Beginning Duo of '24

 Howdy Y'all :)

Wow, the last two months have FLOWN!!!  Time has again pressed two months into one post.  Here is the trail of tidbit photos for the beginning months of the year 2024...

...camping with friends for a friend's birthday...

...a homeschool victorian era ball...

...yep, the donkeys and zebras are enjoying getting fed...and this young man had fun helping out...

...Jason and Jadon went up for a very quick, but wintery, weekend to help with an extended family butchering...some of the roads Jadon got to get experience driving on and the butchering know-how and experience was worth it...

...cold, wintery landscape that weekend in Kansas...

...busy butchering...

...this girl...we call her our Texas wildflower :)...

...beautiful head mounts of the boys' bucks this winter...

...her 'fingers'...

...what a fun winter advent calendar...

...first time for braids...woohoo, its finally long enough :D...

...yummy!!!!  a new tea place we are trying out and some tasty teas they have!...

...looks easy!!  Looks can be deceiving!!!  Ended up being one very challenging puzzle to complete...whew, but it is finished!...everyone in the house does a bit of the puzzles...its a fun thing to have setting around...

...this little lady popped in and out on the above puzzle, but did this one all by herself...

...a fun easy puzzle after the snowman one...

...a cold day, found the fireplace providing a cozy spot for many :)...and why yes, we left up our Christmas/Winter decor for almost all of January...it has become something we did due to travel the past 2-3 years, but honestly a tradition I think we will keep doing...it just makes one feel like they can linger and ponder after the rush and sometimes super busyness of the holidays...

...LOL, yep, the ONE cat that LOVES heat!!!...

...why, yes, I think he is alive...haha...

...Mango's favorite place to konk...

...this cat is such a conundrum...he LOVES his people, but strangers make him so panic and anxiety ridden it is hilarious to see the change...

...nice and calm...

...OH, the printer turned on....now for the attack of paper as it comes out!...

...a coffee-infused chocolate peanut butter sourdough loaf by a sweet sis-in-law...it was delicious!!!... 

..."I'm hiding, come find me"...as we are looking right at her :D...

...love the quackers and the duck eggs...

...why yes, I am a good doggie and am helping the girls take feed over to the steer...

...fun times: game night...

...and why yes, I have big brother's Gel Blaster and I DO know how to use it :D...

...a fantastic book...

...KeKe's first snow that she really played in...at first, she wasn't too sure...

...love these sleepy cuddles that will end all to soon...soaking up each and every time she wants to cuddle in...

...crispy fried alligator bites...thank you for the alligator meat...the boys especially loved trying it...

...janessa said she needed a break from school and wanted to go look for earthworms and her trusty side kick joined her...

...savory shortbread that is delicious...

...loved the discipleship training that went on in our house hold at the end of January...it was a blessing and privilege to help host and create a space for discipling these young men...

...playing a game in the break of a session...

...someone was a bit late getting in the picture and still wanted me to snap one with her ;)...

...a Gel Blaster war during a session break...

...I finally pulled out and learned how to use this Moka pot...I love it!!  We have also tried Brewed Cacao...the best ever!!  Moka pots make excellent Brewed Cacao...

...Brewed Cacao...pure deliciousness!!!...

...Moka espresso latte made by Kirk...

...cold foam topped iced coffee made by Kirk with Moka espresso...

...reading a history book, it mentioned Egg Cream Drinks that started in New York with immigrants back in the early 1900s...so, I decided it would be fun to make one here at home...not bad at all..different, but good...

...Love this girl!!!...not sure how I missed getting these downloaded from Dropbox, but I did...her Cross Classical Academy school picture and campus classroom teacher and fellow students...

...the ever-changing sky...

...Eclairs made by Kirk...

...a Korean dish: Rose Tteokbokki, made by Kirk...scrumptious!...

...I spy you, lol...

...the chicken lights Kirk got for his little sisters...

...first loaf of Sourdough Sandwich Bread...delicious...

...G'pa and G'ma came to visit...Kirk loved them taking him out geocaching...

...they helped knock out some of our spring to-do list...putting up a tree swing in our neighbor's big tree...

...many games :)...this is the girl's favorite...

...we spent a day in the Fredricksburg area...the Sauer-Beckman Living History Farm...

...Enchanted Rock State Park...it was WINDY at the top!...

...this little one hiked all the way to the top by herself!...she did amazing!...

...a cold and windy wade...

...a Settlers of Catan game...

...another matching game :)...

...swing fun...

...Mango couldn't be left out-ha...

...big brother took little sisters over to the swing and I find LOTS of pics afterwards :)...

...smoking some meat...

...friendly hens...

...this puss loves the front porch about as much as we do :)...

...enjoying the scenery and time pass by on one of the big rocks :)...

...a beautifully done and yummy roast...

...love the matchy, matchy going on :)...

...painting...

...sweetie...

...Janessa got a big bear from Daddy a few years ago, so he thought KeKe needed a bigger stuffed animal...she loves her coon :)...

...Valentines Charcueterie spread...

...thank you hubby and daddy--we love you...

...going on a walk and a good workout for Mom :)...

...enjoyed a few hours with a couple of aunts from Colorado on a weekend, as they came to pick up some meat...

...a fun Aldi find...

...littlest sister mimicking big brother :)...

...Sourdough cinnamon rolls-the best!!!...

...she said she would NEVER go walking leading both dogs again...they were constantly tripping her up or testing her agility- LOL :)...

...Kansas Molasses Popcorn Balls to go along with Literature reading for CCA...

...Little House in the Big Woods dress-up, food samples, and sharing lap-books at CCA class day...

...Kirk officially hid a geocache, and it is on the map/app now...he had a ball doing it...

...'Bolt Action'...

...the new 'kids' on the farm...

...2 Blue Swedish ducklings, 2 bantam chicks, 1 Blue Plymouth Tinted pullet, 3 Speckled Sussex pullets, 1 Dominique pullet, 2 German Bielefelder pullets, 5 broilers...so much cuteness and fun!...

...Mango REALLY wants to be the chickie's new 'friend'...hahaha...

...helping Mamma put letters to be mailed into the mailbox...

...It was the first riding lesson of the spring for Nessa's girl. She loved it...

...Sourdough Naan bread and another loaf of Sourdough Sandwich bread, did I say it didn't last long ;P...

...completely content :)...

...beauty on an evening walk...

...Tic Tac Toe, three cats in a row...

...waiting for their turn at the dentist's office for a check-up...

...I asked if they could just look at Keanna, to help her be okay when she actually had a dental check-up...but this little gal was a CHAMP...they ended up even doing pretty much a cleaning on her, and at the end, she gave me a thumbs up and said, 'I was like a big girl'... :)...

The perfect smile and thumbs up to y'all as we enter March :)  

"Do not pray for easy lives.  Pray to be stronger!  Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers.  Pray for powers equal to your tasks."

                                                 ~phillips brooks~