You know I love to move. So, this time I'm moving my blogs. I've been cleaning and post-nesting..lol. My blogs have been moved to a new address.

Our Homeschool blog has moved to Oak Blossoms Academy
My Personal Blog has moved to Oak Blossoms

I don't think this would work well in Washington State. But, what a ingenious thought especially for sunny low-economic areas. I wish I could talk someone into giving it a go.

Green Rabbits

Once in awhile I check to see what new books are in/on order for our library system. I noticed Peter Rabbit "The Green edition". I had to go searching because I had some inner worry that someone had changed the book. Come to find out it's the entire product line.

Interesting tidbit. And, yes I did know how interested she was in the environment and the Lake District.

It is a girl!!!

I made the doctor tell me three times. The third time he got a really good shot of her parts and gave me a nice scientific in detail description of what everything was and will be.

Ultrasound is coming..

So, tomorrow is the ultrasound. All my boys are coming, so I hope all is well in there. I just started worrying about what if there was bad news and my boys had to be there for it. Ugh.

Also, got my directions for the next appointment and my Gestational Diabetes test. My last pregnancy I had it and I had to fast for the 1 hour. I'm curious how it will go this time. I haven't been feeling so hot unless I keep my protein up. This means I've been eating cheese, cottage cheese, eggs, fish, and chicken. I've had red meat twice, but boy is it difficult. I'm terrified of mad cow disease. I'm normally a vegetarian, so it's a bit much some times. I definitely feel the dairy stuffiness that I grew up with. But, feeling better is worth it, even if I'm stuffy. I'm jealous of all those Vegan and Vegetarian moms.

I'm just a gypsy married to a displaced surfer boy

Being that it's still winter in Washington I'm craving a move to California. My poor Californian husband is molding something terrible. We are so sorry we left. For some reason it makes me feel better thinking about living in little spaces and enjoying some sun again. Come this summer I know we will feel better.

Green Kitchen's cute little cabin
The cute little kitchen in Delights former apartment.
A rustic kitchen.

A salvaged kitchen.

I look at other people's blogs and they are making so much of their lives. They are sharing all the sweet little things. You probably think I dress in black and cry my day away. I don't. I love my family. I'm happy with my life. I don't think it's a the grass is greener syndrome. I just enjoy the change & challenge.

Sharing the Harvest: A Guide to Community Supported Agriculture by Elizabeth Henderson

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I'm really enjoying this book so far. I just picked it up because I've been interested in CSA's the last few years. This book talks about the use of an account for CSA to allow those on foodstamps (which is now on a debit like card) to access CSA's. So, I guess I'll start searching for one that might possible accept my card. I would love to see some of my food money go somewhere better. The town we live in now is just not as supportive of an organic lifestyle.


View all my reviews.

An article to about being a CSA and how to accept food stamps/ebt cards.

As part of my search I found that a local group is trying to come up with some wise shopping alternatives to what is available at the moment. The Tacoma Food Coop is working on forming, but they have been working since 2006. Oh I hope there is a turn in the road soon for this. This area is definitely a low income area of Washington. Yet our housing prices are ridiculously high. I think growing and supporting our local farms is a movement for the people not just some luxury.

Planting Grass inside

I'm always looking for ways to bring the outdoors in. My husband and I are summer people. We just cannot wait for summer and right now we are just pushing through Winter.

I love the idea of planting grass in pots inside. I've seen wheat grass for cats and juicers, but I think I might just have to plant some for beauty. Imagine that. I mean how hard can it be to grow a pot of grass.

Here are some more links:

Growing Grass Indoors
Apartment Therapy Indoor Grass and Troubleshooting
Grow a grass houseplant
Greensun sustainable Easter Basket

I just changed this photo a bit. I then realized I haven't really been taking photos at all since I've been sick. Ugh. I'm going to start carrying my camera around again. Honestly we just don't get out much here because we have to drive. I don't mind driving. It's that we use to go for walks to get out and there was so much to see. Not really much to see around here but a neighborhood and if you leave the neighborhood you better keep an eye on where you are walking so you don't get run over (no side walk).

Not quite 20 weeks (had to come back and update this one!)

I'm wearing a Bella Band with my pants in this one, so it looks really round.

Here you can see where the top of my uterus is at. Right down that middle line.

Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul by John Eldredge

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I must note that I tried to read this book once before. I felt the same way many of the reviewers have. It's fluff. And, I have to admit I still don't like the writing style much. There are a lot of quotes and poor placement of the quotes. But, I might be too picky on that. The writing style is the reason I gave it a 4 and not a 5.



But, honestly I think I just needed to wait for a better time in my life. I'm a lot closer to God at this point. I have had some huge heart changes in my life. I never see myself as I long haired dress wearing girl. So, if you think I've gone to that side you would be mistaken. I'm still a short haired, jean, and converse wearing kind of girl. I'm still mistaken as a sister and not a mother of my children. I still have that kiss of youth.



I don't know how much this book is helping me personally. But, it really has helped me to look at the women around me and see where their pain is. I don't always know how to relate to women are at different places in their lives, who have made different choices. This has helped me see them in a different life, so that I can be a better friend.



