Tanglewood Hills Family Farm

Just a little look out my window...

2012-01-17T10:27:00.001-08:00

Our winter wonderland.

More than a little behind....

2012-01-16T09:46:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to post for months, been thinking about it....but life just keeps on moving at a pace that leaves me little time, or brain power at the end of each day. SO much has happened in the past 6+ months....where to start?!? Let's see if I can recap since last June....

Summer here was not all it was supposed to be, our garden did little to nothing and I was left to purchase most of what I was able to can for the year at the local produce stand. This year, we pray, will be much better.
Planning for Brandon to start the Running Start program at the local community college was hard on this mama's brain. Adjusting to the schedule was another challenge, but got it down for the first quarter in no time. Winter quarter started a week ago and I am praying we can adjust to this new schedule quickly.
Planning the school year for the younger two was a bit more tricky this year and has involved MUCH more planning and a lot more record keeping on my part. You see, we completely separated from the local school district and are doing high school for Alyssa completely on our own. MUCH more involved....but the direction we feel the Lord would have us go.
My work with Gling has been busy, though the past few weeks have been a challenge for me. From adjusting to the New Year, Brandon's schedule change and just trying to get on top of everything after the Christmas break it's been a challenge to find the time and mental energy to get it all done.
Our homestead has been progressing, though we have had a rough go of it since New Years. just before the end of December, our Nigerian Dwarf doe gave birth to a baby that was far too large for her and the baby died. Cookie, we are almost certain, suffered from a broken pelvis and we had to put her down on New Years Eve morning. It was hard for me to see her suffer so much, this was her first kidding with us. We had heard that kidding had been a challenge for her in the past, though nothing like this. We had hoped that breeding her to our very small buck would work well. Breaks my heart that she had to go like she did. It's sad to look down in the barnyard and not see her sweet face.
Daisy Girl, our mini Jersey heifer, will be ready to be bred in the next few months. She is growing nicely and is such a sweet girl (most of the time). I am looking forward to seeing how she does milking next year. Fresh milk from our own cow is something I've looked forward to for a long time!
The first week of the school year, the pump went out on our well. After having a pump company come out and do some looking, it was no wonder we've struggled with our water over the years. Our pump was compacted in feet of dirt, rust and minerals. The old pump was struggling to pump water through it all. While we've never lost water, our water has always been heavy in minerals and the pressure has always been extremely low. We couldn't even run a sprinkler. Now we have a lot of water and will be able to run a sprinkler in the garden without a problem. Expanding the garden this year is top of our list.
Early in the fall, my dear husband lost his job (got laid off, but really lost his job). We were sent into a tail spin, trusting in the Lord to provide and doing some serious evaluation of our finances and expenditures. My work took on a whole new meaning for me, and my frugal minded ways kicked into high gear. It was a wonderful time, having him home so much. God truly blessed us with odd jobs for him to do for different people, and meeting all of our needs. In the time that he was off (just under 2 months), not one bill went unpaid and we never had to touch our savings. Thank the Lord!
Wade started a new job, really got the job he had been wanting for some time. It has been a good move for him, though it's required a lot of adjusting in our family as his commute is much longer (some evenings it's taken him nearly 3 hours to get home), he is gone more and often works Saturday. All in all, it's been a good move and he is happy. We've got much to be thankful for!

Needless to say, we've had a very busy and life changing 6 months. My focus has changed a bit, I am more determined than ever to provide for more of our needs from our own place. Given the improvements to our well, we are going to work to expand our garden area and add more berry vines and fruit trees as well. I cannot wait to see how much we can grow of our own.

Another focus for me lately has been my sewing room. I was able to save money over the past few months and purchase a new sewing machine. Given the rising cost of new clothing (along with everything else) we've been shopping more than ever at thrift stores, but there is often little to choose from...kind of hit and miss really. To supplement what we can find used (or on sale somewhere else), I'm working to sew more for myself and Alyssa. I have no thoughts of sewing everything we wear, but plan to try to sew much of it. If it will save us money, I am willing to try.

All in all, it's been a half year of change and seeing first hand how blessed we truly are. I'm excited to see what this new year will bring. So many changes, new focus points and new goals.

While our winter has been far from "wintry", we are finally seeing some snow this past weekend. Puts me in the mood to sew even more than ever. I'm loving this winter weather, and hope we see much more of it between now and spring. It will give me more time in my sewing room, while I am not able to be busy out in my garden. :)

More posts to come....Lord willing....full of pictures, updates and tidbits of news from our homestead. Life is super busy, but I'm hoping to be able to keep up here more. :)

Wow! 21 years already?

2011-06-24T08:28:00.000-07:00

How time flies! Today, 21 years ago, I gave birth to my first baby. He was an 8# 13 oz bundle of questions and animation. There has never been a dull moment with this one and for that we are truly thankful. He has kept us guessing, made us laugh, made us cry, made us ever proud and drove us nuts at times. :) Anthony has always been inquisitive, asked questions until we thought we'd go crazy....we were ever so thankful when this boy learned to read, we could direct him to a book and say "read about it". I don't think he appreciated that much, but he learned to look for answers to his many questions.

See..never a dull moment! Last day of high school.

While things have not always been perfect in our lives and in our relationship, he is such a joy, such a blessing! Anthony has an amazing heart, he loves, works and plays with every part of his being. Much like his mama. :)

Anthony and his dad at his boot camp graduation in San Diego. Trying to keep a strait face was proving difficult..my handsome guys! Love them!

This boy has challenged me beyond anything I ever expected as a parent, he has stretched me, we have grown up together. He was born just shy of my 20th birthday, so young to have a baby, but it was my dream come true to be married to the man of my dreams and be a mama.

What a smile....taken at a Portland Beaver's baseball game.

I don't regret starting our family at such a young age, but I often wish I could go back and talk to that young girl and tell her some of what I know now. I know there are many things I could have told her...but not so sure she would have heard it all, or received it. Guess that's why we live and learn, grow with each passing experience in life.

Anthony's graduation

Being a mom has been my lifelong dream, having my kids has been a continual blessing! Can't wait to see what they all become in their lives. Where the Lord will lead them...how He will use them!

Being the mama to an adult child is such a different world. He's working and trying to support himself, learning what it takes to be a man in this crazy world. Mistakes are made and learning the hard way often happens, but it's exciting to see him grow more with each passing week.

Our Marine! So proud of him..isn't he handsome in his uniform? :)

Watching your adult son fall in love and find himself thinking about someone other than just himself is another blessing as a mama! Anthony has been dating a lovely girl for over a year now and we have grown to love her like she is one of our own. She's so good for our boy...often keeping him a bit more grounded than he would be otherwise. :) It's been amazing getting to know her and seeing how she fits into this crazy group of people we call our family. We all think that he has made a very good choice in Rachael!

This is Anthony with his girl, Rachael. Her sister took this amazing photo of them and shared it with me (thank you Jen). I think they make a beautiful couple...love them both!

Happy birthday to our oldest boy! You are an amazing young man with amazing potential...you can do and be ANYTHING in this life! We love you...so very much and we are SO proud of all that you have become. Keep asking questions, keep learning, keep growing! It's a process that never stops in this life. We love you!

Thankful for Friday!

2011-06-17T07:22:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I last posted a "Thankful" post. Not that I haven't felt thankful, but time has been getting the best of me. There always seems to be more to do around here than I have hours in my day. :) Not all bad, mind you, just busy.

So, what am I thankful for this week? Oh so many things...but I'll only list a few. :)

This amazing man I married and our beautiful calf. My hubby has been such an incredible support to me...my best friend, my champion, my encourager and he's so supportive of my dream here...HE encouraged me to buy Daisy Girl. I'm still in shock every time I go to the barn and see her. Some girls hope for her man to buy her diamonds and pearls...I just wanted a cow. :)

I have some amazingly talented and awesome kids! Our second oldest son wanted to build a cider press, so he set to work on planning and with a little help from my hubby, he finally finished it this past week. He made a batch of cider right away, turned out GREAT! I am continually amazed at what this kid comes up with.

Our daughter has been playing with my camera, I'm loving the pictures she has taken of various flowers around our yard. So pretty! She's got a creative flair, I'll have to plan a post around some of her photos. She's been learning to edit photos and enhance some of her already stunning pictures. It's been fun to see her perspective and take on some of the beautiful sites around our place.

Our lilac was such a welcomed sight this spring. The fragrance was amazing, made me wish we had even more of these around our place. I had intended to pick some and bring that wonderful fragrance indoors, but never got around to it. We did enjoy them while they were in bloom...that season never seems like it lasts long enough though.

We've been so blessed, living here and pursuing a dream. I am continually amazed at all that we are able to do, though in my frustrating moments I'll admit to feeling like we will never do enough. If I can keep my focus on how far we've come, however, I see the many steps we've taken here to providing so much for our family. The beauty here is hard to miss...and I often forget that even THAT is a blessing. Not just the eggs, produce and such that we can help to bring to our table, but to be able to look out our windows to a sight like the lilacs blooming or the birds that frequently visit our yard. It's all a blessing and something to enjoy. God's handiwork, the beauty of our landscape...how often we miss that in our rush to "do" and mark things off our list.

We are blessed!

Changes.....

2011-06-13T07:51:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that it's already June 13th! Where is the month going? We've been so busy around here. So much to do to wrap up the school year...finally done...Yay!!! In addition to school, we've been focusing on the garden, selling a few goats and adding a new resident to the barn.

A new calf!!!

This is Daisy Girl. She's a 3 to 4 month old Miniature Jersey/Milking Shorthorn cross heifer. Her sire was a full sized Jersey bull, so we do have the potential of having a bigger than a mini cow.

She is as sweet as can be and is adjusting to live away from her mama quite well. We are all enjoying her and can't wait to see her grow and have her own calf....and give us lots of milk!

We took her out of her stall yesterday to give her some fresh air and a bit of a walk. Our pasture and fencing is not quite finished, so she's being held in a stall in the barn until we have a safe place for her to run free. I think she liked the sunshine and fresh grass. She is learning to follow our lead and walk with a rope nicely. We are hopeful that she will do well here.

Our family is thrilled to have added Daisy Girl to our homestead and can't wait to see her roaming free in the expanded pasture. As much as I love my goats, Daisy has a very special place here. She is a keeper, for sure! We are all loving the "cow sounds" that come from the barn. The goats, however, are not so sure about her. They'll adjust, I'm sure.

Busy days...

2011-06-01T06:03:00.000-07:00

Life here has been a big blur lately, so much that needs doing, so much that doesn't get done....updating my blog is one of those things that has been left undone.

We've been busy with baby goats, putting in a garden, trying to stay on top of the weeds (the weeds are winning in some areas of our place), wrapping up our school year and trying to enjoy every ray of sunshine between the showers. It's been one WET spring...some say the wettest in 100 years, I for one believe them! The upside to all of the rain is things are growing...huge change from last year's spring where most of the garden and plants around it drowned in the rain and cold. It's been a bit warmer than last year, I think, and that has helped things grow. Gives me hope for our garden this year.

Another project that has demanded some attention is our pasture...we are expanding it! YAY!!! The hope is that we'll have our electric fencing up and functional in a matter of weeks, between my husbands busy work schedule and the rain, we are working slower than I would like. The fence posts are set and waiting the wire...all in due time. :) Once this pasture is ready, our goats will have even more forage to enjoy and hopefully will save us a bit on our feed bill this summer.

