We've been trying to invite one family over a week and branch out to get to know some aquaintances bettter.   We invited another homescholing family with four children almost the same ages as our children.  It was SO much fun!   I never thought I'd say this, but it was so very incredibly beneficial to me to leave our church last year!  We were members and we didn't want to be considered "church hoppers" but it just was not a healthy place for me.  Early on I somehow got the label of boring and lame and for some insane reason felt I had to act that way- the good ole self fufilling prohecy for my education days. You tell a child they are no good and not going to amount to anything, they won't prove you wrong! (generally speaking of course)  So I spent almost five years being miserable and feeling left out.  Labels are very restricting things for people, I sure hope I can remember these feelings and  not unitentionally label others or my children!  But anyhow we began attending a church that met in the evenings and quite a few people I knew from high school attend and I was great fun in high school.  So they simply expected me to still be fun and suddenly I was able to be!  So I've been having great fun getting to know people- lots of it!!  I'm sure it will take me a while to totally be able to move out of my shell, but it's been so refreshing,  To clarify I'm sure no one from our other church would ever say anything negative about me, but it's just the actions- my "friends" would go somewhere and not even ask me "since I wouldn't go anyway"  just a whole bunch of little things that added up to a whole lot of hurt for me.  I can feel myself closing up whenever I spend time with people from the other church.  I hope it time I can truly get over it and enjoy spending time with them, especially since our neighbors attend the other church and I know she has a great heart- I just totally cringe sometimes.  This turned a bit long winded and is pretty personal for me- I'm not one to share too much personal stuff. 

We had my cousin and her family over for a BBQ yesterday and it was SO good to be with them.  It had been a long time since we've gotten together.  It was so nice to talk to her and she really understood where I was coming from in certain areas.  We recently left our church due to lots and lots of reasons and it's been hard for me.  The church has basically shattered and while it's continuing on and picking up the pieces, much of the original members have left.  Yet the church is continuing to grow and change which is good.  There was talk about home church, but I t hink the fear of having "one leader" has truly stopped anything formal from starting.  There are periodic impromtu worship services or sharing services which are wonderful, but to be honest I missed corporate worship.  So we started attending a new church in the area who meets on Sunday evening.  I've been loving it and feel such a peace- I never realized how great the tension had grown in the other church until I visited.  But Matt's not 100% mainly because the pastor of the "new" church was the overseer of the "old" church and Matt thinks the pastor sees us as abondoners or church jumpers (which I don't feel)  Part of me is afraid to get attached, but this church is filled with WONDERFUL people I'd love to get to know so much better.

My cousin's family recently changed churches as well (totally different churches) but it was nice to talk to someone who knew exactly how it felt, but wasn't intimately aquainted with exactly what had gone on in our church.  So it was a very nice afternoon.

This must be the year of new buildings around here.  My dad bought me a greenhouse for my last birthday and we set it up over the weekend.  I LOVE it!!!  It's just what I wanted and although we have to rig up a more secure way to hold the panels in, it will be so much fun!  I've already set my seeds I had started in it and they are sprouting and pointing straight up and not leaning towards the light from the window (grow lights were never for me)  Here's a picture (of course, a picture is worth 1,000 words!)

Matt was working hard tightening the final screws (what a guy!) and *N* was looking at me but turned last second (don't you love her boots with her sundress? )

Wow- it's been a while since I've posted.  It's been a sick winter and now spring around here.  The stomach bug has made it's way around TWICE to certain members of the family- the youngest two of course!  If I was the complaining sort I'd even mention that it's SNOWING up here!!  Thankfully I'm not the complaing type.    The biggest news is we are hatching chickens- or attempting too anyway!  We borrowed an incubator from 4H and bought some eggs from friends that have a rooster (and hens of course!)  It's day 4 and so far I can't tell if any of them are fertile!  Maybe we need new batteries for the maglite.  I'm sure it must be strong enough to candle the eggs.  But then again I realy have NO clue what I'm looking for, but it's fun anyhow.  We are hatching rhode island reds, which is cool since I like brown eggs- seems more organic to me.  So hopefully in 3 weeks we'll have some cute little chick pictures- I'd take a picture now, but I'm pretty sure you've all seen eggs before.  =)

That's all for now let me see what new pictures I've uploaded to photobucket to thrill you all with

Oh here's one of a blanket and hat I'm working on for a baby boy due in August.  Cute isn't it?

And one of *N* new doll modeling the hat

Just a few pictures to fill in some of the last two week gap.  Two birthdays and a TON of snow later-  here we are in the middle of another snow storm, but I must admit that after all the lake effect (which is totally crazy for those that have never experienced it- blizzarding now and 2 miles away sunny skies!) it's pretty lame.  Every single school in the area (state practically) is closed and Northern NY is not one that shies away from a little snow so I was a bit surprised.  But anyhow a snow day doesn't affect us (much to my oldest's dismay!)