Flower Headbands and a Savvy Vet

I made my last shopping trip in New Mexico a couple days ago! While we were picking up shampoo, the girls spotted some headbands with enormous flowers on them. They were $7 each, and they were the kind that poke you behind the ears. Instead, we decided to make our own silk flower headbands. I let the girls pick some soft crocheted hair bands, plus whichever silk flowers they liked…... Read More

Sister Takes the Cake, and Other Birthday Thoughts

(Another delayed Wednesday post. Gearing up to move…) Last week we celebrated the last 1st Birthday in our household. I was a mess. I can’t believe the baby years are already behind us. To illustrate just how bad of a mess I was… I… I… I… … considered having another baby. To clarify, there isn’t a day that goes by when I’m not... Read More

Easy Cheesy Egg McMuffins

Last week I made Easy, Cheesy, Sure-to-Please-Ye Egg McMuffins. In a déjà vu from my lemonade post, I got this recipe from another new friend, who posted it on Pinterest. The original recipe for the homemade Egg McMuffins is here. (I will not make the author take credit for the embellished title.) Start by cracking one egg into each of the greased cups of a muffin... Read More

Turning One

My baby boy – the child who will always be my “baby,” the youngest of our crew – is turning one. The baby who arrived the minute my doctor could get there… (Click here to read more or leave a comment on Turning One)  Read More

Smoke from Arizona Wildfire

I just wanted to add a quick picture from what’s going on in our corner of the world tonight: That’s not rain or fog making the nearby mountains almost invisible. It’s ash. There’s a wallow fire in Arizona that is sending a smoke plume our way. My husband, down in Albuquerque, says there is ash actually falling from the sky. When I came in from letting the... Read More

Making Fresh-Squeezed Lemonade with Kids

This year my kids will be old enough for some of the activities that summertime allows. The thought of having soft green grass as a backdrop – in just a few more weeks! – makes me want even more to start blowing bubbles and collecting sand castle forms. This past week we had a little free time, plus eight lemons that had been sitting in my crisper drawer. The lemons... Read More

The Armadillo Story

Good fences make good neighbors… … as do husbands with rifles… but that’s getting ahead of the story. eHEM…. The Armadillo Story, by Annie Gerber. At first, I thought Jack was digging in the flower beds. Not that I got mad, really, since it was just a couple flowers, but Drew and I thought that chaining him up at night might be a good solution. What... Read More

A Family Day Away

Twenty-eight days left until we MOVE HOME!!!! I’d post a picture of me doing jumping jacks for joy, but you’ll probably just have to imagine it! 🙂 I will post a rare picture of myself, though: This post is later in the day than I usually like to post on Wednesdays. We have a lot going on! Plus, this week I decided to kill two birds with one stone by completing (and... Read More

Preparing to Move

Last week my parents and one of my husband’s brothers came for several days to help me get a head start on packing. The guys would have liked more “manly” things to do, beyond changing the oil in the tractor and running errands, but they were good sports about how much I needed someone just to watch the kids so I could string two thoughts together and make thousands... Read More

A Packing Push

This morning we’re right in the middle of a packing blitz, a flurry of boxes, a push to the Pod: My regular Wednesday post will be delayed several days. Looking out toward new – and much flatter – horizons! Thirty-four more days!  Read More