Boyer Family Singers

Cherries! $1.99 lb

2012-02-01T14:58:00.001-08:00

I found a deal at the grocery store. I got a couple pounds of these wonderful summertime fruits. I have to check the calendar just to make sure we didn't fast forward out of winter, skip spring and ended up in summer.

Everything is ok, it's only February, although you may think its April with the weather we have had!

I pitted these babies and into the food dehydrator they go.

I have made a habit of buying produce while in season and on sale (but I can't explain the in season idea with these cherries, it must be cherry season in some other part of the world) and drying them. I have mushrooms for stroganoff, stir fry, or pizza. There's kale for yellow pea sausage soup, tomatoes for lots of things and pizza. These get carefully rationed. It is so nice to know its dried and I don't need to make a trip for a special veg. For soup night. Note the mention of liquid, soup. reconstituting the dried veggies in a bowl of warm water is recommended if the dried morsels aren't going in a soup. I even dried all of our last harvest of banana and green peppers.

Mostly I have mentioned veggies. Dried fruit gets gobbled up before I can be clever with it. I hope to make a few batches of muffins with these cherries. This way they will keep nice for when I have the time to bake.

I store all the dried veg and fruit in glass mason jars with tight lids. Check on them, if they move when shook they are doing good, beware of moisture.

Happy February all, only two months to go until we see some sunny beaches of Florida. I'll keep you posted for that!
K

Happy birthday to you

2012-01-30T06:33:00.001-08:00

Jessica created this for me!!! This is our kitchen chalk board.

The Waistcoat

2012-01-21T18:05:00.001-08:00

Another Brigid creation. From an old pattern found at an antique shop. It is only a ONE size pattern! Good thing it fits the girls. Brigid has made this three times now, two for her and now for Jessica.

How do you....?

2012-01-20T08:13:00.000-08:00

How do you say good bye to 4 years past.....

Today is the last day of work at a special place that has been a part of this family's life for the last 4 years. My husband, the man of the house, the king of this castle, the super father and provider for us girlies is leaving his job. He has been hired at another place of work and will start immediately on Monday. This new work looks to be incredible. Not that these last 4 years for Clanc and all of us hasn't been incredible. There needs to be an understanding of where we came from and where we are now. All by God's grace and mercy in directing our path as one family unit. This family can only understand it best.

At the end of '08 we moved from the west coast and went on an adventure to our place we call home. We were lead here because of the job, which after today will be no more a part of our lives. Today we brought Clanc to work "for a last time" he just happened to need a ride to work so we all piled in the car and brought him to the parking lot for the last time. I realized 4 years ago his first day at work started out that way! Then, we all piled in our rental car, since ours was still on the moving truck, and brought him to the parking lot and dropped him off at work. We didn't plan this to begin or end this way, isn't it wonderful how God allows us to see things like this? I need a beginning and an ending to stories and trials. I guess in a way we all do.

Come Monday, Clanc will be going in the opposite direction to work. And in some ways there will be a few more opposites as he gets settled and learns about his new job and place he will call "work" for how ever long. He will have to leave a bit earlier in the morning to make the longer drive. We all will get up just a bit earlier to enjoy our family time together as we always do every day, sending him off to work, much like we welcome him home every night. We all work together in this and understand how much we need each other to remain unified.

So how do you say good bye to the years? You have too many lunch dates that over flow the "2 weeks notice" amount of time. You enjoy a gathering at the local pub and tell war stories with everyone from work. Your receive a fun framed cartoon drawing of yourself that all your co-workers signed. Most importantly you look behind you at the bridges God has allowed you to construct and you remember to never burn them! And then you come home with all of the boxes which represent the place where you sat and talked and worked for the last 4 years. But actually, you end it the way you began, getting dropped off one last time in the parking lot and going about the day because you are called to provide for your family and serve a wonderful God!
I love my man!! And I love our God who blesses us every day with wonderful things.
K.

P.S. by the way, we are NOT moving! YAY!

Duct tape and an insulation truck

2012-01-18T12:33:00.001-08:00

Mom, Charlotte, and I were stopping to fill up on gasoline. In front of us were two insulation trucks. The back of one of the trucks was open. Soon the drivers came out of the convenient store and got in their trucks, the back of the truck was still open. Can you see where this is going? Both trucks began to drive off, and THE truck STILL had its back door open! Mom honked her horn at them, and notified them of the problem, pointing to the back of their truck. One of the guys got out of the truck and closed the back door, and as he got back in the truck, all of us ladies realized that he had used DUCT TAPE to tape his pants (which would otherwise be droopy) to his shirt! As we drove off I said, "Unless I am very sick, I will never let my husband use duct tape to make any repairs on his clothes!"

The End

Blessings,
Brigid

Overnight Sweet Rolls

2012-01-17T13:59:00.001-08:00

Overnight Sweet Rolls

From Breads

The Best of Favorite Recipes from Quilters

We make these at least twice a month, good Saturday breakfast.

Top with cream cheese frosting.

Makes 18 servings.

4 Cups Flour

1/4 Cup Sugar

1tsp salt

1 Cup Margarine (we use BUTTER!)

1 pkg yeast

1/4 Cup very warm water

1 Cup Milk

2 Eggs, beaten

Soft Margarine (we use BUTTER!)

1 Cup Sugar and 1tsp cinnamon,

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 2-3 Tbs milk, 1 block cream cheese, 2 tsp. grated orange rind

1. In a large bowl combine flour, 1/4 cup sugar and salt. Cut in 1 cup butter into dry ingredients.

2. Sprinkle yeast into very warm water and stir until dissolved.

3. Scald milk and cool to lukewarm. Add yeast, milk and eggs to flour mixture. Toss until well mixed.

Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight

4. Roll our dough to a huge rectangle making it 1/4 inch thick. Use flour to keep from sticking to surface

You can divide dough in half and make rectangle this size - 12x18". Spread with soft butter (2-3 Tbls.).

5. Combine 1 cup sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over rolled out dough. Roll up and cut into 1 inch pieces. Arrange in baking dish (we use 11x14) sprayed with cooking spray.

6. Bake 400 for 15 minutes.

7. Combine powdered sugar and 2-3 Tbls milk. We add a block of cream cheese and mix until smooth. Drizzle or spread over hot rolls. Sprinkle with grated orange rind.

SERVE

I thought this photo turned out so good I had to share the whole experience.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2012-01-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

Wow, it is the end of 2011! Our family has been through so much this year, both blessings and trials. The Lord has been gracious to our family in blessing us with such wonderful friends, family, and a cute little Angel (dog) to cheer us up, and encourage us in our walk with God. Our family has great hopes for the coming year, and I (Brigid on behalf of the rest of the clan) hope we'll be able to share some of the coming year with you all through this blog.

But, to reflect on the past year, here are a few photos.

Our little tri-hair-a-tops (as Dad called her)

We went skating; Jessica and Charlotte skated like pros, while I was a wee bit wobbly on my feet. :)

Yes, we made cake pops. They were delicious... just to make you wish you were here.

Jessica on a ladder... probably the best place for her to be while decorating for Christmas, as the rest of us girls do not favor ladders very highly.

Wait... what am I doing sitting so comfortably up here?!

A very bright Christmas morning.

Charlotte standing by a wooden soldier at The Heart of Ohio (an antique mall we love) in the last pathetic snowstorm of 2011. Is anyone else experiencing a shortage of snow?!

Last but not least, thanks to Charlotte's handiwork, we would like to wish you a happy New Year,

full of blessings, sunshine-filled days, and (please) at least one snow storm. :)

Adieu till 2012,

Brigid on behalf of the Boyer Clan.

Winter Recital 2011

2011-12-23T11:34:00.000-08:00

This time of year is so special. Along with Advent, pine trimmings, great seasonal food, sparkling, brightly lit trees and homes, we have our daughters' Winter Recital to look forward to. This year was very good as their peers put smiles on our faces with snags that ranged from "Jingle Bells" to "Carol of the Bells." Below are three of our girls performances. Enjoy and take in the spirit of the Season.

Charlotte performing Fur Elise

Brigid performing Carol of the Bells (George Winston arr.)

Jessica performing I'll be home for Christmas

Merry Christmas to all of our beloved friends!

The Boyers

Giveaway!

2011-12-13T09:58:00.000-08:00

Oh my, this is my 3rd giveaway post in a row! And all of them have not been from me. Someday I'll host one...
Anyways, Bramblewood Fashion is hosting another giveaway, this time for some Alice in Wonderland fingerless gloves. Head on over and find out how to enter.

P.S. the giveaway ends December 18th.

Blessings,
Brigid

Another Giveaway...Not from me though.

2011-12-10T10:19:00.001-08:00

Hi all,
There is a giveaway going on over at Bramblewood fashion for a Shabby Apple dress. I love the dresses at Shabby Apple, because they are both modest, and fashionable, so I am very excited that Ashley (proprietress of Bramblewood fashion) is hosting this giveaway. SO... head on over and check it out.

Blessings,
Brigid.

