This New Chapter

Seven years ago, I started a blog. It was pretty much ramblings and reflections on my life and I didn't know how long it would last. Over time, I realized the blog was publicly chronicling our lives. So when Seth was born I felt it was time for a new name and blog address and that was how The Tillery Times began. I have friends and family that have been around since the beginning. But, I have also met lots of new friends through this little space on the Internet, and for that, I will forever be grateful. Tomorrow we begin the process of moving to our homestead in the country. Big changes are happening in our lives and so it's time again for another blog change. I could just give up the blogging, but I know that I would miss it. I love writing and posting photos. It's become a hobby of sorts and a way for me to reflect and cherish each moment. Maybe, just maybe, you enjoy it, too. So I'll keep sharing the good, the bad, and the pretty. Some things will be similar and a lot of things will be new. So come join us as we begin this new chapter of our lives at Little Barn Homestead.

A Visit to Discovery Park of America

My parents gave us tickets to the Discovery Park of America for Christmas. So we decided to take advantage of them this weekend. You all, this place is amazing!  

There are few places...

where are you greeted by big bears at the front door

you can show your strength in front of suits of armor

airplanes hang overhead

little boys can pretend they are pilots

 

you are surrounded by dinosaurs

  
and then can walk inside an aquarium

 

explore the cosmos

 

try on bat wings

 

walk on stilts

  
play with toys

 and living sands (this stuff was so cool)

 

 ride escalators over and over between floors

  

watch puffs of water vapor

ride elevators up very tall towers

 

 walk on glass panels in the really tall tower

 

and see buildings from days gone by

and slide down a slide to the floor below.

Outside, you can

visit cabins

vintage tractors

 

and vintage firetrucks

 

pet screech owls 

 

watch pottery being created

go through mazes

stop and smell the flowers

ring church bells

 

sit in dining cars 

 

and explore all the parts of a train

 

including blowing the train whistle

 

If we lived closer we would definitely have season passes!

If you are near Union City, TN do yourself a favor and visit this place. 

We had such a fun visit! Thanks, Pop and Nana for such a great gift!

{Gratitude} Lately

Every day I look around in amazement at all the 

beautiful, yet simple, things that I'm so thankful for.

 Lately I've been grateful for...

 

boys that are brave enough to go down the tall, tall slide 

and enjoy every moment of the slide down

 

feeding ducks and geese at a local park 

and managing to only receive one goose hiss while we were there

 seeing the first signs of fruit on our patio tomato plant

 a car door handle that's repaired

 

and for our first "green" egg!!!

{Keeping Bees} The Waggle Dance

 

 We picked up our bees in mid April. Since then we've checked on the bees once each week. So far we haven't been stung, the bees continue to fascinate us, and we have been able to witness and record the waggle dance.

 

 
When the girls come in from fetching pollen, they do a little dance to tell others where they need to go to retrieve more. Take a look...

The Strawberry Patch SPring Sale

Friday the boys and I headed down to Hartsville, TN to attend The Strawberry Patch SPring Sale. I was just expecting a big yard sale, and instead we found a barn full of outdoor boutiques. I left feeling inspired by everything that I saw...