Mud honey

Raegan and I went outside ~ in the rain ~ to play while the baby was napping. I hadn't intended to let her "run amuck", but after seeing her glee at splashing in the puddles, I decided it didn't matter. At first she tentatively immersed her green frog boots into the muddy water, gradually gaining enthusiasm. By the time we headed indoors, she was covered from head to foot. Yes, just look at those grimy gloves!

Can a kid really get any happier than when she's covered in filth?

It was a good day.

Lady Farmer is having a give-away!

Dear Greenhouse visitors, I would like to invite you to visit the Lady Farmer for a fun apron give-away, and to step into her Sewing Room, a new "sister" blog for the Parables. So fun to peek into different nooks at the Farm!

The show must go on

...except when it won't. This year is supposed to be the last Northwest Flower and Garden Show. So of course, we had to attend. Even though Mr. B says there must certainly be more, since they're obviously making money ($20 a day, per person ~ whew!)

My city is beautiful, isn't it? Had to pause for a shot of the impressive glass dome over the street at the Convention Center.

Another pause at the happy fountain just past the entrance.

This was my favorite garden display at the show this year. Tuscany...a dream of mine. I couldn't quite capture in the picture the gorgeous, fragrant rosemary, lavender, and succulents around the outside of the stone wall.

I was just intrigued by the collection of antique Asian buckets in this vendor's corner. My kind of rustic beauty. One year they offered a round, wooden "bathtub" for sale ~ I could almost feel the steam...

And finally, my little blooms expending some energy in the children's garden.

Brush your hair and comb your teeth

Here Miss R and Miss M are modeling chic new hairstyles and matching dresses. Must haves for this crisp season!

Ummm...I think you've got the wrong grooming implement, there.

Tag! I'm it!

Miss Jenn from Blessed Femina tagged me for this fun post:

My memories from 2008

~A great book I read:

The Shepherd's Castle by George MacDonald

I just love this author! His stories are so intriguing and suspenseful, full of innocent romance and Gothic mystery. George MacDonald has such strength of character and a pure love of God that really shine through his words. It's such a safe feeling to read a story whose main character makes right decisions about real issues, and gives the reader encouragement to do the same. Donal is just such a role model. Any gentle-spirited young maid may dream of someday finding a husband like him.

~A great movie I watched:

[I left my computer unattended for a bit, and came back to find that my husband had commandeered it for his input: =)

Batman, I just loved this movie. The joker was really scary and I loved the conservative theme so applicable to our world today. It's strange to see Hollywood with a George Bush-like character that is a great hero!]

Here is my vote:

Miss PotterI always love sweet stories, especially when they happened in the past. I was very impressed by the way this movie was made. Very innocent, warm-hearted, and (as is usually unlikely) one that I could watch with my girls. The scenery is breathtaking, the artwork is blissful ~ I really want to take a trip to England sometime soon!

~ A new place I visited:

Nebraska

We packed up the whole family and traveled to the Midwest to celebrate Grandpa Browning's 90th birthday. The girls loved the ride on the plane, "living" at the hotel, and playing at the huge playground near Grandpa and Grandma "Greats'" home.

~ An inspiring verse or quote I read:

"The Truth is that all I have to do is the work God assigns to me. What a freedom it has been for me to accept that there is time for me to do everything that is on God's 'to do' list for my day..." Lies Women Believe, Nancy Leigh DeMoss

~ A discovery I made:

One can attract a multitude of "wildlife" with bird seed and pet food. Discouraging them is not so easy. ={

~ A new skill I acquired:

I can set traps with finesse, and have researched and tested an arsenal of organic and other environmentally friendly forms of pest control.

~ A lesson I learned:

I can control my emotions; I don't have to allow my emotions to control me (another gem of Truth from Ms. DeMoss). I'm still learning to put this into practice (difficult when I often times feel like I may be carried off at any moment by colonies of sugar ants, swarms of flies, or drifts of rats), but it always helps to know that a thing can be done.

~ A moment I will always remember:

My youngest baby had dropped a piece of bread on the floor under her highchair, only to retrieve it a little while later for a snack. Unfortunately, the ants had found it too, and when she came to me with her mouth full, making an "uckk" sound, I noticed hundreds of the tiny insects dripping from her fingers and bailing out of her open mouth. I could barely help, being so completely disgusted by the whole thing. Oh well, just protein, right? Just remember, grinning suppresses the gag reflex...

Sweets from the Sweet

Daddy surprised each of his girls with a lovely bouquet for the sweetest day.

Out with my Valentines

We spent a "sweet" Valentine's Day in Port Gamble, a quaint and quiet little town north of Poulsbo. On the way, we took a little detour to Bainbridge Island. I will gladly reside here, please! I had to stop and gaze at the boats at the marina; my husband and I had planned on living on a houseboat when we were first married, until that fateful honeymoon on Lake Mead ~ I'll tell you about that sometime.

Beautiful, pristine chapel. Photo is not so great, as it was taken through the windshield while we were driving...

Enjoying the view from Port Gamble across the Sound.

Aaaah! Released from the car and ready for a lovely stroll in the crisp winter sunshine.

Ooooh! Pine cones and lawn daisies!

I've been told it's morbid, but I just love cemeteries. I think they're romantic; full of history and tragedy. How much closer can one get to people who lived (and died) decades or even centuries earlier?

Who were they? I'll get to meet these same friends someday.

One last shot of this majestic old tree overlooking the water.

Small fruits

Little girls seem to like eating fruit more if it's small like them. I found some mini bananas and pears, and served them with cheese and turkey cut into shapes with cookie cutters.

Apparently, banana runts are hilarious!

Hmmm...I wonder if they taste as good on the outside.

Groovy

She's a real cool cat. *snap* *snap*

Playing possum

Rae and her possum...just hangin' around.

Candlemas

"If Candlemas Day is clear and bright,

winter will have another bite.

If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain,

winter is gone and will not come again." ~from wikipedia.org

Today is sunny and gorgeous, and Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, so...

I'll revel in winter's cold embrace for another few weeks, dreaming of the tiny seeds I'll plant in the sleepy earth, and the cheerful song of the robins finding breakfast on the sunny morning lawn.

Candlemas is the celebration of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, forty days after His birth. It is also the mid-point between the winter solstice and the vernal (spring) equinox, or the middle of winter. Many people choose to leave their Christmas decorations up until Candlemas; I have long since taken mine down, but isn't it a lovely way to remember events in the life of our dear Lord? Maybe next year I'll keep some reminders of the Nativity around our home a little longer.