the green gate

maybe this is why...

2012-01-31T19:48:00.000-05:00

she doesn't sleep at night =)
i jsut noticed almost all the photos i took of her she is asleep ! ha!

and my camera came back today via ups!!!!
yay!
so happy to have you home =)

animal farm

2012-01-31T19:46:00.000-05:00

the ducks seem super happy here....on the lake all day and around the edges in the evenings eating weeds...
and then in the late evening, they walk to the mud hole in our driveway ...they are eating something in there
(and well, jack peed in their earlier.....ewwwww!!!)

but they are happy...and little bit ...maybe no longer stella...maybe lilly??
she is introduced by the minute to ducks and sheeps and rabbits and chickens....she takes it all in stride =)

napping...

2012-01-31T19:43:00.000-05:00

well, she is never alone...with us in the car, to the loo, on walks, in the house out of the house...
and esme has well overcome any fears...she just mammas her all day =)
both the kids are sweet with her...when she falls asleep they cover her up or curl up around her on either side =)

meet stella!!!!

2012-01-30T19:27:00.000-05:00

we found this little puppy on craigslist....josh went to choose her from a litter of 10 this morning ...
she is a belgian malinoi ...a lot like a shepherd...
we think she'll be pretty big as mom and dad were fairly huge...she is playful and happy and so snuggly and falls asleep a lot =)
jack adores her and esme is a little skiddish but she'll come around...
she had some not so great interactions with dogs when she was a little younger and it has affected her like of dogs for sure....
but stella will win her heart =)

callaway gardens...

2012-01-30T19:21:00.000-05:00

after fdr we went to callaway to check out the butterflies and eat hotdogs which i really craved =)
but didn't eat =)
such a wonderful wonderful day with the kids...

fdr state park...

2012-01-30T19:16:00.000-05:00

a little overboard...

2012-01-27T19:26:00.000-05:00

i was craving fig newmans....
so i went into publix and i found a cart full of them HALF PRICE!!!
let's just say i spent about 20 dollars on different varieties of paul newman cookies.
o my!!!

i am SO hungry this pregnancy and for food that is not so good for me! if it is fried then bring it on!
what?????
or sweet...that too =)

well, we finished clearing out the guest bedroom today and fans all running ...
kids room is now a dorm room....with 2 singles (and 2 more underneath them) a king and a queen...and strangely it really isn't cramped! that room is huge!
kids had fun jumping from one bed to the next all afternoon..=)

went to lunch with jenny and gwen and our pacel of kids today...so nice to catch up with friends...
then CRASHED on couch...again, i think i am getting over being tired but then i find myself snug as a bug in the middle of the afternoon truly unable to get up ! =)

we read naria (caspian) for about an hour....by an open window and after a while we peeped over the couch outside to find all 13 ducks were happily listening to the story =) the kids LOVED they were there...such mild mannered and QUIET ducks.

dinner was yogurts, packaged peanut butter crackers, apples, cheese toast and hummus and pita chips...
more like a camping ration than dinner....i just couldn't think of anything to cook! ha~!

i feel like i really need to do a 30 day something or other...like commit to eat better or to exercise...why is this so hard! maybe this precious little munchkin is a true laid back personality...who prefers to snuggle on the couch to building cob houses in her/his free time =) that will be a nice addition if so =)

oooooooook, it is about 7:25 and ah-hem close to my bedtime.
of course i took a photo of the cookie plunder but also of course it is about 20 feet away from me (the camera) entirely too far to retrieve...so it will just have to wait until another day =)

the carhartts.....

2012-01-26T16:03:00.000-05:00

the boys in this family come home with extremely dirty pants and overalls....so they just aren't allowed inside until they are sprayed down on the driveway! really, tonight i could have just left them there and let the rain do the work for me =)

soooo, i booked a weekend at the end of feb for the beach!!! yippee!!! i dont' think josh can make it and i have some friends i'm hoping can...but if not, the kids and i shall have some good hangout time either way!

i un popped the popup this afternoon for it is thundering out there!

josh fixed all leaks yesterday in the water (when they hooked it up he had 3 blowout spots!!!) so as of yesterday the water and electricity are hooked up!!!!! yay!

i stepped out of bed....

