Friday-Saturday

Landen presented at his first Science fair on Friday. He didn't place, but has some ideas for next year.  (Dad had an idea for something manure-related, but I'm not quite on board with that if the experiment is to be conducted in our living room again!) :)

Yesterday, Nathan's basketball team competed in a 3x3 tournament and took 1st place in the 3rd-4th grade boys division. They played well together and had fun, too!

Muffin Update

Forgive me if you have given up chocolate for Lent. (I don't ever set myself up for that kind of failure!)
However, I did want to update on the healthy muffins I posted on earlier this week.  I have been LOVING them!  If you keep them in the fridge, they will have a pudding consistency.  If you freeze them, they are even better!  You will thank me.
(If you are waiting until after Easter, tuck the recipe away until then!)
Happy Friday and Happy Birthday to my MOM!!!

Trouble in Bunnyville

It's been quite a week in Bunnyville!

I took these photos on Monday, when they boys moved the family into a bigger cage.  All was well until the next morning, when they noticed that one had been attacked.

We thought maybe the dog or cats had reached in the cage, so they were moved back to their old home.

It happened to another one yesterday and it was discovered that Rosi was, in fact, the culprit.  The boys had researched and knew that mother rabbits could attack tiny babies, but we didn't think it would happen at a few weeks old.  It turns out that it can!  So, with just two babies left, they were moved into their own cage.

The boys don't have bottle calves this year, but now they have 'sort of' bottle bunnies as they put them in the cage to nurse twice a day and keep them on pellets and water the rest of the time.  They had been doing this a bit on their own in the other cage already, so they will still be able to get some food and water during the day.  (Just like a bottle calf!)  

I sure hope this works, as Meet the Parents has been coming to mind and I don't want to have to learn how to milk a rabbit! :)

It is in these lessons of animal life and death, trial and error, that I am very thankful to be able to raise our children on the farm. These times make them upset, frustrate them, and can be discouraging, but they always use their ingenuity and determination to figure out a solution. These lessons teach them compassion, but perspective, too.

Rabbits may come and go, but these lessons will be with them for a lifetime.

Healthy Chocolate Muffins

It is time once again to share a Pinterest recipe! I still love paging through old fashioned cookbooks, but Pinterest is my go-to when I have specific ingredients or flavors in mind. 

The recipe always earns extra points if it includes shredded zucchini in the list of ingredients, not because I love it, but because I still have several bags in the freezer!  

You can find the recipe right here:

Flourless Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

These muffins also use bananas (usually found in my freezer as well) and peanut butter.  There is no flour, but it does use an egg.  (I doubled the original recipe).  I did not include the flax seed, either, since that's not something I generally keep in my pantry.

Puzzling Project

I have waited 13 years for the return of the . . . winter puzzle!

I used to put puzzles together in the winter before the Melius Miracles arrived.

Landen brought up the idea of bringing it back last winter, but by then it was too close to spring to take on such a project. With grandparents visiting last Sunday, and grandmas willing to help, we brought out the family puzzle Christmas gift.

Sometimes these vintage cereal boxes make me feel young, and sometimes old.

("Who's Tony the Tiger, Mom????")

The funny thing about puzzles is that you can say you hate them, but after you find just one piece, you will change your mind!  It's happened to nearly everyone I can think of who has ever said, "I hate puzzles," including my children!

Now . . . back to work!

Two things I want to remember . . . .

You have probably realized over and over again by now that this blog is my kids' "baby" book.  I've always been terrible about sitting down and writing things in their books, and scrap booking has gone waaay to the wayside for now.  To get around it, I have always jotted down important dates on our kitchen calendars (which I have saved) and kept this blog going.  This is one of those posts.
Two things I want to  remember about Rachel from this past weekend:

1.  The girls and I went through books this past weekend, organizing them into the attic archives, the share with other families pile, throw away because they were loved beyond repair pile and the rotating our own shelves and baskets collection.  I LOVE books, but sometimes even things I love can get slightly out of hand. Even with the overhaul, we could still open our own library if we choose. :)  Rachel knows her ABC's, but she found this cloth book once again that her Grandma Shirley and Papa Butter bought for her before she was born. As we were going through it Saturday, she didn't know what this insect was.  I told her is was a grasshopper.  Last night, we sat down again to read and I quizzed her on this.  She answered, "a Grassrabbit?"

2.  Mass was cancelled yesterday because Fr. Gregg was not able to get out of town to drive to our church.  I told Rachel that Father was stuck.  With big eyes, she asked me, "On the roof??"

And a bonus . . .

She was down with a cold and fever yesterday, and we are thankful that she is feeling better today.  She told me yesterday morning that she "couldn't take it much longer."  Poor little girl!

Miracles . . .

Last week began with some most awesome and wonderful news from my friends Tonya and Tina. Their mom Marilyn had a conversation with them and their brother for the first time since her late September car accident.