Regency Shoes

2011-11-28T10:00:00.001-08:00

Hello all! The American Duchess (a wonderful historic shoe designer) is now having a pre-sale of her new Pemberley Shoe.
The "Pemberley" Regency shoes are closely based on extant footwear from the 1790s through 1810. The smooth, dyable, hand-sewn leather upper is designed to be lovely enough for formal occasions, and durable enough for walking in the countryside. Particular attention was paid to the point of the toe, as well as the other hallmarks of Regency historical footwear, with the main goals being both historical accuracy and all-day comfort

These look sooo cute! And historically accurate? Yes, please.

Blessings,

Brigid.

How about some singing, from the singers!

2011-11-17T06:23:00.000-08:00

The girls had a recital of a sort this week. The show was called a Tribute to Broadway, put on by their music teacher. Jessica sang from "The King and I" as well as "Mary Poppins."

Brigi sang a song from "Oklahoma" and was Dorthy for a musical tribute to "Wizard of Oz." Charlotte had four solos; "Oklahoma", "Beauty and the Beast", "Mary Poppins" and the finale "Give My Regards to Broadway".

WISH YOU ALL were here to have the pleasure of hearing it all live.

Brigid singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"

Jessica singing "Whistle a Happy Tune"

Charlotte opened the show with "Oh What a Beautiful Morning"

F.F. Week: Day 7: Wear a Hat.

2011-11-12T12:34:00.001-08:00

Well, today is the very last day for the Fall Fashion Challenge. I'm sad it's over, but I have had a great time writing up this week's posts, and seeing everyone else's outfits. Lord willing, though, this will not be my last fashion post. So, all you new readers better stay tuned.

Anyway, here's my outfit for today. The challenge for today was to wear a hat. I actually made this hat this morning, even though I had plenty of other hats to wear. :)
The pattern for my hat is based on this pattern. And the fabric is from my Marie Madeline scrap bag (a birthday gift from my sister Charlotte).

Pink Floral Bonnet: Made by Me.

Black and grey striped Turtleneck: Kohl's.

Purple Cardigan: Nordstrom Rack.

Denim half-circle Skirt: Made by my Mom.

Grey Shoes: Payless.

I wanted to take some photos in the woods.

Have a great weekend.

Blessings,

Brigid.

F.F. Week: Day 6: Favorite Fall Fashion Trend

2011-11-11T06:51:00.001-08:00

Oh bother! This is my second to last post for Bramblewood Fashion's Fall Fashion Week. Boo, hoo.
But, I'll get on with this post. Today the challenge was to choose and wear your favorite fall fashion trend. The trends were: Mustard, Polka-dot, Plaid, Western, Maxi skirt+chunky sweater, or seventies. I chose to wear plaid. So, today, I went for a sort of scottish military look.

Yes, I enhanced the photo below. :)

Oatmeal colored Turtleneck: Lands End

Blue knit military style jacket: Nordstrom Rack

Plaid pleated skirt: Lands End

Brown boots: Famous Footwear

Black Headband: Um, I don't know where it came from. :)

My hair looks almost golden in this picture.

Have a great day.

Blessings,

Brigid.

F.F. Week: Day 5: Polka dot (or Bold Print)

2011-11-10T07:56:00.000-08:00

So, today the challenge was to wear polkadots. I (once again) don't have anything with polkadots on it, so I went with a bold print. My new Shabby Apple Scarf in other words. I got this scarf with a gift card that I received as an honorable mention for Shabby Apple's Dare to Design contest. And I have to say, I love it! It's huge, and light, and trendy too.
So, here's my outfit for today.

Purple Shirt: Kohl's

Black Jumper: Made by my Mom with a Marie Madeline pattern.

Silky cotton scarf: Shabby Apple

Brown clogs: Hanna Anderson

Yes, it was windy today. So I let my scarf blow.

Hairstyle courtesy of my sister Jessica. Thanks, Jess.

Blessings,

Brigid.

F.F. Week: Day 4: Wear your favorite era.

2011-11-09T11:38:00.000-08:00

Day 4 already? Aaaagghh! the week is halfway over. But, I've had a great time so far with the Fall Fashion Week.
Today the challenge was to wear your favorite era. I have a lot of favorite eras such as Romantic (1830's-ish), Regency (1800-1820's-ish), and 1950's, on and on and on. I've already worn most of my favorite eras, but I have never worn a 1940's style outfit. I haven't really liked the 1940's until recently, because the silhouette looked so, well, blocky. But, there are a lot of cute aspects of women's fashion from that era, so I decided to give it a try, especially when I found a cute houndstooth pleated skirt at the thrift store, that just said "40's" to me.

Edwardian Blouse: Made by Yours truly, Me!

Purple Sweater: Nordstrom Rack

Partially pleated houndstooth skirt: Thrifted

Black bow: Uuumm, quickly made and pinned on this morning, by me.

Hair combs: A christmas gift from my sister Charlotte.

I don't know why I like this photo, my blouse looks so wrinkled in it. :P

Well, that's all for today.

P.S. I'm thinking of doing some fashion days in the coming months, such as Modest Monday,What'd you wear Wendesday, Fifties Friday, etc. What do you all think? Would some of you readers be willing to participate?

Blessings,

Brigid.

F.F. Week: Day 3: Bold tights

2011-11-08T13:04:00.000-08:00

So, today's challenge was bold tights. Um, I don't have any bold tights, so I borrowed my Mom's bold stockings (Tight like knee highs). But anyway, here's my outfit for today.

Brown T-shirt: Kohl's

Pink woven top: Forever 21

Denim skirt: Made by my Mom

Flowery stockings: Borrowed from my Mom

Tan Boots: Thrifted

Hair Roses: Forever 21

Watching Angel tear up leaves. :)

By the way, this shirt and the flowers are my first purchases from Forever 21!

Blessings,

Brigid.

F.F. Week: Day 2: Unusual color combination

2011-11-07T10:01:00.000-08:00

Yay! Day 2! For todays challenge I chose to wear Blue+Orange+Khaki.

Orange Turtleneck Shell: Thrifted

Blue denim Blouse: Target

Khaki Skirt: Thrifted

Boots: Thrifted

(Alot of thrifted stuff, eh?)

I have never worn this combination before, and I think it looks quite nice. What do you all think?

Blessings,
Brigid Boyer

Another Giveaway

2011-11-07T04:55:00.001-08:00

Hi all!

There is another giveaway going on this week at Bramblewood Fashion. Yay! I love entering giveaways, even though I have never won one yet. So head on over there to find out what it's all about.

Blessings,
Brigid

Fall fashion week giveaway

2011-11-06T13:59:00.000-08:00

Hi there,

Ashley, over at Bramblewood Fashion, the hostess of the F.F. week, is hosting a giveaway this week. She is giving away some pumpkin pie roll on perfume. Perfect for Thanksgiving! (NOT TO EAT OF COURSE!!)

Blessings,
Brigid

Fall Fashion Week: Day 1

2011-11-06T09:20:00.000-08:00

Yay! The Fall Fashion week has finally begun! Both Charlotte and I were going to participate in this week, but Charlotte decided to drop out. But, anyway, here's my outfit for today.

Blouse: Land's End

Sweater: Nordstrom Rack

Belt: borrowed from my sister Jessica

Skirt: Land's End

Shoes: Payless

Have a Wonderful Lord's Day.

Blessings,

Brigid.

Stumbling Over the Blessings

2011-11-01T14:59:00.000-07:00

Foreigners: what we were. Pronounced fur'ners (heavy on the rrrs).

Words of wisdom from Pastor W." We are stumbling over all the blessings God has given us"

"May I dance with your daughter?"
"May I dance with your daughter?..." pause, "again?"
"May I dance with your daughter?"
"Mr. Boyer may I dance with one of your daughters?"
On,
and on,
and on!

Ever hear all the 95 theses of Martin Luther read? We did.

"Girls, it's snowing!" While driving through W. V.
Altitude 3200, this is the highest we have been on any road trip since moving to Ohio, pretty sad, considering we come from the north west.

Cotton candy, the real thing, not pre-packaged! Melt in your mouth (good) sugar.

A discussion we had:Which would you rather have in your woods, cougars or bears( really, neither ) but if you had to choose...? At least bears don't live or hang out in trees . We kind of agreed, bears. But neither, really!

Regarding the GPS App on Clancy's iPhone; Clanc: "Brig, watch the dot, I'm going to speed up. are there hot rod flames coming out of the dot?" goofy Clancy! Gotta luv m

Here's another one: Clanc: "Did you get that from a hobbit?" Referring to Pastor W's pipe! Hahaha! (honestly though, it was really long. For a pipe, that is)

me (Kath): "don't tell the girls they gave us the presidential suite."
Jess: "So is this room going to be bigger dad?" A little discouraged with a room mix up.
Clancy: "yea, a little bigger." Pause...
He opens the hotel room door
Girls: "DAAAAD!!! A little bigger!? What is this room?"
Hard wood floor in the kitchen, his' and her's walk in closets, please, double sinks, and a walk in shower, I won't mention the addition of what was in the water closet (if you don't know what that is look it up)
Overall, we had a nice stay in the hotel.

Talk about stumbling over the blessings!

Just some notes from a wonderful trip we took this past weekend

And here's some pictures from the trip down.

Fall Fashion Challenge

2011-10-31T14:41:00.000-07:00

FFC for short.
Some of you may notice the new button on the sidebar for Bramblewood Fashion's F.F. Challenge. Go ahead and click on the button, to find out what Charlotte and I (Brigid) will be participating in.
Lord willing our first Fall Fashion post will be up on the 6th. See you all then.

