Bible School

Sarah attended Bible school this week at Northwest Chapel, just across the field from us. What an incredible setup. There were 465 kids that attended. Our bible school growing up was probably 40 kids. This thing was like a rock concert! She was so excited to go each day, and she really learned some good, basic principles about Jesus' power. (The theme was Power Lab, loosely based on science) It was just really cool, and we are so happy to have this place in our backyard.

I hope to post the crazy hair day picture that we took, but right now, I'm trying to check off my very long to-do list before I go to bed!

Stratford Ecological Center

Although I have no photos to share, you'll just have to trust that we had a great morning at Stratford today. What a beautiful farm. The staff are incredible, and the Director of the center took the families around. He had such a gentle way with the kids. Anyone who can coach 10 or so small children in collecting eggs and placing them carefully in a bucket, without a single cracked egg, has a special gift.

We were also able to feed and milk goats, feed chickens, hang out with the cows, see a very large, very pregnant pig, and browse the gardens. I can't even begin to think about what my favorite part was, but the kids enjoyed the egg collecting the most. It will be exciting to make breakfast with their special eggs tomorrow!

I am more focused than ever on working toward a diversified farm. The kids really enjoyed it, and they are looking forward to the chores. (Now if they would pick up their toys)

Pig Sitting

We had a blast pig sitting last night! The kids got to do all kinds of things...make the pigs jump, watch them eat, pee and poop, and lets not forget the best thing of all...the kids got to pee on the barn floor. After all, what's more fun than going to tha bathroom in illicit places?

All of this is geared toward our desire to eventually have a farm. I don't feel as if I have a good idea of what it takes to care for animals. I have read about it, talked to people about it, but I've never really done it, and there's no substitute for experience. Saturday, the kids and I are going to a chore day at the Stratford Ecological Center, where we will collect eggs, milk goats, and do various other chores at a sustainable farm. I can't wait!

War of the Strawberries

I am testing two different recipes for preserves this year. #1 is the traditional preserves, using pectin. #2 uses only strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. It is cooked longer, and there must be several strawberries with green tips, as these have more natural pectin. I am a bit leery about not using pectin, but figure it's worth a try, and I made a small batch. If it's not good preserves, it will be good strawberry sauce over ice cream!

Check!

I can't get my projects done, and here's why. I am distracted by other wonderful things to do during the course of the day. Yesterday, it was strawberry picking and making and canning preserves. The day before that, it was homemade pizzas. Tonight, more preserves, this time for the freezer. It is so satisfying to cook and have others enjoy the fruits of your labor. Much more satisfying than painting the downstairs. In fact, I would rather go pick 10 more quarts of berries and eat them until I blow up. Maybe I will.

So the check? I learned to make strawberry preserves, and they are good. I also FINALLY made a good pizza crust, thanks to Alice Waters. All of her recipes are incredible, and very easy to follow. (They are not for measurers, though!!!)

Day 3 - Cades Cove

Cades Cove was by far the favorite destination for our family. We played in a stream, collected a few rocks, played with butterflies and a toad, visited an old cabin, walked in the woods, and saw an old grist mill that was still in operation. Additionally, it was the year of the cicada, and the kids had a blast playing with them too...both dead and alive.

Day 2 - Clingman's Dome

Clingman's Dome is one of the highest peaks in the Smokies, so naturally, we wanted to see it. The other factor in this decision was that there is a 0.5 mile paved path to the top of the mountain. We took a scenic and slow drive up to the trailhead, and walked up to the top. Sarah was lagging behind so badly that I wasn't sure we'd ever get there, but we did. My dad took all of the pictures of us, so I'm posting one from the hike on the way.

After our hike and picnic on the spot that the park was "dedicated", we went and did a total tourist thing. Gem mining. Sarah had a blast, and picked out every single colored rock. Every black one as well. It was so cute, seeing her getting into it. "Hey Mom, this not real gem mining is pretty fun!" That about sums it up.

Day 1

Our first day, we went to the Visitor's Center, of course. From there, we were able to hike a short distance to a small waterfall. The trail crossed some moderately dense wooded areas, so the kids had a blast. I was so stressed about them getting into the poison ivy and oak everywhere, but I just gave up and stopped yelling. I think.

The kids were not as resiliant as I figured they'd be. They both love nature, so I thought we'd be able to hike all day. However, they were done after 2.5 miles, and of course, we had to turn around. This was our first lesson in pacing ourselves to fit our children, instead of the other way around.

On Top of Old Smoky

Wow, what a great vacation.

We just returned from the Smoky Mountains (TN side) after a 4 day trip with my parents. We rented a beautiful cabin in Sevierville that was as big as our house. We had a yard for the kids, a hot tub, full kitchen, dishwasher...everything we needed. The last time we were in TN, Steve and I were camping in October, so by comparison, we felt as if we were in a castle! I will do separate posts for each day, since I am too lazy to figure out how to place my pictures throughout the post.