tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62089173147159308152024-03-05T08:17:56.067-05:00Journey Through LoveOur journey through simple/natural Living, homesteading, waldorf-inspired homeschooling, and love.Journey through lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01942696223392269941noreply@blogger.comBlogger112125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208917314715930815.post-22876814344899483732018-07-16T11:32:00.001-04:002020-03-13T11:04:23.453-04:00Homeschool Planner has been updated for the 2018/19 year<span style="color: #628938; font-family: "playfair display", serif; font-size: 2.4rem;">2018/2019 Homeschool Planners now available</span><br />
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I’m so happy to announce that I have finished updating the <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/JourneyThroughLove?ref=l2-shopheader-name" target="_blank">J<span style="color: #999999;"><span style="-webkit-transition-duration: 0.1s; -webkit-transition-timing-function: ease-in-out; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.1s; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;">ourney Through Love homeschool planner</span></span></a> for the 2018/2019 school year! The digital PDF file is available on <a href="https://www.etsy.com/JourneyThroughLove/listing/616049599/july-2018-august-2019-homeschool-planner?utm_source=Copy&utm_medium=ListingManager&utm_campaign=Share&utm_term=so.lmsm&share_time=1527015319710" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;">Etsy</a> now, and<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/JourneyThroughLove?ref=l2-shopheader-name" target="_blank"> printed versions are available until we run out! There are currently just a few left. </a></div>
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<img alt="18 19 Cover Photo" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-318" data-attachment-id="318" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="18 19 Cover Photo" data-large-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/18-19-Cover-Photo.png?fit=797%2C1024" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/18-19-Cover-Photo.png?fit=233%2C300" data-orig-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/18-19-Cover-Photo.png?fit=932%2C1198" data-orig-size="932,1198" data-permalink="http://www.journeythroughlove.com/2018/05/22/2018-2019-homeschool-planners-now-available/18-19-cover-photo/" height="299" sizes="(max-width: 233px) 100vw, 233px" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/18-19-Cover-Photo.png?resize=233%2C300" srcset="https://i1.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/18-19-Cover-Photo.png?resize=233%2C300 233x, https://i1.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/18-19-Cover-Photo.png?resize=768%2C987 768x, https://i1.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/18-19-Cover-Photo.png?resize=797%2C1024 797x, https://i1.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/18-19-Cover-Photo.png?w=932 932x" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto 2.4rem; max-width: 100%;" width="233" /></div>
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I have been using this planner for several years now, and though I realize I may be biased, the layout has really been perfect for homeschooling my 3 kids. There are a couple new features and updates for this version that I found I constantly wished I had when using it in previous years.</div>
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First is just a subtle change of font, but I think it gives it a cleaner look. I also removed the header titles on some of the planning pages so you can enter your own instead of being limited to what I designate it for, or having to scratch it out.</div>
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<img alt="Monthly Example" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-325" data-attachment-id="325" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Monthly Example" data-large-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Monthly-Example.png?fit=1024%2C652" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Monthly-Example.png?fit=300%2C191" data-orig-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Monthly-Example.png?fit=1862%2C1186" data-orig-size="1862,1186" data-permalink="http://www.journeythroughlove.com/2018/05/22/2018-2019-homeschool-planners-now-available/monthly-example/" height="459" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Monthly-Example.png?resize=1862%2C1186" srcset="https://i2.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Monthly-Example.png?w=1862 1862x, https://i2.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Monthly-Example.png?resize=300%2C191 300x, https://i2.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Monthly-Example.png?resize=768%2C489 768x, https://i2.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Monthly-Example.png?resize=1024%2C652 1024x" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin-bottom: 1.2rem; max-width: 100%;" width="720" /><br />
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This is an example of the monthly overview. Note the orange spaces are now blank, allowing you to enter your own headings.</div>
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Towards the beginning, I added two new pages for a book list. I wanted a space where I could make a list of books we wanted to read, as well as a list of books we have read, and I wanted to have it with me all the time. I usually take my planner with me to the library, so it only made sense to add a couple book list pages!</div>
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<img alt="Book List" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-330" data-attachment-id="330" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Book List" data-large-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Book-List.png?fit=1024%2C649" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Book-List.png?fit=300%2C190" data-orig-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Book-List.png?fit=1862%2C1180" data-orig-size="1862,1180" data-permalink="http://www.journeythroughlove.com/2018/05/22/2018-2019-homeschool-planners-now-available/book-list/" height="456" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Book-List.png?resize=1862%2C1180" srcset="https://i1.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Book-List.png?w=1862 1862x, https://i1.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Book-List.png?resize=300%2C190 300x, https://i1.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Book-List.png?resize=768%2C487 768x, https://i1.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Book-List.png?resize=1024%2C649 1024x" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin-bottom: 1.2rem; max-width: 100%;" width="720" /></div>
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I also found myself wishing there were a couple extra pages for me to write notes of things I wanted to remember later, or passwords, logins, etc. so I added 3 pages at the back of the planner for notes.</div>
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<img alt="Notes" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-331" data-attachment-id="331" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Notes" data-large-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Notes.png?fit=1024%2C659" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Notes.png?fit=300%2C193" data-orig-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Notes.png?fit=1858%2C1196" data-orig-size="1858,1196" data-permalink="http://www.journeythroughlove.com/2018/05/22/2018-2019-homeschool-planners-now-available/notes/" height="463" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Notes.png?resize=1858%2C1196" srcset="https://i2.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Notes.png?w=1858 1858x, https://i2.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Notes.png?resize=300%2C193 300x, https://i2.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Notes.png?resize=768%2C494 768x, https://i2.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Notes.png?resize=1024%2C659 1024x" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin-bottom: 1.2rem; max-width: 100%;" width="720" /></div>
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I love that the planner images change monthly, and the colors change seasonally. My favorite feature, being the planner nerd that I am, is the advance planning pages. There is a year at a glance calendar in the very beginning with a spot to write special dates to remember.</div>
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<img alt="18 19 Year Calendar" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-338" data-attachment-id="338" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="18 19 Year Calendar" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/18-19-Year-Calendar.png?fit=1024%2C654" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/18-19-Year-Calendar.png?fit=300%2C192" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/18-19-Year-Calendar.png?fit=1860%2C1188" data-orig-size="1860,1188" data-permalink="http://www.journeythroughlove.com/2018/05/22/2018-2019-homeschool-planners-now-available/18-19-year-calendar/" height="460" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/18-19-Year-Calendar.png?resize=1860%2C1188" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/18-19-Year-Calendar.png?w=1860 1860x, https://i0.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/18-19-Year-Calendar.png?resize=300%2C192 300x, https://i0.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/18-19-Year-Calendar.png?resize=768%2C491 768x, https://i0.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/18-19-Year-Calendar.png?resize=1024%2C654 1024x" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin-bottom: 1.2rem; max-width: 100%;" width="720" /></div>
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Then there is the 12 month planning overview. I like to use this space to plan out what topics we will be focusing on each month, any field trips, etc that we will be attending, as well as noting holidays.</div>
