Showing posts with label Joseph Jr.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joseph Jr.. Show all posts

Monday, February 10, 2014

February 2014

It's been crazy around here....but I'm not sure that that's anything new for us. Just when Joe and I start talking about stepping back and doing less....opportunities arise that draw us in the exact opposite direction.

We are trusting the Lord that He know what we can handle and that His hand's are on all the activity around here.

Over the last few months, I have been using Young Living essential oils in our home. I'm pretty much a natural fix things the cleanest way possible kind of girl, but the essential oils have added another level to my adaptability here and we are loving what they are doing for our family. Check out my new Facebook page here - Holly's Healthy Homestead.

My kids are sleeping better, I'm happier and less crabby, we have gotten over colds quicker and we are cleaning the entire house with 1 bottle of cleaner.

In this transformation, I had come across a course of study to become a Certified Natural Health Professional (CNHP) and I am beginning the seminars for it next month. I love studying about nutrition and how the body works and more natural ways to heal it from the inside out, so this just seems to be a great fit for me. I can't wait to be able to share even more of what I learn with everyone.

On top of me taking on more goals and activities personally, we are also going through some employee shifts with the business and we are looking into acquiring some more rental properties. We have purchased a few rental properties over the last few years and would like to add to that portion of our investments. So....if you know of a great deal, a foreclosure, a duplex, etc for sale....let us know.


And the kids....so busy and growing up entirely too fast for this mama. A few highlights from the last few weeks....

Charlie (6 1/2 years old) has lost her first tooth....both from her mouth and now has lost it in our home somewhere. She also has completely taken over doing chicken chores. Two or 3 times per day, she goes out to the greenhouse where the chickens are and feeds, waters and collects eggs for us. She is doing a fantastic job!

Arthur (almost 10 months old) is a walking machine. He started walking a few steps here and there at about 8 1/2 months and now at about 9 1/2 months, he is walking everywhere and has completely given up on crawling. He is our earliest walker by far.

Cori (4 years old) is working on learning her alphabet and is still my biggest mother hen around here. She is a great help in taking care of her brothers and always finding ways to help everyone out ans make them happy. One of her favorite things to do is comb daddy's hair at night....and he doesn't mind the pampering at all.

Joseph (3 years old) has mastered his colors in the last few months and is now working on learning his numbers. He can be a helper around here....when he feels like it. He loves to vacuum and can unload the dishwasher by himself. He is also the child that is always into something....on the counter digging, in my purse digging, at my desk and on the computer, etc.


Even the littlest ones help around here....and then can when we are using non-toxic, chemical-free cleaners around here.


Big girl, Charlie and her missing tooth.


Note from Charlie!


Cori at the Children's Museum. We went last month.


Joseph 'helping out'.


Happy Monday! May the Lord bless your day and week friends!

Holly





Sunday, October 6, 2013

Us - October 2013


Not even sure where to start...months behind on updating and I'm pretty sure there is no way I can remember what we did even last week.

A few low-lights and high-lights from the last week or so...

* I paid a $20 fine for overdue books at the library...seriously $20
    
* We did finally make it to the library and for story-time even
               
* Joseph pooped on the couch, pooped on the floor and wrote on the dining room wall with a  sharpie...all in the span of 2 days

* There is no worries about any of my children not being 'regular'

* One of my laying hens accidentally drowned herself in the cow's water tank...must have been pretty thirsty

* Joe's brother has 3 more hens for me...just need to go and pick them up

* We basically haven't done 'school' at all in the last few weeks

* I just ordered new curriculum that hopefully will get us all back on a better schedule and back in the swing of things



* We are still canning away here. The last week we have managed to put up - 56 quarts of grape juice, 30 pints of bbq sauce, 5 quarts and 6 pints of tomato soup

* Arthur is sitting up all by himself and doesn't seem too far away from crawling. The last 5 months have gone by way too fast.

* I have managed to bag up and get rid of about 20 garbage bags full of clothes...a lot donated,   some bagged up for friend's that are expecting a baby girl and some for the 2 of our youngest nieces.

* All the purging and it is evident that Charlie needs new shoes and Cori needs new pants and Arthur needs a winter coat and everyone may need winter boots.

* Grandma Lu and Papa Joe babysat our kids today...even Arthur...everyone survived and Arthur even drank breastmilk out of a bottle (a first for him). Joe's parents are awesome!...sure we will keep the baby though you never leave him anywhere, sure we will give him a bottle even though he has never had one of those either.

* Arthur has taken a liken to real food and is loving eating a meal with everyone else. So far he has eaten everything we have tried...squash, sweet potatoes, avocado, peaches, pears, peas, carrots...and probably something else I'm forgetting.

* Children...all of them...have been sleeping horribly. They all think they should be in our room and sometimes in our bed. Joseph comes in around 2 am pretty consistently.

* I keep reminding myself that some day I will get to sleep.




Arthur - 5 months old



Charlie - 6 years old



Joseph - 2 3/4 years old



Cori - 4 years old


Hopefully more posts to come - summer weddings, summer and fall camping trips, both girls learning to ride bikes without training wheels, kids all growing taller by inches in a few short months and more and more.


God bless!

