These are a few of my favorite things...

I follow my friend Laura's blog... you should to! You can find her at Life According To Laura. 

I am usually inspired to write after I read her blog; she just has a way with words. Real. Alive. Inspiring. And, that's her "to a tee" in real life too - full of life, loving, real, inspiring. 

I've known Laura for a long time now, but she's not one of those friends that I see ALL the time (heck, I think it's actually been several months since I've seen her!), she's not my BFF, nor do we take family vacations together, nor is she the first person I call when I have "news". BUT, I can honestly say she is definitely one of those friends that I pick right up with when we see each other: we'll chat endless for hours, laugh wholeheartedly, tell stories, hug and say goodbye and do it again... usually not for several months later (even though we promise to get together sooner). She's one of those friends that I connect with, instantly. Because she's full of life - her energy, her smile and her laughter are contagious! Yes, Laura F., you are indeed a life-long friend; one I know that I'll be deep belly laughing with when we're old and gray (I'm getting there!) and still talking about our birth stories! 

Yesterday, she blogged about her favorite (simple, non-materialistic) things and challenged her readers to do the same. Of course, that got me thinking and here are a list of my favorite things: 

• "I" crawling into our bed on weekend mornings - snuggling as a family, groggy hugs and kisses.  

• T wrapping me completely in his arms, burying my face completely into his chest and breathing in his scent. We call this "being the beans" - his arms are like a burrito and I'm wrapped completely in the them, like beans ;)  

• When T cups my face in his hands, tilts my chin up and kisses me on the forehead.  

• When "I" cups my face in his hands, pulls my face towards him and plants a sloppy, wet, noisy kiss on my lips.  

• Deep belly laughter - the kind where my cheeks and stomach hurt and my eyes tear.  

• The sound of "I" laughing. 

• Days spent with my family - my mom, dad and brother: laughing, reminiscing, the way we 'get' each other and can push each other's buttons. 

• The comfortable silence between my best friend and I. We have the kind of friendship where we don't have to be doing anything at all; we can just sit in silence next to each other, entirely comfortable and completely happy to just be.

• The feel of a warm cup of coffee in my hands on cold day, sinking down into our couch by the fireplace with a good read.  

• Walking through a quiet forest - hearing the sound of my feet hitting the ground underneath me, the rustle of the wind in the leaves, the chirp of birds and chatter of squirrels. The smell of pine and damp earth.  

• The contract of cold, crisp air and warm sunshine on my skin in Fall time. The rich vibrant colors of autumn leaves. The taste of juicy apples picked freshly from trees. The crunch of leaves under our feet.  

• Sitting by a campfire in the Adirondack Mountains: the snap and crackle of the wood, my eyes feeling heavy from the hypnotic flames dancing, crickets chirping and the call of a loon echoing off a mountain lake.

• Snowshoeing in the winter at night: still and complete silence. The sharp numbing sting of cold in my nose when I breathe in. The crunch of snow under my shoes. The way the moonlight glistens off fresh fallen snow.  

• The feel of dirt under my hands, the smell of earth and vegetation, the sound of birds chirping, the accomplishment of growing & harvesting my own food. 

• Chopping fresh vegetables & herbs. Stirring and sauteing, tasting, adding ingredients, the aroma. Cracking eggs, beating, whisking, measuring. Feeling dough under my hands, creating & crafting wholesome meals and goods for myself and my family.  

• The sound of horses in the morning at the barn; waking up quietly in their stalls, neighing good morning as barn doors slide open, the smell of hay, oats, worn leather and horses all mixed into one. The sound of grain being scooped from a barrel and gently falling into feed buckets.

What are your favorite things?? I'd love to read your list!

Oatmeal Vanilla Oak Soap

My first attempt at all-natural hand-milled soap... not too shabby! I made a small batch, which yielded 4 square bars and 1 round soap (not pictured). It was a hit; even my hubby likes it!! It smells great, feels great, suds great... simply put, it is great! I cannot wait to make my next batch! 

Photo of soap base melted down, before I added "goodies". The "goodies" were organic oatmeal (soothing), sweet almond oil (moisturizing), almond milk, finely ground walnut shell (exfoliating), vanilla bean oil, cinnamon, warm oak, sandalwood, patchouli, light camphor, italian bergamot, cassia root and heliotrope. 

In the molds: 

The finished product: 

Ingredients: Coconut oil, palm oil, canola oil, distilled water, organic oatmeal (soothing), sweet almond oil (moisturizing), finely ground walnut shell (exfoliating), vanilla bean oil, warm oak, cinnamon, sandalwood, patchouli, light camphor, italian bergamot, cassia root, heliotrope. 

Kosher Dill Pickles

I've been in a canning mood lately, so I've been taking advantage of all of the fabulous fresh produce available and creating canned goodies! This week, Kosher Dill Pickles. 

This recipe is a combination of a friend's (thanks L!!) and the Better Homes & Garden cookbook:

Place dill and fresh garlic cloves in bottom of jar. I used a [very] large handful of dill and 2 cloves of garlic. Pack jar with pickling cucumbers (I sliced into spears and slices). 