I grew up with mostly guy friends and have always had difficulties with having girlfriends. But, this is really opening my eyes and my hearts to the relationships I do have know and how I can help improve them...because I am at a point in my life where I desire deeper relationships with women. I'm married and relationships with men just don't fulfill me anymore. I have my husband and I just don't need to be that close to other men.


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What will I do...the library catalog is not working today?

I want to see if they have books with the illustrator Alison Jay, Plain and Simple (it's about the Amish), and the creative family.

Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food by Gene Baur

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was an interesting History about Farm Sanctuary. It's always fascinating to read about how something develops out of nothing but a dream or even a passing thought.


View all my reviews.

Waste, Websites, Soymilk boxes

I've had enough energy to sit at the computer lately. I miss my little iBook and staying in bed when I don't feel well. (I know how many times does she have to tell us this?), so I thought I would share some new places I've found instead of just writing run on sentences and adding them to my reader....

My Zero Waste
is a well put together site. They say it's just a blog, but wow blow my socks right off. I enjoy putting out little waste from our house. We haven't been as good since I'm doing none of the shopping. But, my mom did point out that we hardly ever use that second trash can that she pays for each month. I told her we put out very little garbage. We live with my parents and grandmother, but it's my parents house and it's actually divided into a duplex. We do have an inside entrance so the boys can bug my parents just enough to not forget they have grandchildren living downstairs.

Simple, Green, Frugal Co-op
is a next mish mash of writers who write on a variety of topics. It's nice to read through because it melds well, yet it's a change of pace to hear from different writers.

We don't drink dairy milk. We usually buy the big box of aseptic boxed soymilk at Costco. They don't recycle those here. They did in our last city. But, not here. It's probably the thing that fills up our trash can now. So, I'm thinking of just purchasing a soymilk maker, probably the Soyajoy when we have more money in the summer. I've read you can make other milks, too. I would love to make Almond milk and I'm curious if I could make hemp. I haven't read anything reliable on that yet. I love the hemp milk. But, the cheapest I've found it is $31 US dollars per case from Azure. I can't justify that.

Cleaning up my reading list...

I just went to clean up my reading list. I can't believe how little we have been reading. I just couldn't read at all while I was sick. I'm still struggling to retain information. I think I'm just that tired. I did start Farm Sanctuary and it's been really interesting and a good read so far. I was worried I couldn't stomach it, but maybe I needed something more technical to chew on. I don't know, but it seems to be working. I think Monday I'll get back to reading aloud to the boys. I think we could all really use that, but that's a different blog now isn't this. This is my blog.

While at goodreads (where I keep my reading list) I realized how much those lists are like my life. I have a bunch of lists on there and they aren't really doing much. I expected way too much reading for all of this for the year. With three boys it's just makes no sense to separate them for reading. There is a good middle ground for all of them. I guess I'll just leave those lists there until I wake up and realize I don't want them hanging over me.

I felt like I had done really well to simplify and get into a certain groove. And, then my life took another sudden turn and here I am. Moved, pregnant, sick, a new home, a new church, a not so new town. I felt so settled in Seattle and honestly my parents town, where I live now, is a really wonderful town. Full of wonderful people. But, they just aren't as hippy, dippy, crunchy as we are.

But, this is Washington State and I know they must be out there. There must be someone who still wears Birkenstocks and socks!!!

Big Businesses, Christmas Memories

Looking at this map of the Growth of Walmart brought on some Christmas memories for me. I think because my dh family is really into Black Friday and they all go bonkers and buy a ton of stuff. My dh and I don't see the point. I don't want a present just so I can open something. We did get some really thoughtful presents this year. A nice framed picture of our boys and a framed silhouette of each boy.

But, I realized this Christmas that since becoming a family our favorite Christmases have been the ones where we lived out of state. My favorite was Southern California when I wore shorts and a tank top and we went looking for a place open for Breakfast. Our tree was maybe a foot high and that was all we could fit in our 400 sq ft cabin. But, it was lovely and sweet and meaningful.

We have had very little money these last few months, so we did not get our children presents. But, many other people did. We still ended up opening presents 3 times. My parents did tone it down this year and yet my children were still happy...surprise. The most used gifts so far have been the board games. I went shopping with my mom and we decided to get board games so we could go upstairs and have game and pizza nights. The boys love them!

I like spending time with family (we live with my parents and Grandmother) and my husband's family. It's so nice to have this time with them again, especially my Grandma whom I spent a lot of time with as a young child. But, sometimes I realize how truly different my husband and I can be from our own families. How we have melded together and formed our own little definition of family. I hope I can respect that as my own children grow and join their wives.

Having snow in Washington State was lovely for the boys. My parents have a huge hill for sledding and we got snowed in a few days.

I hope I don't sound cynical about Christmas or Holidays in general. I do love Holidays. I just don't want to be another family celebrating presents and giving. I want to celebrate Christmas and be thankful for the birth of Christ.

Bump, Bump, Bump

Literally, I have a big bump growing on my belly.

We are expecting our 4th child in June!!! I made an announcement on my other blog already, but then I got really sick and haven't been doing anything. Well, I've been vomiting, loosing weight, and sleeping...but that is about it.

I feel so much better this week though. So, I think I'm ready to start enjoying the growth of my baby.