Blessings,
Brigid Boyer.

time for jokes

2011-10-19T16:05:00.000-07:00

How many wives does the minister give the man in a marriage ceremony?

16!

four better
four worse
four richer
four poorer

AUTUMN

2011-10-14T15:52:00.000-07:00

The view from my kitchen window.

Enjoy the last of the color now because

it'll soon be brown and grey

AND VERY COLD

My dear little doll named...

2011-10-05T15:23:00.000-07:00

Phoebe.

Okay, this is a veeeerrrrryyyy long overdue post. I finished Phoebe, a queen anne style paperclay/cloth doll, all the way back in March. She was started (or at least the idea was) even further back near our first Christmas here in OH. I had found this dollmaker on Etsy. She was selling a beautiful 18th century style Queen Anne paperclay doll, which she made by hand. Now, I could not afford this doll, but I loved the idea of making one. So, years later, I finally did.
Phoebe Makepeace is a mid 18th century lady. She has a blue dupioni silk Robe a la Francaise, a brown wool wig (with a black lace headdress), a gold lace stomacher, blue/brown paisley shoes, etc. etc.
But, I'll let the slideshow tell you the rest.
Hope you enjoy.

Blessings,

Brigid Boyer

P.S. I linked this post to Tea Rose Home's linky party.

Sesame Pumpkin Bread

2011-09-29T17:33:00.000-07:00

WOW, what a great recipe. This is a great lunch or dinner bread and it only takes an hour.
It is not sweet like a lot of quick pumpkin breads are. The only sesame part is on the outside, I am glad I had some on hand because it was a great touch.

4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 Tbls milk (divided)
1 egg
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 Tbl sesame seeds

*Preheat ove 425. Grease and lightly flour a baking sheet.
In a large bowl, sift flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
In a smaller bowl, beat together the 1 cup milk and the egg; stir in the
pumpkin puree and butter.
*Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients; pour in the milk-pumpkin mixture
and stir with a fork until well blended. Turn dough out on a lightly floured board
and knead lightly until smooth, 4 to 5 minutes. I had to add more flour as I kneaded it.
*Shape into a round loaf and place on prepared baking sheet. Slash a cross in the top;
brush lightly with the 2 Tbls milk and sprinkle and sesame seeds.
*Bake 25 minutes, then reduce heat to 375. Bake for 15 minutes longer,
or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on rack.

Reader's Digest Home Made Best Made
(Brigi found this book at a library sale, it has some really great recipes in it!)

Indoor tomato garden

2011-09-29T08:27:00.000-07:00

indoor

tomato

garden

I find myself rotating the tomatoes

from one color appropriate platter to the next

and enjoying it! You could never do that outside.

This is now full circle, our garden started in

the dining room with seedlings and now it comes to a finish

All the Romas come from volunteer bushes

from last year's garden. Extra FREE food! Love that. :)

Another Giveaway Link

2011-09-12T08:02:00.000-07:00

Calling all sewers in want of very cute free fabrics and crocheted flowers! I have a link to another giveaway at Tea Rose Home. I already told you the half of what it is, but head on over there to see the rules and regulations, and enter the giveaway!
Happy sewing,
Brigid Boyer.

Princess Angel and the Pea

2011-09-12T06:45:00.000-07:00

This photo snuck itself into my iphoto library! I never knew of this incident happening until just recently. I realized this happened about 9 months ago. How can this get passed me? Passed all of my photo downloading, importing and crazy stuff! Not to mention the actual incident got passed me on my territory, my domain of the laundry room. Kind of scary when I think "where was I", kind of like driving and realizing you are at your destination and you don't know how you got there!

All along I never saw this photo.

What a crack up. Angel, our dog, didn't get up here by herself, she had a bit of help from a girlie I am sure. She is a chair pad lover and will make herself at home where ever these red pads show up or get stacked up for that matter. What a funny thing to find even after all these months! Treasure......

Doll size

2011-09-12T06:27:00.000-07:00

Brigi made a mini version of her dress design (entered in the Shabby Apple contest).

Giveaway at Tea Rose Home

2011-08-25T06:34:00.000-07:00

Hey, all you sewers out there! I have a neat giveaway to share with you. Tea Rose Home is having a fat quarter giveaway for Monaluna fabrics, an organic fabric company. If you want an opportunity to win some fabric for quilting or what not, head on over to Tea Rose Home and put your name in the ballot for the giveaway!

Blessings,

Brigid

Shabby Apple Dare to Design Results

2011-08-17T06:40:00.000-07:00

Well, today is the day the top fifteen designs are chosen for the Shabby Apple Dare to Design contest. I got an e-mail this morning from Shabby Apple saying that, "Although you did not make it into the top fifteen, you did receive an honorable mention from our board of designers." Yay!!

As part of the honorable mention I received a gift card for Shabby Apple. Double Yay!!

I am partly glad that I did not make it to the top 15 this year, but I just might enter again next year. hhhmmm...

Well, that's all for now from the Boyer household.

Blessings,

Brigid Boyer

Design For Shabby Apple

2011-08-09T17:39:00.000-07:00

Recently I (Brigid, an aspiring fashion designer) discovered a design contest on a website called Shabby Apple Dresses, a vintage inspired women's and kids clothing company.
This company has some really cute clothes, and the winning design for the contest will be a part of the Spring 2012 collection of Shabby Apple!

My inspiration was some Champagne roses that I had seen at a florists the other day. Another inspiration was the tulle roses that you see on necklines of women's shirts nowadays. I thought, "If they look cute small, wouldn't they look great big, with applique leaves and a stem?" I am really excited to be entering this contest, and I hope you'll stop by Shabby Apple to take a look at their cute collections, such as their most recent, Green Leaf.

By the way, the top fifteen will be chosen by Shabby Apple and posted on their blog by August 17th.Please check back on that date to see if I made it. From that point on it is left to the blog viewers to vote on who wins. If I am chosen I would greatly appreciate it if you would take a minute to vote on my design.

Blessings,
Brigid

2011-08-05T02:59:00.000-07:00

How can words express the excitement, joy, wonder, and relief our family got to experience on Wednesday night? Our daughters performed at the Fraze Pavilion in the Miami Valley Youth and Teen Talent Contest Finals. They were awarded this position to perform at the Finals after succeeding in a preliminary contest in June. Although they did not place in the top 3, we feel exceptionally grateful for the wonderful performance they gave with such grace and ease. You just know how much they enjoyed the experience when they immediately started planning for next year!

It really isn't all fun and games though for a few reasons. The first being that we thought the Pavilion would have cordless mics, not so, in the end, working with the mic stands was a bit awkward. There were a few other occurences which tried to diminish the great time we all were having anticipating the show. The weeks prior to this performance Charlotte and Brigi were battling a cold virus which especially effected their throats and they had a cough. The dress rehearsal was in the heat of 95 with blaring sun in the eyes. To top it off, while coming home from the rehearsal, our car almost lost it's back tire! By God's grace we safely got around town with out missing a beat, the problem tire finally presenting itself 5 miles from home. But on with the show, right? You bet.

We hope to replace this video with the professionally recorded version we will get from the show. Can't wait!

Fine Art REDO by Charlotte Boyer

2011-07-13T14:39:00.000-07:00

Why not take an old painting and redo it? Charlotte found a greeting card with a Renoir painting as it's cover art and thought to set up her sister, Brigid and herself in a redo. It didn't take long for the costumes, props and background to come together and a photo shoot was started. Charlotte has played around with some editing features in iphoto , so she knew ahead of time what she could do with an ordinary photo. Here is the result. Look out...there may be more. What a great way to spend a summer morning!

Included; a photo of the greeting card for an example of the original.

Summer Releases-Jess training her doves

2011-07-05T13:10:00.000-07:00

About twice a week I take Jessica and her basket of doves on a little trip. Her flock is finally ready to be trained. Each release we take note of the direction and distance (which should double each time). We are moving very slow with the release training because she has already lost 9 birds who never returned home. If this happens we have to repeat that location until all the birds return. Now Jess has a fine tuned flock of 7 good flyers and this week she added #8 who's named Picadilly (he's the star of one of the photos flying above our car, it was his first time in the basket and he didn't fly out with the others). Eventually the doves should be able to fly home from very long distances, even hundreds of miles. I don't expect we will be doing those very often.

The video is from friends of ours who recorded the release Jess did at their house.

With each release I try to get a couple photos, so here are a few to enjoy, and can you believe when we do close ups of the photos, Jessica can identify most of the birds!?

Aren't they beautiful?

Wholesome and Lovely Winners

2011-06-24T06:29:00.001-07:00

Jessica, Brigid and Charlotte won a Talent Contest last night. The house is still a buzz with the wonderful joy that comes from achieving something like this. We are not show people or want our girls to be some stars or something, but when God gives gifts we are blessed to share! As Brigi put it last night "I love talent....because you can't grab it and hold onto it like a thing, you have to give it away." I hope this makes sense to our readers. They sang a vocal trio of The Lonely Goatherd from the Sound of Music.

