My Pretty Baby

Some Sepia

Becky is quite a gifted photographer it seems. She found Daddy's broken old camera, fixed it, and had been photographing and video taping ever since.

Here is some sepia she took today.

Envelope Contest

Here are Laura's and Katie's entries for Practical Homeschooling's http://practicalhomeschooling.com/ envelope art contest.

Cross your fingers for them because the competition's stiff!

School and life are moving along steadily and happily on Providence Farm.

Becky's missing from our family circle since she's helping out family friends who are busy with mom recovering from surgery and moving to a new house simultaneously.

She is sorely missed at home. All of our games and private jokes are just a little lonelier without our big sister. I think big sisters are the most awesome siblings in a family, actually.

But while she's been away, the rest of us have been busy just the right amount. I've been reading the book "Margin" by Richard Swenson, which has caused me to deliberately slow our schedule down and give us plenty of time to do each thing we want to do. The results have been phenomenal! I feel like I have so much more time, now that our days are more deliberate.

The fall weather is hot this year but still enjoyable- at least in the mornings and evenings! The smell of the planted pine wafts past me while I hang out my laundry, and at night, the stars seem so close and bright.

Becky's Apple Pie

Looky what I woke up to late this morning!

Becky had made a Dutch Apple Pie. It is unbelievably delicious.

Wild Pony Round-Up

This is for people who like to imagine themselves the owner of a farm full of fun livestock bought cheaply from Craigslist.

I realize it's not a good video, but the video I took while galloping got erased and this was the only evidence left on the camera of today's wild rumpus in the field.

Little JoJo absolutely loves when people ride. She frolicks and rears alongside the big horse, wishing (I think) that she could be ridden around the big field.

Chicken Coop Revisited

Being tired of eggs hidden anywhere and everywhere around the farm, and chicken poop on my porches, I hired a chicken pen built.

The coop was already there, but alas, nobody would use it for shelter or egg laying.

After the prison yard was finished and predator proof (unless the predator is determined) Becky got motivated to clean out the old shavings and replace them with new. So it even smells half decent in the coop now.

I don't know if you can tell from the picture, but this fence is 6' high.

Horse Play

There were lots of videos and photos on the camera when the kids came in with it last night, but it was dark so early that they weren't very good.

Here's a little sample of the neighborhood having a great time in the new pen with horses.

All the children and all the horses ended up being involved in riding. It's interesting how having a secure pen can give all the kiddos confidence to ride. That was a good investment!