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<img alt="twelve month planning overview" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-340" data-attachment-id="340" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="twelve month planning overview" data-large-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/twelve-month-planning-overview.png?fit=1024%2C658" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/twelve-month-planning-overview.png?fit=300%2C193" data-orig-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/twelve-month-planning-overview.png?fit=1860%2C1196" data-orig-size="1860,1196" data-permalink="http://www.journeythroughlove.com/2018/05/22/2018-2019-homeschool-planners-now-available/twelve-month-planning-overview/" height="463" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/twelve-month-planning-overview.png?resize=1860%2C1196" srcset="https://i1.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/twelve-month-planning-overview.png?w=1860 1860x, https://i1.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/twelve-month-planning-overview.png?resize=300%2C193 300x, https://i1.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/twelve-month-planning-overview.png?resize=768%2C494 768x, https://i1.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/twelve-month-planning-overview.png?resize=1024%2C658 1024x" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin-bottom: 1.2rem; max-width: 100%;" width="720" /></div>
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Before each quarter, there are quarterly planning pages where you can record notes for each month, what curriculum or resources you will be using, other notes, and even a place for a weekly schedule. (The colors of these change quarterly as well)</div>
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<img alt="Quarterly Planning Example" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-339" data-attachment-id="339" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Quarterly Planning Example" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Quarterly-Planning-Example.png?fit=1024%2C650" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Quarterly-Planning-Example.png?fit=300%2C190" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Quarterly-Planning-Example.png?fit=1850%2C1174" data-orig-size="1850,1174" data-permalink="http://www.journeythroughlove.com/2018/05/22/2018-2019-homeschool-planners-now-available/quarterly-planning-example/" height="457" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Quarterly-Planning-Example.png?resize=1850%2C1174" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Quarterly-Planning-Example.png?w=1850 1850x, https://i0.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Quarterly-Planning-Example.png?resize=300%2C190 300x, https://i0.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Quarterly-Planning-Example.png?resize=768%2C487 768x, https://i0.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Quarterly-Planning-Example.png?resize=1024%2C650 1024x" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin-bottom: 1.2rem; max-width: 100%;" width="720" /></div>
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Earlier in the post I shared a monthly overview photo (of October). In each monthly overview there is a calendar with space to write birthdays, holidays, and events. Beneath it is a large space for any notes you like. On the page to the right of the monthly calendar, there are several blocks with headers that you can use any way you wish! I personally make a block for books we need to get at the library, field trips, and projects with necessary materials with need by dates. As I said before, I took the header titles off so you can label them to suit your needs.</div>
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That brings us to the bulk of the planner – the weekly/daily plan. At the top left corner, there is a calendar for the current month with the current week circled. Two blocks at the top make space to note special events, a shopping list – anything you want to highlight or remember. On the left hand side of each page are a series of empty bubbles. These you can use as subject headers, your children’s names, or whatever you need. I use the top one for me, the next 3 for my kids so we each get a row. Each day also has a menu planning block at the bottom for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It helps me so much to have my menu right there in my planner! On the bottom right of the right hand page is a large lined space for notes that you can use however you like. For those of you who use the Waldorf method, I have made each day of the week header coincide with the Waldorf color of the day so you don’t have to try and remember what color it should be. I also think it just looks pretty and cheerful!</div>
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<img alt="Weekly Example" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-341" data-attachment-id="341" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Weekly Example" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Weekly-Example.png?fit=1024%2C653" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Weekly-Example.png?fit=300%2C191" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Weekly-Example.png?fit=1864%2C1188" data-orig-size="1864,1188" data-permalink="http://www.journeythroughlove.com/2018/05/22/2018-2019-homeschool-planners-now-available/weekly-example/" height="459" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Weekly-Example.png?resize=1864%2C1188" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Weekly-Example.png?w=1864 1864x, https://i0.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Weekly-Example.png?resize=300%2C191 300x, https://i0.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Weekly-Example.png?resize=768%2C489 768x, https://i0.wp.com/www.journeythroughlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Weekly-Example.png?resize=1024%2C653 1024x" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin-bottom: 1.2rem; max-width: 100%;" width="720" /></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #141414; font-family: Arial, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 2.6rem; padding: 0px;">
And it all ends in the 3 note pages! I really enjoy making this planner each year and I hope you enjoy it, too! If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me. I love to hear suggestions and what works or doesn’t work for you. You can also contact me if you would prefer to have a printed copy. I normally only send these to the printer once a year, so once they sell out, they’re gone until the next year. They can be preordered for a discounted rate.</div>
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Happy Planning!</div>
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Journey through lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01942696223392269941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208917314715930815.post-13466743354717753022016-12-26T11:51:00.000-05:002016-12-26T11:51:30.087-05:00The watercolor/spiral planner has been updated for Jan-Dec 2017I know, I'm cutting it close! <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/203718619/waldorf-inspired-homeschool-planner-pdf?ref=shop_home_active_1" target="_blank"> The watercolor/spiral homeschool planner</a> has been updated to reflect months January through December 2017. *Just* in time for the new year! Check it out, and let me know if you have any questions!<br />
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Happy Planning!!<br />
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<br />Journey through lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01942696223392269941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208917314715930815.post-81017279834560064662016-12-22T11:40:00.000-05:002016-12-22T11:40:07.170-05:00Millie, the milk stealing goat<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">I have mentioned previously that our youngest goat (Millie) is still nursing her mama (Aurora) at 9 months old, and I am trying to stop it. We were separating them at night, but it is so cold that they need the warmth of cuddling, so we are trying taping to wean her. When you tape the udders, it is simply a piece of low stick tape you place over the teat, going down one side, covering the hole, and coming back up the other side. This was working well, except that it made Aurora kick like a maniac every morning when I went to take it off, and again when I tried to put new on after milking. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Saturday, my parents came up to stay the night. I wanted to make pancakes for breakfast, and just needed 1 and 3/4 cups of milk to add to the whey I was using. We have been getting 3-4 cups or more of milk a day, so I saw no problem and premixed everything except the milk in before I went outside to do my chores. As soon as I walked into the goat shelter I could see her udder was empty. The teat tape was completely gone! Millie had somehow managed to get the tape off and drank all the milk. She was quite pleased with herself and was happily munching on hay while I put Aurora in the milk stand. After getting every drop I could, I still had less than 3/4 of a cup. Before I headed back inside, I made sure to not only go up and down the teat, but also around that tape with another piece to secure it. She was not getting my milk again! Poor Aurora though, she hates that tape. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Fortunately, I had more whey, and a tiny bit of milk in the fridge so I combined those and made the pancakes. They ended up very flat, but tasted good. The good news is, I did end up running to the farm store and got a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HHSLAM/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=journeyth01-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B000HHSLAM&linkId=66388516e41e3e369b139f771314d810" target="_blank">heated bucket</a>, so at least I wasn’t breaking ice! Best $25 ever spent. </span></span></div>
