sledding day

Our homeschool group had a sledding party at one of the family's homestead this week.  It is a beautiful little spot, a mile up an old mountain road.  It was cold but not very windy and the sunshine made it feel pretty mild! 

Just a couple days before, our kids watched this video that our friend made showing his commute down their road.  They enjoyed this steep ride over and over (...the hike back up--not as much) ;)

A great day out for everyone!

Fenna's 1!

Our farmbaby is 1 today! 
She has brought so much joy to our family and we all enjoy her smiles and snuggles. 
She adores all of her brothers and is rarely alone because there is always a brother to play with!

Happy, happy birthday to Fenna!  We love you so.

She's here!  Photo #1 on Adam's old cellphone because we forgot the camera!

A little skin-to-skin in Papa's shirt.

Just a few days old.

1 month old (on Kaylo's 9th birthday)

2 months old

3 months old

4 months old

5 months old

6 months old

7 months old

8 months old

9 months old (on mama's birthday)

10 months old

11 months old

1!!

  I did type up her birth story but will not be posting it on the blog.

But if any of my blogging friends would like to read it, just leave your email in the comments and I would be happy to share it!  :)

Fenna's gifts

 

My baby is turning 1 tomorrow (*sniff*sniff*)

I finally finished her Maggie Rabbit and her sweater (pattern by Tonya).

We also got her a beautiful toy from Tonya's family's shop and a little basket from the co-op where I work.  Her brothers worked on a very special sign for her. 
I am actually quite sad about her turning 1--I just love having a baby in the house and it's a little bittersweet for me.  It feels like the year has gone so fast. 

Going to spend this day focusing on how blessed I am to mother my 4 kiddos

.

this week

I have to admit... this time of year I don't spend very much time outside. 

But there were a couple days this week that felt like spring-- smelled like spring, looked like spring with all of its sunshine and mud.
The kids and I took a walk in the woods while Adam finished up logging for next winter's wood.

It was nice to get outside and enjoy the sunshine.

designed by zenon

I wanted to make Fenna a birthday crown and had planned to hand-stitch a rainbow.
But Zenon, our 6 year old, had another idea and drew it up for me.
He is very happy with the results (and wants a similar one for his upcoming birthday).

a new stove

Our only source of heat is our woodstove.

We have an old cookstove that was in the farmhouse when we moved in (and came with the farmhouse when we bought it 5 years later).  For those first 5 years, we heated with that cookstove because we only used the main floor of the house. 

Then we inherited a beautiful old Vermont Castings from my uncle.  We still have the cookstove as well and use both on the coldest winter days.  The woodstove from my uncle served us well for these past 5 years, but has no working flues and recently cracked, so we have been burning through our wood very quickly and not able to control the temps very well. 
We decided to buy a Jotul stove and installed it today!  We made a trip of it and all took a ride to White River Junction to pick it up...stopping at the co-op and for lunch before heading home.

The old woodstove will now heat our workshop in the barn and the boys are currently warming up next to the new one.  It looks much smaller than our old stove but is supposed to work very efficiently.

The old stove on its way out.

Fenna watching Adam and our friend bring in the new stove.

Setting it up.

"I built me a flame late one night. When day is done, God will my flame never die." in Norwegian.

Fired up!

in the kitchen (from the garden)

 

Tried out this recipe from the Moosewood Restaurant New Classics (which I just got from paperbackswap!)

Of course (like usual) I had to tweak a few things.  

I didn't have a lime and I used frozen cilantro (from the garden).

I used butternut squash (bartered from a friend's garden in the fall) instead of sweet potatoes.

I didn't have any rice, so I used millet.

I used frozen spinach (that I picked last fall and froze)

and I was out of cornmeal and used our 5 grain mix.

BUT

it was so delicious that I had to post it.  Enjoy!