Boil 8 cups of water, 1 cup distilled white vinegar and 1/2 cup Kosher (or pickling) salt until salt is dissolved (this was enough brine to fill 4 one-quart jars). 

Pour into jars, over cucumbers. Make sure jars are hot (I took mine out of a hot dishwasher right before filling). 

I tried two different methods for sealing my jars (water bath and inversion), both worked, but the water bath method was faster (and from what I've read, it supposedly produces a better seal). 

Grilled Pizza

One of my favorite things to grill during the summer months is pizza! 

I start with a whole wheat Boboli crust and add our favorite toppings, which normally include veggies & herbs from our garden. This week: olive oil, fresh garlic, mozzarella, yellow heirloom tomatoes and basil. Grill until crust is crunchy and cheese is melted. 

Yum! 

Cinnamon Rolls!

No Knead Cinnamon Buns, recipe courtesy of the Mennonite Girls Can Cook blog. 

The Dough: 

• 1 3/4 cup warm water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 4 large farm fresh eggs
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 7 cups all purpose flour (I used 6 cups of unbleached white wheat and 1 cup of whole wheat)

1. In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, water, honey, melted butter, yeast and salt.
2. Stir well with a wooden spoon.
3. Add the flour and stir well.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. 
5. Take the dough out of the fridge and cream together your filling ingredients.

The Filling:

• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon (I used A LOT!! More like 1 1/2 tbl)
• 2 teaspoons maple flavoring (I used real maple syrup)

Cream together well. Roll the dough out, spread the filling on and roll up and slice with a serrated knife. 

Let buns rise about an hour... or until nice and puffy. Preheat your oven to 375. Bake till golden brown (about 20-22 minutes for me).

This made 3 dozen for me. So, I put half of them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and put them in the freezer, where I let them freeze and then put them in a ziploc bag. To use from freezer, let thaw at room temperature and then bake them. 

I made an icing of confectionary sugar, milk and vanilla extract. 

The end product (the cinnamon rolls and "Bean"):

As September Approaches

As September approaches, warm August evenings give way to cool Autumn nights; a woman reaches for a sweater. The cool air in morning holds a hint of crisp days ahead. The woman can smell the leaves turning. She watches their golden and scarlet tips stretch for the sky; holding onto the sunlight. Just a few weeks longer. The farmer's field and orchard are dotted with orange and red and yellow, as the harvest of the season unfolds. Corn stalks sway in the breeze, rustling, telling her of their remaining time. 

As September approaches, the woman's family prepares. She is learning much about herself in this Season - joyfully embracing her role as a Wife and Mother. She is the keeper of her home, working with her hands in delight, showing kindness on her tongue, loving her husband and child, smiling at the future and His plan for her life. 

The woman crafts with her hands, creating a cozy home for her family to settle into once the bare boned structure of the landscape appears. A mother and a wife pouring her love into each sweater she folds, each blanket she turns down, each fruit she pulls from a plant, each jar and crock she fills - an attempt to savor the taste of the land's bountiful blessings from the long, sun-filled days. 

A boy - a messy, busy, bundle of delight - relishes the last of the warm breeze, squeezing out hours of shortening days, uncovering earth, finding the last of summertime treasures with wide-eyed wonder. Innocently unaware of seasons ahead. A son pouring his love into each kiss he gives, each smile, every laughter, each rock he turns over, picture he paints, berry he picks - he savors the season, his parents love and warmth, the moment, every day. 

A man with strong hands creates a safe home for his family to settle into once the bare boned structure of the landscape appears. A father and a husband pouring his love into each log he splits, each item he checks off his list - an attempt to savor the daylight hours, he races against the season; sweat lined brim and dirty palms, utilizing the land's bountiful blessings to keep his family warm from the long, dark days.

As September approaches, this woman bows down before her Creator, humbly, listening as He softly speaks - create the most appealing and treasured place on Earth, a warm home for all those I have placed in your care, He tells her. Light will shine forth from this place and all within will be nurtured and content. Build the temple of your child's heart, create and keep a home that witnesses the righteousness of my design for family. It will be so beckoning, so warm with Christ, so right, that others may desire to have that picture hanging over their own hearth  rather than the one they have chosen. I have equipped you to fulfill this calling I have given you.

Tears stream down the woman's face and she thanks Him for His blessings, His Word, His strength, His love, His promise and purpose for her life. She takes ahold of His hand, turns her face towards the Heavens. The sunlight kisses her cheeks. The wind rustles the leaves, a few dance as they glide to the ground. She delights in these last warm summer breezes, and she is filled with joy for the coming seasons. She breathes deeply and smiles, as September approaches...

Nice. Clean. Newly Sealed.

Nice, clean, newly sealed driveway! 

For anyone who has been to our house, you will probably remember that our driveway was in [very] rough shape, so this is a tremendous improvement! 

We still need to have that one area patched (where the driveway had to be dug up in the Spring due to a break in the line where our gutters & basement ground water drains into), but overall the driveway really looks fantastic, don't you think?! 

Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.