So the details are this. The contest is for the area of Miami Valley (containing about 15 cities). The parks and recreation people put it on every year. This is the girls 3rd year to enter. THEY WON! 1st Place in the category of vocals (13 - 19 years) and 3rd Place Overall (all entries). This was a preliminary contest which will bring them to the final Talent Show on Aug. 3rd at the Fraze (a pavilion of a sort where concerts take place). You should have heard the oooohs and aaaahs when we googled the venue! Big stage with all the real stuff that comes with it. What an amazing experience this will be!! They will be competing with youth and teens from all over the area. ANYWAY... that's not the big deal, well maybe for some....

I think to say that the enjoyment they have in performing and doing well, having an opportunity to put a smile on someone's face....blessing someone and sharing, that's the big deal. Now they will have another opportunity to get up in front of strangers, and friends, and be the girls God has called them to be, wholesome and lovely.

Celebration for Jessica

2011-05-26T16:25:00.000-07:00

May 20th 2011 marked a great milestone for our family. We hosted 100 guests for a feast and English country dancing at our home to celebrate our oldest daughter, Jessica's 16th birthday.

We made a big purchase of a party tent for our very own (renting was ridiculous), then decorated it with twinkly lights, arranged bouquets of flowers, laid the tables with many dishes of food and added all of our friends and wow what a night! The blessing of having whole families join us to mark this occasion was incredible. We are very thankful for the abundance of friendships we have been blessed with in this place we now call home, here is where the great milestone is marked. Praise God!

Some other details to mention. We had one of the most perfect days of beautiful weather, before the date and after there have been too many storms to mention!

Another item of beauty to mention was the fun in dressing up for the occasion. Thanks again to Sense and Sensibility's patterns, Jessica and Brigi wore styles from the Romantic period and Charlotte was in something from Colonial times. I pulled out my already done Regency dress. AND Clanc was dressed in his kilt! So handsome.

The last thing to mention is that we taught most of our guests to dance. Over a period of 2 months our family learned the dances and then we had some practice dances at a few church fellowship meals. The desire to learn the dances, especially with the youth, was crazy! Even the boys got it and figured out how to ask for a dance.

It was indeed a wonderful party, hopefully to be done again and again.....

Nothing better

2011-05-10T06:19:00.000-07:00

My girlies have a blast on the trampoline. I haven't seen them bouncing all together in a very long time, so I just thought I would catch the moment and savor the last of the daylight on my Mothers Day. I am so blessed and grateful.

Catching up and Easter photos

2011-05-10T06:01:00.000-07:00

We/I have been dealing with computer issues and lots of other distractions. So much time can go by with out pausing for a breath!

Here's our family dressed up for Easter Sunday. Home sewn clothes!

Brigi made my dress (50's retro) for my big mid 40's birthday. She was commissioned by Clanc. Really priceless, if you ask me.

I made the girls outfits. We love this new skirt and jacket pattern.

What does a memory smell like?

2011-01-28T06:11:00.000-08:00

This morning I was reminded what snow skiing smelled like. What does that mean? We all know how a smell can trigger a memory. I found myself closing my eyes and I breathed in the cold air and smelled skiing!

I was chopping onions for a crockpot stew dinner. The pungent oder of the onions smarted my eyes, so I quickly opened the kitchen window above our sink to give my eyes some relief before the tears were bound to form. Then I smelled it...the sweet, cold, breezeless, windless, air of the mountains: skiing. I quickly called a daughter over to share it with her. She needed to know what it smelled like too. As parents we are always asked all the questions about our growing up and here was the perfect opportunity to share a bit of it.

I grew up skiing with my family. As a young adult I used to brag "I have been skiing since I was 8 years old!" We would ski and ski and ski, mostly at Lake Tahoe, in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California and Nevada. It was a quick trip up about 3 hours if the road wasn't closed, or if it wasn't snowing! Then it took forever. We skied so much we had the typical raccoon face winter sunburn that would come and go as often as the trips up to the mountains. This was a sure sign of where we were on the days we missed school.

I remember times when my mom would take my twin sister and I out of school for the day to go skiing in the middle of the week. I think it was for "ladies day" and tickets were really cheap during the weekdays, We would go with a couple of my moms friends, a car load of females, jabbering all the way there and back. Somehow my sister and I managed our school work during those times.

We also would ski as a whole family, going on winter vacations which consisted of staying in a cabin and we skied every day all day from the times the lifts would open to the last "leg burner" run down the whole mountain back to our car. My brothers, when they were older and could drive would steal away with a few friends and disappear for a day to go skiing. My sister and I tried this a time or two when we got older too. We even all married skiers.

We never skied on a Saturday or Sunday only because we all hated crowds, an idea of my dad's which we all gladly picked up. We also never skied on a holiday, those president's birthdays that conveniently fall during the winter months. The schools we went to actually combined those holidays (then, it was a couple, not just one like today) into what was called "ski week". A whole week off from school because so many people would take off to go skiing. It you can't beat 'em join 'em was the school district's idea. BUT we didn't ski that week, because of the crowds. That may have been the times we would go down south to Mammoth (just that-huge) Mountain and ski in the southern part of the Sierras. It may be because the schools were different down there so they didn't have the same week off like our area, hence, no crowds. This isn't a fact, just my thoughts trying to be put together into accurate memories of it all.

All in all, I am sure the peaceful weekdays of having the whole mountain to ourselves contributed to this pleasant memory I experienced this morning. I remember getting on the first chairlift of the day, then another and another to finally get to the top of the mountain only to work our way back down. Gliding along, it was almost like dancing on the snow, all alone, moving along.

I have to mention this was back in the days of no snowboards.

My years of skiing experiences finally came to an end 20 years later when I was pregnant with our first child. After that I never skied again.

It snowed again last night. All the trees are coated with the "frosting" of the flakes, there is no wind, or sound for that matter, just the peaceful sound and smell of skiing in the mountains from my childhood memories. Cold and sweet.

talk about the weather

2011-01-25T14:40:00.000-08:00

Just another mention of the weather....I found out yesterday that our area has gotten 28 inches of snow this winter! 11.2 for the month of January. OK!? who says it doesn't snow in Ohio...those people who tried to convince Clanc and I when moving here that Ohio is much like Oregon. HUH? No it is not! I think they haven't been to the great Pacific Northwest. For one thing, it should tell you (me) something that it snows a lot here when there are plows everywhere fully equipped with salt and scraper ready and waiting to get those roads clear, when I say everywhere I mean that. Working all hours, we've heard them while we have been safe and warm inside some evenings.

Even those kinds of guys with the plow attachment on their truck are everywhere. You may have seen one or two of these kinds of trucks, but not coming in multiples down the two lane country road. I didn't realize it until this week that these trucks sure would have been a good sign to the recent transplant (us) that it snows a lot here. By the way, I don't consider us transplants any more. It has been three years now since we have moved to our home, and we are quite settled. But I can still talk about the weather, right?

Wait, do I have cabin fever? Or just bored with the scene out the window. Green is my favorite color after all. Do you see any green?

What happened to the days of school starting late because the girls had to get some sledding in before "it all goes away". It, the snow, doesn't go away. And, why haven't I seen one snow man in our yard yet this winter? I could go out and make one myself....naaaaa. Sigh. No snow angels and so far no collection of winter themed photos. What happened to the days....

I'm going to hold out for another month, then start wishing for spring. In the mean time, maybe it's time to insist on that favorite winter photo op. :

girls sledding down the hills, all screams and smiles with "watch this one mom" shouted from one to the next.

Here's the view. Jessica took this one, she's got a good eye with the camera.

Honorable Mention, praise to Charlotte

2011-01-03T16:57:00.001-08:00

Our budding writer! The girls and I participated in Mrs. Morecraft's writing webinar this past fall. She hosted a contest which Charlotte was very eager to be a part of. With only a few weeks to prepare and not much instruction, being that the contest was held in the middle of the session, Charlotte earned an Honorable Mention for her age group. Bravo! Here is her entry.

Please note, Charlotte didn't make spelling mistakes, some words are supposed to be pronounced with a Scottish accent.

The First Thanks Given

By Charlotte Boyer

Age 11

October 13, 2010

On a dreary and chilled November day, near the Ohio River, a weary, aged man was traveling upon what seemed, an endless road. He was a Scottish preacher hoping to find work at some church lacking a minister.

And so, the traveler jabbed at the ground with his old walking stick, picked up his dusty boots and continued walking, walking, walking. A harsh wind blew and little white flakes started descending to the ground. The old man tugged at his worn woolen coat and trudged on.

“ The cauld wind seems tae bloo right threw me.” Murmured the Scot, “May the good Laird grant it that I’ll find a place tae stay afore the snoo gets tae thick!”

The thin veil of snow sprinkling from the heavens quickly thickened and the small white flakes which once melted under the travelers boots, now grew to such quantities that the poor man could hardly walk, let alone see through the storm of whirling flakes. Struggling through the maze of snow, the Scot spied a vague glimmer of light growing brighter at every trudge. The man fought toward the beam as fast as he could possibly go, praying that the owner of the beam could spare him a little warmth that might come from the light and even a small meal. When he reached the light, he found that it was a window with lamplight shining through. Thus finding it was a house. He felt his way around the structure until he came to what felt like a door. Then he stamped his boot and his fist as hard as he could against the door. Shouts were heard inside, and a man dressed in fine apparel opened the door and finding the frost covered and travel-worn man ushered him into a warm, clove scented room, exclaiming,

“ My good sir! What are you doing traveling about in this cold? Oh never mind that, come in, come in! You must be nearly frozen in that thin coat and cap! Mary?”

