::Hint. Hint.::

::Live with Us::

I was reading "Bent Hope" and having my heart broken. Gabriel was on my lap and noticed that I was crying.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, mommy's reading about people who don't have homes and have to live on the streets."

And I suddenly found myself overcome with a desire for affirmation. Please, Lord, let this boy respond. Let me see that he hears and understands me. Let me see that you have placed tenderness in his heart.
And then;

"Well, they don't have money. But we have money, and we have a house. So, they can come live here!"

Thank You.

::Please Do::

CLICK and please PRAY.

::White Magnolia's::Firewood Doors::

I've had this tiny magazine clipping pinned up on my wall for a year now. It offers a quick decorating idea: wallpaper your door pannels! I never had any intention of putting up wallpaper anywhere in my house, but I knew I could simply paint my way to the same effect. Inspiration was finally nudged into action.


These newly hung doors offered a perfect pair of blank canvases. . .

::Fortune Farms Sugar Bush::

March Break. How to keep my restless critters busy? My March Break activity criteria: Fun. Free. This is tricky, as most free activities involve the outdoors, which is a wee bit mucky and cold in March. But then this beautiful spot of warm weather came our way and we jumped on the chance.

We have a wealth of Sugar Bush camps around here, but some have become too big for comfort, with packed parking lots and ridiculous prices for what they offer. A few, however, have kept things simple. Fortune Farms is basically an open door syrup-making getup. You pull in, and wander in and out of doors, as you please, until someone comes along to explain it all to you. It seems to be a fantastic year for the syrup industry. The vats were brimming with sap. The owners figure they will have 5 weeks of good "running sap", as opposed to last year's single week.

We parked ourselves at a picnic table in the sunshine after our tour and consumed an appropriate lunch of blueberry pancakes, whipping cream, fruit and pure syrup fresh from the shop. Mmmm. {Although Karin begged to differ; "Cold pancakes! Yuck!"}

We set off on a "hike" after lunch. It was warm enough to shed our coats, and sunny enough to squint against the bright snow remaining under the shelter of the trees. It was beautiful... except for the sap lines, that is. They criss-crossed our path at knee, chest and neck height for much of the walk. This meant that Kate and I, burdened by heavy and awkward back-carriers, had to crouch way down to get under them. My legs were burning after the third line.

We were rewarded at the end of the walk with syrup taffy on snow. One of the best tastes in the world.

::Basement Door::

Oh, the little things...
The unexpected blessing of finishing a house slowly is the magnified thrill each new step provides. As of last Saturday, our scary basement stairs have a door. This is a timely development, as Isaiah is beginning to toddle.

Thought had to be put into this door. It swings out into our main living area, so will never be able to rest open. However, with the basement in mind for a future playroom, we didn't like the idea of having the kids closed off without a way of keeping an ear open. So, I came up with a compromise: a door with a window. There are fun options for the opening. I may hang some decorative shutters that can open and close. I may string up some french fabric as a curtain... Decisions for another day.

My inspiration for the door style came from doors such as these:

While hinges such as the ones on cathedral doors and ancient sheep gates are not within our means, the simple black hinges and defined wood shapes make the door look like it was meant to: a glorified farmhouse door.

As always, I am amused to look back at my old sketches and find that I have followed through with my visions so closely:

Cox & Cox 2009

I haven't posted PRETTY just for the sake of pretty lately...
Cox & Cox 2009
{I think I have Sticker Maker envy}

::Isaiah's First::

He's One today.