Good Things Lately

Reflecting on the good things - the blessings - is something that keeps me going; something I often write about in my journal. It's also a reason I love going back through old blog posts.  Here are some blessings from the past few weeks!

~ Blossom3 got her cast off last Friday!  I am so thankful that her wrist fracture is healing so well! More than that though is how proud I am of how she's been such a trooper through the whole process.  She's been demonstrating a maturity that I'm not sure I'd noticed in her prior to this experience.  Character growth is worth celebrating!

~ Green is popping out everywhere all over the Hollow.  Spring is coming!

~ Speaking of which, I heard the peepers when I walked out of Ladies Bible Study last night.  It's one of my favorite spring sounds!

~ Blossom2 finished second overall high scorer in Bible Quiz in all of Pennsylvania and Delaware the other weekend.  It's incredible to see her hard work pay off.  All that pacing and speed quoting is worth it.  More importantly, it's deeply moving to my heart to see the three older Blossoms digging in so deep in the Word of God.

~ Blossom4 has been improving in her work ethic with her schoolwork lately and that's a big relief to me.  As the Rugged Mountain Man says, "You've weathered this storm with all the other girlies.  You'll get her through this."  He's right; thank the Lord!  And the Lord is working in my relationship with Blossom4.  Frustration can be so difficult between a mom and her kiddo, so I'm thankful that the Lord is working in my heart and in hers.  The fruit is coming!!!

~ Spring jaunts are the best! I'm especially thankful for some one-on-one time with Blossom4 while the older girls are away at Fine Arts practice.

~ My new stove has a power boil feature!  This is cracking me up that I'm putting this on my list of blessings lately, but its speed makes me happy when I have a boatload of other things to do!

~ Blossom1 has had some really cool opportunities lately.  She's been doing presentations in local elementary school assemblies to promote Fair participation.  They have required some logistics and planning on my part, in addition to the public speaking/presentation on her part.  I am just so relieved that they have been going well.  Every time we get in the van afterward, we look at each other with a sigh of relief and say, "THANK THE LORD that went well!"

It's something I always feel challenged to do.  

Be quick to pray, but be quick to thank God when the answers come.

Math and Comparison

I’m sitting here, typing on a hand me down iPad Air 1 that feels like a timely blessing, even if it isn’t brand-spankin’ new.  Y’all know I’m good with things that aren’t brand-spankin’ new.  

Blossom2 has Nutella pop tarts and Coffee Shortbread Sandwich cookies in the works.  She’s already cranked out a bunch of her college US History course this morning.  Two little Blossoms are working on math at the dining room table with me. Right now, sitting between them is the most efficient way to switch back and forth between their questions, especially with their math.  Blossom1 is at her laptop, working on a PowerPoint about Japan for one of her college classes... with ear buds in.  

This is basically the tenor of our days ~ steadily working through each task, but understanding that each girl’s rhythm isn’t going to look like the other girls’ rhythm.  Blossom1 and Blossom2 understand this better than the Little Blossoms do, but the Little Blossoms will get there.  As the saying goes, comparison is the thief of joy.  This is as true as it ever was.  

They can be (finally) contentedly plugging away, glance over at what their sister just finished and start to whine and fret about what they still have to accomplish before the school day is done.  I try to stress that each sister is in a different grade and their assignments have absolutely no bearing on another’s assignments.  My mom told me the exact same thing.  I had to come to terms with it, just as they do.  

There’s something to be said for knowing what your job is and putting your nose to the grindstone, regardless of what anyone else is doing.  That concept applies to so much more than schoolwork.  We’ll keep plodding along, building character and finishing schoolwork, day by day.

Blossom2's Baking Addiction

Blossom2 LOVES to try new recipes and bake us tasty treats.  Whether it's a hobby, interest, or career in the making, we're not sure.  But we're GLAD to be on the receiving end.  

These coffee sandwich cookies were top-notch bakery goodness.

How am I supposed to cut down on junk food, when she's cranking out treats like Caramel Cream Pie, Homemade Nutter Butters and Miniature Lemon Tarts?  

As usual, I love seeing our girls develop and follow their passions.

Apparently, I'm supposed to order cream horn molds so she can try cannolis next.  I'm not sure I feel like arguing!

That Reminder App

I love hearing ways that technology works for people.  

Lately, the Reminder app on my phone has been especially useful.  

For years, Sunday dinner has been hickly-pickly simply because I never remembered to get the meat out to thaw on Saturday!  After taking my sister's advice to utilize this app more fully, I now set a reminder when I create the weekly menu.  I immediately jump on my phone and set a reminder to pull the meat out to thaw on Saturday.  This has become a real lifesaver for our weekends, when our schedule is a lot different from our weekdays.  

The Little Blossoms need to remember to gather eggs.  They were forgetting and I was forgetting to remind them and the Rugged Mountain Man was just getting frustrated at having to enforce such a ridiculously small micro farm detail.  There's a daily reminder for that now too.

And how 'bout those pesky free trials ending three months from now?  I don't want to forget to cancel them before I get charged.  You guessed it.  I've got a reminder set for that!

What about those random flossers I need to remember to get when I stop in at the Dollar Tree next time?  I've got a running list on the Reminder app for those things and places on my phone too.  

The Reminder app is working hard for me.  I love using technology for good!

At the Farm Show

Fair week is in August, y'all.  Right?  Well, yes, technically, it is.  

But, this is FARM SHOW, the largest indoor agricultural fair in the USA!  

Surprisingly, it's been a long, long time since we've been there!  

We set our alarms, steeped our tea, and headed out early to (hopefully) beat the rush.

I always want to do events, thrift stores, and fairs in a thoroughly methodical fashion.  Yet, it seems we arrive and are propelled forward into finding a bathroom and a drink of water.  Before long, we are wandering... despite my best plans.

Probably some of our most favorite displays this year were in the horticultural tent.  

Unique bouquets and miniature landscaping displays caught our eyes!

The Blossoms felt that it had been so long since we went that they made lists of all the food they'd try this time. 

Mozzarella Cubes

Apple Cider Slushies

Apple Pie Pizza

Potato Donuts

Apple Cider Donuts

Deep Fried Veggies...

The list goes on and on and on.

Blossom1 was pretty proud that she made a serious dent in her list, but I think this alpaca was judging her for it.

I loved the Christmas tree display, with oodles of varieties of Christmas trees side by side in all of their unique piney glory.  

The Rugged Mountain Man loved his Smoked Beef Sandwich and the 10% off coupon for Tractor Supply.

  

This gigantic Connect Four at the wood display area was EPIC.  Blossom3 enjoyed her game with a random new friend.

And the escalators.  

"Let's recreate that scene from Elf."

We couldn't believe how deep this sheep's wool was.  

The butter sculpture had me thinking about how many slices of toast and how many batches of cookies we could have made with all that dairy goodness.  

It was memorable, but the funny thing was, the ride home was full of laughter, good theological discussions, and light-hearted banter ~ the glue of family life.  It's what makes me happiest amidst the busyness that life is lately.