Painting Rocks and Other Things....

Since my paints were out I thought I would try my new used craft book that I found called The Art of Painting Animals on Rocks. This looked like a lot of fun and we have done this before you can read the post from last year just click here but this takes rock painting to a whole new level!!!

I chose to paint a cat per Liam's request and since I am allergic to the real thing I figured I would indulge Liam and make him a cat that we could have in the house.

when you keep your tea near your paint water you have to be careful not to accidentally dip your paint brush in it ...not that I would ever do that hehehehe!!

Following the steps and instructions in a book is hard for a very visual person like me I have a very hard time learning by a book like this....Show me how to do something and I can watch you and I am a pro hand me a book and I instantly get confused and frustrated...
Oh this is alot of fun.....I can see all the rocks painted in my yard...We might have rock animals everywhere :)

A cat that doesn't make you sneeze now that's my kind of cat!!

The is the Wood Sorrel I journaled about it is just thriving on the side of our house I can't wait to try this wild edible on a salad...
The Finches have been busy laying lots of eggs and we thought we had a male and female but we actually have 2 females the one just has a different color variation so the eggs are not fertile and we will have to go out and get some men for these lovely ladies....So Sam will be known as Samantha now hehehe!!
Noah candled the eggs just to make sure they were not fertile and confirm our suspicions.
The bunnies are doing well but they have asked that it stop raining so they can go outside and use that wonderful rabbit yard that Mr.Watts made for them...
Our garden has been just devoured by wild Rabbits. The boys shot and killed one the other day and then taught themselves how to skin it and tan the hide. The fur is drying out very nicely. This has been a wonderful learning experience for them.

When we had Mr. Watts home last week he graciously went to work on fixing up our garden and rabbit proofing it. Adrian and the boys expanded the garden and fenced it all in with chicken wire and I am happy to report the wild rabbits are no longer eating our veggies they have to sit outside the fence and daydream of the days when it was wide and open!!
May the raindrops fall lightly on your brow.
May the soft winds freshen your spirit.
May the sunshine brighten your heart
May the burdens of the day rest lightly upon you.
And may God enfold you in the mantle of His love.
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
John 14:27

Country Diary Entry ~

I have been missing Adrian something terrible this week and his future work trips are stacked endless back to back.... I have a pile of beautiful fabric just staring at me waiting to be sewn into something wonderful....but I just have not been feeling like sewing at all......so I have been pouring my thoughts and drawings into my journal which has been a great distraction, and Here I meet with God and He greets me and lets me know that even through this season He is present with me in my thoughts and prayers and I have much comfort knowing this too shall pass.....Here is part of my entries for today ~




I have been using pencil & watercolor...The journaling has been great for the children to see it has encouraged them to do lots of painting and drawing this week as well.
SunsetThe day is done, The sun has set,Yet light still tints the sky;My heart stands stillIn reverence,For God is passing by.Ruth Alla Wager

And I just had to include this little snapshot of Anna painting....She loves to dress herself in lots of color!!!...like a little rainbow which never fails to bring a smile to my face.

Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for himPsalm 37:7

Tuesday Tea Time...God is Here!

We are joining our friend Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage for another Tuesday Tea~Come and sit and have tea with us we have words we would love to share with you! Today we are using our black teapot brightened with lots of peeks of yellow that you will find around our home this week.


God is Here!
By: Madeleine Aaron
God is Here I here His voice!
While Thrushes make the woods rejoice
I touch his robe each time I place
My hands against a pansy's face
I breathe his breath if I but pass
Verbena's trailing through the grass
God is here! From every tree
His leafy finger bekons me.



The beauty of the earth, the beauty of the sky, the order of the stars, the sun the moon...their very loveliness is their confession of God: for who made these lovely mutable things, but He who is himself unchangeable beauty.
~Augustine



Life itself, every bit of health that we enjoy, every hour of liberty and free enjoyment...comes from the hand of God.
~Billy Graham


May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works
Psalm 140:31


Thanks for stopping by and visiting with us we hope you have found our words shared encouraging today ~Love The Watts Family

Ode to My Adrian Elessar....

