Week-ending

 1.  Bug's quilt finally underway. 

2.  A basket of apples from our tree being enjoyed. 

3.  Squish's first face plant down the steps. 

4.  Grapes solving some brotherly conflict.

5.  A little R & R. 

6.  On a bicycle that's not built for two.

7.  A celebration of two years of sobriety.

8.  Preparing for next week with some rest. 

What is possible?

Is it possible to feel homesick for a place you've never been to? 

If you could afford the best schools in the world for your kids would you feel like you would be short changing their life by sending them to one?

My--or our--answer to these questions is "yes." 

Daddy-o and I have been talking (a lot) about moving to Idaho for sometime now. 

Here in Tucson we feel limited by our space and in Idaho, if done right, our only limitations will be ourselves.  How awesome would that be!

We feel that teaching our children how to sustain themselves is more important than a college degree. That piece of parchment may provide them a paycheck to buy the essentials but why not cut out the middle-man and just get them yourself? Not to mention that they will be an indentured servant for that piece of paper.
If we teach them how to be sustainable with their own hands and off their own land they will never have to rely on others to keep them fed, clothed and covered by shelter.

These feelings and ideas are nothing new.  It's what our great-grandparents did.  It's what they had to do!

In searching the Internet this past week we found our dream home and land.  It's only $800,000 over our budget so yesterday I hit up a Circle K for some lottery tickets.  Actually, I expect to be there weekly now. 

Unless we come into a windfall of money we know this dream of ours will take many years before it can all come together but everyday we will wake up and stay on our path that will take us to Idaho some day. 

These photos capture part of the every day life we want for our kids on our dream property. 

This moment

Camping in Greer, Arizona

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.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Via:  http://soulemama.com/

Where we are

Hello All:  I know it's been some time since I was last on here. During my time away I contemplated letting this blog go altogether.  I have enjoyed my time here but I don't like what I have felt was this constant pressure (that I have placed on myself) to be a hip and fun blogger like all the ones I read.  However, after much thought I want to give blogging a try again.  I am not sure how I am going to fit this into my daily priorities but I will try. 

So let's start fresh!

This morning after playing Farmer John I went around taking pictures all of the life we have in our front and back yard. 

These are three of the five fruit trees we have planted over the last year.  There are two apples, two peaches and an Asian pear.

Here is Squish enjoying an apple from this morning.

This is a new planting location for us this year.  When we bought this house there was a walled in area that once housed a spa.  I had high hopes of this one day being the perfect chicken coop but when the Daddy-O decided he needed a pool I figured it should go in here for safety reasons. 

In here is a mess of melons and various kinds of squash.  You see our first mound of compost didn't get hot enough to kill all the seeds in there so every time we use that compost we get a load of surprises.

 These are newest planters we have.  This was left over culvert from our rainwater harvesting set-up...

  In the newest planters there are tri-colored green beans, snap peas and more squash.

 This is one of our three grape vines.

This is kind of an overview of our main and original garden area (less most of the junk stacked up on the left).  It's not Homes and Garden pretty but it functions for food production.

In this area we have sugar pumpkins, corn, tomatoes, acorn and butternut squash, zucchini, okra, watermelon, garlic, bell peppers, pablanos and a few remaining onions.

Every year we try to find news places and food to plant.  Our new goal for this year is to set up aquaponics.  It's important for us to be as self reliant as possible for our food.  Neil was fortunate enough to get drawn and then to shoot an elk late last year so that has been our main protein source.  Unfortunatly, Neil was not drawn this year so our new goal for protein consumption will be the fish we raise in our back yard through the aquaponics system.

I hoped you enjoy seeing our little piece of this earth.   

A new chapter

Our oldest little man turned three last month

(Bug dressed for his cowboy themed 3rd birthday party)

and our youngest little man turned one this month.

(Squish's 1st birthday photo shoot)

With Bug, our oldest, it took me a long while to get to the point where I was excited about all the milestones.  Well, I was excited and I celebrated every one as any parent would but to me each new milestone also represented the fact that my baby was slipping away from me. I think every parent wishes they could keep their children as babies forever. 

(Birthday wishes for Bug)

You all know how long and hard the road was to conceive Bug and I felt like he was hitting each milestone at a very rapid pace.  I, at times, felt a bit cheated in having my baby for as long as possible.

(A special song from Great-Grandpa)

 

As the time has passed and with the birth of Squish each age is starting to feel like a new chapter in a book waiting to be read.  The first two years of Bug's life held so many exciting things and it seems with each age--or new chapter-- it is just getting better.

(Our tradition for the 1st birthday--Angel Food Cake with strawberries & whip cream)

At times I still have moments of sadness when I see just how old our kids are but for the most part I am happily awaiting to see how the current chapter is going to turn out. 

(That's the look of..."I'm too tired for cake--GET ME MOM!"

 Here are some additional photos for Squish's party...

If you ever need a photographer for your event I am sure my sister would me available.

Quiverfull

Ever heard of the word?  I didn't until last year and then I kind of forgot about it again until recently. 

I must admit that I feel pretty influenced by the Duggar Family.  I have never been a religious person and in fact I considered myself Agnostic for most of my life but since having my babies I've made a lot of changes in my life and I know I'll continue to make more as we travel this road.

Squish being cute-January 2012

I know the Duggar's way of life go hand-in-hand with their religion but outside of the religious aspect I really admire and look-up to how they raise their kids and the way they dress.  I thoroughly appreciate the modesty. 

I know our society is more then ever determined to express ourselves by how we dress, how we style our hair, the way we talk and who we associate ourselves with.  I know all about that first hand because that was me up until I had my babies.

Bug at the Zoo-January 2012

Now that I am a mom to two very precious little beings I want to protect them, shield them and lead then down the right path.  I want that path to be lined with high self esteem, high morals and respect.

For once they are sitting nicely together-February 2012

If I am going to be the one to lead them down that path don't I need to have that same high self esteem, high morals and respect?  I don't know if I ever could live a fully dedicated Quiverfull life.  It honestly scares me to admit to even just myself that I may be becoming religious.  I don't know if we would ever become dedicated church-goers but we can certainly hold the same high values for each one of us.

Squish February 2012

I am always struggling to either be myself which is a pant wearing, sneaker loving girl--or--a hippie hair, no make-up wearing me--or--a modest attire wearing me.  I have no idea how to really join all three. 

I really admire the modest attire as in below the knee skirt or dress wearing however I don't have the income to do a complete wardrobe transformation.

Bug-February 2012

I feel, as their mother and leader, I show respect for myself and for my husband by being modest.  By being put together.  I am not a walking billboard for other men to look at.  I am dedicated to my husband.  To my kids and to myself. 

I know everyone is scratching theirs heads wondering where the April is "they" know and I am still here--just better now.

I was talking with the hubby last night and I was telling him the story again of when I was getting my second tattoo at the age of 17 how I always told myself that I wanted to be a cool mom.  Now that I am a mom my definition of cool as changed.  I am cool not because of my tattoos and the clothes I could be wearing but because I cover myself up.  Showing any skin other then my arms is not okay. 

I kind of feel like a nut job trying to explain how I feel and why I feel this way but I look at my boys and I want nothing but the best for them and I believe that my part of the job is to be respectful of myself, of my husband and of them and I don' feel by wearing revealing or "sexy" clothes is the right thing to do.  

It's really crazy how having kids can really change people.  I never thought I was a bad person but I know now that I am even a better person because of them.  

There isn't anything I wouldn't do to give them the best shot at being the best people they can be.  I know the world could use better people.