And with that a pretty plump woman appeared, also clothed in fine apparel. She stopped short in the middle of the room, seeing the old man, and exclaimed,

“My lands! Richard what ever-“ then scuttled over to her husband and in low tones said: “ Richard! Was this man caught in this storm?”

And her husband replied in the same hushed tone. As the husband spoke a sweet smile came over the lady’s face. So, once again composed, the lady bid the stranger follow her to a place where he might refresh and rest himself. They passed two rooms before they got to a bedchamber where the mistress bid him rest. The lady strode out of the room. Thus left, the minister washed his hands and face. Then taking off his coat and hat, he knelt down to pray. He thanked the Lord for providing shelter from the storm and for providing for His children. He prayed that he would be able to find work and that He would provide strength for the journey to come. Then getting up, he brushed off the mud and snow from his boots, straightened his shirt and brushed down his trousers. Then hearing a bell, he perceived that it was suppertime. He strode down the hall and into a room where he heard a great many voices. Walking in he found many children all along the table chattering and laughing, and at the end he found the master and mistress of the house that had greeted him.

The master of the house bid him sit down in the chair at the front of the table, as the mistress hushed the children. When he sat down he took note of the bountiful amounts of food before him, and suddenly realized how hungry he was. He looked up and saw that the head of the house was about to speak, so he settled down in his chair and listened. The father started to tell the beginning history of this country. How the puritans of England had come to America to worship God freely and how they had, by the grace of God, endured the many hardships found in this land. About how they made friends with the Indians, and when they were at the point of starvation, the Indians came and brought corn and meat and other foods, so they didn’t die. The settlers then gave many thanks to God for this blessing.

The father then said that that was the reason for this special day of feasting and that each person at the table could say what they were thankful for, just as the pilgrims thanked God for the blessing of the food.

The young ones wriggled in there seats and cried out,

“Oh papa please let me first, let me first!” But the father replied that their guest would be first. So the Scot got up and said,

“ I be very new tae this country, soo I ha’ nere heard this beau’iful tale.” Then clearing his throat said, “ I be thankful for me God and Savior, who soo graciously spared me from the wind and snoo, an’ led me here to a wairm hoose full o’ wairm an’ Christianly people.”

The Scot sat down. Tears welled up in his eyes. He shook them away. The Scot had said his first thanks at his first Thanks Giving.

Happy New Year 2011

2011-01-01T14:46:00.001-08:00

This is one of Jessica's doves named Squire, who escaped from her loft a couple of days ago. Sadly, he never came back home.

BUT what a wonderful photo Jess took of him while he was enjoying his freedom on the frozen pond.

Musical Greetings

2010-12-18T15:34:00.000-08:00

Here are the Boyer Family Singers (Jessica, Brigid, and Charlotte) performing Pachelbel's Canon for their Winter Recital. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

More of Brigi's sewing

2010-12-16T10:51:00.000-08:00

Here's Brigi in another finished dress. This is a fitted Regency dress with a Chemisette which she and I worked on together. I don't know how I got involved, maybe it was because I didn't have another project to work on. Brigi made the chemisette (like a blouse without sleeves or much of a bodice). We get these patterns from the Sense and Sensibility website, they are historically accurate to what used to be worn for the time period.

We really like the fitted bodice as opposed to the ones we were making with all drawstrings for the reason that it is truly fitted. It was fun making fabric covered buttons (I don't think that is accurate to the time period-oh well). And how can I forget to mention the hand made crocheted lace Brigi made which trims the collar and cuffs. Pretty, pretty, pretty.

Dreaming of a white Christmas?

2010-12-16T06:55:00.000-08:00

Is anyone dreaming of a white Christmas? Come on over! We have MORE snow falling on top of what fell pretty much this whole month. We are not sure if any will fall next week BUT it sure is white!

No signs of any plows yet, I think they are waiting for it to stop hours from now. How fun.

The best part is the cold that makes the snow stay...I predict we will have a white Christmas.

keep you posted....:)

A live tree this year

2010-12-14T04:48:00.000-08:00

We have had an artificial tree for many years. Our time in Pacific Northwest allowed us to enjoy live Christmas trees for a few years, but we at one point had to get an artificial tree out of convenience. A lot of the time we were not at home, usually off visiting for the holiday, so putting a live tree up was more than we wanted to do for the year.

This year we decided to get a live tree. We live in the country and believe it or not there are some tree farms around mixed in with the corn and soy fields. I think we both started thinking of getting one when we saw the posted signs here and there.

Here's the funny story, what I call "only in Ohio". This is my running story line for many things we have experienced here. There was only one Saturday available to get our tree and as the day got closer we heard we were in for more snow, and a pretty good storm at that. I said well it's better to go tramping around for a tree in the snow than the rain right? Lets go anyway. Off we go bundled up ready for an adventure. I had dinner in the crock pot thinking we would be gone for a long time. Yes, you can guess where this is going.

We drive a mile down the road to the first "farm" and pull in. All the trees are cut and setting along the muddy, snowy drive. We chat a bit, realize here is what we get to choose from, get a lesson on the types of trees that grow in this area (compared to Noble Fir or Douglas which we grew up loving) and pick one out. A Scotch pine, can't go wrong with that name I guess. They push it through the netting machine, Clanc hands the man the cash, and it is strapped to our car top. Not more than 10 minutes have gone by. I quickly ask the girls to go stand over there where the Christmas lights are hanging and lots of trees are on display, photo op!

That is all I wanted, a great bunch of pictures of our family picking out a live tree for our Christmas. Maybe even getting down in the snow with a saw and all. Well, this is all we got. Well, we actually got a nice tree for a 15 minute adventure. In the end we had to wait hours for it to dry since it was covered in snow.

So the crock pot dinner was appreciated after all.

Hey who's that dancing?

Cure for a bad back

2010-12-13T14:57:00.000-08:00

Guess who's got a plow?! The man with a bad back. Remember last year's photos with Clanc "shoveling" snow with a large plywood board?

Our December weather is colder and snowier than we remember the last two being. We have had snow on the ground since December 1st.

Can you believe at the end of 2010 we will have lived in OH for 3 years! Oh my how time flies by. So I guess it is time to get a snow plow after all.

Our Bonnie Lassies

2010-10-13T14:02:00.000-07:00

Finally, I am not a procrastinator...good thing I started these back in August. It was nice to take my time. Brigi constructed the vests (or corsets) all on her own for Jess and herself, then she helped me customize a smaller sized vest for Charlotte.

Now I see why we waited so long to complete these costumes...we needed the beautiful color of Fall to compliment them in our photo shoot.

The girls will wear these at a Reformation Celebration we are attending next week at a church in ILL. I am borrowing my costume, very similar to the girls, and Clanc gets another chance to wear his kilt.

Huzzah!

sunflower seeds

2010-10-13T06:07:00.000-07:00

remember the pictures of the huge sunflower from earlier....Jessica finally talked us into harvesting the seeds for ourselves. I thought we'd leave them for the gold finches. Better than any bird feeder we could put out.

Instead

We were able to get about 8 cups of seeds from those two giant sunflowers. I dried them in the food dehydrator and they are just wonderful. Good call Jess! Oh, guess who's got the jar sitting on the school table for a mid-morning snack....?

Brigid's New Travel Coat and Dress

2010-10-13T05:25:00.000-07:00

Brigi, now 13 and taller than all us Boyer females, has taken some time to set down her doll making to use her sewing skills to create some much needed things for herself. Since she has proven herself a worthy creator of historical fashion for her dolls, her Dad and I thought it was time to allow her to spread her wings with more yards of fabric (rather than scraps from yard sales). She has been collecting antique lace and sewing notions from thrift stores and sales knowing someday she would be able to use them on something. Her red dress has a wonderful handmade antique lace collar she picked up somewhere for a dollar or two. The dress is completely designed by Brigid. We also purchased some computer software for her to create patterns, so this is a first for her. The travel coat is from a single page drawing online, which Brigi enlarged by scale to fit a person her size. Amazing. It was a bit of a step to buy the expensive wool and layers of lining, we found some good coupons at the fabric store, so the cost was half! Not bad compared to retail stores. She spent about a week on the dress (after school hours) and another week on the coat. Brigi attempted once to convince me to allow her to set her school work aside for a week to sew her clothes, she has two other dresses to make and a skirt and blouse, I just smiled and said no. More pictures to come as she completes the next round. Enjoy!

Quoting a man of honor

2010-09-22T17:57:00.000-07:00

On 20 September 2010, at Hillsdale College, Mike Pence gave what could possibly be regarded as one of, if not the best, speech given in this young 21st Century. Here are a few of our favorite quotes from this speech On The Presidency:

"[H]onor is what allows us to do what is right despite the cost. Even greater honor is required to do what is right in the face of superior power. And the greatest honor is to stand strong even if it means standing alone."

"America is not a dog, and does not require a "because-I-said-so" jurisprudence to which it is then commanded to catch up, or legislators who knit laws of such insulting complexity that they are heavier than chains; or a president who acts like, speaks like, and is received as a king. The presidency has run off the rails. It begs a new clarity, a new discipline, and a new president."

