A Whole Month Already!

Baby Bunting lounging on a sunny summer afternoon...

in a green sweater and booties that Mama crocheted...

with delicious pudgy fists resting on the rabbit skins.

Sunday's Child

Monday's child is fair of face
Tuesday's child is full of grace
Wednesday's child is full of woe
Thursday's child has far to go
Friday's child is loving and giving
Saturday's child works hard for his living
And the child that is born on the Sabbath day
Is bonny and blithe, and good and gay.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Finnegan Archer Browning
Sunday, July 24, 2011
6 lbs. 8 oz.; 20 in.

Charlie's Angels...With S'mores

I'm not sure about the corny poses, but we sure had some fun on the 4th roasting marshmallows...

...and watching a whole barrage of fireworks after dark.

(I need photography lessons.)

Another Year of Ballet

Our little harvest fairy making her debut in Cinderella.

And our seasoned performer: a snow fairy.

How blessed I am to have two sweet ballerinas!

Sasquatch?

No, just a "small" black bear meandering down our trail to the creek. I'm glad he didn't make a meal of any of my outdoor critters. Our neighbors now walk the trail carrying bells and mace...just in case.

I tried to get a shot of a dog print (upper left in this picture) and kitty tracks (upper right) for comparison with the size of the bear.

He's big enough, in my opinion.

Would You Like to See Pictures of Our New Baby?

Three new babies, actually. Two chicks and a turkey poult. Maud (the turkey), Matilda, and Guinevere.

Did I fool you into thinking it was a baby Browning?

No, not yet. I still look like this:

Snippy the Snapper

Grandma's old electric scissors. Very noisy and very fun.

Education Alfresco

And then some fun in the hammock!

They Say Cats Are Clean

Some Much Needed Encouragement

For you, dear sisters:

I am woman.
I am invincible.
I am tired.

I did a Bible study a couple years ago using Lies Women Believe by Nancy Leigh DeMoss that really spoke to me and gave me a refreshing perspective. She writes: "...the Lord Jesus Himself was given only a few short years on earth to accomplish the entire plan of redemption. Talk about a long 'to do' list! Yet, at the end of His life, Jesus was able to lift His eyes to His Father and say, 'I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do ' John 17:4...
I find that truly amazing. Rarely can I say at the end of the day that I have completed the work I set out to do that day. To the contrary, I frequently drop into bed at night with a long, mental list of the unfinished tasks I had hoped to take care of that day. How was it possible for Jesus to finish His life's work -- especially in such a short period of time?
In Jesus' words, we find a clue -- a powerful Truth that sets us free from the bondage of hurry and frustration about all we have to do. Notice what work Jesus completed in the thirty-three years He was here on the earth: 'I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.' That is the secret. Jesus didn't finish everything His disciples wanted Him to do. (Some of them were hoping He would overthrow the Roman government!) He didn't finish everything the multitudes wanted Him to do. (There were still people who were sick and lonely and dying.) But He did finish the work that God gave Him to do. ...Freedom, joy, and fruitfulness come from seeking to determine God's priorities for each season of life, and then setting out to fulfill those priorities, in the power of His Spirit, realizing that He has provided the necessary time and ability to do everything that He has called us to do."

May each of you be blessed. ♥

Pond People

This one is blowing bubbles through a dirty hollow reed in a scummy puddle (that the cat drinks from).


This one is drinking it.

This one is contemplating the new pond he's just dug. That the cat is drinking from.

An April Birthday

...with presents,

and cake (red velvet, of course),

and the first campfire of the year.

Some philosophy from the birthday girl: "Goodness is good; badness is bad."

This celebration of 4 years definitely falls under the good category.

Happiness Is...

...hand sewing with my mama's vintage embroidery bag ~ that she used when she was about my age. I love the envelopes labeled in her handwriting with all the colors of the rainbow. And the needles still holding floss from one of her projects.

Happiness Is...

...finding a vintage dress form at a local estate sale for $50. She's been lowered for travelling; I'll have to figure out how to make her tall again. Her previous owner called her Heddie ~ because she has no head. Maybe I'll rename her something along the lines of...Marie Antoinette? And I'm thinking of having her show off my wedding dress.

School's In

Getting school supplies in the mail is good.

The box they came in is better.

Hooray for Timberdoodle!

Snow Flurries

Ready, set, go! Sledding is serious business as you can see by the look of concentration on Pea's face. Or maybe that's just because she's snacking on a handful of snow.

Mama may or may not have ventured down the hill a couple of times, too.

Making the snow angels. Rae had to make a "choir of angels."

After the fun, the snowsuits are hung to dry by the fire...

and we enjoy hot cocoa with enormous marshmallows to warm us to our toes. I followed the recipe on the back of the Hershey's cocoa can, but added some cinnamon with the sugar (left over from baking snickerdoodles.) Yum.

Bearing The Cost

"Once more, a little whispering laugh passed through the leaves, and she thought she heard them say, 'I was separated from all my companions, exiled from home, carried here and imprisoned in this rock. It was not my choice, but the work of others who, when they had dropped me here, went away and left me to bear the results of what they had done.
'I have borne and have not fainted; I have not ceased to love, and Love helped me push through the crack in the rock until I could look right out onto my Love the sun himself.'" ~ The blood-red flower of Forgiveness, Hinds' Feet On High Places by Hannah Hurnard

From The Mouths Of Babes

Babies are a common topic around our house right now, as you might guess. The other day, Raegan was happily chattering about getting to help feed and dress our newest little one and summed up her feelings in general,

"Babies are such nice mammals."

Yesterday the girls were having trouble listening and obeying quickly. We were taking a trail walk and had a pie baking in the oven and I strongly suggested that we hurry back so the pie wouldn't burn. When they lagged, I decided that maybe not having a slice would be a good reminder to mind Mama. At home Morgan solemnly asked if they really had to miss out on dessert. I told her that sometimes I needed to take drastic measures to help them remember to be good.

"But not like calling the police, right?"

note: They did eventually get pie...

Three Little Kittens

Three little kittens,
They lost their mittens,
And they began to cry,
Oh, mother dear,
We sadly fear
Our mittens we have lost.
What! Lost your mittens,
You naughty kittens!
Then you shall have no pie.
Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.
You shall have no pie.

The three little kittens,
They found their mittens,
And they began to cry,
Oh, mother dear,
See here, see here,
Our mittens we have found.
What! Found your mittens,
You darling kittens!
Then you shall have some pie.
Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.
You shall have some pie.

The three little kittens,
Put on their mittens,
And soon ate up the pie;
Oh, mother dear,
We greatly fear
Our mittens we have soiled.
What! Soiled your mittens,
You naughty kittens!
Then they began to sigh,
Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.
They began to sigh.

The three little kittens,
They washed their mittens,
And hung them out to dry;
Oh mother dear,
Look here, look here,
Our mittens we have washed.
What! Washed your mittens,
You're such good kittens.
I smell a rat close by!
Hush! Hush! Hush! Hush!
Hush! Hush! Hush!
I smell a rat close by.

nursery rhyme from kididdles.com

Bee My Valentines

Busy little sweethearts making valentines.