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Joseph - 2 1/2 Years Old

Our Joseph is 2 1/2 years old. 
Two year olds are a load of fun and lot of frustration all at the same time. 

The things he comes up with are just down right funny some times.

He has taken to adding an --ee sound to the end of a lot of words. 
Snack is snackee
Kiss is kissee

Many days, he comes up to me and says - I love you too mom. Then he goes on to tell me that he loves daddy too and Charlie too...and on and on with everyone he can think of. 

On the other hand, there are days were he is not so loving or obedient. Last week, I was telling him to stop doing something. He says - close your eyes mom and no see me. It's funny how their little minds work. He really figured if I had my eyes closed he could do what he wanted because I couldn't see him.

And days when he tracked mud in the house - not once but twice.

And in the same day dumped an entire bag of cat food on the garage floor. 






We love you Joe-Joe!

God Bless!

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

My Helpers

I had a good looking bunch of helpers yesterday...


Charlie loaded the entire dishwasher by herself and did a wonderful job. 
She was able to cram just about as many dishes in there as her mama.







Joseph and Cori worked together on getting the entire main floor vacuumed. 
I love my Oreck...it's light weight enough that all the kids can push it around.



Cori and Charlie worked together and got the entire kitchen and dining room swept.


I'm so blessed to have these little ones around every day.

God bless!

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Saturday Snapshots



Daddy came home with a load of hay today.

After lunch, his little helpers headed outside with him to help unload.






 Charlie did a great job of rolling straps up tight.



 Joseph hauled and put away straps.
(...and yes, he does have pink boots on...)






 They all found some mud.












God bless!


Saturday, January 5, 2013

Happy 2nd Birthday Joseph!


Our Joseph turned 2 on December 26th, 2012.
The last 2 years have went by so fast...at least it seems that way. It's probably because we just have more going on around here.

He is talking like crazy and quick to repeat everything he hears. 

Like a typical boy, he loves all things with wheels...tractors, bobcats, trucks, cars, etc. 

I think his second favorite thing is to be naked. He is constantly taking his clothes off diaper and all. 

This may just make potty training easier though. He has been wearing underwear off and on for the last week, with varying degrees of success. One day he will go 5 hours with no accidents and use the toilet numerous times and the next day he has 3 accidents in the first hour of wearing them.

Not that it was a very nice gift from mama...but I weaned him earlier this week just after his birthday. He is still asking for milk everyday, but also drops it rather quickly when told that there is no more milk.

At nap time yesterday, he asked for 'milk time'. I told him I didn't have any milk anymore and he would need to have water instead. His response was 'buy more?'














Happy birthday Joseph!

God bless!

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Fall Harvest Orchard - 2012


We went to Fall Harvest Orchard back in August and sadly only made it there that one time this fall. 

My children love the place!











Kids were all excited that we got to bring our friend, Grace with.







God bless!

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

A Few Little Updates...

 
 
A few little updates.....
 
 
...I'm finally starting to feel like myself again after getting through the 1st trimester (I haven't needed a nap for the last week or so)...
 
...with feeling better, I've been able to get some more produce preserved for the winter - last week I got apple pie filling, apple butter, bbq sauce, butternut squash and butternut squash soup all canned...
 
...Cori is finally starting to talk some more and is a lot quicker to repeat a word after you say it - some new words from last week were - tomorrow, heat, five and play...
 
...The kids and I are all looking forward to getting together with grandma, aunties and cousins on Friday to o our annual Poppy Kuchen making...
 
...The laying hens are all in the swing of daily egg laying and we are enjoying finding a few little gems each day...
 
...Charlie has been keeping track of how many eggs each day on a calendar (homeschool math lesson?)...
 
...Schooling has been going pretty well. We are pretty relaxed and we actually only officially school 3 days a week at this point (I usually have a sitter and work 2 days a week right now)...
 
...Joseph has really enjoyed the fall harvesting that has been happening all around us - he could stand on the deck and watch the neighbors combining all day...
 
...Joe and I are working on majorly paying off some things and it is exciting to see an end in sight...
 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 
God bless!

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Joseph - 19 Months Old


What a blessing it is to have a little boy around here...and so different then our 2 girls.

He has a love for all things with daddy...tractor rides, bobcat operating, feeding cattle and the likes.

Loves to swing just like his sisters and would much rather use the 'big kid' swing than the 'baby' swing. He does manage to fall off, but loves to get right back on.




He does great at the chiropractor. When it is his turn, he crawls right up on the table and lays down. It probably helps that the end reward is a mint all his own.








Mud...what kid doesn't love mud and getting dirty.



I asked him if he would share a bite of tomato with me...he said NO and ran away with it.
He loves tomatoes and cucumbers right from the garden and is a great all-around eater in general.

He may just talk before Cori. They seem to imitate each other a lot. Cori has called Charlie - da - for as long as I can remember and now Joseph calls both his sisters - da. It's quite funny to hear him walking around the house yelling for them...da, da, da, da...


...mouth full of teeth....

...still nursing a few times per day...

...sleeps through the night most of the time...

...comes and grabs your hand when he wants your attention and to show you something...

...is the first to pray at most meals...
He grabs hands of whoever is closest to him, says daddy and them claps.


God bless!