Welcome Baby Jesse

It was an honor to witness the birth of my nephew and I thank my beautiful sister (Inside and out) for such an amazing experience.

We've all been waiting for you.

For you.

Your arrival has been marked, has been recorded

on earth,

in the universe,

in the galaxies,

in all of space,

in all of time.

You come with a birthright, written in love and sung

through all Creation in words which promise

that no matter where you're at,

you're home

that no matter who you're with,

you're welcome

that no matter who you are,

you're loved.

Welcome.

~ More pics AFTER Christmas as they are a gift to the proud parents. ~

The Seasons First Snowfall

The boys FINALLY got their wish! Snow, snow and more snow (with a little rain sprinkled on top). The sun even managed to peek through which made *my* day.☺

Igloo building and snow people ☃ sculpting went on for hours today, which ended in a dry set of clothes and a hot cup of cocoa!

The BEST thing about homeschooling, working on the farm, and having our groceries delivered to our door is the fact that we have no need to drive on those sloppy roads.

When snow falls, nature listens.

~Antoinette van Kleeff

Winter came down to our home one night

Quietly pirouetting in on silvery-toed slippers of snow,

And we, we were children once again.

~Bill Morgan, Jr.

The color of springtime is in the flowers, the color of winter is in the imagination.

There is a privacy about it which no other season gives you.... In spring, summer and fall people sort of have an open season on each other; only in the winter, in the country, can you have longer, quiet stretches when you can savor belonging to yourself.

~Ruth Stout

Thankfully we didn't get as much snow as forecasted and the use our snowblower wasn't needed, but is ready to go!

A photograph is usually looked at - seldom looked into.

~Ansel Adams

Yule - The Beginning

"Yule, is when the dark half of the year relinquishes to the light half. Starting the next morning at sunrise, the sun climbs just a little higher and stays a little longer in the sky each day. Known as Solstice Night, or the longest night of the year, much celebration was to be had as the ancestors awaited the rebirth of the Oak King, the Sun King, the Giver of Life that warmed the frozen Earth and made her to bear forth from seeds protected through the fall and winter in her womb. Bonfires were lit in the fields, and crops and trees were "wassailed" with toasts of spiced cider."

"The Winter Solstice, also known as Midwinter, occurs around December 21 or 22 each year in the Northern hemisphere, and June 20 or 21 in the Southern Hemisphere. It occurs on the shortest day or longest night of the year, sometimes said to astronomically mark the beginning or middle of a hemisphere's winter. The word solstice derives from Latin, Winter Solstice meaning Sun set still in winter. Worldwide, interpretation of the event varies from culture to culture, but most hold a recognition of rebirth, involving festivals, gatherings, rituals or other celebrations. Many cultures celebrate or celebrated a holiday near the winter solstice; examples of these include Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Years, Pongal, Yalda and many other festivals of light. The solstice itself may have remained a special moment of the annual cycle of the year since neolithic times. This is attested by physical remains in the layouts of late Neolithic and Bronze Age archeological sites like Stonehenge and New Grange in the British Isles. The primary axes of both of these monuments seem to have been carefully aligned on a sight-line framing the winter solstice sunrise (New Grange) and the winter solstice sunset (Stonehenge). The winter solstice may have been immensely important because communities were not assured to live through the winter, and had to be prepared during the previous nine months. Starvation was common in winter between January to April, also known as the famine months. In temperate climes, the midwinter festival was the last feast celebration, before deep winter began. Most cattle were slaughtered so they would not have to be fed during the winter, so it was nearly the only time of year when a supply of fresh meat was available. The majority of wine and beer made during the year was finally fermented and ready for drinking at this time. The concentration of the observances were not always on the day commencing at midnight or at dawn, but the beginning of the pre-Romanized day, which falls on the previous eve."

Cole's 11th Birthday

When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses.

Happy Birthday Cole ☺

Cole's 11th Birthday Treasure Hunt

We celebrated Cole's 11th Birthday outside this year on November 22nd. We lucked out with such fantastic weather, some of the kids wore only t-shirts!

After a weeks worth of preparing the treasure hunt, it took only about 15 minutes for the 2 teams to find the hidden pirate treasure. It all started with an old pirate map and the first of 11 clues...

....and X marked the spot! YaY for the treasure!

~Yesterday brought the beginning, tomorrow brings the end, and somewhere in the middle we became the best of friends.~

To my little man: The universe gave a gift to the world when you were born—

a person who loves, who cares,

who sees a person’s need and fills it,

who encourages and lifts people up,

who spends energy on others

rather than himself,

someone who touches each life he enters,

and makes a difference in the world,

because ripples of kindness flow outward

as each person you have touched, touches others.

Your birthday deserves to be a national holiday,

because you are a special treasure

for all that you’ve done.

May the love you have shown to others

return to you, multiplied.

I wish you the happiest of birthdays,

and many, many more,

so that others have time to appreciate you

as much as I do.

Love forever and always, Mom ♥

Newborn Photography

"We have a secret in our culture, and it's not that birth is painful; it's that women are strong."

"The power and intensity of your contractions cannot be stronger than you, because it is you."

Babies are bits of star-dust blown from the hand of God. Lucky the woman who knows the pangs of birth for she has held a star.

~ Larry Barretto

I am so honored to announce that I have been listed on the P.U.S.H. Doula Services website as a Birth and Newborn Photographer.

http://naturalmomlovesprada.com/pushdoulaservices.com/

Thank you P.U.S.H. Doula Services for this opportunity!

Bow and Arrows

I was walking my best canine bud and what did we see?

Chad and his bow and arrow, aiming for a tree.

He made his own arrows, carved the tips until they were sharp.

Then Cole joined in the fun, "Shoot it, it's not a harp!"

Protecting the farm atop the hay bales as if no one could see.

They now enjoy that good old sport we all call Archery!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

All for one and one for all
My brother and my friend
What fun we have
The time we share
Brothers 'til the end.