Many thanks...

to all those that made my birthday what it was!

I got spoiled with calls, cards, gifts, and wine. 

What more could a girl ask for?

Crab legs, well, Zach took care of that one too!

He surprised me with my gift, 

which left me speechless and anyone who knows me,

knows that's saying something!

We are getting chickens!

I'm so excited, I can't stand it!

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/wichita-cabin-coop

This is along the lines of what I'm thinking.

Spring Break

We took our Spring Break a bit early this year

 and headed to Green Bay for a visit with Nana and Papa.  

 We got a chance to go to the Wildlife Sanctuary,

 which I loved as a kid and has changed so much. 

 Joey was going around naming all of the geese and ducks. 

 Then my little mountain goats needed to climb a bit.

 Oscar thought he was taller:)

 Evie enticed the cougar down from his perch.

 Then I saw the cutest three headed turtle I've ever seen.

 Of course, it didn't take much to coax Nana to ride on the turtle shell. 

Although, it was slipperier that we all imagined, which lead to fits of laughter.

(Especially for me!)

 We visited my Aunt Patti and Uncle Ed for a bit

and stopped by a small falls to enjoy more nature.

 Sir Bounce-A-Lots was very fun 

and we were so happy because we had the place to ourselves.

 Trips to the park, tennis tournaments, and walks were 

some of the other fun things that we packed into our trip.  

It was a great time and we walked away with our abs hurting from the laughs.

 Thanks Aunt Patti and Uncle Ed for the dog toys...

Dixie is in LOVE!  

I took home a dresser for our bedroom that used to be my grandparents 

and we love it in our room.

Thanks Mom and Dad!

Sugar Snow

It's that time of year again...

Maple Syrup Time!

 And we roll in style fancy tractors and ATVs:)

 Children and God children a like we having a blast 

on the warm day with melting snow.

We got it done in record time and 

the kids had fun getting soaking wet. 

 Only one tree was running when we tapped.

Years prior, we've had almost all of them run when tapped. 

 I always turn into "squirrel mode" when I have all my preserved 

items in my cellar come Fall and don't want to use it all right away.  

About Spring time, I start to re-evaluate and 'splurge' by using it less sparingly.

I know it's a little crazy, but I am what I am.

One the way back from tapping,

Zach and Ashley took all the kiddos in the mule! 

That's one pile of kids.

As always, we had a blast!

Reflection and Examination...

Let us examine our path, let us ponder it and return to Yahweh. 

~Lamentations 3:40

Homeschooling seems to be a great fit for our family. 

The above picture is of the crown of thorns that the kids

and I baked a couple of weeks ago at the beginning of Lent.  

Each time they do a good dead(above and beyond their normal responsibilities),

they get to pull out a thorn.  

This has been a good incentive so far.  

 I have been enjoying my personal Lenten journey so far this year, 

I've done some real soul searching,

and continue to repent for things that I still struggle with.  

Having the strength to not be discouraged can be a difficult one for me.

My sins are washed away in the Sacrament of Reconciliation,

but the scars of the sins can still remain to serve as reminders.

Comprehending God's forgiveness as well as His love for us is pretty amazing.

Taking on the responsibility of homeschooling has helped me grow in my faith.  

Being able to see faith through the eyes of children is unbelievable. 

Questions that I thought would be asked, aren't as frequent 

as the ones that makes me stop and think.

Go for a walk in the fresh air and enjoy God's beauty!

I can smell it...

Then again, it might just be wishful thinking.

I really do think it smelled like Spring today!

 I completed Evie's sweater.

Well, it was suppose to Joey's and I ran out of yarn.

It happens:)

 We have been crafting it up.

The kids LOVE ShrinkyDinks!

 Our walk included sunshine,

 snow angels,

 clouds,

and a last ditch effort to save the snow fort!

I had a blast with the kids this afternoon 

and helped them raise the walls a couple of feet.