Funny how things change...

Not all that terribly long ago, while reading Animal Vegetable Miracle  for bookclub, I remember thinking the author's cheese making venture was seriously.hard.core. Really? Making cheese? WHO makes cheese? And, WHY go to the trouble? The deli at my favorite local store, Safeway (yes, I still *do my best to, but it isn't always possible* avoid Sam Walton's mega monstrosity like the plague I believe it to be. Remember, the devil lives there! ☺) has such an abundant, fragrant, delectable cheese selection. In Barbara Kingsolver's case she was proving an (excellent) point about food by growing and making their own for a year, not to mention writing a book. At that moment in my life, I could not have imagined that jumping ahead a few short years, a rustic, homemade farmer's cheese with toast would be one of my kids' most favorite snacks in the entire world. Not a drop is wasted as our cats (and 4 brand new baby kittens!) love to drink up the whey (it is also good for pancakes). Never say never, my friends. Never....☺

After a couple of rainy days, this sight graced our back doorstep yesterday evening. Although nearly dusk, the sky suddenly lit up with a golden hue. Is there anything like the smell of the crisp air after rain? It must be the very definition of freshness. As I stopped to take a photo I tried to really breathe deeply and absorb - absorb the magnificence of the view (we could see the ends of the rainbow!) and the fragrance and the new growth in my garden and the greenness all around, the feeling that every thing had been washed clean.
I thought over the adoption struggles of the past couple of years and allowed the view to serve as a reminder to me that certain kinds of beauty in our lives, the type that beckons us to stop dead in our tracks, take a slow, deep breath, and truly savor the hard-earned sweet goodness of the moment come only after a season of down pour. I took heart.

The clan in at the Ingalls family homestead barn. Yes, I know I am quite late in getting the homestead photos up. I still want to show (my favorite part of the whole trip) the claim shanty! I'm not exactly sure when it is that I used to find time to blog. I believe this is the busiest I have ever been during my decade of motherhood. Having 2 kids in school and 5 kids homeschooling and 3 in a supplemental program at a charter school and 2 in girl scouts and 3 in gymnastics has made spare time a precious, scant commodity. Finding a rhythm to our days and weeks has been a challenge that has required a constant stream of modifications - but we may be getting there. After all, somehow I have found the time to make cheese. ☺

Again at the homestead. Gosh, I love the man who would take his family there for a vacation, and enjoy it himself. My heart. It swells.

I went to visit a friend this week who recently had the sweetest baby girl. As much as I wanted to see her and meet the baby, I knew it would be hard. I was not disappointed in my expectation. It was hard! It has been 14 months since Bobby underwent a *procedure* to reverse his *procedure.* Wow. I never anticipated this to be such a difficult thing! We had 5 babies in 6 years. We were so, so blessed with such a simple, natural wonder in our ability to welcome children. I suppose I feel that we held something sacred in our hands and we carelessly wrecked it. My longing for a baby has not yet waned. We have made plans to get tested to see if the reversal worked (we never had it done after the fact.) I believe it will help me to know if there is no, or very little chance.

The thing about infertility is it is a gift that keeps on giving...every single month. Dashed hope is an emotion I have become too intimately acquainted with. And that's not easy to go through time and time again. Not to mention the sight of those sweet babies that are impossible to avoid - everywhere you look they are! You would think spending time with them would make things better, but it doesn't. At least not for me anyway. Probably one day it will. I'm sure I will cradle other people's babies in my arms with joy instead of sorrow. But not just yet....

My heart aches for those who endure the remarkable heartache of the inability to bear children. Surely, it must be one of the cruelest realities a couple can face.

{Have you read The First Four Years? Do you remember the Boast's "indecent proposal" to Laura and Almanzo? I do not fault them at all. I can imagine the desperation and desire for children they must have felt.}

Bobby is off for the next 2 weeks to construct our mudroom - at least getting it closed in, even if unfinished on the inside. Oh happy day. Happy, happy day. A mudroom is a splendid thing. For so many reasons, he is my hero. ♥

Happy Birthday Baby Boy

During his birthday dinner (spaghetti & meatballs with corn on the side) we each went around the table sharing something we like about Tyden. An overwhelming theme quickly emerged: Fun. Tyden is just a fun guy. He laughs a lot. He makes us laugh. A lot. Never one to turn down a dare, he is {always} up for {anything}. This boy has been preparing for frat life since the day he was born. With him around there is never, ever a dull moment. Every family should have one like this. ☺
Happy birthday Ty. Thank you for adding so much color to our lives. It's my pleasure to spend my days with you. I love you mister.