Our goat numbers are going to be going down soon, Lord willing. We've decided to downsize our herd and focus more on the smaller breed, Nigerian Dwarf. Our beloved Minikin will stay...she is the queen of the barn and none of us could bare the thought of her leaving. She'll live out her days here. Tinkerbel and her babies will all be sold. The hope is that we can cut back and save for a Jersey milking cow. While I LOVE my goats, we don't enjoy the milk as much as we do the cows milk....so we are transitioning our focus a bit. Who would have thought it would be so hard to sell a silly goat....some think I'm nuts, but I simply love my goats.

We've raised them for 7 years and they have become apart of our place here, apart of our lives. While I don't want to raise them for milk, we will keep the smaller Nigerian Dwarfs to fill the "goat need" and give us an animal we can breed and sell each year. If it doesn't work out, we are out very little in the end and have much of love in the mean time from these sweet animals. :) Thankfully, my husband is fully on board....he knows how much I love my goat babies. :)

Now the search for just the right cow for us will begin. I don't see us adding this animal to our place any time soon, but it is on the horizon...maybe in a year? I think we'll have a steer before we have a cow, and that's fine. Beef in the freezer is always a good thing!

So, while we've been busy planting, weeding, schooling and trying to keep up with the other household chores, it is suddenly June! Where did May go? My goodness! Praying your spring has gone well, that your gardens are growing and that you have a bright and sunny summer coming your way! School is out, for the most part in just a matter of days here. While we will be doing some school through the summer, we are all ready for the summer break. :)

Thankful for Friday!!

2011-04-08T06:49:00.000-07:00

Here I am again, WAY past due on a blog post. Seems to be the trend these days. :) Life just keeps on moving forward and keeping me busy. Not all bad, but I do miss posting more often...I need to make a more conscious effort to schedule the time. :)

This week we've been enjoying Spring Break. No classes, no running, no school work to stay on top of! We've not been completely lazy though....we started off our "break" last Thursday with emptying out my pantry area and prepping the kitchen for a fresh coat of paint. I'll post about that later on with before and after pictures. :) Let's just say, it was a TON of work. The rest of our "break" we've spent deep cleaning a different area of our house each day. It's been nice to see some order in areas that rarely see it. We haven't gotten as much done as I would have liked, but that's OK. Having the "break" has been nice regardless.

So, what am I thankful for this week? OH MY! Where to start! So many blessings....so little blog space. :) I'll name a few....

Having a break from the constant running we do for school. It's a schedule that is unavoidable at this point in time, but can be draining.
My seedlings that are growing nicely in my dining room.
A hard working man who does so much for our family...my best friend and husband. :)
Our pantry that is well stocked, even now at the end of the season.
Two baby goats that are growing to be healthy and strong!
A mama goat who until this kidding has been as head strong and nasty as they come...often sitting ON MY HANDS while I tried to milk her....picture a 200 pound goat sitting on the milking bucket with your hands inside, not a pretty picture. This time around, she has been sweet from the moment the kids were born. She is raising her own kids this time and it seems to have totally changed her...I've wondered several times if someone didn't come in and switch goats on me. :)
The half gallon of beautiful milk I get from our mama goat (Tinkerbel) now that we separate her from her babies at night. Every day she's given me nearly a half gallon, I'll be making farmhouse cheddar from her milk this weekend!
SUNSHINE for today...we've been enduring rain, snow, hail and cloudy skies for weeks now. Today we are supposed to be near 60 and have almost two full days of sunshine! My clothesline is going to get a work out today! FINALLY!!!

It's been a great week off...sure, we've had some bumps along the way, but all in all it's been a welcomed "break"!

The Future of Food

2011-03-29T07:46:00.000-07:00

This video was shared on another blog...several actually...and after spending the last two days watching parts of it as I could, I knew I had to share it as well. If you've watched it, GREAT! If you haven't, take some time to watch this. It's heartbreaking to know that greed, love of money and short sightedness has brought about so much destruction to the food that GOD made to nourish and strengthen us from day to day. Man, in our arrogant nature, has decided to play God...how foolish we can be.

I pray that after watching this, you are not left feeling hopeless. We do NOT have to continue to support companies and corporations that care nothing for our future or about what is ultimately right. They are out for more money....my goal is to not give them any of mine. Is it a hard choice....YES...does it mean more work for me...Yes! I'm not afraid to work harder for what I have...if I did, I wouldn't be living this life...

"Living the Dream!"

Life...just keeps happening!

2011-03-23T06:54:00.000-07:00

Good morning! I know, it's been a long time since I posted anything on my blog. Life just keeps happening and time seems to be in short supply these days. Must mean spring is on it's way to our neck of the woods. :)

We've had a very buys couple of weeks, but much of it has just been day to day life. Nothing noteworthy really. Our second oldest son, Brandon, took the entrance exam for the local community college a couple of weeks ago. THAT was noteworthy for sure! Here, the school district or the state will pay for juniors and seniors in high school to attend classes at the college to earn their Associates Degree upon graduation. The program is called "Running Start". Thankfully, he passed the test and will be taking classes there in the fall! SO exciting for him. Not sure what he'll go for as far as a focus for his degree, but we'll narrow that down in the weeks to come. So proud of him!

On the homesteading front, we were blessed with our first kidding of the season. Tinkerbel, my Nubian doe with an enormous attitude and personality had a doe and a buck, all on her own (I'll share pictures later, haven't had a chance to get any really good ones yet). When Brandon went down to the barn to do chores, he found the two little ones standing with their mama. Amazing! They are so sweet and she is being a really good mama. Have to admit that I was a bit nervous about her abilities, we've never let her raise her own kids. We've always bottle fed, but this year our life just begged for them to be raised by the mama. So far, she's doing better than I expected. YAY! After our horrors of last years kidding season, this was a HUGE blessing...an uneventful delivery. Thank you Jesus!

Our garden is taking shape. No, haven't planted anything besides peas yet in the main garden, and they have not sprouted as of yesterday. Still too cold I think. That crop may have to be replanted, sadly. We did get another grape this last weekend and got it planted. I also picked up 24 more strawberry starts to add to our planters. This time around I got a variety that will produce a big crop all at once. All of my other berries are the kind that produce a few berries all season long. Makes it hard to get enough for jam, but good for just eating. We'll see how they do.

Everything around here is sprouting, getting leaves, growing and looking more like winter is over. We've seen days and days of rain. The weather report this AM said that we've had 21 days of rain this month....not the best start to our spring, but I guess we need it. I sure would love to see some days of sunshine though. My clothes line is begging to be used!

In a day or two, I'll try to post some pictures of our newest goat babies and maybe of our spring colors. No flowers here yet, but everything is getting fresh green leaves. :) After a long winter, it's a welcomed site!

Thankful for Friday!!

2011-03-04T06:36:00.000-08:00

What a week! Have you struggled this week to find Joy? Finding it hard to be thankful? So much out there tells us that things are hard, bad and gonna get worse....even here I've talked about it. Yesterday, I had to fill up my gas tank in my Yukon. I LOVE that vehicle, but dread filling the tank with today's prices, let me tell you! Gas here has gone up $.20 in just a couple of weeks. I heard one report yesterday that it went up $.11 in ONE NIGHT locally. Does that just fill your being with dread? Do you see dollar signs and feel a cold sweat just thinking about how to continue to fill up your tank to do what you need to on a daily basis to survive? UGH! It makes me want to run and hide, to be honest. Those gas prices are going to be reflected in everything we buy...food, clothing...EVERYTHING!

Yes, this is my "Thankful for Friday" post, and the opening was less than thankful filled, I know. We all know how hard things are getting, how much harder they are bound to get. The key here is to remember that God is still in control and cares for our needs. He hasn't left us just because the gas prices are skyrocketing! THAT is where I find my joy, where my thankful heart rests. I am NOT alone here. He hasn't put me here and then left me to struggle through the mess on my own. It may feel that way at times when our focus is not on Him and being thankful. Finding joy in the moment, even a moment of stress or sorrow!

We recently found out that a dear friend of ours lost his mom to cancer. Heartbreaking news, but we knew it was bound to come. It's hard to see someone you love suffer and die, it's hard to see them suffer at all! Hard things happen, hard times come, that is not going to change. It is in those times that we often have to purpose in our hearts to FIND JOY! To CHOOSE to be joyful, full of thanksgiving even if it's for our very breath.

So, I challenge you to remain thankful, even in the midst of hard times. Stay focused on joy that can only be found in the Lord. This week, I am thankful for much:

I have been blessed with an amazingly hard working and loving man. He brings me so much encouragement, love, friendship, and support every day. I know I say that often on my thankful list, but it's so true...the Lord has blessed me with being married to my very best friend and I am so thankful.
Being able to homeschool my kids, learning with them and from them every day!
So many great friends that share their knowledge with me on so many topics...I learn something new every day about how to be a better wife, mom and steward of all that the Lord has blessed us with.
Being able to sew new things...I made a pair of flannel pants for myself this week and also was able to buy some fabric for some shirts for my daughter and I. We have some work ahead of us, but so rewarding.
Our hens are laying well, we finally have enough eggs to share and sell again!
Fencing money....I was able to save enough to buy the last of the fence posts for our pasture expansion (at least we hope it was the last of them) while they were on sale!
Continued work for my husband. Each week he has more work we are thankful!

So much more that I could share, we have been truly blessed! I don't have to look hard to find things to be thankful for. Sure, we are struggling as much as the next guy...things are hard and are setting themselves up to get harder. I struggle often with letting it get to me, letting the stress be my ruler and not choosing to be joyful or thankful in the midst of it all. It's VERY easy to let the stresses around me rule my thinking. I often have to be very deliberate in my thinking, moment by moment. We have SO much that we'd like to do here, and only so much money to do it with. So much that we want to do and need to do...things that would make it easier for us to live this life...but we have to take it one thing at a time. That is life...it's all a process.

Choose to be thankful! Choose to find joy...even if it is just being joyful and thankful that the sun came up another day, that you have life and breath.

Avoiding the grocery store

2011-03-02T06:50:00.000-08:00

Last week I posted about the rising food costs and how we are changing some things to avoid a rising food budget crisis. While not all of us can have huge gardens, a milk cow or goat, chickens, pigs and such, there is always more that we can do to cut costs. Sometimes it takes more time on our parts, more time spent in the kitchen baking, canning produce you buy from a local produce stand or any number of other things.

For me, spending time in the kitchen is something that I love to do. Making bread is not a chore for me, baking cookies, canning peaches or making tortillas. Sure, it's work, but I'm not one that is turned off by a bit of effort to save some money to trim our budget. There are some things that I make that don't even save me much money, but it's worth it just to avoid buying what someone else has made...and the added items that ALWAYS end up in my grocery cart while picking up those items. Doesn't that just drive you nuts? You go to the store for milk and bread and end up spending twice as much on things you "forgot" you needed. In reality, MOST of those "needed" items are not really needed at all. You could easily do without them.

One thing that I thought about in reading comments left on my last blog entry about this subject was that not everyone CAN grow everything. I know I can't. Tomatoes are a favorite here, but something that I have struggled to get to grow well here. This year, I'm going to try a few "tips" I have read about, but I'm not going to count on growing enough to provide us with our needed total for the year. This is something that I watch for at local farms and produce stands. Even canning tomatoes that I've purchased from someone else is better than relying on an unsteady market to always have them on hand. Honestly, if I didn't can them myself, I'd be stocking up on canned organic tomatoes somewhere else...like Costco or where ever I could find the best price. Buying in bulk is what keeps me from having to shop all that often.

