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Week 22 is in the books!! No, I am not caught up {not even close} but since I’m so far behind and just choosing weeks at random to complete, I figured this past week was as good as anywhere to begin! Last week was a very full week, nothing truly out of the ordinary but I have 3 inserts along with my main pages!! The inserts I chose focus on us opening up the cabin, the construction going on in the dome home, my chicken Eleanor, my niece’s 1st birthday party and a beautiful evening in the meadow with my hubby.

So, lets get started! Here is the full main spread:

Because we had snow last week {who gets snow at the end of May?!?} I had to make a photo of it the title page for this week, then I included photos of how muddy my garden ended up being..it was devasting but I am happy to report that most of my garden survived!!

On the right hand side is a mish mash of photos taken throughout the week. I stole a shot of my baby, Jake, sleeping on the porch and just because I love it as much as I do, I included it in my spread. I also included random shots taken throughout with the week that I loved and ended it with a photo of my niece and I at her first birthday party.

The first insert is all about Adam & I opening up the cabin. Its a tradition I love because it signals the beginning of summer {and triggers a flood of childhood memories} and so I felt it was very important to include it in the album.

On the backside of Insert 1 I included photos of all the construction work that went on during that week as well as wrote a little blurb about my feelings on the construction, etc. I am so happy it is underway but I have to be honest, it can ber very overwhelming and frustrating and, again, I wanted to make note of that because I want to be able to look back at this album years down the line and remember what life was truly like for us during this time!

Insert 2 is really just two 8×8 photos of chickens..lol. The first one is of Eleanor sitting on my shoulder and the backside is Eleanors first big adventure outside..because it all happened last week, it went in to the album!

Insert 1

Insert 2

Insert 3..my youngest niece turns 1 on June 7th and her birthday party was this past weekend. I drove home just for the party and I am so glad I did. The shots I was able to grab were fantastic and truly something I’ll want to keep forever. I know that this is NOT the last of these photos, I think I will be doing some traditional layouts with these photos as well

On the reverse side of this insert, I included a bunch of photos from Saturday night, when I got home from my nieces party. I jumped in the sprayer with Adam and rode around for a couple of hours and in that time period we saw the most amazing rainbow and came across a beautiful meadow with a pond that shimmered in the setting sun, so we stopped, took photos and they went right in to this album!

And that was week 22 of Project Life!! I love this project so much and I cannot wait to look back and see what happened every single week of our first year of marriage…such a cool memory keeper!! Have a great Tuesday everyone, we are battling nasty, nasty winds here so I think today will be a crafty type of day 😉
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  • dawn - I’m so excited to see more of your PL pages, they are so happy and full of REAL LIFE!! Your niece is soooo cute, first bday’s are always the best. So happy that you went home and got to capture this special time with her.

    What a gorgeous rainbow that is, how lucky for both of you to be there and see it, so huge!! What a beautiful place you live, love all the nature around you.

    You will love looking back at this week and all the fun, frustrating, magical, loving times you had. That’s what makes this album a treasure to hold onto to.

    Hope your having a good day, will send sunshine and wishes for the wind to calm down for you.

    Today’s the last of school and it’s cool and windy here also. Going for our tradition DQ ice cream after school today, HOORAY!!
    Take care and thanks for sharing your PL pages!!ReplyCancel

Yesterday was not a good day. In fact, it was a bad one. Life lessons, learning curves, frustration, politics – you name it, we dealt with it. There were a few moments that I just wanted to break down and cry and, in fact, some times I did! It wasn’t anything life changing by any means. It was just hard and difficult and wearing on the soul. And then, to add insult to our already wounded selves, we were pulled over and given a speeding ticket for driving 12 over the speed limit not ten minutes from our farm. It was brutal and talk about hit after hit!

After supper, our nerves were frazzled and we were both exhausted but figured a quick trip to the coop would lighten our mood – wrong!! As I was carrying around one of my babies, Adam got too close to me driving his golf cart and when he went whizzing by me he scared the chicken, it flew up out of my hands and I caught her right before she became a snack for awaiting jaws below. Of course I lost it and yelled something *very* unlady-like before rushing her in the coop and placing her back under cover. {I hate when I let things get to me like that} Then, Adam picked up another one of my babies and needed to adjust the way he was holding it so came up with the genius idea of setting it on the ground and, once again, it was seconds away from becoming dinner to our golden retriever, and I was livid. Needless to say, the coop door was closed seconds later!!

It was then that I decided I needed a little walk, a little silence, a little time to clear my head.
You see, I’ve gotten to know myself pretty good these past 28 years and I happen to know I treasure silence, I long for solitude and I crave peace and quiet after especially hard days. Adam drove his golf cart alongside me, feeling horrible for the past events. What a sight we must have been, me walking, him driving the cart and us holding hands in silence. But thats when the magic happened..

