Country Living

window from dinning room--just eating my morning cereal :)

I get asked a lot if I like living out in the country.  I think it is too early for me to answer it honestly, but we have had a lot of interesting-turned-funny experiences that have taught me a lot about myself.  We came from living 4 minutes from Costco to now 30 minutes.  The nearest grocery store is 15 minutes away.  I have learned A LOT about chickens, turkeys and even ducks--from what they eat to what they...well...poop!  I love the peace of living in the country, it can be so quiet that when a cow "moos" I think my cell phone is vibrating.  We have had a variety of baby birds that have been raised in our living room over the past two months.  There has been a permanent "chirping" sound through out our house!  I have also learned that even though we have a well on our property that it still requires electricity to pump the water.  Daryl had a kick out of helping me understand that one.  Our electricity hasn't been high but I just had never  really "thought" about how the water got to our house!  At night it is REALLY dark.  The first week we moved here we were coming home from an errand at night and actually missed our house!  It was so dark we couldn't even see it!  The stars are beautiful at night.  When you try to log in to your wireless internet you are the only name that pulls up.  The UPS lady knows you by name and honks the horn when she drives up the hill.  Although she might only know us by name because Daryl orders all his shirts online:)  Since we don't really know a lot of people yet Evelyn and Jane have become the best of play mates.  When we go to the store Evelyn holds long conversations with the check-out lady and tells her all about her life...it usually goes like this "excuse me...hi!  My name is Evelyn and my birthday is on August 25th and I will be going to kindergarten."  The check out lady kindly nodds.  "My dad is a beekeeper and he takes care of bees...we live really far away and have chickens that will lay eggs in September."  Check out lady starting to get a little more curious and then Evelyn continues to answer any questions she might have about country living.  It is actually pretty hilarious and happens almost every time we go to the store.  Usually the "my dads a beekeeper" line draws the most hilarious responses.

Our newest addition--introducing "Lucky Duck"

All of our chickens have finally grown feathers and our now living outside.  Just when my house was getting quiet Daryl and Evelyn bring home two baby turkeys and two ducks!!!  YAY!  Actually that was not my response!  I was really frustrated because I had just gone through the chick phase for the last month and was kind of happy to have them outside and done with it.  But then something happened!  The baby duck started following Jane around where ever she walked and it was pretty heartwarming.  So I had a change of heart!  I guess country living can do that to you. :)

I am His daughter (video)

 I have always loved this song and recently found it in video format.  Click on link below:

I am His Daughter

When we were living in Richland the Young Women sang this song in opening exercises.  It was beautiful.  I loved serving in Young Womens and miss it still.  Watching all the faithful youth always inspires me to teach my girls of their worth while they are still living in our home.

Kelly Family Reunion part two

We had an Easter egg hunt the Saturday before Easter.  Before the hunt the children each picked an egg that had an object and scripture tied to it that we read aloud.  It was a beautiful sunny day outside for the big egg hunt.  We didn't even have to tell Jane what to do she just started filling up her basket.  One of her favorite things to do at home is pack up purses and carry them on her shoulder so this was perfect fun for her.  If some of the kids dropped an egg out of their basket she would pick it up for them and put it back in their basket.  She is really sweet.  It was really fun to watch all the kids!

Jane putting eggs in her basket

The girls loved playing in the dirt all week--good thing family pictures were done that morning!  

The rest of the day all the girls laid out in the sun and chatted while the boys rode dirt bikes.

I love these women!  I gain so much strength from them!  We had a lot of time in the sun that day...

as you can see;) 

me and Ashley (She headed back to BYU-I after the weekend)

Daryl and I

It was so nice being home.  We stayed at my Mom's house during the nights since the Kelly Homestead was pretty full.  I love being with my Mom.  We stayed all week at her house, (Daryl didn't come until the weekend).  Evelyn was so excited to spend the night for six nights!  She packed up all she could in her two back packs.  She loves spending the night at Grandma Harvey's house because she gets to have her own room!  This must be exciting for her since she shares a room with Jane at home.  Evelyn actually thinks that it is "her" room that waits for her at the house but it is really just an extra guest room;)  First thing she does when we arrive at the house is unpack her clothes and organize them in drawers and in the closet.  She is a REALLY organized four year old.  I don't even unpack right away--as her Aunt Greta knows a little all too well.  My Mom always does fun things with the girls that usually involves a craft or making something together.  One day Evelyn collected little shells from the river and they painted them silver.  Another day they organized candies in little boxes for Easter.  On the last night my Mom dyed eggs with Evelyn...

I am so grateful to have a testimony of Jesus Christ and the resurrection.  It was a memorable Easter.

Kelly Family Reunion part one

The week of Easter all the Kelly's I mean ALL the Kelly's got together for a much needed family reunion!  I think it has been almost seven years that everyone has been under the same roof at the same time.  I married into an incredible family and am always reminded of it when we are together.  The first morning we went to the temple.  We were only missing Tyler (he was helping out at a surgery) but beautiful Tess came anyways!  Oh and Ashley wasn't there because for one she is not married yet and two someone had to watch all the hundreds of kids! ;)  She will be a GREAT mom someday.

