Adorned

The kids and I are playing outside. 60degrees in February.

Suddenly I feel someone touching my hair. When I turn around, I see all three kids picking peonies. They decide I needed a little adornment.












In this moment, I love the feeling of being pampered. I love the physical touch of their hands in my hair.

Recycle it!

I chuckled this morning as I remembered the conversation that first inspired me to recycle. In 2004, we had some friends over for dinner. I finished off the milk and then used my inner thighs to collapse the milk jug. I put the lid back on and threw it in the trash.
My friend Jimmy Emery asked, "What are you doing?"
I replied, "Well when I collapse it, it takes up less room in my trash and in the landfill."
He laughed, and with gentle correction he said, "Nikki, why don't you just recycle it?"

An eye-opening experience for me.

Now, we recycle everything we can: cardboard, paper, cans, bottles, and most definitely milk jugs.










How and when did you begin?

Things I learned from my friend Allyson

The kids and I went to Mississippi this weekend to see my friend Allyson (and family).

I call her my "mother-earth" friend. We went to seminary together.

She grinds her own wheat.
She feeds her family healthy stuff.
She drinks a lot of water.
She homeschools her kids.

1. You have to discipline your kids. Rewards are great but you have to balance them with dicipline - - previously discussed, consistent discipline. Tell your kids exactly what will happen for a specific infraction. Then follow through.

2. Inform the kids that discipline counts double if they do it in public.

3. Use tea tree oil for bites. It has anti-bacterial skin healing properties.

4. Eating in is so much better than eating out. Allyson is passionate about food and cooking. She would always choose to stay in and cook for everyone than go out to dinner.

5. Pray with your kids every night. Then come in and pray OVER them after they are asleep. This woman believes in the power of prayer.

My school room

I finally finished my school room. Really excited about it!






My curtains are hung on a bamboo tree that I cut on our property.













We hung a cable across one wall to display the children's art.

In a phase called "Learner"

I have been voraciously researching, asking, observing and learning.

This move to Alabama has taken me to a new place. I am loving being home with the children and exploring the new world of homeschooling and staying with the kids full time. I'm tip-toeing into the idea of homesteading as well.

I am trying to boldly go where many have gone before. Here are some of my questions:

1. What is the best chicken coop?
2. What is the best composting process?
3. How do I build a vegetable garden?
4. What is the best home-schooling curriculum?
5. How do I build a tree-house?
6. What are some good books for kids these days? (age 9,7,5)
7. What kinds of things can I do with all the bamboo on my property?

These are just the few tabs I have open on my desktop right now. Every chance I get I am taking "field trips" to see friends and acquaintances to gain wisdom and counsel.

My main learning quest: Getting to know my children better. I am experiencing them in fresh new ways. I love it. I am blissfully content right now (and pleasantly surprised).