Buddy

     We have a member in our household that can be overlooked at times.  This is Buddy!  We found Buddy at the humane society last year in December.  He had been there for a month and a half waiting for us!  Jake and I had picked out, with the little man, two dogs to meet and spend a little time with.  The first dog was beautiful and very high energy.  Caleb wouldn't even get off the chair to come near her she was so energetic!  They brought Buddy in and he immediately began interacting with Jake and I.  Caleb came down off of his chair and began tossing the tennis ball for Buddy and it was sealed for us that this was the dog.
     When we brought him home we began to realize that he was used to some different rules and habits - but he's been amazingly easy to train.  Buddy's skin and intestines are sensitive (corn allergies and anxiety) but we have learned to keep him healthy with the help of a great vet.  What has been so wonderful is that he is protective of our family and a faithful guard dog.  I sleep better knowing he's in the house.
     Buddy was sick last week and I realized that at times I take him for granted.  He's just like another member of our family and I was pretty scared as he had an allergic reaction to an injection he'd received earlier in the week.  He was pretty spoiled while down but he deserves it and we're all thankful for him! (He also has the entire staff at the animal hospital wrapped around his paw with his charming/friendly behavior!)

Jubilee

     This past weekend my husband, little man, and I went to visit his family for Jubilee and Mountain Craft Days.  Above you can see the men in my life with their heads together over a large engine that was running.  Little guy had a million questions and Jake was happy to answer - father and son bonding!  There were also tractor pulls, homemade cider, and horses to see!  The guys were lucky and drove one of the steam tractors that was owned by a family friend!

     Before Jubilee, I enjoyed time with family and went to a farm market, where I bought my apples for the treats I hope to make!  I received them for a deal, in my mind, which makes it better!  I also found a bib at the farmer's market with a Steelers logo on it - had to buy it for our future fan!  My mother-in-law bought Amish made donuts (and they were amazing!) and I was able to find homemade egg noodles as well!  I felt like I was making out for the pantry all weekend!  It was a great time and the weekend was sealed with our little guy feeling his baby brother/sister kick him for the first time!  It was a great moment and he was excited! 

Millions of Peaches...

     Yes, while I was canning yesterday I had the song from the '90s by The Presidents of the United States of America running through my head.  I decided to try my hand at peach butter.  Apple butter has to be one of my all time favorite treats from the fall/winter, so why not try it with another fruit that I like?  I went to Frank's Farm Market for peaches and after a pep talk from the wonderful woman who runs it; I was ready!  (A nap was thrown in there too.)  It took a couple hours from start to finish, but that included processing the fruit as well as their time in the water bath.
     It turned out thinner than I like but the taste is wonderful!  I was kinda sad this morning when I opened the jar and it was a little runny, but after my husband put it on toast, he encouraged me to make another batch!  I'm not sure if I will because of my plans to make apple butter and applesauce in the next few weeks.  (Oh, and did I mention that my kitchen looked awful once I had finished?)  I will definitely put it on my list for next year! 
    

What's happening at our house...

It all started like this!

My husband has been working on the kids' room for the last few weeks.  Opening up the room was a surprise as we found damage from previous ownership as well as the realization that water had been damaging things worse than we thought (roof leak).

Our parent's came and gave us a hand, putting in new electrical as well as ceiling insulation - it was a big job! (Plus my mother-in-law and sister-in-law primed my kitchen for the beautiful shade of green I have intended for it!) 

Now my husband is getting the drywall on the ceiling!  I am so excited!  He puts down his skills with drywall, but I can tell you that he is doing great (our home is an older manufactured home so it has its little quirks...ok, big quirks!)  What I'm most excited about is the space for our smallest family members is coming together and it makes me so happy.  It also reminds me how lucky I am to have a hubby that is willing to take his time and do things right because that's the kinda guy he is!  (I'm often in awe of his stubborn nature that makes him a perfectionist at times...must be where little man and the baby get it!)

Full House

     Our home will be packed this weekend with family!  I am so excited to see my parents as well as my husband's parents and sister this weekend.  We will be sharing in home improvement and birthday cake as we celebrate the little man's 5th b-day!  It's been a week where I feel like the best medicine for me is to have lots of love in the house.
     I'm transitioning at work right now with a baby on the way and have found it highly stressing.  There are so many decisions up in the air and all I can do is breathe as things come along.  (The childcare I work for is transitioning now too into an early learning center with elementary programs.)  I want so much to have everything done and done well - but I often feel cut off at the knees.  So to help myself stay positive I heard this song on the radio while I was driving home and thought I should share it.  I found the video on YouTube and the artist is Addison Road.  
     I wish I had the ability to just let things be, but there is this perfectionist quality in me.  Sometimes my best friend, other times my worst enemy.  Until next time have a great weekend!

Call me crazy...

     I decided to create a blog.  Perhaps I'm just following the crowd (lately more of my friends, especially those with children, have been creating them), maybe I'm not satisfied with my already long list of to-dos (so I added one more thing), but I would like to think it has more to do with sharing my life with friends and family who aren't normally "connected." 
     So here it goes...