tooth fairy...

today was a heartbreaking day for me...

we've never really believed in the easter bunny around here. i remember being a kid & completely creeped out thinking some 7 foot rabbit was in my house hiding eggs...chocolate or no chocolate, i just as soon he not come :) the boys just knew mom & dad left them a surprise in a basket...

dodge lost a tooth friday. well friday night was homecoming & the tooth fairy must have been sleepy from watching the big game, and she FORGOT to fly to dodge's pillow. sooooo...saturday night she remembered. dodge woke up sunday morning to 4 shiny quarters under his pillow....AND A QUESTION. "mom...you're the tooth fairy, aren't ya?"  (dawson JUST came to this realization a few WEEKS ago) well, i couldn't lie. i tried like crazy to avoid it...but it just wasn't happening.

then came the next obvious question...."are you santa claus too?"....UGH!! you're killing me son! (dawson also just had this same conversation w/ me a few weeks ago) well, i couldn't lie.  of course, i informed him of my extensive research of the REAL St. Nicholas, and how he left gifts for the children in his village...and how that generous spirit lives on today in our hearts...or something to that effect...we will be reading "yes, virginia, there is a santa claus" very soon....

anyhow, it completely crushes me....part of that magical, if somewhat naive thing about childhood is gone.

dawson (my pack rat) asked me today, "mom, what did you do with all our teeth?"...if anyone knows me, i gave my standard answer: "i threw them away"....well, as i went digging in my top drawer for dodge's latest tooth, i find that one...plus SEVEN more. i guess even i get attached to some stuff. so i looked at all those baby teeth and cried. knowing its silly. knowing i can's stop them from growing up. knowing i'm moving into yet another phase of parenting, ready or not.

so, i went into their bedrooms like i do every night, but lingered a little longer. smelling their freshly showered hair...laying my cheek on their soft foreheads...saying a prayer that i never take any of this for granted...

         dawson is my note writer...this is one of his letters to the tooth fairy from a couple years ago...

                                           a pile of baggies with baby teeth...good grief.

dodge lost his tooth at school..."dont worry mom...nathan found it under the table!"

field trip...for big girls

i went on a field trip yesterday...with my mom, aunt linda and my sister-cousin abbey. (we are cousins, and we married brothers...that makes her special...my sister-cousin) maybe some of you did not know this about me: i am completely OBSESSED with little house on the prairie and that whole time period!!! i know that God knows best, but sometimes i wonder if i got born 130 years too late :)....turns out, some of my family feels the same way...

i found this really cool blog awhile back, completely by accident, and was in awe of what this family gave up...all to live a life that felt called to live...they have a very cool story, please check out their blog...http://eclecticculturefarm.blogspot.com/...hmmm, you'll have to copy & paste...i'm not so good at the linky thing yet



here we are going on a hay ride around their farm...i think there were about 14 of us ladies...



notice no neighbors for MILES!!! it was sooo beautiful here and completely peaceful.....cant you almost smell that farm fresh air? oh, to bottle up that smell...a combination of dirt, horses and hay....

oh, and thats ab's old horse trailer...which they informed us, they have been hauling beef in that - ha! guess that makes it a cow trailer :)

cute shot of boots by the door...if you look real close, you can see the fresh milk being kept cool inside this little "cooler"...remember...no electric here...thats FRESH milk....yum :)

we ate inside their house...talk about hospitatlity! what a beautiful setting it was...so cozy & comfortable...all fresh food from their garden and farm...delish!!

can you imagine cooking on this baby? i was totally impressed by all the yummy food with no conveniences that we take for granted!

this is butch and marge...they're cool.

pretty salad...with a oil & vinegar dressing that was so good!

sisters: my mom & aunt linda

sister-cousins: abbey and me...oh, and penny kuncaitis to the right...she was our free entertainment: i'm thinking she is the chief story-teller and family comedian :)

angela serving up some farm fresh quail....what a treat!

please pass the dessert...pumpkin muffins with cream cheese frosting, sprinkled with nutmeg...mmm mmm.

here's some homemade soap...this is why we went up here...to take a soap making class...pretty interesting...she sent us home with 2 bars...one w/ eucalyptus...which is a natural anti-germ type...

cute kitchen...i LOVED the homemade curtains...adorable...

       us with angela kuncaitis...former hudsonville girl...now farm girl...she was such a sweet hostess...

this is peter. he's 2 1/2 going on 4 (his words)...he's just plain cute.

us girls with the work horses

oh. my. stars. can you say "the waltons"?! what i wouldn't do for an old farm house with a big porch (sigh)...

oh, what a gorgeous day!!! the colors were breath taking...the kuncaitis family was so gracious & sincere...and i totally admire matt & angela and what they have done for their family...i dont think they will have any regrets...well, no more than the rest of us have, i'm thinking probably less.

oh, what a lesson we can learn from them. maybe you wont sell everything you have and move to a 40 acre off grid farm...but what could YOU do to draw closer together as a family? what can you do to slow your familys' pace?  spend time doing what matters...making everything you do intentional...not just because everyone else is doing it...do you dare to be different?

this summer, we drastically reduced tv time...currently, we dont watch any tv on school days - with the exception of thursday night "michigan out of doors" on pbs...thats "man" night around here...and when we do watch tv...we are very particular about what...we have lots of dvd's that are GOOD entertainment...wholesome stuff....my kids watch football, and i have to turn the channel during commercials...crazy! and we're really taking a hard look at the sports thing...my boys have both been in football...but they miss dirtbiking,3-wheeling, shooting their bow & going up north with daddy...and dawson actually said, "mom, i dont know about football next year, it just gets too busy"...

thank you kuncaitis family for an awesome afternoon...it was so appreciated!