Light

The sun is shining and it's 64°f here!  We were outside gathering sticks and pulling up weeds.  Lots of burdock.

For our homeschool, we've been doing more multiplication and started division with Paul.  Even George is interested, when we play Yahtzee after, which is a fun way to get practice multiplying or adding up your numbers.

I'm crocheting a cactus pillow.  I still haven't found my box with my knitting needles in it, even though it's been nearly two and a half years since we moved from Ohio to New York.  We moved from the cottage (as we're calling the small house where we've been living) into the main house about 2 weeks ago. So, we've been unpacking the boxes in the garage finding things I've missed but didn't have space for.

My husband did so much work and it is beautiful.  Lots of wood, specifically ash, hickory and larch.  We had the bedroom floors refinished (there was lead paint on them), saved wood and ran it though a planer (had to get new blades for that, twice) and ended up redoing the stairs completely.  The doors to the bedrooms are pretty small, maybe 6 foot, at most.  We had our house blessed and Father John is tall, but was careful.

For our ladies Bible study group, with Father Serge, we meet every 2 weeks, sometimes just once a month.  We take turns baking something to go with tea and also have a discussion with Matushka Masya.  We've been reading a few chapters of Unseen Warfare and now are on Ch. 34 and 35.  I found an audio, if you're interested.  Specifically, they are about virtues and humility.  Even if I glean just a little from each one, it gives me something to work on, spiritually.

Brrr

feels like winter now + we have snow!  My aunt gave us two snowball makers, which work well + are really great.  

When the sun shines and the skies are blue, it feels so uplifting to me!  I need sunglasses, because when the sun reflects off the snow, it's really bright.  We've begun chopping the wood for next winter.  It really needs to "season," dry out because it's too "green."  We only use wood to heat our house right now.

We had a 5 foot icicle from our eaves!  The boys brought it in the house and we put in the bathtub. My sister came from Canada to visit!  The kids had a great time together.

Love

I went out at 6:49am Tuesday and took this photo of the sliver of moon and sunrise.  I also took this wee video. You can see a bunch of maple trees that have been cut down, we'll chop them and use the logs in our fire next winter.  They really need to sit a season to dry, too green and fresh right now.  

Yesterday, I found out that a man we had just met in January died in a car accident.  His name Jonathan.  He and his wife had just moved to this area, from Britain in December.  I met them and their 2 year old at the library story hour.  The woman is due anyday now with her next baby.  The woman and daughter were also in the car at the time of the accident and were taken by helicopter to the hospital.  I heard the helicopter the day before, while we were at home, and wondered what was happening.  Praying for the whole family!

I made brownies + cut out letters for our girls, to send them for Valentine's day.  I love baking and decorating.  I am using these all natural sprinkles.  We're avoiding red 40, yellow 6, blue 1 etc.  Can you believe i just threw out a bag of marshmallows?  They had blue coloring added!  There are ones without, usually less expensive, even.  Isn't that crazy?

Our Amish neighbors came over yesterday to help us clean the bigger house (so much sawdust), + move in the dining room table, chairs, a cabinet and our 2 couches. The small 800 square foot house we've been in has been lovely, but we'll have more room + separate space for our bedrooms now.  We have lived with our queen sized bed, bunkbeds, table and kitchen all in one area.  I wake and start heating a tea kettle because it's right there!

Saturday, our other Amish neighbors called my husband about 6:30pm, saying the expectant mother was having contractions 5 minutes apart.  He drove them to the midwife.  They had a 9 pound baby boy 10 minutes after arriving there.  All is well. I walked over to meet their boy, named Loren.  He was asleep laying on a blanket in the stream of sun coming in the window, as he'd been jaundice. What a sweet baby!  

There's always life coming and leaving this earthly life.  This particular week has given me much to think over and pray.

Some green

Little bit of weaving, edible crafts, baking and photos of other fun things that accompany our daily life. Both our daughters sent packages that arrived this week. The tiny happy face star onesie was painted by one, the Yoda mug, from the other.  These 3 boys are being spoiled, but are so excited by all the goodies.  Now, we are going to make something special to mail to them!

