Happy holidays!

Newest pictures of the chickens :)

I spent a bit of the morning taking pictures of our layers after chores were done. Eight of them have started laying now, and their eggs are absolutely amazing! Each morning we collect a beautiful assortment of blue, white and pink eggs. Soon the others will be laying eggs in various shades of brown as well. I really, really like this batch of chickens. They are friendly and well-trained, and the roosters are not overly aggressive. Jason has finished building their 'winter coop' which is located inside the barn. So far, the weather has been unusually mild so they are still happily free-ranging in the grass and bedding down for the night in their summer coop,which is free-standing in the pasture.

For me

For my birthday in November, Jason built me this gorgeous wall mounted coat hanging rack! 

Using only salvaged materials he gathered himself (barn board, railroad spikes, old rusty nails, even the handle from an antique iron) he whipped it up for me and had it on the wall the same day. I LOVE it! Instantly, our mudroom looked more cozy and welcoming :) I will gladly take a handmade gift over store-bought any day!

The beginning of our holidays :)

On December first, Jason and I went for a walk about the property looking for the perfect Christmas tree. We found one back behind the barn, and Jason cut it and brought it in while I prepared the space. Jude and Ollie were very excited, running around the living room and yelling, barely able to control themselves. Jason and I got the tree sturdily in place, and the boys helped me to hang the decorations, and all of this happened before noon!

That is a Christmas record for us, for sure!

When Isabella returned home from school she was blown away that the tree was up!

It made her feel very festive so she made herself a hot chocolate with baby marshmallows and promptly felt sick.

Regarding advent calendars, I had always had one when I was little. It was so exciting, opening up the little cardboard window and finding a different shaped chocolate each day! Isabella loves these cardboard ones so I continue to pick one up for her each year, but for Jude and Ollie I do something quite different. Jude, you see, has celiac disease and also other allergies including soy, so to find chocolate without soy lecithin or a chance of wheat contamination is pretty much impossible (aside from two chocolate bars we occasionally pick up at the health food store as a very special - and expensive - treat!). This year the boys were in need of more warm socks, so I contrived to pick up 24 of them and use them for an advent calendar that they can wear after! 

Inside the socks are two little packages of gluten-free candies.

They were delighted to wake up and see the sock clothesline!