tweet tweet birdie treats

we saw our first robin redbreast the other day,

a most welcome sign of spring!

 we celebrated by making some treats for our backyard birdie friends.

we decorated some tin cans for feeders, and made some tasty frozen birdseed cookies. 
and , can you even stand how focused jane with a paintbrush?!

we are quite excited to have another official member of crafternoons here at home. 

 

the next day after the paint dried and the cookies froze 

it was time to fill the cans and hang everything up on the make shift kid-height tree 

that bennett created by sticking a fallen limb into the snowbank just below our kitchen window. 

and as you can see,  jane thought we should also give the squirrels a treat by dumping 

half the bag of birdseed in the snow, woops!

and now our mornings look like this...

gazing out the window to watch our happy bird friends (and squirrels)!

janie is beyond fascinated, can't you tell?

bennettt, ella, wes & i are fascniated as well and have been busy 

checking off the different types on our bird guide from anya.  

tweet tweet...happy spring!

thankful tuesday, 3/11

• a new easy and most savory go-to recipe - goat cheese stuffed dates wrapped in bacon and baked until crispy - yum!
• dinner club with dear friends that inspired trying this new recipe
• melting snow and mud
• last minute lunch dates with mr. defoyd that turn into vacation booking 
• sewing with my girls
• downton debrief visit while friends sipping tea and munching on scones, quiche and clotted cream cookies by the fire in the morning and book club giggles, munchies and wine by the fire with friends in the evening
• ella's strength and bravery after a nasty fall and a banged up face
• tummy bug snuggles
• b's first loose tooth
• lent devotions
• girl scout training that turns into a drinks with a side of sweet potato fries with betsy
• jane's transition to one nap a day
• getting out of the house more because of said one nap a day
• feeling like a new person because of said one nap a day
• did i mention i'm thankful for jane's transition to one nap a day?
• embracing breakfast - sipping tea, quiet conversations and prayers to start our day
• maple magic at the farm
• new baby farm animals
• time change's evening light

maple magic

 we had a glimpse of spring on saturday,

the perfect day to visit the natick community farm for their maple magic day!

a fun outing, but it wasn't the same as our own maple magic day from last year.

that just wasn't possible this year, since sadly,
our official sap collector, pa pa cha cha, is quite ill.

on that note, 

please send prayers his way for strength and recovery.

we would be so very grateful.

get better soon cha cha!

officer bennett's road signs

this little pre-school police officer

has become quite interested in street signs as of late, 

making for the perfect afternoon project!

we scrolled through google images,

to find some favorites so we could make our own signs.

we even found a "falling cows" sign, which bennett thought was hilarious, 

so of course we had to make one of those!

 we secured the signs to some long sticks, ones we were sure

would break through the frozen snow.

 then the little officer and his road crew went about the very serious work 

of  placement  on the snowplowed  walk that runs around the barn.

we even had a railroad crossing sign for the caterpillar train we 

made earlier this winter! 

then came the best part...

keeping a watchful patrol for traffic violations.

jane and i secured ourselves quite a few hefty tickets 

and isolated jail time in the barn!

this guy doesn't mess around...

 a great afternoon for the officer and lover of street signs!

treasured even more as i prepare to register the little guy for kindergarten tomorrow.

man i'm gonna miss afternoons like these ... even if he does put his mama in jail!

march's lion, lamb and lent

isn't march suppose to be "in like a lion, out like a lamb"?  

well, it feels more like in like a snoozing/hibernating lion (since it's too darn cold to leave the den),
and out like a frisky/ferocious lion (ready to gobble up all the frolicking springtime lambs).

at least that's what my calendar seems to be telling me.   

with ramp-ups in homework expectations,
social and weekend plans, volunteer commitments,
client programs, toddler-hood trouble making, after school extra-curriculars
and a whole lot of  yard work planned for our frozen tundra (if it ever decides to melt),
i can definitely feel the anticipation as well as the potential crunch of this new season.

but...

lent started today.

so, i'm telling the lion to take a hike
and focusing my heart and my days on the lamb.

the lamb of god.
this season of preparation and repentance.
the journey to the cross.

"the journey of lent is to immerse ourselves in this grand story so that it might increase our appreciation of Easter and love for Jesus."

(excerpt from haug & walker's journey to the cross,
find this free resource devotion here,
one that we'll be using here to keep the lion out and the lamb in).