Christmas Break

It's one of my most favorite times of the year... 

and the Blossoms' too!

Christmas break lends itself to a summer like freedom and creativity.  It slows down the rush and the hustle.

There has been knitting.

Bunny flower headband making.

Doll clothes sewing.

Tea sipping.

Painting.

And reading... and piano playing... and fleece blanket making... and board-gaming... and crafting.  

There are the challenges of the extra messes and the routine that isn't a routine... and ALL THAT sugar.  

I just keep reminding myself that no day, no month, no break is going to be perfect, 

but we are together and we are savoring everyday life together.

Good-bye, 2019. It's Been Great.

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,

Dominique

The 2019 Thank You Card

While we're sharing gift tips, my sister has a quick and savvy tip for the receiving end of the spectrum. 

It isn't practical to write a thank you note for each and every gift received at each and every occasion and holiday, but that doesn't mean the gift wasn't appreciated.

She makes a note (in her phone!) of what folks get her little boys for birthdays (or Christmas!).

Then, as they play with or wear each new item, she snaps a pic of them enjoying the gift.  She texts the pic to the giver.

Thank you cards - - - DONE - - - 2019 style.  

Thoughtful, quick, and fun. 

Believe me, the warm fuzzies well up when I see my nephews enjoying their new parachute in the back yard. 

Are You Stuck?

I had my fair share of hard gifts to buy this year.  When it came to ideas, I was coming up empty on several fronts. 

While grasping my hair in desperation, I mentioned to the girls that I was stuck. 

They bailed me out with a few great ideas!  They are thoughtful gift-givers. 

If you're stuck today, with time running out, ask your children.  They just might remember a detail about that person that your busy, crowded brain has forgotten. 

Plus, when I hand it to the reciptient, I like that I can say, "The Blossoms picked this out for you."

Personal.  Plus, how can you not like a gift from my Blossoms?

These Christmas Days

Dear friends,

Are you caught up in your Christmas to-do list or the swirl of Christmas activities?  It's been a little bit of everything around here lately. 

After having it on my to-do list for forever, I finally managed to order our family pictures this evening... as the girls indulged in watching Arthur Christmas, a favorite December movie.  Since Daddy is away slaying deer, we decided to stop in at Pizza Hut and use our Book It coupons.  On the way home, we swung by the nearest neighborhood Christmas lights display.  It's been a nice bit of pleasantry after a few days that held their own unique challenges. 

Blossom3 hit her head pretty hard whilst playing Cops and Robbers with her pals last Monday.  She's had headaches off and on since then, so we instituted our own concussion protocol.  That has required a bit of creativity on my part, as that means no reading, concentrating, screens or physical activity.  She's doing so well.  Let's just say, Mufasa the bunny rabbit, has been enjoying the high life INSIDE keeping her company, while she works her way through the audio version of the Chronicles of Narnia.  I am so thankful she's been improving so much every day and I've been sneaking in school assignments in any way I can.

We had some company earlier this week, which was nice for catching up.  Building has started on a new pole barn too.  My shopping is basically done.  That isn't so very impressive when you realize that I shopped for the girls' stocking stuffers WITH Blossom3 and Blossom4 tagging along.  They assure me, "We didn't see anything."  

Our days haven't been perfect but I am savoring the grace that is with us as we live each moment. 

Dominique

Thankful for Thanksgiving Break

We spent Thanksgiving break, just like we normally do.

More crafty little projects.
More of mama playing.
More of cozy cold weather fun.

While the older Blossoms were shopping with Grammie, the little Blossoms and I thought making homemade Polly Pockets was the best!  Altoid tins make fabulous craft projects!

I did squeeze in a few re-organizational projects here and there, managing to help the girls tidy up their rooms.

I've noticed that Blossom3 gets frustrated when things are tidy and Blossom4 doesn't clean up after herself.  This becomes a bigger issue because they share a room.

I mentioned that when they dump their Princess and castle accessories bin out, they should dump it on a blanket to make clean up easier.  They used this tip the rest of the day and Blossom4 came to me excitedly marveling over how much quicker cleanup was!

