Camping in Sherwood Forest

Monday morning we pulled the trailer down to Sherwood and set up camp in Towne Square. The kids were a little skeptical about camping in Sherwood since it's part of Calvin Crest and somewhere they go often; they wanted to go somewhere new. They quickly warmed up to the idea though when they saw how fun it was. In the afternoon, we went over to the ropes course.

There was also time to hang out in the trailer.

The mosquitoes came out after dinner, so we retreated to the trailer to play a game.

Tuesday morning we hiked out to George's Falls.

After a picnic lunch, the kids had lots of fun wading in the river.

The dogwood trees are blooming.

That evening, Christina came down to join us and cooked dinner over the fire. It was, of course, so good.

Then we roasted marshmallows and made s'mores.

We enjoyed a leisurely morning at our campsite Wednesday. The kids sang If You're Happy and You Know It, a favorite song right now. 

They also got to play King Domino again with Joshua.

 Hannah helped drive the truck and trailer home.

Our Anniversary

 Joshua and I started celebrating 13 years a day early with a picnic lunch in the woods. Then we had blintzes for breakfast with the kids on June 2. It was a lovely celebration.

Little Red Wagon

 The Nickells gave us their old wagon, and we have already gotten so much good use out of it. We use it all the time.

Music with Daddy

 Joshua was playing his guitar, so Hannah got out their guitar so she could play with him.

Country Loaf

I've been doing a lot of bread baking lately with my starter, and I finally tried the recipe in the bread book I got for my birthday. It was similar to what I usually do, but with some differences like creating a sponge overnight and using part wheat flour in the dough.

Once the dough was made, it had a familiar hydration level and got the usual set of turns instead of kneading.

Baking was different too because I used a dutch oven instead of a sheet pan. Having the lid on for the first twenty minutes gave the loaf the steam it needed to create a beautiful crust.

 The final result was quite satisfying; a tender crumb, crisp crust, and good taste.

Three Peas in a Pod

New Cookbook

 We gave Mary a Little House Cookbook for her birthday, and she has been enjoying making some of the recipes, like these corn dodgers. 

Seven Years

Mary is seven years old and full of life.

She loves to read and create things including drawings, stories, sewing projects, games, cooking projects, plays, and paintings.

She is a good helper and likes to be involved in big projects. She loves babies and caring for littles.

Mary is finishing first grade and enjoys school. She is great at learning and asking questions.

She is getting more independent and enjoys taking care of Hannah.

 She loves to hike and explore, often leading the way and discovering new paths to take.

Mary is a delight.

Mary's Birthday and Micah's Graduation

We started celebrating Mary's birthday a day early with birthday dinner on Friday.

Saturday morning we kicked off her birthday with monkey bread and blueberries for breakfast. Then we jumped in the car to drive to Visalia because it was also Micah's graduation. After a quick lunch, we headed to the ceremony.

We are so proud of Micah and were excited to celebrate this accomplishment with him.

We had a triple celebration that evening at Dad and Mom's house to celebrate Micah's graduation; Ezra, Elias, and Mary's birthdays; and Mother's Day.

Multiple desserts for multiple celebrations.

Spring Planting

 

Ezra Gets Baptized

The kids and I hit the road early Sunday morning so we could make it to Visalia in time to go to church and see Ezra get baptized. We were excited to get to be there.

After church, we headed for Dad and Mom's house, and the first thing David did was jump on a bike and zoom around.

That evening we enjoyed picking blueberries at the local u-pick farm.

 We spent the rest of the week at Dad and Mom's house enjoying their company while Joshua was on study leave with his friend, Ian.

Quilt for Nora

We were invited to a little friend's birthday party. Since Mary has been interested in sewing lately, we decided to make a doll blanket for our gift. The kids were very excited to help pick out fabric, decide on a design, and start sewing.

After finishing the quilt top, they sandwiched it.

They also worked together to help sew the binding down. Mary made the stitches, and David pulled them through.

 All done!