On the farm

It is time for more farm photos again. I have to make up for not blogging for so long. 

 

 A few of my favorite plants. I love caladiums, the colorful leaves. I have planted more beside the barn in the photo below. 

 I keep falling in love with this country still. Now that the unpleasant weather is behind us for the year, I can relax and enjoy it again.

 One bright early morning I had to grab my camera and shoot away. We have had enough rain to make everything so green. It's gorgeous!

 After several weedings the plants around the house have taken up enough space so I don't need to worry about weeds so much anymore.

 The cows come home. I love the way they were all following the leader to the water towards evening.

 Here is a new addition to the farm. This cute little hen house! After a long time with no real place to call home, our hens finally have a wonderful place to roost and lay their eggs. 

 As soon as that house was finished, we went and picked up this dandy rooster from some friends. Isn't he a proud-looking feller? We are now welcomed each morning by his awakening crowing. Not only that, he also crows at 2:30 at night! I'm not sure what's up with that... But it does make the farm feel more complete.

 The nest boxes.

Dusk on the farm...

Family update

 Here is my little thumb-sucker. She's funny. When she plays with her bear, she often sucks her thumb, as if those two go together.

 Goodmorning cutie! That fresh smile can cheer any groggy person.

 

  Daddy calls this little lady his Queen Victoria sometimes. She sure is a little queen in my eyes too.

 

Proud papa. AND Mama!

 Girlie is 6 months old now.

It didn't take long for that first half year to pass, now that it has actually passed.

 Cute cousins in purple.

 I found this tired little man asleep on the big tractor one day. He was afraid the tractor was going to be gone if he went inside to finish his nap!

Apple eating time at the hotel. We went to Mexico last weekend, and I had told the kids they could eat as many apples as they wanted there. It seemed to be a highlight for them.

Where am I?

You will find me in my kitchen and bedroom mostly, either keeping house or holding baby, or trying to do both, (while sometimes stewing about not having internet at home). I have hope this will change after this weekend, so let's see if I can have some good stuff soon for the readers that do occasionally check my blog for updates. I apologize, but can't do much about it at this point!

Victoria is working on her first two teeth which are almost out, and I am looking forward till that is past, as she is having a pretty hard time with it.

Anyway, thanks for dropping by! I'll be back with more, as soon as I can...

Celebrating Belize!

 

Here we have it. 6 brand new Belizean passports. A Belize passport costs little, and an adult one lasts 10 years. We decided that  since Victoria was getting one anyway, we might as well all go for it and get one.

I felt like decorating for Independence Day this year, and this is how far I got! I hung a small flag up. O well; maybe next year I can try to decorate more. At this point there are still lots of things I feel like doing that just can't get done. It's OK. Things are much better than they were a few months ago; so I am thankful. 

Happy Independence Day!

Birth Story promise

Lately I have been thinking about the fact that there are a few posts I have promised to write in the past, and I need to do something about that...the birth story was one of them.

But, after some consideration, I have decided not to post the detailed story on here. However, if you are interested in hearing it, email me at the address provided in the profile and I can email it to you!

I will just say a few things. This was my fourth baby. I had had 3 c sections in the past. We wanted to try naturally one more time, as I had hope it might work this time...well, it didn't. I labored 8 hours, opened to 6 cm, but baby would not descend into my pelvis. Her heartrate went too low, and so it was decided by the delivery team that the best option would be a cesarean. We are glad we did that, because we found out that was the only safe way for her to be born.

 I will never regret having gone into labor and tried one more time. It gave me the final peace and closure I needed to emotionally deal with all previous cesareans and able to accept the fact that I had to have had those surgeries.

I am all for natural birth. I would like to encourage all women out there to go for it! Try it, even after one or two cesareans IF you can get a good midwife or Dr who encourages you and is experienced in vaginal births after cesareans.

If you have any questions at all about vbacs, please do not hesitate to email me. I will be happy to give any help or encouragement where I can.

Baby 4 months

Baby photo update. It is unbelievable that baby is almost 4 months. Internet service is very sporadic lately, hence the reason for so few blog updates. Hopefully it will improve soon

 Now that I have two girls, I could not wait for them to have similar dresses. I had these made for both girls...cute in purple!

Baby update

 Our baby turns 3 months this week At 12 weeks she weighed 13 1/2 lbs.

 She can turn from tummy to back now and side to stomach.

 Here is how I have enjoyed carrying her a lot already, in a moby wrap. She finds it soothing and usually falls asleep. It is the best way to go do shopping, and has been very helpful when she needed holding and I needed to work. I would recommend it to every mom. All it is is a piece of stretchy cotton fabric about 5 yards long, wrapped around the body. Very easy to learn to use.

 A homemade dress I had ordered from a seamstress.

I love ZOTE!!!

 You might wonder what in the world that is! Soap, is what. 

Pink soap.

Pretty soap.

Pretty smelling soap.

Gentle on your clothes soap.

 

 When my baby was younger she had a rash on her skin...I was told I should change the laundry soap to wash her clothes with. Being the crunchy mama that I am, I mixed together borax and washing soda and just used that. It worked well enough.I could have made my laundry detergent, but that is quite a bit more work...

 Well, then I saw another blogger who had made detergent using zote. I thought that looked so pretty!

When I saw that our local store sold it, I wasted no time buying some...

  I love the smell. It's natural citronella oil.

For just 50 cents, you can get a big bar of soap from Amazon and make some pretty looking and great smelling laundry detergent yourself! Just take a box borax, one box washing soda or soda ash as its called here, and one box baking soda. Add a big bar or two smaller ones of shredded zote soap, and have fun washing from now on! Its natural and gentle and costs a lot less than any other detergent. Most sites say to use only 2 tablespoons of this powder per load, but if I have dirty farm or oily pants to wash, that won't be enough. Then I use about the same amount or more than other detergent.

You can also get white zote, if you prefer to go all white.

 Here is the excerpt from the zote website describing the contents and some history of the soap:

ZOTE is a laundry soap made with coconut oil and tallow, containing optical brighteners, which shape and size are ideal to wash by hand. Actually, in Spanish “jabonzote” (Jabón Zote) means a big soap.

Many years ago, in the rural areas of Mexico it was common to see women washing their clothes with ZOTE on special boards in the rivers, or in washbasins at their homes; since its launching in 1970, ZOTE became one of the favorite products for Mexican housewives to remove difficult stains and wash delicate clothes.

In the beginning, ZOTE was made with a nearly manual process. Nowadays, we have the latest equipment and state of the art technology to manufacture this and all of our products; but we continue keeping the original formula that made ZOTE the absolute leader in the Mexican market.

But, how is it that ZOTE is still preferred by housewives in our days, when it is increasingly less common for people to wash by hand?

The basic natural ingredients used in the manufacture of ZOTE are the same used to make bath soaps; therefore, these are non-abrasive ingredients, which make ZOTE the ideal product to wash delicate garments which may be damaged in the washing machine (such as sweaters, knitwear and underwear), preserving them in good conditions and extending their life. In view of this characteristic, a lot of people use it to wash the clothes of people with sensitive skin or baby’s clothes. 

In spite of the above, it has outstanding cleaning properties which make it ideal to pre-wash shirt necks and cuffs and to remove difficult stains.

Another of the distinctive features of ZOTE is its fragrance: essential  citronella oil, a plant that originally came from Europe, which posseses a pleasant smell similar to lime; thanks to this ingredient, the clothes washed with ZOTE smell fresh and fragrant for several days.

Happy laundry times!

Tea Time Again

 

 Dilmah tea! I always like to see what new varieties they have available. 

This time I picked apple cinnamon and vanilla.

It is quite attractive in my now favorite teacup.
 I am tickled pink by the cute tea tags!

I found two sets of this dark rosed teacup at a yard sale a while ago. 

 

 All it takes to make a beautiful vase for decoration is
 -- a cod liver oil bottle! 

 

 I had finally gotten to baking cinnamon rolls which I had been
hungry for a while after baby already. Was awesome!

   

Even though my daughter and I try to sneak in a little tea time for ourselves,
when those rowdy boys come along and want a cup, we don't refuse them!
I think it is cute when boys want tea with the ladies.
I know they will outgrow it soon enough.

Linked to Bernideen's Tea Party

Some Day

Yes,

Someday I probably will get my dishes washed every day.

One day there will be no more sticks lying all over the house.

 One day there will hardly be a mess on the floor to clean except the ones I make.

One day my laundry will be done on time. In fact, one day there will be no more diapers to wash! 

I will be able to nap with no interruptions.

Have coffee with my husband in the early mornings.

Have a clean floor...

Time for a cup of tea anytime.

-----------------------------------------------------

Sounds wonderful, right?

But,

 I have been thinking...

----------------------------------------------------

 There will  be no more snuggle time with my baby, smelling that sweet baby smell, hearing those precious coos, seeing those bright big smiles...

No more little hands lovingly bringing me a bunch of wildflowers

No napping with my toddler and hearing his childish dreams and imaginations.

No more kisses on my cheek at night.

No more lovely songs played on the old piano by my oldest daughter.

No one to ask me to read them a story.

No pitter patter of little feet running...

---------------------------------------------------

No,

I am not really looking forward to those years ahead when all our children are grown up and out of the house. It is true that I get desperate at times to have a clean house again and more time for tea, but I also realized something. It is more special when the house is clean occasionally. Having your favorite meal every day makes it boring. I wonder if a constantly clean house would become a little boring too after a while?  A cup of tea is also a bigger treat when not had too often.

 I am enjoying these days. They certainly are the best there are. I cannot imagine life getting any better, any more fulfilling. 

(So, you might wonder how I can still update my blog when I am so busy? That is one of the pluses of having a baby that needs lots of attention. I have the computer in my bed, and the baby and Timothy beside me. I am able to do two things at once this way, and I am really loving it!.) 

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Ps 118:24

 

I Took His Hand and Followed

 My dishes went unwashed today,

I didn't make the bed,

I took his hand and followed

Where his eager footsteps led.

Oh yes, we went adventuring,

My little son and I...

Exploring all the great outdoors

Beneath the summer sky

We waded in a crystal stream,

We wandered through a wood...

My kitchen wasn't swept today

But life was gay and good.

We found a cool, sun-dappled glade

And now my small son knows

How Mother Bunny hides her nest,

Where jack-in-the-pulpit grows.

We watched a robin feed her young,

We climbed a sunlit hill...

Saw cloud-sheep scamper through the sky,

We plucked a daffodil.

That my house was neglected,

That I didn't brush the stairs,

In twenty years, no one on earth

Will know, or even care.

But that I've helped my little boy

To noble manhood grow,

In twenty years, the whole wide world

May look and see and know.

 Mrs. Roy L. Peifer

My cup of Tea

 Today was one good day. I finally got to do some weeding again after baby. It was sorely needed, and man did it feel good to get down and dirty! It's even more fun in my new hat... I felt real cheery today so I also asked Jessica to pick me some flowers for my old teapot.

 A cup of sweet iced black tea after some weeding is a refreshing treat! Let me tell you a little secret. I like mine sweet without sugar. I love drinking my favorite drink knowing I am not putting any unnecessary sugar in my body. I have found a wonderful tasting stevia which leaves no bitter aftertaste and tastes as good as sugar. Stevia made in South America tastes better than North American brands do, in my (and others') opinion. I like both E.N.D. Stevia, and Eco stevia. They are quite affordable, as a little goes a long way. The eco stevia can be substituted for 1 cup sugar in 1/4 teaspoon, the eco stevia takes a little more. It is definitely worth buying if you are cautious about sugar. I use it in coffee, even in baking. In baking cookies and other desserts I will often take half the amount of sugar required, then add stevia to make up for the rest. I would often be fine with just stevia, but the texture will not turn out as good, and baked goods do taste better with at least a little sugar. I never could get my husband to drink tea sweetened with stevia before I bought these brands; now he doesn't seem to mind anymore.

A Day on Grandma's Farm

Last Sunday the relatives from my dad's side spent an afternoon on the old farm again, perhaps for the last time. I wanted to be sure not to miss the event, so I stayed home in the morning to ensure the baby, and myself, would not get overtired and could enjoy it. It was very precious, and I wanted to keep some memories so I made sure to take photos.It was a very typical sunday, one that has been played over and over many times before. Some things just don't change much.

 Women always sit in circles, catching up on the latest news, enjoying each other's babies and gossiping like only women can.

 

 Men sit around too, in small circles or stand and talk about their stuff...

 

 

Grandma herself, cheerfully greeting everyone who came. Since Grandpa passed away last year, these gatherings mean much to her.

 

 Mothers enjoying their newborns...these two are 4 days apart. Victoria and Jonathan, my uncle's youngest.

 

Children are 'feeding' the cow cut grass here.

 This small wheelbarrow has been left on the farm so far and was once again played with by the great-grandchildren here. Those wooden toys Grandpa built year ago have been so valuable to at least two generations, and they fetched a good price when sold at auction a while back.

 Cousins and uncles and aunts looking at things that were being given away. Most of Grandma's things were sold or given away before, but the last bits still were up for grabs. I myself grabbed a few more items, as you can see in the bottom.

 The aunts and granddaugthers had prepared a feast, like many times before. There was taco salad, lots of fruits and cakes, cookies, and pudding for dessert. There was also sweet iced tea, which was the best drink for the humid, hot day it turned out to be.

 Now for some memory photos... The old sidewalk has become tilted over the years. It leads to the outhouse...

Yep, I have used this outhouse many a time. I used to help Grandma with her washing on monday mornings before I got married, and back then they had no inside bathroom, so that's what we did. It was several degrees cleaner back then than it is now...I remember going in there once and seeing a snake it in it; Grandpa checked it out but by then it had disappeared.

 When I hung the laundry on these lines, Grandma often made me wear one of her many straw hats to keep the sun out of my face. I grabbed this one for keeps.

 Jessica in front of the barn, where back in the day many cows were milked by my uncles. I used to memorize the names of all cows, and would along in front of their heads as they were being milked. It was always a little scary.

   

 A scrap rug I picked.

 

 I found this sewing machine cover, and since i have an old treadle machine, it was just what I needed. It even matches the colors in my living room.

 An old container for flowers. I might transplant some of these into my old tire that sits almost empty now.

   

 This chair is one thing I purchased at he auction a while back. The dishes are all from Grandma's kitchen.

I just had to add two more photos...these glasses used to contain mustard. Buy mustard, and get some beautiful glasses. Life is just too simple nowadays, isn't it...

This might look like an old piece of trash, but no, not to me. When I was a little girl, Grandma had this crate-turned-shelf filled with toy dishes. When I went back several days ago, I spied it sitting outside by the door, and I salvaged it.

These items will keep bringing back the good old memories for many years to come yet...