We thought it was spring!

We thought it was spring, but apparently I jinxed it by posting snow pics on Saturday!  It snowed all day yesterday, off and on.  It was pretty and so nice to be holed up at home, warm and snug with our family.  The kids wanted to go outside all day, but we kept putting them off.  Finally, this morning I bundled them up and sent them out.  They were gone all of 5 minutes when they had a squabble and each declared they weren't playing with the other anymore.  It involved a rock and a mud puddle was all I could gather.  I'm sure they'll be back out again soon!  Snow days means a constant in and out, with snow clothes strewn everywhere.  We are not leaving the house today, except tonight for a birthday dinner.  I'm actually hoping to leave the kids with Daddy and just go myself.  It is so cold to take them out and we've all been sick for the weekend.  I think it started with the pollen on the warm days, it really got to us.  I finally got sick Friday, was the worst Saturday, and started feeling better Sunday.  I am so thankful that I was sick while Dustin was home, because being sick AND caring for kids is NOT easy.  I've done it.  It's so hard!  Henry is snotty again, after just being sick for his b-day.  I think we are going to have to just keep him home until spring is here for good!!!  Although I do blame the recent runny noses on the pollen that was flying all around on the warm days. 

Carson's new favorite show to watch is the "cowboys and cooking, mom", which means he wants to watch "The Pioneer Woman" on Food Network!  It's one of my favorite shows and I will try to sneak in an episode while the kids are busy playing something (distracted!).  He loves to watch it with me, it's right up his alley- cooking and farming together!  The boy loves to help me cook and does a good job.  He mixes the juice now, when we make juice from frozen cans of concentrate.  That is one of his cooking responsibilities he takes very seriously around here.  He also likes to take pictures of what we make- which cracks me up.  He got it from me.  It started when I made butter and had to take a picture.  Dustin was looking at the camera and said , "you took a picture of your butter?".  Yep!  I did!  Ha!  I was so proud.  Of course I had to take pics of the kids helping cook, so we started keeping the small camera in the kitchen.  Thus began the kids always wanting to take pics of everything we make! 

Here are some ranch oyster crackers he helped me make for Christmas gifts (excuse the mess-it was Christmastime folks!)

 

Here is my homemade butter that I was so proud of: 

 

 

I will say- making butter is hard work, by hand anyway.  It was delicious though!  Maybe in the future we will make more.  The kids did help me shake the jar.  It was fun! 

 

 I will have to post more pics of our food creations soon!  We have some from our canning last year, which the kids also helped out with.  I hope to do even more canning and preserving this year, they are able to help me so much now that they are 3! 

 

Speaking of food, it's lunch time around here and the natives are restless!  :-)  I feel like sometimes all I do is prepare food, clean up, and start all over again!!!