{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  Inspired by Soulemama.

flower art

Still raining.  Gathering a little inspiration from a local blogging mama Isabelle and I made some flower art yesterday...in the original they used a small plastic soda bottle as a stamp for the flowers...we didn't have that on hand...but I managed to improvise with some little paint sponges.  

we also managed to reconstruct our nature table at the new house...it still is lacking somethings (not sure where they are...but they will be found eventually!)

And today it is raining again...and probably tomorrow too.  Thanks for the welcome home new england...it is nice to be back.

rainy days

Well we had our first of the predicted three days of rain today and it was slightly challenging.  Isabelle and Owen seemed to be a little emotional...likely because we are all aren't getting enough sleep!  This cold is a doozy!  I was able to scratch off the last of the things on my list from yesterday...so I count that as a big success.  Here are a few pictures from our day:

varialand wooden pieces...the perfect rainy day project

blowing bubbles and lots of smiles

a tea party

a bored dog

a lunch flower

an ambitious baker...with an extraordinary helper

banana bread & Seven grain honey bread from the Bread Bible

cinnamon popcorn

Rainy days are perfect for cinnamon popcorn...here is my version:

pop 1/3 cup of popcorn on stovetop

mix together one egg white, 1/4 cup sugar, tsp salt & 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

drizzle over popped popcorn and mix until well incorporated

bake for 20 minutes at 300 degrees

*i also added some nutritional yeast this time for a little nutrient boost...

double it if you want leftovers....!

a proper introduction

In the craziness of the move I have forgotten to properly introduce you all to the newest member of our family.  Our four legged pooch!  Yes it finally happened!  Meet Adele:

This is the picture we had been staring at for over a month on Pet Finder.  We had our eyes peeled for a young female Bernese Mt. Dog/ Collie mix and well Adele was advertised as just that.  After a very long application, phone interview, and confirmation that we were good humans we were approved for adoption.  This took about 3 weeks.  At which point we were super excited and ready to make the trip north to get our pooch.  Alas after a vet visit it was determined she wasn't spayed and that we would have to wait another 2 weeks before she would be ready....basically a week before we moved to the farm.  Anyways...after much anticipation we finally met and took her home the weekend before we moved and well it seems like she just has always belonged here.

I do not think she has any Bernese in her (but I don't really know for sure) she looks most like an English Shepherd but may just be a mut of colli/aussie/shepherd.  Either way it doesn't really matter.  The vet thinks she is between 1-2, so she is full of energy and has a few puppy-isms.  She is super with the cats, they are more concerned with her than she is with them and she is good with the kids.  She is great off the leash, doesn't exactly know what come or fetch means yet (she just sort of stands there...but doesn't run), is learning basic commands like a pro and an all around great first dog for our family.  

Adele was not named after the super famous British singer but instead the town she was found in - Sainte Adele, Quebec.  She was rescued from a high kill shelter by a Montreal based rescue league, fostered for about a month and a half, and then came to us.  The circumstances under which she ended up in the high kill shelter weren't clear but from what we gathered she had been just picked up as a stray.  Judging by her personality she must have been ditched because she does not leave our side.  I tried my hardest to rename her Sorrel, but we were all pretty stuck on calling her Adele.  And so Adele it is.

To do list

Wow I have so much to do over the next few days I'm not quite sure how it will all ...and since you all love hearing the joys of being a stay at home mom a la caitlyn...here goes list for the day:

-grocery shop and go to the W word store...ugh I can't bring myself to even type it
-put groceries away ...one at a time with screaming baby on the other arm (yup i thought going up a small flight of stairs outside would be no biggy....)
-brush isabelle's teeth...I got a whiff of them in the grocery store...nasty
-lunch & blog (in process....)
-let the chickens out...it's hot!
-unpack a realistic number of boxes...3-4?...yeah your right maybe one
-finish setting up the mud room....definitely the most important considering we are all tracking in loads of soggy earth
-sweep/mop (only if the mud room gets done...)
-work on isabelle's indoor play space
-bake bread
-dinner...hmm grilled meat or vietnamese noodle salad...(i love all the options that only grocery day provides)

**

and all of this will may get done in the midst of wiping boogie noses, over using the neti pot (if you have never...you must!), nursing sick baby, entertaining a certain young lady, and playing referee between the dog & cats...

but it is all good right?!  yup i have the best job in the world

the move

Wow...well life has been slightly crazy over here...well no...really crazy that is.  We have been busy with packing, cleaning, unpacking, building a chicken coop, getting a dog to poop where she is supposed to...and well to top it all of we have all been hit with a cold.  FUN!  But that is just the way we like it over here!  I didn't pull out my camera once during the move but was able to sneak out after dinner tonight to capture a few pictures...of course starting with the outside...because that is really my favorite part.... 

the ladies in their work in progress home

the yard is fully equipped with an old school see saw and awesome play gym

our resident horse - Indie

oodles of rhubarb awaiting

a very contented dog

the soon to be garden 

once pig pen...or maybe a pig pen again...what do you think...veggies or pig?

a bath tub big enough for two...

isabelle's room ...with a super sweet loft

sun room

kitchen

There will be plenty more pictures to come...especially when it doesn't look like a bomb went off in the house...

***

we got a lot of help from friends and family...I would like to take the time to thank you all especially family who drove in from out of state - Grammy, Ryan, Dylan, and Nana...

thank you thank you thank you!

May day

Happy may day folks! I don't have any good pictures of us dancing around our maypole (yet anyways) but for now here is a picture of the maypole I made for our may day celebration. We had a blast dancing around it while I sang out of tune all the may songs I know. "Here's a branch of snow may... A branch the fairies gave me!!".