They didn't believe me....

I told my girlfriends we couldn't make it to a homeschool field trip today because we were having purple couches delivered.

LIW Historical Tour (Family Excursion: Part 2)

We traveled from Valentine NE to De Smet North Dakota, the site of 5 of Laura Ingalls Wilder's books.
This is the Bed and Breakfast where we stayed:

It's called The Prairie House Manor Bed & Breakfast.

It happens to be the banker's house mentioned in The Long Winter.

Do you remember the banker?

Neither did I.

He's the guy that bought up all the housing supplies in town leaving not a shingle.

By the size of his estate, it's easy to see why.

It is a beautiful historic home.

The family that own it were kind enough to allow us to stay,

(and exceed the capacity of their biggest room...by 3)

with our flock of children.

They are lovely, lovely people.

We assured them over the phone prior to our visit that the

Deutschlets would be well behaved and quiet.

And they were!

At the end of our stay the owners crowned us

"family of the summer." ☺

They were shocked at how well the kids behaved

so they were full of kind words for our crew.

We politely thanked them, *conveniently* 

omitting the part about all the

threatening, bribing, cajoling instructing we did in advance,

and throughout the trip to ensure

the best, most respectful behavior from the bunch.

I must say, the Deutsch kids delivered.

I don't think there was a single place we went that someone did

not remark about what a great group of youngens we have.

Didn't I tell you those were some friendly folks in South Dakota?

We were quite proud of our wee ones, going around

giving larger-than-average-size families a good name.

Way to go JOTSCMF! Holla!

As soon as we drove in,

I knew instantly De Smet was the town for me.

It took no more than laying eyes upon the street signs.

Priaire Lane

Wilder Blvd

Ingalls Ave

Boast Ave

Charles Ave

Loftus Ave

Even better than the street names,

the only elementary school in town is called...

are you ready? 

Laura Ingalls Wilder Elementary!

Be still my heart.

I finally found my people, the place where I belong.

Where being a LHOTP groupie is completely normal, encouraged.

Here, I was clearly not alone in my fanaticism passion.

This must be Home. ☺

The actual surveyor's house from By the Shores of Silver Lake.
Laura called it a "two story mansion."
I was shocked at how tiny it was.
No interior photos were allowed.

The first school in De Smet.

Laura and Carrie attended for a couple of years.

A replica of The Brewster School where Laura taught when she was 15.

There were LIW quotes every.where. ♥

Mary, Laura, and Carrie ☺

Inside of the Brewster's school.

 

This is THE ACTUAL last home that Charles Ingalls built that he,
Caroline, Mary and Grace lived in.
It still stands in its original site.

Again, no interior pictures allowed.
After he died at the age of 66,
Caroline rented out some of the rooms to provide for herself and Mary.

Next, the Homestead.

Family Excursion: Part 1

I don't think I'm even going to refer to the trip as a "vacation." Because, who are we kidding? With this ↓↓ brood ↓↓ and not a single one of Brad and Angelina's staff on hand, there wasn't a whole big bunch of relaxation to be had.

First, we drove just over 7 hours to Valentine Nebraska

(a.k.a what I affectionately call the city of lovers where every day is Valentines!)

Have you ever been there? No?

You're only missing about 1,800 people.

To anyone who says the earth is overpopulated, I say this:

Drive through Nebraska.
Then, drive through South Dakota.

You will ever-so-rapidly change your mind.

We looked up the population of both states,

because as we passed mile after mile after mile after mile after mile (...)

of pure nothing with not a single person in sight,

I had to ask myself,

Do actual people actually live in the actual state of Nebraska?

Why yes, yes they do.

Just a few though.

Approximately 1,796,619 in the whole vast 77,358 square miles of the 16th largest state.

Which is a great big leap ahead of South Dakota where roughly 814,180

friendly folks reside on 75,884 square miles.

While humans are few and far between, I'll tell you what is not:

Corn.

There are lots and lots (...) of ears of corn thriving and populating field after field.

Corn as far as the eye can see.

And the farmers to grow it.

That's who lives in Nebraska and South Dakota. ☺

A stop at Pizza Hut with a rare treat, orange soda and personal pan pizzas.

Lovebirds "excursioning" in Valentine with a crew of smallish escorts.