Be Still.....

"Be still, Sit still, Don't move so much, Control yourself", these are phrases often to come out of mine and my husband's mouths when talking to our 8 year old who really doesn't "be still". We are in a bit of a difficult time with him at the moment and as parents we are doing everything we think is right or we can even think to do. It's so hard at times and you just want the best for your kids, you just want them to "get it". Well, I'm sure many years from now we will look back on this and be happy that the Lord lead us through this tough time as well as many more that are to come. Well, our kids were all out playing and running around the yard. Come to find out they were playing a game of hide and seek. My husband and I happened to walk by the kitchen window and this view of our son caught our eye. We stopped and watched him for about 5 minutes. I kid you not, he moved only twice when he popped up to see if the seeker was coming. I soaked in this beautiful sight of my son being still, even if it took trying his hardest not to be the first to be found. He CAN do it! I love this image and it will be one I will try keep very clear in my mind when I start to get frustrated.

A chance to win...

My blogger friend Linda is having a drawing over at her blog for Beth Moore's new book. Linda had the opportunity to get away with her daughters to see Beth speak on this subject and they really enjoyed themselves. I have struggled with insecurities since I could remember. It has been insecurities over many things through the many years but one thing stays the same, having insecurities. I think as women this is our biggest struggle and as women we should band together to pray each other through these issues. If anyone has an insecurity or anything they would like me to pray for on their behalf just let me know and I would be more than happy to.

A new yard friend

As I was mowing along today I caught out of the corner of my eye something moving around a tree I was going around. I looked and oh boy it was a frog. Now I'm no expert but I think this guy is a frog because we have toads around our yard a lot and they seem to be way smaller, all brown and very round. This guy has quite a bit of green, is longer, slimmer and his nose seems to be kind of pointy on top of the fact that he is much bigger than our toad friends. After I finished up my swipes around the tree I informed the kids and they all ran and hung out with him for a while "petting" him with sticks and seeing who was brave enough to touch him. I think 3 of the kids said they actually touched him. I think Miss Madi was the only one who didn't although I find it hard to believe Autumn did.

I have wanted one of these for quite a long time.

I have admired grapevine trees on many people porches for quite a long time and have really wanted to have one of my own however I really wasn't to excited or willing to pay the expensive prices for one. Patience pays off I tell you! My girlfriend Christine gave me a call this past weekend to let me know of some grapevine that she was being given and invited me to take some. I was besides myself! Monday after I picked up the kids from school we all headed to her house to pull the vines from a pile of of sticks, shrubs and more yard stuff. While most of the kids were entertained with trying to pull Christine's weeds, we wrapped up the vines into bungles and loaded some in her truck to take to my house. I had all intentions of starting my project Tuesday but after getting the vines home, the kid's homework done and dinner, I was out the back door and to work I went.

Here is a few bundles of my treasure!

My sweet Colby was kind enough to snap a picture of me at work.

So close and I ran out of grapevine. I was very bummed! Christine checked up on me the next day and when I told her she insisted I come grab some more bundles and that I did.

This is my finished tree. He looks like he leans and has a bit of a look like he is twisted, and this is all what I LOVE about him. He now proudly sits upon my porch and I am so excited! Can't wait to help Christine with hers.

A Gem of a Discovery!

So today it was a beautiful day and I wasn't about to let the sun march on through the day without me....and Madi. We spent some time out in the back yard this afternoon before we had to pick the kids up from school. Well, as we were on what we were calling our "yard walk" (I was in search for a tree that would provide me with a branch strong enough to hold my free porch swing I got the other day which I'll post about after I finish it), we came upon this patch that I've been looking at for weeks wondering what in the world is all growing in it. Now since we moved in this house in November, plants were on their way out so all growth is new to us. The other day as I was mowing I was going to mow over this patch that just looks like a heap of nothing but I didn't. I am so glad i didn't! As I was looking and walking by my eye caught the sight of something long, green and yummy looking! Sure enough it is Asparagus! I am so besides myself it's crazy. I only saw one but it's huge. Later when all the kids were out side I decided to show them too and then I found 7 more so I ran to call my Oma and as I was talking to her and cleaning out anything that looked dead from the bed I found I think about 20 or so all together. After an hour of googling on the subject I am ready to go harvest the ones that are ready and I'm going to go off faith that this Asparagus bed has been established long enough for me to do so.



I love being a country girl!!!

A sweet give away!

Audrey's Give Away blog is having a Gooseberry Patch cookbook give away. Jump on over to put in your entries for your chance to win.

A fun little freebie over at Prairie Flower Farm

I popped in at one of my favorite blogs that I frequent every day to find a mighty little surprise of a give away! If you too would like to have the blessing of enjoying this freebie then by all means pop on over to Linda's blog. This little guy below is the first of four in a fun wall hanging that I can't wait to hang in my house (just need to find the right spot or nails on my walls. My husband teases me that if there is a nail in our wall I will find something to put on it. I don't think I'm THAT bad....ok well, maybe a little ;). Enjoy and make sure to give Linda thanks.

A new Easter tradition for the Culver/Crow household?!?!

So after my mind drifted away on the thought of what to do different this year for Easter, I was lead to the idea of a pinata. All of the sudden it had dawned on my that none of our 4 younger kids have ever had a pinata or been around for one so why not. My search began for an Easter themed pinata at Walmart which I had found and egg one but was not happy or willing to spend $15 on something my kids were going to smash to smithereens. Then I hit up google to find out how to make one myself. An egg shape couldn't be that hard after all. So I found what I needed then got to work. For 3 days I laid down layers of newspaper on my egg shaped balloon and then yesterday while trying to doze off for a nap I had the idea pop into my head to stick Easter grass all over it instead of just painting it. That is exactly what I did after my nap. I had a huge bag full of left over grass from years past baskets. Seriously what did I need to save it all for? Well now it had a purpose. I was so excited once I had finished!