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Journey through lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01942696223392269941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208917314715930815.post-86544738763299172822016-12-15T11:31:00.000-05:002016-12-19T11:43:33.243-05:00No time for cozy, there are chores to be done!<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Today is one of those days where you question your life choices. At 7 a.m. while most people are warm and cozy in their home or office, I am suiting up and heading outside. The sun isn’t fully up, and as I make that first step outside, milking supplies in my arms, I immediately feel my nostrils freeze and my lungs seize. First, I go to open the chicken coop door, even though I know they will not come out. Their water is frozen solid, even with the heated cinder block, so I put it outside run and check for eggs. There are none, so I head over to the goat shelter. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">I forgot to put teat tape on Aurora yesterday after milking, so all it takes is one look at her udder to see that Millie - the 9 month old “baby” who is larger than her mother - has emptied it. I get 1/4 of a cup, and resign to just give it to the cats. I do remember to put the tape on today, and make sure to let Aurora eat all the grain before I let Millie the pig out of her side of the shelter. Their water is frozen rock solid as well, and weighs a ton, so I haul it out of the pasture also. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Gloves aren’t really an option when you use your hands as much as I do, so my fingers are frozen, my cheeks are burning and my eyes are watering as I walk back into the garage hauling the milking supplies and frozen water. As I fill a new bucket with warm water in my kitchen, I reminisce on the days of summer, when my morning chores took 15 minutes and I did it in a t-shirt and jeans. (Have I mentioned that winter has not even begun yet? It’s only December 15th…) I head back out with the water for the goats and chickens, place them in their appropriate spots and watch as Aurora gulps the water. Poor girl. I look around the shelter and am glad that I decided to pile straw in their bed last night, but notice Millie is eating the hay we stuffed in the cracks to block the wind. Goats. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">I trudge back through the snow and cold (I’m so dramatic, there is only 3 inches of snow, but it is well below freezing!), take off my boots and layers, and head inside. I’m grumpy and I know it. It’s nearly 9:00, I haven’t had my breakfast or tea, and I am frozen. I realize I am writing the “for sale” ad in my head for the goats and stop myself. No, I can’t give up. I want to see their babies, and I’m looking forward to attempting to get more milk than last year so I can make yummy things. I set my tea, clean the milking supplies, and make breakfast while I ask myself whose idea all this was, anyway. Oh, right. Mine. </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">For now, I will enjoy my warm home and hot tea. In a few hours I’ll be back out replacing the waters with unfrozen ones again, and I just may run to the farm store for that <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MPWSQ1H/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=journeyth01-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B01MPWSQ1H&linkId=34f0863e5fe3405cd0a3d539f4886c53" target="_blank">heated bucke</a>t later. Maybe we should move the goats and chickens closer to the house, after all. I’m thinking directly out the garage door. Who needs grass? </span></span></div>
Journey through lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01942696223392269941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208917314715930815.post-31882874179142591652016-12-12T07:29:00.000-05:002016-12-19T11:37:58.693-05:00Our books of the week have a late 1700's focusJulia is still learning about the late 1700's in Social Studies, so we borrowed these books from the library. They are from the American Girl history series. Felicity is a young girl living in 1774, and the books tell her story of life in that time.<br />
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We only borrowed the first three in the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1562470442/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=journeyth01-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1562470442&linkId=be854e1df4355134dfbd9fa636402087" target="_blank">series</a> (I believe there are 6) and the "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003ZONYVA/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=journeyth01-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B003ZONYVA&linkId=360f644e5ed7063004cf037d180c5f29" target="_blank">Welcome to Felicity's World</a>" book that gives lots of facts and photos about that time period, because we only get a small window of time to borrow the books, but we do plan on borrowing the last books in the series because we love them! </div>
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The American Girl history series books are great for adding more life to your lessons, and we highly recommend them!</div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I woke up to Kayla’s pitiful voice last night telling me she was cold. When I got to her, she was shivering and could barely hold herself up to walk, so I took her to the bathroom just incase. It seemed to take forever to get her warmed up, even with her body pressed against mine under several blankets in my bed. Eventually we moved to her twin bed, and slept on and off until morning. Farm chores are taken down to "necessity only", so I let the chickens out, checked their food and water, milked and fed the goats, and filtered the milk for the fridge. Feed the dog, the cats, and done. I'm praying I do not get sick, because just these few things will be way more difficult when I am sick.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">When the girls are sick, I let them stay in bed with books, </span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><a href="https://sparklestories.com/" target="_blank">Sparkle Stories</a></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">, and an occasional movie. (I wish I could do this when I am sick!) Chelsey started feeling bad after breakfast, so she joined Kayla in their room for the Martin and Sylvia Sparkle Story, “The Crud”. Appropriate, right? Martin was sick in this story, and couldn’t do something special he had planned. So thankful for our 15 day trial, we will be continuing it for at least a month after we finish the trial. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">After being up most of the night with Kayla, I didn’t have a lot of energy for detailed homeschool lessons, so </span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Julia and I snuggled up on the couch in front of the Christmas tree with</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> tea and blankets to finish our book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316201561/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=journeyth01-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0316201561&linkId=57ec212c05738445e458f76abf0a46f7" target="_blank">The </a></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316201561/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=journeyth01-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0316201561&linkId=57ec212c05738445e458f76abf0a46f7" target="_blank">Wishing Spell</a> from the Land of Stories series</span><span style="font-kerning: none;">. It was a very good book, and once we finish some school related books we are going to move on to book 2 in the series. We also started <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BSZZSIK/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=journeyth01-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00BSZZSIK&linkId=cae074491daf4e23b0cf88a08e27c583" target="_blank">Meet Felicity</a> from the American Girl history book series. I love using these books in addition to our history curriculum. Julia is currently learning about the end of the Revolutionary War and this ties in nicely. She enjoys hearing stories that are written as if the person lived through it. It is a much better way than the dry facts I learned (and promptly forgot) back in school. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">At lunch time, I went in to ask the girls if they were hungry. Kayla was sound asleep, and I think Chelsey was as well, but heard me walk in. Poor babies.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I guess if we are going to be sick, we picked a pretty good time. The rain was relentless today, even the cats and dog didn’t want to go outside to play. Lennon is our dog, whom we rescued from a shelter about 6 years ago. He is a good, lazy dog. Before my cat Daisy died, she tormented him constantly. I’ve never seen a dog scared of a cat, but even without front claws, she had him terrified. When Daisy walked in a room, Lennon would turn his head away and “hide” from her. If Daisy came over to drink from his water bowl while he was eating, Lennon would stop and go to another room. Up to the day she died, he was afraid of her and all cats. When Miss Kitty came, she was such a different cat than Daisy. She always wanted to rub against Lennon and he would yipe or run. Today I saw this:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Is that not the most adorable thing ever? It took over a year of Miss Kitty living with us for him to come around and not be afraid of her. She will rub on him, and now even lay with him. I had to snap a picture. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">Come dinnertime, I was so grateful that Kevin got me the<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=journeyth01-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00FLYWNYQ&linkId=8b044ea8c5a285f61767d22e8be15b21" target="_blank"> </a></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=journeyth01-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00FLYWNYQ&linkId=8b044ea8c5a285f61767d22e8be15b21" target="_blank">Instant Pot</a></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=journeyth01-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00FLYWNYQ&linkId=8b044ea8c5a285f61767d22e8be15b21" target="_blank"> </a>for an early Christmas present. There is nothing better than homemade chicken noodle soup when you’re sick, or in this case, turkey noodle soup I made with leftover frozen turkey from Thanksgiving. I’ve only used the IP three times now, but I am impressed and looking forward to finding more recipes. It took 20-25 minutes from starting cutting to finish for the soup. Amazing. Several of my friends have sung it’s praises for months, but I wouldn’t buy into it. When <a href="http://amzn.to/2hf22NQ" target="_blank">Amazon</a> had it on sale for $69 after Thanksgiving, we decided to take the plunge. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The younger girls got to watch <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0057FGCJQ/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=journeyth01-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B0057FGCJQ&linkId=ea4cad34576e1769ad51b9718505692c" target="_blank">Rudolph</a> while eating dinner, poor Julia was stuck with us adults talking at the table. She wanted to watch <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0011AQLZQ/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=journeyth01-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B0011AQLZQ&linkId=5cf99cfcb18dd4145680fdf644a0ebc7" target="_blank">Harry Potter</a>, but it was already too late in the evening for that. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">It's been a long, tiring day. I'm glad for it to finally be bedtime, and I'm crossing my fingers that everyone sleeps through the night tonight! </span></div>
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<i style="color: #353535; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. This means that if you purchase something from that site after clicking over from Journey Through Love, I receive a [tiny] percentage of the sale. Clicking through these links do not cost you anymore than you'd already be spending, and I greatly appreciate your support!</span></i></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: #bd081c; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: #bd081c; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span>Journey through lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01942696223392269941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208917314715930815.post-9934392770636731202016-11-29T23:21:00.001-05:002016-11-29T23:21:37.184-05:00Advent 2016 plannerOne of the traditions my girls love most about this time of year is Advent. For us, Advent starts on December 1st, and ends December 25th. What we do each year varies depending on how ambitious I am. This year, I have decided to try and plan a different craft, activity, game, movie, etc for each day of December. Thank you, Pinterest, for making this slightly easier on me! <br />
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To help me plan out our Advent activities, I created a little planning page to motivate me. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgchI5HPYK7KnXDjBQXk1U0WvaKjEGAVL2eijmWGeF0iHDam1bdvvtOIKmYHXPvMWOZ7Nly2yPwWxP7S2KBFk7hXwT9bIBAWmXwdXonNOmIu_hWn6Z24BelpRLNfMVXhaSYhlu6FWc4nRCW/s1600/advent+screenshot.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgchI5HPYK7KnXDjBQXk1U0WvaKjEGAVL2eijmWGeF0iHDam1bdvvtOIKmYHXPvMWOZ7Nly2yPwWxP7S2KBFk7hXwT9bIBAWmXwdXonNOmIu_hWn6Z24BelpRLNfMVXhaSYhlu6FWc4nRCW/s320/advent+screenshot.png" width="247" /></a></div>
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Would you like to use this simple page to help you plan your advent? If you click below, the link will take you to google drive where you can download and print it for your own personal use. I used graphics by HarperFinch designs, and I just love them! <br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bz_sKAQ8AlGFbllIMHI1UzhnZ0E/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Download Advent 2016</a><br />
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How do you celebrate Advent? I'd love to hear in the comments below. Feel free to share by linking to this blog post so your friends can get their own copy of the 2016 Advent planner!<br />
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<br />Journey through lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01942696223392269941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208917314715930815.post-40433512278830321672016-11-24T08:30:00.000-05:002016-11-24T08:30:27.988-05:00More goat breeding! Fingers crossed this is the last time...A month ago, a friend came over to artificially inseminate our mama goat, Aurora. Wednesday of last week was her expected cycle date, so we were hopeful that the AI had taken, and she was pregnant. Monday, however, she was in heat worse than we had ever seen her so far. She was yelling loudly, her tail was messy with mucus, and her tail was wagging (also called "flagging") constantly. <br />
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We could have had her artificially inseminated again, but I recently met a woman who is very near my house that just got a lamancha buck. I connected with her, and she allowed us to bring Aurora over to her farm and see how things went. With Aurora in standing heat, she was very eager and willing to accommodate her new boyfriend. He was quite a handsome guy! Unfortunately this is the best photo I got of the two of them, but he had such beautiful color. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcf0tY_5V-KMhXFR47P6sayubgzhTC26UaC7nIasNiIHuQJMEKPiaWQtQUvg7n9fWzfoxR5EEfRH9jWV5tRVOVGy3SofqyjGIspnhwhk2n8B9I4HrukH4ORQPPRojHLAOswZOwuRnvDDOo/s1600/IMG_7304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcf0tY_5V-KMhXFR47P6sayubgzhTC26UaC7nIasNiIHuQJMEKPiaWQtQUvg7n9fWzfoxR5EEfRH9jWV5tRVOVGy3SofqyjGIspnhwhk2n8B9I4HrukH4ORQPPRojHLAOswZOwuRnvDDOo/s320/IMG_7304.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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After they accomplished their task a few times, I led Aurora out of the pen. She was not happy to leave her new friend! We began walking away to find the kids and next thing we knew the buck was right next to us. He had jumped the fence and ran over to find Aurora! I really hated pulling them away from each other, they were so cute. My husband had the van that day, so I had to hoist her up into our Pilot, which is considerably higher. I could have sworn I was going to put out my back, but I did not, and we were able to get home without incident (read; she did not pee or poop in the back of the car). After the breeding, Aurora did continue to yell and search the fence line for a friend, but has now calmed down. Fingers crossed this is the last time this year I have to transport a goat anywhere! </div>
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Aren't they adorable? I can't wait to see what the babies look like!!</div>
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<br />Journey through lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01942696223392269941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208917314715930815.post-68680969945904295062016-11-21T10:58:00.000-05:002016-11-23T11:06:14.403-05:00What we are reading, our book of the week for November 21, 2016Kevin and I switch off at night, one of us reading to the younger girls while the other is either reading to Jujubee or listening to her read to us. This week, Kevin has been reading from Oak Meadow's Fables book to the younger girls, and I have been reading to Jujubee. Normally, I post a picture book that is good for the whole family as our "Book of the Week", but we have been enjoying this so much that we wanted to share. <br />
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Our book is from the series The Land of Stories. This is book one, <a href="http://amzn.to/2gL6hkU" target="_blank">The Wishing Spell</a> by Chris Colfer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqpVgjzaxoxjOB2slzrphaX37WVMNrUosyWFz2YmAl1z3iysL3ZxRKaKbPCoGXSGROiBftJDy_msuQxFGMY864PI-U7KtRmB6LQXSebhdqR7L8EO_om5n14-NyaLwhr1Due8pjmzrSlb6/s1600/IMG_7309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqpVgjzaxoxjOB2slzrphaX37WVMNrUosyWFz2YmAl1z3iysL3ZxRKaKbPCoGXSGROiBftJDy_msuQxFGMY864PI-U7KtRmB6LQXSebhdqR7L8EO_om5n14-NyaLwhr1Due8pjmzrSlb6/s320/IMG_7309.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is definitely a book for older children. Jujubee is 11, and there are some parts I am unsure of as I read, and some small parts I skip that I just don't feel are appropriate. The kids in the story are also 10 or 11, and their father has passed away in a car accident. Before the accident, he and their grandmother often read many fairytales to them and they all loved that time they shared. Now that the father is gone, it is just the two of them (they are twins) and their mom, who is struggling to make ends meet and works a lot as a nurse. </div>
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The boy, Conner, struggles in school, often falling asleep in class, even though he could easily do the work. The girl, Alex, is an overachiever, and their teachers often ask why he is taking it harder than his sister. Their mom ends up having to work on their birthday, so she asks their grandmother to come visit them as a surprise. She gives the kids her cherished book of Fairy Tales, and that is where the adventure really begins. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYWQ5n0afZIfsX7pyXSI0yLnyqdLXxjoW6p8OkkqRsjlM7Dxs8cGuTI3nWsVS5xwmbhos04M9UT3IkODN-nuUNxNBJ_bWl3U8jljMpsqAiXiWNnOk-xplSzcejhT_N47u3K6xFJzHJ7KB/s1600/IMG_7312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYWQ5n0afZIfsX7pyXSI0yLnyqdLXxjoW6p8OkkqRsjlM7Dxs8cGuTI3nWsVS5xwmbhos04M9UT3IkODN-nuUNxNBJ_bWl3U8jljMpsqAiXiWNnOk-xplSzcejhT_N47u3K6xFJzHJ7KB/s320/IMG_7312.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Jujubee and I are halfway through the book, and she looks forward to our reading every night. The chapters are quite long, so sometimes I have to split them into two nights. I am also enjoying the stories, however, like I had mentioned, there are mildly inappropriate sections. For example, in one chapter, Conner makes a comment about a photo of Red Riding Hood scantily clothed and it being "memorable". Nothing too risqué, but I felt it could have been left out altogether. I'm hoping the incidents do not increase as we get farther into the book, but we are looking forward to seeing how it turns out!</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. This means that if you purchase something from that site after clicking over from Journey Through Love, I receive a [tiny] percentage of the sale. Clicking through these links do not cost you anymore than you'd already be spending, and I greatly appreciate your support!</span></i></div>
Journey through lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01942696223392269941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208917314715930815.post-16531383739951700932016-11-17T09:00:00.000-05:002016-11-17T09:00:12.930-05:00Homeschool real-life lesson: Experiencing goat kids being born<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Birth on a farm is amazing, whether it is a baby chick hatching under its mama, or a goat kid being born in the barn. On Tuesday, my friend Melody over at <a href="http://solsticesunfarm.weebly.com/" target="_blank">Solstice Sun Farm</a> invited the girls and I over to watch her goat have babies, and we were happy to have the opportunity. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Amber, the mama goat, had been contracting all night the night before, but thankfully held off until about 10:00 a.m. before really progressing. At 10:14 Melody sent me a message to head out, so we grabbed our things and hopped into the car. Once we arrived, I could hear Amber vocalizing and knew she had to be close. I got to the stall just as Melody was giving a little tug on the babies feet. He had been in the birth canal for nearly 30 minutes at that point, so she felt like the mama could use a little assistance. The baby slid out and was dried off. I watched Melody take a little of the afterbirth and feed it to Amber. She explained that if you do this, you can sometimes get the mama to “adopt” you, which makes her more willing to share her milk with you. Amber did begin licking Melody, which is a good sign.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A few minutes later, the next baby came. It happened much quicker this time, and slid out with no assistance. The baby did need some vigorous rubbing to get her moving around, and some help removing the caul. One boy and one girl! Amber was only slightly interested in the babies, but more interested in eating the afterbirth. Once the babies were cleaned up, we both took a baby and headed to the house to warm them up. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On Melody’s farm, she likes to bottle feed the babies. It is said to make friendlier goats, and also helps with stand manners once they have their own babies. (I can attest to her goats being very people friendly and sweet!) In order to do this, the babies are removed from the mom so that they form an attachment to the person taking care of them. Instead of nursing, the caretaker milks the mama goat and feeds it back to the babies via a bottle nipple. It takes a lot of commitment from the caretaker. In the beginning, you need to feed the baby every few hours, even at night. The frequency of feedings decreases, but you still need to bottle feed them for 12 weeks.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We were so excited to be able to witness the birth! It was the first time any of my girls have gotten to see a mammal give birth (they have only seen baby chicks hatch), so it was extra cool for them to be there. The whole thing made me even more excited for our own goats to have babies. Aurora and Millie have both been bred, but we are not sure if either are pregnant yet. If so, they should be having babies in early and late April. </span></span></div>
