Getting our tree

After the creek clean up (see previous post) we headed out to what appeared to be the middle of nowhere, South Carolina to find a tree farm.

We drove for quite a while down a dirt road -

Then we turned the corner and saw this beautiful, amazing site ! so many trees. We hit the jackpot. I cannot begin to tell you how happy I was to see this site. At Halloween I was so disappointed not to be able to find a farm to pick pumpkins that we never did get any - I refused to buy them at the grocery store or a parking lot.

This site more than made up for it.
And a tractor ride! This turned out to be the ferry that takes you out to the trees. Once you find your tree, you stand by it and the tractor guys comes by and cuts it down and throws it onto the back, then you hop in and it takes you back to the stand. Too cool!
So we found our tree - do you think it will fit on the tractor??
I guess we better go with this one instead.. It will fit in our house better I think. Cute !
Sorry Sage for making you climb into the sleigh - but that's what moms do : )
Adeline seemed to enjoy her first tractor ride! Don't worry baby in this family there will be many more of those!
We came home set up our tree and had a great time decorating it. I will post pics of the tree next. The ones I took came out blurry .. but here is a pic of our Fireplace mantle all decorated - too cool that we have our own fireplace mantle to decorate this year!

Adopt a Stream Reed Creek Clean Up

We heard about the Adopt a Stream clean up at Ryan's homeschool nature club. His Nature club meets at the Reed Creek Nature Center and they had their first clean up day this weekend and we headed out to help !! Boy was there a lot of trash! Some of it washed in from the creek and some of it the neighboring houses dumped things back there. Shame,shame.

We did not have any hipwaders to hop into the creek (don't worry mom the snakes are hibernating right now) so Tony improvised and used a long stick to push trash to the edge of the boardwalk

So that the boys could fish it out. Great team work boys - oh and I held the trash bag.
There were plenty of non-watery parts to clean.
We were all amazed at what was out there. Those trash cans had been thrown out there too, but they came in handy to pick up the smaller pieces of trash.
Adeline and I did our best to help out. Most of the time I was the trash spotter and bag holder - and I did a darn good job doing that!!
Adeline watched
As the boys helped to bring the trash up to the center. They did an awesome job helping out! They even had a lot of fun doing it. We found out that the Adopt a Stream program heads out to the creeks regularly and we can join them! Hurray, many naturey (is that a word) adventures to come. This Friday we will learn about amphibians and listen to frogs in the swamp. We are also going on a night walk to listen for owls. We will even be able to look for microorganisms and check the chemical levels in the creeks - good stuff!

That was not even all the trash everyone found. There were about 18 volunteers. Afterwards they had a yummy lunch for us and t-shirts!!
Ironically this sign is posted as soon as you walk to the boardwalk. I know of at least 18 people who will be abiding by that sign.

Happy Belated Thanksgiving

For the first time in many, many years, we spent Thanksgiving with family. Living here in Ga, we are only 2 1/2 hours away from my Aunt and cousins and their children. It was so nice for my boys to be surrounded by so many cousins!

There were 5 boys, 4 of them all 8 and under.

Sage being the oldest "kid " there , hung out with the men watching football.

And then there were the 2 cute little girls. They had a lot of fun getting to know each other.

It was a wonderful day with family and I am thankful that they are near by.

we also were visited by my parents ... coming up next post

New kids Tshirts in the Shop

Well - Tony and I has this idea to make Tee shirts with his designs and have his friend Silk screen them for us onto Organic cotton t - shirts. About 5 months later we have a final product!!! Hurray! I just posted these very cute shirts in my Esty shop and if you order using code : BLOG - I will waive the shipping fee.

Just to let you know that these shirts were Silk-Screened by Tony's friend in Pittsburg who does this for a living. He has his own business and makes some awesome shirts. The silk screening makes is a better quality and more durable design that will last through many washings. And because it is on an organic shirt, you will be getting a better quality shirt all around!!

Here is the link for the shop:

www.naturalplaygarden.etsy.com

Also coming soon will be some wool roving fairies. So check back .

Camping and a lantern walk

"I go with my little lantern, my lantern is going with me. Above the stars are shinning, on earth shines my lantern for me. THe stars shine bright all through the night. A bim ala bim ala bim"

Our friends at the little Waldorf school in Florida have been going camping for their lantern walk for about 10 - 11 years now, and we were lucky enough to participate in that experience this year.!! It was such a great time we will be doing it every year. The kids played hard all day only stopping briefly to watercolor paint in order to turn it into a lantern for the main event that evening - the lantern walk!

