Still Lovin' Winter

Miles buried under snowblower snow

Daddy helped the kids build Frosty

Once the sun came up they realized Frosty needed clothes  ;)

Snow Days

I like snow days.

I get lots of help around the house.  ;)

Miles, Celene, and Hannah helped to cut, shave, weigh, package, label, and freeze 22 pounds of ham harvested from last summer's piggies. 

And lots of sampling. :) 

The hams were cured at a local meat shop and it is delicious.

Labeling packages

Weighing 1 pound measurements per package

 

Lots of snow

The sheer amount of snow that fell last night completely took me by surprise today.

Yeah, the weather forecasters had been warning us about another snowstorm, 

but they kept saying "4-6 inches", and honestly, snow warnings don't have as much effect on us at the end of February as they do in November, do they?

Another snowbound day, another day off school, and for Shawn, the first day this year completely unable to dig out and get to work 

(the snowplows didn't make it down our road until lunchtime.) 

Anyways, inches turned into feet, and the "warmer" weather gave us a fun day outside today.  :)

Even the undrifted snow was higher than the snowblower

 

 

 

 

 

  

From the driveway you can only see the roof of the pig barn

She's actually standing behind a drift in the driveway :)

New Look

Hello friends!

I hope you enjoy the new design of my blog, "line upon line..."

Shawn and I recently decided that I should keep a photography blog strictly for my photographs, 

for the benefit of directing potential clients to an online portfolio.

This blog will continue as our personal scrapbook of our daily life, including the photographs I love to take.

The new photography blog will continue like this one did, under the name...

 www.devriendphotography.blogspot.com

We hope you enjoy, and see you soon!

Sledding!

This Winter's favorite activity?

Sledding! On the big hills!

  

 

 

Loved

 

Faith

Miles has been blessed with a good share of faith.

He prayed for months for a little brother, and now that I'm expecting a new little sugar, he's positive it's a boy. :) 

In fact, he's so sure, the rest of us will be just as surprised if the little bun was created a girl.

Two days ago, he said at the end of his evening prayer "...and God, please bring my bunny back. Amen."

And, are you ready for this? Yesterday, Celene and Sulli went to the barn to play, and guess what they found? 

Chocolate, Miles' rabbit, placidly munching on some spilled corn in one of the unused stalls.

This might not sound like an amazing story, until you realize that Chocolate escaped his pen last September and hasn't been caught since.

He's been enjoying some delicious freedom, making a cozy home under the pine trees in the yard, and emerging in the early morning and late evening hours for some grass.  

Frankly, we thought it a miracle he even survived this cold, snowy, windy winter with little food or water, and undoubted predator threats.

But here he is, in the barn, the proof that God answers even a little boy's prayer.

Miles and Chocolate early spring last year

A 4 Year Old's World

Celene's viewpoint from behind the lens this week.

From My Living Room Window

Just a quick attempt to photograph these beautiful cardinals on a windy day at dusk...

next time we'll wait for a quieter, sunny morning and see what the results can be.

Winter Wheeling

A happy boy living the country dream...

Trackside assistance

 

Fan club

All smiles

 

Kitchen Help

I have to hand it to these kids...they are so helpful in the kitchen. 

Not only do they do a great job with little supervision, they also love to do it! 

I so enjoy having them with me while we work on life's tasks together.  :)

Packing up freshly processed meat

She wrote "duck" on her package all by herself. I love how proud she looks. :)

This big guy knows what it's all about.

After setting the dinner table they play their DS's and wait for Daddy to get home.

Stirring hamburger for dinner.