Casner Family Blog

Just last year around this time our friends Suzanne and Chris were in Haiti bringing home their daughters, Lovely and Rosalynda. After 2 years of waiting for the girls, they were picking them up. I just keep thinking of the miracle that they are here safe with  Chris and Suzanne and still not in Haiti today.

I’m praying for more miracles to happen for Haitians today after the 7.0 earthquake hit January 12.

Through Suzanne’s blog is a link to a family in Haiti with information. Ways to help.

Getting back to the routine has been a bit limited with VBS this week, but we are somewhat getting into a new groove. Time with the new chicks, Matheau’s reading C.S. Lewis’ “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” aloud, time with each other, piano practice and lessons, fresh bread and home cooked food, lots of laundry, work in the garden… yes, things are getting a bit more normal.

Normal does not mean were not missing K-Kaua’i, there are lots of photos (and a couple of videos) uploaded here and here.

*And if you are curious about the colors of the photos, well, I’m playing with some actions, please bear with me. 🙂

Only they now live at our house and will someday lay eggs. 17 chicks arrived yesterday morning. They all have been named and received much attention since then. 

Alli’s “new” jeans.

Finished mittens for the chilly morning.

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Three fresh eggs a day…

Yesterday I joined the ranks of all the other Moms taking pictures of their children in front of the school to help record their first day. I have been preparing for the first day for several months. Ever since the decision was made that Hannah would attend public school this year, it has been on my mind. It is not an easy transition to go from total control over your child’s education, to letting a whole group of people (not including yourself) make the decision. I know God allowed me to already know and love her teacher, or I don’t think I could have let go so easily. Wednesday evening, to help ease my first day of school jitters, I stitched up another napkin to surprise Hannah with for Thursday.

 

I made homemade white bread-her favorite and along with her fruit vegetables, packed her one of her favorite cookies.  Hannah’s lunch:sandwich made with homemade bread, all natural peanut butter and low sugar jelly. Tomatoes, cucumbers, cherries and a sugar cookie. Stitchery pattern from Wee Wonderfuls.   

  

Her lunch was much easier to pack then preparing Luke’s meals have been. He has always been a picky eater, now it is magnified 1000%. If he isn’t asking about purchasing a new pocket knife, he is asking about something to eat.Thankfully, I think Matheau found something else Luke likes, helping drive the tractor. Dad and son had a few lessons last night.

  

 I was walking down to the house from putting the hens up for the night and I saw them switch seats. My walk turned into a dash to the house to grab my camera.   

After Suzanne heard about the loss of our hens, she brought over four hens. Thank you Suzanne!! Here are a couple of photos. They are so much bigger then our other three… 

 

 

 

 

 

Not often does Luke hang out with the girls and Ollie. But, he really wants to earn more money this summer, so he has decided he doesn’t mind helping with them sometimes.

  

 

Besides helping with the hens and rooster(s?), we are going to have some bake sales. This Friday there will be fresh lemonade, lemon sandwich cake with filling and cherries, sugar cookies and something with chocolate. Tomorrow will include some baking. :) 

Martha may not be martha, she may actually be a he. We will keep you posted. If you remember how hard it was to determine if Mac was a boy or girl-4 name changes – we aren’t exactly good at determining gender on animals. 🙂

   

The hens roosting after a long day enjoying worms and weeds.  

Finishing up our official year of school, planting, getting the land ready for planting, cleaning up outside and in, the endless demand of laundry, cooking with real food, classes and special events, gift-making… I just keep wishing I could get by without sleep and not be grumpy!!       

We are missing one of our hens, Princess Leah. She disappeared Thursday morning. Two of the hens had some how gotten out of the runner, we found the white rock, but not our americauna, she was a pretty hen too. It makes me sad every time I think about it.  We had rain again this week – a lot of rain – so everything is still pretty wet. Yesterday, while planting iris bulbs from my friend Suzanne, a beautiful new rose bush and flowers from Matheau, I moved the strawberries and lavender.  My lettuce is still standing in water in some places, hopefully the sun shining today will help try it out.      

Our black raspberries are looking good, but surrounded by poison oak, hopefully I will get that cleaned up a bit, along with some wild honey suckle moved closer to the house today or tomorrow. Well, time for some lunch! I hope your weekend is full of things you enjoy doing!  

    

Here is Liz. How they do grow. 

   

(This past weekend.) 

 

   

(6 weeks ago.)  

 Here is a bit of breakfast. The recipe for the yogurt spread is from Tessa Kiros’ book “Apples for Jam”. I received it interlibrary loan, but it is one I want to own. I’ve had it since Friday and have already tried two of the recipes.