TheKitchenCookie

    I reached into the bag of potatoes and was greeted by this gal! Ha I thought of Betsy immediately! It's been a while since she 'met someone' in her kitchen. :)                                                                                           Yes, I adore them!! After several weeks of absence they are back... and just as beautiful as ever! And the perky little sparrow is pretty cute too! Newsboy - His Eye Is On Sparrow - YouTube www.youtube.com/watch?v=Crq18bnfBpA And a new favorite song to go with...

Happy 16th Birthday to Anthony!     Where, exactly, has the time been going?! I must say that I am enjoying our teen boys immensely and love the stage of life we are in!   A few weeks ago I asked Anthony what kind of party he wanted and gave him a few days to think about it and offered 3 different scenarios. After thinking about it he said he doesn't want a party. I will admit I was rather deflated. I mean, what 16 year old doesn't want a party...all about them... but alas he was adamant. No party!   So this morning I tried a different tactic. I still couldn't quite let it go. I'm a Mom, after all! I love to celebrate my kids! :)   Me: what are you doing at 2:30 at school today? Him: Study Hall. Me: How many kids are in there with you? Him: There's actually quite a few at that time.   S udden realization hits him.   Him: You're not thinking of bringing something are you? Me: ...

Photo overload... Don't say I didn't warn you! We were in Ohio for a beautiful wedding on the home farm. The day was gorgeous and perfect for an outdoor ceremony by the big pond. For many reasons this spot is one of my favorite places. But I'm sure I'm biased... :)     The barn that held the reception was just built in the last few years and isn't used in a typical barn fashion so it was still relatively 'clean' and with a good scrubbing filled the bill quite nicely.       This wedding was extra special to us. My nephew has been a great friend to all of our boys even though he is 3 years older than our oldest son and 7 years older than our youngest one. When we visit Ohio he was the one who always had time to hang out with them and Trish  was a great sport and shared quite nicely! :) I'm sure things will be slightly different (no sleepovers, haha) but the boys were assured that they would still be more than welcome at ...

  For those of you not familiar with Lancaster Co. this is how we enjoy this simple pleasure. Can you guess what it is? :) My personal opinion is that it is more work and more time consuming than the alternative but there's nothing quite like the scent of it on a beautiful, windy Spring day. And for that Simple Pleasure I will do the extra thing. :)   The sun and wind today are a welcome change to what we had yesterday. Sleet and rain with a bit of snow mixed in! Its the end of March for Pete's sake! A March that marched in like a Lion I might add!   But I shall forget all that and enjoy the present blessing of sunshine and the fact that Winter is over. Who cares if it snows again, in my mind, it's over, and that's what matters to me. :)     Is that not just the cutest thing ever?! :) I found it on one of my early Spring visits to an Amish Greenhouse. If I would be a bird you can bet on it that I'd be having some fun sleepovers w...

  Yes! Today is the long awaited day! It's chilly and windy (we need that wind!) and mostly sunny this afternoon. But it's the FIRST DAY OF SPRING and it feels wonderful to me!     I started a few things in the greenhouse just to see if my thumbs are green enough or if by some other miracle things grow when I plant them. Ha, I'm sure it's largely due to the miracle part but I try, and that's good enough for me.   Sunday morning early I looked out the window from my bed and discovered that Serena was enjoying something she had been missing this winter because of the crusty snow. I'm pretty sure 'Lightening' missed being outside too!     And recently she 's been asking Dad for some 1 on 1 basketball practice. We loved the snowy winter but I know we are all more than ready for the next season!                       ...

  Because my life really isn't all about food :) here's a peak of another part of my life.     It's coming people, God promised that it would.     The bird even agrees, and they know things.                                       These next few photos may not mean much to anyone but me but I love to look at them because yesterday morning these two rooms looked nothing like this!!   The Can Cellar   Just the after photos :) there's a real good reason for this.   I love things in order!   Lots of empty cans, I know, but... you know... Summer comes after Spring and then they'll be useful again. Oh and just to give you an idea of how full it was of these empty cans. The top shelf that you see... yep FULL of cans left ...