Network with local farmers, or others that are able to grow what you can't. Find a neighbor that has chickens, trade with them or buy eggs from them. Raise a few broilers for your freezer, or find someone that does...worst case, buy in bulk when chicken goes on sale. The key is to look at what you CAN do and work with that. For my family, I don't want the GMO food, the poorly raised meat full of hormones and the fillers that they feed the animals. So, we choose to raise most of our own...often at no better price than I could get on sale, but much better product for our time and money. I like knowing where my food comes from and NOT supporting a food industry that likes to play God...or feels that they know best what is "good" food.

I could easily go on and on about what you "could" do, or what we do here. Everyone has to work with what they have, make choices based on preference, limitation and availability in your area. The key is that you CAN do something, even if it's just a few things here and there. Not everyone can be self sufficient in their food needs, but for my family, that is a goal. My encouragement is to do what you can do. Trust in the Lord for what you can't...He's never let us down...we have always been provided for. We just feel that there is always more that we can do to be better stewards of what the Lord has blessed us with!

If you are feeling lost as to where to start, you know you need to cut back on spending, you can't grow a huge garden, can't raise a cow or a pig...start by looking at what you buy now. Can you make your own bread? What about skipping the frozen dinners? Make more of your meals from raw ingredients, not prepackaged mixes and such. I have found that many of the products I thought I needed....BBQ sauce, syrup, pancake mixes, bread, buns, tortillas, even chocolate syrup....can be made at home from things I already had in my pantry! Start by looking at what pre-made foods you buy now and try to find alternatives. It doesn't take a total change in every area of your menu, but most of what you "think" you can't make is easily made from scratch with ingredients you already have on hand. Sure, it may take a bit more time, but planning can help solve much of that problem. I'll be trying to share many of my family's favorite recipes, things that I make all the time that help me avoid the grocery store. If you are looking for something specific...leave me a comment and I'll see what I can find. :)

We are all in this together...and many hands (or minds) can often make light work in a tough situation!

Winter...another blast to usher in March!

2011-03-01T09:01:00.000-08:00

Our winter wonderland this morning. Crazy how much snow we've gotten since yesterday. We went to bed last night to about 4 inches of snow. This morning, we woke up to about 8 inches. My poor lilac bushes were looking rather sad until we shook the snow off of them.

I love seeing the snow on the fence by the barn. Looks so cool!

Even the chicken coop looks pretty. :) They are NOT happy with the snow on the ground, poor chickens will have to brave the snow at some point today, the hen house will be a rather crowded place if they don't. I'm actually amazed this building is still standing. It has next to no structural integrity at all. Every winter I say it's going to come down with the first big snow fall. So far, only the back half (where nothing is stored or housed) has fallen down. Praying the rest stays in tact until we can build a new hen house and run.

So pretty...everything blanketed under a layer of snow. Even the most boring views are amazingly beautiful after a good snow fall.

My lonely clothesline and a forgotten ladder after pruning fruit trees. Not a very pretty sight...longing for spring and summer!

Believe it or not, I have peas planted under this snow in the row next to the bean tee-pees. Hard to see, but there is a trellis marking where the peas are waiting for the snow to melt away, so they can peek up through the dirt. Oh how I hope they survive.

Here is our beautiful Sam...our Nigerian Dwarf buddy goat. I just LOVE his coloring and he is such a sweet heart! He's not very happy at being locked out of the barn while the girls get their morning grain. Poor guy, just knows he's missing out on something. It's hard to see here, but he has the most amazingly beautiful blue eyes!

Two of our girls, peaking out at the snow...don't they look a bit wary? They do not enjoy this weather at all, crazy girls. The lighter of the two is Minikin, our queen...or so she thinks. She's out oldest doe and has been with us for some time now. She has a favorite in our family, my dear husband is her favorite person on the earth. Can't say that I blame her...I'm pretty taken with him too. The darker of the two is Tinkerbel...our "problem" goat. She has more attitude than any 10 goats should have! She's also been here for some time, but may not be if she doesn't improve her disposition. Not likely at her age, but I keep hoping. She likes to sit on the milking bucket...WHILE I am milking her. Naughty goat!

She sure can act sweet, can't she! See what I mean by attitude....either really good or really bad! Don't let those smiling eyes fool you...there are days I feel like she is possessed! Thankfully, when she is pregnant, she tends to turn on the charm. She'd be in my lap if I let her. Not my idea of a good time though...she weighs close to 200 pounds at this point. Not really a good lap goat size. She'd try though if I let her.

THIS is why I keep this goat..she's just so stinking pretty! She's also a good milker, when she is in full milk! We got over a gallon a day from her the first year she freshened. Now if we could just figure out how to keep her in milk longer than 5 months! We're working on it this year....if she stays here. I'm about done with the fits she gives us on the milking stand. Praying she miraculously improves this year. It could happen, couldn't it?

Grocery Shopping and Filling a Pantry

2011-02-24T11:42:00.000-08:00

I spent some time this week watching a series of videos on the forecast for the coming year as far as grocery prices go. The videos were found on the Backyard Food Production website. The information in these videos made me even more determined than ever to closely evaluate where my food budget is going, how I stock my pantry and what items I choose to buy.

Here, we have many opportunities to avoid the grocery store, thank the Lord! I, for one, do not enjoy shopping at all. avoiding the grocery store is often difficult with a growing family and especially with growing teenage kids. Our menu is already fairly simple, and our pantry is generally pretty full. My goal, of course, is to get to the point where grocery shopping is a once every few months ordeal, but for now I am limited to one or two big trips a month. That is HUGE, considering I used to shop weekly for our needed items.

This week, after watching these videos, I have spent even more time evaluating what we buy and why. I already make most of our food from scratch, but there is always more I can do. A few areas still could use some improvement...like pasta, crackers and lunch items for my husband. I buy very little ready made items, but still feel like I should be able to do more....always a work in progress.

Some of the things we have moved away from buying are:

bread
tortillas
yogurt
buttermilk
kefir
rolls
hamburger/hot dog buns
eggs
beef
chicken
potatoes (this last season we were able to grow enough to last through most of February, this year we'll try to make it through spring)
pickles
pickled beets
green beans
blueberries
raspberries
oregano
sage
mint
milk (part of the year anyway)
jams
syrup

So many things I want to add to our list of homegrown/made items. I'd much rather stock the ingredients to make much of what we use, eat and need than purchase these items already made. I've been "playing" with cheese making, having been somewhat successful with both farmhouse cheddar and mozzarella. Each time I make cheese, it gets better. In the months to come, I hope to perfect cream cheese, sour cream and feta. Being able to take these items off of my grocery list would be wonderful!

Another area that I've been looking at are cleaners and shampoo. I've made and used my own shampoo several times over the past year and liked it! As my family runs out of shampoo, I'm slowly transitioning us over to all homemade. I found some great recipes on a friend's blog. You can visit Freedom Acres Farm for recipes. They are so easy to make and have nothing "bad" in them like so many that you can buy in the stores do. As far as cleaners go, I am using more vinegar, baking soda and buying my dish soap in bulk from Azure.

Another area that I've changed is my laundry soap. I have been using Charlie's Laundry Soap since December. Even with our extremely hard water, this soap works wonders! I love it, can't say enough good about it. One 80 load tub has lasted me since the 13th of December. How's that for inexpensive. Best part is there is nothing in this soap that is harmful...it's just that, SOAP! I can't say enough about this product. I saved up and bought 6 tubs of it all at once to save on shipping. Those 6 tubs will last me more than a year...gotta LOVE that!

While this is not even close to EVERYTHING that I am doing, I wanted to share a bit with you. This has been a big part of my thinking this past week. I'm always looking at what I am doing and trying to do more, or at least be more efficient with what I am able to do.

Given the recent forecast for our food costs this year, I am working even harder to do a better job at what I do. My garden planning this year is different, my canning and preserving goals are changing a bit and my focus is on simplicity and efficiency in it all. This was a big part of my thinking even before I saw the videos this week. I've seen the prices in our grocery stores here rise at alarming rates over the past few weeks and months. It's frustrating, at best, when you are trying to feed a growing family with limited resources AND trying to be as health conscious as possible at the same time!

How have your shopping, cooking and budgeting patterns been changing? Is the economy affecting this part of your life or are you to the point where you are providing enough of your own that you don't feel it as much? I can't believe that for a minute to be very true of most people, you are either feeling it at the gas pumps, the feed store or even just in the little you do buy. We are all feeling the pinch. What have you changed?

Thankful for Friday!

2011-02-18T06:55:00.001-08:00

Good morning! I know...it's been a while. Life has just been so busy lately that sitting down to write a blog has been hard. Forming a normal and complete thought has been difficult too...my mind going off in so many different directions just trying to keep up with life. Ever feel that way?

The flu has visited our house this month. Two of us had the stomach flu a week apart. SO not fun...especially when one of those two was the mama. Hard to be mama when you can't get out of bed. :( Thankfully it was a short lived flu bug and I was up and around in a day.

My wonderful hubby brought these to me when I was sick. Kind of an early Valentine's Day, get well soon gift. :) I love that man!

This was the sight from our home Wednesday morning....such a beautiful sight. I never seem to get tired of snow. :) We get it so infrequently here in the Pacific Northwest. This may be our last "big" snow storm...not big by my standards either, but it is still snow and still beautiful. It lasted just about a day, we still have a bit here and there, but our place is looking more like a muddy mess now. It was beautiful while it lasted.

So, what am I thankful for this week? Oh so much!

God's everlasting Grace and Mercy....so undeserved! We are continually blessed.
My hubby is still working...huge in this tough economy.
My pantry is full...grocery shopping will not need to happen again until NEXT month. :)
Fresh milk, homemade cheese and other tasty dairy products that I can make from it!
Fresh baked bread from my oven...so much better than anything I could buy in the store.
Being able to provide much of what we need here on our place...milk, eggs, produce, meat...we are blessed!
My kids that are a constant joy, though challenging at times, we are blessed with some amazing kids.
Being able to homeschool my three younger kids. This has been a grand adventure that keeps on growing and improving.
My husband getting more involved and encouraging in the whole homeschooling vision for our family....love it!
Spring is just around the corner. While I LOVE the snow, I am SO ready for spring! I'll be planting peas this weekend, Lord willing! I can't wait!

We have been so blessed. God has been so amazingly faithful to our family. Have things been easy going? NO, tough times and struggles are everywhere for us. Life is full of struggles, challenges and frustrations. Through it all, however, God is faithful and always here guiding and encouraging.

This homesteading dream is just beginning...though we've been at it for almost 8 years now. We are on the edge of so much...can't wait to see where the Lord will lead. :)

Thankful for Friday!

2011-02-04T06:42:00.000-08:00

The past week has been a true test of my thankful heart. Our family has been seeing quite a few struggles lately and the strain of it all has really worn us a bit thin, I'll admit. Some days you just have to pull yourself up by your boot straps, as they used to say, and determine in your heart to be thankful. Ever feel like that? Boy howdy, I do!

I have been continually reminded in various ways that we are truly blessed, even in the midst of turmoil and stress. We were never promised an easy road, there are GOING to be bumps along the way, we are going to face really hard things. If we aren't, then we are either not living or living in a dream world unaware of real life. One thing we ARE promised is to have peace during the storm, right? Often times that peace is hard to hold onto in the midst of a big storm, we may loose our grip on the peace that surpasses ALL understanding, but it's always there!

