Ferrets

This winter we added two more creatures to our household. For some reason unknown to me, Gregory decided he really needed to have ferrets. Why I don't know at all, but he really did, So after much research on his part and careful thought and planning we randomly went to the pet store to scope them out. My downfall was Travis was home when we went and insisted on going along. The store used the art of a "good deal that might not be here long" and the ferrets used their cute personality and home we came with two ferrets! Gregory much the poorer, because these are his and not ours, but so super excited. The older three children were gone for the weekend so he was blessed by having Deborah along to help get excited and DJ came home with us as well and helped with the setting up of the kennel and all. February thirteenth is marked as Mocha and Bandits gotcha day on my calendar.

We have decided that ferrets are among the messiest of creatures but also very fun and entertaining. They can be so bouncy and very inquisitive, if it is a small opening they are sure it is meant as a challenge for them. Their flexibility and supple muscles are really quite amazing to watch. I hope this video plays of their messing around the kitchen one day. It wasn't done by a professional and there is a good bit of household background noise but just keep the volume down. 

By the way, it does play now :)

Grace and Peace,
~Anna

Happy New Year My Dear family and friends!

The New Year is upon us and it is now 2013! Isn't that amazing how time just keeps on flying by, without caring whether we are ready for it to go or not. 

Well, we had a nice quiet party last night and managed to be to bed by about 1 this morning. I didn't hope to get much done but rest and finish our holidays rather lazily, but a girl can dream and so I shared my dreams with the boys when Travis got up about fixing a shelving system from recycled wood for the back closet. It desperately needed attention. It is a very well used space and the dresser that is crucial to holding a lot of mittens, scarves, hats and leashes and balloons and so on was completely falling apart. I tried to mend it at the beginning of the cold season but it didn't hold for long. So I knew it was time to turn it over to the men.

But first we needed to fill the wood box, we were down to our last wood piece and it has been a bit cold these last few days. 

There, now we can start on our building project.

 In this picture you can see just how busy we keep this closet. All of Travis' things he needs as he heads out the door for work, plus much of the rest of the families outside gear as well, plus Henry's food, potatoes and squash and..... no wonder that dresser was trying to melt down.
This fall they replaced the back porch's decking because the steps were wearing out and we figured we might as well do the whole bit rather than have miss-matched treads. It isn't a big porch but it provided more than we needed of lumber for this project.

We are starting to fill it back up. 

It is full again and we can again access our winter accessories. I know it looks like I should have cleaned the top shelf but really it is organised, it is also very full.

 While the boys were busy working on cutting and measuring the lumber, we girls were re-potting some of my house plants. Almost all of them were getting root bound plus I received some lovely new flower pots for Christmas and I wanted to use them. Anyone want some peace lilies? Or bulbs that have a lovely pink flower in the summer? or some aloe vera. You do have to get the aloe soon because we are eating that excess. I also am rooting a bunch of angel wing begonias because I hated to just toss all that good plant when I trimmed them way back.

So there you have it, our New Year's Day project review.
Next up dress remodeling, Margaret is in a play and I need to refashion a couple dresses for that, and Bea has a dress we need to play with and so do I and so does Maggie, so I really do need to open up the sewing machine this week.
Merry, Merry January to You!

New Look # 2

Once more we have added to our

 mouth bling and now we have three sets of braces in this house. It doesn't seem like you can see them in their mouths very well in the pictures but Margaret is indeed sporting top and bottom sets of braces and Beatrice has them on her top teeth. Harrison actually has added to his as well and has them on the bottom row, too. I didn't think to take a picture of him for this post.

          Since Margaret got both sets on, on the same day her poor mouth hurt quite a bit more than Harrison and Beatrice's did when theirs were put on. She has recovered well and they are all eating about normal. Although every once in awhile I remember they do have braces when I suggest carrot sticks and whole apples for snacks. Those really aren't the best choices. I made apple sauce this week so they could eat more apples, easier. Having the girls with braces is helping Harrison with his tooth brushing. I think it is getting done more regularly now.

Our New Look

In the past weeks we have added some features to our smiles around here. So far they enjoy sporting these new features and don't mind the pain or bother. I pray that continues.

After years of orthodontist visits and following their dental recommendations Harrison is finally wearing their signature products. I totally thought he had managed to skip out of needing them and then in January Dr. said he really felt that it was time to put them on and that he truly needed them the sooner the better. Not for now so much but protecting his teeth for the future. His lower jaw is shorter than his top to much and causing his lower front teeth to wear out, he doesn't have any bumps on those teeth any more and that means that down the road those teeth would be shattering as he ate something hard. The big challenge he is having is learning to play the trumpet around them. His instructor had some good tips this week though so he'll be playing like the pros again soon. The challenge for me is remembering he can't have nuts and so on when I suggest or send a snack. No more whole apples for awhile.I am enjoying what a cute brace wearer he is.

Beatrice's aren't so apparent but she too has extra hardware in her mouth. She is in the first step to getting her teeth lined up in the correct places. Currently she is wearing a retainer that will straighten her top front teeth. She also had a frenectomy this winter and a couple teeth pulled to get her ready for this stage. Then when more permanent teeth are in she will be wearing braces as well. All this for the dream of easy masticating and a smile that is not only beautiful but straight as well.

Today we celebrated the fifth birthday of a Miss Megan. We had the pleasure of having she and her family here for her birthday today.

It takes some good eyes to see it but this is her girl cake (and her behind it :) She directed and helped with the decorating of it. Do you see the party hat on top? the raspberry smile? the chocolate chip eyes? the coconut hair? the brown skin? the number five nose? and the Happy Birthday necktie? It is all there.

Enjoying the changes.

~Anna

Hello. You are reading my debut post on my new blog! We shall see how this goes. I dream of writing about what I have been creating in the kitchen, field trips we take and reviewing books the kids and I have been reading. With a sprinkling of random other things thrown in for good measure!