Rice and Beans 2012

Spring is already in full season at our house. This means baby goats, milking, bottle feeding and more pen cleaning.
Spring also means the beginning of Rice and Beans month...of which we are already half way through and I haven't had time to write a thing about.
It's been a crazy month already. Precious Jewel had an emergency eye surgery of which I probably won't get time to write about for some time. Then the flu hit...another reason my writing has been non-existent.
Our family started the Rice and Beans month at the beginning, but somehow over-looked that there was a book to order that would have been so helpful with the kids. I kept waiting for the little pamphlet in the mail and it never came. Then another Rice and Beans momma called and said our family picture was in the devotional book! What? Oops! I vaguely remember someone had mentioning that we were supposed to order the book this year and it had totally slipped my mind with all the stuff going on. I got on and ordered.
It arrived this past Monday right about the time another one fell the the flu. We've dealt with that the last couple of days and put the devotional on the counter, so Luke and I told the kids last night we were starting all over and there would be a lot more encouragement this go around. (We had been doing fairly well on our suppers, but this year in my tiredness and lack of preparedness I was caving to the kid's complaints and allowing them to make sandwiches or eat just the tortilla chips and salsa we often had with our meal).
So... we begin again and we are joining the fun art project that LaHash has challenged us with. It will be a good (New) kick-off for us and fun for the kids.
Happy Rice and Beans Month to us!

February Blessings

A warm winter: we have been outside so much and even took a trip to the nearby Eagle Watch.

There we ran into friends who let the boys use their binoculars to get a better glimpse of the eagles.

A bald eagle perched up in the top of the trees on the left side.

(It's like playing "eye spy")

A Gift Found at 11:30am

After the initial panic that he had knocked himself out on something, I was delighted to see him curling up with his kittens and puppies in the sun.

(Yes, it is February!)

Cheese.

My own Cheddar Cheese made by my own two hands!

Gifts found outside:

Heavy frost that looked like snow.

11 deer jumping a fence to cross the road.

White tails flashing in the morning sun.

A Gift Red:

Precious Jewel all dolled up for her Daddy/Daughter Dance.

A Gift Found Behind A Door:

The first (and so far only) winter snow!!

No school!!!

A Gift in Finding Something:

A trashed entry-way. Yes, this was a gift if I chose to see it that way.

I had helped the 4 boys make a tent in the living room and they proceeded to launch off the couch and through the roof. Hmmmmm.......

I have chairs, I have sheets, I have boy. It all equals adventure and fun (most days).

A Ugly-Beautiful Gift (see beauty in ugly):

A slimy gooey baby goat freshly born.

They get cute within about 15 minutes.

A Gift that was a surprise:

A day so warm I could wear my sandals outside!

(Again it is still February!)

A Gift that was Plan "B":

A trip to Branson, MO for our 10th Anniversary.

It's not where we had talked of going, but it was a wonderful day.

What were your blessings this past month?