 

The cousins played so well together.  I mean REALLY played well together.  I don't think there was one meltdown.  The only meltdowns was from the adults when all 35 of us were having our pictures taken as a family;)  Luckily our photographer Cheryl Haertling is kind of related to us and I think still likes us and hopefully got a nap after the 3 hour photo session!  Can't wait to see how the pictures turned out.  Here are some fun pictures of all the cousins playing together during the week.  Evelyn was in heaven!

Kelly, Miriam, Evelyn, Eliza, Kassidy, and Sam

This is Todd and Jane!  Cousins born one week apart!

Mark is showing the girls a live bee he caught!  No big deal ;)

The entire time I thought he was showing them some kind of bug...never thought it was a live bee!

These girls were all born within the same month!  They play so cute together and all have fun personalities!

Daryl and Tyler made a swing one afternoon.  It had quite a few "modifications" when certain plans kept not working out.  But in the end it turned out awesome!  The kids loved it.

Daryl and Tyler building the swing

Daryl passing the safety inspection on the swing.  I think it passed!

Evelyn trying it out

The Kelly's are very competitive game players.  One game we played was an adult game of kickball.  The teams were Kelly "blood siblings" versus "married into Kelly's."  There were plenty of competitive throw backs.  I am pretty sure Daryl's Dad even pushed me just so he could get on first with out me getting him out!  It was all in good fun and I think we were mostly laughing the whole time.  So since there are so many Kelly boys my team was all girls and one boy, (Collin was taking a nap).  But anyways we lost by one point in the overtime round.  I think there are definitely going to be more kickball challenges.  Another game we played that Kortneigh planned was the "brown paper bag game"  You basically have to pick up the bag with your mouth without letting anything on your body touch the floor but your feet.  Each round you cut the bag shorter and shorter.  It got to the point when the final three had to put there feet on shallow bins because the bag was cut down to nothing!  Here is what the game looked like:

It was actually hilariously fun and everyone participated so a good game to play with a large group.  The boys had a long rope from the swing project that they played tug-a-war with which afterwards we used as a long jump rope with I think maybe up to five jumping at one time!  Man...with the combined kickball and jump roping games it all took me back in time a decade and then some!

Also during the week Ryan and Melissa had everyone over to their house for dinner.  Melissa always cooks the best food and my kids always have so much fun at their house.

New Rug

I found a rug online that I really liked and was hoping to like it just as much when it showed up at my door.  I think it makes a big difference.  My sister-in-law Kathryn mentioned I should check out IKAT patterns so I did.  I ordered it through rugsusa.com and am loving it.  It is called the plymouth IKAT and was 75% off plus free Shipping:)  It came down to $188 which isn't an amazing price but good--and I love the pattern so I feel good about it.

 And just because I love before/after shots here is the comparison :)

BEFORE

AFTER

Visit from Kathryn and Co.

Conference weekend Kathryn and her four kiddos came and visited with Debbie and Ashley.  I LOVED having them here.  I cleaned my house all day Saturday while listening to conference before they arrived.  I really enjoyed Elder Holland and Elder Packer.  When they arrived Kathryn wanted to put on the "bee suit" and see the bees.  Daryl took her and we all followed in the suburban and watched from the inside.  The kids were making the funniest comments about the bees in the car.  Here is a picture of Kathryn in all her glory...

that night Daryl took Madi and Luke on a country drive in his old truck behind the house.  He Made Madi drive home or I should say "steer" home by herself.  Anytime she would ask for help Daryl told her she had to do it by herself.  Madi is 8 years old.  Ashley has a video of her driving and all you hear is a lot of screams and giggles in the car along with 'HELP! I don't know how to drive!"  Crazy Uncle Daryl. We then ate A LOT, played games, and talked until almost 2 in the morning.  I made Godfathers desert pizza for the adults and sticky popcorn for all the kiddos...

On their drive Daryl found an exercise bike for the whole family to enjoy ;)

I need to add what Evelyn and Cambrie had been up to while all this was going on.  First they started "their" night by playing dress up, then they decided to play in the mud puddles outside!  

They then were kindly escorted to the tub.

After their bath they joined Ashley in her workout before bedtime.  They slept well!

 

 The next morning we watched conference and ate some more.;)  Daryl's Dad came up so he could help Daryl work on the truck.  I played an April fools joke on the kids by putting jello in their glasses for lunch with a straw stuck in it.  The kids just thought I wanted them to drink the jello and didn't think it was THAT great of a fools SO feeling a little defeated I went out side to try and get Daryl and his Dad.  When Daryl's Dad stood up from under the car to get his drink I pretended to lose my balance and spill the drink on him.  He had the reaction we all were hoping for and we all got a fun laugh!  I made the girls cloud dough to play with, It is flour with baby oil that makes it moldable.

Grandma Kelly loving the babies.  Looks like Evelyn is having a staring contest with a sleeping baby;)