Rickstrew Ranch

Behind the Scenes

2011-10-26T15:02:00.002-05:00

Just another day "at the office."

This is where it all happens, folks. This is our SweetSeat manufacturing/fulfillment facility....affectionately called "The Cottage."

Last Summer when we felt a move coming on, one day at lunch I took a white board and wrote a wish list of things we would love to have in a house. Everyday at lunch Thomas would come from the farm and we would pray as a family that God would provide a few of these things. Well...as a praise to God, He provided EVERY LITTLE THING on our list in the house we are in now. Among those "wish" items was a building that we could produce SweetSeats in. It's about 800 sq ft (bigger than the little space our family of five just moved out of!) and right behind our house on our property.

You can find me here every morning at 6am, sewing. I love to watch the sun come up over this porch and listen to the rooster crow.

Silas at 14 months.

Riley with his chickens.

Pictures of Boerne House

2011-10-21T08:21:00.003-05:00

Living room

Boys' room

Feasting on good food and the goodness of God in our new home.

We Moved!

2011-10-20T22:16:00.002-05:00

We're living in the famous Hill Country of Texas...a small town called Boerne ("burn-ee"). It's hilly, it's country...it's bee-you-ti-ful!

The Lord provided a dreamy 1899 farmhouse on 120 acres for us to live in for a while. We moved from 700 sq. ft to 2300 sq. ft and this Mama couldn't be more grateful. More to come.

Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!

Psalm 31:19

Silas' First Birthday

2011-08-04T22:57:00.003-05:00

One year ago today Silas Creed was born!

We celebrated his life today with lots of hugs, kisses, rides around the farm, and cupcakes!

Mama and her birthday boy

Grandpa and Gigi joined us for cupcakes and gift-giving

They gave him a wonderful toy we love...the wheely bug! It's awesome and so loveable! Riley and Abram had to take turns "showing" Silas how to ride on it. I think they were having so much fun it will be hard to tell who the gift was intended for in a few days!

The birthday set-up (with a SweetSeat, of course!)

He wasn't sure what to make of this flaming candle.

Older brothers enjoying cupcakes too

...I love those blue eyes

(doesn't he have lovely eyelashes too?)

He devoured two cupcakes right in a row! I think he would've been thankful for a third, but I had to stop somewhere. No surprises here, folks...this boy loves his sweets!

A New Milestone

2011-06-26T16:03:00.002-05:00

Riley lost his first tooth!!!!

This is what I usually find...

2011-06-04T11:54:00.002-05:00

...after naptime.

Abram loves to cuddle with his baby brother in the crib.

Barn Party

2011-05-31T14:15:00.003-05:00

The other night Grandpa and Gigi hosted a "Barn Party." Which, in Texan-speak means we all got together and sat on hay bales, drank tea and cold coca-cola, and talked politics until the sun went down.

Thomas was a keynote speaker at the gathering. He was preaching to the masses about county-level control and constitutional government...all with a baby on his back.

Here's the crowd.

Riley wanted to go hear Papa speak but Papa told him he couldn't come out there until he was cleaned up and in nice clothes. He jumped in the shower and put on a polo shirt. When I showed up he told me, "Uh-oh! Mama, you need to look nicer. You should go back home." Guess my long stained skirt, tattered running shoes, a floral apron, and perpetual bed-head weren't gonna cut it. In the end, we agreed I looked just fine.

Riley and Abram watched and listened from the top of a round bale.

We're in Texas now, baby!

Garden Dinner

2011-05-30T12:00:00.003-05:00

What to do when Riley unloads yesterday's harvest on the counter?

Make Ratatouille!

1) Score bottoms of fresh tomatoes, blanch for one minute, peel.

2) Chop loosely and place in pan with olive oil and fresh basil.

3) Add slivered garlic, cook for 20 mins or so.

4) Meanwhile, salt the eggplant and let sit in colander to drain. Pat dry.

5) Cook cubed zucchini, summer squash, onions, sweet peppers, and eggplant in more olive oil.

6) When all is cooked well, but still crisp, add to tomato sauce.

7) Serve over pasta or rice accompanied by fresh bread.

Tastes like summer!

Unwelcome Visitor

2011-05-27T11:08:00.003-05:00

Went to go pick parsley the other evening for our dinner and as my hand went down into the middle of the plant, I felt something furry and then it moved.

Y.I.K.E.S!!!! A tarantula!

I looked down and SCREAMED!!! Riley ran out out to see if I was okay and I told him to look.

He, of course, was thrilled! We contemplated capturing it and keeping it. But, um, no!

The next morning it was gone.

After Lunch...

2011-05-24T17:24:00.002-05:00

We go outside and harvest whatever there is be picked. Afterward, we reward ourselves with homemade juice popsicles.

This is the last of our beets and carrots. Our zucchini, squash, and cucumbers are in full swing. In about two more weeks, our tomatoes will be ready! We have 26 thriving tomato plants so I hope we will be able to keep up!

Silas Goes For A Ride

2011-05-22T17:50:00.004-05:00

One of big brother Riley's favorite things to do is tour around with his little brothers in tow. This was Silas' first ride in the wagon without adult escort.

It went pretty well.

Riley put a plush pillow and blanket in the wagon for Silas to lean up against and filled the wagon with toys to entertain him.

They started out with no hats on but after seeing how red-faced they were, I had to put sun hats on them. Especially poor Silas...he's as white as a sheet!

(If you look really close, you'll see his first tooth popping up out of those tender gums!)

...just chillaxin...

What We Picked Last Night

2011-05-22T17:45:00.002-05:00

A bouquet of vegetables!

My Boys

2011-05-13T17:10:00.002-05:00

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-11T15:37:00.000-05:00

The Rickstrew Family packed up and headed for the Gulf of Mexico again for Mother's Day. We enjoyed playing in the sand and sun in Port Aransas.

The Gulf is completely child friendly as the shore is very shallow for a very long time. We can walk out into the sea quite a ways and still only be knee deep in water.

Fair-skinned Silas stayed in the shade tent all day. This was his first trip to the beach. He ate his fair share of sand, let me tell you.

His eyes are as blue as that tent!

If you are wondering what Silas looks like/does most of the day...this is it! This is Silas' quintessential pose. Sucking on his two fingers, looking down, right hand in the air about to grab something he's looking at on the floor.

We were parked next to a truck that had the sign "Sandcastle Lessons" on the doors. He was creating a big castle for a young couple that would be strlling by later that day. He wrote the words, "Bianna, will you marry me? - Dave" on the front. We stayed late enough in the day to watch the whole proposal unfold....it was very exciting. Oh- and she said yes!

My beautiful Abram, 2 years old.

He played all day in the sand until...

He got so tired he kept saying "bed, bed, bed..." and looking around. We made him a bed in the shade on towels and he slept through a major chunk of the afternoon.

Riley's favorite part of the beach is surfing. He goes out with Papa in the whitewater and Papa pushes him into the waves...over...and...over...and...over again.

Papa, Riley, and Abram.

Happy Mother's Day!

400th Post!

2011-05-10T13:03:00.002-05:00

It's our 400th post!

These pictures were taken a week ago and I'm just now getting around to putting them up here. It is amazing how fast things grow here in the Texan heat because just one week later, our garden looks completely different.

This is how I usually look when I'm in the garden. I've got a baby on my back. He loves to be outside.

Riley found our first zucchini!

The boys are "harbesting"

Cucumbers are growing!

Yellow crookneck squash

Breaking in the CAT

2011-05-06T09:55:00.003-05:00

It's hay season!

And that means it's time to get the irrigation system up and running since we haven't had any rain this year. The sprinkler heads needed to be changed out at the beginning of this season, so Tom and Riley got in the bucket of the CAT and did the job.

If the tractor is running, Abram is usually in it. There is a jump seat which fits him perfectly.

Silas took his first ride in the tractor. Since he's still too young to sit on his own in the jump seat, Tom buckled his car seat in. Looks like that makes 3 for 3 little boys who love tractors.

Out With The Old...

2011-05-04T15:27:00.003-05:00

...in with the new!!

We've (sadly) said goodbye to 'ol John Deere and have welcomed Mr. Cat into our lives. Out with the green, in with the gold.

Yesterday a big semi drove down our driveway with this behind it. A new tractor! It was ordered a couple of months ago. They built it to our specifications, so it's entirely custom.

Tom and Thomas getting the low-down on the new machine.

The new CAT Challenger

Garden Is Growing!

2011-04-27T11:31:00.003-05:00

This is what our garden looked like this morning. Everything is growing beautifully. The hay around the plants is doing an amazing job at keeping the weeds at bay as well as keeping the moisture in. It does take a bit of hay, which works well for us since...well...we have two huge barns filled with the stuff! But even if you don't live on a hay farm, I'd highly recommend the purchase of 1 square bale to mulch around your plants. It will be well worth the $$.

It's Sweet!

2011-04-25T15:29:00.004-05:00

Just over one week ago we launched a business!

I've been thinking of y'all who follow the Rickstrew Ranch and wanting to post pictures of the happenings around these parts, but you'll have to excuse me as I've been running around like a chicken with its head missing these days. I hope to post garden pictures soon (as it's growing HUGE and oh-so-beautifully!), kidlets photos, and general farm life happenings soon.

In the mean time, you can find me managing our Facebook page or out in the barn making some SweetSeats.

Check us out @

www.sweet-seat.com

and

here on Facebook...go head, give us some love.

Happy Birthday Abram!

2011-04-16T00:37:00.006-05:00

Yesterday was a big day around the Rickstrew Ranch. Our middle son turned TWO!

Happy Birthday Abram Oak.

He awoke from his morning nap to a ladybug cake that I made for him. He had the look of total surprise and delight when he laid eyes on it. He said "bug" over and over.

After he saw his cake, we directed him to the front porch where and even better surprise was waiting for him. A new tricycle! But this isn't just any tricycle! Grandma sent a farm-road worthy, mud-safe, all terrain tricycle. Thank you!

Riley was delighted with this new toy also. He helped Abram ride it all over the farm.

Then we came inside for a big birthday feast. We had italian sausage sandwiches, german potato salad, chips and salsa, and a green salad.

Grandpa and Gigi gave Abram this wonderful horse and hay barn. It is really well made with all kinds of great features like a real hay loft and moveable stalls inside.

We love it!

Abram played with this barn for hours into the night yesterday.

Nana gave each of the boys a stuffed animal and the corresponding Eric Carle book a month ago. Abram chose the ladybug and the book, "The Grouchy Ladybug." He sleeps with it every night and carries it around the house. I thought a ladybug cake would be fitting for this little gentleman.

Under that smooth fondant icing was a lemon poppyseed cake. I used the same recipe that a friend used for our wedding cake 10.5 years ago!

Here's Sila-berry goofing off in the swing!

Around 6pm, the big boys got all gussied up and headed to San Antonio for a special Titanic memorial Dinner at a brazilian steakhouse. Thank you Grandma for these nice clothes for Riley and Tom.

Father and Son.

Going to see if Grandpa was ready to go yet...

Grandpa, Papa, and Son.

Three fine looking men (in front of Gigi's beautiful roses), in my humble opinion.

Lunch

2011-04-11T08:14:00.002-05:00

Before

After

Want to make THE BEST salad dressing? Here is the recipe:

Garlic Dressing

2 cloves minced garlic
1/4c. Parmesan cheese
1/2c. Olive oil
1/4t. salt
1/4t. pepper
1/2t. oregano dried
1/4t. thyme dried
1-2T. mayo (optional)
1T. lemon juice

Recipe courtesy of my friends at DelSisters Kitchen

Spring Garden

2011-04-07T11:58:00.006-05:00

I know I've been absent from bloggerland for a couple of weeks now. I can explain. But my explanation will have to wait. Our family is working on some very exciting business prospects and while I'd love to divulge details here...you have to be patient and in a short while, I'll tell you all about it.

In the meantime, here are some pictures of our spring/summer garden. It's warming up around these parts with highs about 85-89 everyday and warm nights, which vegetable starts L.O.V.E.

This is an overview picture. This is what you see from our garden gate. So far we've planted sugar snap peas, cucumber, eggplant, lots of tomatoes, butternut squash, zucchini, yellow summer squash, tomatillos, green bush beans, okra, cantaloupe, watermelon, sweet corn, cilantro, sweet green, yellow, and red peppers, serrano peppers, jalapeno peppers, and a malabar spinach.

Loads of carrots and beets leftover form the winter. We roasted them with potatoes the other day with rosemary (also fresh from the herb garden), olive oil, and sea salt. Yum!

Isn't this tarnished copper pot the best? Tom brought it home from the "Free Pile" across the road at the exotic game ranch he's been working at. I planted a comfrey root in the middle of it.

I think we have 26 tomato plants.

When we first moved here, I was used to Humboldt sun and Humboldt gardens. We planted three tomato plants thinking that would produce plenty. All of our neighbors (who plant at a minimum 70 plants!) spoke about their ability to can what they couldn't eat in the summer so that they were able to never buy another can of store-bought tomatoes and that sounded good to me. So year two, we planted 15 tomatoes. I bought even more this year.

Another reason I love having chickens. We emptied out their coop yesterday and spread the manure/hay all over our plants. It will help to control weeds and minimize watering.

Tomatillos are already growing!

These are Roma tomatoes. We have about 6 or 7 varieties.

These are yellow pear tomatoes (my favorite!)

Strawberries that never make it inside because of two little boys I know who love to snack on them all day long.

Herbal Intrusion

2011-03-25T17:51:00.002-05:00

Our herbs arrived this week. And I'm so excited about them. I ordered some new things that I've read a bit about and can't wait to try them out.

I'm planning on delving into the world of tincture-making. I know this is old hat for some of you...and I'll take any advice you have. I bought the herbs for a "cold/flu" tincture and for a cough syrup. We had a couple of weeks in February where coughs kept everyone up at night and I had wished I had this then.

The rest of the herbs are for our daily kefir smoothies. I'm going to be adding this great product called chia seed. You can read all about it here. Also, this herbal "daily boost" is a great way to get all of our vitamins and minerals without popping any pills.

When I get around to making the tincture, I'll post pictures.

Multiple Car Pile-Up!

2011-03-25T17:44:00.002-05:00

This little boy is fascinated with crashes. I'm blaming Richard Scarry. We have a great book of his which shows lots of pictures of things piled up on each other. I walked outside yesterday and found Riley making this.

The Tufts in Texas

2011-03-23T15:05:00.003-05:00

Look Who's Here

2011-03-22T11:26:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the farm, Caitlin and Joe!

New Quilt for Silas

2011-03-19T12:00:00.002-05:00

Silas was blessed with a handmade quilt from Gigi. It is the same fabric but in a different pattern than Abram's baby quilt. It is beautiful!

Thank you Gigi.

It's Spring!

2011-03-17T11:18:00.006-05:00

...And that means it's time to get outside and tear out the old and put in the new! This is a very exciting time of year. I'd have to say that fall is my favorite season , but I love spring for what it represents. Everything is turning green again and the dirt is easy to work in. It's still nice outside so it's easy to spend time in the garden without overheating.

A week ago we roto-tilled our plot and are getting everything ready for the spring and summer garden.

Riley and Papa worked together. Papa ran the heavy machine while Riley went behind him with his dump truck to "flatten things out."

This is what our garden looks like now. I took this picture this morning. Papa has been busily working to make plating beds and rows for me to plant in. We decided to forgo the boring row- after-row common garden and design a garden with curves and smaller planters. We're going to plant flowers in between all of our vegetables....hopefully to make a garden that is both practical and beautiful! We'll have to keep you posted on how this turns out.

These are the only things we have left from our winter garden: lettuce, chard, carrots, beets, and one lonely cauliflower.

I'll harvest these tonight and we'll roast them and have them on our fresh lettuce with goat cheese. Yum!

What's New in Le Chez Poulet?

2011-03-17T11:05:00.003-05:00

(photo courtesy of Riley)

Our new pullets are laying already! These are the Ideal 236's that we brought home about two weeks ago. When you have a brood of over 30 chickens and you collect just as many eggs everyday, just how do you know who laid what? Well, I know these new hens are laying because of two things. 1) The Ideal 236's are our only white egg layers and 2) Look how small that egg on the left is. The pullet eggs always start out small and get bigger as the hen gets older. The egg on the right is from an Ideal 236 that is almost a year old. They have the best dark orange yolk inside!

We bought new chicks!

A week ago we picked up some more Cuckoo Marans (they lay dark chocolate colored eggs), Americaunas (they lay a beautiful blue-green egg), and Black Australorps (brown egg). We'll be babying these until they get their full feathers and are big enough to be rooming in the coop with their big sisters.

We continue to be low on supply and high on demand for Riley's egg business. Our girls are producing exceptionally well but we just can't keep up with our customers orders! Hoping by summer time, the little chicks will be helping out with our operation and we'll be able to fill all of our orders.

Best French Bread

2011-03-04T21:37:00.002-06:00

The other night I was making my friends' recipe for Venison & Rice soup and we needed some good crusty bread to go with it. It was already 3pm and I know if we wanted to stick to our usual eating time of 6pm, I'd be cutting it close to attempt making bread. I got on the computer and searched for a "crusty bread" recipe and found this diamond in the rough. It was so easy, so tasty, and so relatively quick for a yeast dough. I printed out the recipe and it'll be a staple on Monday Soup Night from now on.

What we had leftover the next morning made some really tasty french toast!

Boys at the Barber

2011-03-02T23:48:00.005-06:00

Check it out folks!

You can't find these old school barber shops just anywhere. Nope! You gotta be in a small country town to get good stuff like I'm showing you right here.

Merlin has a vinyl covered board (which matches the chair) that sits on the arms of the big chair for little tykes like Abram.

Merlin said he had never seen a toddler sit so still. I personally think it was out of fear if he moved, those loud clippy things would cut his ear off.

He was rewarded with a sucker from Merlin.

Riley went second. He said he was going to sit "stiller" than Abram. At the end of both haircuts, Riley asked who was "stiller." Merlin voted for Abram.

Five year old gets beat by one year old = not good for the five year old's ego.

BUT in ma's opinion it's REALLY good for helping Riley see where he could improve.

Look around this place. This barber shop deserves to be in a movie or a book. It is quintessential America.

K & K in the Kitchen

2011-02-28T20:44:00.005-06:00

I'd like to introduce you to our two fermented sisters.

On the left is Kombucha and on the right is Kefir.

They both promise us to live happily every after if taken everyday...which we do cheerfully. We turn our kefir into morning fruit and/or green smoothies and we drink small glasses of the kombucha throughout the day.

Kefir is a fermented milk product...very similar to yogurt. You know how yogurt is good for you? Well, if yogurt is good for you, then kefir is outstanding for you. It's got all of the good stuff (probiotics) that yogurt has but WAY more. And it's incredibly easy to make.

See my first post about it a couple of years ago.

Kombucha is supposed to cure whatever ails ya. It's widely used as a "long life elixir" in most of Asia. That mushroom thing floating on top is called a SCOBY (AKA symbiotic culture of bacterial yeast). I know, it's weird. But it tastes good. It's a lot like fizzy sweet tea. You know how them Texans love their sweet tea!

The kefir ferments in 24 hours, while we have to wait an entire week before our kombucha is finished. With both, you just add more (milk and tea, respectively) in the same 'ol jar and stick them back in the cupboard.

Our long life blend:

1.5 c. kefir

1 c. kombucha

1 banana

1 carrot

1 c. greens (preferably kale or chard)

Handful of frozen fruit such as strawberries and blueberries

Couple of ice cubes

Yummy! Ages 33 to 1.5 enjoy this every morning.

Apologies

2011-02-28T10:21:00.003-06:00

Dear Friends.

I owe you an apology. For years you've been faithful commenters on my blog. You've encouraged me, you've inspired me, you've blessed me by your kind words in response to my efforts to give the world a peek into the life of our family. All the while you were doing this, you had no choice but to think I was silent through it all. HAVE NO FEAR though! I saw every comment and cherished your thoughtful responses. It's just that...for some silly reason, I've been under the false assumption that when I would leave a comment myself (usually in response to a question you had) that you wouldn't see it. BUT, my theory has been proven wrong and I'm happy to say that my comments are back in action.

I hope you'll still comment here. Thank you so much for reading our blog.

A New Brood...

2011-02-23T22:44:00.003-06:00

...of chickens joined our venture. We picked up 10 more laying hens to help with the demand of eggs we have. We sell out everyday and end up turning people down. We could use about 80 layers, I'd guess.

Riley is proud of his new girls. There was a wee bit of picking and fighting between the established hens and these new sisters. By tomorrow, everything should be just fine though.

Grandpa and His Youngest Grandson

2011-02-23T22:43:00.002-06:00

Don't they share a striking resemblance?

(If only Grandpa wasn't wearing that hat....

they'd look like twins!) hee hee

Silas Takes His First Bite

2011-02-23T22:25:00.004-06:00

Silas is 6.5 months old now and just starting to grab for my spoon and food off of my plate. I thought it was time to give him a chance to eat table food. Sticking with the baby diet in Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, we decided to start with egg yolk. Besides, if there is one food we have in abundance, it is our farm fresh eggs with dark golden yolks. They're chalk full of everything this little guy needs.

Below is the play by play of the tasting...

He ate half of a whole egg yolk! Well...maybe not actually.

There was a lot of yolk on his bib and chin. I'd say we were successful and we'll finish that yolk tomorrow.

Valentine's Day Cinnamon Rolls

2011-02-16T12:58:00.004-06:00

Our family tradition for Valentine's Day has been for the boys to wake up to a house full of red balloons, glittery heart-shaped plates on the table, a small present on the plate, a warm sweet treat out of the oven, and the van packed with bikes ready for a day on the trails.

Last year I made a puffy apple oven cake. This year, we made cinnamon rolls. I didn't get a picture of them with the cream cheese frosting on top, but you can imagine.

Rising the night before. The best thing about this recipe is that you make it the night before and just pop in the oven in the morning!

Right out of the oven.

Turned over onto a big pan. 8 rolls of messy goodness. Yum!

Want the recipe?

Valentine's Day 2011

2011-02-15T15:12:00.004-06:00

On Valentine's Day we drove to Austin for our annual bike ride and picnic. It was a glorious day with temperatures around 75 degrees, few clouds, and a warm breeze. We rode around Lady Bird Johnson lake...I think there are over 12 miles in trails alone. We get to cross little and big bridges along the way, which is always a delight to our little boys.

Riley rides his own bike. We do our best to keep up with him.

Below are some pictures from the day.

"Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another."

1 John 4:11

Snow on the Farm

2011-02-10T08:55:00.007-06:00

Last week we had record low temperatures around South Texas. It "snowed" about 1/2" and shut down the whole of San Antonio. Kinda funny. Warm-weathered people just don't what to do when it actually gets cold.

This is the view from our front porch.

Looking left from the front porch.

The front of our barn-home.

Grandpa and Gigi's house across the drive way.

The roads were very icy.

Our neighbors fields.

Ice everywhere.

Picosa Ranch's airstrip iced over.

The boys got dressed in their warmest clothes and went outside to play.

Riley trying to "walk on water."

Naya will fetch anything! Riley threw this big ice chunk and she retrieved it for him!

What a good dog.

I made this hat for Abram for Christmas. Too cute on him =)

Tasting the snow.

Our mailbox.

Chris in the Kitchen

2011-01-24T15:51:00.005-06:00

Chris is a very dear, dear friend of ours. He has faithfully visited us every year since we've moved to Texas. Actually, make that three visits in two years! We always are happy to have Chris around. But, it's especially good when Chris starts baking.

For those of you who know him, know that he is quite good at baking cookies. And cakes, and pies, and cinnamon rolls too.

Here he is turning out dozens upon dozens of snickerdoodles.

Oh yeah. Hot-out-of-the-oven-goodness!

Thanks Chris.

When you coming back?

Lemons & Dots

2011-01-20T15:42:00.004-06:00

Another friend from church is getting married soon and I made these hot pads and matching towels for her bridal shower. What girl doesn't need a little bright yellow to cheer up her kitchen?

Sila-Baby

2011-01-20T15:40:00.002-06:00

Is this guy cute or what???

Ch-ch-changes!

2011-01-19T23:16:00.003-06:00

Ok, dear friends. I'm trying to spiff up my blog and one of the ways I think I can do that is to add the tabs at the top so you can search for things...specific things...like sourdough recipes or how to sew a crayon roll or knit a hat.

It's too late to stay up trying to figure all of this out right now though. I'll try to work more when the chiblins are asleep. Stick with me as this site undergoes construction.

Repeat after me...I'm not a professional.

Goodbye Nana!

2011-01-19T09:10:00.001-06:00

Silas was especially sad to leave Nana's house.

Making Birdfeeders

2011-01-17T14:09:00.003-06:00

Nana and Riley collected pinecones outside, covered them in peanut butter and then rolled them in birdseed.

We passed out plates of six ready-to-be-hung-in-a-tree pinecones to some of her neighbors.

Sledding!!!

2011-01-14T14:40:00.006-06:00

We had to drive up to the mountains to get snow during our visit to Colorado. These pictures were taken at Carter Park in Breckenridge.

Tom is in the red jacket just left of center, pulling Abram on the sled.

Papa and Abram coming down the "kiddie hill" first, so as to ease Abram into the thrill of the big hill.

Wheee!!!

Verdict? Crying hysterically or loving it?

Answer: loving it!

...and ready for more.

Lots more!

Riley decides he'll go by himself saying "I can do it Papa, I can do it! Watch me!" Sure enough, he did great...walked up the slushy hill and powered down the mountain without any fear.

All three going for it.

Here they come.

With the weight of all three, they get going pretty fast.

...with Riley at the helm

...they zoom on by.

Mama: Was it fun, Abram?

Abram: Yeah!

Mama: Wanna go again?

Abram: YEAH!

Freezing faces

Mama and Abram had a turn.

Nana carrying bundled Silas back to the car after a tremendously fun day in Breckenridge.

Holiday Hikes

2011-01-14T14:12:00.002-06:00

This is the winter beauty that surrounds my mom's house (minus the typical blanket of snow!). Tom and Riley left one day to see if they could conquer the ridge in the photo below. Riley took his sword and Papa brought the camera.

What it looks like from the top of the ridge. They made it!!

The babies and I met the boys at the bottom of mom's hill. Riley was so excited about his accomplishment...he couldn't stop talking about everything he saw and the H.U.G.E. mountain he climbed.

The Rickstrew Mini-Fig

2011-01-10T10:39:00.003-06:00

Keith Phinney paid us a visit about a week ago and put Riley's love for legos to shame. Keith Phinney LOVES legos. He told us all about the "mini figs"...you know...those little lego people that come in the boxed set with your fire engine or castle, etc. Keith Phinney gave Riley these two important rules for legos:

Rule #1: NEVER lose a lego

Rule #2: NEVER, NEVER lose a mini-fig

Riley got this cute Lego headlamp for Christmas and Thomas put it on Silas...our own little mini-fig!

Silas and His New Vest

2011-01-06T12:25:00.002-06:00

Remember I showed you this vest with the "cutest-buttons-you've-ever-seen" a couple of weeks ago? Well, here it is on him. In this picture, he is missing his jeans and suede loafers. They really complete the outfit. But nonetheless, here you go.

Oh! And thus far all Rickstrew boys have been thumb suckers. Not this guy! Not only is he rocking the boat with blue eyes. But he doesn't suck his thumb. No, he sucks his two fingers.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-04T14:43:00.007-06:00

Don't you just love the sights, smells, and feels of Christmastime?

This is how everything looked the night before.

Riley was the first to wake up. He ran upstairs and tore into his stocking.

A little while later the sun rose and Abram woke up. Riley "helped" him open his stocking.

This was Abram's first Christmas to open presents. He quickly got the hang of it and thoroughly enjoyed himself.

Our favorite gifts are always the handmade ones. Riley got a crayon roll and John Deere (he chose the fabric) pajama pants. Abram got a knit hat and scarf and pajama pants.