"The president is not our teacher, our tutor, our guide or ruler. He does not command us, we command him. We serve neither him nor his vision. It is not his job or his prerogative to redefine custom, law and beliefs; to appropriate industries; to seize the country, as it were, by the shoulders or by the throat so as to impose by force of theatrical charisma his justice upon 300 million others. It is neither his job nor his prerogative to shift the power of decision away from them, and to him and the acolytes of his choosing."
"[I]t is not the president's job to manipulate the nation's youth for the sake of his agenda or his party. They are a potent political force when massed by the social network to which they are permanently attached. But if the president has their true interests at heart he will neither flatter them nor let them adore him, for in flattery is condescension and in adoration is direction, and youth is neither seasoned nor tested enough to direct a nation. Nor should it be the president's business to presume to direct them. It is difficult enough to do right by one's own children. No one can be the father of a whole continent's youth."
"Upon hearing from Benjamin West that George Washington, having won the war and been urged by some to use the army to make himself king, would instead return to his farm, George III said, "If he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world." He did, and he was."
"The President of the United States of America bows to no man. You do not bow to kings. When in foreign lands, you do not criticize your own country. You do not argue the case against the United States, but, rather, the case for it. You do not apologize to the enemies of the United States. Should you be confused, a country, people, or region that harbors, shelters, supports, encourages, or cheers attacks upon our country, the slaughter of our children, our mothers, our fathers, our sisters, and brothers… are enemies of the United States. And, to repeat, you do not apologize to them."

To read the whole speech, go here:

http://spectator.org/archives/2010/09/20/hillsdale-speech-on-the-presid/

Summer images

2010-08-11T16:35:00.000-07:00

Can sunflowers grow too tall?

Jessica "bird girl" is at it again (baby bird photo)

Summer yum from the garden.

Boyer style fire pit or ring. This was where our pool was last year (it didn't make through the time of storage, so the leveled sand makes a great area to sit by the fire (when it's not 70 + degree's out at night. Please some relief...we have had an awfully long hot and humid summer.

Jessica's flock

2010-07-22T13:52:00.000-07:00

It's been a bit waiting for Jessica's pair to "grow" into a flock. But I guess 6 birds can qualify for that now. Her first pair went through 4 nests with little success of living growing birds. Finally after some food and care advice from another pigeon owner, called a fancier, Jessica has a 2 month birds.

Recently she's been given 2 more young birds. Her total is 6. Now, her original female is sitting on another nest (she's by herself in the picture, and why only 5 are on the loft) . All pairs produce and raise 2 eggs. If you do the math this "flock" can grow pretty fast. Too many details to go on here. But it's exciting to see the birds flying around now.

Next Jessica and Clanc or I will be taking the birds out for release training to do their natural "homing" thing. They are called homing pigeons. They will fly home from great distances at speeds that we drive in a car, arriving home before the owner. We can't wait to experience that!

'Ol Joe Clark

2010-07-22T10:35:00.000-07:00

This wasn't captured on video! Wish you could here them in this one....silent pictures all over again. The girls sang the song "'Ol Joe Clark" for the parks and recreation talent show.

Brigid's post: Elizabeth Angeline Quincy. Or is it Boyer?

2010-07-09T12:47:00.000-07:00

Here is another doll I made recently. In fact all of us girls made one.

Inspiration: Emma, a doll made by Tasha Tudor.

Materials: clay and leather.

Jessica showed me and Charlotte how to sculpt the face and paint it, I made all the leather bodies for the dolls, and helped a little bit with the sewing of the clothes by making the pattern for the dress.

My doll's name is Elizabeth Angeline Quincy, Charlotte's is Lydia Quincy, and I forgot Jessica's doll's name.

About the title; why I said 'or is it Boyer' is because Elizabeth Angeline is the name of my great great aunt or grandma on my Dad's Dad's side. I found the name in our Boyer family history book.

Elizabeth is in the first picture, and she is joined by Lydia in one of the next pictures (by the way I made the ballgown Lydia's wearing for Charlotte's birthday). And the rest of the pictures are details of what Elizabeth is wearing. I made EVERYTHING that she is wearing, HAT included! It is made from straw from along the side of the road near our house. Hand picked, Hand braided. Hand sewn. Satin inside. Hope you enjoy the pictures. Brigid Boyer.

Donuts

2010-07-09T12:40:00.001-07:00

Just let your mouth water. We aren't fancy with the cut out kind, just good 'ol holes.

Brigid's post: Melissa Getting Ready for Church

2010-07-09T11:37:00.000-07:00

I finished a doll a couple weeks ago that had been sitting around for a while, waiting to be put together, and I ended up giving it to Charlotte for her 11th birthday. With her help I created this picture story of Melissa (the doll) getting ready for church. 1st picture: "hello." 2nd picture: "I'm Melissa." 3rd picture: "Melissa what are you doing!" says Charlotte. 4th picture: "oh, you want to take a bath?" 5th picture: "what a mess!You forgot your socks!" 6th picture: " Mummy, will you please turn on the hot water for me?" says Melissa. 7th picture: "Ah, everything set to rights." 8th picture onward: coming back from the tub; drying off;which one, which one; ah, here we are; ready for church; Melissa with Charlotte; "goodbye."

Proverbs 2 June 2nd, 2010

2010-06-02T15:53:00.000-07:00

My son, if you receive my words,

And treasure my commands within you,

So that you incline your ear to wisdom,

And apply your heart to understanding;

Yes, if you cry out for discernment,

And lift up your voice for understanding,

If you seek her as silver,

And search for her as for hidden treasures;

Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,

And find the knowledge of God.

For the Lord gives wisdom;

From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;

He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;

He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;

He guards the paths of justice,

And preserves the way of His saints.

Then you will understand righteousness and justice,

Equity and every good path.

When wisdom enters your heart,

And knowledge is pleasant to your soul,

Discretion will preserve you;

Understanding will keep you,

To deliver you from the way of evil,

From the man who speaks perverse things,

From those who leave the paths of uprightness

To walk in the ways of darkness;

Who rejoice in doing evil,

And delight in the perversity of the wicked;

Whose ways are crooked,

And who are devious in their paths;

To deliver you from the immoral woman,

From the seductress who flatters with her words,

Who forsakes the companion of her youth,

And forgets the covenant of her God.

For her house leads down to death,

And her paths to the dead;

None who go to her return,

Nor do they regain the paths of life

So you may walk in the way of goodness,

And keep to the paths of righteousness.

For the upright will dwell in the land,

And the blameless will remain in it;

But the wicked will be cut off from the earth,

And the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.

Tornado rain storm

2010-05-22T15:22:00.000-07:00

This is what our garden looks like after a thunderstorm (with tornado and flash flood warnings included). The barrel is 74 gallons. IT WAS EMPTY! All the water came from the roof, missing the drain pipe. All with in 1/2 hour. I guess Clanc doesn't have to rig the downspout after all. We had our own river walk. Funny note: while us girls were in the basement following the warnings to stay in a secure place due to the potential tornado, Clanc was out on the porch! Watching our barrel fill up.

100,000 and 30,000,000

2010-05-04T06:16:00.000-07:00

Brigid reported this morning while reading her history book, History of US by Joy Hakim, that by 1949 one hundred thousand TVs were sold per week!

AND between 1942 and 1950 thirty million war babies were born!

Spring Hats

2010-04-30T10:07:00.000-07:00

I'm sure when our girls are grown, they will think "what in the world", but then again maybe not.

The creativity never stops around here.

I couldn't resist taking a still life or two. We can't get over the design!

ps. the hats are hosta leaves, which are just coming out, and one of the last of our tulips. Good 'ol Dad played photographer

Twin Power

2010-04-27T10:35:00.000-07:00

Here's a great bit of news. It comes from Twin Research Registry Newsletter;

"A pair of twins in Georgia, both delivered twin boys on the same day. Their mothers were six months pregnant when they discovered both were carrying twin boys and due on the same day!"

Just something so special about being a twin.

Easter Morning

2010-04-06T14:30:00.000-07:00

Got to do it...post photos of the girls and me with Clanc from Easter morning. Brigi has caught up to Jess in height and they both are now equal to me! Must be the Ohio air. HA HA HA

Come on Charlotte...

What a beautiful weekend we had around here. We are still waiting for more things to bloom. All we have showing are daffodils, and lots of very green grass. We can't wait for the leaves to come out on the trees!

Happy Spring!!

Another Brigi Doll

2010-04-06T14:23:00.000-07:00

Such a cutie! All handmade by Brigid. Her newest technique is the needle felted hair, which is unspun wool. This is Brigid's first attempt at painting the doll's face, not bad! And the last thing to mention the legs and "socks" are all sewn together. Sorry I had to post the photos before she got a dress made for her.

Let another man praise you

2010-03-24T05:35:00.000-07:00

Psalm 27:2 Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger and not you own lips.