There, of course, is still quite a journey ahead of Marilyn as she continues her rehab and also comes to terms with all that has happened in these past four months. What a blessing and nothing less than a miracle it is that she has come back to us and that her brain continues to reestablish connections every day.

It reminded me of a post I read back in 2011 by Lysa Ter Keurst named The Stir. 

I can't tell you how many times Marilyn and her family have come into my heart and have been prayed for each day or how my heart has ached for my dear friends as weeks and weeks passed with no visible improvement.

But then the stir--suddenly, really--became a huge step forward.

Two things in my home have often brought Marilyn to mind--my HOPE Scentsy warmer and a turtle charm that sits on my jewelry cabinet.  Both reminders that every little step is a step toward healing and we must never, ever give up hope.

(You can find or order custom stamped jewelry like this from CB Designs. Find Cyndi on Facebook.)

 

Happy Valentine's Day! 

Superior Mother

Me to Landen:  I am going to read to the sisters now.

Landen:  Does that make you Mother Superior?

Me:  Yes it does. :)

Bunnies, basketball and a nap

Here are the first photos of two of our baby bunnies at 6 days old.  Landen thinks their eyes should be open by the weekend.  They are looking more rabbit-like already.

What else has been keeping us busy?  Lots and lots of basketball! Both boys are playing now and David has been doing some reffing for the younger teams, too.  I love watching it so much, it doesn't bother me at all that I can't play it.  I have always been a much better basketball cheerleader!

And . . . a drive to a game usually means a hat-over-the-eyes nap for little sister.

She's been a good sport, as a game always brings at least one trip to the concession stand!

I noticed that this post is #1201! 

Thanks for following our adventures!

Bunny Business

 

We have baby bunnies!  Actually, they are called kittens.

Since the birth of the new . . . kittens . . . on Wednesday, I have been quite impressed with what our boys have already researched and know about domesticated rabbits.

They counted them last night. Four out of five survived and they said they looked healthy.  (No photos yet, as I haven't even seen them yet! They are still in their wiggly mouse-like phase.) 

Here's Nathan with the proud dad Snuggles last fall.

 

Nathan has granted grandparent, aunt/uncle and great-grandparent rights all around.

These rabbits have quite the extended family.

This is the beginning of the boys' bunny business.

We all hope it is a success!

 

How I love the Cities (and cupcakes) (and books)!

If you are on Facebook, you saw this display I posted Saturday after another amazing visit to the Angel Food Bakery and Hell's Kitchen in Minneapolis.

This year's brunch order was Housemade Yogurt with Fresh Fruit and Walleye Hash.  My dining companions chose the Huevos Rancheros and Eggs Benedict. Many, many plates of the Lemon Ricotta Hotcakes passed by, but since I had already had them (and my friend Deb found the recipe on Pinterest), I decided on the walleye this year.  That, with a selection of cupcakes to take home, was a most. excellent. choice.

After leaving all the yummy-ness, the three of us traveled across the Mississippi River to the University of St. Thomas campus for the Well-Read Mom Conference.

If there's anything I love as much a food, it is WORDS and BOOKS!

We learned about the upcoming Frankenstein, from which I have taught a selection, but have never read the entire novel. There was also a live book discussion on Giants in the Earth, which I really do still recommend!

We were entertained by a portion of the Summit Singers from the University. (You can also find them on YouTube.) They were amazing! I brought a CD home for my kids as I knew they would love their rendition of "Shut Up and Dance With Me." (I was right.)

After that, we had a most delicious Italian dinner at Dianimo, a locally-owned Italian restaurant in Eagan.

Yes, how I love Minneapolis and St. Paul and the little bits of experiences I am able to pick up each time I visit, especially when the experiences include the essence of who I am as a reader, a writer, a foodie. (A polite way of saying that I love food a little too much!)

I can't wait to return next year!

To learn more about Well-Read Mom, click on the link.  It is a small non-profit organization created and based out of Crosby, MN. As a result of the efforts of one woman, her family and close friends, there are Well-Read Mom groups all over the country including women of all ages (being a mom is not a requirement.) Anyone can begin a group with as few as two people. The book list, summaries/reviews, a journal and discussion questions are provided with membership, which is around $35 a year for all of the materials. (As one speaker put it, that's like a bottle of salad dressing, and this will do you much more good than an old bottle of Hidden Valley in your refrigerator!) :)  The books are classic literature with Christian undertones and themes. Nearly all will challenge you. Some you will like; some you won't. But know this--if you are literate, you can read these books.

The results of these women coming together to discuss these books are simply amazing, as we heard again and again from those at the conference.

Marcie Stokman, the founder of Well-Read Mom, opened the afternoon with this quote.  

Yes, be who God meant you to be.

Reading great literature helps us find that person.