"Bean" and I were at the Botanical Gardens the other day, enjoying the Children's Garden area: a space just for kids to dig, dump, play in water, smell/touch flowers and herbs, etc. "Bean" was happily playing in the sandbox when a family shows up: mom, dad, grandma, grandpa and their 4 kids, approximately ages 4, 8, 10 and 14. 

From the moment they walked into the children's garden to the moment they left, these parents yelled at, and scolded, their children. Every single sentence they said to their kids included the words don't, stop or no. The 4 year old was (nicely and quietly) playing in sandbox and when mom realized, it was "Don't do that, you're getting sandy!!" Isn't that what a sandbox is for; playing & getting sandy? 

Two of the kids were pumping water and the response was "Stop that!" Never mind the fact that's exactly what the water pumps are there for... pumping water! Then they were digging in dirt (because it's a children's GARDEN) and the parents said "Stop doing that". The 8 year old asks "Why?" and is told "Because I said so, now stop!" 

Because I said so? Really?! C'mon now! 

Because I said so is the one phrase I will never use with my child. Ever. Just because they are children doesn't mean we, as adults, should disrespect them and their feelings. Imagine if I used that phrase with another adult... How belittling that would be!! 

Mind you, the Botanical Garden Children's Garden is an INTERACTIVE children's garden but these kids were not allowed to participate in any aspect of the garden without getting yelled at. 

Would you take your child to the Zoo and tell him or her that they are not allowed to look at the animals?!

After 5 minutes of constantly scolding their children for playing, the mom & dad said "Okay, let's go!" The 10-year replied, "But, we just got here!" and the 14-year old said "Can we stay a little longer, please?" Mom and dad replied with a big fat "No! You've played enough."

No reason. No validation for their response. Just plain NO. 

You've played enough? Is it even possible for a child to play too much? Play is what children do, play is how they learn! 

And, is it really that wrong to clue our kids in by expressing our feelings and reasons to them? Would it have been that "devastating" if those parents would have responded with a "Not today, maybe we can come back another day but today we have (fill in the blank) and we don't want to be late for that." - or - "I'm sorry, I didn't realize that you would get dirty playing here, and you need to keep your clothes clean for our dinner plans tonight."

And, if this mom and dad did not have a valid reason from pulling their children away from playing, then SHAME ON THEM!! 

Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.

-Kay Redfield Jamison

These kids were not being "bad", they were not being rowdy or unruly, they were all behaving appropriately for their ages - they were simply... PLAYING!!  

I have seen this over and over again in my experiences as program director, camp director and working with kids in all kinds of situations and environments; these responses are typical of:

 Parents who fear Play!! 

and

Parents who want their children to act perfectly because it makes them [the parents] look good!! 

I've seen the response from parents of a single child and equally from parents with multiple children.

Play: the activity that should be the very foundation of childhood! Our society in general wants our kids to grow up too fast. We push our children; we worry about them reaching educational benchmarks and achieving high test scores. 

We must become more concerned with their souls than their brains! 

Play, and it's purpose, is being devalued in our society and that is hurting our children. Kids run, splash, squeal, shriek, get messy... that's what being a kid is! And we, as parents, should embrace that wonder & sense of adventure not scold them for it.

What happened to cultivating an environment of play for our children? 

Why are some parents afraid of this, whether they have 1 child or 8 children? 

Children learn through play. Play is hard to maintain as we grow older and most adults grow out of play. But, play is important as it fosters belonging, cooperation, flexibility, persistence, creativity, imagination, and a spirit of adventure! 

Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning. 

-Fred Rogers

What are we teaching our children if we scold them for playing? Are there consequences to that? Yes, I truly believe so! I believe a negative response to play can, and will, stunt a child's creativity. So long as it is not a danger to themselves or others, it is absolutely absurd and ridiculous to scold any child for doing what they do best and how they learn best -playing!

Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn.

-O. Fred Donaldson

So, moms and dads - let's all relax a little! Get messy. Have an adventure with your kids, and do not hurry them into adulthood... it will be here soon enough. 

"I don't want to be an old woman sitting at the park watching other people live and love and laugh and think about all the simple pleasures I missed out on with my children. Why didn't I sit in the backyard and blow bubbles? Why didn't we lie in the grass and name the shapes of the clouds above us? Why didn't we read a fairy tale and then find a toad and kiss him just to see? Why didn't we talk longer, play harder, and spend more time dreaming together? And did we even once chase a rainbow's end?" 

-Lysa TerKeurst 

Intentionally letting go of mommy (and daddy) stress and choosing to enjoy our child's play enables us to capture these moments. Strive to be a family that lives a better, richer life.... to know your child at a deeper level than the hustle and bustle of a stressed-out life allows. To know our children on a deeper soul level is to come to discover the joy of parenting! 

The real joy of parenting will be watching this child God has entrusted into my care grow into a healthy, capable adult. 

-Lysa TerKeurst 

Jeremiah 29:11 promises that. 

Relaxing on Pleasant Hill...

Just some photos taken while relaxing in our yard... 

View from the patio:
View from back of our property:

The last of the black raspberries: 

"To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcoming than the most luxurious Persian rug." -Helen Keller
Handsome dog: