Blushing Brides

Mom!  We found your wedding dress!!

It was not hiding, I had just not brought it out and showed it to them yet.  What delight and excitement shone in the eyes of my two oldest.

Can we try it on!?  

I knew it would be an interesting (can they really be old enough to try it on and have it sort-of fit??) and special (they are growing up!) evening.

Can we put on make-up too?

Oh, boy!  I drew the line at mascara, but they we so thrilled to be allowed anything.  They giggled all the way upstairs and I went up to find them carefully applying make-up to each other.

Sisters

 











 

















Mom, can you help us put on the headpiece and veil?

A couple of bobby pins and Em was all done up.

I was sent downstairs to wait with Daddy til she paraded down. 

Where did my screaming, tiny firstborn go?  I blinked and she is tall enough to try on my wedding gown?!

Emily

Em asked me quietly, "Mom, when I get married, can I wear your dress?"   In their sweet youth, it is the most beautiful dress they have ever seen up close.


Kate's turn.  Em assisted her and soon she came floating down to the kitchen.  Nine going on nineteen?

Kate

At some point, Kate turned and asked, "Mom, can I wear your dress for my wedding?"
 Aw.  Way to a Mommy's heart is through her wedding dress. :-) 

Visions of them as young ladies preparing each other for their special day filled my mind.  And Jeff was a little speechless, his thoughts wandering down similar paths.  It is past time to begin praying for the young men God has set apart to be their husbands.

Hula Hoop-la

This week has been Spring Break for the goslings.  While we would have loved warmer weather, this week was light years better than Winter Break.  We are all healthy and there is a delightful lack of scurrying little bugs on our heads! 

Perhaps our (mis)adventures from our week off in February deserve a post of their own!

Back to Spring Break, we spent two mornings at the dentist's office for fillings and then the patients were treated to tea and bagels at the local bakery.

On Tuesday we had the pleasure of having four kiddos over for the afternoon.  Each of the four oldest goslings has a good friend in this family so they pair off and play wonderfully for hours.  Tuesday was no exception.  The fun commenced with a hula hoop show put on by Kate.  She lined up chairs in the porch, labelled them with the audience's names, made up programs and even provided after-the-show snacks.

Kate

Our neighbor lady from up the hill came with her granddaughter to see the show.  They brought popcorn which was a big hit with the spectators.

After Kate demonstrated her skills with the hula hoops, she took audience requests and invited audience participation.  It was a lively show!

The spectators

Emily showing us how it's done

Even the guys got in on the fun

Kate's friend was amazing - she could hula-hoop all day long!

Enthralled!

On Wednesday, Kell and crew came over for the afternoon and we ended up trading a couple kids for the night.  I kept her daughter and she took Troy home.  Jeff was completely outnumbered!  He took himself to town to play basketball and we stayed home and watched "Tangled".

Kell got more sleep with the boys than I managed with the girls, but all-in-all it went pretty well....until breakfast. 

My houseful of girls decided to serve me breakfast in bed again.  Sum came up to ensure that I didn't get out of bed before my food came up.  I listened with delight to the conversation that drifted up from the kitchen as they prepared my feast.  Then I heard "We should clean this up first."  Hmmm.   Next, Jeff came in from the barn and I heard, "Where is your mother?!" Not a happy tone. 

The mini-chefs had spilled an entire pitcher of red Kool-Aid.  Ugh.  And it generally looked like a bomb had gone off in there!  I cleaned up the spill, fed the farmer and went back upstairs to eat my breakfast in bed.

The troops were rallied and we gave the disaster area a thorough cleaning!

Friday was shopping day for Kate, Em and I, with JJ in tow.  We had a busy, successful trip.  Kate got to spend her birthday gift card from Toys R Us.  I returned some things here and there and we bought out Costco!





Jeff played in a softball tournament today.
  The team lost both games but he did hit a home run.
And he looked fantastic in his uniform. :-)

One more day until the goslings go back to school.  Then five weeks or so and they will be turned loose for the summer!

No-Bake Making

Emily is persistent.

When she wants to make something, do something, go somewhere, she doesn't let up in her quest to do whatever it is she has set her mind on. 

Lately it has been about No-Bakes.  Also known as Boiled Chocolate Cookies.  We recently attended a baby shower where Em ate a few delicious no-bakes.  After that there was no rest until I let her try her hand at making some.  The first batch was a flop.  Hardened immediately and we ate a few of the rock hard clumps straight out of the bowl before tossing the mess.

The second batch I made and added peanut butter to them (the ones at the shower had pb, but Em said she didn't taste that). They were tasty and served to Bible study ladies and put into lunches.

Third batch.  Chocolate with a bit of coconut added to the oats.  A hit.  Most of these were given away as part of a birthday present, Em got two in her lunch.

Fourth batch.  Peanut butter and honey w/ oats, flax and chia seeds.  Clean and delightful.  :-)

Fifth batch, repeat of third because Emily caught me making the pb and honey ones and needed some that she liked! 


Peanut Butter and Honey No-Bakes

1 cup honey
1/2 cup natural peanut butter, smooth or crunchy
2 cups quick oats
2-3 tbsp ground flax seed, optional
2 tbsp chia seeds, optional

Mix honey and pb in saucepan.  Bring to boil and boil for three minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat, add dry ingredients.  Stir to coat.  Spoon onto wax-paper lined cookie sheet.  Allow to cool.  Yum!

Next time I want to add some unsweetened coconut.  :-)

Chocolate No Bakes

1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk
3 cups oatmeal
1/2 cup coconut, optional

Bring first four ingredients to a boil in a saucepan.  Stir and boil for 3 minutes.
Mix in dry ingredients.
Spoon on to wax-paper lined cookie sheet.
Let cool.  Enjoy!

Kate's Adventure

Kate, our sweet nine year old, had surgery this week.  She needed to have tubes put in her ears and her adenoids removed.  She has been a mouth-breather and snorer for a long time.  When I took her in to have things checked out, the doctor peeked in her ears and decided to retest her hearing. (We had it tested last fall and were told it was fine.)  Not fine now.  She had lost some hearing in both ears.  The doctor described it as how you would hear if you had earplugs in. 


On Wednesday, Kate and I went to the hospital for her surgery.  She was very concerned about having any needles.  Thankfully, the anesthesiologist was able to do the IV after she was asleep.  Kate was very patient through all the questions and waiting time.  We had fun taking some pictures on our iPad. 

When the nurses came to get Kate to go to the operating room, they asked if she wanted to walk there.  No, she wanted to ride in the bed!  The nurse asked if she was a princess and wanted to be spoiled for the day.  She also asked if Kate was an only child.  I laughed and told them that Kate is the second of five.  That explains why she wants to be spoiled!!  So, Kate rode like royalty down the halls to the OR! :-)  

 


When Kate got back to her little room after the procedure she was very quiet and sleepy.  She ate a Popsicle and then perked up pretty quickly.  The rest of the day she rested at home, watching TV and doing some homework.  She is still pretty stuffed up but that should clear in a few days and she'll have a much easier time of breathing through her nose!!  Yay!

Kate was very excited to take her little stuffed pig home with her.  They are nearly inseparable! 

We are so thankful for the Lord's hand over Kate and for the wonderful doctors and nurses that took care of her.  He is gracious!