Most of the families who came were able to get a cabin on the lake. It was a beautiful lake. Tony and I took a walk (with Adeline) while the kids played.

We then came upon this sign at the beach swimming area - hummm - not so sure I want to go swimming!!

After the lantern walk we headed back to our campsite where earlier in the day Tony and I had set up the tents and started a campfire. It was a beautiful night and I really enjoyed being out there.

We roasted our new vegan marshmellows and made smores - yummm.

then it was off to bed for Adeline, Ryan and I. Once I got Adeline asleep , I took Ryan to the bathroom and could not believe the amount of dirt on him! He was covered up to his elbows in it!! Obviously he had a fun day.

In the morning I took a short walk on the trail behind our site and it opened up to this amazing view. I felt like I was on the Savannah in Africa and not a state park in Florida!

Sage had his own tent!

Tony woke up with the sun and got everything set up for breakfast! I was surprised, I think he is liking this camping stuff and he sure is getting the hang of it!

Cooking breakfast outside - yumm! My dad hooked us up with his camping gear and it sure made things easier for us!

Little A did great on her first camping trip!

To top it all off after we arrived back at my parents to pick up Heidi, the Blue Angels were flying at the air show out at the beach. Since my parents live so near , we could see them when they flew overhead. They were so close at one point that we could read the writting on their planes!

Our little house in Georgia

Finally pictures of our little house here in Ga. I have been trying to make this post for a few days now, but have been having trouble with downloading the pictures. Hubby says its the computer, its getting old? Either way I got tirred of trying to dwload the same pics over and over again - so I only have a few of the pics. They give you an idea anyway. 

I love that we have a fireplace now.! Our new couch is awesome! 
the view off of our front porch
the back porch


Adeline and Ryan enjoying the playroom

our family tree we made
you can see the kitchen there off to the right.

anyway - it is a cute house! 

Seven Years Old

"When I have said my evening prayer

   And my clothes are folded on the chair

    And Mother switches of the light

       I'll still be 6 years old tonight.

       But from the very break of day,

         Before the children rise and play,

       Before the darkness turns to gold

         Tomorrow I'll be 7 years old,

                7 kisses when I wake

                 7 candles on my cake."  

                                  Traditional Waldorf Birthday Verse 

I can hardly believe that my little Ryan is now 7 years old and not so little anymore. I feel blessed everyday that he is a part of our lives. This year we took a road trip to celebrate his birthday and headed down to Florida to see his grandmom and grandpa and have a party with our friends down there. We had the added bonus of a Waldorf Fall Festival and Ryan was able to play a baseball game with his team. 

On sunday morning we had a combined birthday party with his friend Addison who has the same birthday as him - except she is a year older. Actually Ryan and Addison planned this party while we ere still living down there and her mom and I just executed it. Addison wanted a gnome and fairy party - so we set to work. 

  

Climbing trees in search of fairies

Dyeing pouches. If you notice Ryan is the green one and he also has a gnome hat that he wanted to dye green so that he can be the addition math gnome. 
The kids built fairy and gnome houses. After which we spotted a note that told the children to take a journey and find some treasure. 

Their first clue was to "find a boat and bring it to the fairy of the pond. There she will have a treasure waiting"

Off the kids ran to find the fairy by the pond :
The fairy of the pond left the first note in the pic below. The kids took off to the garden and found the gnome and his treasures. The gnome also had the next clue in the second note in  the picture:

And they found her and the treasures. She had the next clue which led the kids back to where they built their fairy and gnome houses.
There was the final treasure  with a special gift for each birthday child.
The treasure : jewels to make a necklace.

The gang. 
Cake!!!yumm . Unfortunatly it was oo windy to light the candles but we are blessed to have children who can use their imagination and enjoy the candles anyway.  
One little glitch in all our planning - we forgot forks!! thanks to Jill who lived near by and hopped on Susan's bike, who also lives near by, and grabbed some forks from her house. So while we waited the kids tried their luck on the pinata. 

yeah goodies - 

Present time. Great gifts from our friends - thank you everyone.  


I have to say this guy is my favorite (no offense to anyone else though). Addison's mom made him - isn't he too cute.!! I love the marshmellows! 

We had a wonderful time in Florida. Sat night we went out to dinner at the mexican resturant with my parents and they gave him their gift. An awesome doctor's kit complete with working stethascope . Then the resturant sang happy birthday to him and he got to keep a sombrero. I would say he had a nice birthday.!