I saw this at A Full Heart .........

I need a framed copy for my wall!
Sometimes we women get caught up in the frenzy of life when we need to be cherishing our children. I struggle with wanting to get things done when I need to be slowing down and spending time with my fellas. I know there has to be balance and things need to get done, but what really matters?

Excuse this house

Some houses try to hide the fact that children shelter there,
Ours boasts of it quite openly, the signs are everywhere.
For smears are on the windows
Little smudges on the doors.
I should apologize I guess for toys strewn on the floor.

But I sat down with the children
And we played and laughed and read.
And if the doorbell doesn't shine,
Their eyes will shine instead.

For when at times I'm forced to choose
The one job or the other,
I want to be a housewife,
But first I'll be a mother.