From mud to a layer of beautiful white snow this past Sunday.  It's like Narnia!  We just listened to The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe.

Bright

Last week, we had the bright feast of Theophany at church!  The blessing of water is done in the baptistry.  This is where Elijah was baptised.

https://jordanville.org/news_240122_2

"When Thou wast baptized in the Jordan, O Lord, the worship of the Trinity was made manifest. For the voice of the Father bear witness to Thee, callingThee His beloved Son. And the Spirit in the form of a dove confirmed the truth of the word. O Christ our God, Who hast appeared and hast enlightened the world, glory to Thee!"

This morning, we had holy water and dry prosphora pieces.  Oatmeal and tea. Then, we read the life of St. Tatiana.  Now, to homeschool lessons.  Our 8 year old is doing multiplication and just started division. Monopoly is such a fun way to do addition, subtraction and also multiplication (if you want to buy 3 houses). We have been reading Farmer Boy aloud in the evenings.  Last night, I read Ch. 23 titled Cobbler, making shoes with their leather, the hide from their beef cow. The previous chapter was about butchering their meat.  My husband read the chapter a few days before about shearing their sheep. It's all so very relevant to our current life.

Snow everywhere

It's cold, icy and snowing in many places where it doesn't usually. I'm hearing from family in OR, AZ and OH about the snow and extreme cold.  It's normal for us in NY to experience this weather, but we did have a water line to our pump outdoors break a week ago.  It's the main pump that we use to fill buckets of water, to give our chickens and other animals. My husband spent several hours digging a hole around it, about 6 feet down and repairing it.  Thankfully we had a day that was relatively warm.

My mom gave each of her younger grandkids these blankets with their name on it for a Christmas gift.  They love them.  

Above, this is the wood framework for a shower that we'll have in the bigger house.  Everything is coming along nicely.

All in flannel shirts.  We drove to an Amish store this past Saturday with our Amish neighbor.  My husband had been helping to paint the interior of that store the week of January 1st.  Painting is one job that will pick up as the weather warms up in the spring and he plans to do it more.  

George got a gift of truffles and The Wind in the Willows from Bishop Luke on Nativity after the Liturgy.  Later that day, we went to a friend's house for dinner.  There were a total of 28 there, which includes 3 babies under 1 year. The kids played Twister, we talked, sang all the old Christmas carols, drank egg nog and ate cookies (my favorite were the thumbprint cookies with jam and lemon bars).  It was wonderful.

Hope you are warm and well where you are!

Hickory

What do you think of this hickory flooring? Both these boys have their own tool box.  They know how to paint, use tools and are improving their fine motor skills.

I just finished crocheting this hot pad made from leftover wool yarn. Tomorrow we celebrate the Nativity of Christ.  I've got some sewing to do, just to mend my coat. We baked food for our feast and are all planning to go to church tonight and tomorrow morning.

Hanging out in the bigger house, while our laundry is in the dryer.  The floor is done, a unique looking hardwood, hickory, and I think it's just lovely.  The wee potted Norfolk pine is our Christmas tree, with dried orange slices and a garland of popcorn the 2 older boys helped string up.  We're still mainly living in the smaller house, until the plumbing is done.

Our 2 oldest children are officially adults and I'm so glad to hear from them and see photos.  They live in other states. I miss them.  Hopefully we will see them before too long.

Elijah is rolling over now.  I set him on my bed and was just across the room doing laundry and he rolled over, onto the floor.  His nose looks reddish, poor baby.  i must remember to place him where he can't roll over, or down.

Also, when he first wakes up from a nap, we have been able to put him on the potty... and he's gone pee pee several times already!  I know I won't be able to potty train him just yet, but it saves a diaper.  We are using cloth diapers most of the time.

It's been cold this past week.  We got less than an inch of snow, but expect more tonight.  Here's the warm lion suit, from my sister, on Elijah: