It's been a couple of weeks since we brought home our new chicks and ducklings and boy are they getting big! So we decided to share a little update with you!
​

Watching the chicks and duckling grow is so much fun! Each day they get a little bigger.
It won't be long before we're moving them outside to join the flock.
But for now, we're enjoying the chicks and ducklings!

Check out how big they're getting!
​

Here are the two items I mentioned in the vlog.
The incubator we ordered from Amazon, and the Flex Hose Jay picked up at Walmart.

With the arrival of Spring come the long list of DIY projects to help you get ready for the summer! This year, our list of projects is a bit longer than usual as we get ready for our first borns graduation from high school and our second summer living in the manse! Since we use our home as an extension of our ministry, we have planned for a few projects that will allow us to comfortably welcome friends and family into our home.

Over the next couple of weeks we are hoping to accomplish some necessary spring cleaning and DIY projects as we prepare for the summer ministry season. One of our first projects is to construct a new loft bed for one of our boys.

Our home is small, but we are working to make it as comfortable for our family as possible. Right now, we have all the kids doubled up in the bedrooms we have. Two of our kids sleep in a room in the basement while our youngest two (brother and sister) share a room on the first floor. But lately we've notice that our one son, who has a number of allergies, has been a little sick than usual. We can't pinpoint the exact reason, but knowing that he is allergic to mold, must and mildew, we suspect that sleeping in the lower level might not be super helpful.

In addition, Logan is getting ready to head off to college. That will also allow us to move some of the kids around a bit so that all are more comfortable. Now do that, we need to reconfigure the bedrooms upstairs. And part of the reconfiguration requires that we build a new bed so that two of the boys can share a room. And since we can't really afford to go out and buy a brand new bedroom suit, we're building a loft bed that will fit around the current bedroom furnisher.

​Watch our short DIY vlog as we build our new loft bed.

The bed itself needed to fit over a queen-size bed frame. For flexibility, we wanted to be able to turn the queen bed so that it fit in a "L"-shape as well as "flush" under the bed. We also wanted to be able to add different accessories to the bed such as shelves for books and treasures and eventually, lighting which allow for reading and or illumination.

It didn't take us that long to construct the bed. But we did make sure to take the time to get some measurements and think through the plan. Once we knew what we wanted, the build went quick and smooth.

But not only did we get a new bed out the project, we had some quality time building the bed. Logan and Jay have worked on a number of projects together, so to have Asher helping was fun. But we think the true treasure is in having that time together and watching a project go from paper to finished project. We want to teach our guys that good, hard work leads to positive results.

Later this summer we will be painting the loft bed and adding some of the accessories as we can. All total, it took us about 6 hours to build the bed. Cost wise, we came in around $130 for materials, which we paid for in cash. It's nice to be on a budget where you can put aside some money for project like this.

There will be more DIY projects coming to the blog as we get closer and closer to the warm summer months!

​- the higham family

​This week we want to share our favorite bedtime diffuser recipe. Not long after we received our starter kit from Young Living, we discovered what has become our favorite bedtime recipe; Lemon, Lavender and Peppermint.
​
Every night before going to bed, we fill our Young Living, Dewdrop Diffuser with water, a couple drops of Lavender, a couple drops of peppermint and a couple drops Lemon. We discovered that these three scents together create an aroma that is clean, fresh and relaxing. For Jay, the combined oils help combat his seasonal discomforts, while giving him a more restful night's sleep. For Amy, it helps to keep her season discomforts and allows for a more peaceful rest.

If you're looking for a restful, fresh, clean night's sleep, we would recommend a mix of Lemon, Lavender and Peppermint. Become a Young Living member, and begin sleeping better as you enjoy your essential oils.
​

Fill your diffuser to it suggest level.
Add 3 to 5 drops of Lavender.
Add 2 to 4 drops of Peppermint.
Add 2 to 3 drops of Lemon.
​

Begin your journey with Young Living Essential Oils!
Become a member by ordering the
Premium Starter Kit with Dewdrop Diffuser!
Your kit and path to a healthier family and lifestyle begins with your $160 membership
and the all the benefits and opportunities that Young Living Essential Oils have to offer!

Today is Amy's birthday. So instead of posting a blog post for today, I thought we'd give you a chance to write a blog post for us! We want to invite YOU to join with us as we wish Amy, Happy Birthday.

Here's what we're doing.

If you would like to wish Amy a Happy Birthday, which we will later collect and share in another blog post, simply fill in a comment below, or visit Amy's Facebook page.

Let's share with Amy how much we love and appreciate her!

Thanks!!

​- the higham family