We are SO blessed to be able to see the blessings, the silver linings if you will, in any situation. Sometimes we have to look a little harder than others and sometimes we even have to just trust the Lord that they are there. I think that's where a bit of old fashioned faith comes in. :) God is SO good to us and has blessed us abundantly...we just have to purpose in our hearts to see it.

My blessings this week have been many, though there have been moments that I almost missed them!

I serve a loving God that sees all, knows all and CARES about it all!
My husband is truly my best friend, and I am his.
My kids are healthy and growing, learning to lean on the Father in the midst of hard things.
My pantry is full, my freezer is full and my hens have started laying again...YAY!
The Lord has blessed us with amazing friends that know how to pray, know how to listen and know when we just need a break.
My hubby and I get to have a quiet weekend alone...thanks to some very dear friends. Something that we both desperately need!
MOST importantly.....GOD is in CONTROL! I don't have to be, I don't want to be and He does a much better job at it anyway. :)

WE ARE BLESSED!

The twists of this life we live.

2011-01-31T08:52:00.000-08:00

For my family, life has been a bit on the crazy side for a couple of weeks now. My blogging time has been cut down to next to nothing...hence the lack of posts here. :( Between schooling with the kids, grade posting for the school district that we are a part of (though, this is becoming more and more difficult, I must admit), preparing for baby goats to appear, my work for Gling, a family issue or two and just trying to keep up with the every day, I've been stretched a bit thin.

Despite all of this, I have felt peace. Finding peace in the midst of a storm is not always easy, but thankfully the Lord is faithful to provide me with the peace I need and the strength I am lacking when I need it most.

No babies in our barn as of yet, but we are expecting some in the weeks to come. I can't wait to have all of that fresh milk, cute little babies and all of the activity that they both bring. A couple of weeks ago, my son built me a cheese press. I'll have to post pictures of it later, he did such a great job! I made my first batch of farmhouse cheddar the day he built it for me. Such an easy cheese to make and it turned out WONDERFULLY! I can't wait to try it with our own fresh goats milk. :) One more thing I can take off of my grocery list if I can perfect it and work it into my weekly routine.

We've been developing a new routine around here. I've been assigning more chores to the kids so that we are able to keep up with the daily list of things. My calendar is my "brain" some days and it's helping me to stay more on track. What a blessing it's been to have meals planned, dishes assigned each day and laundry as well. Taking the time each week to plan out our week out has saved us so much time and frustration. It's amazing, we haven't removed anything from our schedule, but we're able to get much more done. Feels good!

Praying you all are having a blessed week so far. It seems everyone around the country is getting the snow we are praying for. :) Enjoy it if you have it and all of it's beauty. Snow can be a mixed blessing, I know. I choose to focus on the beauty it brings and trust in the Lord to help in the areas that it complicates. :)

Thankful for Friday!

2011-01-14T20:21:00.000-08:00

Wow! Am I late in getting this posted this week. Oh well, better late than never. It IS still Friday, after-all. :)

What a week this has been, from snow on Monday, to horrible rain and warm temperatures, we've had a bit of everything it seems. The rain was such a bummer for me, for some reason. I think much of my mood was due to the lack of predicted snow. They had talked and talked about this storm for a week, saying it was going to be a "good old fashioned snow storm" with a foot of snow possible in one evening. Well, as you already may have read, we didn't get anything. Such a bummer! :(

Beyond the weather woes we've had a good week. I've been working since the first of the year to purge out the clutter from our home and really get on top of the daily tasks around here. It is so easy to let things slide, let little things go and eventually they grow into a mountain. At least that is how it's felt as I dig out from underneath it. :)

Another area that has seen some attention from me this week is my quiet time. I don't know why, but doing a daily devotional has always been a struggle for me. I LOVE the idea, but rarely finish or do it faithfully every day. As much as I know my walk needs this daily time with the Lord, life tends to get in my way. This year, I have decided that I need to make it more of a priority. Just as I make time for my kids, my husband and my home, I also need to make time to be with my Father. Relationships take work, communication, listening, attentiveness and the willingness to put yourself aside a little for the good of the relationship. My walk with the Lord should be no different. So, I've decided to make it a priority this week and have LOVED every minute I've gotten to be alone with Jesus!

This time has given my days a focus, a peaceful start and my prayer time and reading have given me things to ponder as I work through my day. My focus has been so much more on how God would want me to respond, work and be in all aspects of my day. Such a great way to spend a bit of time each morning, like having a nice lazy cup of coffee with your husband before he leaves for work in the morning. My devotion time has set the tone for my day. No better place to start, as far as I'm concerned!

So, what am I thankful for this week? Oh my...to list it all will take up too much blog space. I'll jut list a few to give you an idea of where my heart is....

My quiet time each morning...are you surprised? :) This time of reading, praying and truly listening to the heart of Jesus has been the best start to every day.
My hard working man that gives so freely of himself for our family, working so hard even in the freezing cold snow and drenching rain..all for us. Love that man. :)
My kids, and their willingness to help when I need it.
Our home, as cluttered and out of control as it seems right now, it's home...the place where my family gathers and memories are made.
Being able to be home with my kids, teaching them, watching them grow and learn...a true privilege!
The word study I have started doing on "Grace". Such a powerful word study...only one day in and I am loving seeing the heart of God, the grace He bestows on us...undeserved.

A very blessed week...loaded with many blessings, challenges and trials, but God is faithful. I have SO much more to do in reclaiming my home and a routine that will bring more peace to our family, but one day at a time, one room at a time I will get there. :) I have no doubt. My craving for order and organization in my home is HUGE...almost as much as I crave chocolate. :)

The snow "they" said wouldn't come...

2011-01-10T15:04:00.001-08:00

Well, the "weather guessers" were totally off for today's forecast. You may recall that we are supposed to be getting ready for a real "old fashioned" winter snow storm in the next few days. Today was supposed to be the calm before the storm....a beautiful sunny day. Well, shortly before my husband left for work this AM it started snowing ever so slightly. No worries, they said we "might" see a few light flurries. :) By the time the kids and I left for their classes this AM we had well over an inch of snow. I was not complaining at all, but found it rather funny that we were supposed to have just light flurries when we'd seen a steady snow fall for well over an hour.

Here are my lilac bushes, so beautiful in the snow. :)

My front porch, covered in snow....ignore the house that is in desperate need of a good painting.

Not to worry, I was stopped when I took this shot on our road. I just love how our place looks in the snow!

Down the road from our place...stopped again, not driving while taking pictures. :) Such a beautiful "non snowy" morning...thanks weather guessers!

The calm before the storm...

2011-01-10T06:23:00.000-08:00

Good morning! Our area is gearing up for a "good old fashioned snow storm" according to the weather guys. It's gone from a HUGE event, to a more mild one...either way, we will see snow this week. Depending on who you listen to, we could see anywhere from a trace of snow to a foot. Not sure how so many different people can have so many different predictions, but at least they all agree it should snow. We got a bit over the weekend, but it's all gone now.

So, what does this mean for me? Well, my Yukon will not be going into the repair shop just yet. It's our only 4-wheel drive that we all fit in and as long as the snow fall is minimal, we do have classes to attend this week. That's OK, the repairs can wait. :) I am looking forward to the snow. So are my kids.

I did my grocery shopping over the weekend and made sure that this time we were ready for anything. Who knows, perhaps the weather guys will be TOTALLY off and we'll get a storm that will look much like the one we had our first winter here. That year we were snowed in for almost 3 weeks with just over 2 feet of snow! We were not ready for it and we all about went nuts. This time, we are ready! Most of us are almost hopeful we get a "good old fashioned snow storm" but know that it's not likely.

Praying for a restful week, as we are all recovering or suffering from a nasty cold. Praying my dear husband doesn't get the dreaded cold. Also praying the snow doesn't keep him from being able to work. Thankfully, God knows what we need and we can rest in that.

I'm looking forward to the snow falling and being able to sit with a hot cup of tea and watch our world turn white. I LOVE the snow, love the way it transforms our homestead and lightens moods. I've got plenty of sewing, crocheting and knitting to keep me busy if we do get snowed in. :)

Thankful for Friday!

2011-01-07T15:14:00.000-08:00

Wow! I'm a bit late in getting this Friday post up, but it's been a VERY long day. What have I gotten done...absolutely nothing, or so it would seem. That's OK though, everyone is entitled to a day like this from time to time..or so I'm told. :)

My day started today with a VERY early drop of of a little boy I baby sit from time to time. Jack got here at about 4:15 this AM. Thankfully he is a snuggler, so I got some snuggle time in on the sofa. After a couple of hours, he was ready for a nap...and so was I after a night of very little sleep. We napped, let the rest of the kids (some of whom have been sick all week) sleep in. Oh the blessings of homeschooling, being able to be flexible like this. I love that!

Today has been a very laid back day for us with school as well. A much needed lazy day after a week of nasty colds and trying to keep up despite feeling rotten. The main thing we did for school today was to watch the movie Food Inc. I'd already watched it, but wanted the kids to see it as well. The older kids took notes and it will count towards their health requirements...gotta love that! If you haven't had the opportunity to watch this movie, I'd highly recommend it. If you care about what your family eats, where it comes from (if it doesn't come from your own farm or homestead) you will want to see this. Even if you don't really want to know...you should watch it!

So, what am I thankful for this week? Oh my, where to begin...let's see.

As always, my hard working husband and his ability to work in a struggling economy when so many are not able to. We've had our scares, our down times, but we have been blessed.
My kids, their readiness to learn, and understanding of why we live the way we do. For the most part, they "get" it, may not always like the chores required to live this life, but they at least understand why and appreciate it.
Our place here where we can grow a good portion of our food, have room to move around, have God's beauty all around us and are blessed to live this life.
The relationship I have with my husband, he is truly my best friend.
Having the time and desire to be creative...crocheting, knitting, sewing and such has become a part of my daily life. I went too long not allowing myself that time, now I can't do without it. It's also nice that my husband supports my endeavors and encourages me to do as much as I feel like. :)
My Yukon will soon be in the repair shop, it's been a month next week since I was in my wreck and I am SO tired of the daily reminder and questioning looks from people...as if I don't already feel rotten about it all. :(
Charlies Laundry Soap that I ordered from Marmee Dear. I absolutely LOVE it! Even with our horrible hard water, our clothes are just plain CLEAN! May be a silly thing, but for this mom it's been a wonderful blessing. :)
My Shark Steam Mop that my wonderful hubby bought me for Christmas....works like a dream and my floors are CLEAN! :)

Can you tell I've done a lot of cleaning lately? :) I'm trying so hard to get back on top of my house after a long month of preparing for Christmas, all of the running and everything else that the end of the year seems to bring. It was all good, but my house suffered because of it all. All in all, it's been a good start to the new year.

Happy New Year!!

2010-12-31T08:31:00.001-08:00

Can you believe that 2010 is coming to a close? I am just amazed at how quickly this year has gone. My husband and I sat and watched the morning news before he went to work this AM. They did a "recap" of big news making stories of the year and you know what, there were very few "happy" stories to be told. Not a very positive look back to our year, that is for sure. So sad that the focus this year was on so much sadness, devastation and heartache around our nation and the world.

What about the happy days, the good things, the blessings, the acts of kindness and amazingly wonderful stories? WHY does the media insist on focusing on the horrible sadness that consumes the airways? Sure, it's been a really tough year, it's been a tough several years. Has it all been horrible, bleak and hopeless?

Not in my house? We have been continually blessed. We've seen growth in relationships and watched our family come together in a tough season to see a better tomorrow. Are we alone? Is my family outside of the norm? Obviously we are not...just read a few blogs or talk to a few people that CHOOSE to be thankful.

I think that is key, choosing to be thankful, going out of our way to look past the struggle and see the many blessings that we do have even in the midst of trial. This has been a tough year, I won't lie. I am thankful to see the struggles of this year behind us. I know they are far from over, this world has just changed too much and struggles are all around us, but my hope is NOT in this world. It's in my heavenly Father who sees all, knows all, and provides for all.

So, this "Thankful Friday" post is not my typical thankful post. There is just too much that I could share BECAUSE I choose to be thankful, I choose to put my hope in the hands of the only One that can truly effect change or bring peace to my weary mind. If I were to stand on my own power, try to get through these hard times with my own strength, I'd be just like the media...hopeless. My hope, my peace, my thankfulness, my joy, my future rests in the hands of the Lord.

Happy New Year my friends! Make 2011 the year you CHOOSE to be thankful. The year you CHOOSE to hope. The year you CHOOSE to have peace. The year you CHOOSE to have joy. All in the midst of the storm. Having all of those things in the calm places of life is easy, the test is when you can have all of those things in the midst of your storm.

Praying for a wonderful new year for you and your families.

Christmas blessings!

2010-12-28T07:16:00.000-08:00

This year, I purposed in my heart and mind to simply enjoy all that the Season had to bring. To not let the stresses of all of the "to do's" get to me and rule my days. Instead I focused on the people that are reflected on my many lists of things that needed to be done (just a few of them are my kids...Rachael, my oldest son's girlfriend, Anthony, Dylan, Brandon and Alyssa). Was I still busy? Of course I was! Was it enjoyable? You bet! :)

Our family enjoyed many relaxing evenings watching our favorite Christmas movies, looking at the lights on our tree and spending time with family and friends. I often had crocheting in my lap during these family evenings, making hats for nephews and our niece, or making folded fabric ball ornaments that would be added to gift bags for family members. I kept busy with hand work and such, but enjoyed time with my family at the same time.

The kids and I worked on making candy to be added to the gift bags for family. Something we've never done before...molded chocolates on sticks and candy canes. What a fun project that was! Brandon worked hard on his snow men...they turned out great.

We also made sugar cookies...though they never ended up getting decorated, Dylan enjoyed trying his hand at rolling and cutting the dough. He did a great job too!

My husband's VERY talented brother does chain saw carvings. This year, he carved a bear for each of the kids. Dylan was so excited about his...they all were! Such a wonderful gift.

This year we decided it was time to splurge and get the family a Wii game system. We avoided doing this until this year, but I am so glad we went ahead and took the plunge. We've had such a good time playing games like bowling and tennis rather than just sitting around in the evenings. So much fun for all of us! I don't typically get into this kind of thing, feeling like there is just too much "screen influence" most of the time, but this was a fun addition to our home.

Brandon asked for one big thing this year...a shot gun. He LOVES hunting and even just target practicing. It was the perfect gift for him this year. The look on his face was worth it all...he was thrilled!

Alyssa LOVED the bulletin board I made for her. The fabric that covers it is a horse scene with trees and water. She was so excited...a simple gift, the fact that my kids appreciate the simple things they receive makes me so happy! They appreciate the effort in the making of the gift and don't need the pricey commercial trappings that so many kids these days get caught up in. Oh sure, they still want some of the other things, but the simple things are often their favorite things. :)

You know your baby has grown up when a box of socks brings a smile like this...he is forever looking for his socks. :) Our oldest is now over 20 and understands the value of a drawer full of socks. Bitter sweet, I think...though he did have a huge smile on his face when he opened the gift from his dad...his paintball gun that he had sold to his dad when he was in need of money. Wade had saved it and then gave it back to him for Christmas. :)

My parents came and spent the day with us on Christmas day. We had a wonderful time visiting, eating and watching the kids play the Wii. Times together are few and far between these days, it was nice to have a relaxing day to just "be" and catch up a bit.

One of the best gifts we all got this year was my sister...she has been away for too long. We had a fun day, catching up, playing the Wii and just enjoying time together. I think time with family was the greatest gift we all received this year. God truly blessed us with lots of time, relaxing, good food and many laughs. None of the material things from this Christmas really mattered much, even to the kids, we all just really enjoyed being together.

All together!

2010-12-27T16:07:00.000-08:00

In this photo, from left to right: Alyssa (daughter), Jenny (my sister), Dad, Mom, Wade (hubby), me, Dylan (3rd son), Anthony (1st son) and Brandon (2nd son).

This Christmas, my whole family was together for Christmas. This is the first time in 5 years that we have all be in one place for Christmas and it was such an amazing day. We had so much fun playing cards, playing the Wii, eating tons of goodies and good food, visiting about our lives and just enjoying the time together. Such a blessing this year, my sister was here and we had a great time reconnecting! I've missed her. :)

So many blessings from this Christmas season, this is just one. Praying you all had wonderful blessings this Christmas!

Are you ready?

2010-12-21T06:32:00.000-08:00

This week is a full week for me....so much to do to be ready for Christmas. I've still got sewing to do, knitting, jewelry making, crocheting and baking to do. Thankfully I am not stressing, not worried. What needs to get done, will be done. If it doesn't, that's OK too.

My focus this year has been to simply enjoy the season. Enjoy time with family and friends. Soak up the true meaning of this season and the "who" that is on my list, not the "what". After all, it's not about the "stuff", it's all about the people that the "stuff" is supposed to be for. Right?

So, while I'm crocheting, knitting, baking and sewing....I'm soaking up the time with my family and friends. THEY are my focus, not the task at hand. Not the never ending list of "things".

How about you? Is your focus on the "what" on your list? Are you able to look past it all to the "who" that truly matters most?

My kids asked me the other day what my favorite Christmas gift ever was. You know, I could think of several gifts I'd received, but nothing that really stood out as my "favorite". What I remember more are the moments, the laughs, the special memories of family and friends. Watching my kids excitement on Christmas morning, reading the account in the Bible of the birth of Jesus, singing Christmas carols at church, baking cookies and blessing my family with special treats. That is what I remember more than the gifts I received.

Enjoy this time with your family, friends and loved ones. Remember to focus on the REASON FOR THE SEASON!

Thankful for Friday!

2010-12-17T16:25:00.000-08:00

This week's list of things I'm thankful for is simple...It's been a LONG week! So much to be done, so much left to do and so very much on my heart and mind.

God has been SO faithful, even when I am not. So amazingly faithful in so many ways, too many ways to list. The biggest event of our week was a fender bender that I was in on Thursday afternoon. Thankfully, God protected us and everyone was totally fine. My new Yukon (new to us just before Thanksgiving) is not so new any longer. Not so pretty and I am not so thrilled about it all. BUT through it all I have remained thankful.

Thankful for the Lord's protection.
Thankful for my amazingly understanding and supportive husband.
Thankful for my 16 year old son who stood by my side the whole time I talked with an upset driver, upset with me for hitting him and rightfully so.
Thankful for our amazing insurance company who has made this whole process so much easier than I ever expected it to be. Even understanding when I tearfully told them about the accident and all that occurred at the time of it...even unnecessary information that they didn't need..just my silly unloading rant.
Thankful that my car is repairable and no permanent damage was done.

God has been good to us! We are blessed!

Merry Christmas!!!

Rain, Rain....turn to snow!

2010-12-13T08:56:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday! I am completely shocked that it's Monday already, how did that happen? We had a VERY wet weekend here at Tanglewood Hills. The whole Pacific Northwest was rather soggy this weekend. I haven't heard any official rain totals, but the forecast on Saturday was for 3 inches of rain in Portland. While we are not in Portland, much of our weather comes from there. I would not be surprised one bit to hear that we exceeded that total. So much rain fell on Saturday! We were all wishing the rain was snow...we are all ready for a good winter storm here. Snow would be a welcomed way to start our Christmas season next week...we are praying. :) I know that those of you in the mid west who are experiencing major snow events are thinking I'm nuts. Snow is just a welcomed and rare event here most years.

We were snug and cozy in our friend's home. Saturday was our cut and wrap day for our steer. He was a big boy! We split him with our friends, something we've done the past three years or so. Doing it all ourselves from the kill to the cut and wrap has saved us a lot of money. We spend a day getting the meat all processed and ready for the freezer. I am SO thankful to have this meat in our freezer. Between the beef and the chickens we butchered a few weeks ago, we are going to have plenty of meat to see us through the next few months. YAY!

This is the last week before Christmas break and it is going to be crazy! Between parties, activities and events for the kids I'll be doing a lot of baking. Bread baking, a bit of fudge, cookies and maybe some cinnamon rolls. The rest of the week will be busy making scones, cookies and other goodies for the kids to share at their events and parties this week. I also have some craft type things to work on and a party for co-op to to plan crafts for. All fun and good stuff, but makes for busy days for this mama. :)

Praying you all are having a wonderful week. Find ways to enjoy this season and not be so wrapped up in the "to do list", I'm talking as much to me as anyone. It is SO hard to not focus on the "to dos" of the day and not on the "who" you are doing it all for. My pastor yesterday shared that very thing and it really hit home with me. So, even though I am SO super busy this week, my focus is on the "why" of it all. I want to enjoy the baking, the time with my kids and why I'm working so hard this week. We are SO blessed, I LOVE this season and I am SO thankful for all that we have.

Have a wonderful week!

Thankful For Friday!

2010-12-10T07:43:00.000-08:00

So much to be thankful for, so much I could share, so much I could ramble on about....but won't. Today I am SO thankful for the blessings the Lord has given to us...

My family
My hard working man that does all he can to provide the very best for our family
Friends near and far, in real life and online, that help me see things in new ways, and give me food for thought. Friends that listen, don't judge, love me for who I am and where I am and pray for me and with me to become the wife and mom I so desire to be.
This season of remembering the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. The baby that came and changed this world and that continues to change our world.
The many military men and women who serve our country, away from family and friends this season. Men and women that won't have time around the tree with their loved ones, who will be and are fighting for our freedom and way of life. The sacrifice of not only the one in uniform but also the families that they leave behind that continue on with life...missing their loved ones, holding down the fort and keeping the home fires burning.
Time to give thanks, show appreciation and remember the many blessings we have.
The fire burning in the wood stove that warms our home.
The lights on the tree, that give off a warm glow in the evening.
YOU...for visiting this blog and sharing my life here. I am blessed!

Enjoy this season. Take time to relax and enjoy your family and friends...all of the blessings you have received. Remember WHO is the reason for this season....Jesus Christ!

Thankful for Friday!

2010-12-03T07:38:00.001-08:00

Hooray for Friday! Do you feel that way? I don't know why, but I just love Friday. :)

This week, as always, I have so much to be thankful for. We are truly blessed! So, this week I am so thankful for:

The reason for this wonderful season...Jesus Christ! His birth changed the world!
My husband's job, we are truly blessed to have him still working. God is providing for us in ways that never cease to amaze me!
My jobs, even if I'd love to not have to work, at least I know it is another way that the Lord is providing for us.
Our home, warm and cozy.
A full pantry and nearly full freezer. We butchered our chickens a week ago and have many tasty meals ahead. Our steer will be butchered in the next couple of weeks also and we'll have plenty of meat to see us through the rest of the year and into the spring and summer.
My marriage, I am continually reminded at how wonderful my marriage is. I am blessed beyond measure to have such a wonderful relationship with this man. We had struggles early on in our marriage, but we are closer now than I ever thought we could be.
My kids, amazingly smart and hard working. We all have our days, but I love them, they are a true blessing!
Our place here and all of the projects that seem to never get finished. It is ours and we are living our dream.
Friends and family that make my days so much more meaningful and rich!
The chance to spend a day shopping with a dear friend that I don't get to see often enough. She is in town for the weekend and is making a day to spend with me. I love it!! :)

Have an amazingly wonderful weekend with your family and friends. As the old song says, don't forget to "count your blessings". I promise you, it will change your outlook on your current situation. We are all continually blessed...even in the hardest of times. We just sometimes have to look a bit harder at some times than others. The blessings ARE there.

A Baby Changes Everything - Faith Hill

2010-12-03T07:33:00.000-08:00

When I found this video on You Tube, I had to share it to go along with my blog post for today. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Brings a bit more "emotion" to the season for me, being a mom and knowing how it feels to bring a baby into this world. How hard it is to give birth and then the love you feel at the first glance of that precious baby.

A baby changes everything...

2010-12-03T06:56:00.000-08:00

Are you feeling like time is just flying by? Perhaps feeling overwhelmed by all that needs to be done before Christmas? That is EXACTLY how I have been feeling, all the while knowing that I didn't want to feel that way. That I wanted to be able to relax and enjoy the season. Oh sure, I've had a few moments here and there where I allowed myself that simple pleasure. Then I'd realize that my "To do list" was backing up and I was, once again, behind!

What a horrible cycle to be caught in. Then I read a wonderful blog post from Christine at Joy of 8 that reminded me that there are more important things to focus on. Call it my "Duh" moment. I KNOW all of this...nothing she said was "new" to me. WHY do we let the daily life, the "important" tasks of this life get in the way of what our hearts know to be true? That, I don't know, but once in a while we all need the reminder of the "why" of the season and the "who" of the season.

It's not about the tree, the decorations, the hustle and bustle of the shopping malls and department stores. It's not even the cutting line at the fabric store or the yard that is waiting to be knitted into something wonderful for someone wonderful. It's not the candy and goodies that everyone associates with the Christmas season.

It IS about the savior that came to bring hope and light to this dark world. His coming did not promise an easy road, but hope at the end of it, a promise of a heavenly home with him at the end of our journey. This season is a celebration of this baby's coming, Jesus birth brought about a change in history like no other!

I have often thought about how Mary must have felt. Did she truly grasp the weight of her roll in history? Did she truly understand that this little baby would change the world? I've been blessed to have given birth to four children. Looking back, when I looked into that new little face after they were born, I could not even fathom how their lives would be, how they would grow and mature. I like to think that Mary KNEW that this baby would change the world.

Having a baby changes your life, having a baby that you know will grow up to be the savior of the world would be an incredibly overwhelming feeling, I think. Don't you? Perhaps she really didn't understand the whole extent of her roll in this little baby's life. I don't know, but that is one of many questions I can't wait to ask when I get to heaven. :)

Merry Christmas and remember to celebrate the true meaning of the season!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2010-11-25T07:31:00.001-08:00

It's a chilly 30 degrees here at Tanglewood Hills and snow is on the ground. That has been the norm here for this past few days and we are loving it! What a wonderful way to spend our Thanksgiving morning, looking out over the snow covered ground in our warm home. We have SO much to be thankful for. God has really blessed us!

Today, we'll be driving north to my parents house to spend the afternoon with them. There will be tons of good food and lazy conversation, I'm sure. I'm looking forward to just being able to relax a bit. I did my baking yesterday, a gingerbread cheesecake and two pumpkin pies. My mom is doing the rest, but we are keeping our meal simple. :)

Our morning will be spent enjoying having our kids all home, drinking coffee, enjoying the fire and having a nice slow morning. I LOVE that!

Praying you all enjoy a blessed Thanksgiving with your family and take time to "count your blessings" as the old song says. We are ALL so very blessed, have so much to be thankful for. Sure, we may be facing hard times, have struggles in our lives, but really...we ARE blessed!! Beyond measure!

Blessings to your family today and throughout the Thanksgiving and Christmas season!

I'm back...did you miss me?

2010-11-23T10:36:00.000-08:00

This has been a non stop busy month for me full of stress, work and changes. Every time I thought I'd update my blog, something else got in the way. Today, however, my work is as caught up as it's going to get for the moment and we are having a snow day! Yes, SNOW!! :) I am loving the weather we are having, cold and snowy.

Let's see, what can I tell you about life here over the past month. We've been super busy with school, trying to stay on top of everything has proven to be more of a job than I had anticipated, but I think we have it under control. :) My job with Gling has been very busy trying to get ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas recipes. I LOVE my job, getting paid to cook and create is amazing.

Our homestead is as ready for winter as it's going to get. The snow came early this year. This week we've been blessed with over 6 inches of snow and frigid temperatures...this mornings temp was 17 degrees. The high today is 31. So far, the animals are fairing nicely. I was super worried about the meat birds, but they did fine last night. They'll be in the freezer in a matter of weeks (possibly days if the weather continues to be winter-like), that will be wonderful!

Hunting season has come and gone here, for deer anyway. No luck for my guys this year. Such a bummer! They spent a week at elk camp, 9 days actually. Saw a few animals but nothing that could be shot at. They had a wonderful time though and that is just as important as the meat in the freezer as far as I'm concerned! I LOVE that my hubby and son have that time, even if I do miss them terribly when they are gone.

Last week we bought a new-to-us SUV!! WAY overdue, we've lived out here for 8 years and have needed 4 wheel drive every winter. Until now, if there was ANY snow on the ground, I stayed home or ended up in the ditch. Yesterday, I was able to take the kids to their classes and do my grocery shopping without any trouble! We got a 2003 GMC Yukon. I LOVE it! Feel absolutely spoiled!

So far, my hubby is still working. We are praying that continues. It's all in the Lord's hands and we are trusting that HE will see us through whatever is in our future. It's a good place to be, that's for sure!

Thanksgiving is in just a couple of days and I have baking to do. Cheesecake, pumpkin pie and cinnamon rolls....I LOVE Thanksgiving. I think I just LOVE food!

Thankful for Friday!

2010-10-22T15:44:00.000-07:00

Another week and I didn't get any other posts done. :( I had EVERY intention of getting a post up about my cinnamon roll experiment and how it turned out, pictures of my kids and other things, but the days got away from me...seems to be a trend the past month or so.

Today I am thrilled that it's Friday! I am getting to do something that I NEVER do. Something that I NEVER allow myself to do. I am going away for the night and all day tomorrow. My mother-in-law has a quilting retreat every so often, this time I'm going! We are making a Christmas tree skirt. It's sure to be a fun time and ALL ADULT...no kids. :) As much as I hate to be away from my hubby, I am still very much looking forward to some time to just relax, sew and enjoy some girl time. :) LONG OVERDUE!!!

So, aside from the list of the usual things to be thankful for...my family, my husband's job and the Lord's continued provision for our family, my quilting retreat is top of my list. :) Getting time away, time to not worry about dishes, laundry, cooking, cleaning, day care, animals and the ever present financial worries is HUGE for me! As much as I try to keep on going, keep on serving and keep on focusing on the blessings we have (which are many), allowing myself the time to relax is a rare.

I am SO extremely blessed that my family is supportive of this get away, mainly my wonderful husband. He has encouraged me from the first moment I mentioned "maybe" wanting to go. The hardest part about leaving is that I feel like I am missing rare time with him at home tonight. Hunting season it is hard to find time together, but I know he'll be going to bed early tonight, getting ready for an early hunt tomorrow. SO...I'm getting more and more OK with the idea of leaving in a little bit...to be completely honest, today has been EXTREMELY LONG!! :) Waiting like a kid for an exciting event. How crazy is that?!

This is sure to be a fun weekend and I'll have much to share...hopefully pictures of my finished project...in a few days. :) The best part about it for me is that it's supposed to be stormy and rainy this weekend. Perfect for a quilting weekend!! Don't you think?

Thankful for Friday!

2010-10-15T05:54:00.001-07:00

This past week has been a long, busy one around Tanglewood Hills. Days seem to just run together lately and all of the activity kind of blurs together. Ever feel that way? Trying to list all that has been done the past week is not easy when the activities are a blur. :) We've been busy with school activities, my work for Gling (working on recipes that highlight fall flavors), deep cleaning areas of our home and preparing for another hunting season for my boys!

So, what am I thankful for this week? So many things...we are continually blessed beyond measure, even during busy or difficult seasons. God is SO good to us!

* My dear husband is still working, and things are looking like they are picking up again. YAY!
* Hunting season starts this weekend here for modern firearm. My boys will be heading out to hopefully add to our freezer. Praying for much success for them, safety and a lot of fun too!
* Finding a bit more room in my busy schedule to devote more time to my work for Gling. It's been tough between canning and homeschooling. I've found that this past week I've had a bit more time to be in my kitchen working on tasty recipes...something I LOVE doing.
* Starting on my sewing for Christmas....this weekend while the guys are busy hunting. :) I've been wanting to get started on some sewing projects for the coming Christmas season, this weekend I'll get my chance.
* Our kids, they continually amaze me!
* The relationship that my husband and I have. Being married to my best friend is such an amazingly wonderful gift!
* A good night sleep!! Lately I've struggled with not being able to stay asleep, or some nights, even fall asleep. I tried something that I read in an article that a friend of mine sent me, though I'll admit to being VERY skeptical at it actually helping, a cup of warm milk. Yes, the old wives tale that grandma used to speak of. :) A warm cup of milk, a spoon full of honey and a bit of vanilla. Not only did it taste AMAZING, I fell asleep last night and didn't wake up until my dear hubby got up to go to work. UNHEARD OF these days! :) I'll be testing it again to see if it was the milk or shear exhaustion, but I'm expecting good things. :)
* Good friends that just "get" me, and love me anyway. :)

Have an amazing weekend with your families!

Thankful for Friday!!

2010-10-08T06:55:00.000-07:00

Good morning! Here we go again, another Friday and I haven't posted since last Friday. How boring is that? So sorry. Life has been non stop and to be honest, not entirely fun this past week. Once again, I'm VERY thankful to see Friday. There have been ups and downs all week, bad moments and really good ones...and always busy!

The bulk of my "busy" this week has been kid focused. School, dentist appointments, baby sitting, lesson planning, math paper grading, class planning and laundry. Oh, we did do a couple of hair cuts in there too. :) A never ending list of "need to do's" can make for a long week. Did I get it all done? NO! Am I OK with that, sure...I am, after all only one person. :)

This week, it was NOT hard to focus on the positive, the many blessings that the Lord continues to bless us with. Even in the midst of the stressful moments, the blessings were always easy to see.

So, what are they? Let's see:

* I was given a laptop by a dear person. She has NO idea how much of a blessing this is to me, how very needed it was! This person just wanted to bless me....and BOY DID SHE! I have wanted a laptop for YEARS, but as with many things, it was never in the budget and I could easily justify NOT buying one. We do, after all have a computer in our home and we just need to budget our time on it...right? That has worked for a long time, and would have continued to work, to be totally honest. Having this laptop has been so nice though...being able to work, plan school and life here when I don't have access to my computer in my office has been such an amazing gift! Something COMPLETELY unexpected...I had NO idea she was going to give this gift to me until the FedEx truck delivered it. Even after I opened the box and read the letter, it still took me a day or so to process it all. :) So amazing!

* My hard working husband is still working and things are looking good on that front. For now, there is work...we know, however, that anything is possible. The coolest part is that I am no longer "worried" about it. Sure, I want him to stay working through the winter, but I also have a complete peace that God will provide regardless of his employment. What a great place to be!

* Hunting season starts here in a week...we are praying for great success for our hunters this year! I'm excited to see how the Lord will bless us this year. Even if my guys don't bring home anything, I'm excited to see them go and have some fun! They've been pouring over maps, making plans and are as excited as little kids on Christmas. THAT is a blessing....they will have fun regardless of the harvest, I am sure! They need this time, time to go out into the woods and just have fun. A bit of recharging time, as crazy as that sounds. I'm excited to see them get that time.

* We had our first fire of the season in our wood stove this week. I LOVE how cozy it makes our home feel, brings us all into the living room and we all just enjoy the warm glow. SO inviting! It's been days since we needed a fire, but I've wanted one. :)

* My boys harvested the red potatoes from the garden last weekend and brought up 2 1/2 buckets full of huge, beautiful potatoes! So tasty! The buckets are 5 gallon buckets, so I think we did pretty well this year. We waited a bit longer than I think we should have to harvest them, several rotted in the ground. We've had quite a bit of rain this past month. I'm happy with the harvest, regardless of the lost portion. :)

* We were given a load of fire wood earlier this week by a dear friend. We have PLENTY of wood for the next two years now. YAY! Love those kinds of blessings. :)

* My hubby and I get a little date night tonight! The kids all have other plans and we will have time to kill in town after dropping them off...so we get to have a date! :) It will be simple, at a local hamburger place we love. I'm looking forward to a freshly made pumpkin milkshake! YUM!

* I FINALLY got the broken part on my blender fixed! YAY!! It's been broken for MONTHS and I finally decided to just order the silly part. I was able to make smoothies IN THE BLENDER for my kids yesterday afternoon. :) Simple pleasures. :)

Have an amazing weekend...look for the many blessings the Lord gives to you and your family, after a while, you won't have to look very hard to see them. :) Staying thankful is one of the best ways to get through tough days. :)

Thankful for Friday!!!

2010-10-01T05:53:00.000-07:00

Another Friday...WOW! I have had the intention of posting here all week long and have not found the time. We've been busy here with school, orthodontist appointments, baby sitting, work and trying to keep up with laundry and cooking/baking. Seems to be keeping me rather busy.

To be honest, it's been a tough week for me. I seem to be on an up and down hormonal trip that is getting rather old..."power surges", "hot flashes", and really wacky sleep makes for a rather emotional mama! SO fun! It's not all bad though. All of this did help to show me that I need to take some time for me. I've been running on empty for far too long, and was in need of some "me" time.

SO....I took some! YAY! :) I took an evening this week and went ALONE to the book store. That NEVER happens. :) It was fun to walk around and look at the books I wanted to look at without interruption and I also got to take my time. A rare thing indeed!

The other thing I did this week....went back to the gym! It's been a good 6 months since I was there last and I knew I either needed to go or cancel it altogether. I am sore, but determined to get back on track, feeling better, in better shape and ready to face the tasks I have here with more energy and fewer back issues. Finding the time each week will be a challenge, but I need to do this for ME.

One of my favorite things about going to the gym is that I am able to just pray while I'm on the treadmill. I put on my headphones, turn on my i-pod and an upbeat Christian song and start walking. I pray about all that is going on, and sometimes just listen to the words and let the the Lord speak to me. That is something I've really missed. In my daily life, I get few opportunities to tune out the world and just "listen" for the Lord's voice. When I get the chance, it's never enough time, but enjoyable and refilling!

So, what am I thankful for this week? Hmmm....

* Hitting a "brick wall" so that I would take the time to refill and refresh.
* My amazingly supportive husband that sees what I need often before I do.
* Friends that listen and understand my crazy self....even when I make no sense at all.
* My amazing kids that understand my need for "me" time and even encourage me to take more.
* An understanding boss that knows that my family must come first and that my productivity during busy seasons is going to be low...I love working for him on Gling.
* My church family...such an amazingly supportive family that loves me regardless of what I am going through. Always an encouragement!
* Watching our oldest son grow up and figure out what it means to be a man...and fall in love with his girl. Makes me wonder how long it will be before we get to add another girl to our family! :) We are SO thankful that he has chosen a sweet and loving girl...time will tell, the Lord knows what He has for them. Can't wait to see it unfold. :)
* A bit of sunny weather to start our fall season, though it's been a bit warmer than I want at this point. It's been nice to have the sunshine, the rains will start soon enough.

Needless to say, we ALWAYS have so much to be thankful for. We are truly blessed! Even in tough times, days when all I want to do is cry out in frustration, I KNOW that we are blessed beyond measure! God is so good to us and continues to be faithful to provide, sometimes in ways that we least expect. :)

Thankful for Friday!

2010-09-24T06:09:00.001-07:00

OK, I won't say it....you know, the opening line I use for EVERY Friday post. Yes, this week went by quickly and I can't believe it's Friday again already....but I won't say it. :) How was your week? Life around here, as usual, has been non stop. Good, but non stop. We've seen some struggles this week...sick kids, sick mama, mountains of laundry, a kitten dying and a cranky baby...but it's life! We are blessed despite the struggles and THAT is what I try to stay focused on. Am I always successful? NO! I'm only human....but I DO try!

So, what am I thankful for this Friday?

* My hard working hubby and his job....we are blessed to still have him working. Also blessed that things are "starting" to look up in that area of life, S...L...O...W....L...Y we are seeing signs of a busy season ahead.

* Our kids and how much they are learning this year in school.

* Our adviser at the school....so helpful and is making this year's homeschooling so much easier with her tips and advice! Having two high school age kids has been a bit overwhelming for me, but we are doing great so far...thank the Lord! :)

* Answers to prayer in a tough situation....won't share more, but had to share how amazingly faithful our Heavenly Father IS!!!

* Canning season coming to an end for this year....there is more I COULD do, but I am feeling like I can be done with the bulk of my canning. :) YAY!

* A steer growing and soon to be in our freezer....chickens too!

* A weekend getaway for me...a much needed break.....quilting with a bunch of ladies! I just confirmed my quilting weekend with my mother-in-law. A group of women, getting together at a local lodge to quilt away the weekend....no kids, no laundry....just relaxing, laughing, good food and quilting! What could be better? I have not done this EVER and need the break SO badly! My amazingly wonderful hubby encouraged me to just go.....so NOT my normal behavior, but I am going. :)

* My grain mill...and the amazingly tasty bread that I am able to make with the flour I grind. Only down side is that I can't keep enough bread in the house most of the time. :)

* A dear friend that is going to give my kids riding lessons....gives her horses some exercise and fulfills part of my kids PE credit for school! Plus, my friend and I get time to visit. :) My kids are thrilled. :)

Enjoy your weekend! Praying you had an amazingly wonderful week...even if you didn't there is still SO much to be thankful for....WE ARE BLESSED!!!

It's here....Can you believe it?

2010-09-22T06:19:00.000-07:00

It's here....it's here!!! I am SO excited! Are you excited? :) In case you haven't heard yet....FALL IS HERE! :) Today...well, tonight really, it will arrive. :) After the summer we had in these parts, I am welcoming fall with open arms. Our summer was less than a summer and I am ready to put it behind me. :)

I wish I had some glorious picture of fall color to share, but sadly I don't. I don't even have a pumpkin to take a picture of. :)

Fall is one of my favorite times of year. The smell, the cool air, apples, pumpkin...yummy foods that just scream fall. Burning candles, baking tasty treats, hot cider, cool crisp mornings, fall color all around and the smell of freshly cut wood. I LOVE it all! I look forward to the weather turning colder and having a cozy evening in front of the wood stove, a hot cup of tea in my hands, my family cozy around me and a good book.

Yes, I am ready! Ready for all that fall brings...even the rain. :) Around here, rain is often what we get...along with the mud, wet leaves, and lots of wind. I'm OK with that this year, I am ready!

Another Monday...ready or not!

2010-09-20T06:10:00.000-07:00

Why does the weekend always have to go so quickly? This weekend was a busy and relaxing one for me. Saturday I worked on finishing up canning the tomatoes and applesauce that I didn't get to during the week. It feels SO good to have that done for now. :) I'll do more tomatoes IF I come up with the money for them before the frost comes, thankfully I've gotten enough done that it wouldn't be the end of the world if I didn't do anymore. I'd LIKE to have some tomato sauce done up, but won't feel like a failure if I don't. I LOVE being in that place where canning is concerned! Don't you?

Sunday was spent just relaxing, for the most part. Three of us are either suffering from a nasty cold or feeling one coming on so we were home all day. The rains were heavy at times, but it sure felt good...a really "fall" feeling day! The only thing that was missing was a fire in the wood stove, but it was just not cold enough yet. The temperatures were actually rather warm and muggy, everything just "looked" like fall. :)

On Saturday, while I was canning away, Wade and the boys were working on cutting out some limbs from some trees and also taking out a few in our side yard. These trees were totally shading our fruit trees and we finally decided to deal with them. It looks completely different out there now and we gained a bit more fire wood in the process. The goats LOVED the fir needle treats. :) I really don't like taking out trees on our place, but these trees were just not allowing our fruit trees to really grow properly. Sure, we could have planted our fruit trees in another spot, but you know what they say about hind site. :)

This week is looking much easier than the past few. I have VERY little canning to work on. That will allow me to work on some baking, cleaning and a bit of relaxing....OH MY! :) It's amazing how much my house suffers while I'm busy canning, I know my family will appreciate a more normal routine this week. My body will appreciate a bit slower pace and my house will look better for all of the extra attention. :)

So, how is your fall going? Is your pantry fuller? Are you still canning? I still want to can some pears, apples and some dry beans. Not sure where I'll put them, as my shelves in my pantry are FULL, but I'll figure out something. :) My hubby may have to sacrifice a bit of space in his shop for a few shelves. :)

Another canning project on my horizon is some more beef and chicken stock. I actually have a crock pot full going right now. I'll get at least 7 quarts of rich stock from the carcasses in the crock pot this round. It's so easy to do, I just let it simmer away in my crock pot for a day or even two...one of those projects that I can work around my schedule. The longer it cooks, the better the stock. My house smells wonderful in the process! :)

Have a wonderful week!

Thankful for Friday!

2010-09-17T07:44:00.001-07:00

Wow, I know I say this every week, but really...it's Friday already? We've had another busy week here, shocking I know! :) Canning, school here at home, the beginning of classes at the school and co-op and more canning. :) In the midst of it all, we've had a good time, despite the threat of a cold or two. Our pantry is getting fuller by the day and we are finally seeing the end of the canning season in the distance.

So, what am I thankful for this week?

*My hubby is still working, as is his brother...YAY!
*The kids first week of the full school schedule went well and everyone enjoyed their outside classes!
*The fall color is everywhere, overnight it seems, and it looks like it will be a BEAUTIFUL fall around here.
*A friends daughter that had open heart surgery is doing fairly well...please be praying for little Lily.
*Our new layers should be laying any day...SO excited!
*Made 17 pints of tomato soup yesterday...might make more, but it's a good start...my kids will be thrilled this winter! :)
*My pantry is filling up by the day...I LOVE that feeling!
*We pick up this year's steer this weekend....he'll live at a friends house until he's ready to butcher...we'll have beef in the freezer again in about a month and a half!! We're starting out with an older guy this time...not really by choice....but that means we'll have the meat a bit earlier. Good timing!
*Hunting season starts in a few weeks...my boys are excited and so am I...praying for a good harvest this year with the three of them hunting. :)

It's been a crazy busy week, and today will be no different. Canning more tomatoes today, perhaps a batch of plum preserves and working on school, laundry and baby sitting too. Pray for me in the midst of it all...I'm feeling a cold coming on. I need my strength to get through the last of my canning. :)

School schedules and canning...trying to fit it all in.