Rather than barking out, "You'd better not make a big mess!"  I think I'll remind them a little more often that if you've gotta dump a bin, dump it on a blanket.  I even pulled out a small blanket to keep in their favorite toy bin. 

Dominique

#momlifehack

Sound the Alarm

It's been years since I purchased the girls their first alarm clocks.  The Rugged Mountain Man and I decided that

learning to get up on your own 

and tackle the work of the day is a life skill.

I purchased alarm clocks for the girls when they were around the age 6 or 7, so there has been an alarm clock in the older and younger Blossoms' rooms for a while now.

Initially, I set it for a reasonable time, somewhere in the neighborhood of 6:30 - 7:00 am.  For the first two weeks, I walked back to their room and reinforced in a calm and cheerful voice that it was time to rise and shine.  I joggled their shoulders.  I turned on the lights.  I was persistent... because we have places to be...

in the living room for devotions, outside for chores, and in the school room for school.

Just because our commitments happen at home, doesn't mean they aren't serious business.

After about a week or so, they were used to rising on their own, turning off the alarm, getting dressed, and coming out for morning quiet time.  Success!  We have established a healthy habit!

As a mom, having the girls learn to rise on their own, gaining this independence, has brought a healthy freedom to our mornings.  I still make time for hugs, snuggles, and affectionate morning time, of course.

Here are a few things that I prefer in the alarm clocks we buy:

~ I like the kind that keeps the alarm set every day, even after it goes off in the morning.  Then, they don't have to set their alarm every night.

~ I also love the kind that has two alarm settings.  We keep the most common rise times in those settings. 

~ Because we live in the country and power outages are frequent enough to be annoying, I prefer the alarm clocks with battery backup. 

~ I prefer the super simple, easy to use, basic alarm clocks.

~ I prefer the large display so they can see it from ANYWHERE in their rooms.

~ I love buying the same alarm clock for everyone if possible so it's easy to keep track of how they work.

Teach your children to rise independently and you've helped them to be on time for their jobs later in life.  It's a life skill worth investing in today.

Dominique

I Don't Think It's Too Early

Since our days have been busy with gathering wood, baking dog treats, 

and looking ahead to hunting season, we capitalized on a few slower hours.

We put up the tree... two weeks ago!!

Hunting Season Tips

For a few of the families we know, it's either hunting season already or it's gonna be hunting season soon.  Most of the mamas are excited to restock the freezers but grimly bracing ourselves to fly solo in some way or other.

In the past, hunting season has brought its own set of challenges for us.  Often, Daddy is away for days at a time, which means Mama is ON, always on.  This often translates to VERY tired.  Sometimes, the Blossoms seem more emotional when he's not around.  Sometimes I have a harder time falling asleep.  Sometimes weird things happen when he's away. So very tiring for me, but just me?

Yes, hunting is his hobby, but it's also physically taxing on the Rugged Mountain Man ~ early mornings, late nights, miles and miles of walking, carrying heavy gear and hopefully, dragging a carcass.  Plus, juggling work and home duties.  Throw in sleeping away from home with snoring relatives nearby and it's so very tiring for him too.

Instead of only focusing on the harder parts of hunting season for me, I asked myself,

"What can I do to make hunting season easier 

on the Rugged Mountain Man?"

I sat in my chair, penning those words and waiting.  It shifted my focus away from me.  This went straight to my heart and helped me to think of ways to serve my husband. 

I needed this practical application for preferring him above me. Instead of thinking all the inconveniences and the things I dislike about hunting season,

I decided to tidy up the basement.  It is NOT my favorite daunting project, but it's the first place he sees when he comes in from hunting around here.  I thought it would be nice for him to have a peaceful place to sit and take off his gear.  It's warm and cozy by the wood stove and it is certainly much more welcoming now that it doesn't look like you've stumbled upon someone's jumbled up mess of a storage unit... even though the basement IS our storage unit.