A post for my dear husband who left me with some beautiful flowers to bloom in his absence...

I Love Thee

by Eliza Acton, 1799-1859.

I love thee, as I love the calm

Of sweet, star-lighted hours!

I love thee, as I love the balm

Of early jes'mine flow'rs.

I love thee, as I love the last

Rich smile of fading day,

Which lingereth, like the look we cast,

On rapture pass'd away.

I love thee as I love the tone

Of some soft-breathing flute

Whose soul is wak'd for me alone,

When all beside is mute.

I love thee as I love the first

Young violet of the spring;

Or the pale lily, April-nurs'd,

To scented blossoming.

I love thee, as I love the full,

Clear gushings of the song,

Which lonely--sad--and beautiful--

At night-fall floats along,

Pour'd by the bul-bul forth to greet

The hours of rest and dew;

When melody and moonlight meet

To blend their charm, and hue.

I love thee, as the glad bird loves

The freedom of its wing,

On which delightedly it moves

In wildest wandering.

I love thee as I love the swell,

And hush, of some low strain,

Which bringeth, by its gentle spell,

The past to life again.

Such is the feeling which from thee

Nought earthly can allure:

'Tis ever link'd to all I see

Of gifted--high--and pure!

For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.

Ephesians 5:31

The Country Diary of a Not so Edwardian Lady~

Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth.Psalm 96:9

The Flowers

by Robert Louis Stevenson

All the names I know from nurse:

Gardener's garters, Shepherd's purse,

Bachelor's buttons, Lady's smock,

And the Lady Hollyhock.

Fairy places, fairy things,

Fairy woods where the wild bee wings,

Tiny trees for tiny dames--

These must all be fairy names!

Tiny woods below whose boughs

Shady fairies weave a house;

Tiny tree-tops, rose or thyme,

Where the braver fairies climb!

Fair are grown-up people's trees,

But the fairest woods are these;

Where, if I were not so tall,

I should live for good and all.

O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago.— Isaiah 25:1

Taking School Outside...

Anna started some new studies she will be studying Shakespeare and we are using the book by Edith Nesbit called Beautiful Stories From Shakespeare and the corresponding Notebook from living books...and then she is also doing a study on Animal Homes which is from Light Home Publications.

We decided with the Sun shining although it is a little cool we would take school and head outside...


apparently Wyatt likes Shakespeare...who knew????? Although he really needs a course on etiquette..

And for our study on Animal Homes we decided to go on a hike to try and find some animal homes right in our backyard....

Sticks make good homes...



mushrooms make good homes....


holes and dirt make good homes....

Here are some of the pretty sounds we heard when we were outside....

May your blessings outnumber
The Shamrocks that grow.
And may trouble avoid you

Wherever you go.

Have A Wonderful Weekend ~Love The Watts Family~

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth~

Genesis 1:1

The Perfect Pillow

Around Christmas Time I saw the perfect pillow. It was to me just a lovely decoration that would go so wonderful on my favorite chair that I like to snuggle up and watch movies in.....But it was Christmas time and I had gotten a flood of catalogs in from way to expensive retailors. I really hate getting all those catalogs in I find they just make you want to buy stuff....So I ripped out the picture and tucked it away and got rid of those catalogs.I like to think that God has blessed me with a great sense of creativity and I thought to myself I could definitely knock this off!!

The other day when I was picking up some odds and ends at Target I was casually walking by a 4 pack of cream colored napkins on clearance for 1.74$ (all right you caught me I was sticking my nose in the clearance section no where near the laundry detergent I have a tendency to get distracted hehehe)when the light bulb came on and I knew it was time to make the pillow!!

Here is how I did it!!
I ironed the napkin to get it really flat...
Then I drew out the shape of the bird with a Sharpie on a thick piece of art paper...

I then placed the paper under the napkin and lightly traced the image I drew with a pencil. I then went ahead and painted all the color onto the picture.

I then added the black highlights!!

And there you have it the perfect pillow. I used an exsisting pillow I had for the insert and I used a piece of scrap brown corduroy that I also had on hand for the backing. My chair is red corduroy so I thought this would look good with it. I don't know about you but I think the bird I painted looks much more friendlier than the retail scandle above!! So the pillow cost like .44cents to make. And now I have 3 more blank canvas's or pillows waiting to be painted in the future should the inspiration occur!!
Have A Blessed Day ~Love Heather
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
2 Peter 1:3-4

Literature Link For Upper Grades~ Homeschooling

We wanted to share with you something we found on the internet. Here is a link to some Free PDF Study guides for some wonderful book selections. We have used these and have liked them, they usually also have a nice introduction to the Author as well as activities for each chapter that help the children with Language Art skills, and also help them to understand the story and what is going on in the plot. They also give the options for companion stories that would go along well with the main story...These I think would be great for the 6-9th Grade range. These are put out by Glencoe who make text books for public school. The books used are very easy to find at your local library...And the best part the study guides are FREE!!

Click Here For Link To Main Directory

Sample of one The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

The Baldwin Project also has some great Literature selections that can be read online

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds

Hebrews 10:24

The Problem With Heartburn ~A Home Schooling Post

The Problem with Heartburn

A Medical study Of Heartburn By: Liam Watts Grade 6

Have you ever had a burning sensation in your throat that won’t go away? Well this could be a case of heartburn. Although the name suggests that the problem is due to a heart problem this isn’t so. To find the real culprit and the cure we need to know more about the problem.

Heartburn is not normally dangerous (unless you have chronic heartburn which is a serious medical condition) though it can be very unpleasant. It is caused by acid from the stomach going up into the esophagus through the Lower Esophagus Sphincter or LES. Normally the LES only opens to let food in or the occasional burp out but when certain conditions are right it doesn’t close properly, so let’s talk about those conditions.

Well caffeine is a stimulant that excites some parts of the body but not all parts. The LES is one of these instead of getting excited it goes to sleep and can occasionally let out some acid.

As much as I hate to say another leading cause for heartburn is chocolate. You’re probably wondering how our friend the chocolate bar could turn on us, well to keep things simple chocolate contains high concentrations of a chemical called theobromine which also relaxes the LES. There are many other causes but these are the most common and these are all we’ll talk about and now on to the cures.

There are many believed cures to heartburn that don’t involve medicine these include tea which would in truth worsen the problem by letting more acid through the LES and burning the already hurting parts, unsalted roasted almonds, sherbet, apple cider vinegar, and gum.

. One of the over the counter methods I also mentioned earlier would be an antacid which should relive your burning sensation in about 15 minutes.

Now that you know the facts, the causes, and the cures you can do your best to stay away from and to stop heart burn. About the chocolate though, you should still eat it just don’t shove it down your throat, please just eat moderately.

***Disclaimer***

The purpose of this informative article was not to dissuade people from chocolate just to tell them to eat moderately and to warn them of its dark-side. We are not responsible for the people who completely quit chocolate and are thus throwing away there lives.

Thank you from Liam Watts and his Affiliates

Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Deuteronomy 6:5

The Lone Horse ~ A Home Schooling Post

The Lone Horse
By: Anna Watts
Grade 3

Once their was a foal that had a destiny.
It was going to be a police horse. But it escaped. So the owner looked but could not find it.

Soon it was night time.
She only found shelter under an old tree.
She was cold.
In the morning it was raining and she was all wet.

Then a woman saw her and came back with a rope.
She put up signs but no one came.
So they named her star.

So Star Grew.
She was a pretty Chestnut with black hair.
She lived a happy life until her owner died and the
children went off to an orphanage.
And star escaped.

Then Star found a yard.
She saw an apple tree.
She ate some apples.
Then the the back door opened and an old woman came.
And she saw Star.
So she put her with the other horses.
And they became fast friends.

The End.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Philippians 4:4