Here is the first layer going on...

Here's what it looked like when I finished. I was so happy with how it turned out!

This has got to be the biggest egg I've seen hidden in the grass! We were getting it ready to hang.

Now that it's all hung up and looking pretty in the breeze, it's time to train the kids on what to do.

Youngest first, blind folded and one good whack. She was excited and nervous. It was cute!

Autumn was up next but she got turned around a few times before we let her have a whack.

Now we started off with one whack each so that it would give them all a chance figuring if we didn't Colby might get left out since the boys are stronger and Dakotah got to go before him. Glasses off, turned 8 times (per his request) and away he went.

Colby's turn! He was turned around as well and we all were cracking up at this point watching the dizzy person walk towards the pinata.

Ok, so everyone got a chance, YAY (I was glad about that). Now to take off the blind folds and give 3 whacks. I didn't get a picture of Madi but she enjoyed it. Here is Autumn trying her hardest on her turn.

Dakotah was up next and got in three really good whacks that I would say "injured" the pinata but it still held strong.

Colby got another chance and of coarse dad couldn't make it easy on him and had to play games raising it up as he would swing. It was so funny.

Eventually though the tough pinata met it's match when we told Colby to really whack it and he did. The candy spilled out, they grabbed their baskets and began to collect their goodies. The entire time they were collecting candy all I heard was how cool it was, fun it was, awesome it was and that we should do it again next year.
I would love to do it for them again! Nothing like watching your kiddos smash your labor of love to smithereens! It ROCKED!

The Promise

This past Sunday we had our Easter Pageant called The Promise. Colby and Rodney were in it and after weeks of practices and rehearsals the night finally came. I think Colby was a bit nervous even if he didn't admit it and I know Rodney was. I snuck back into the "dressing area" before the performance to snap a quick picture of my little man ready to play his part.

He looks so cute! He was a shepherd for one scene and a villager the rest of the play.

This here is one of the prophets (my hubby playing one of his parts).

This is a group of villagers talking in anticipation of Jesus' arrival.

This is the villagers celebrating in Jesus' baptism. This play has such moving scenes and I found myself in tears during many of them!

I'm quite fond of the fisherman/disciple in blue (Rodney's other part).

Palm Sunday and the villagers singing Jehovah (such a great song). I love this picture of Colby even though his eyes are shiny because if you look close you see his foot up while he was playing his tambourine. This shows me he was really getting into it and enjoying his time in the play!

Yet another scene that leaves you in tears as Jesus brings the little girl (Aliea) back to life.

The disciples at the last supper.

The end where the villagers and everyone else is waiting for Jesus after his resurrection to sing and praise that our Lord has risen!

This pageant is awesome and I enjoyed it again this year. Colby informed me he wants to be in it again when they do it in 2 years. What an awesome display of our Saviors birth, life, death and resurrection. AMEN!!!!!!

A little baking with my girl!

In anticipation of my uncle coming to visit after not seeing him for about 9 years, Madi and I decided to bake a blackberry pie and a couple loaves of peach bread from our peaches and berries from the farm house we used to live in. She was such a great helper and it was so much fun. I am cherishing every moment with her while she's home because school is so close and then it will be days with no kiddos home. I haven't been with out a kiddo in 9 years so it's a bit intimidating.
Back to the fun....we had a great time visiting with my uncle. He had only met Colby and that was when he was 6 months old, so it was probably a big surprise to meet all 5 of my kiddos. We enjoyed a great meal, some yummy pie and good conversation. I was happy to have had the opportunity to host him and his fiance.

Enjoying the Weather

A few weeks ago we had our first break of nice spring like weather even though it was still winter. We of coarse took advantage of this weather and spent as much time as possible outside playing and working. Madi and I one day decided to head out to clean up our flower beds. Now we moved in in November so we aren't sure what our yard has to offer but we are very excited to find out.
First we headed up to the front of the yard and raked out leaves and dead parts of plants. I also was having an issue with the bed around the mail box not having any definition really, it just ran into the grass. Well, nothing a bunch of rocks found in various places around our yard wouldn't cure.

I just love how it turned out and the definition it has now as it's own lovely place. Looking forward to seeing the yellow flowers that are a part of the plant around the mail box (I found a plant steak in one of the plants). Madi and i also planted some Daisy seeds (today since it's so warm and nice), hope they come up.

Next, there was a bed in the back right outside our slider door that also just blended into the grass. We had a pile of bricks used to build our house, way out in our back yard so I hauled them up in the wheel barrow, dug a trench around the bed and laid my bricks in then filled in any spaces I needed to. This picture was taken when I was about half done. It turned out great! In the last week we have found some very interesting things starting to grow that I have no clue what they are. More surprises!

The next two pictures are 2 more beds in our back yard. The first one I still haven't put in a boarder but yet again, it needs it and I want one. More bricks will be coming up from the back but I'll have to get my boys to help me. They are so strong and this mama's back will go out if I push it too much. The other bed has a boarder (yeay, less work). Both beds have plants in them that I am waiting with delight to see what they have to offer. One bed has roses I know for sure and I'm happy my grandma will be here next month to give me some yard lessons.


We are loving our spring weather and so much so that today we get to have all the windows opened to bring in that fresh clean spring air smell into my house, as well as in my laundry that I hung out this morning. Love that smell! I will post pictures of all the beds as they bloom into what ever they are.