Settling In, and Getting Busy!

Dear Friends,

We've been officially moved in for less than two weeks here at our new home, but we've already done quite a few projects and improvements.

Here is the new floor in the girls' room, after we pulled the old carpet out. They laid the whole thing themselves (with the help of their ten-year old brother!).

We brought along the stray cat that adopted us in Springfield (on the top stair), along with our cat Ginger. They were exhausted after the long car ride!

We've been exploring the woods around our home, and getting busy cutting down all the invasive Amur and Japanese honeysuckle that has taken over (You can see a small one next to the tree below~ we still have hundreds to cut down).

We've put up a couple of bird feeders and discovered just how many birds there are in this area! I've never had goldfinches come to my feeders before, but there are plenty of them here (along with a purple finch).

We have found digging bars come in handy when digging holes for things like clothes line posts (we've also found that they're really heavy!).

The lawn on the side yard is going to be our kitchen garden, so we are using our old moving boxes as a grass-killer, holding them down with some of the many rocks found along our dirt road.

The sunrises and sunsets here are quite beautiful, casting a colorful blessing on our little homestead-in-the-making.

If I haven't stopped by to visit my friends' blogs lately, know that I am thinking of you, and will visit soon!

Love,

Marqueta

We've Moved! (Almost)

Dear Friends,
We are so excited to have found a nice home on four acres for our family! We closed on the house last week, and the children and I camped out there for a few days to rip out yucky carpet,

Put on new flooring. . .

. . .tear down walls that should be doorways, 

. . . and begin the task of covering the brown walls with something a little more light.

                   We've also gotten to know a few of our neighbors, including this little guy~

We'll post more pictures once we get truly settled in, but until then, may you have a wonderful weekend!

Love,
Marqueta

January Brings the Snow. . . .

. . . Makes our feet and fingers glow.

Dear Friends,

 Missouri has been a winter wonderland lately! Our snow has now melted, and we've gotten lots of rain the past day or so, but the snow certainly made an impression while it lasted!

The little ones loved it most of all (and some of the older ones were not TOO sad to miss a day of work), playing Fox and Geese and making snow people (and a puppy).

This interesting snow creature was the result of the neighbor boys having knocked down Frankie's snowman, and Hyrum donating the head of his puppy in its stead.

I hope you've been enjoying a snow day or two, as well!

Love,

Marqueta

It Was a Merry Little Christmas

Dear Friends,

I hope that you all enjoyed a lovely Christmas, and that a blessed and happy New Year will be yours!

As you can see, we re-enacted the Nativity on Christmas Eve, and opened a few simple gifts on Christmas morning.

Games and Legos were the "big thing" this year!

A "secret Santa" left a ham and holiday fruits and veggies on our door step on Christmas Eve, so we enjoyed them for our Christmas meal (Thank you, whoever you are!).

My favorite photo is this one of Hyrum, fallen asleep next to the tree with his neck warmer and Jesus doll that I made. Sweet little dreamer!

Until next time,

Love,
Marqueta

The Doll's Christmas Faire

Dear Friends,

Christmas is quickly approaching! My children thought it would be fun to have a Christmas Faire featuring booths about how different countries celebrate Christmas, since we weren't able to do our Labor Day fair this year.

There were booths from America, Africa, Peru and Chile, Mexico, Scandanavia, and several others. They took turns telling about how Christmas is celebrated in each place, then there were crafts and games. They even made "food" out of clay!

 Gandalf presided over the festivities as Father Christmas.

I hope you enjoyed sharing a little of the creativity that goes on at our busy house!

Love,

Marqueta