Cute huh?

I used to like the little bunnies hopping through my yard. I've even thought how cute they are. I always make sure that my dog doesn't catch one when I let her out to the bathroom in the morning, which involves me scarring many of them away before she goes out.
I have decided that the honeymoon is officially over.

I discovered late this afternoon that the little monsters stripped four of my berry bushes bare. I am not a gardening moron. I know bunnies think that my garden is just scrumptious buffet that I plant just for them. Really, I took precautions. I put chicken wire around each bush!

Things I've learned today.

1. The holes in my wire were 1 1/4 inches.....not the required 3/4 inch that a bunny can't squeeze through .

2. My bunny actually decided to tip over the cages all of my cages. With one exception, the milk carton that I cut the top and bottom off of.

So while accessing the damage. I went to the roots to see if there was any new growth at all. Hence the saying getting to "the root of the problem."

That is when I discovered lesson number 3. The rassafrassin bunnies actually ate an entire raspberry bush roots and all. Not a piece of the plant left for me to mourn over. Just a sad, lonely, empty hole.

3. Bunnies can dig and think roots are yummy too.

After much fuming over dinner and emergency consultation on the internet. I decided to reinforce my wire fencing with plastic mesh fencing with smaller holes in it. I buried the bottom of the fencing and now I'm hoping that I have done enough.

Darn those rascally rabbits.

General Craftiness

This is the latest completed project by me. I wanted to make a gift for the newest addition to our congregation. She is so sweet and tiny. I can't believe that my little tyrant was once that size. Congratulations to Kristin and Ryan! I just hope that their daughter sleeps more than my three did the first year.Just a quick note the vine on the side is cut with my Silhouette. I lovey, love, love my Silhouette by Quickutz. I am in the process of trying out my different ideas with it. The freedom that this tool gives me to be creative is amazing. It's nice to finally have the time to try out a tool I was gifted with last year.

The acetate overlay I designed myself. I used graphics I found at Designer Digitals, graph paper - Katie Pertiet, the qoute is one of the free online weekly web qoutes. I had a lot of fun and also used this on a layout that I've been working on for Paige.

I finally finished this blanket! Found this while cleaning my bedroom closet a couple of weeks ago. I am so very happy to complete this. I started this blanket for Paige when she was still in utero. I find that crocheting is calming for me. I don't follow patterns, they stress me out. I just stitch and stitch and stitch.

Kate and Sydney have orders in for their own blankets. Luckily Kate still loves this yarn she helped me pick out three or more years ago. Syd wants a light blue and white one. Well at least I''m never bored.

Growing Pains

My sprouts look great but I had to thin them out today.
I hate this part.
How do I decide which plant should live
and which one will, well die.
I know a little dramatic.
But sometimes it's the little things
that are hardest for me to do.

It is done.

Yummy Cheddar Cheese Bread

Baking makes me happy.
While cleaning out our recipe file

I discovered a recipe for Cheddar Cheese Bread.

It was written by Skrappinguy and he only saves

"important" recipes.

So I knew if I tried it we'd like it.

Well the results were, well, YUMMY!

I love the smell of bread rising.
Then the amazing smell of bread baking.

Then my favorite, warm bread straight from the oven,

with REAL butter on top.

I let the calorie counting go for yesterday.

Kate was thrilled when I took it out of the oven

right after she got off the bus.

Paige devoured hers.
Syd "loved it."
John told me after he ate his bread that this was

his Grandma Kathryn's recipe.

What can I say about Grandma Kathryn?

Well she was funny, bold, and obviously a great baker.

I missed her all over again yesterday.

I think we just started a

Cheddar Cheese Bread tradition.

Grandma Kathryn's Cheddar Cheese Bread

1 package Yeast

1/4 cup warm Water

1 1/2 cups milk

2 Tbs Sugar

2 1/2 cups Cheddar Cheese Grated

3 Tbs Cooking Oil

1 1/2 tsp Salt

5-6 cups Flour

Sprinkle the yeast into the warm water. Stir, let stand for a few minutes until dissolved. Heat the rest of the ingredients, except flour until lukewarm. No the cheese won't all be melted but it will be o.k. Pour over yeast mixture. Add about 1/2 the flour. Mix well, continue adding flour until it is a stiff dough. Take the ball of dough out of the bowl and knead the rest of the flour in...this will make a smoother dough. Grease bowl, place dough in and turn it over. Cover with a cloth and let rise until double (about an hour maybe more.) Punch down and shape into 2 loaves. Grease two 9 by 5 by 3 loaf pans, place dough in pans. Let rise until double. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes.

Enjoy!

Hems

Yay ME!!! The silliest things make me proud.
I bought a pair of jeans they fit great, except for the length.
Okay, just so you know I bought these jeans three months ago.

I researched hemming and how best to make the hem invisible.

Here's the site I found, her descriptions are illustrated too.

You know I didn't want my pants to look like I hemmed them.
Finally!

I love being able to take care of the nagging

feeling that my pants dragging along the ground give me.

Here's the proof.
John was wondering why I was taking a picture of my pants.

I guess now he knows.

Spring!!!

I know that it's spring when my daffodils come up.
These bulbs are real troopers since they have been blooming for at least 5 years.
Paige was disappointed that they didn't have any smell.
It's good to see things growing again.

Hope

I have hope...two weeks ago I planted this tray of peppers,

tomatoes, basil, dill, and cilantro.
I helped them germinate and watched them sprout.

Now I'm watering and watching them grow.

Okay, really I'm just imagining all of the

yummy tomatoes I will be eating this summer.

I love gardening, the dirt, and the work are my favorite therapy.

Here's a picture of hope...

A side note for all of my friends...my voice has been missing since last Friday. I miss being able to say hi, being able to visit on the phone, and being able to say what I'm thinking. Here's hoping that my voice will be retuning soon, but until then, I'm sending happy positive thoughts your way. Oh the kids and John are enjoying the silence.