Papa made Riley a sword. (He is slowly building Riley the "armor of God" from Ephesians 6. Last year he got the shield of faith.)

Abram got a stepping stool with his name and footprints. Since he'll be moving to his own twin bed soon to make room in the crib for Silas, he needed something to help him get in and out of that big bed!

The boys also got new rain/mud boots.

The aftermath.

Abram sporting his new boots.

Those piggies are even more adorable in spiders.

Our family tradition: Prime Rib and Yorkshire pudding. It is the best meal of the whole year. Around Decmeber 1st, Tom and I start salivating over the thought of yorkshire pudding. This year did not disappoint.

Our Christmas dinner. Simple, but delicious.

Christmas dinner (minus sleeping Silas).

Nana and baby Silas.

Mama and Papa in his new Filson Packer hat. Isn't he handsome?

Holiday Road Trip To Colorado

2011-01-04T14:22:00.002-06:00

On December 21st, we packed up and headed north to Colorado to spend the holidays with my mom.

As we were finishing the last of our packing, I found Abram in the front seat, ready to go! He even attached that seatbelt himself =)

After two long days of driving, we arrived in beautiful Larkspur, CO. Mom bought baby Silas a snow suit and we tried it on him for size.

It was a little too big. BUT, he sure was snuggly in that blue beauty.

One of our favorite things to do at Christmastime is bake cookies...lots of them. We chose six of our favorite recipes and stayed up late into the night baking and tasting.

Mom gave Riley some of Grandpa Gene's old hats...a chefs hat with "To Die For" embroidered on the front (which was a gift from all of us when I was a kid to Gene; who always would say in the kitchen "It's to die for..." when something tasted really yummy), a hat from Greece that Gene's sister bought for him, and a holiday reindeer head band.

Nana kissing her little boys in matching pjs.

(Abram 19 months and Silas 4 months)

Just a Little Something I Made

2011-01-03T13:07:00.003-06:00

Do you see what Abram is doing with his mouth? How can a little one refuse to put his mouth on the arm of the ERGO? It is nearly impossible, which is why they sell these things called "sucking pads" for around $20. I felt that was too much to pay, so I got online and found a trusty tutorial and made my own. You can find the tutorial here.

I was so pleased with the way they turned out, I made a pair for my Texas friend Kate. She had a little girl (number 6!) about two months before Silas was born.

The ribbon is to attach link-a-doos, a pacifier, toy, etc.

Cute, don't you think?

Family Pictures 2010

2010-12-20T21:22:00.004-06:00

We recently took our 2010 family pictures. It was a beautiful day in Comfort, Texas. A friend from church...the extra talented Josh Anderson...spent an afternoon with us and snapped his camera at all of the right times. Herein are a few of my favs. It's hard to choose just a few though. They were all well done.

We're off to Colorado for the holidays.

Be back in a week or so.

See you then.

Brothers Don't Shake Hands...

2010-12-19T09:44:00.003-06:00

Brothers gotta hug!

(Allison and Lindsey, this was for you =)

Silas sitting outside, getting some vitamin D in the wintertime. (I know, I know, he's wearing a onesie only. It is still warm here during the day...like 78 degrees two days ago warm. I miss being cold.)

Combatting the Cold

2010-12-14T14:04:00.003-06:00

It's wintertime around here. If you are around our farm in the evenings, you will find Thomas building a warm fire out in the front yard. We burn a lot of mesquite wood around here, so often we put our coals into the smoker and bar-b-que something for dinner. It's the secret ingredient to Texas BBQ, I'm sure of it.

Sneak Peek

2010-12-14T13:11:00.002-06:00

I'm going to let you in on a special preview of a sample of what will be under our tree this year. I've been working on a hand knit vest for baby Silas for about a month now and I finally finished this morning. It's made out of 100% camel hair, which sounds gross, but it's nice and chunky and soft. Come to think of it...so is Silas.

I made this same vest for Abram about a year ago. You can see it here.

Have you EVER seen a cuter button? No. The answer is no, you have not. Seriously! I could not believe my eyes when I saw these buttons. Perfect for my little farm boy.

4 Month Old Munchkin

2010-12-10T10:35:00.001-06:00

My Two Cherubs

2010-12-06T12:12:00.002-06:00

I found the two boys out at the chicken coop yesterday...just sitting and relaxing in the sun, enjoying each other.

Look Who Is Reading!

2010-12-01T09:03:00.003-06:00

Free Rides

2010-11-30T15:18:00.001-06:00

Bridal Shower Present

2010-11-29T11:04:00.002-06:00

A friend of ours is getting married in January and we celebrated her upcoming wedding with a bridal shower last week. Knowing how indispensable my apron is...I think every new wife, and Lord willing, mother needs one.

The front pocket is divided into three sections.

Happy Thanksgiving To You!

2010-11-26T13:15:00.008-06:00

Yesterday was a glorious celebration of Thanksgiving! The Rickstrew Family spent the day at the Smithe home with friends and family. Their home was beautifully decorated in the best way. Every table was an art piece covered in leaves, candles, name cards, scriptures. I've included many photos from the day so that you can get a glimpse of how we spent our day yesterday.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Peace, baby, peace!

From our home to yours!

Baby Kisses

2010-11-13T14:33:00.000-06:00

Wet kisses from one baby to another...

Mama Turns 32!

2010-11-09T13:10:00.004-06:00

Woke up early on a beautiful Monday morning to this...

Yummy eggs benedict

...And a new Vitamix!!!! The whole family enjoys this one =) We made green smoothies with our kefir. I was really tempted to make peach ice cream but after such a filling breakfast, we decided not to. Instead we had a nice lazy day. Here is a small window into what our day looked like yesterday.

Tom sat on the couch and penned this poem:

This Morning

Awoke this morning to a glorious dawn

sparkles of dew glisten across the lawn.

Chickens strut and dance peckin a scratchin

clear crisp air with the sunbeams a matchin.

My beautiful bride one year older today

to celebrate her creation with joy all the way.

A cute little home stocked full of blessings

the boys run about; books and toys messing.

A special breakfast husband has served

eggs benedict made two lips up-curved.

Off to the shop some repairs to be made

Welding and drilling; steel broke from the hay.

Riley did what he usually does...plays outside.

Silas did what he usually does....sleeps.

And then we had a wonderful dinner and evening stroll on the River Walk in San Antonio.

The older boys stayed home with Grandpa and Gigi and Silas came with us.

River Walk with the Tower of Americas in the background.

Thank you to everyone for all of the lovely birthday wishes!!!

Silkies Go For A Ride

2010-11-06T14:07:00.002-05:00

This scene used to make us nervous...the whole Dog meet chicken thing. We're used to it now though. And so is the dog. Thankfully. No harm done. In fact as Naya casually takes naps in our yard, we have been known to find her sleeping while chickens cluck and pluck right around her...even right on top of her. So...for now...the chickens and this dog are friends. But we're not in the clear. There are two other....more serious...dogs around here.

Three Months Old

2010-11-05T12:47:00.002-05:00

I can't get enough of this cuddle-bug.

