Spring Has Sprung on the Farm!

 Hey y'all!  We've been enjoying such a lovely couple of weeks of spring here on the farm!  Here are a few pictures as a sneak peak into what's been going on around here.

We built a new raised bed for mulch gardening this year!

 A homestead just wouldn't feel right without lovely roses to enjoy.

 Gavin helping us build our new entrance gate.

A post all about that will be up soon. :-)

 Some of the lovely herbs from the garden.

Oregano, spearmint, parsley, and basil.

Having fresh herbs to use is such a joy!

The blueberries and blackberries are almost ready.

I can already taste the delicious jellies and jams!

 We have had a huge abundance of strawberries this year.

Gavin has LOVED helping us pick them everyday.

 Our little hard worker coming in for a drink.

He like his mini mason jar glass.  He was actually a salt & pepper shaker,

but works great for a cute little toddler glass. :-)

The sunrises have been misty and beautiful every morning!

Have a very blessed day! :-)

What have y'all been up to lately?

Cheery Spring Dishcloth Easy Crochet Pattern For Begginers

This is a quick and easy little pattern for a dishcloth, made with cheerful, springtime colors, that I came up with last year and am making many more this year while experimenting with other colors as well.  I love this pattern because it is so fast to make and the tight stitches make it very functional for everyday use around the kitchen.  It is also a great pattern for beginning crocheters to make since it is so very easy and fast to complete. 

CHEERY SPRING DISHCLOTH

Made with cotton yarn

and a 1/9-5.50MM hook

Row 1: Ch 23, sc (working in back loops throughout entire pattern) in each st across, ch 1, turn

Rows 2-23: Repeat Row 1, 22 times (on last row do not turn): do not finish off.

EDGING

Rnd 1: Sc evenly around entire Dishcloth working 3 sc in each corner; join with slip st to first sc, finish off.

What have y'all been making lately?

DIY Fresh Fruit Popsicles / A Healthy Summer Snack For Toddlers (and adults!)

Hey y'all! I'm so excited about the recipe that I'm sharing today!  I am constantly on the lookout for quick, healthy toddler snacks and these are perfect.  These fresh fruit popsicles are great as an easy snack for little ones (or anybody) to cool off with on a hot summer day!

Gavin LOVES them and had so much fun helping us make them!

You'll only need two ingredients:

Fresh Fruit (whatever kind you've got)

&

Coconut Water

We used strawberries (we have a TON from our garden),

blueberries, grapes, and kiwi.

Cut up the fruit and fill the pospicle cups with them.

Next, pour in the coconut water.

Then just put them in the freezer until they're ready.

That's it!

Enjoy! :-)

One very happy little boy!

What are some of y'all's favorite summertime treats?

Do y'all have any healthy toddler snack ideas?

If so I'd LOVE to hear them!

So Much To Be Thankful For

Hey y'all!  Well, we're finally back to the blog!  Sorry for the unintended break we took from here.  We have been very busy over the past few months with building our house, growing our home-based businesses, and also growing personally as a family.

The Lord has truly blessed to us and we've got so much to be thankful for!  As humans, sometimes we can get caught up in the troubles and worries of life and forget to take a step back and look at the big picture, and notice all of the countless blessings and joys that are right in front of us to enjoy!  Jesse and I just celebrated our third wedding anniversary back in March.  It does not seem like we've already been married for three whole years!  So much has changed in three years and we as a family have come so far in our relationship with the Lord and with each other.  I can't wait to see what God has in store for the rest of our lives!

As far as progress around our homestead goes, we've been building more on our house (another blog post on that to come soon) and setting up more raised bed, mulch gardens which is exciting and they are very beautiful!  Also, being self-employed, one of our main concentrations lately has been on setting and accomplishing goals in all areas of our life and on the growth, focus, financial aspects, and productivity of our businesses.  We are so very excited about the Sawmill Shed/Office Building that is going up right now too!!! Yay!

Freshly cut lumber

Working in the office

"Brown paper packages tied up with string..."

Love getting to wrap and ship our

packages for Wright's Trading Post.

Making and decorating our products to be unique,

beautiful, and special for our customers is definitely one

of my favorite parts of the business!

Aaaaaand......I've saved the best news for last!  Our family is expecting it's

newest little baby Wright on September 15th! :-) <3

What are y'all thankful for right now?

Have y'all been setting and accomplishing any goals lately?

"O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good:

his mercy endureth for ever." Psalms 107:1

Review | Heart Blossom Jewelry

Hey y'all!  Christmas is just around the corner! Yay!  Which means it is also time to do some shopping.  I'm thrilled to share with you my amazingly, awesome, best friend, and sister-in-law, Gina Wright's new, handmade, jewelry business!  She calls her business, Heart Blossom Jewelry.  I really, really, really, LOVE her jewelry!  They would also make excellent Christmas gifts for sisters, mothers, and friends.  All of her jewelry is high quality, affordable, and beautiful.  Here are just a few to get y'all excited:

Long Dangle Arrow Earrings

$15.00

Earth Toned Green Boho Dangle Earrings

$15.00

Long Wooden Carved Leaf Dangle Earrings

$15.00

Elvish Leaf Dangle Earrings

$18.00

Woodland Dangle Key Earring

$15.00

Long Nautical Anchor Dangle Earrings

$15.00

Golden Rose Dangle Earrings

$15.00

I personally don't have pierced ears, but she

also makes them as screw-ons or clip-ons.

"She is clothed in strength and dignity"

Proverbs 31:25a

Which are you favorites?

Autumn/Winter Raised Bed Gardens

 Hey y'all!  I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  It has been very busy around our little homestead here.  Something that I have been very thankful for are these two, raised bed, gardens that Jesse built for me back in late September.  It has been so awesome to enjoy fresh greens now that the weather is chilly. :-)

 We call these "Gavin's gardens".  He helped us make them and it is one of his responsibilities to water the plants, help mommy pull the weeds out, and the harvest the greens.  He LOVES to help with his gardens; it's one of his very, favorite activities and he has learned so much in the process.

 We had an extra, waste log at our sawyard that had a flat side on

it and was ideal to turn into a raised bed.  Jesse cut it out

with a chainsaw to become a raised bed that is functional,

moveable with the skidsteer, and looks great in the yard!

 Gavin helping us plant.

 We planted basil and rosemary in the log garden

along with the greens.  Once the greens are done

this bed will become an herb garden.

Cute, dirty, little gardener!

We planted:

Collards

Cabbage

String Beans

Lettuce

Basil

Rosemary

The string beans are through for the season, but

we are still enjoying all the delicious greens!

 Helping us water the gardens.

Beautiful sunset at our pond

We have so much to be thankful for each and everyday.

Let us not forget that!

"In everything give thanks:

for this is the will of God

in Christ Jesus concerning you."

-1 Thessalonians 5:18

What are y'all thankful for?