It’s been a long time… |

Well, dear friends, it has been a while since I have updated my little corner of the web. I will try my best to update you on what has been going on in our home recently. *takes a deep breath to begin* 🙂

It is amazing to see how many things need to be done as spring approaches. 🙂 Today, I went and added some dirt to the herb garden that Joshua and I built last year. The soil that was there previously had washed away due to the heavy rainfall and lots of snow that we received this year. As I was mixing the soil in, I was happy to see that my parsley, lambs’ ear, lemon balm and catnip have all survived the winter and are looking lush and healthy. I am hoping to expand my herb garden quite a bit this year, but we’ll see how it goes. I know that I would like to add several kinds of mint and thyme, as well as oregano, basil, lavender, etc.

It was a perfect day for the task. The breeze was blowing so nicely that the weather was simply delightful. I hope to spend some time outside tomorrow as well, if the weather permits. I would like to start working on beautifying other areas of our yard so that there are several “scenic” areas to enjoy while outside. While outdoors, I would also like to take some photos of the daffodils that are peeking their heads out of the soil. Lord willing, I will post some photos of those soon.

I have been trying to spend more time on my music studies lately. Currently, I’m studying piano, mandolin, and violin. I had put the violin aside for a bit, because I was “stuck” on a particular piece in my violin book. Thankfully, I’m not stuck there any more. Josh and I are actually working on a piano/violin duet right now. I’ve still got a LOT of work to do on it, but I like where it is headed so far.

With this being the beginning of the year, I’m trying to organize all the different projects that I would like to work on this year. This ranges from sewing projects to self-education goals. I know for sure that I would love to have everyone’s Christmas gifts made by September, the baby’s coming home blanket done by the end of March, a regency dress made by the end of the summer, a book list read before the end of the year, and etc. etc. Making such lists help keep me organized and working toward goals that I need to accomplish in a certain amount of time. For now, I am making those lists in a notebook, divided out by tabs so that I can easily flip to the specific section I need at that time. It is working pretty well thus far, but I will probably make a few changes as time goes by.

I’m in the middle of reading Tortured for Christ right now. It was written by the founder of Voice of the Martyrs organization. I’ve have enjoyed it thus far, but it has definitely been eye-opening about the persecution Christians endure throughout the world. I’m also re-reading Joyfully at Home, by Jasmine Baucham. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it the first time, and I’m enjoying it just as much (if not more, LOL! 🙂 ) my second time through. I HIGHLY recommend reading this book. After I finish reading these two books, I’m going to start Emma by Jane Austen (this would be my 4th or 5th time to read this book. I read it about once a year because I enjoy it so much. 🙂 ), and Animal Farm, by George Orwell. Can you tell that I love to read? 😉

I’ve been trying to stretch my photography skills lately. If you know me personally or have been reading here a while, you know that I love photography in general. I’m lucky to have a sweet photographer friend who gives me critiques and ideas of different things to try. In fact, the recent photos that she took of my family have inspired me to work on my people photographs. I have been experimenting with different techniques/ideas using my own siblings as the subjects. They are so gracious to allow me to pose them different ways and take several photos while I practice. Here are some of my recent favorites: