my blessed life

Here's a quick look at our last couple of days.   We've been enjoying a beautiful snow! It's an unusually big one for Kentucky and we are loving it:) How about you?  Do you have snow where you live?

This school year our science has been about all things botany.  Admittedly, it was a bit hard through the winter because studying botany just makes you want to get outside and that doesn't work so well when everything is in its dormant stage.  However, since the weather has gotten nice it's so much fun to go outside and really get hands-on with our lessons.   Yesterday we hit the nature trails at our local environmental center, Jeffers' Bend .  I had printed off a fun botany scavenger hunt list from this site and we grabbed the nature journals and water bottles and set off!   I love handmade signs. The kiddos examining the different kinds of leaves on their list. This list went so well with our Apologia Botany study! Lovely flowers, not sure what kind, but so vibrant. We thought this tree bark was unusual from most others. Getting up close with pollination. Hitting the trails! Daddy found a good grapevine fo...

We have really been watching this little mama lately.  I was so happy when she chose The Princess' very own birdhouse to build her nest in.  We can't really see anything besides tons of twigs crammed into the little house, she has really built a good  and protective nest.   This morning we watched as she and her *hubby* came and went numerous times, feeding their little brood apparently.  It was difficult to catch them on film, but I managed a couple of shots through my oh-so-dirty window.   I'm not sure what kind of little brown bird this is, they're very small.  I'm not a very good birder:)  Maybe one of you will be so kind as to identify our little bird family for me.  

This past week on our anniversary getaway we enjoyed a beautiful drive through the Great Smoky Mountain National Park .  The thoughtful people from whom we rented our cabin had provided some great brochures on the park for us and one of those was all about the wildflowers that are native to the Smokies.  During our drive we (I) got a little carried away snapping up pictures of the beautiful flowers all over.  It was sort of like a scavenger hunt and Vince was gracious enough to pull the car over every time I thought I saw one I hadn't seen before.  I've included the names of the ones I've been able to identify, but some I'm not sure of.  Feel free to leave me a comment if you know the name of them.  I think wildflowers have the most charming names! (Robin's plantain) (fringed phacelia) (yellow trillium) (lyre-leaf sage) (sweet white trillium) (thyme-leaved bluets) (blue violet)

I feel as though I've talked a lot about snow lately. But we live in the South and snow~a real snow, not a *dusting*~is such a rare thing! If you live where you have snow all winter long, you won't appreciate my excitement, but I get as giddy as a kid when it comes to snow:) Today we woke up to The. Most. Beautiful. Snow. that I've seen in a long time. Over seven inches!! I haven't seen a snow like that here in Arkansas since I moved here from Ohio on 1987. It reminded me of those Ohio snows when I was little. Such fun!! We had a wonderful day, too. First school (because we're homeschoolers, you know), then a walk in the snow, snowball fights, snow ice cream and movies. I love that my children are getting lots of snow play this winter. There something wonderful about getting to fully experience all four seasons.

Meet our snowlady. Isn't she adorable? I love that The Princess ran inside to grab oven mitts for her hands:) Very creative! I hope you're enjoying your weekend as much as we are! Of course, with sick kiddos, snow and ice, today was my first day away from the house since last Sunday. So my weekend is already rocking !! :)

Today has brought us a small ice storm with a little snow. It has also brought out the birds to the feeders. They have been so fun to watch! I'm going to have to invest in a good bird identification book so we can learn the names of our local birds. I only know a few of them, but if you recognize one of these leave me a comment! Oh~and notice the bird *couples* here, so pretty!