A Business is Born

2010-11-02T14:09:00.003-05:00

Riley sells his first dozen eggs for $3!

He has it all rehearsed...what he will say, how he will say it, how to respond to what they might say, etc. He's decided he'll say, "Excuse me Sir (or Ma'am), Would you like to buy some farm fresh eggs?" When they ask how much they cost, he'll say, "Three dollars and no cents." This is because as we were deciding on the final cost of this delicious product, the conversation went a little something like this:

Me: We should sell them for $3 a dozen.

Riley: Okay, but how many cents?

Me: Just three dollars.

Riley: Yes but how many cents will there need to be?

Me: No cents. Just three dollars.

Riley: Okay then. When they ask how much they cost, I'll say "$3 and no cents."

Me: Perfect.

(Pictures taken by Riley.

Note: Riley taking pictures is like a the Goodnight Moon book. Instead of finding a mouse on every page, Riley strategically places his truck to be photographed.)

What We Do A Lot Of Around Here...

2010-11-02T14:08:00.001-05:00

Read and Learn to Read...

Baby Booties

2010-11-02T14:05:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the World

Thomas Ward Fugate!

A little something I've been working on to celebrate the arrival of a new precious baby boy.

I don't know...

2010-10-25T14:11:00.000-05:00

...do you think he's getting enough?

Little Boy Blue

2010-10-22T15:07:00.003-05:00

Happy Boy

I am in LOVE with these handmade booties someone gave Silas at his baby shower. He wears them all of the time and I know they'll be on his feet through the winter and even into spring.

Farm Chicks

2010-10-21T12:18:00.000-05:00

Bye-Bye Summer

2010-10-20T10:55:00.002-05:00

We all thought we'd go swimming last weekend and it turned into a "I dare you to get in that frigid water" type of afternoon. Even though it's still in the 80's during the day, these Californian-turned-Texan folks think it's too cold to be swimming.

Riley got the fun job of draining the pool.

Bye-Bye Easy Set Pool by Intex...you've been good to us. See you again next summer.

Riley's First Race

2010-10-15T10:52:00.002-05:00

Friday afternoon we looked online to see the schedule of events for the annual Floresville Peanut Festival. (Floresville is known as the peanut capital of Texas). As we were looking to see when the parade starts, times of carnival, etc...we saw there was a kids race downtown around the old Courthouse. Knowing our firstborn and how he loves to run...we asked him if he wanted to enter. He gave us an enthusiastic YES and was almost too excited to sleep that night.

Well, Grandpa didn't think it was appropriate that Riley run in his cowboy boots or his Keen water shoes, so he offered to buy the boy his first pair of real runners.

Riley and the big peanut in front of the courthouse.

Riley and his competition.

Off they go...for a 0.6 mile race.

Riley got 2nd place!

He was in the age group 3-5 years old but right at the start line, they added the 6 year olds into his category. I'm not sure why. Riley was ahead of them all until the very last 20 feet when he got tired and slowed down. A six year old (far smaller than him) ran right past him and got 1st place. While mama gave him a-talkin-to about never stopping in a race...he was pleased as punch to get 2nd place. We figure it's probably good for his humility. Being the biggest kid around for your age must be hard.

Cloud 9

2010-10-13T13:42:00.003-05:00

Silas Creed- 10 weeks old today

Grandpa and His Grandsons

2010-10-07T13:50:00.002-05:00

Egg Business

2010-10-02T12:30:00.002-05:00

What's happening at Chez Poulet, you ask?

Well...we're doing a lot of feeding and watering and playing but we're still only getting two eggs a day. We expected these ladies to be laying by mid-September but now we're hoping for mid-October. Won't it be grand to get 25 eggs a day?

Two Babies

2010-09-29T09:39:00.002-05:00

Besides twins, this is most likely as close as I'll get to having two babies in the house simultaneously. It is pure joy and total insanity...all at the same time.

Mother and Child

2010-09-24T11:56:00.001-05:00

Blue Eyed Boy

2010-09-20T12:07:00.002-05:00

Silas Creed- 6 weeks old

Marybeth, these pictures are for you.

I'm trying and trying to get a good picture of Silas' blue eyes but I just can't seem to do the beautiful blue justice. They are a true blue though...these babies ain't changin'...much to his mother's delight =)

Life With Three Boys

2010-09-16T12:26:00.003-05:00

Three different personalities...three different faces...three different boys

Recent Storm

2010-09-13T15:45:00.002-05:00

Here's a panoramic view of our front yard from right to left. We had hurricane-grade winds and rain for a little over two days a week ago.

Night at the Alamo

2010-09-10T13:31:00.001-05:00

Both of these photos are courtesy of Riley...not bad, don't you think?

Rickstrew Family with Grandma

Local Swimming Pool

2010-09-09T08:18:00.001-05:00

We had a picnic and played at the local pool for a couple of hours last Saturday. Thought I'd post some of Riley's action shots. He is jumping and diving off of the diving board, with no help! Upon jumping in the water, he kicks to the surface and swims to the side all by himself. We are so proud of him. He has only had two weeks of swimming instruction (over a year ago). We're sure what gave him the confidence in the water is our above ground pool in our front yard. It's only 4' deep so he can touch...but it's deep enough for him to dive for toys. With just playing in the water every afternoon, he has taught himself to swim.

Grandma takes Abram in the shallow end to play.

Three Rickstrew Gentlemen

2010-09-08T13:08:00.003-05:00

Who is Who?

Riley Dean, one month old

Abram Oak, one month old

Silas Creed, one month old

Grandma Is In Town

2010-09-07T10:50:00.002-05:00

Grandma flew in from Bakersfield CA to see her grandsons.

Our boys had lots of fun playing trains, reading books, going for walks around the farm, telling stories, being held, and going out to eat with Grandma.

Thank you for coming!

Happy 5th Birthday Riley Dean

2010-09-06T16:14:00.003-05:00

A week before Riley was to turn five years old, he asked me in all seriousness...

Riley: Are you going to hang the birthday banner for me?

Me: Sure.

Riley: When I wake up, can there be blue balloons everywhere?

Me: Sure.

Riley: Will you be standing in the living room, waiting for me to wake up?

Me: Sure.

Riley: Will you have baby Silas in your arms so he can see me wake up too?

Me: Sure.

Nana sent a mask and snorkel and pool toys for Riley.

This years cake was a dump truck. Complete with a "full load" of oreos, junior mints, M&Ms, pretzel sticks, and licorice.

Grandpa and Gigi delighted their grandson BIG TIME with a brand new 1000 piece puzzle and a whole lot of John Deere toys to go with his tractor they got him a couple of years ago. Riley has enough equipment to have a hay farm of his own now. And he's the only five year old I know who knows more about big equipment and the process of growing, cutting, baling, and selling hay than most adults.

Riley's Big Day Out

2010-09-06T11:03:00.005-05:00

It's not everyday that you turn the big F-I-V-E! In light of our recent audio adventures with Jonathan Park...we treated Riley to a day at the caves outside of San Antonio.

Abram's new digs...courtesy of the Taylor Family...thank you!!!!