2012-01-26T15:58:00.000-05:00

and into a lake last night!!!
it was about midnight...and i stepped out of bed to check the loo bc i heard water running....
and running it was!!!
there was about 3 inches all over the floor in our bedroom and the bedroom on the other side of the loo!!!!!
apparently with all the rain and the septic needed pumping it was FULL and there was a little leak in the toilet and the water had no where to go...so it kept running...right onto the floor....both toilets...from the shower drain.....

the great part is that somehow it seemed clean...clear no smell....
so, it wasn't as gross as it might sound....

the landlord manager fellow is great....this afternoon we had septic folks sucking out the tank and carpet cleaners pumping out water (100 gallons they said) and fans running everywhere....

the funny part is that i wondered if i'd feel a little self conscious when they lifted the septic top...i mean, it IS a little like if you happen to leave some floaters in the loo and then someone finds it before you....you know they realize that came from you =)
but i didn't skip a beat...i reasoned that it was much like a breast doctor, it really isn't a huge deal for them to check out your bits and pieces...they've seen plenty and it is their job (right?? =))

and the same for septic folks...they've seen a whole lot of poop and loo roll in their lives...

i actually learned a lot from the whole experience...tommy the septic fellow explained the process of tanks and pumps and drain fields and alarms and types of water....jack and i were truly fascinated...

here are 2 people who are enjoying all of daddy's mud =)

2012-01-26T15:51:00.000-05:00

why i will rarely need my camera on this job site.....

2012-01-25T19:39:00.000-05:00

mark took all these photos (on the coldest weekend on the winter) when the tower was built and erected....
they just capture so much!

the one of jack i think in the next set is one of my favorites ever! i can stare at it and imagine him to be 14....

he fell in love with boondock (mark and joi's blue heeler) and stayed out all day watching and helping as he could...

thank you so much mark! i love them all!...such great pics!

2012-01-25T18:38:00.000-05:00

2012-01-25T18:35:00.000-05:00

what is not to love!!!???

2012-01-24T22:22:00.000-05:00

the kids and i played in here almost all afternoon...we all collectively LOVE it! =)

as soon as it dries up a bit, we are going to take it to the land and camp!
in mid feb we hope to travel to see our friends in asheville and robbinsville nc (they might not know this yet! =))
and then at the end of feb the kids and i are going to the beach hopefully with some friends from here!

and when it folds up, i can almost scoot it around myself...so light!

i found it on craigslist and the folks were so very nice...and truly it is SO clean...
thursday i am going to stock it with snacks and bandaids and such so it will be ready at a moment's notice! =)

my precious travelers....

2012-01-23T21:50:00.000-05:00

we just drove 2.5 hours to buy a pop up camper the kids and i ...and then straight away 2.5 hours in return...the only thing it seems in DOERUN, ga (our meeting spot) is a dollar general from whence our dinner came....pretzels, canned peaches, saltines and pineapple sweet bits....wow.

but i am SOOO happy about the pop up!!!!
i'll photo it on the morrow....we all CANT wait for our first trip!!!

here's how is all came about.
we saved our frequent flyer miles for AGES to buy tickets for me to take the kids to visit my Godmum sally in england (we should be there now). but sally died in nov and i waivered taking them anyway but in the end decided it wouldn't be the right time...i'd be so sad (my mum and sally were so close that my grieving for sally would be mixed with re-grieving for mum) it might be a mess!!
anywho...we were able to get our tickets refunded due to the death....

but they don't refund MILES...they only refund the cost of the tickets!!!
so, we had this money that felt like a gift really....the miles were just there from money spent on paying bills for years...they were 'free' too...as was the money....

so i thought if i wasn't going to take the kids to england (and as a little moppet is coming along we won't be crossing the pond anytime soon) i'd put that money into a different kind of travel....a pop up camper!!!!

the one i bought is a 1993 pop up....that is so clean and looks new on the inside! i just love it! the kids think it is their new playhouse adn i can't even imagine how much fun (and easier) camping is going to be as a family!!!

anywho..home now....exhausted..kids silently asleep ..and of course i just watched the latest installment of downton on pbs (which i will rewatch tomorrow with josh =))

ahhhhhh.....ok....crawling to bed.

mark pennington

2012-01-22T21:52:00.000-05:00

our friend mark arrived today (and alas will head home tomorrow)
he is going to be doing the film on the project and we are all sooo excited about it!

this is a crane/camera holder/jib thing which reminds me greatly of a long armed octopus ride at the fair...
you can move the arms up and down and around while the bit holding the camera stays level...so the video is smooth and seemless....

how cool!!!

the heart behind this house is to build something beautiful...artistic....and yet ancient in a sense.
using materials that a family could have used 100 years ago and could still be standing today is much the same shape as it was first constructed (maybe even better with time)

we don't want a transient house that is here today and possible gone in another generation or so...but something more steadfast and permanent.

and surely josh and i love wooden homes too....we have a broad array of likes when it comes to building styles...but even then we would hope that the materials we might choose would be lasting and authentic...not plastic and careless in any way.

