Rachael Eliker's Blog, page 68
October 30, 2015
Autumn Afternoon
A panoramic view from our deck.We've been having some gorgeous fall weather at our place and we're trying to take advantage of it as much as possible before it's dreary and cold and no fun to go outside. Sometimes we like to do stuff together but most of the time, once we're out the door, we scatter.
Everyone doing their own thing.Being able to go outside without worrying where everyone is is a huge blessing. I check on the girls every once in a while, but usually they're content to play on th...
October 28, 2015
Defending the Hive
Nothing left...Before we got bees, I always assumed they were hearty, indestructible insects that nobody (other than maybe a bear) would want to mess with. I've quickly learned they're quite sensitive and though they possess a temper and a stinger, they're still delicate and vulnerable. If it's not an unexpectedly frigid winter, it might be too much moisture, not enough air flow, hive beetles, wax moths, a variety of diseases or in our case this year, wasps.
Sorry little chipmunk! Snickers was...
October 27, 2015
Pre-Halloween
The butterfly witch.Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. It's a combination of the beautiful weather, the gorgeous leaves, a hint of spookiness amid the fun, dressing up and of course, candy.
Kate aged overnight!We always put up our decorations early in October and after Jack discovered the face paints at the bottom of one of the boxes and immediately began decorating the girls, I've endured a month long barrage of queries regarding when they'd be able to go trick or treating...
October 26, 2015
Hay Hopping
Queen of the hay bales!Ever since Claire saw Jack jumping from bale to bale last year, she wanted to give it a try. This year, I had our hay guy drop the round bales off for our little piggies closer together so she could do hay hopping on her own.Claire hay hopping...I love her laugh at the end.
She was out there for hours.
Joining in the fun, Jack instigated a game of tag on top of the hay when he got home.
Evelyn's it!And me? I was conversing with a very pleasant two month old.
Henry had...
October 25, 2015
Sunday Morning
The view last SundayWhat do muck boots, a dress, Raven, doing early morning farm chores before church, beautiful autumn leaves, quiet time and frost with bright, clear sunshine have in common?A perfect Sunday morning, in my opinion.
October 24, 2015
Better-Than-Boxed Brownies
Chewy, chocolaty and decadent? Yeah, way better than boxed brownies!Ingredients:
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 cup sugar
11 Tablespoons butter (1 stick + 3 Tablespoons)
2 eggs, cold
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 325F. Line an 8x8 or 9x9 inch pan with parchment or foil sprayed with cooking spray. Melt butter and add sugar. Heat for about another minute or until sugar is disso...
October 23, 2015
Photos at the Farm
Our growing family!One reoccurring goal we'll be trying to complete every year is to take professional family photos. It's not that I don't take plenty of pictures of the girls, the animals, of Jack doing silly things or projects we're working on, but it's pretty rare that we get photos of all of us together when we're dressed nicely and smiling. Here are a few of the photos our friend Tasha managed to get.
Tasha came to us and we took photos at the farm!Smile, Evelyn!
Evelyn and her...
October 22, 2015
DIY Fleece Ghost
We love decorating for Halloween but have a hard time buying things from the store that cost an arm and a leg and are made from what feels like foam and balsa wood (or things that are incredibly gory--we like Halloween fun, not gross). Here's one of our new additions to the Halloween decor this year and here's how to make this fun, not-too-scary ghost!You'll Need:
Fleece
White yarn
Batting
Hot glue or needle and thread
Twine
Fabric paint or permanent marker
Fabric scissors
Wire
Wire Cutters
1. Shape wi...
October 21, 2015
100 Years of Rolls Royce
Say, "Hi!" Jack!A few weeks back, Rolls Royce threw a party to celebrate 100 years of innovative work in the aerospace industry. Having worked for Rolls Royce for about three years, Jack was invited to attend the gathering at the airport where several of the planes that Jack has personally helped design were on display.
The girls liked this one because it had a mouth.Though it took us a while to get there ("a while" being a bit of an understatement) because we had to ride a shuttle bus from th...
October 18, 2015
Toothless
How exciting!Evelyn, after much anticipation watching all of her kindergarten classmates lose a tooth after tooth, has finally lost one of her own now that she's in first grade. At the rate they're starting to wiggle, she'll be toothless in no time.