There's more that I hope to do.  I hope to make sure he's well stocked with good snacks.  From what the girls tell me, hunters get ravenous out there.

I'd like to keep an eye on the clock for better bed times.  Though I'm usually the one who is early to bed, I normally like to seize the time to chat with his undivided attention. Thinking more of him than me, I think I'd do well to quiet down earlier. 

The Blossoms and I will need to pitch in to take a few little things off his plate - like taking out the garbage and bringing in wood. 

Most importantly, I need to be praying for my husband.  I pray for him to be healthy.  I pray for him to hunt safely.  I pray for God's provision.  I pray for things to go well. 

It's impossible for me to pray fervently for him and still have a rotten attitude about how hunting season affects me. 

Friends, we can't control life, its situations, and its seasons, 

but we can choose our attitude.  

Dominique

If you'd like to read more, check out this post "When is the last time...?"  In it I ask myself, "When's the last time you did something for your husband?"  There's more good food for thought under the Marriage label.

Layers, Layers, Layers

Blossom4 believes strongly that leggings function as pants.  And maybe they do when you're a tiny little sprite of a thing.  They sure don't function as pants when you're feeding the animals in wind and sleet on a chilly morning though.

With our tried and true methods of layering in mind, I created this graph to help our younger two Blossoms know how to dress.

After all, there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing choices.

Blossom3 tries hard to dress appropriately for the temps, but sometimes it's just a lot to remember without asking me again and again.

With this graph, I'm hoping there will be fewer incidents of Mommy glancing out the window and then, sending the little Blossoms back to the basement for more layers.



I've also added it to the Printables tab so you can find it easily any time, or you can pin it to find it later!

An Evening at the Corn Maze

Our church got together and went to a corn maze a few weeks ago.  

I've never been to a corn maze before and neither had the Blossoms!

Reading the map was super tricky. 

We managed to navigate our way through, out, and into the game area of the farm.

We found the giant hamster wheels to be quite entertaining.  Blossom4 seemed to have a particular bent for it.  Her scrambling reminded us of a little gorilla's coordination.  

Giant skee ball was fun but virtually impossible, in my opinion.

Maybe the Rugged Mountain Man can do it!

Getting that bowling ball to roll just hard enough to hit the end and not roll back only partially was so challenging.  We cheered, held our breath, cheered and giggled here.

This was after we got scared out of our skin by the jarring noises made when you mess up in the giant game of Operation!  Blossom2 was much better than the rest of us at it!

A rope obstacle course was complicated, but cool.  The girls were hooked to the rope and then cautiously made their way through the web of colored ropes.  

Blossom1 and Blossom4 love a good game of Connect Four.  

Blossom2 and Blossom3 lifted the ropes and held them taut as they rolled the ball and released it into the bucket at the end.  I quickly won this game twice, which I felt great about until the Rugged Mountain Man showed me that he also man-handled this game... on the first try.

We convinced Daddy to go through the corn maze one more time, navigating more confidently this time.  

Then, we headed home to watch a football game together, but not before stopping at Walmart so we could pick up supplies for grilled wings.  The Rugged Mountain Man treated us to his version of grilled goodness!  We're serious fans!

Not an Instant Fix

That's not to say that time outside fixes every problem.  

There have been plenty of times that it has simply been a relocation of the bickering.

There have been times that I brought them all back inside, 

just as frustrated, tired, and overwhelmed as when I went outside.  

I think most mamas are aware that there is NO instant fix to childhood character issues.

We mamas need to stop searching for and expecting one.  

We're investing in their training one moment and decision at a time.  This is sloughing through the hard times and navigating through messy situations with the Lord at the helm.

We can do little, common sense things that help our children.  We can help their minds and bodies be healthier so that it's a little easier for them to obey and be kind.  

Dominique

Snapshots from a recent cabin adventure.

With All That Energy

On the hardest days as a young mommy, when I'd make the SOS phone call to my husband, he'd respond without fail with "Take them OUTSIDE."