clay (our friend who is a fantastic designer/builder) has such a passion for building homes which are in a sense a work of art...individual and personal and at the same time timeless and real....

o i could go on!!!!

anywho...we are so excited for it all to begin and soon it will!

o the mud

2012-01-22T21:44:00.000-05:00

poor josh ....
today, he shoveled wet slop from the 4 foot trench for its lenth (not sure how many hundred feet...but quite a few)
to set the water pipe...
the road is no longer what one might call a "road"
maybe more like a mud slide or soup....or a large puddle with a canal running down the side =)

the electricity is mercifully at the bottom....and as of today the water is about a foot or so above it...
and all that is left is to now fill in the canal....which hopefully the grader can do no problem
forecast is for more rain however so not sure when this will happen but as soon as weather permits...
it should take the grader less than a week to fill in canal, fix road, clear house site and dig foundation(basement)
and once this occurs we are READY!!!!
woohoo!!

i mean, how hard is it to talk to ducks??

2012-01-22T21:39:00.000-05:00

well, harder than i thought.
see, i had a short message....a very direct, mutually beneficial plan that i thought the ducks would be very excited to hear

i will let you out and gently lead you to the lake...juuuuust over this berm

that was it.

well, =)
i like them out and mass confusion occurred =) ducks in every direction...flying, running...it was a cloud of blackishgreen and jack, harry and i just stood there and watched in amazement

they decided the safest option for them was on top of josh's tool trailer ...most had no problem making the altitude change but quite a few flew and then sort of crashed into the side and dropped back to the ground...not their best work.

after about half an hour with harry and jack playing a very intricate role, they formed a proud single file line and walked into the lake.

i wish i'd thought to photo this....it was like watching a mild hurricane .....
they were SO excited to be in the water...the dipped and fluffed, dove and swam, kicked and quacked...water everywhere...
they didnt' leave the pond for the rest of the day....happy happy ducks.

i read more about them...they eat mosquito larvae from the water, snatch mosquitoes from the air, LOVE cockroaches and spiders.
and are mild mannered and not at all uneven tempered as many other duck breeds.

i explained all this to josh and he said "why don't we ask them inside then if they are so well-behaved"
little does he know i may just take him up on the idea once i get to know one or 2 a bit better =)

here and there from today...

2012-01-20T19:14:00.000-05:00

i made some "bars" bc i was craving chocolate adn thoguht this would be healthier than just straight up herseys.
but somehow i end up eating so much that i really should have just had a snickers =)

i put unsweetened coconut, cocoa powder, pecans, almonds, brown rice syrup, agave nectar (just a tad), a handful of raisins, a handful of oats and i think that is it....blended it up in the food processor and then dehydrated for a bit...

jack will eat them =) i think we have the same taste palate (well, he doesn't like pickles...weird!!!)
but esme turns up her already turned up little nose at them =)

i love them.

and snakes!
each week i do a little science time with jack's class...last week we made lava lamps (oil and water with food coloring in a water bottle...then add an alkazelter...aaaahhhh, watch the bubbles =))

and this week we talked about poisonous snakes in georgia.
i made up a song to the tune of jingle bells:
"there are 6
poisonous snakes
in the state of georgia.
triangle heads, catlike eyes, and fangs that would adore ya (ok, so rhyming georgia wasn't easy)
3 are rattlers, then the copperhead and the cotton mouth
and the coral snake which you can find way down south"

i realized after i drew up my little worksheet that ah-hem...they look like sperm fighting for the hand of a triangle egg
but thankfully Calvary Christian does not teach sex ed thus the kids didn't make any such similar connection =)

i was envisioning a coathanger with 6 dangling snakes...but we didn't have time to cut =)

welcome ducks!

2012-01-20T19:03:00.000-05:00

my friend sue called to report an influx of ducks at their home...too many duckies on the small pond...
so beckie (farmhouse) and we are going to divide them up between the ponds...
these are by far the most placid and happy tempered (or else so scared they even forgot how to quack) ducks i have ever met...

through the ride....the slide down our ramp =)....the wagon hauling to their spot...the rough falling to the ground from the wagon (i couldn't manage it) they didn't PEEP!!! they just shuffled around and looked at me in wonder (or confusion)

anywho...
we made them a lean to next to the sheep...who are FASCINATED with them...
with food and water and we'll keep them penned up for a few days so they can realize they will not go back to bird utopia from whence they came (sweet older couple...neighbors of sue....who adore all their feathery friends...including the guineas on their rooftop)
and put them up each night and feed them corn etc....

i mean, we will love these guys (and gals) and i am sure we'll feed them corn from time to time....and if they return to their pen, we'll bolster it a bit and make it nice and homey....buuuuuuuuut that is about it...these foul are a little more on their own...

