A little get-a-way

A few weeks ago, I was fortunate to go on a trip to London. It was a wonderful time and it may be my last trip away for a long time now that little chicas are coming. I previously lived in London in college for a semester, so this time around, I wanted to explore and I found a great book that lead me to so many interesting out-of-the-way places. I felt like a true Londoner and came back with tons of ideas on how to make our humble abode in Lubbock feel a little more English... I mean, who wouldn't want to live in this place?!

Aside from the no rain receive here, I think I could run our water bill up a little and make some of these beautiful garden ideas happen:

AGH! I just melted with all the beauty I was surrounded by. Small spaces and amazing results. It gave me such inspiration!

And.... I might have to get me a blue front door:

Ok, enough of my musings for now. Have a wonderful weekend :)

Hand-me-down Gardening

I would love to take credit for our beautiful yard that we have: tons of herbs and flowers and beautiful plants and ivy. But, I can't. The previous owners did an amazing job over 30 years of cultivating this wonderful yard and garden, that I just get to enjoy the benefits.

So today, when I woke up, I just went outside to one of my ten rose bushes and picked these beautiful flowers and put them on my table for the day. It is so nice to be able to enjoy God's work. Not one thing man (or Suzanne) did made this flower- it was only made possible by God's unique and creative thinking and make-up. It is really nice to think that there are just some things in life that you have no control over and they still turn out wonderful. That is a lesson that I am still learning!

They are so pretty, I couldn't even decide which picture to use. And that is only one of four bouquets in the house today. Oh, I wish it would stay Spring forever!

A Little Like Me

So, being the know-it-all that I have to admit I am sometimes, when my sister-in-law gave her son watered down coffee last year because he liked it, I of course turned my nose up and thought in my head: (in your best mrs. doubtfire voice) "what a terrible idea! Never give a child caffeine or anything that they shouldn't have until the appropriate age." So, that was a year or two ago.

Today, June wanted to try some of my tea. Without hesitation, I reached down and gave her some....

and gave her some more

and then went and made her her own cup of tea so she could be just like mommy.

Who was I kidding? What a hypocrite I was being in my mind thinking I knew exactly how I would parent a child, never even having one. It is so easy to judge something/someone before you are in that situation and then you are there, and wow, you may do just the same thing.

And then, after thinking some more (quite a bit of thinking time here :), I thought when would I ever deny anyone the chance to be just like me? If someone walking down the street asked how to be like me, I would sit them down and give it to them step by step with all my huffed up pride.... and then, actually, I would probably feel bad later that I loved myself so much and call them and tell them how I'm not that great and had time to think of my many faults, and have to list them then too, out of guilt....

But isn't that how we live everyday. People aren't outright asking to be like us, yet they are evaluating our actions and our lives and deciding if, in fact, they could be like us and what that would look like. And we are thinking, oh I wish I would have said that or hey, catch me at this time...

But, in the meantime, since no one is asking at the moment, I get to have a little miniature human walk/run around trying to act just like her mama daily and I realize how wonderful that is, and if we pick up a few bad habits in the meantime, that's ok. It's not going to kill her. I'm trying to live more like Jesus daily and hopefully, she picks that up too. So, my little one year old is now a ginger peach with cream tea drinker and she is doing just fine.

BIRDS!

Two weeks ago, June and I went to Home Depot and got ourselves a bird feeder and food. We put it up outside our daily window that we sit by (where she plays and I work) and...... we waited......

No birds.

No birds.

No birds.

I started reading blogs on what to do to make birds come to your feeder, but i didn't want to move it from the window and there are no trees nearby, so I thought we would chance it.

And, yesterday.... two came!!!

It is a feeder designed specifically for small birds. The doves walk all over it trying to get the food (haha! they canNOT, and no, these are not cute little Noah's Ark doves- these are huge ugly Home Alone 2 gray ones).

But finally, two little sparrows (?) came and ate some food yesterday. Both June and I saw them! This was June's reaction (although this is a picture from a few week's ago)

Hen house finished!

Well, the outside is. Dan is still working on nest boxes and their sleeping arrangements.... Plus, he has to grind off all the nails sticking into the inside of the house from construction... But, isn't it fancy? I love it and the hens don't even know the palatial palace they will soon be laying their eggs in.

He painted it and put it outside friday and the chickens will move outside once I get back from a week long trip with my mom starting Tuesday. Oh yes, and that is dorky Dan with his rice patty hat on- I am NOT a fan. It will be burned pretty soon (when he least expects it!)

Pretty soon, the chickens will start laying eggs, well, maybe in about four months. But, we are ready for them- I'm brushing up on my egg recipes in the mean time :)

So, I leave you with the latest of Sayed's talents- photography, as well as his first time on a trampoline!

The chickens are growing

So, you remember the distressed chick I mentioned? Well.... I believe it is a rooster. The hatchery is 90% sure they are sending female chickens when they send the day old chicks, but alas, that 10% mixup fell on us, I think. I verified it by a few clues (namely that roosters are whiney and develop slower at first) at two weeks, but cannot verify again until a few more things develop at 8 weeks. So, 4 more weeks to go!

(he's the one in front with the pretty colors)

This weekend we went to a really fun wedding (Dan's best friend- Kelley). We were gone 5 days and when we got back, the chickens had doubled in size- yikes! They now need to go out to the henhouse, which is currently under construction. So, this week, June and I are spending some time with them outside to get them used to the weather. She loves being outside and exploring!

The henhouse and coop will be finished this weekend, courtesy of Dan and Sayed :) I am not sure how to clip wings yet, so I hope they don't fly away or into a tree. We have to be with them at all times until the coop is finished so that a hawk doesn't get them! - I hope it doesn't try while we are out there!

Speaking of predators....

Today, was a nice day outside, so we took them out. They were a little skittish, being their first time outdoors, so they stayed close to me and their transportation box. Zeus was very interested in all their movements, but acted like the nice, little gentleman he is, except when he tried to pounce on one and I yelled at him. So, he then stayed far away from them, until they wanted to be around him and went over and checked him out- go figure! I think its all playing into his master plan... (I hope not!)

They are developing little personalities. Definitely, Miss Penny is my favorite. I don't know why I named her that, but she is the sweetest and wants to be around me the most and never squawks when I pick her up.

The rooster is the second friendliest, and then the black one has pretty much no personality. The one that will lay blue eggs is very skittish and I do not enjoy her that much, although she is pretty. She runs the others, I think, though, so she is Madame Cluck (the VII- name passed down from a long line of chicken in my family).

We are ready for some eggs and for them to leave our breakfast room- they are getting smellier- yuck. And today, I didn't notice they were out of water soon enough, so they pooped in their water holder (which is nearly impossible to do, I might add) to let me know their dis-satisfaction. Hmph! Too many opinions around here! :)

Just Mommy and June

I guess it won't be that long before its June, Mommy, and another. So, June and I are enjoying our time together now. Just the two of us every day during the day.

We really enjoy our little schedule, but have 7 1/2 months to prepare for a major adjustment!

I heard today in my bible study that God has chosen me to be alive. And I thought how special that is. He has. He has chosen to let me live today and I want to cherish each and every day as if it were my last. What a blessing each and every single day that I am alive is!

What would you miss if you weren't here tomorrow?