Rachael Eliker's Blog, page 47
March 22, 2017
The Mud Princess Strikes Again
Claire has always had a thing for mud, which has led to her being dubbed The Mud Princess. She has made an appearance before, lathering herself up with the plenteous mud we seem to have around here.
Except this time, she's recruited others.Sigh.
At least it was bath night and they didn't get their clothes too muddy.
Henry was the only one who wasn't sure about it...but who am I kidding? He plays in sawdust. Of course, he enjoyed himself.He just didn't like being caught. Busted!
And at least...
March 20, 2017
Three Years Since
It's been three years since Jack reaffirmed how awesome he is and brought home Raven, a huge, HUGE surprise to me. Though she's still timid, she integrated quickly into the family and enjoys spending every minute she can with us. Sometimes she sneaks out the door and jumps in the car when I'm not looking, if the kids are outside playing, she's always standing nearby, she loves camping, jogging, and hotel stays with us.
Since coming home, she has learned to fetch (and is working on drop it) and...
March 18, 2017
Lucky Us!
Fruit rainbow, cream cheese fruit dip, and gold candies? Win!What's better than rainbows, candy, the possibility of spotting a leprechaun, or being decked out in green?
Family visiting for spring break!Lucky us!
March 12, 2017
Our Little Monster
Our little monster!It seems like only yesterday that Henry was born, we had the hardest time naming him, and we and his sisters fell instantly in loved with the Goliath of a baby boy. But here we are, on the cusp of another new baby, and it's been incredible to see how much everyone has changed in the last eighteen months, especially Henry--gone are the days of him as an innocent, helpless, baby. Now, he's practically a grown man.
Pumping iron.I doubt Henry understands that soon, he won't be t...
March 9, 2017
Bonafide
All the boys are loving the new tractor.We've been in the market for a tractor for a loooong time. Seriously, we've been thinking of investing in one for years but the right tractor for the right price has never come up. Until recently. A friend from work offered his old but reliable tractor with several useful attachments for a great price. So, we used some of our tax return and became bonafide farmers, tractor and all.
Jack (and Henry, for that matter) have already bush hogged a neighbo...
March 7, 2017
The Ties That Bind
In our family, there are a lot of ties that bind. Like mud squishing around in the mud...
...large machinery, especially tractors...
...farm chores (even better if there's a ride in a wheelbarrow involved)...
...making meals...
...patting the horses on the nose...
...climbing hay bales...
...talking to grandma...
...drawing and quartering daddy...
...or dogpiling on him.
Power tools...
...and ridiculous cat jokes.
Collecting the maple sap...
...and dragging it to the house to boil.
Sorting clothes for a n...
March 6, 2017
Business Cards
While looking over my goals for the year, I decided a pretty easy one to check off would be having business cards made. DONE!Thanks to Perry Elisabeth Designs for the great work!(Check them out if you're looking for a graphic designer!)
Another goal crossed off the 2017 list!
March 4, 2017
Chicago
Functional artwork in our hotel room!Jack had a work convention up in Chicago this week so we decided it would be a fun little trip to go up and join him. He arrived Wednesday and we joined him Thursday afternoon, surviving the drive by snacking and watching a couple of movies along the way. The kids are pretty darn good travelers.
We'd been to The Windy City before, but it was a really quick trip and it was more to visit Jack's mom who was there for work than to see the city. Though this...
March 1, 2017
Longback
Smile everyone! Okay, Stoney, you just keep eating.When we bought Stoney as a greenie two-year-old, he had pretty good proportions. But, as he grew, it was mostly his back that kept getting longer and longer, while his poor legs didn't grow to match. As a result, he's a longback paint who always had trouble with collection movements in dressage but can jump spreads like they're nothin'. Also, the elongated back has come in handy the more kids we have. I think the record so far has been s...
February 28, 2017
Whole Wheat Pancakes
Light, fluffy, and whole wheat pancakes? Yes, please!Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup quick oats
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg
1 cup milk or 1/2 cup whey and 1/2 cup milk
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup add-ins like chocolate chips, fruit, nuts, etc (optional)
Sift together dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk egg and milk (or whey and milk). Add in brown sugar, vanilla, and yogurt and stir until smooth. A...