Our dugout

We ended up at our dugout, the clouds were rolling in, the millions of frogs we have were singing and everything else was quiet. No noise, no construction, no talking..just listening. I sat down on the ground, Adam and our dogs beside me, and we just listened. Birds of all different species were singing all around us..and I slowly felt more relaxed. Ducks would fly over our heads but the only noise we could hear was the wind created by their flapping wings and then the little *splash* that came about when they landed in our dugout for a swim. Just watching them dance gracefully on the water made things seem so much better! And then the lightning came..

Living out in the country, if you like storms, you are in luck. There are no concrete buildings blocking your view, no noisy traffic stopping you from hearing every rumble of thunder..its just you and nature..just like it should be. We sat in awe of the living sky, every burst of lightning made me catch my breath. It was so beautiful! It was at this moment I felt calm again, even content with the events of my day. Funny how being connected to nature can do that for you..
And then, after sitting there for awhile and watching the storm roll in, we watched the rain fall from afar, get closer, start sprinkling at the edge of the dugout and make its way to us..talk about neat watching the rain clouds come closer and closer. Of course we scurried home in the downpour and loved every moment of it. Then we made our way inside, fell in to bed and called it a day..

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  • dawn - Dawn, I’m so sorry you had a bad day that kept getting worse before the good finally came. So glad your chickens are safe, hold them tight. What a beautiful image to see at night, love these images. I would be kinda scared of the storm though,lol

    So glad you got to calm down and just embrace the quiet and beauty around you. Glad Adam stayed with you also.

    Hope today was a better day and keeps getting better.
    Sending you a big hug my new farm friend and wishes for happy days.

    p.s. I was stopping by to ask you if you’ve heard about Michelle Obama’s new book? I’m so excited about it, it’s called HOMEGROWN AMERAICA! It’s about the big garden she has at the white house and other gardens around the world with some recipes thrown in. I just love her and what she has done with her garden. Just like I get excited about yours. Anyhow she’s been on some talk shows this week talking about it and it’s coming out later in June, thought you might be interested.
    I don’t have a green thumb but I like reading about other gardens,lolReplyCancel

With this weekend marking the first of June and the weather {slowly} heating up, I can’t help but think about summertime and get excited by all the possibilites that the warm, hot summer days could possibly bring! While the heat may not always be my friend, the sunshine, the warmth on my skin, the smell of the flowers blooming around me ignites my passion for life, every year. Growing up, our family had a cabin at a lake 45 mins away from the city but felt as though it could’ve been half a world away. The minute you hit the park boundaries, you can roll down your windows and take in the woody scent of pine that hits you smack dab in the face. The birds sing for you while you meander thru streets and greet chipmunks, deer, red fox and even, on occasion, a cougar {I have never seen one myself} at every turn. My great grandparents built the cabin and although it was definitely far from fancy, it was our summer retreat..yet another warm place to call home! My dad grew up spending his summers in that place and luckily, so did I.

Of course things change, life happens and people move on. After my grandparents passed away, a rushed decision that turned in to a massive mistake was made and we sold our cabin to a happy family that couldn’t wait to take it off our hands. Its been a mistake that has haunted many of us for years. But, as I said, life happens..people move on. Of course, at the time – I had no idea how important those summers would become to me. They are a part of me. That lake defines a huge part of my childhood and I am so grateful for the memories they gave me.

Now that I am a little older, married and soon to be ready to start my own family – thoughts turn to the lake, the cabin and how badly I want those summers for my own children. I want my babies to put on their water wings and jump off a dock in to the fresh, icy cold lake water and swim all morning til its time to come out of the water and grab a hot dog, fresh from the barbeque. And then I want them to go exploring in the hills to see what “treasures” they can find & bring me before its time to come in for supper while we light a fire below the deck and roast marshmallows. Its a delicious childhood and I wouldn’t want anything less for my {future} babies.

Well, this dream will come true thanks to my hubby and his family, for they have owned a cabin at a different lake for years and have no intentions of making the mistake we did years ago. In fact, on Tuesday, Adam & I stopped by for the first time since closing it last Fall to cut the grass, check on the inside, rake and sweep the deck then bid it adieu til next time when we can stay a little longer.

Now this lake may not be like the one I had growing up, but its just as good!! And the best part? My babies get to enjoy it every summer of their life! Of course, once this dome house of my in-laws is done our next project is to tear this cabin down and rebuild a bigger, dome cabin at the lake but nothing else will change..it will always say “Cosgroves” on the plaque by the door. And that is all I could ask for!

