Dear friends,
2019 is drawing to a close. I'm reflecting on the year, remembering the effort we put into each day. That's what stands out to me ~ how hard we worked. Every day we rose and took another stab at the things that matter. Steady plodding makes good progress and I hope to prove that true each passing year.
We find ourselves just past halfway in the school year and that's good progress. The days at home are full of studying, but the girls are progressing well. Juggling a high-school student down to a first grader seems to be pretty smooth. One of the things that keeps me going every day is getting a front row seat to their progress. Yes, I'm also in the trenches with the Blossoms and their struggles, but the victories are so much sweeter.
If you haven't checked in in a while, the Blossoms are now 14, 12, 9 and 6. They are vibrant, happy, and healthy and for that we are truly, truly thankful. Blossom3 continues to recover from her head injury with only the occasional headache. Since she was working on building a robot yesterday without having any symptoms, I'm so glad to see her at full capacity. They are all working through today's to-do list to tidy things up and prepare for our Christmas festivities tomorrow. One of the Blossoms relayed to me that THEY have a lot on THEIR to-do list today, with building on to their fort on the top of that list. I guess the leftover lumber from the new shed is going to be put to good use. Yep, we had a pole barn built. It's been a long time coming.
The three older girls are still enjoying Bible Quiz. Blossom4 has started sitting in on quiz practices, even though she can't quiz until next season. She just couldn't bear to be left out. It's pretty cute to hear her little pixie voice answering questions! Blossom3 loves Quiz so much that she relays questions and answers in her sleep - no joke!
Blossom1 and Blossom2 competed in Avian Bowl this past spring, with their team placing first in the state. They loved that it really helped them prepare for their showmanship contests at the Fair. It wasn't surprising that they won showmanship contests, but Blossom3 placing third in her first year was a delightful surprise!
Yes, there are still loads of animals around here. We added more ducks this year and the girls were thrilled when one of their Bantam hens
went broody and hatched a chick! Apollo has been hand-raised and is so sweet! We're pretty sure he thinks he should live inside but this mama said, "No way, no how." With our dogs, Jake and Rory, our cockatiel, Ransom, our inside bunny, Mufasa, and whatever bunny we're currently babysitting for friends, this place looks like a zoo. That means fur and feathers on everything is normal.
Having so many animals brings its own challenges. When summer ended and the birds of prey were honing in on our flock, we frequently darted out the back door, screaming like banshees to drive away the predators that had their talons on our poultry. It happened so often, it's no wonder the neighbors think we're crazy.
There's lots of piano playing around here too. Blossom1 and Blossom2 played and sang with their teen friends at a community event and also in church a few times this year. We're so excited to see them branching out and using their gifts to bring joy to others. The song I hear around here most is "Let It Go," which is surprisingly beautiful in its instrumental version. Blossom3 is making good progress also! They've all been messing around with various other instruments too and since I'm not musical in that way, I really enjoying hearing the plinking of mandolin, harp and guitar from time to time.
We send our love to you all. We hope you have a lovely Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Remember to check back often. Sharing snippets of this life of ours is something I enjoy. It keeps the joy front and center for me.
Blessings from the whole crew in the Hollow,