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Journey through lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01942696223392269941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208917314715930815.post-7880854109004688802016-11-15T16:02:00.000-05:002016-11-15T16:02:13.144-05:00Poetry Tea Time, November 15, 2016<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">It has been a busy morning for us, which is unusual for a Tuesday. After finishing chores, having breakfast and getting everyone dressed, we rushed over to a friends farm to watch her goat give birth. That was truly amazing, and will be another post. We got home just in time for lunch and nap, and though we didn’t have much time before we needed to rush off to book club, we needed the peace and calm of poetry tea time more than ever. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today, we read from <u><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1402743262/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=journeyth01-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1402743262&linkId=9552dd6eacc0f0f80a519df9151d8424" target="_blank">Poetry for Young People</a></u>, by Robert Frost. For each season there is a selection of poems - I love books like that, ones that you can use year round. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">A favorite poem of mine is The Road Not Taken, which I was happy to find in this book and share with the girls. Going for Water was also a nice poem, and one I hadn’t read before. This is a library book, but I have made myself a note in my planner to check it out in future seasons for poetry tea time. We all enjoyed the poems, but most of all the peace in the middle of a busy day. I am so grateful that we decided to bring Poetry Tea Time into our homeschool.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. This means that if you purchase something from that site after clicking over from Journey Through Love, I receive a [tiny] percentage of the sale. Clicking through these links does not cost you any more than you'd already be spending, and I greatly appreciate your support!</i></span><br />
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Journey through lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01942696223392269941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208917314715930815.post-71636156254617789092016-11-14T18:30:00.001-05:002016-11-15T16:03:57.926-05:00Book of the week, November 13, 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">We have been learning about trees for a few months now. We started off with a field trip to our state park for a tree identification meetup. Then we checked out several tree books, like the Audubon tree guide, of course. But I also like to have several living books that are child friendly on whatever topic we are learning about. </span></div>
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This week we borrowed <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0027058557/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=journeyth01-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0027058557&linkId=248a8fa0162022b32fc7b1e8485bdfca" target="_blank">Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing the Trees</a> by Jim Arnosky. I adore Crinkleroot books, and so do the girls. </div>
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They have such cute illustrations and bring the information in a gentle, fun way. After we read this book, the girls promptly ran outside to check out what kind of trees we have, and to collect fallen pinecones. </div>
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We are fortunate enough to have this book at our library, but if we didn't, it would definitely be on our buy list.<br />
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<i style="color: #353535;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;">I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. This means that if you purchase something from that site after clicking over from Journey Through Love, I receive a [tiny] percentage of the sale. Clicking through these links does not cost you any more than you'd already be spending, and I greatly appreciate your support!</span></i></div>
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Journey through lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01942696223392269941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208917314715930815.post-4110120960252271342016-11-07T10:46:00.001-05:002016-11-07T10:46:43.807-05:00Book of the week, November 7, 2016Autumn is my favorite season of the year, so it makes sense that my favorite months are October and November. The cooler weather is nice, but the beauty of fall is what makes it my favorite. I remember taking fall in even at a young age, but now that I am older, I find myself marveling at it in a whole new way. <br />
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The book I chose this week does an excellent job of describing what I love about the season. It is <u><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0152063420/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=journeyth01-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0152063420&linkId=8413ee861f8ae1e2ffc9325af2504d8b" target="_blank">In November</a></u>, by Cynthia Rylant. <br />
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I love so many of her books, so I doubt this will be the last time she is showcased on my blog, but I had to share this one with you. Besides having wonderful content, I am in love with the illustrations. <br />
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Aren't they beautiful? I am not sure what this "style" of painting is called, but I love the look of it. This book does a wonderful job of portraying what November might be like for those parts of the country (like mine) who have all four seasons. Let me know what you think if you check it out! Do you have a favorite book for autumn?</div>
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<i style="color: #353535; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'droid serif', georgia, serif;">I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'droid serif', georgia, serif;">This means that if you purchase something from that site after clicking over from Journey Through Love, I receive a [tiny] percentage of the sale. Clicking through these links </span></span></i><i style="border: 0px; color: #353535; font-family: 'Droid Serif', Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; orphans: 4; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">does not cost you any more than you’d already be spending. </span></i>Journey through lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01942696223392269941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208917314715930815.post-59032285216241385112016-11-04T09:30:00.000-04:002016-11-04T09:30:05.319-04:00Farm update - November 4, 2016 Breeding the goats - Artificial Insemination...I can certainly say I didn't know what I was getting into when we decided to get goats. Of course we knew that you had to breed them in order for them to make milk, but we didn't realize how difficult that could be when you do not own your own buck! <br />
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Your options, if you do not own a buck, are to either take your doe to a buck, have a buck brought to your doe, or artificially inseminate (AI) your doe. The first time Aurora went into heat, I talked to my friend and arranged for us to visit her buck, who was in "rut". Oh my goodness, was that ever hilarious. After I packed her up into a dog crate in the back of my van, hauled her over there, watched the (fruitless) mating session and, ultimately, her deny him, we were still without a pregnant doe. <br />
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Fortunately, my friend also just got a tank (I cannot recall what it is called right now) that holds frozen "straws" from a buck. So, I looked through the online catalog (this was hard, considering I had no idea what we wanted from a buck, genetically) and finally chose one. My friend bought the straws - we choose a nice Lamancha buck) and held onto them until Aurora went into heat again. <br />
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A doe cycles every 21 days. I took that little fact to heart and really thought they would be like clockwork. They are not. Well, finally on Friday we noticed she was in heat again, and my friend came over to AI her. I felt awful for my poor girl. It seemed awful. 5 minutes and we were done, and now we wait! If she goes into heat again we will know it didn't take. AI is only about 50% effective, whereas the traditional method is more like 90%, I believe. If it doesn't take, we can AI her again, or breed her to a buck. Fingers crossed we have babies in 5 months from her. We still need to breed Millie, and for her we may do a Nubian buck, I'm still not sure of my plans. There are extra straws if we decide to AI her with the Lamancha. <br />
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This is the only photo I have of her that day. I was trying to get a "before" picture for size comparison. </div>