A few weeks ago, Brigid and Jessica participated in the National Federation of Music Clubs' Junior Festival. Big name for what I would sum up to be kind of like a standardized test for music. They played 2 hymns each and 2 solos each. They both received superior ratings in everything they did. All this to say "good job" but I can't appreciate this like their music teacher can or even a student, like them, can. The appreciation comes when the following takes place:

The girls piano/voice teacher was at the "competition", she had to do a bit of work herself accompanying some of her voice students. After the day was complete she was in the judges break room and over heard two other judges talking. She recognized the song mentioned so that is why her ears perked up. Jessica played that song, she thought. You see, the judges do not know the names of the students, they just listen and score them. The girl's teacher heard this judge go on about how well and mature the young girl played the solo, unlike any she's heard before at such a young age. The judge expressed to her friend judge how this student must have such an understanding for the music, she could play it so well. By this time the girl's teacher had to speak up and ask if she could describe the student she was referring to, she wanted to make sure the judge was indeed referring to Jessica. Sure enough, description met likeness.

A few days later the girl's teacher relayed what she had heard to me. What joy words of praise about one's own child can bring and soften a heart that is so caught up in the day to day. Jessica needed those words on her behalf to be shared with me. I needed to be reminded of the character of my daughter, how she continually blesses those she comes in contact with.

To God be the glory.

Psalm 16:24 pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.

More Snowy Perspective

2010-02-17T14:40:00.001-08:00

Snow Angel II

2010-02-17T14:36:00.000-08:00

For dog lovers only!

snow Angel

2010-02-15T17:02:00.001-08:00

Jessica's new job

2010-02-15T16:55:00.000-08:00

Jessica is on her way with Brigid to feed our neighbors 3 dogs. She is very excited.

For Jessica it's like getting her first babysitting job or something.

Shovel'n Clancy style

2010-02-15T16:39:00.000-08:00

Where do I begin. How about with the records that are breaking around here with all the snow fall. The following comes from a local news station:

February is now officially the SNOWIEST FEBRUARY EVER in the Tri-State...and we're only halfway through the month! Today's 7.0" brings the monthly total so far to 21.8". This surpasses the previous February record of 21.4" set in 1914. And here's another interesting fact: we've picked up 21.8" in the last 10 days which is nearly the amount of snow we see in AN ENTIRE SEASON!! The seasonal average is 23.6"

In the photos, taken this evening, Clanc actually has a board while Jessica has our only snow shovel. No kidding! Ok, ok we'll get some more shovels!! Around here people don't come around asking to mow your lawn, they ask to plow your driveway. We refused several times and now no one has come back in the past weeks...we'd do it now!

So what if it's COLD!

2010-02-02T12:14:00.000-08:00

It doesn't stop us. As long as nothing is falling from the sky, I said, we will go.

Place: Carriage Hill Farm 1880's

Where: Dayton area Ohio

When: Feb 1, 2010

Who: Boyer girls with Persing girls, Honor and Mercy

Why: Field trip. To see wonderfully big white horses at the trough, climb up in a hay mow, look over a bridge to a frozen creek, dream of having a barn like this one, and of course have another opportunity to wear 18880's style dresses with bonnets.

Winter @ Hocking Hills

2010-01-18T16:10:00.001-08:00

Impressive. Not too cold, but enough to keep the water frozen.

How do you know?

2010-01-18T16:05:00.001-08:00

IF you have a male and female dove?

Wait for one of them to lay an egg.

Lamberts

2009-12-28T14:28:00.001-08:00

If you know this name you'll be happy to know we have NEW NEIGHBORS! Yahoo. Welcome the Dave and Tina Lambert family to Dayton Ohio. They are currently living in an area of Dayton which is about 45 minutes from us. Not a stones throw, but close enough. It is so exciting they moved here from Oregon. We had the pleasure to share Christmas dinner with them at our home. It was so great to reconnect and find that through the recent years God has kept both our families on the straight and narrow with so many similar interests and goals. We praise HIM this season for one of the nicest blessings.

Dig a little deeper

2009-12-28T14:15:00.001-08:00

Ok! So we're not snowed in, but it's enough to have fun playing around in.

Guess who? The most daring daughter I know who would allow her sisters to actually "bury" her in the snow. I believe it's about 15 degrees outside as well!

Christmas dresses

2009-12-28T14:02:00.000-08:00

Regency strikes again. I made more Regency style dresses for the girls. Special request Christmas presents! What shimmery fun. Here they are practicing a hymn for a Christmas dinner party performance.

2009-12-12T15:01:00.000-08:00

Here is a letter written to the President by our daughter Charlotte:

Dear Mr. President,

I write this letter to ask that you will not sign this "Health Care Bill" into law.

I understand it could cause a great impact on many poor families, because they might not be able to afford such a thing, and they could go to jail because they could not purchase it. With the utmost respect I ask that you think about others, and not about all the money that could come in.

I end this letter with one last thing; please always remember this while you are President. As it says on our money, "In God we trust."

You are in my and my church's prayers.

Sincerely, Charlotte Kathleen Boyer

Fall Color

2009-12-12T14:04:00.000-08:00

We found some photos taken during the BEAUTIFUL Fall we just had. I heard from the locals that because the area had more rain in the summer the color of the leaves was more dramatic.

geese symmetry

2009-12-12T13:47:00.000-08:00

2009-12-12T13:21:00.000-08:00

Some Biblical Stimulus from Mark Hamby's blog over at Lamplighter Publishing.

The original can be found here:

Word Is Out: Stimulus Package of Malachi 2: 16-17

Stimulus Package of Malachi 2: 16-17

Did you know that in the United States the average divorce costs between $30,000 and $50,000, totaling over 33 billion dollars per year? If you add the cost of litigation, this figure reaches over $175 billion. Can you imagine what would happen to the economy if we just strengthened our marriages? The deficit would be eliminated and the budget balanced in just a few years! Can there be a better stimulus package?!

There is! There is a stimulus package for marriage. In Malachi chapter 2 God promises to unite with marriages that enable the raising of godly children. IF, "IF," we as men remain faithful to our wives. Unfaithfulness brings violence and generational upheaval but faithfulness releases God's Spirit to bring peace and redemption. Here is the text from Malachi 2: 16-17:

Did God not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the LORD..., covers his garment with violence, says the LORD of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.

Twice we are admonished us to guard ourselves in our spirit. The warning is given three times: "Do not be faithless to the wife of your youth." Men, do we seek to nurture our wives with the same tenacity with which we care for ourselves? We spend time (and money) building our bodies, our careers, our hobbies, and our passions. What would our marriages be like if we loved our wives as much as did our golf league, or Monday night football, racquetball, basketball, hunting or fishing? In the New Testament Paul writes that men ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies.

Our culture is seeking a stimulus that will boost our employment rate and the health of our economy. A strong, God-honoring marriage is the foundation for a healthy, stable culture and economy. A strong marriage is a catalyst for increased creativity and productivity. It is really quite simple, rather than looking to government packages to stimulate the economy, take stock in your marriage!

First Snow

2009-12-07T05:54:00.000-08:00

I don't know if I will ever get used to the fact that we live in an area that actually has cold and snowy winters. Was it already a year ago that every snow prediction brought little buzzes of excitement in our home ? Already the temperatures falling into the teens or below? How is that possible? It seems just yesterday, the girls saying I wish it was cold and snowy, while lazily living out the hot humid summer day somewhere back in July. Was it worth reminding them of what was to come. I just smiled. Here we are again...

Ps. 144 Happy are the people whose God is the Lord

2009-11-24T06:44:00.000-08:00

Cue: birds twittering, cows mooing, and people gathering. Quiet on the set. ACTION!

We decided to give our sheep to one of our favorite Ohio families. This decision came because we realized how little we could tend to these 6 wooly creatures, generously living on someone else's farm. What were we thinking? Every time we'd go to visit, away they'd run over hills and dales. We would once again be discouraged.

The McMahan's, specifically my friend Tammy (you'll see her here catching her sheep) expressed great interest in taking these sheep and giving them a home on their property. It took us just about an hour to round them up from the 5 acres they could roam on along with the milk cows. We had a total of 16 people out in the pasture making "people lines" herding them to a smaller gated area, to then be transfered to the trailer. What a super time we all had this day. Thank you to the Dell's for allowing our sheep to live on their pasture for the time as well as their patience with us to figure out what to do with these wooly girls.

Now our wool path has taken a turn towards discovering a new art. The girls have stopped learning to spin, and instead learned to needle felt. Talk about opening up the door of creativity! I hope to post some photos of their work soon.

Cue: sheep leaping off into the sunset

Clean Rugs, the ending, by Kathy Boyer

2009-11-19T08:56:00.000-08:00

But rot we will not

for on Christ we together will lean

He forgave our sins

and washed our rug clean

Dirty Rugs by Suzie Martin, my twin sister

2009-11-19T07:01:00.000-08:00

Dirty Rugs

The way Dad decorated

his house made of sticks

was to lay down five rugs

for a family of six.

Dad and mom

brother and brother

they each got their own

while twin sister and I shared the other.

The five rugs were each different

and made the house quite pretty.

But they served another purpose,

now, down to the nitty gritty.

With broom in his hand

Dad would skillfully take

all the piles of dirt

that his family would make.

Under the rugs

all of our sins Dad swept

this by worn out broom

while his family all slept.

What an interesting solution

thought up on his own.

Just sweep them under rugs,

who would have known.

The rugs became dirty.

The rugs became tattered.

The sins became greater.

What? It didn't matter.

This sweeping didn't make him so happy

instead angry and grumpy.

He continued his sweeping

though the rugs became lumpy.

Forgiveness was a foreign thing.

yet, a better way to do this.

