Around here......

We have been on skis almost everyday.  Our daughter started practice with the nordic ski team and the boys and are also spending some time together on the trails after school.  

Our oldest son (11) tried skate skiing for the first time last Friday, he picked the technique up very quickly and is enjoying the speed associated with this style of skiing.  The other two younger boys are impressing me with their endurance, so we are already able to go a litter farther together.

The weekend held opportunity for some outings with more daylight.  It feels good to transition from running to skiing and too to have something different and fun with the change of the weather.

Around here...

Our family participated in a community Gifts that Give fair that was coordinated by our church.  At the event there were tables set up by various community groups where you could buy holiday gifts or make donations to support different programs in our community and others in need around the world.  It was great to have all of our children involved.

Around here....

My eldest two and I are back in the grove of guitar lessons.   The past several winters we have had Nick (pictured above) come to our home to share the gift of music with our family.   Now he is getting busier with his own musical career, performing at more and more venues with his band Van and the Free Candies.   Because of this, we had to go in a different direction for lessons.   To make it work best with our schedules we went with an online option:  GuitarTricks.com.   So far, it has been working for us.   And, this mama is participating as well!  I am developing finger calluses once again, practicing and learning new skills alongside my two oldest children.   We are trying to do a new lesson/activity once a week, with time to practice in between.  It is not quite the same as having Nick come into our home, but I am grateful for the time and experiences he shared with the kids and happy that we have found a way that works for us to move forward in developing our guitar skills.

 .......

This act of sharing photographs and ramblings of our daily life is a practice in gratitude that brings me joy.

I encourage you to reflect on the good in your life.

What are you grateful for today?

Winter weather is here!  Two boys and I found opportunity to go out for our first ski of the season this past weekend.   And, I went out with all three boys after school yesterday.  Our daughter started her first day of practice on the nordic ski team yesterday.    

These images highlight the afternoon darkness that is setting in this time of year, the sunset currently is around 4:30 and will continue to creep earlier until the winter solstice.   

We are bracing ourselves for a long winter, but we are ready with our gear and activities to get us through.

The November issue of Minnesota Parent Magazine is available throughout Minnesota and online now.

My ramblings in my School Days Column this month share my personal tips on proactive stress-management strategies to navigate holiday stress and the affects associated with long, dark winters.

This month I also wrote a recipe feature, highlighting a great, seasonal recipe for spiced cider from the cookbook Simple Green Meals by Jen Hansard  for the "In the Kitchen" column.  Be sure to check it out!

Pick up a print copy, or read the full issue by clicking --> HERE.

Find the online link to my column---> HERE.

Find the online link to the Simple Green Meals recipe feature----> HERE.

---------------------

If you like what you see, social media 'shares' are appreciated!

As always - thanks for reading!

This weekend we had our annual work party with neighbors and friends, "turning chickens into meat."

The whole process is not a small undertaking.  But when it is all said and done, we always feel it is worth all of the effort in the end.    The meat superior to anything we could buy at our local grocery store. And, the experience, from start to finish, offers many natural opportunities for learning and understanding that we value sharing with our children.

We are grateful for healthy, home grown meat readily accesible in our freezer and for the experience of community getting the job done!

We are spending as much time as we can outside.   Savoring the sunshine and above zero temperatures when we have them, because soon enough true winter will arrive.

We are making progress on the sauna building!  The roof is on, the wires have been pulled, the interior has been framed up, and a trailer load of supplies have been purchased for the next steps in the construction process. 

We are participating in the rituals of the season.  Several pumpkins have been carved and we have been roasting batches of pumpkin seeds.  This year we tried a new recipe from the Magnolia Journal for pumpkin seed turtles that were a big hit!  We improvised and used roasted pumpkin seeds, purchased cartels and chocolate chips.  Yum!

We are cheering on this girl as she is heading in strong to the section cross country competition.   She has had an amazing season and we are excited to see her run in her race tomorrow!

 .......

This act of sharing photographs and ramblings of our daily life is a practice in gratitude that brings me joy.

I encourage you to reflect on the good in your life.

What are you grateful for today?

 

Last week, on October 19th James and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary!

16 years ago we said "I do" then started our married life together.  

Since then we have shared so many experiences together!

We have built a house together, started a family, and created so many memories. 

We are blessed to share this journey side by side.

Winterland

We are big fans of the Okee Dokee Brothers at our house - and we are thrilled to share in the excitement of the release of their brand new album that releases TOMORROW 10/19/18!!:

A little bit about the album:

Winterland, by the GRAMMY® Award-winning The Okee Dokee Brothers is an exuberant yet introspective collection of 16 original songs exploring the wonders and beauty of winter. A voyage from autumn to spring, Winterland presents secular winter music the entire family can enjoy while cozying up around the fire.

In a world where people are all too often pursuing their own individual journeys, Winterland humbly reminds us that we are all human beings living within the uncontrollable motions of Mother Nature. Embracing the cycles of loss and new life, darkness and light, bitter cold and warmth, Winterland reflects that winter is not only a season, but a feeling we carry within. As we weather the storm by looking inward, we can redefine our seasonal perspectives. In fact, with just the right outlook, winter can become our own sense of paradise, even through the warm months.

Click HERE to see a music video of "Howl" one of the tracks of the album.

I am excited to have the opportunity to GIVEAWAY a copy of Winterland to one lucky Kids and Eggs reader!

Earn entries by:

*posting a comment on this post

*commenting, or tagging a friend on my instagram post about this giveaway @megtdevine with the album cover

*sending me an email: kidsandeggs@gmail.com - with the subject heading: Winterland

I will pick a lucky winner by Monday, October 22nd.

*this giveaway is restricted to those with U.S. mailing addresses

Good Luck!

Congratulations Paula! 

Thank you to all of you who entered via blog commenting, email or instagram!

This is what our neck of the woods looks like these days.   We have had cooler temperatures and snow on the ground for over a week!   A combination of fall and winter, bright and colorful leaves in the contrast of white snow is something of beauty.   

We are anticipating warmer temperatures later in the week, so I expect this first snow to melt.   I don't think anyone around here will complain and would enjoy some more fall weather before the onset of winter.  Time will tell!

The October issue of Minnesota Parent Magazine is available throughout Minnesota and online now.

My ramblings in my School Days Column in this month's education issue, are all about ways to enrich learning at home:

Pick up a print copy, or read the full issue by clicking --> HERE.

Find the online link to my column---> HERE.

---------------------

If you like what you see, social media 'shares' are appreciated!

As always - thanks for reading!

Around here...

We have been soaking up the bounty of the early fall harvest.  We had our first hard frost this past weekend, which concluded the tomato harvest and altered the landscape of my garden.  Early Sunday  morning my kids helped me harvest our garden pumpkins and completed the job of pulling the wilted vines and leaves out of the garden.  

I will be bringing several of these pumpkins into school to share with my kindergarten students and using the rest at home with my own kids.   Likely using the pumpkins for some of these recipes in the upcoming weeks that I highlighted in a post on mothering.com





Around here...

The fall colors are starting to appear!  I enjoyed a beautiful trail run with my canine companion Sunday afternoon.  Speaking of running - I am proud to share that I completed a local half marathon this past weekend.  I have been working hard, in my efforts to run back into health, and I met and exceeded a personal goal on this race.  I am continuing to keep self-care and fitness a priority in my life and it is making a positive difference in my overall well-being.

Around here...

My husband James has been making amazing progress on our sauna building!  The kids have been helping too and are learning a lot in the progress of helping out.   This building is going to be a fun and purposeful addition to our homestead.   We are hoping to have the sauna portion functional by wintertime!