<br />Journey through lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01942696223392269941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208917314715930815.post-91121195381832765752016-11-03T09:30:00.001-04:002016-11-03T09:30:24.189-04:00A beautiful day for a hikeOh my goodness, this weather has been amazing! I cannot believe it is November. I'm sure we will be paying for it later, but we are definitely enjoying it now. My husband took off work Monday and Tuesday, so Tuesday we decided to go to a park about 35 minutes away from our house. <br />
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Fall is the perfect time for a hike. The trees are gorgeous, the parks are mostly free during the week, and, even better, mostly empty! We took a hike around the lake, tried to use our new skills to identify leaves and trees, and played by the water.<br />
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Kaybug had fun with the binoculars </div>
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After our hike, we had a picnic lunch, then played at the playground before taking another walk around the empty campground. </div>
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We couldn't have asked for a more perfect day, and are so glad Daddy was able to join us. </div>
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<br />Journey through lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01942696223392269941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208917314715930815.post-10936394278932822342016-11-01T09:00:00.000-04:002016-11-01T16:45:07.298-04:00Changing up poetry tea timeWe really enjoyed our poetry tea time last week, the girls couldn't wait for this week! With Halloween, we decided to take our poems from the book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=journeyth01-20&keywords=halloween%20stories%20and%20poems,%20caroline%20feller%20bauer&index=aps&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=xm2&linkId=c20688306c7977db89ec72f5e5edf00d" target="_blank">Halloween Stories and Poems</a>. Some of the stories and poems were a little too scary, so I made sure to read through them before reciting. <br />
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This was a fun poem called "I'm Skeleton", where the skeleton talks about how he scares everyone, but then a dog comes and he has to run away so the dog doesn't take one of his bones. The girls thought it was funny.</div>
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Normally for poetry tea time, we just have snacks and tea while listening, but this week I wanted to add in some art time. The girls were free to paint whatever they wanted with watercolors (we love <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01E0QWNE0/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=journeyth01-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B01E0QWNE0&linkId=20d162eca9fe5766c17ba45a77ee63fa" target="_blank">these</a> stockmar ones and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000YIAFFS/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=journeyth01-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B000YIAFFS&linkId=d4acdb57fa22f60673559148804f2c38" target="_blank">these</a> by Roseart, we do not like <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HHKAE2/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=journeyth01-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B000HHKAE2&linkId=b9490074ac5a5e959b028437a28aaeab" target="_blank">these</a> Crayola ones, but do use them. The colors are so muted).</div>
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Sometimes it is more fun to just experiment than have a specific theme or goal in mind for art. I haven't decided if we will continue to incorporate art time with our poetry and tea. We may just do whatever fits for that week and what we have time for. </div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #353535; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'droid serif', georgia, serif;">I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #353535; font-family: 'droid serif', georgia, serif;">This means that if you purchase something from that site after clicking over from Journey Through Love, I receive a [tiny] percentage of the sale. Clicking through these links </span></span></i><i style="border: 0px; color: #353535; font-family: 'Droid Serif', Georgia, serif; margin: 0px; orphans: 4; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">does not cost you any more than you’d already be spending.</span> </i>Journey through lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01942696223392269941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208917314715930815.post-35262959127500879672016-10-31T11:08:00.000-04:002016-10-31T11:08:05.012-04:00Book(s) of the week, October 31, 2016Happy Halloween! It is so hard to believe it is the end of October! Normally, I choose one book for the book of the week, but the girls wanted me to share all of our favorite Halloween themed books. I keep bookshelves in the basement with all of our books, and rotate them as the season or events change through the year. That way there is always something new to read, and the girls aren't overwhelmed with choices (and I am not overwhelmed with books all over the floor!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLDLGUWB2ths3bQZ6QriMLD5y1CI-ApFzfpX-N85nmaEb_STRVip-oa7xpMkvRJaYUY2s16GHIDnesRy2O7oXvp6DgomI6mOtWfFx604rU6hXrcvZ_QeU6xH_DYkqkmnqTpcsQJ7YNaPU1/s1600/IMG_7058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLDLGUWB2ths3bQZ6QriMLD5y1CI-ApFzfpX-N85nmaEb_STRVip-oa7xpMkvRJaYUY2s16GHIDnesRy2O7oXvp6DgomI6mOtWfFx604rU6hXrcvZ_QeU6xH_DYkqkmnqTpcsQJ7YNaPU1/s320/IMG_7058.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here are our Halloween selections. The girls look forward to these books, and I usually add one or two each year. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_s16m4HdF1q4XNPJPpJUE-XO6WoG3Z522OHXf_qwabhRoGsNF9b1Y5b1BiK_hnenDZH4zn9wocSyhG8BmFEobc2Uwclwou4jIlJHReAq-sLyQWH0d4NYoRBfS2nmDedJtvoVlirn6g9AR/s1600/IMG_7063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_s16m4HdF1q4XNPJPpJUE-XO6WoG3Z522OHXf_qwabhRoGsNF9b1Y5b1BiK_hnenDZH4zn9wocSyhG8BmFEobc2Uwclwou4jIlJHReAq-sLyQWH0d4NYoRBfS2nmDedJtvoVlirn6g9AR/s320/IMG_7063.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Some of these are my old books from when I was a kid. My mom kept them all these years, and I was happy to take them when she cleaned out the attic library. The first book the kids go for when I bring these books back upstairs is <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1944927042/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=journeyth01-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1944927042&linkId=e8c1a5e526ba710f7c520beabe45df93" target="_blank">Mucumber McGee and the Half Eaten Hot Dog</a>. It's such a silly book and has been a favorite for several years. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYnLbw1XcyMHL0a54kar5naBaeninzST0s8WWpQSKZrFdHJa6KODKlf_fq1uWG1TxGP3M83MVmijnKN7oDHiTG-Gd4hWgkPSo3nEPOgl0IeS1sELaV1O0Vsf1dXkXvMrsvU7g5jLuFje81/s1600/IMG_7064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYnLbw1XcyMHL0a54kar5naBaeninzST0s8WWpQSKZrFdHJa6KODKlf_fq1uWG1TxGP3M83MVmijnKN7oDHiTG-Gd4hWgkPSo3nEPOgl0IeS1sELaV1O0Vsf1dXkXvMrsvU7g5jLuFje81/s320/IMG_7064.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Last year I purchased<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062187708/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=journeyth01-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0062187708&linkId=1fbf6fefba13aa37ad23dc0fb0540fdf" target="_blank"> Pinkalicious Pink or Treat</a>, and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0553512331/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=journeyth01-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0553512331&linkId=7d84022bcc95b41e220ad2ac3b623f68" target="_blank">Spooky Pookie</a>. It is kind of funny to me that my girls are generally very sensitive. They get scared easily, but they absolutely love Halloween books. I make sure they aren't super scary or gory. I guess it is just enough of a scare to be interesting and different from what they read all year. </div>
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Do you rotate your books? What are your favorite Halloween themed ones? </div>
<br />Journey through lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01942696223392269941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208917314715930815.post-7911315815729315342016-10-28T09:00:00.000-04:002016-10-28T09:00:04.378-04:00Farm Update, October 28, 2016This has been such a busy summer! I can still remember last winter, sitting in our house and looking out at the snow covered field. Dreaming. Hoping. Waiting for Spring. At that time, we had just 5 chickens, a dog, and 2 cats. And a large, empty field with nothing but weeds. How things have changed! <br />
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Our field has been harvested twice now. The first time we got 111 bales, and it was mostly oats. It was terribly difficult to get rid of (and then after it was nearly gone, everyone wanted it! Of course.) The second cutting, we got a surprising 160 bales of beautiful alfalfa, and pasture mix. Half the field is in alfalfa and the other half is a high quality alfalfa/pasture mix. We sold 100 bales and kept 60 for ourselves for the winter. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCUxFx0huK0NocOhiJqb0SEOJBI3r6xSa55KnQWQvXA8FN5FB4PTJqr06xzsSps4wwGOZh2fMs499dlVWp3gy15Jeqd1jki-qdvzLU91XS-z9KhhpWegbEykWl3ixDZ72wBI1A97CSq-LS/s1600/IMG_7088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCUxFx0huK0NocOhiJqb0SEOJBI3r6xSa55KnQWQvXA8FN5FB4PTJqr06xzsSps4wwGOZh2fMs499dlVWp3gy15Jeqd1jki-qdvzLU91XS-z9KhhpWegbEykWl3ixDZ72wBI1A97CSq-LS/s320/IMG_7088.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The field today, after 2 cuttings this summer.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdt1rZ8iAlyqUVCjCxi-4sOfuiKpMkmGNYne8RjhEd7hY7nCpqxx3MHZJ6BVyoTvEsrFTglmW4iNd8VbnzcRhHcK0apbMRaknJNywK-oL5Uyvl5aoKeSJy5ujuTEqzUQ77i2L5wxqAXzdl/s1600/IMG_7068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdt1rZ8iAlyqUVCjCxi-4sOfuiKpMkmGNYne8RjhEd7hY7nCpqxx3MHZJ6BVyoTvEsrFTglmW4iNd8VbnzcRhHcK0apbMRaknJNywK-oL5Uyvl5aoKeSJy5ujuTEqzUQ77i2L5wxqAXzdl/s320/IMG_7068.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Kevin and I built this storage "hut" from cattle panels. It held 61 bales, which will hopefully be plenty of hay for our 2 goats this winter. It is a challenge not having a barn, or even a shed, but we are doing our best to make it work! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJxWlNcteu-F35SBjB-jRFOxshTNRabiJuZOOiC86HNFtwo7ZScNAS9mdF8_6CsaaGj8KK9hodHTvd-V1rLNVvooqVIM4pEZVrBQ5Ih3r66shiMRm-CZvoeJASZUDgRrm_qzSp-Dw30qS0/s1600/IMG_7075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJxWlNcteu-F35SBjB-jRFOxshTNRabiJuZOOiC86HNFtwo7ZScNAS9mdF8_6CsaaGj8KK9hodHTvd-V1rLNVvooqVIM4pEZVrBQ5Ih3r66shiMRm-CZvoeJASZUDgRrm_qzSp-Dw30qS0/s320/IMG_7075.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Aurora is doing well. She has improved so much on the stand! She no longer fights me at all (unless a fly is bothering her. Thankfully those are gone for the year)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidNlySHULpsscqHVSduoWtPZPdAvKVNaBg487uWgFDy5tqXinxEx3LmfIAXYGuZhkxRy_RRIxdB94S5Dh7LAd1wtCo59faCCez77Z-UgyTOAJdlHf_9O4FXcbD5idYK54Aj900BiuS5dmQ/s1600/IMG_7085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidNlySHULpsscqHVSduoWtPZPdAvKVNaBg487uWgFDy5tqXinxEx3LmfIAXYGuZhkxRy_RRIxdB94S5Dh7LAd1wtCo59faCCez77Z-UgyTOAJdlHf_9O4FXcbD5idYK54Aj900BiuS5dmQ/s320/IMG_7085.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Millie is as big as her momma already. And still nursing at 7.5 months old. I thought she would wean on her own, but no such luck. I am going to have to make a sling to keep her from Aurora's udder during the day. I still only milk in the morning at this point. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEn-9XwMJo3BRo8I2GdizPydGsZCjwdUiQGChFCisrK7ubbnoJYO97Y6qnW5Vgd0Z3-yZ2mLhGoEQaq8Xn5bXjqLJyXxpmqt1vnQClMq6pmVZoXS2P8pPE-agTMVV3ySMOA5ULi-NePz5X/s1600/IMG_7080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEn-9XwMJo3BRo8I2GdizPydGsZCjwdUiQGChFCisrK7ubbnoJYO97Y6qnW5Vgd0Z3-yZ2mLhGoEQaq8Xn5bXjqLJyXxpmqt1vnQClMq6pmVZoXS2P8pPE-agTMVV3ySMOA5ULi-NePz5X/s320/IMG_7080.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Isn't Millie pretty? I just love her spots and band. That fluffy tail is adorable! But those horns! She was disbudded three times, and they still grew. That is why one points forward, and the other points back. </div>
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Both goats are ready to be bred, and I have even noticed good signs of their fertility. A friend of mine as "straws" from a lamancha (frozen semen) that we will artificially inseminate Aurora with. Millie will be bred to one of her nubian bucks the old fashioned way. I have been tracking their cycles according to their signs, but we keep missing the window! I am hoping this next cycle they will both be bred. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz0MqdgwwARhle8dgCwoOQG_5XFg6mKLrl-QGxHxJdZGtuSeYJnCB0erQDbaLp0Amp_d0MA3j7kvlgTNqVStX4beZ2dl47AXCyUWchcoLilpVgoSdU0UWxHn5Oi9WPOLdbk9YcVzatZAf4/s1600/IMG_7069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz0MqdgwwARhle8dgCwoOQG_5XFg6mKLrl-QGxHxJdZGtuSeYJnCB0erQDbaLp0Amp_d0MA3j7kvlgTNqVStX4beZ2dl47AXCyUWchcoLilpVgoSdU0UWxHn5Oi9WPOLdbk9YcVzatZAf4/s320/IMG_7069.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The garden is pretty much done. It did really well, especially the tomatoes and peppers. There are a few carrots in the ground, and a lot of sweet potatoes that need dug up this weekend.</div>
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We were doing so good keeping up on the weeds, until the last couple months. There are even a few peppers in there we could still harvest. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCreRfPS7zS09vY04KXRlFMGgwcFq5DZUBdhLVK4K6paHSYXS01IY1csrBmQ6b6faGu4eszHGTBWROKG-zFgWS84Vv_TQUX6qbx1LnIt42YIt5nmF1PA6XJk3IrXvay8C4iVTbZojvXToe/s1600/IMG_7098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCreRfPS7zS09vY04KXRlFMGgwcFq5DZUBdhLVK4K6paHSYXS01IY1csrBmQ6b6faGu4eszHGTBWROKG-zFgWS84Vv_TQUX6qbx1LnIt42YIt5nmF1PA6XJk3IrXvay8C4iVTbZojvXToe/s320/IMG_7098.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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This was our "oh no, a frost is coming" solution. We had the squash on the porch curing, so we put them in an empty cabinet we had in the garage. Then we grabbed buckets and picked as many tomatoes and peppers as we could in the dark. We actually didn't end up with a frost that night. Our first frost was October 24th. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVNw0yOR4Ctx6miTobThCA9hGhOyCwqBZ_vLbWsmiI8cu0BarFZY4AkWudizgg6MVHX8gmTAdCMBcKcZ8B6IkQRWzctNGa2CCBS8VeyoZKAgm6qsh9S0r8k3JjmwBMLI-VBvV7udF3o00J/s1600/IMG_7072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVNw0yOR4Ctx6miTobThCA9hGhOyCwqBZ_vLbWsmiI8cu0BarFZY4AkWudizgg6MVHX8gmTAdCMBcKcZ8B6IkQRWzctNGa2CCBS8VeyoZKAgm6qsh9S0r8k3JjmwBMLI-VBvV7udF3o00J/s320/IMG_7072.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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The ladies have been enjoying the spent produce. Tomatoes, watermelon rinds, and squash everywhere! </div>
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Such pretty ladies. They aren't happy that it is getting cold, though. The egg production was amazing about 2 weeks ago, but has slowed down dramatically. We are down to about 3-4 eggs a day right now, and I bet it gets to be even less next week. We were getting up to 9 a day a couple weeks ago. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94H8GzColGSqNVS_YGkZFXC9BiSXEaDuffG91trUk-zXVCq-pCwans4lw4yA83M54fNda1JkZfcIXK0kiZNV_x9l56SUk8N1OgFaqi9BLlYSnuVQFKTYGsjMv4scGpqyn4LIcFt06YGgD/s1600/IMG_7087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94H8GzColGSqNVS_YGkZFXC9BiSXEaDuffG91trUk-zXVCq-pCwans4lw4yA83M54fNda1JkZfcIXK0kiZNV_x9l56SUk8N1OgFaqi9BLlYSnuVQFKTYGsjMv4scGpqyn4LIcFt06YGgD/s320/IMG_7087.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We have them in an electronet fence. The main coop is to the upper left inside the fence/kennel. The chicken tractor on the right houses the bad rooster until we can find a home for him. This weekend we will probably open the fence up to surround the garden so the chickens can get the remaining veggies and bugs. </div>
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I love the fall colors. You can see how the neighboring farms have been plowed. That happened just a couple days ago. It's so weird not to have that "wall" anymore. </div>
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Miss Daisy's tree. She passed away early this year and we planted a new tree with her. I am happy to see it is thriving. She loved Christmas trees, so we thought it was a good choice.</div>
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So that is the current farm update! Lots going on, lots more to do to put the farm to bed for the winter. Unfortunately, the chores don't stop in winter, and Aurora has already expressed her dislike for cold hands on her udder. Poor girl! I'll have to find a way to keep my hands warm on the walk out. </div>
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<br />Journey through lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01942696223392269941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208917314715930815.post-75233106771962010432016-10-27T09:30:00.000-04:002016-10-27T09:30:07.786-04:00Halloween Costumes, through the yearsI think it is so fun to look back at what the girls were for Halloween each year. There are times they request to be the same thing as a previous year, and that's okay, but I do encourage a little creativity. <br />
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Kaybug's first year, she was baby Carrie from Little House on the Prairie, and her sisters were Mary and Laura. It may be my favorite year so far! <br />
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Gah! How adorable was she? She was about 4 months old in this picture.</div>
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Kay's second Halloween, she was an owl. Cute, right?</div>
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Coco was Lalaloopsy and Juju was her first scary costume - Dracula.</div>
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On her third Halloween, Kay was a chicken, by her own choosing. I couldn't help but allow it. Sorry for the blurry picture.</div>
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I added a white boa to her costume to add fluffiness. </div>
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J & C were Native Americans, because they were studying them in Social Studies and wanted to dress like them. I can't find my pic of C, oops! </div>
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Last year Coco was a cowgirl sheriff, Jujubee was Harry Potter (don't comment on my horrible costume making skills. It was last minute!) and Kay was a princess. This may have been their first time ever having cotton candy. </div>
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And this year, they all wanted to be from a book. C was Mary Poppins, J was Hermione, and K was Carrie from Little House again. </div>
<br />Journey through lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01942696223392269941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208917314715930815.post-60977901811649590232016-10-25T09:00:00.000-04:002016-10-25T09:00:15.951-04:00Poetry Tea Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The girls love any reason to have a tea party, so they were quite excited to begin poetry tea time on Friday. Poetry tea time is something I first heard about from Julie Bogart, the owner of Brave Writer. During this time, you create an inviting table (as simple or fancy as you choose!), have a couple snacks, tea (or drink) of your choice, and a few good poetry books. <div>
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This weeks poems were taken from:</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385076967/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=journeyth01-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0385076967&linkId=2b85dcc73c761a1c34a9d37413c65f69" target="_blank">Favorite Poems old and New</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0688145841/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=journeyth01-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0688145841&linkId=954ccc1e952321b88b6bceac7d5c0c5a" target="_blank">A Child's Garden of Verses</a></div>
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and a very old copy of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000IZ98ZK/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=journeyth01-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B000IZ98ZK&linkId=a9683f889c73dfcde7e0e3a84e3cec4e" target="_blank">Best Loved Nursery Rhymes and Songs</a></div>
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The Poems we read were:</div>
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The Cupboard by Walder de la Mare (FPO&N)</div>
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Young Night-Thought by Robert Louis Stevenson (CGoV)</div>
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Old Mother Hubbard (BLNR&S)</div>