Natural Bridge Caverns

2010-09-06T10:56:00.002-05:00

Riley (5 yrs) and Abram (16 mo.) at the

Natural Bridge Caverns on Riley's 5th Birthday.

A Birthday Present for Silas

2010-09-03T20:40:00.003-05:00

One of my farmer friends from Floresville gave little Silas a birthday present.

...baby Silkie chicks!

And one of them was still in the egg, ready to hatch at any moment.

In addition to our 26 hens, we have added 9 little Silkie chicks to the flock. They are adorable when fully grown...all furry and small and cute. Plus, they have miniature but yummy eggs.

'Ol Maverick

2010-09-03T20:34:00.001-05:00

Sara D...this one's for you, babe!

Hands and Feet

2010-08-20T20:28:00.004-05:00

As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

Romans 10:15

Summer Swimming

2010-08-18T09:50:00.002-05:00

Oops! I keep forgetting to post pictures of our swimming pool that we bought at the end of May. It has been my lifesaver during the end stages of pregnancy in the Texas heat...and Riley has basically taught himself to swim with his hours and hours of fun in the pool every day. It's 18' feet wide and 4' deep..which is big enough for all of us to be in it, without feeling crowded, playing or floating around. I did water aerobics in it everyday up until the birth of Silas.

You can see the sprayer behind the pool, obstructing the nice view of the hay fields...it isn't usually there...but we were using the high powered pump from this machine to clean it after we had a bunch of friends over in the pool.

Mama and Her Boy

2010-08-14T17:16:00.002-05:00

Silas is four days old in this photo. He hasn't brought his hands down from next to his ears yet! I'm guessing he was in the womb this way. He likes to hold on to the top of them and pull down.

Silas is six days old here. And me and my jelly belly look six months pregnant! It's always amazing how empty I feel after giving birth...but when I see a picture of myself...I don't look...well...empty! Can't hardly believe this little bundle of love was inside that belly of mine. Where did he fit?!?

Rickstrew Boys

2010-08-13T15:39:00.002-05:00

Papa and Silas on day 5

Abram isn't quite sure what to think of Silas...but he always smiles really big when he gets close to him. When I ask Abram, "Where's the baby?" He points to my belly and smiles. We have been telling him, "Not anymore...there is the baby!" (while pointing to Silas). We had our camera ready for the moment we think Abram finally understood.

The initiation to Rickstrew boyhood has begun. Each day Riley and Abram bring baby Silas a new toy to show him how it works, what it does, how to play with it, etc.

Big brother Riley is always asking, "Can I hold baby Silas now?"

And he only gets to if he can pry him out of Mama's or Papa's arms. He is just a dream!

Silas' Quilt

2010-08-12T15:48:00.003-05:00

I learned how to sew and handquilt when Riley was two years old. I enjoyed it so much that I purposed to handquilt a baby quilt for each of our children. I have loved having a project to work on during the late months of pregnancy when a gal should have her feet up and be relaxing.

This handmade quilt was started in the middle of July. I figured I had one month to finish it. Around 1pm on August 4th, Silas' birthday, I finished it! It was washed and dried and ready to encompass him by the time he was born at 7:11pm.

This is the back side of the quilt. I never got a chance to put a little tag on it...something that says..."while I waited for you, etc." But now that he is here and the unknown of whether he is a he or a she is known...I can be less vague and put his real name on the quilt.

He looks good in it, don't you think?

Silas' Early Days

2010-08-11T13:18:00.003-05:00

Big brother Abram looks on at little brother Silas

So, so sweet

We Would Like To Introduce You To......

2010-08-09T14:16:00.006-05:00

Our newest son:

Silas Creed Rickstrew

This morning we went out to a large oak tree that overlooks the farm and surrounding area to bury Silas' placenta, officially name him, and pray over him.

Our prayer for our son, Silas, is that he would live a life like Silas in the Bible. It is said of him, "Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers." Acts 15:22. We see in the book of Acts that Silas was a faithful companion to Paul and was used of God to start the early church of Jesus Christ. He is referred to as a prophet, a leader, a teacher, a preacher, a worshiper, and one who is called faithful.

May our very own Silas live such a life before our Lord!

Creed means "I believe" and our prayer is that Silas Creed will grow up knowing what he believes and live a life that is a courageous and faithful statement of belief to others.

May God bless this precious little boy.

Birth Story of Baby Boy #3

2010-08-07T10:57:00.004-05:00

I woke up early on Wednesday morning to take Abram to his regular check up at the Doctor. The night before Thomas wasn’t feeling well and I urged him to stay in bed and to sleep in until I returned with Abram and to not worry about anything in the house as far as picking up after breakfast or cleaning anything. However, when I got home, I arrived to a spotless home with not a dirty dish in sight and everything in it’s little place. My quilt I had been making for our new baby was on the couch, along with my other hand quilting supplies, an iced glass of red raspberry leaf tea, and my favorite hymns were playing throughout the house. He urged me to sit down, relax, put my feet up, and finish the binding on the quilt so it would be ready when the baby decided to come. Abram took his morning nap and Riley went in the tractor with Thomas, so the house was all peace and quiet.

Abram slept longer than usual and around 12:45pm woke up and instantly showed me the sign for “I’m hungry.” A few minutes later Riley was dropped off and he came running inside asking what we were having for lunch. I hadn’t planned it out quite yet...but I knew there were some leftovers and stuff to make sandwiches. At 1pm, my back started to cramp and as I was walking around the kitchen, I was rubbing it...thinking it would go away soon. I finished my quilt and immediately put it in the washer and dryer.

By 2:30pm, my back had not stopped cramping, but it was mild...similar to early menstrual cramps. At 3:00pm, I started contracting...small and weak...but regular. Thomas was casually timing them and they were every 4-5 minutes. After 20 minutes of regular contractions, we looked at one another and said, “We have so much to get ready! What if this baby is coming today?” No one thinks their baby will arrive almost two weeks early. Every mother ripe in pregnancy would probably hope their baby comes early, but it can be foolish to EXPECT the baby to arrive early. I have been advised by wise midwives to expect to go late and that way, if the baby comes early, it is just an extra bonus. Our baby was due August 15th and so I had the date August 10th as the day in my mind when I would have everything ready by...the bassinet next to the bed, newborn clothes down from the attic (washed, dried, folded, and put away), receiving blankets clean and ready to swaddle a newborn, diapers ready (washed, folded, and ready to be used)...And then there were the other things like have extra food around the house for myself and the midwives during and after labor, have all of the home birth supplies out and ready for use...And then there was the plan to get my hair cut on August 10th, knowing it would be a while before I would be able to do that after the baby arrived. We thought five days early was plenty of time to have this check list complete! Also, we were intentional about packing in as many social activities as possible at the end of July. All of Thomas’ free time from work was taken up by bridal showers, parties, church activities, and dinner with friends.

