we had an extra five minutes

since we were not busy enough plowing snow, home schooling, housekeeping, errand running, bill paying, hair cutting, laundry folding, and skiing, this winter/early spring, we decided to tap the maple trees in our yard to collect sap and boil our own maple syrup.



it became the highlight of each day to check sap buckets.  collecting the sap was equally as exciting!

 

each drop carefully collected.  not a bit wasted.

i would love to say i caught this drip with the first click of my camera...not true.  only eight practice pictures.

i think he might suspect i am crazy.  he is probably right.  :)

there actually is no dress code for checking buckets.
 

we had a great time during the few weeks the sap was running.  if we calculated the cost of buckets, covers, and taps plus the cost of propane we used to boil down the sap, our few mason jars full of syrup may have a price tag of around $45 each (8oz jars - ouch).  but the fun that was had is priceless!  looking forward to next year.  i won't be surprised if there is a sugar shack and homemade evaporator in our back yard!  go big or go home.

now that all the sap has been collected and boiled, maybe we should get 6 baby chicks.  twelve days and counting!!

a lovely day

sunday was a lovely day. we went out in our backyard and did this...

we saw odd things like this...

she smiled a lot like this...

she got tired and sometimes made faces like this...

and this...

i felt like i was being watched by this...

there was a lot of yelling at this...

trying to get them to pose for a picture mostly turned out like this...

i enjoyed my 50mm lens taking photos like this...

we were happy when we finally could see this...

i love adventures like that.

**side note - can you see the heart shape in the second picture from the bottom or is it late and i have been staring at these photos a bit too much?

that girl

a girl like no other. a kind, smart, carefree beauty who loves everything. and by everything i mean her sister, her daddy, gum wrappers, "mary jane sneaker shoes", and anything in between. she is a loyal friend. she is a free spirit. who knew a mere "peanut", weighing 4 pounds 13 ounces would grow so fast and become the tall little sister. she has style like no other. at times her enthusiasm is hard to contain. she wears her heart on her sleeve, and can have hurt feelings often. luckily she tries to see the good in all things and can bounce back quickly. she has always been my little do-er. from a tiny toddler, she had to figure out how things worked - my little button girl has fierce determination. she is always thinking of others, mostly her sister. if she gets a treat, she needs an extra one for her sister. she is a dramatic, tall, butterfly chasing ballerina.

sweet little sister, you have a heart of gold, a smile that melts my heart with each missing tooth, and i love you like crazy. i admire your generosity. i adore your thoughtfulness. as you grow, i hope you never lose your free spirit or your love for butterfly chasing. it is part of what make you so special. maybe you could teach me the art of the chase.

i love you catherine.

this girl

meet my beautiful first born. my oldest by a minute with sparkling blue eyes and 1.5 adult teeth. i can barely remember when this beauty weighed a mere 5 pounds 14 ounces. in those days, having a full belly and a dry diaper was all she needed to be content. these days it takes a bit more. a brady bunch marathon. toaster strudel friday. a game of monopoly junior that she sets up and wins. she is smart, funny, challenging, and determined. she loves her sister and enjoys being the "boss". she is a dedicated worker, always wanting to help me with chores, and sticking to it until the job is finished. she has many dreams, most recently, to get a horse. she explained to me all through bedtime tonight just exactly how it would all work out. how she is going to save enough money to buy it herself (as soon as she figures out where one might buy a horse). that she will ride it, and groom it, feed it, and "take it a bath". and i would not have to help, except for when she is in "real" school next year.

my sweet kendyl. you are growing so quickly and changing before my eyes. you keep me on my toes with your favorite saying "this is the worstest day ever." i hope you always have such a determined spirit. i hope you forever question everything. i heard you wish on a star to be more brave. you don't know it yet, but you already are.

oh, how i love you.