Exploring Maine : Day 4 : Home

Is it cheating if I say that we stayed home for today's vacation day so that we could "explore" our yard? Well, to clarify, we didn't actually "explore" ... rather, we "rearranged". More to the point ... Halis rearranged by using my Dad's new toy to move some earth and trees in our backyard.

We now have fewer trees in an area that we are planning to use for either gardening or goat keeping. We are unsure which yet. All we know is that we had to down some trees either way as there were some critters who liked to hide in that little grove of trees --- and my Mom was too afraid that the bears and coyotes might hide in there while Isaac was playing nearby. I think she was being a tad paranoid ... but she is the Queen around here, and I am merely the Princess.

But being a Princess has its privileges, and I was able to talk her into letting me keep a few tall birch trees for shade ... ya know, to put a bench or something underneath. Or to shade the possible spring goats. She agreed.

So, basically, we explored the possibilities of our yard today. I took a few photographs of wildflowers while Isaac chased the chickens around. The weather was great. And sometimes home is the best vacation destination.

Enjoy your day...
Love,
Jodi

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Wonderful News!

I received some of the greatest news of my life this week ... my Cousin is currently in Khazachstan and has finally been united (through adoption) with her first child ... an 8-month old baby girl. We are all so ELATED for her and her husband ... and for their baby girl ... who is sure to have a most wonderful life with her amazing parents.

I believe that once you have adopted a child of your own, after undertaking the immense task of bringing that child to your family, you have a unique joy in watching other families come together in the same way. I love every baby that joins our extended family ... I just have a very unique understanding of all that this family has gone through to bring their baby home ... and I screamed in total elation when I saw that they were finally all together. I remember well those feelings I experienced upon meeting and then finally bringing my son home. To see the joy and the relief in my cousin's face - (in the above photo) - just sends shivers down my spine.

Please join me in sending every blessing to this new and wonderful family. (I would share their names with you - but they wish their identities to remain private).

As for us ... Slowly, but surely, life is beginning to come together for our family. Finally, my husband will be able to move in to our new home with us - this coming Monday (which is still much too far away for my taste). He has been holding down the old homestead as we ready it for sale. And it won't be much longer before we get the internet hooked up. Apparently - though we are now in the city - we had more internet options out in the boonies than we do in our new home. Our new house sits too far from the road (something we love - but the phone company doesn't). Hopefully soon I will be able to a better blog host than I have been this past month.

Thank you all for visiting ... and I wish you every happiness this weekend :)

Love,

Jodi

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MUD ... the Joy of Spring.

Mud IS good. (click for some serious mudding!)

We are still without internet on our new homestead, but I suppose that gives us more time to enjoy the great outdoors rather than the great Wide Web (But oh, how I miss the web). I have so appreciated your recent comments and e-mails ... and I hope that you will continue to check back here even though my responses and posts have been few and far between ... please stick around ... as there is much I look forward to sharing with you all.

Life here in the city is better than good. I see my best friends nearly daily. My son walks to his grandparents house every morning for a brownie and a glass of milk (a traditional Renshaw breakfast). My Mom and I hang out our windows to chat with one another. And I have developed a regular thrift store schedule (oh the bargains!). Life is good.

I hope you all are well. I should have internet in a week or so :)

Much Love,

Jodi & Family

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Squirrel Haven.

My dad feeds the squirrels on our new property - alot - he feeds them ALOT. And therefore, they stay - lots, and lots and lots of them stay. Everywhere. And we love it! Here is a new friend of ours --- eating a burrito. Without the aid of any "beano". Poor Mrs. Squirrel.

Hope you are all well.

Lots of love,
Jodi

P.S. Still working on the house :)

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On the Move.

Hooray, Hooray, we are finally moving our furniture into our new house! It is going to be a busy weekend, as it is also the 2nd Anniversary of Isaac's homecoming (can you believe it?) as well as a well earned Mother's Day :) I shall post pics as I can. Meanwhile, enjoy your Friday night.

Love,
Jodi

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Our New Neighbors.

Moving from the country to the city may prove to provide us with more wild friends than we might have imagined. It seems that we will be greeted by all sorts of critters on our new acreage. Already we have seen bear, deer, ravens, and this guy:

To see this guy in action, click here.

Love,

Jodi

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Defending the Rights of Cows.

Scene: driving through the city - on our way to visit Auntie

Isaac: "Mama, where are the cows?"

Mama: "They aren't here babe. We are in the city now. The cows are in the country."

Isaac: "Cows aren't allowed in the city?"

Mama: (stunned that he understand the word 'allowed') "No, Cows aren't allowed in the city. Only in the country. We live in the country."

Isaac: "Mama, I wanna go home now."

Well, I guess if cows can't be in the city - then Isaac doesn' t want to be either. Poor Isaac is going to have to get used to the idea that cows will no longer be part of our everyday lives in the city ... OR ... we will just have to do as Daddy has suggested, and keep our country home as a weekend get-away. Best of both worlds :)

Love,
Jodi

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The New House is Coming Along ...

I am loving the colors! And while I paint, my son bakes. And bakes. And eats. And bakes. Then cooks. And eats. And eats some more. Because that is what Grammies do with their Grandbabies. That ... and my Mom is the cook/baker for my Dad's catering business.

More "New House" photos to come. I hope you all are well.

Love,

Jodi

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The Colors Have Been Chosen!

Here are the interior colors of our new home. I guess I was in a very "Spring" and "Retro" mood when I picked them out.

Color names from top to bottom: Vintage Orange, Intense Jade, Sunflower, and Garden Medley. All from Behr.

I will let you guess which rooms these are for ... and then I will post photos of the painted rooms as I get them done (ugh). A hint: none of them are for the bathroom :)

Have a great Monday!

Love,

Jodi

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