A Little Taste of Spring and Other Things

Sand cherry blossoms

It has been feeling very spring like around here lately.  The daffodils have already bloomed and faded and the fruit trees are in full bloom.  So pretty.  Elizabeth is my gardening helper and she and I have already started preparing the gardens for spring planting.  Over the winter I had a lot of ideas on improvements to the beds as well.  A few years ago I planted a lot of different fruit trees in huge barrels and pots and some in the ground.  I have now seen which ones are going to do well in this area and which are not, so we have been redoing a lot of the tree areas as well.  I want only easy and productive trees and bushes that we don't need to spray to have decent fruit from.

Carolyn taking one of her dogs for a walk.

I have been making some huge changes around here lately that has kept us very busy as well.  We have been preparing for Tim's parents to come to live with us and that has taken a lot of time and labor.  I know Gods hand is in it and all will be well.  Keep us in your prayers!

Carolyn has been wanting her own room for years and she will be 18 very soon.  She has always shared a room with someone and over the last several years she has shared a room with three younger sisters!  She has always been very good about it.  She is such a good sister and has never complained at all.  It has just been a dream of hers to have her own room.  We are going to finish off our front porch very soon and make 1/3 of it a room for her.  She has been planing and dreaming for so long.  Last week, we cleaned the whole front porch.  Took a lot to the donation center and rearranged what we kept.  One third of the front porch has been Zekes area for many years.  He does his filming and stop animation projects, out there, where it is quiet.  We are redoing his area as well.  Even though Carolyn's area is not totally ready for permanent occupancy, she moved her stuff out there and set it up as if she is living out there.  She is spending her evenings out there enjoying her privacy and quiet.  It warms my heart to be able to gift this desire to her, as she is such a precious soul to me.

I recently had a birthday.  I turned 50!  Tim got me a puppy I wanted...sweet, patient man that he is.  :)

My new baby "Baby".

She has grown so much already!

We have several therapy dogs here that are very loyal to their child and do not want anything to do with anyone else, as it should be.  I have my sweet poodle, Pickles.  Pickles, is getting very old and sleeps most days now.  She has been the best dog I have ever had the pleasure of having, as a companion.  She is helping me break in my new recruit and teaching her the ropes.  :)

I have been praying a lot lately on ways to make things in our lives more functional.  Things to cut out of our lives that we don't need anymore.  Ways to make things simpler.  Re-evaluate, if there are better more efficient ways to do things.  I am trying to put my hands on everything in our home and decide weather we need it or not, as I don't want any clutter around.  The things and improvements God has brought to my attention has been amazing.  Believe it or not, I have decided to stop milking our goats.  I have been milking for 20 years!  I get between a half gallon and a gallon a day depending on which one or two I milk.  The daily milking time, the clean up and time it takes to make cheese and such is a lot.  We now only use a quart or so of milk a week.  There is no need anymore for me to go thru all that work and making cheese to use up all the milk anymore.  God is so good.

One of the triplet babies born this month.

We are keeping our goats to keep the pastures ate down and in case I need to milk again or want to for a season but for now have stopped.  I have now not been milking for a few weeks and it feels so good to have more time in my life from all that entailed.

I have also stopped all therapy sessions.

Kinsley on her last therapy day!

I have been taking children to therapy every week faithfully for the last 20 years or so.  Kinsley was my last child in therapy and we have found other ways for her to meet her needs.  I now have no weekly appointments I have to leave our home for.  Only those that are check ups and such that come around every six months or once a year.  I am getting so much more done daily by not HAVING to leave the house at all.  I have went thru each room of our home and am slowly rethinking and redoing things for quick and easy function.  Things like building huge shelves in Antonio's bathroom to hold all his diapers, wipes and such so everything we need to care for him is right there and not stored all over the house.  I still have to finish off the inset shelf area for toiletries. 

As I am doing all of this I am spring cleaning all the rooms and trying to make more room so the house feels more open.  God is so good and things are really looking wonderful.  I am also feeling so much lighter and better in many ways by getting so much fluff gone out of our lives.  I have waited for this season of our lives to come for a long time and feel that at least for a space of time things will be a bit easier in many ways, even though our days are always busy and hard, with such a large family, with so many special needs.

I am going to do a bit of a photo dump on you now.  :)

Pictures of the girls at their last recital!

Some snapshots of my sweeties.  :)

Snowball fight between William and Billy!

Anna-Kate's first time seeing snow.  I love the look of awe and wonderment on her little, sweet, face.

My two Timothy's. 

Antonio playing his piano.

Zeke and one of our many barn cats.  He carries that cat around a lot when he is outside, every day doing chores.

One of our many stops on grocery day.  Gotta eat.  :)

Psalm 79:9  Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; And deliver us and forgive our sins for Your name's sake.

May God pour out His abundant blessings upon you and your life this spring as you live and grow in Him!

blessings,

susan