Just so you know--Carrot Seeds float in milk.

This scientific update brought to you by the inquiring mind of SmallDaughter. Sadly, carrot seeds floating on milk look disturbingly insect-like. They have now been strained out of the nearly full gallon of milk. Life here is never dull!

I am pretty excited about my garden---once is stops raining enough to plant! BigGirl got home from her quilt bootcamp with my aunties, and it is nice to have her back--it is amazing what a hole one person's absence makes!

Beekeeping Spring Update

Early last week, when it FINALLY stopped snowing(!!!) and warmed up above 50 degrees, I took the insulation off my beehive and was really bummed to find piles of dead bees. It was really traumatic, even though I knew their odds weren't good in the super cold.

This is a Langstroth Hive like Mine.

Two days later I picked up my new hive, from a friend who wanted to try beekeeping, but then ended up taking a new job clear across the country--so he said I could have his hive, which is a totally different type,which I have been excited to try. After consulting with experts last year, I found out the best way to move the hive was to:
1.Wait until spring, so they had eaten their honey stores, and the colony was at its smallest level, so the hive is lighter,
and
2.Wait until after dark so all the bees are inside sleeping, load it in the back of a truck, haul it to its new home (my backyard), and (still in the dark) unload it at it's new spot.
The ground had finally dried out enough to back the truck up, and the loading went very smoothly! YAY! I got the new hive set up around 10:45pm and dropped exhaustedly into bed. PERFECT TIMING! It started to rain during the night and didn't really stop all week.

This is a top bar hive like Dave's.

I really tried in the fall to make sure they had plenty of food, since I suspected that it would be a long, cold winter (HAH! Called that one!), but I knew the odds weren't very good for either hive. I have been pretty bummed since it appeared that neither hive survived the winter, but was too cold and rainy to do anything about it, so I just ignored it.

Today the sun came out, and I got to go out and check them and--

HALLELUJAH!

Both hives survived and have activity! Yay,YAY,YAY!! I am really happy that I gave them a lot of food, I think it may have made the difference!

In other news:
Saturday before last, SmallDaughter dropped my cake plate, and a piece of the broken glass cut the knuckle of her ring finger. So, we got to drive through the nasty, icy, sloppy snow (we ended up with 4 inches!), to the Emergency Room. The only reason for the ER visit was to get glued and splinted, because I knew she would keep breaking it open. I am grateful I was able to take BigGirl and her sweet friend Miss M, who kept pressure on the bleeding wound, and then kept her entertained and happy (she was very bored in the ER, and kept signing "all done")!

The cake plate incident distracted me from cleaning up the "bottle of black RIT dye all over the bathroom" incident. It looked like a troop of orcs were slaughtered in there!

The boys are all planning and plotting for a multi-week campout (consisting of most of the summer) in the woods behind the extra boy's grandma's house. With Machetes. And fire. I am...resigned. But doing a happy, hopeful, honey inspired dance!


--

Some long awaited pictures!

I have been to busy to post--finally here is some proof!
Here is my lovely cousin Miss B as Maria in "The Sound of Music" in the wedding dress I made/remade for her. She was truly spectacular, and I was not the only person to notice that she was by far the best actress in the production!

And, here is a truly terrible picture of the little Belly Dancer costume for Miss K's niece's birthday.

I also hemmed a really beautiful bridesmaid dress, but I don't have any pictures of that.
I am still working on the Prom dresses. I promise I will post pictures.


Eventually.

Better Late than Never, right?

So, I have had a request to restart my blog.
One of my favorite bloggers just finished up a "blog challenge", and I thought I would give it a try.
However-I just reviewed my calendar, and--the next couple of weeks look pretty crazy--even crazier than usual. Some of the crazy includes:
*Making a wedding dress (1/2 done--for my sweet cousin, Miss B, who is playing Maria in "The Sound of Music")
*Altering an existing princess dress for Miss C, who is the queen in her school play
*Making a prom dress (also for Miss C)
*Teaching early morning seminary--and prepping for the Quad Stake Seminary Activity and dance next Saturday)
*Planning for Girl's Camp (I just got called to be the leader)
*Helping with the Young Women's Chili Cook-off fundraiser
*Preparing my Gospel Doctrine lesson
*Visiting with my dear Aunt S, who just flew in from California,
and
(Yay oh YAY!) STARTING SMALLDAUGHTER'S RIDING THERAPY CLASSES--she has missed her horsies ALL winter long!

Just a little explanation of why the blog challenge may have to wait!

Progress

After my last post on the Temple, I think it is pretty appropriate that I come back to blogging after a day spent at the Temple. It was beautiful. And I got to be there with my baby brother and sister--the youngest ones in our large family (with me, the oldest). I spent a lot of time praying for the people I love--Miss K, who just had surgery yesterday, Miss P, who is still having problems with her eyes, my sweet cousins who are expecting babies--and the one who just lost a dearly anticipated baby. It was nice to do service for others, and sweet to recieve blessings for myself.

ALSO--for those who haven't heard--I got a new calling in church! After years in Young Women's and Primary, I am now the Gospel Doctrine Teacher in the Adult Sunday School Class! And, I'm teaching Old Testament, which is MY FAVORITE! so, I am pretty pumped!

The Beautiful Temple

The Temple is a very precious and important part of my life, and like all good things I love to share it! I love this beautiful movie about Temple Worship. It is neat to me to see Temples I have been too, as well as those I haven't had a chance to attend yet! The sealing room brings back wonderful memories of the day I knelt across from my beloved, and we were sealed together as a family--not just until "Death do us part" but for Time and All Eternity.

We were married in the Washington, DC Temple, and my youngest sister is currently serving as a Missionary on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. Temples have always been important to me, and I am happy to share this beautiful movie with others!

The Party Never Stops (REALLY!)

I am beginning the New Year on a wonderful note--with a house full of youth who are awesome, having a party that has been going on for 4 days now, and doesn't show much sign of stopping! It evolves as it goes along--it started out as just girls having a "Disney Movie Marathon" (which included a theater trip to see "Frozen" on the big screen--we all loved it!), and then morphed into a New Years Eve party with both guys and girls, which involved moonlight sledding, mixing up all kinds of crazy mixed (non-alcoholic) drinks, all kinds of junk food, and a LOTS of laughing! Everybody slept until noon today, and then they pitched in to clean up and cook yummy food, so I'm not complaining!

People come, people go, but the laughing and talking go on and on!