So another month has gone by...with no posts. I am going to officially be taking a blog-hiatus. I have really been struggling for a few months with the blog. We have been so busy and I am absolutely exhausted and trying to deal with a difficult first trimester of pregnancy. Not sure how long I'll be gone..

to 'poo or not to 'poo

Shampoo, I mean. I recently have found a movement of people who have stopped using shampoo. Some have done this for economical reasons - good shampoos can tend to be expensive and it is something you will always eventually run out of. Others are doing it for environmental reasons...less plastic containers, less chemicals going into the earth and into the body. This whole idea just intrigues me. I always try to use products in my house that are environmentally friendly and not harmful to our family...but this is just something I want to try out for myself. Some 'no poo-ers' use a mixture of baking soda and water to clean their scalp and hair and then rinse with apple cider vinegar...this method really does not float my boat. There is a low-poo method that I am going to try. I will be using Dr. Bronner's castile soap once a week....the rest of the week I am just going to rinse my hair with just water and go.
I look at my daughters' hair...I maybe actually wash their hair once a week even though they shower every day...their hair always looks great, never greasy or smelly. I have been trying to go longer between washes...normally I am a wash my hair everyday kind of girl...so this is going to be a huge thing for me to do. I am hopping that it will only take a week or so for my hair to transition in to this low-poo way of life. I washed my hair on Friday...today is now Tuesday...let's just say that I have been wearing my hair up for the last few days. I know it's going to take time and I want to really give this thing an opportunity to work...We'll see how it goes.

Here are some no-poo resources:
No Shampoo Alternative - No Poo
When it comes to shampoo - less is more
NoShampoo.org
Why You Should Go No 'Poo

Soccer Girl

Blake had her first soccer game this weekend. She did amazing! She scored two goals and just had so much fun! We had a blast watching the game. It was just so funny to see these three and four year-olds running after the soccer ball and trying to figure out how to play the game. At one point in the game, Andy was trying to explain to Blake about teams and how you don't want to let the other team (the Red team) get the ball...he ended up telling Blake that she didn't have to share with the Red Team...it was so funny, but she understood. Blake got the ball from the other team a few times and even blocked a goal! I have never really played team sports before...I swam when I was growing up and in high school. I did play volley ball for a while, but I'm just not aggressive enough...Blake definitely does not have that issue. We were just so proud of her and we can't wait for her next game!
Here is also a picture of sweet Brecken at the game too...she loves being outdoors and watching the kids. She is almost one now and just getting so big.

Well, the sweet little baby we have been watching met her adoptive family this morning. We are thrilled that she now has a family, but we have also fallen in love with this little bundle and we are sad to see her go. Fostering over the last week has just given me a new perspective on adoption...I have been able to see what it is like to love on a child and then give the child to the family they belong to...it is a mixture of joy and longing. We take joy in knowing that sweet baby girl will be loved and cared for by her new mom and dad and big sister...we are also longing for the next baby that will bless our house. We love you sweet baby and are excited for your new life!

This last weekend we celebrated St. Patrick's Day at the Sedalia St. Patrick's Day Parade. This was your normal small town parade complete with tractors, 4H club members, llamas, and lots of candy. It was so much fun...her are some pictures from the festivities:

I know I have been MIA for a while...I hate going a week and a half between posts, but things have been a bit crazy here. Breck's cold turned into another ear infection and I have been trying to start preschool with Blake. On top of everything, we got a call on Wednesday asking if we would be interested in fostering a sweet baby girl who was born on the 9th. We said yes right away because an opportunity like this could only be from God because it is something I would never, ever imagine happening. So on Thursday the 12th, our two month anniversary of coming home from Ethiopia with Brecken, we picked up a little peanut of a baby that we are so thrilled to be able to love on. We have no idea how long we will have her but we are honored to be be this little girl's family for a while.

I have been so proud of Blake over the last two months. She is amazing with Brecken. I catch her calling Brecken "sweet girl" and running to get diapers and wipes for me. She is such a grat big sister. She has been sleeping in her own bed for over a month now...something that is absolutely wonderful, but something that made me sad to because it is a major sign that she is growing up and it really made me understand how quickly these little ones become independant. Blake has been going to breakfast with her Grandpa a few times a week to celebrate her sleeping in her own bed. This time is such a big treat because she gets to go to McDonald's and eat ice cream and pancakes...yes, grandparents can get away with anything. I started homeschooling Blake a few weeks ago and she loves it...she begs for school. She has been working on writing her name lately. I am so proud of my beautiful big girl.

Brecken is just plain delicious. This little girl loves to smile. In the last week she started waving and really saying "Dada," she also gives little kisses to me when I ask her. She has also been able to balance standing on her own for about five seconds. There isn't much that Brecken does not like to eat...she loves yogurt, squash, apples, black beans...and it is showing in her rolls and rolls on her legs. This little girl is such a little chunk! It is amazing to me that when we first set eyes on her she was 8 pounds and three and a half months. At almost ten months, I bet she is pushing 20 pounds. She has been such a blessing to our family we are so amazed that she belongs to us.

So, things are crazy around here, but it is the good, can't believe this is happening to us kind of crazy and we have been blessed beyond our wildest dreams.

We are still here, but we've been sick again...lovely colds that we just can't seem to kick. Blake, Brecken and I have been stuffy and tired. We are hoping to start feeling better soon. Our colds have not been stopping us from enjoying the warm weather though. We have been enjoying near 70 degree days by playing outdoors and working to prepare our garden beds. Yesterday I discovered some bits of green that are peaking out of the brown earth...I planted irises last year and they are now going to grace our front yard with their presence. Blake and I also started our seeds for our veg garden...we have tiny sprouts of corn, tomatoes, basil and squash. I am very much ready for warm spring days.

We have had such a warm winter this year...not much snow, and many wonderfully warm days. So warm, in fact, that I am seeing little sprouts of my garlic and green onions starting to come up and I find myself dreaming of our summer garden. The warm days have found us going on walks and trying to spend some time outdoors. Andy had Monday off so we went on a little walk in the open space. Here are some pictures from our mid-winter walk.