It wasn't my favorite piece of advice when I was overwhelmed, trying to get something done, and on the verge of tears, but he was usually right.  I'd begrudgingly marshal the forces and get them outside.  Inevitably, things would somehow improve.

Recently, Blossom3 and Blossom4 were fighting like two alpha male dogs battling for dominance of a coveted neighborhood.  We'd already had a long day and I was trying to accomplish some things after being away for co-op and gym class.

OH THE BICKERING.  I kept trying to get to the heart of the matter, teaching kindness and forbearance and yet, it continued.  There was no logic.  It fell out of every conversation and interaction.  It was head-scratching, confusing, mind-boggling meanness.

The Rugged Mountain Man arrived home and announced that he was going to be scouting for deer.  He wanted to know which girls were going along.

Through gritted teeth, I said, "The littles are going; they NEED it."  They weren't thrilled about it.  They didn't feel like going for a walk, which they know really means a hike in the Rugged Mountain Man's vocabulary.

Alas, they went and returned, totally changed children.

SERIOUSLY.

The bickering was over.  They calmly played and entertained themselves.  The difference was vastly obvious to me.

This has got me thinking about my experience with pent up energy and its negative effect on children's obedience and tolerance level over the last fourteen years of parenting.

I am not excusing disobedience and meanness.  Not at all!  Their entire childhood is a training time, with steady progress toward good character being one of my biggest goals for and investment in the Blossoms.

Yet, they are immature people that sometimes struggle within themselves.  They are learning how to tell us those things.  We can try to be understanding by anticipating some of their struggles.

~ Extra energy can be released by beating your sister over the head with a stuffed animal (or worse) or it can be released by working hard to pump your legs and swing "all by yourself."

~ Cranky kids can squabble about things that make no sense or they can ride a bike while yelling like banshees.

~ Mischievous children can make blasted, inexcusable messes inside or they can create mud pies in the sand box.

They don't know how to tell us that they NEED to run.  They don't realize that they need fresh air.  They may not understand why they feel cranky and mean.

We can help them by getting them outside, every, every, every day.

Dominique

Photos taken on my recent 12 mile mountain back road bike ride with my dad and sister in law. 

A New Chick on the Block

One of our little Bantam hens sneaked off and built a nest.  After waiting the appropriate amount of time, we were so excited when we heard cheeping under the deck.

Once this little chick emerged the girls laughingly snapped a pic for this meme.

Has anyone seen Peter Rabbit, the movie?  They recreated it from a scene with the rooster.

We all had a good laugh!

And Apollo, the chick, is growing quickly.  We're having a delightful time watching his antics every day.

Thrifting Tips for all my Busy People!

Thrifting is a perpetual treasure hunt.  I rarely find exactly what I'm looking for at the exact moment I want it, but I frequently find useful or classy things that save us money in the long run.  Keep in mind though, these finds are spread out over years of thrifting.

I do often leave a thrift store empty handed.  

#1 ~ Prep yourself that you might not find anything.
I remind myself that I'm there for useful, quality and classy items.  If I don't find those or they aren't in my acceptable price range, I don't buy anything.  I'm not just going in for retail therapy.

#2 ~ Check what you need or what you will need soon.
If I know my husband needs cargo shorts, I check the men's shorts section.  If I know Blossom1 could use some dresses, I check the dresses, but I'm prepared to find those things over a quick stop at Goodwill here or a last minute post-library stop at the Salvation Army store there.

Rarely do I have time for a full store overhaul.  

Short trips make me feel like I haven't wasted time.

#3 ~ Check your size or your favorite colors.
Different thrift stores organize things differently.  I quickly rifle through my favorite colors, which are jewel tones and pick from those, OR I find my size and start a quick search there, based on patterns and materials that always catch me eye... like denim or nautical navy blue and white stripes.

#5 ~ Check what matches your family's lifestyle and interests.  
The Rugged Mountain Man loves taking the girls hunting, but that's a lot of gear over the growing years.  I now know to watch out for mandatory orange items and camouflage items.  I also know that the girls need Carhart-type work clothes and coats for chores, so I automatically check anything that looks like it might be suitable for those things.

