My new Hat....and I love it.

Well....What do you think?? For the past few weeks, I've been getting a ton of compliments on my Orange hat with the big flower on the front. I figured since it was such a smash, that it was time for a trip to Anthropologie for another one (my favorite store!). Anyhow, I found this one, tried it on, and it fit like a glove. To my surprise when I got home, it was the same brand as the orange hat. Awesome....So, next time you see me, I will probably be sportin' this hat. Cheers everyone:)

Another visit to Canterbury Farm

We just love this place....mainly because our kids loves horses.....and since my husband was raised on a working horse farm, it brings back fond memories for him.

This is Renegade Angel. One of Steve's horses he bred last spring. This little colt sure has some spunk. He starting showing off as soon as we walked over to the fence.

This is Xanthus. The kids have really taken a liking to him.....

Especially Eleanor:)

Xanthus again....

Eleanor enjoying a bike ride with grandpa....

Pondering thoughts.....

Here is just one of the horse barns.....there are over 160 horses on this farm and they are all pure bred Polish Arabians.

The kids had just finished feeding the horses hay....

And course after playing all day in the horse manure and hay, we needed a bath huh?
Yup, a good time was had by all!
Good night folks.
XOXO
April

This is how we roll.....

Gotta love a hard workin' man.

Splitting firewood on his week off ......

It's hard work, but I think he rather enjoys it....

You know I had to take a swing or two....

nd wouldn't ya know I actually split the wood?
Word.
XOXO
April

From Our Home To Yours

 

I just wanted to take a minute and reflect on this past year as a family. We had a pretty exciting year and did some pretty darn cool things. I can't believe the year is almost over!! It just blows my mind that Christmas is here and the New Year is about to begin. I'd like to think that we are very blessed to be together and I am eternally thankful for my beautiful family. It's all I ever really wanted and God has been more than generous.

From our travels this summer in New England, to an overdue getaway cruise with my husband, this year has been great. I am looking forward to what 2011 brings for us! Wishing all my friends and family the gift of faith, hope, and His blessing, always.

XOXO

April 

Grandma's famous sugar cookies

Every year for Christmas, the kids and I make sugar cookies. I have my mother's cookie cutters that we used when I was a kid (Christmas trees, angels, gingerbread men, and stars) and we use my grandmother's sugar cookie recipe.  I always seem to get compliments on how yummy they are, so thought I'd share. It's very simple, so good luck.

 ~Grandma Gigi's Sugar Cookies

1 cup margarine/butter softened 

1 cup of sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. baking powder

3 cups flour

~Icing

1 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

1/4 tsp. vanilla or lemon flavoring

2-3 tsp. milk

1-2 drops of your desired food coloring

Installation Woodstove Complete!

We finally finished our wood stove. And what a mess it was....but I do have to admit, it was SO worth the trouble. Back in November, (after we got back from our cruise to the Bahamas), I knew we had to do something about our heating situation and fast. Fall had gotten here and the chilly mornings were getting fierce. Every year, we struggle to pay the oil bill. And with the cost of oil getting to be over $3.00 a gallon I just knew we couldn't afford to do it again for the 5th year. So I figured, instead of dumping money into oil that literally burns away, I said, let's invest in putting a wood stove in our house. I'm not gonna lie, we didn't quite agree on this at first. There were questions about where it would go, and how we would install it since Steven nor I had any knowledge of doing something like this before. So, we got the wood stove. Step 1 done. Then came the question of do we use our existing chimney or install a new one?? When we saw the cost of stainless steel chimney pipe our jaws about hit the floor. We had NO idea how expensive it was!! But it was getting cold and we needed to make a decision quick. So, with a LOT of research, we decided to go straight up through our ceiling and out our roof. This saved us about $250 in pipe in the long run. So far so good, no house fires....yet. But here is the finished product....big shout-out to my Dad for guiding us in the right direction.

P.S.

Guess who can build a fire better than her husband? That's right, me:)