So...when we recognized these contractions were coming regularly, we thought we should get in gear and in gear we GOT! Thomas got up in the attic and got down the infant car seat to wash and install in the van. He also brought down the clothes and other newborn items like slings, breastfeeding materials, baby blankets, etc. I started sorting laundry and we went to work getting everything clean, set up, and ready for a new one. (Now, let me say that NONE of these things HAD TO BE DONE in order to welcome a newborn into the world...but there’s this concept called “nesting” which comes on really strong in a mother where she would prefer everything to be ready and in place before bringing her baby into this world. It’s really not worth much more than peace of mind...but when the check list is complete, a mother’s mind can be free.) As we were flittering about the house, the contractions spaced out to about every 10 minutes. It was a sign to me that things were slowing down and that I was most likely just experiencing a “warm up” and that real labor was probably far away.

By 4:30, I had the thought that a walk might tell me something. I know that a good walk will either stop early labor or really bring it on and I wanted to see which way my body was going. Despite it being over 100 degrees outside, Thomas and Riley and I went on a short walk around our barns, while Abram was taking his afternoon nap. Less than 5 minutes into the walk, I started contracting hard, every 2-3 minutes. I needed to pause, bend over, and breathe. They were short, though, only lasting about 30 seconds long. But they were intense...just as one would expect a real labor contraction to me...something far serious than those warm up ones! The walk only lasted about 15 minutes because it was so hot outside and we thought we better contact our midwife.

Our midwife has her own home birth practice and she owns the San Antonio Birth Center. When we called her, she was at the Birth Center with two women who were in labor. (Her first commitment is to her home birth clients so when this happens she always gives priority to her home birth client and the Birth Center is staffed with other midwives.) She advised that I not go for any more walks until she could be free to head in our direction (about 50 minutes away). I laid down on the bed to see what would happen and the contractions spaced out again to about 10 minutes apart. At 5pm, I wasn’t sure if active labor was going to start or if my body really was just practicing. Our midwife called around 5:30pm to say that she was going to leave the Birth Center and come our direction. I told her that I would not like for her to get here and just sit around if this wasn’t real labor...that would just make me feel bad. She said knowing my labor history with Riley (4.5 hours) and Abram (2.5 hours), she thought she should just come anyway to give me an exam and see what was going on.

By 6pm, I called her to ask where she was because my contractions were getting really intense now and I was hoping she wasn’t too far away. Sure enough, she was only ten minutes away and she could hear it in my voice that I was truly in labor. She arrived at 6:15pm and saw me on the bed, breathing through a long contraction. She offered to examen me and see my progress. I told her that she could but I was just afraid that she would say I’m only 2 cm dilated. She said, “I just saw you breathe through that last contraction. With some degree of “midwife certainty”, I can assure you you’re not at 2 cm.” She guessed I was in transition. Sure enough, she said I was 9cm and that “it wouldn’t be long before I was holding my baby.” I was in disbelief! 9cm???? How could it be? Thirty minutes before I was telling her not to come yet. I had one more strong contraction on the bed and she suggested I move to the birth tub (which Thomas was frantically filling with hot water...not realizing I was almost complete.)

One more contraction in the birth tub and then I began to experience really long breaks. It almost seemed like labor was stopping. However, our midwife assured us that it was simply a sign that I was complete and that my body would switch gears from opening to pushing. I sat in the birth tub and waited for a contraction to come. When it did, my whole body began to push the baby down. I had really intense back pain and Thomas was trying his best to apply counter pressure during the contraction. He was afraid he was hurting me. BUT, it was as if he couldn’t press hard enough. His strong force against my spine was so relieving! The baby seemed really high and with each contraction, I truly had to push with all of my might to get the baby lower and lower. (This is the first baby that I have had to physically push out and work with every contraction. I know that this is what is most common and I’ve read about it in many labor books. However, with both Riley and Abram, I did not have to physically push. Both of those babies were barrelling down the canal and it was all I could do to hold them in. Pushing in this labor was by far the hardest work I’ve done.)

Our midwife said she could see the bag of waters and suggested that we leave it in tact. Her opinion was that it would be a gentler passage for both mama and baby. We trusted her and said that was fine. She said the baby was so close that with one more contraction I could push him out or I could just take it really slow. I decided I was ready to meet this little miracle and didn’t want to prolong labor anymore. So, 5 contractions and 20 minutes later after getting in the tub, I pushed with all of my might and out came a slithery, sweet, little baby IN THE CAUL! That is simply a fancy way to say that he was born in the amniotic sac. (We have since been told that the chances of this happening are about 1 in 800,000).

At 7:11pm, a perfect baby BOY was born into my arms.

I kept saying, “Really? It’s over? Really? I feel like I was just getting started!” I couldn’t believe he was in my arms and that it really was over. What relief!!! Holding him in my arms, he looked up at me and with wide eyes stared at me. With perfect peace and love, he just wanted to see me. And I couldn’t believe I was holding the very being who kicked and punched for so many months. I felt the roundness of his bottom and the sharpness of his knees and they were so familiar to me...”So, YOU are the one whom I’ve known and loved but have never seen until now...”

The boys had been across the driveway at Grandpa’s and Gigi’s house since 6pm. Thomas called and sent for Riley to come over and meet his little brother. He was so excited for another little boy!!! Abram didn’t come over until much later and when he first saw the baby, he looked a little confused, and then had a sweet giggle. He pointed to him and smiled. By then it was time for him to be in bed so Thomas quickly got him in his pajamas and laid him down for the night.

Without a problem or concern, our newest son passed his newborn exam with perfection! He nursed right away and was so peaceful...and two days later...has yet to cry! He weighed 8lbs. and 4 oz and was 22” long. He is our smallest baby so far, with Riley at 8lbs. 14 oz, 22” and Abram at 8lbs. 6 oz, 21”.

So...how long was my labor? I am not sure. I don’t really know when active labor started. All I know is that my first back cramp was at 1pm, and by 4:30pm I was having sporadic contractions that were some times intense and painful and most of the time not. I did not go through the emotional signposts of early labor being excited, active labor being serious and focused on what my body was doing, and transition being the “I can’t do this anymore” phase. What I do know is by 6:15pm I was experiencing strong contractions...with enough power and force to make me wonder...but I honestly thought the midwife’s exam would show I was hardly dilated. So...it is hard to say. What I know is this...at 5:30pm, I wasn’t sure our midwife should come just yet, by 6:15pm I was 9 cm and by 7:11pm he was born.

The Lord was kind and merciful to us! It was a gentle labor and a joyful experience. I couldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else, but at home, with my loving husband supporting my laboring body and our midwife calmly assuring us of everything.

Three sons! We can hardly believe it and feel utterly grateful to God for trusting us to raise these young boys into strong men who will, we desperately pray, live lives in honor and for the glory of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

First family picture of the five Rickstrews

Three Rickstrew boys

Baby Boy Born August 4th!!!

2010-08-05T16:22:00.004-05:00

Much to our delight (and surprise) our third son was born yesterday evening on August 4th at 7:11pm. His due date was August 15th...so we are blessed to get these extra days with him =)

An hour or so after birth.

Baby gets weighed...a whopping 8 lbs. 4 oz and 22'' long! That makes him our lightest baby (by 2 oz.) but the exact same height as the other two.

All squished up in the net to weigh him...this is exactly what he was like in the womb!

Look at those big feet!

Newborn exam results: PERFECTION! Praise the Lord!

Is there anything sweeter???

Name and birth story to follow...

Stay tuned!