What that means is, I walk quickly down an aisle, alertly perusing the contents, only stopping for something that catches my eye.  I also stick my army on it.

"Keep your eyes out for __________, girls!"

They do a great job!

(some of my favorite thrift store finds over the years)

#5 ~ Feel things.
The Rugged Mountain Man likes quality wool pieces and I like leather, so I brush through the coat or sweater aisle and "feel things."  Often, that's how I know to stop and check tags and sizes.

Sometimes I walk in and check ONE section... that's it!

Thrifting isn't a one time event.  In fact, some of my least successful trips are when I stop once, thinking I'm going to find all the stuff I need.  Just pop in here and there and take a gander around the store!

Dominique

Fast Fashion

I had some fun wearing my bargain Buffalo plaid duster to co-op the other day.


I also noticed that some friends had great outfits on lately too.







Then, there's my brand-new-to-me caramel leather jacket that I swiped in a five minute thrift store trip the other day.  It's so buttery soft and perfect fitting that I feel like it's my birthday!




Coming next... my favorite tips for thrifting, when you "ain't got the time."

Dominique

Is Bible Quiz a Good Idea?

With little to no previous exposure to Bible Quiz, I'm sharing my thoughts on what we've found to be a solid investment into the Blossoms. We're into our second season!

The Blossoms' coach supplies them with a monthly study sheet, which tells them what passages or questions to be working on each day.  This has lent itself to forming healthy habits.

I found that the girls tackled passages or questions daily, little by little, basically building in the habit of Bible study and mediation on His Word, in addition to their usual quiet time with God.

As you can imagine, studying their Bible Quiz material on a daily basis seems to be helping them develop better study skills.  I know this will also benefit them for years to come!

I've been super thankful for the time their coaches have put into preparing and working with the Blossoms and their pals.  They are being discipled - or mentored - by other Godly people.  By having these strong role models involved, I'm increasing their exposure to other people of like precious faith.  It's special to see them growing to appreciate these Godly women also.

In essence, Bible Quiz is just another form of discipleship.  It is teaching our girls how to be disciplined learners.  They get it at home and now they get it elsewhere too.

It's just another part of our "saturation plan."

At quiz practices and matches, we've enjoyed fellowship with teammates, other quiz teams, other members of local churches and staff from local churches.  The girls and I are enjoying these friendships.  They take time to develop but just having that opportunity to fellowship with like-minded individuals is exciting for us. 



I see parenting as heavy investment with future returns.  Lord, let it be so!

And, now, I'm on my way to another match.  I'm so excited to see the progress the girls' teams have made!

Dominique

Is Bible Quiz Worth It?

The older three Blossoms became involved in Bible Quiz last year for the first time.

Some think that Bible Quiz is outdated or merely "rote memorization," to which I say, "How can learning the Bible be a bad thing?"

After all, we should hide God's Word in our hearts, right?  And, there's no time like the present!

Now that we are into our second season of Bible Quiz, it seems like such a solid investment into the girls.

The things we ended up discussing around the supper table or lounging on the couches in the living room were things that only students who had truly studied the Bible would be able to discuss.

I didn't realize that their coach was going to teach them how to study the Bible!  

She armed them with highlighters, colored pens and sticky note page markers.  She helped them find themes, unusual words, history of the passage and setting of the passage.  I realized that they were learning skills that I learned in Bible college; skills I feel that every Christian should have.

I have found that our Junior Bible Quiz section covers basic Christian doctrine in bite-size pieces.  As I've helped Blossom3 study, I've been so pleased that she is learning questions and answers that will give her good foundations in what we believe.  There will come a time in her life when she'll need to know more, but I see now that through Bible Quiz she has a built-in springboard.  She'll be able to delve deeper then, but now she has a foundation, a starting point, a reference point, with a solid Scriptural answer behind it.

More thoughts on Bible Quiz to come,

Dominique