[Picture Thursday] Christmas Card 2012

(this is the instagramified photo - that wouldn't print for some reason)

Good Tidings from the Parsons Farm!

Many things have happened over this last year and we appreciate the Lord’s hand over us through it t

It is with a bit of annoyance that we share with you that once again Ashley was on the job hunt yet again at the close of the school year in June. She made the plunge and is working part time at a private school, Cascade Christian, teaching Health and PE at the High School level.  It is with great pleasure that we share with you that Thomas is still teaching and the head of the Social Studies Department at WAHS!!  He is still coaching both Boys and Girls tennis at ARHS.

We have decided that we are going to adopt!  We have chosen an agency based in Spokane, finished all the paperwork and our home study, and are looking to adopt an infant (newborn-3 months old) from a birth mother living within driving distance to Spokane.  There are two possibilities when adopting from this agency: we can be placed with a birth mother who is pregnant and then get the baby once born, or we could get a phone call from the agency letting us know that there is a baby ready for us to pick up.  It is an exciting time and we have been working hard on setting up a gender neutral nursery.  Last November (2011) we hosted Thanksgiving at our house with Ashley’s family, it was so fun to be able to have her mom at our house for a holiday.  Then we were able to spend Christmas at Ashley’s parent’s house with her mom.  We lost Susan to brain cancer on March 9^th.  We miss her dearly but are reminded of her constantly through memories that pop up.  We are just thankful for the time we were blessed with Susan and having her in our life.  We find peace in knowing that she is pain-free and partying it up in Heaven with Jesus.

Ashley still enjoys blogging “Life on the Parsons Farm” and shopping at “Junk Shows”.  Thomas loves fishing any chance he gets and of course his Seattle Sounders.  We went camping again for our 4^th Anniversary, this time it was a much better experience; going to Ellensburg and camping on grass – we might make a camper out of Ashley yet!!  The chickens are doing very well in their new home; we have seen a huge increase in their egg production in the winter (good for selling!!).  We took a trip up to Monroe to get a large free standing hay manger for the horses and they love it, but they knock it over trying to get the hay that falls underneath.  We acquired Paladin (Susan’s miniature horse) in January and he fits right in with the goats, they were a little unsure of him at first.  He loves all the space and the ability to graze all day and he spends much of his time staring at the chickens.  We have also added Gwenivere (Susan’s cockatiel) to our menagerie.  Cooper loves to cuddle and Sakari still dreams of snow every day!  The garden produced a bounty of tomatoes, beans and peas that we enjoyed and shared with friends and family.  We built a compost bin this year and are making additions to it weekly, can’t wait to add it in to our garden in the spring!

We wish you the happiest of days during this holiday season and into the New Year!  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  We pray that 2013 brings you many blessings.

Love, Thomas and Ashley Parsons

Jazz, Paladin, Gwenivere, Rags, Cooper, Sakari, Penelope, Annabelle, and the Chicks.

Stay updated throughout the year by becoming a follower on our blog: www.atparsons.blogspot.com

[recipe] Pinspired Cookies

I am hosting my annual Ladies Holiday Tea this weekend so I am getting prepared for it with all my baking.  I have been really into Pinterest lately and I was inspired by an idea I found on in.  I am making the Rolo Stuffed Sugar Cookies/Snikerdoodles.  While they are not complete yet I have started so I thought I would share.

Melt In Your Mouth Sugar Cookies



Ingredients:

• 1/2
  cup butter, softened
• 1/2
  cup shortening
• 2
  cups sugar
• 1
  teaspoon baking soda
• 1
  teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/8
  teaspoon salt
• 3
  egg yolks
• 1/2
  teaspoon vanilla
• 1 3/4
  cups all-purpose flour
  Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Beat mixture until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. 
  
  

  2. Divide dough into Tablespoon portions and wrap around a rolo. Place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

  
  

  3. Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes or until edges are set; do not let edges brown. Cool cookies for 1 minute on cookie sheet. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.
  YUM!
  Linked to: Tasty Tuesdays and What I Whipped Up Wednesdays 
  ♥ Ashley 

Happy Engagementiversary!!!

Six years ago today, the love of my life made an announcement to our parents professing his love for me, proceeded to get down on one knee and ask me to be his wife!!  I love you more than anything Thomas!!!!  I am so happy that I said yes (after my mom answered for me of course!!)

This day also holds a bittersweet memory.  It is the day we officially lost our first baby in 2010.  I believe that many good things will happen on this day and we have much to celebrate.

♥ Ashley

Christmas Garland DIY

Well a few things have happened since my last post.  My students set up an instagram account for me and have since then have posted a few pics for me, you can look me up "lifeonthefarm". I also learned that sometimes my keyboard on my phone gives me a shortcut hash tag so I don't have to search for it.

Back to the point. I was looking at Natasha's blog and she is working with a group of bloggers setting up a number of Christmas linky parties with a variety of features. Today is a Christmas DIY. So I decided I would join in. I made this garland today when I got home from work. I have been thinking about doing it but Natasha got my rear in gear. Thanks girl!!

All right. So this is my handmade pompon garland. I used white yarn, red/white bakers twine, a ruler, scissors and my fingers for this project. First I made 10 white yarn pompons by wrapping the yarn around three of my fingers and then tying them off in the middle with another small piece of yarn. 

 Once I got all of those "buns" as my husband called them done I then worked on my bakers twine ones. For these I used both the yarn and the twine together as I wrapped them around my fingers and then tied them off with a bit of yarn. I made three of this kind. 

Then I needed to come up with a pattern of which to create my garland.  I decided two white, one  twine, three white, one twine, three white, one twine and finished it off with two more white.  I spaced them apart by 6" using my ruler. I tied the long garland string of white yarn to the pins by the tails of the yarn I used to tie the off with.
Once all the little "buns" we're tied up to the string I used my scissors to cut the loops creating these adorable little poms. 

I hung my garland on my mirror above my fireplace in the living room. 

I love it and I hope you do too. 

Linked To: What I Whipped Up Wednesday  and  Hi Sugarplum!
and It's a pom-pom Party at JR!

♥ Ashley