The Word of the Day is...

Our family is having fun using different words of the day to expand our vocabulary. I have to say that I am quite picky as to the ones of which I'd actually use. Some are so archaic that they sound downright absurd. But some make you appear very smart. Some are catchy and some are boring.

We are on quite a roll with school. My goal is for Brittany to be done with all her subjects for the year in June. I'd like her to take at least a month off before beginning again. As for the rest of us, I hope we can take off two months or more! This is a VERY big deal. Last year during our "break" we were either in the midst of construction or I was recovering from having the baby. So the breaks we had didn't seem as breaks at all. The past few years has seemed like a constant time of overdrive. Aaah, yes, I am ready for this summer!

I am thinking that Dalton can intersperse some high school subjects this coming school year. While he will be in the seventh grade, we have almost hit a wall in the elementary learning. So, I was just thinking that we could go ahead and start his high school credits. How cool is that? He'd be finishing sooner.... I THINK that's a good plan. But hopefully by the time he finishes early he'll have an idea of where he's headed in life. Some things seem more complicated with boys...

We are about to move out an old dryer and in it's place put in a small pantry. I am quite excited about this! With this in place we will have more room in the kitchen. I can't wait. But it will have to as we have other plans for the weekend.

We have made big plans to visit family in my "native homeland" this coming weekend! We are to set off on our adventure on Friday and return on Monday. It's been about five years since our last visit...a very long time!

In conjunction with the visit we are staying in a cute little cabin. With a larger family, it's hard for anyone to accommodate us. And with a larger family, we cannot fit all into one hotel room. So with the cost of two hotel rooms, we actually came out better just renting a small house! This house is on a lake just eight miles from my grandmothers. How cool is that? So hopefully we can have a great visit, have somewhere new to get away and have a little R&R.

And while I should be sewing dresses, I regret saying that I have only gotten some of the material cut. I am doing something of which I may regret due to my lazy side. I have stacked four dresses of Bethany's to cut out all at once. Hopefully once I have them all cut out then the sewing will go more quickly. The thing is cutting out eight layers of material at once isn't the easiest thing to do. Any-hoo, all that to say that I am thinking that I'll have almost three weeks left before Easter to get three dresses made. Then I will have to work on the rest of Bethany's dresses. It'll be exciting for her to have all those new dresses once done though!

Other activities once we get back are getting some new chicks and putting in our garden. I am so excited about the garden part....and the chicks will make for good eggs later. Ha! I am not excited about raising the chicks as you have to keep them warm and their bottoms clean..... what a chore! We do need more laying hens and since our two hens we have now don't get too broody, we have to do the dirty work. So hopefully around this September we'll have more eggs!

I am itching for that garden! Oh, I cannot begin to tell you! Last year I fought, tooth and nail, to have one and it just didn't come to be. With house construction going hot and heavy, along with pregnancy and family dailies and then finally having a cast on my right hand and arm, I had to give it up. I am ready for fresh produce straight from our ground. And while I know I'll complain later, I am now ready to put away this year's bounty to enjoy later.

There's so many fun things to look forward to in the weeks and months ahead! I cannot wait to share the joys with you. Until then, look at this joy....she's now six months old! Isn't that amazing. SHE is amazing and I enjoy every day with her. To God the Gloooooorrrrriiiaaaa!