But the sweeping and the broom,

my dad he would miss.

So minor the offense.

Really? A sin?

To forget my Dad's birthday

was what did me in.

Dad wanted to ignore my error

He knew what to do.

Get out his broom.

He didn't think we were through.

Mom thought better,

knowing how to truly clean.

The twins rug must be thrown out.

Was she really that mean?

Her years she had lived in disagreement

of Dad and his broom.

She hated the dirty rugs

taking up so much room.

Insanely, the man agreed

with his wife.

Get the twins and their rug!

And sharpen the knife!

Forgiveness not granted

for forgiveness I had sought

for forgetting his birthday

twin sister and I were set out to rot.

Parents and TRUTH

2009-11-17T10:33:00.000-08:00

Matthew 10:34 Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

1Corinthians 13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

...the world is artful to entrap,

approaches in fascinating guise,

extends many a gilded bait,

presents many a charming face.

Let my faith scan every painted bauble,

and escape every bewitching snare

in a victory that overcomes all things.

...

Thy word is full of promises,

flowers of sweet fragrance,

fruit of refreshing flavour

when culled by faith

May I be made rich in its riches

be strong in its power,

be happy in its joy

abide in its sweetness,

feast on its preciousness,

draw vigour from its manna...

The Valley of Vision pg 107

Don't burn your bridges...

2009-11-17T06:18:00.000-08:00

Location: Creation Museum suspension bridge

Just having fun

The Fountain of Youth

2009-11-17T06:10:00.000-08:00

Location: Creation Museum

My twin sister and the cousins come to visit us.

Charlotte sitting on the sky

2009-10-25T15:46:00.000-07:00

smooth water reflections. Upside down or right side up?

Brigid's Dolls

2009-10-22T16:10:00.000-07:00

Brigid has been working hard these past months creating these precious beauties. On Oct 17th they were part of a Craft Bazaar (sale). She didn't sell one! But she did sell some other dolls she made last year so that made up for it. Just this week though a friend of ours bought one, so she's off and running.

Jessica gets complete credit for the faces. Completely done with pens. Just marvelous!

Sorry about the selection of photos and blur, I guess with all this creative talent, photography isn't in the mix.

Brigid hopes to get a space on ETSY real soon to sell. She's thinking of calling them Vintage Remnant dolls. She's managed to make 4 whole dolls with scraps and remnants we've been collecting over the past 2 or 3 years.

Gunne Sax

2009-10-12T13:20:00.001-07:00

Ok, this may date me, but who cares!! Yesterday a woman from church gave Jessica a dress. I was home with a cold so I didn't get to see what happened, all I knew was when my family got home, Jess was carrying this dark blue bundle of what appeared to be a nice hand me down. I took a hold of it and it fell to it's full length. One look at the label and my whole world went back to jr. high! Gunne Sax. This name brand was the hit back then. All the girls who could, got one for the special 8th grade dance and or wore them to the graduation. My sister and I didn't get a real Gunne Sax. I'm not asking for pity. My mom ended up making us each a copy and we loved them just the same as the expensive store bought ones. FUNNY how time goes and by and what goes around comes around. Here is my daughter (same age as me back then) with her very own Gunne Sax dress. She dashed upstairs for a quick try on. It fits her especially well. I finally found out the whole story of the dress today. I guess my cold is making my head foggy, but as it turns out the woman from church wore that dress way back when, it was hers! Kept all this time. It's in great condition. She thought our girls would make use out of it somehow, maybe take it apart and use the fabric or something! AHH! NO! I did a google search thinking maybe this would be a source for some unique feminine dresses for our girlies, looking for patterns or something. Apparently it's considered vintage now. I'll keep looking.

The Loft

2009-10-04T17:11:00.000-07:00

This isn't the loft that most modern people would think of. It's a pigeon loft. Clanc and Joe Persing worked many hours getting this structure built. This is how they moved it to our back woods. I know...moved...why didn't they build it on sight? I kept a low profile with my opinions. ZIP it. It was fun to watch and not be involved, smile. ANYWAY. It was built in Joe's garage workshop because he has the tools and space. Finally it got to a point to be moved. Clanc was risking it a bit by bringing our car and trailer over so much grass yard (kind of soggy) and down a bit of a slope. Not to mention needing 5 guys to lift it and move it. Wohoo, all is well. They still have to put the metal roof on and the aviary in the back side this week.

Jess is so appreciative of everyone's work and effort to get her closer to having a place for a potential flock to reside.

Crazy September

2009-10-01T08:24:00.000-07:00

Where in the world has the time gone. Not one post for the month of September. We fell off the face of the earth. Actually, we didn't...we just started school. This week we're completing week 7, not bad huh? In two weeks we will be taking our first week off.

The girls and I are crafting and sewing for a local craft show we've rented a space in. It's called a bazarre and will be Oct. 17th. So our days are divided into school in the morning and sewing/painting in the afternoon. There is only time left for me to go crazy and cook and do laundry (the girls do the cleaning).

I'd like to share what I mean by crazy...I do feel like I am going out of my mind more often than I used to. There were times when my troubled uncertainty, or impatience was easy to see and fix or wait it out a day...now it is so much more complicated that it takes several days to work through, coming out on the end wiped out. And recently I don't even get to pat myself on the back for accomplishing some great super mom/wife miracles after all the tension is past. Instead the whole family is involved, batten down the hatches mom's brew'n, storm on the horizon. And I leave a wake of destruction behind. This sounds like I'm not getting to my point, but that's just it, I CAN'T find the point! What for!? God's changing me. I think it best to describe these days as "uncertain". I do (great emphasis on do) like certainty, not it's opposite. Being a woman, wife, mother, home educator, friend, Christian, and sinner is really difficult for me at this time of my life. There really are days when I do not feel like myself, the self that is so comfortable, the one that can do it all. And with great success. Now I'm finding just how little I really do succeed at, all on my own. It's the Lord bringing me to these days of weakness so He can be my strength. That is so much easier to write than be convinced of. Clanc asked me to share on our blog. He and I know that many woman go through these kinds of days and it all works out in the end. I am not the only one, but when I'm searching for the "certain me" it sure feels like I'm the only one.

Ps 118: 13, 17: I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the Lord helped me...I shall not die but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord.

Aug 19, 2009

2009-08-20T11:27:00.000-07:00

This is the day I found out that my dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer. I feel compelled to make a note of this for my friends and family because I know you all will pray. My dad has multiple miloma. It is cancer of the blood cells in the bone marrow. The average life expectancy of this is 3 years. My dad is very grateful to have the time to prepare my mom for the life that will come once he passes away. He says "each day we have computer lessons (my mom isn't savvy with modern technology), finances, handyman house repair". Wow!

Through some very recent studies and readings God has been preparing me for this day, I have been with out communication with my dad for over a year and a half, then the phone rang. With tears I openly expressed my heart and how God brought him to my mind even this week, with a fresh and new understanding of my father. I didn't need to compose the letter or make the phone call that I thought I should make to express my renewed daughterly love, God arranged it to happen in this way. Wow!

...Who can fathom immeasurable love?

As far as the rational soul exceeds the senses,

so does the spirit exceed the rational in its knowledge of thee.

Thou hast given me understanding to compass the earth,

measure the sun, moon, stars, universe,

but above all to know thee the only true God.

I marvel that the finite can know the Infinite,

here a little, afterwards in full-orbed truth;

now I know but a small portion of what I shall know,

here in part, there in perfection,

here a glimpse, there a glory.

To enjoy thee is life eternal, and to enjoy is to know.

Keep me in the freedom of experiencing they salvation continually.

Prayer from The Valley of Vision

p.56

The chalkboard

2009-08-20T11:15:00.000-07:00

Clanc painted us a chalkboard on our kitchen wall. I was wondering what we were going to do with that open space. Imagine all the possibilities. It is a very easy project with store bought chalkboard paint. We use a spray bottle and one of those micro fiber dusting cloths to get it super clean. Its fun drawing on the wall!!! :)

What are they looking at?

2009-08-05T18:20:00.000-07:00

Worth a thousand words.

Blueberries

2009-07-20T12:11:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting far too long to get out there and u-pick blueberries. Finally we found paradise, along with many others though. Rousters Applehouse in Millford OH is about 25 minutes from our house. I mention the crowd because it was like a festival going on or something. But with all that we found a bush or two, yes just a bush or two for the 5 of us to pick from. I recently read a bush can produce up to 6,000 berries in a year. I think we found that bush. I mentioned to Clanc how all the people sounded like birds having orchard appropriate conversations, everyone seemed to be in their own little world, including us.

Cooks Illustrated has the bestest cobbler recipe, tried and true blue in this house. YUM!

Don't the girls look like they are posing for a blueberry magazine article or something?

Autographs

2009-07-16T12:08:00.000-07:00

Charlotte and Brigid participated in a contest of a sort while in Boston. During the conference there was an opportunity to "meet the reformers". The fun part was gathering their autographs. Now this wasn't a mad dash kind of thing. They, as well as any other youth who chose to play along, had to stand with the person who was a part of His Story (history) and listen to them explain why they are a part of history. After gathering 30 autographs they were given a Vision Forum gift certificate. It took them the whole time to accomplish this. Our girls enjoyed meeting these people as well as admiring their costumes.