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We had pumpkin oat chocolate chip cookies, and echinacea tea. The girls absolutely loved it and requested that we do it again this Friday, so I am going to try to make it a weekly thing. I love many things about the "Brave Writer Lifestyle", and this is one of many I would like to begin incorporating in our homeschool. You can read more about Poetry tea time in the book "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0996242775/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=journeyth01-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0996242775&linkId=b89fdfee8134ded5712b703aff2f6eb1" target="_blank">Poetry Tea Time Companion</a>" by Julie Bogart, and on Julie's website <a href="http://www.bravewriter.com/" target="_blank">Brave Writer</a>.</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: droid serif, georgia, serif;">I am not affiliated with Julie Bogart, or Brave Writer. The thoughts and opinions expressed on this and all topics in my post are my own honest reviews. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: droid serif, georgia, serif;">I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'droid serif', georgia, serif; text-align: start;">This means that if you purchase something from that site after clicking over from Journey Through Love, I receive a [tiny] percentage of the sale. Clicking through these links </span><i style="border: 0px; font-family: 'Droid Serif', Georgia, serif; margin: 0px; orphans: 4; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; vertical-align: baseline;">does not cost you any more than you’d already be spending. </i></span></div>
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Journey through lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01942696223392269941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208917314715930815.post-79153518063715161132016-10-24T09:36:00.001-04:002016-10-24T09:36:44.854-04:00Book of the week, October 24, 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The girls are feeling more festive this week, with Halloween getting closer. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0531301966/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=journeyth01-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0531301966&linkId=48e77e232e0d26ad6cafd332c1eec1bd" target="_blank">A Rattle of Bones; A Halloween Book of Collective Nouns by Kipling West</a> is our "book of the week". It is Halloween themed, but I wouldn't say it is scary. You may want to look at it prior to reading to your own kids, of course. It is a great review of nouns for Jujubee (11), and an introduction for Cocobear, who is 7. <br />
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The skeletons look more happy than scary, and there are plenty of nouns, but it would also be a great book to discuss adjectives, verbs, etc. Here is a peek inside:</div>
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Do you have a favorite fall or Halloween themed book? I'd love for you to share it in the comments below! </div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "droid serif" , "georgia" , serif;">I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "droid serif" , "georgia" , serif;">This means that if you purchase something from that site after clicking over from Journey Through Love, I receive a [tiny] percentage of the sale. Clicking through these links </span><i style="border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Droid Serif', Georgia, serif; margin: 0px; orphans: 4; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; vertical-align: baseline;">does not cost you any more than you’d already be spending. </i></span><br />
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<br />Journey through lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01942696223392269941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208917314715930815.post-46370765159863805612016-10-20T10:00:00.000-04:002016-10-20T10:00:09.395-04:00A Halloween TraditionFor the past five years, we have gone trick or treating at camp where my mom has a site. We didn't think we would be able to go this year, but we made it! Here are my trick or treaters this year:<br />
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Cocobear was Mary Poppins, Jujubee was Hermione Granger from Harry Potter, and Kaybug was Carrie from Little House on the Prairie. When Kaybug was 4 months old, she was Carrie also. We love Little House. </div>
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We had a good time, got way too much candy for the Sugar Plum Fairy, and got to visit with my mom and nephew which was the best thing of all. The weather was perfect, unlike past years where it was either cold, rainy, or both! I am so glad we were able to go, and the girls were, too. </div>
<br />Journey through lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01942696223392269941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208917314715930815.post-18854506897710830142016-10-17T10:42:00.000-04:002016-10-19T10:44:57.342-04:00Book of the week October 17, 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Adventures of Barefoot Critters by Teagan White</div>
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We found this little gem of a book at the library last week and just got a chance to read it. The illustrations are beautiful, and it isn't the same old ABC book where just a random list of things start with each letter. Instead, it is a story about a few animal friends and the letters are incorporated. My favorite part is that the story is told in a seasonal way, with events for each month of the year. <br />
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Aren't they such sweet illustrations? And look at this adorable cover! </div>
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Journey through lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01942696223392269941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208917314715930815.post-1634559126159138792016-08-02T21:19:00.001-04:002016-08-02T21:19:08.896-04:00Missing our Luke<div><br></div>Last Thursday night at about 2:30 A.M., I woke to what sounded like a cat fight. I immediately knew it was our almost 5 month old kitten, Luke. I don't know how I knew, but I did. My husband and I ran out the back door with our flashlight (living in the country with animals, you're prepared for these situations) and I began yelling for him. <div>We didn't hear him again, not a sound anywhere. After 15-20 minutes of roaming in the dark, we went to bed. Luke's mama has gone and came back several times, so we were hopeful he would be home in the morning. </div><div>Morning came, and Luke did not. All day, I went out to call for him, searching our field and the bean field next door as well as I could. A lot of crying happened that day as I remembered the events of the day before. How he had lapped up milk from the stand as I milked the goat. How I helped him get to a mouse under a pile of hay, and he proudly carried it back to the porch and ate it. How he trots over to the dog, who has always been afraid of cats but isn't anymore, and rubbed on him, giving him noses. How he played with his sister, and slept with her all cuddled up every day. </div><div>Jujubee had just begun calling him "her cat". She finally felt like an animal was hers. Now he is gone, and hearts are broken. I haven't told the girls about the cat fight the night before. We are holding out hope that he found a girlfriend and will return home to us, one day. But I just can't help but feel in my stomach that it isn't true. </div><div>We miss you, Lukey</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiehrnG09K3prMYEWOY6KPyfOJW31SNpkQcExpSxk6k2nXRaGv0E6W3fBrMfDEjRAct93xWp95LrvmWHWgCCBnZQFrRwq2tJ_Bg02uldTtaWpJVOprvoEZqEoB7vmS102nSa7higgyAckuv/s640/blogger-image--584113522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiehrnG09K3prMYEWOY6KPyfOJW31SNpkQcExpSxk6k2nXRaGv0E6W3fBrMfDEjRAct93xWp95LrvmWHWgCCBnZQFrRwq2tJ_Bg02uldTtaWpJVOprvoEZqEoB7vmS102nSa7higgyAckuv/s640/blogger-image--584113522.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Journey through lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01942696223392269941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208917314715930815.post-12394508452035822962016-07-28T07:23:00.000-04:002016-07-28T07:23:31.795-04:00An eleventh birthday<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Do you remember what it is like to be eleven? It seems like such a long time ago, yet not long ago, at all. My oldest, Jujubee, had her 11th birthday yesterday. Memories of her birth flooded me, as all moms experience, I’m sure. And then memories from my own eleventh year came, and I realized how different our lives are, at this age. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">She is a lot like me, my shy, quiet, friendly, brown hair, dark eyed girl who loves to read. Yet, she is so much different from me at the same time - especially in height! Her daddy can definitely take credit for that! Our lives are just so different, me being a public schooled child, and her being homeschooled, and her having 2 sisters. I’m grateful for this. <br />
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With her birthday being on a Wednesday, and Daddy not being able to be with us, we had a quiet, relaxing, but fun day. She chose all her favorite foods ahead of time, and I prepared them happily, as they are favorites for most of us. She spent a lot of time reading Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban, even though she said she would wait. I knew she couldn’t! She has been waiting for 6 months to read book 3, so she snuck time in whenever she could. The beach also called to us, so we went to a local lake and had some fun in the sand and water. Presents and cake, and a phone call to a favorite cousin wrapped up the day. Overall, it was a lovely day for a lovely girl. </span></div>
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I’m so lucky to be her momma. Whenever I need help, she is there without complaint. In homeschooling, she is so dedicated and smart that she barely needs me. Something to be proud of, yet sad for at the same time. Time is slipping by so quickly, and it is hitting me that there are only 7 years between now and her 18th birthday. The thought scares me a bit. Will she be ready? Did I do a good job? What will her life be like? What will the world be like? </span></div>
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But those are thoughts for the future, and right now, I’m just going to enjoy every moment I have with my newly 11 year old daughter, and her little sisters. </span></div>
Journey through lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01942696223392269941noreply@blogger.com0