Grace is a passionate kid. She uses words like "hate" and "horrible" as quickly as she uses words like "love" and "awsome", she seldom wimpers but crys with gut wrenching sobs over seemingly simple issues and equally seldom giggles but throws her head back and roars out the most infectious belly laughs.  She moves quickly and frequently between elation and devestation and generally everyone in the house gets to hear just which one she has chosen for that moment.  That's just her, she feels things strongly and reacts in an equal manner, it's the way God made her, which is why we love her, it's also exhausting from time to time.  Don't get me wrong, our days are not always filled with minute by minute fluxuations in temperment and emotion (although somedays feel that way), it's just that if there is something to be reacted to, there is no gray area in Grace's mind.

Grace is an old soul, I like to tell people that she is really 40yrs old but had to come into the world small.  She is a deep thinker, keeps us constantly on our toes with questions that not even we as adults have considered, and she seems to accept things about life that I'm still working on.  One time when her pony Hiccup spooked and Grace fell off, she quickly scrambled to her feet and, spitting dust and wiping tears, walked over, kissed his nose and told him she was sorry.  I immediately asked her why she was sorry (I was ready to throttle the little you-know-what), she simply kept patting his nose and said "I'm sorry because he was scared and I got mad at him".  She then gathered her wits, took a deep breath and says to me "ok Mom, let's walk him out".  After we walked him a few minutes she handed his lead over to me and put a foot in the stirrup looks at Hiccup and says "ok Hiccup lets start over with baby steps".  I was left to hide my blubbering as I lead her around on him and listened to her encouraging him to be brave and telling him how great he was doing.

HELPING ME FOLD LAUNDREY

A quick witted little person, Grace loves to smile and make others do the same, as I said, she has the most infectious belly laughs.  Often times because she is so old at heart, you can't help but smile or laugh, even when she herself hadn't intended to be humorous.  (This typically renders the above state of devestation)  At just barely 3yrs old, if someone held a door for us at a store it would get them a warm smile and a "why thank-you my good man (or lady)".  At one point when she was just potty training she decided to sit in an awkward way on the toilet, when I told her this just wouldn't work, she looks me straight in the eye and says, "don't worry, I'm a trained professional", which came out "don't wowwy I'sa Twaned Pwofessional".  Just last fall while visiting family in Nova Scotia she met a new friend and she decided that we should buy them both a Kinder Surprise Egg.  She finished hers and as I came into the room where they were at, she tells me that Sadie was being super nice by sharing her Kinder Surprise with her, when I looked at Sadie and told her what a special friend she was for sharing (meanwhile thinking that Grace didn't need more since she'd just had one) Grace looks at me and says "yeah, she only screamed a bit until I gave her a little piece back".  She is constantly thinking or doing, and while she sometimes relapses into her Cave Kid days, struggling as most 4yr olds do with temporary lapses of self-control or moments of sheer and total selfishness, she is often thinking of others and what she can do to make them happy or help out, she loves to help me with the cooking and daily chores and right now she is working tirelessly on Valantines Day cards for all our friends and family.

GRACE ALL GUSSIED UP FOR CHILDRENS MEETING LAST NIGHT,  WHEN WE GOT HOM SHE JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR AND PILED ON HER SLED TO GET DOWN TO THE HOUSE, HAIR AND SKIRTS BLOWING IN THE BREEZE AND SQUEELING ALL THE WAY DOWN  LIKE SOME MAD PERON MAKING A GRAND ESCAPE

Grace keeps comming up with ideas I can use when I Clog and often asks me if I've been Clogging.  This always makes me giggle and while anyone listening might assume that I am pretty handy in a pair of wooden shoes, she is actually trying to add to my new found hobby of "Blogging".

The farm has been running as usual the past few days and with the great wheather we've been having Jamie has been working in the woods, getting our fire wood for next year and cutting lumbar in hopes that we can build a house next summer.  We have been trying to pray about this and leave it to the Lord to decide, but with our mini home having become so tiny to us with two active little girls, and all the stuff they come with, in it, our praying becomes more wishing then anything and we need to remember that God is not a genie.

We had another sick calf a couple of days ago, but this one faired out much better then the last and after some doctoring by Jamie seems to be on the mend, some encouragement after losing three in the last while.

MAX WAITING FOR A COW TO MOVE SO HE CAN CHASE IT

RELAXING IN THE SUN

Bethany is beginning to say a few words, she's been saying Mama, Dadda and Maa (Max) for a while but can occasionally pick out Nanna, Bobba (bottle) and has said Dog a few times.  Today she was crawling around by Jamie and had apparently dirtied her diaper, when Jamie asked her who smells bad she looked right at him and said Dog. (This was probably totally random but timed perfectly.)

PERSONAL ESCORT SERVICE

RECIPE BELOW

RECIPE:

Homemade Chicken Pesto With Brocolli and Cawliflower and Fresh Ceasar Salad

Pesto:  (this sauce will cover a 500g box of Corkscrew Pasta with veggies and chicken added)

1 small pkg Pine Nuts (I think around 100g)

3 Cloves Garlic

1/2 Cup Fresh Grated Parmasean Cheese

3 TBSP Dried Basil

1/4 Cup Olive Oil ( I can't justify the oil so I substitute with appx 1tbsp Olive Oil and the rest in Chicken Stock, I just play with it until I get the consistency I want)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Put all this into a food processor and mix a thick liquid

In the meantime boil 2 chicken breasts and 2-3 cups of Brocolli and Cawliflower steamed.

Cook pasta to box directions

When all is cooked combine it all in a large bowl and serve

Ceasar Salad

1 head fresh Romain Lettuce

1/4 lb bacon cooked and crumbled

1/4 cup fresh grated Parmasean Cheese

Homemade Croutons :  4 Slices of bread (I use homemade white bread but any of your liking will do, Italian is great too), spread garlic butter on both sides, cut into cubes and bake at 350 until golden brown and extra crispy, remember to flip and stir them often as they burn very easy.  Serve fresh over Ceasar Salad.

Ceasar Salad Dressing 

1 cup Mayo (when I can't justify the calories I substitute with plain yogurt, it makes it a bit more watery but still very tasty)

2-3 Garlic Cloves minced

1/4 TBSP Vinegar

1/4 TBSP Lemon Juice

1tsp white sugar

1/4 cup fresh grated Parmasean

Salt and Pepper to taste (I use lots of pepper to add zing)

1-2 TBSP Olive Oil