So while many people will be travelling abroad this summer – we’ll be here, enjoying the view with a roasted marshmallow in hand…*sigh*

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  • dawn - You and I have the same dreams, besides the farm one I’ve always wanted to have a cabin. It would be so magical and fun. I can just imagine that icy cold lake water and all the laughing and yelling the kids would do. How lucky and sweet that you got to grow up with these memories and thankfully can do it again with your new family at a new cabin. Glad it worked out that way for you. Sorry you don’t have your childhood cabin though, that is tough. I’m sure you will make great memories at this new cabin. Can’t wait for you to share your adventures this summer.
    Thank you so much for your sweet comment on my blog, it really is nice to just sit and soak up all the good times and the kids playing. Most times I play and think of my chore list at the same time, now I am learning to just play and be in the moment.
    These are pretty pictures and cute one of you and your hubby.ReplyCancel

Its been quite a while since I shared any of my baking photos/recipes with you so I thought I would blog about some amazing chocolate crinkle cookies I whipped up on Monday for my inlaws and hubby. The recipe yields 18 cookies and within half an hour I was down by half! If that is any indication to you how good these cookies are, well then..get baking!! Warning: These are extremely chocolatey..and best served warm so their gooeyness is appreciated to its fullness!!
I didn’t take any photos of the actual prep work because it was very messy and my fingers were full of meringue and/or chocolate. But the recipe is super easy to follow and when you are all done, this is what they should look like, before hitting the oven
Bake for only 10 minutes (or until they are puffy and the tops have cracked), let them cool for about 10 mins on the pan before removing to a cooling rack {mine honestly didn’t get this far!}
And then enjoy with an ice cold glass of milk..trust me, you’ll be glad you poured it before eating!! Enjoy!
Deep Dark Chocolate Cookies
Nonstick Spray
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
3 large egg whites
2 cups icing sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 large baking sheets with non stick spray. Melt 1 cup chocolate chips in a glass bowl in the microwave, stirring twice for approx 2 minutes
Using electric mixer, beat egg whites til they form soft peaks. Gradually beat in 1/2 cup icing sugar. Continue beating until the mixture resembles marshmallow creme
Whisk 1 cup icing sugar, cocoa, cornstarch & salt in bowl. On low speed, beat dry ingredients into meringue
Stir in lukewarm chocolate and 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Place 1/2 cup of icing sugar in a bowl. Roll 1 tablespoon dough into a ball; roll in sugar, coating thickly. Place on baking sheet
Bake until puffed and tops crack, about 10 mins
recipe from divine baking
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  • dawn - These look and sound YUMMY!!! Thanks for sharing them with us. I was craving choclate today and bought a box brownie mix for tonight or tomorrow, now I really want choclate.

    I love milk with my goodies also!!!ReplyCancel

It has been a few days since I gave you all an update on my 14 beautiful ladies. Well, they are doing fabulous and I am more attached than ever! We have still not finished their coop or built their pen {poor babies} but hopefully soon it will dry out here and we can get out there and build them a run that will give them the space they deserve.

Currently they live in their coop but within the coop they are still kept in their cardboard brooder and are growing out of it fast! I cannot believe how big they have gotten in 7 weeks time – they look like chickens now, my baby chicks are officially gone {for this year ;)} They drink gallons of water now per week and eat a large bag of feed in 2-3 weeks easily. But thats alright by me, they are big & healthy and in just 2-3 months we may actually start getting eggs from them! Now, my chickens were straight run from the breeder, meaning they were not sexed. I still do not know how many roosters I have, if any. All the research I have done told me I could possibly start hearing them crow at 6 weeks and so far, to date, all I have heard is clucking..but I’m not holding my breath!

I think my ladies have gotten so beautiful – sure, they are just chickens to many..but they are beautiful pets to me that I hold, cuddle and talk to on a daily basis. They are part of my farm life dream and I am so happy that they call this farm home!

Now, I love all my chickens equally..but I do have to say I have always {since day 1} been quite partial to my silver Wyandotte, Eleanor. She was always the chick that would be more interested in looking up at me than the food or water that everyone else around here was fighting over. When I would put my hand down in the brooder she would happily oblige, jumping in to my palm and allow me to hold her for hours on end. Of course, now that she is older she does run away a little more now but won’t squawk when I pick her up and settled down for a long rest as soon as she is in my arms. In fact the other day Adam helped her climb up my shoulder where she sat, quite happily, for a long time!

Being a girl from the city, I never imagined I’d own my own chickens some day but now that it has happened for me – I couldn’t imagine it any other way!

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  • dawn - Hi Dawn,

    I love love your ladies and how happy they make you!! You should be very proud of all you’ve done and the loving care you give them. How exciting to have them in your life, have to admit to still being jealous of your farm life. Would love to wake up to this everyday. Keep doing what your doing and before long you will have eggs, yipppee!!!
    Your ladies look beautiful by the way!!ReplyCancel