I HAVE A SWEETHEART!!!!

{Actually, a whole box of them.}

Welllllll look! Two posts in one day. I wanted to do the first one since it was serious, and then I wanted to do a light-hearted one and since they didn't seem like they belonged in the same post, I thought I'd better do one this morning and one this evening. :D All right. Excuses, excuses. Maybe it's just because some rather interesting things happened after I got up from the couch and set the computer aside. :D

First off, Mama and I opted to do a Shrinkage-friendly breakfast rather than cinnamon rolls or something else, so we made Cherry-Triple-Berry-Banana-Oatmeal Sundaes which have the combined appeal of being raw as well as healthy. :) I loved them, so I hope they'll stay in our recipe box!

I was given chocolate, but most of it was *dark*chocolate and was followed up by my customary 3-ish mile walk so I didn't feel too bad. After breakfast, Abigail went out to check on the goats and came hurtling back in yelling that Emma was having her kid. (I forgot to mention it, but two days ago Nessa had twin boys....Benedict and Martin...both as stinkin' adorable as the actors. AHEM.)

I took the opportunity to take some pictures of Gracie, who was being her typical awesome little self in a black tutu, rubber boots, and pearls among the goat muck and mire. 

Benedict is the one with the coat, and his collar flipped up which--considering he is Sherlock--is very fitting.

Here he is: Benedict.

Benedict giving Abby some love.... :)

The new baby that was born was a little girl, and Anna named her "Juliet". :) She was still wet and hadn't even tried to stand up when we found her.

And then the most exciting part of my day happened. Actually, it happened last night late. I got this text from a really cute, really handsome, really great guy I have loved for a long time. His name is Matthew, and he sent me this message:

"Will you be my Valentine?"

In'n't he cute? ;)

Needless to say, I was ecstatic.

Then I heard that he'd also asked my younger sister, Sarah, to be his valentine. Talk about double-dipping. ;) So we decided to make it a triple date, and Matthew would divide himself between Sarah and I. We headed out to a Mexican restaurant to get the lunch special. Sarah and I couldn't decide who got to sit next to him, so we just both sat across from him.

Okay. Sorry to scare y'all. 

Matthew is our beloved cousin who lives across the field, and he took Sarah and I out to lunch since we're all single and didn't have other plans. :D 

Happy Valentine's Day, y'all! <3

Operation Graduates Part One! :)

I guess it slipped my mind, but I haven't told you yet that Sarah and our cousin Matthew are having a double graduation on Saturday! Though the actual ceremony is being held at a church down the road, we are having a party at our house afterward, and that means rather a lot of food and preparation this week! I thought I'd take the opportunity of showing you a little more of our day-to-day family life and document the days leading up to this event with the pictures! I haven't really given you a concept of just how closely our two families work together, have I? Nope. Didn't think so. 

Let's try now.

11:00 a.m.

I clean off the kitchen counters all except for the ham which I randomly christen "Millicent." Why? Because that is a good name for a ham. Millicent is going to feature largely in our ham biscuits come Saturday, so I thought I might as well introduce her to you.

11:30

I take pictures of the counters in their cleanliness, all prepared to act as the calm before the storm.

The granite-topped pastry counter..

Ah, Millicent! You are beautiful in your sheer gown made by Saran!

On the way around the kitchen I found a leftover Avenger's napkin from Daniel's 22nd birthday. Yes. That's right. 22. What are you lookin' at?

Coffee makers at the ready in case we need caffeine...

See? Clean.

11:45

Aunt Christy brings over load of groceries, I gather my things together and realize we're missing milk for my biscuits, and Anna's missing vanilla for her's. Someone's gonna have to go over to the Walkers' to get it because two of the cousins, Jeremiah and Michael, are already headed this way with other ingredients we missed.

12:00

I volunteer and though I can drive, I choose to walk the 1/5 of a mile distance across the field. It's like 70 degrees out there, and rather a pleasant (though unseasonal) day for a walk.

Churchill goes ahead of me to convey my intentions to the Walkers.

I meet them half-way across the field where Michael shows off their ingredients, and Jeremiah looks at me skeptically. "What are *you* doing with the camera, Rachel? Isn't that Sarah and Matthew's ground?" Yeah, yeah. Well it's my blogging project! :D

They leave me to my own demise and I take a picture of Floofy-Grass just for fun.

I am met on the driveway by three of the girls, and my two newest cousins. 

"Buttons" is on the left, "Todd" on the right. Ain't they sweet? 

D'awwwwwww

While pausing to kiss Buttons, I smelled peanut butter. "That's funny," I thought. "A cat that smells like peanut butter. I shall have to remember this for the blog." And then I come inside and find myself being fed peanut-butter "buck-eye" dough by Bethany who also extended her generosity to the cat. Hence the smell. I knew my nose wasn't wrong. :P

12:15

Having got my milk and vanilla, I traipse homeward.

You can see our wood-pile covered with the plastic sheeting. *cozy*

And our clothesline. Just because everyone has one and everyone should hang up bright pink towels when they can. Bright pink Other Things too, but we won't talk about that here.

12:30

I finally begin the biscuit-making process which continues all through the afternoon. We are slotted to make 200 biscuits, but I up it to 250 because I know from experience that where there are Daniels, math calculations vary widely. 

2:00

Abby joins me in the biscuit-making venture, and I take a picture of the counter-tops now. Actually, not as bad as they could be! I think I'm a tidy cook.

I love the intense concentration when the biscuit-cutter gets sticky. 

Abby has seriously grown to be a huge help in the house! She's like a mini-Mama! <3

Mama, Leah, and Anna started on making front-porch decor....aren't these so cute? Mason Jar candle holders? These are going to run all the way up the front steps and have candles burning inside them. :)

*Smile* I liked this shot. It felt very secret.

So! That was Operation Graduates part 1! Stay tuned for the other episodes! :)

Candid: Photo-booth love

Well...they're hitched! And they set up a ripping-good photo-booth to document the event!

(And no--of course we don't go overboard on the chance to get free family photos. And we are not hams in front of the camera! What do you take us for? ;)

Anna, Sarah, and Leah.

I love Levi's expression and the way he just threw his hand over the frame. It is [arguably] my favorite of the whole set. :)

♫"We're two of a kind--the happiest pair now!"♫

Mysterious? Oh yes.

Priceless. Matthew & I. (Must I explain? Okay. He's my cousin, peoples. :)

And last but not least? The Importance of Being Earnest. Honestly. I totally see Jack and Algie here, don't you? :) They've totally got the dilettante style going.

It was a beautiful and blessed wedding with a deal of drop-dead-amazing cake and a new-born love of photo-booths. Oh yes. A lovely weekend in all respects.

A Poem for you... :)

Here's a poem I wrote today. :) The first two lines popped into my head directly after I was rudely awakened by a sunbeam in the car on the way home from a fabulous morning and afternoon of Black Friday shopping. :) (And on that note, who in tarnation needs to be making trouble to have fun? My older brother, my cousin, Sarah, and I, had a  blast together...the most outlandish thing we did was sing "On the Street Where You Live" at the top of our lungs in the Town Center of Virginia Beach...but that's another story. :P Anyway, enjoy the poem!

 

"Carmen Ante Domum"

(Song Before Home)

 By Rachel Heffington

Home is just over the next green hill

And my journey's last mile before me still--

Home before, and the road behind,

And a balancing moment within my mind...

Home, 'tis so pleasant to know the place

Remembers me still with its homely face.

Home, with her orchards and fields and her lane

Beckoning me with her smiles again.

But the Road, gypsy-mile'd and wild and free,

With echoes and wind-voices calls out to me:

"Remember the paths we have tread, you and I;

The lure of unknown and a clear, open sky!"

Pausing, I stand with the Road at my back,

And stretching before me the dear, homeward track.

A kiss to the journey, a laugh to the wind,

And onward, my heart full of wistfulness send.