but so funny, i say that and as soon as we get out there and start quacking with them, we'll fall in love and want to make sure they are fine and dandy =)

anywho...the males grow up to ge U-G-L-Y
and i was expecting to be picking up some crazy looking critters today...but really, they are very beautiful.
aaaaand only 4 months old and not grown into their ah-hem full adult ravishing selves.

i'll see if i can find a photo on line and post on here....but i know you will say "oooooooo, yes, i know that kind....my kids ran in horror last year when we were at the lake and saw one"
haha!
or you could think they are so ugly they are cute?????

i have heard that strange train of thought before.

anywho...once they are ours and ours they are, we will love them.

girl name further discussion =)

2012-01-20T18:51:00.000-05:00

beth, yes i like rosamunde too....but my middle name is actually rosalind (my mum's favorite character from shakespeare's as you like it...she is a tomboy who dresses up like a boy to follow the boy she loves into war =))
and i like rosalind but i am just so used to it and all of its derivatives....i would feel like i was naming my daughter clare =) after myself and though i love it when other people do this i just couldn't name a daughter after myself! ha! i just envision..."hi, i'm larry and this is my brother larry and my other brother larry" did yall ever watch this??

anywho...katie, my mum's favorite authoress was rosamunde piltcher =)
and strangely enough i stare at her books on the shelf and have yet to read them...i think there is some sense in me that i would learn yet something else about my mum and i want to save it...that might sound strange but if i use up all my "new" things about her ...well, there just might not be any others around the corner, you know?

beth, love the boy names =) and katie, thanks for the site! will check it out...i really want a list of all family names too and just sort through....i like george (my dad's name) and i like charlie (josh's grandad)..charles..

we'll see!

here and there...

2012-01-19T19:34:00.000-05:00

green shakes....ahhhh....i am so glad that i have not uncraved these during this pregnancy...bc honestly pretty much everything else i love one day and despise the next.

the new blendtec from grace is wonderful...it makes anything you put in there sooo smooth!

and the yellow hat....ah-hem.
let's just say this is a mystery and i am not sure i want to uncover its origins.
i have no idea where the hat came from ....but i found it on josh's side of the bed......on the floor....FILLED with old pee.
yes, that's right.
you heard me.
filled with urine!!!!!!!!

the trouble is that i didnt' know it was filled with said noxious liquid so i joltedly picked it up and sloshed it EVERYWHERE...mostly on me.
when i realized what it was i was AFFRONTED to say the least.
i threw it outside ..hat and all.
and scrubbed up.

josh has NO idea where it came from the kids looked at me like i was from mars when i asked them about it (jack said, MAMA, i tee-tee in the toilet...not in a hat!)

so, no clue!
we have had lots of random pups here lately..maybe??? but that would have to be good aim.
anywho....kinda hilarious but mostly just gross. =)

and here are the boys...josh and jack working on getting the line filled it....
bummer news on his dumptruck...his buddy who was borrowing it filled it with diesel fuel....it is a gas burner.
sooo, let's just say, josh is looking for another truck or to rebuild his engine.

but as he says "it is just a truck"
and he is right.

critters...

2012-01-19T19:26:00.000-05:00

sammie here licking this chops =)
he just got into the birdseed =)
the chicks are doing great with their new space....they still seem to prefer to stay in their house for much of the day...but run around like crazy when they do venture out....
we had the rabbit and sheep and chickens all out the other day...everyone was quite happy together...
the rabbit gets out though...from the fence...and it is getting harder and harder to catch him as he enjoys his independence (can i blame him?)
and the bluebells...are popping their head up everywhere...i love them!!!

thought of a girl name!!!

2012-01-17T19:10:00.000-05:00

even though esme is quite set on "princess rose necklace" as our baby's name...
i love the name
ELIZA ROSE ADAMS
i just texted josh and he liked it a lot too....so it is a forerunner =)

having trouble with boy names....
we like
charles (charlie), george, henry....but nothing as stuck together just yet....hmmmm.....

can you tell i have josh's camera in my pocket...

2012-01-17T17:30:00.000-05:00

while mine is fixed =)
a return to the days of random photos =)

Jesus was found!!!
we lost Baby Jesus from our fridge nativity long before Christmas and i secretly hoped He would turn up on Christmas day =) but alas, He did not...at least not on our fridge =)

but while cleaning Esme found Him tucked safely between books on the book shelf...my little squirrel

and pirate booty!
we are reading the horse and his boy....which mentioned "booty"
and of course the kids were in fits about that word...it was hard to continue...
so today as a joke i bought some pirate booty and we munched while we read =)

personally i prefer turkish delight =)