2010-09-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

School is in full swing here this week and it has been a crazy, busy week. In a perfect world our lives would be busy with only school at this point, save a box or two of pears or apples to can. Not so much this year....all of the summer crops were late here this year, so I'm still in the process of canning tomatoes.

This week has been a busy canning week with Monday and Tuesday being filled with peaches and pears. Thankfully, I am officially done with peaches for the year. YAY!! :) Pears are another story. I have about a half box left to go here and a friend of mine is giving me more pears next week. We'll see how many we get out of those and decide from there if we need more. My hope is that we don't. :)

I'll be starting on my next 100 pounds of tomatoes today and tomorrow. Some of them will be canned and some will be made into tomato soup. The recipe was posted on a friend's blog this week and I have GOT to try it! My family LOVES tomato soup and I refuse to buy canned soups. Having some on hand that is just as quick and easy to prepare as the store bought variety will be nice on those busy fall and winter days. :) My kids are excited too.

Beyond that, choir started for my daughter last night and the kids returned to youth group at the church. We shall see how long we are able to keep going between busy schedules and weather, I'm praying about our involvement there. For now, the kids are enjoying the time there. Dylan also had his first co-op classes yesterday too. They went well and he had a good time making new friends and connecting with old ones. :) Yes, school has officially started!

Life is busy right now, and I am looking forward to the slower days of winter. At least the end of a crazy canning season. I've been trying to update my canning totals on my kitchen page, I know I've missed a few jars in my counting, but it's a general list. I also have apples to sauce this weekend and I'm hoping to have a couple of boxes of apples to work on next week. There is also a bunch of chicken parts in the freezer to make stock with and a few beef soup bones as well. Those will all need to be processed before our chickens are ready to butcher and we add any other meat to our freezer. Yes, it's never ending at the moment. Not complaining really, just busy. :)

We have been so blessed and even in this busy season it's good to be able to recognize that fact. My hard working man is still working, we have a pantry that is filling up by the day and will soon have chickens that are ready to find their way to the freezer. Hunting season starts in less than a month and we are praying for a couple of deer in the freezer as well. :) Maybe even an elk or two. We will be eating well this winter. :)

It's time to resume my crazy routine...I just wanted to check in and say hello! I miss being able to post about life and all more often. Thankfully, I know you all are in the same boat that I am in...trying to adjust to a new fall routine and care for your families in the mean time. :)

Thankful for Friday!

2010-09-10T05:28:00.001-07:00

Wow, another Friday already! Seems the weeks are speeding by faster and faster all of the time. Must mean I've been busy, you think? Oh my yes! It's been a good kind of busy however, so I can't complain much. :) Life around here just keeps going full speed, there have been days I feel like I am not able to keep up. In the midst of it all I am trying to be thankful, because all of this busyness is proof that we are blessed!

So, what am I thankful for this week?

* My wonderful and hard working man is still working...thank the Lord!
* Our computer is back up and running and the repair bill was less than we expected.
* My pantry is filling up...peaches, tomatoes, green beans, apple pie filling, pickles, chicken stock, pears and more apples. :)
* We harvested about 50 pounds of apples off of our best producing apple tree...it's about 5 years old and we get the best apples off of it. I wish I could remember what kind it was...we'd get a couple more trees! :)
* My wonderfully talented husband made a grape arbor for our one grape vine...we'll soon be adding more that a friend is giving us. :)
* We were blessed with a load of produce from some friends....60 pounds of pears, broccoli, squash, zucchini and corn! YUMMY! So fun, especially since our garden has done little to nothing. Theirs had done very little as well, but they live at a lower elevation and have a bit longer and better growing season than we do. Crazy how a 15 minute drive can totally change a gardens production ability!
* School has started and so far it's going well!
* Our yard is about 90% ready for fall and winter...weeding, harvesting of herbs is done and all of that fun stuff. :)
* My back and shoulders are about 75% healed from the above weeding and such! :)
* Our cockerels are half grown, more than, and will be ready for the freezer in another 6-8 weeks! :) Meat in our freezer! Yes!! :)
* We were able to sell one of last years goat kids, now a yearling, to a neighbor....solving a problem for both families. :) We needed to downsize and they needed a buddy goat.
* All of the corner posts for our new expanded pasture are set and ready for the rest of the fencing...now all we need is a bit more money for the rest of the t-posts. :) One step closer...can't wait! :)

There is more, I know, but I'd say that's a good list. :) I have been super busy with canning, school preparations, baby sitting, yard work, cleaning and just life here at home. With our crazy harvest this year....everything being super late and all ready at once, it seemed, I'm STILL canning. Normally I'm about finished by this point. Thankfully, so far I've managed to stay on top of it all...but my dining room may tell you differently. I have boxes of pears, apples and tomatoes everywhere...waiting to be canned into their jars and be placed on our pantry shelves. Even with all of the canning I've done so far, I have not come close to what I wanted to do this year. Thanks in part, to our garden and it's lack of produce. I'm OK with that though, I know that God has blessed our family and will continue to do so! I can only do so much, I am one person...how awesome is it that we can trust in an awesome God that can do so much more than we can...and WILL! If I were trying to do all of this on my own power, I can honestly say I'd most likely quit...there is just NO way!

Enjoy your weekend, be thankful for the blessings you've received. If you can't see any...perhaps you are not looking hard enough or in the right places. Blessings can come in the strangest of forms sometimes...like enough broccoli given to you to provide that one night's dinner with a vegetable dish! God is SO good to us!

Computer issues and school starting

2010-09-07T14:19:00.000-07:00

Did you miss me? OH my what a week it's been here! My computer totally quit on me a week ago, but thankfully it's back and up and running again. :) It's a bit scary how dependent we are on this silly thing, don't you think? I've felt completely out of touch without it. Thank the Lord, it's back and we are hoping we won't see any further problems for some time now. :)

School started here today. The kids are getting to ease into the school year, but by next week we'll be at almost full schedule. So far, so good...smooth with a few bumps, but nothing major. :) The weather today has sure felt like fall and a typical school day. As I type this post, it is POURING down rain outside. I have cookies baking in the oven, the smell of freshly baked bread still lingers in the house and I have 7 quarts of tomatoes canned and sitting in my kitchen. :) Feels like fall here, for sure! Sadly, my hubby is out working in this nasty (as he would put it) weather. That is the only downside to the weather in my mind, though I know a few more days of warm temperatures and sunshine would do my green tomatoes some good. Oh well, I'll enjoy the rain if that's what we get. :)

I just wanted to check in and let you all know I was still here, just lacking a computer for a week. Thankfully everything can return to normal and I'll be able to post more often again. :)

Thankful for Friday!

2010-08-27T05:16:00.000-07:00

Wow! Another Friday already? Where did the week go? Ever have one of those weeks that just flew by without you even realizing it was happening? My goodness, this week was non stop and I honestly didn't realize how fast it was going until this AM. :) I didn't even have time this week to wish it was Friday...crazy!

This week has been a tough one for me in many regards though, speedy or not. I do have so much to be thankful for, so many blessings. Sometimes it's hard to see the blessings in the midst of "life" and the trials that come along with it all. This week I had a very emotional reaction to turning 40, something that totally caught me off guard, to be honest! I've never cared about age, never really gave it much thought. Then I found myself staring "40" in the face and not liking it one bit. My wonderful husband let me have my momentary freak out and then told me that I was the same woman, it was just a number. I have wonderful friends that encouraged me and helped me see that I am not totally crazy, but that it is just a number. Now, a couple of days later, I'm OK with it...I say OK, not liking the fact that I am 40 and haven't reached a few goals I had mentally set to reach before I got here. All in all, I am OK with it, I'm not letting the number rule the day or the year. I have SO much to be thankful for, so many blessings that have come my way in my 40 years of life on this earth! Who am I to be upset about a number???

So, here is what I am thankful for this Friday:

* The wonderful man that I married that loves me despite my short comings and crazy moods.
* My kids that want so much to make my birthday special.
* Our little homestead, a life long dream that is just starting to become more of a reality and a dream for all of us, not just this mama.
* Our pantry, that grows almost daily. The Lord is truly providing the produce and the funds to buy them. Earlier this spring I didn't know HOW we would ever have full shelves again unless our garden produced. That didn't happen this year, gardening in our area has been a struggle this season due to weather conditions. Trusting in the Father to provide kept me from letting the garden stress that could have been SO huge something that never really happened. I haven't worried much about the fact that our garden wasn't producing. I KNEW the Lord would provide!
* Amazing friends that remind me of what is important and what truly counts in life. :)
* Mostly, I'm SO thankful for my relationship with the Father, that carries me through the tough days, let's me appreciate the good days and is a constant...yesterday, today and forever...I KNOW I can count on His guidance, love, protection and provision!

It's been an amazing week, let me tell you! I've canned green beans, dill pickles, and apple juice. Adding to our pantry feels amazingly good. We have NO idea what the winter will hold for us, but we'll have food. :)

For my birthday this week, I made a strawberry rhubarb pie (wish I'd taken a picture of it) with the frozen pie filling I did a week ago or so. Let me tell you, it turned out wonderfully! What a wonderful treat that will be when it's cold and snowy outside and we are enjoying a pie that tastes like summer. :) I am thrilled with the result and know that I'll be doing more again next summer! Such a tasty treat and an easy dessert to whip up. We LOVED it! :)

A productive weekend

2010-08-23T06:43:00.000-07:00

It's Monday and I am still wishing we had one more day to our weekend. Ever start the week feeling that way? Not usually the best way to start a new week, but sometimes that is just how it goes. Our oldest son came home from his training with the Marines on Friday. It was good to see him, but he was gone in a flash to spend time with his friends and girlfriend. We saw glimpses of him over the weekend, but not much. Kind of a bummer, but we expected it. The rest of the kids and I worked on canning green beans on Friday, ended up with 28 more quarts. YAY! :)

Saturday, my hubby and I headed to town for coffee and a few errands. Our weekend project was to work on expanding the fencing for the goat pasture. Long over due, and a big project that would not be completed in a weekend. It felt good to finally be starting it though. Before we went to pick up fence posts, we stopped by the "Wholesale Sports" for a few things. Wade was going to take the boys out to site in rifles and have some fun on Sunday and needed a few things. Every time we visit this store, I end up drooling over the backyard grills and cast iron in the camping section. :) This time, they were having a sale...a very good one! I've had my eye on a grill there, a huge barrel style grill, for a couple of years now. Well, 30% off was the best deal I'd seen on it and my wonderful hubby decided that we couldn't pass up that deal! I was like a little kid at Christmas, SO excited!! :) We decided to use it for a combined birthday and anniversary gift for ourselves. gotta love that! Both of our birthdays are in August, as is our anniversary. :)

After getting the fence posts, we headed home to get to work. I was little to no help with my back acting up, but it was fun to watch the guys work. :) They got one corner next to the barn set and then one more corner before it was time to start thinking about dinner. We decided to try out our new grill and headed to the store for a special dinner. We spent WAY more than I would have liked, but Wade wanted it to be a fun and delicious dinner and it WAS far less expensive than it would have been if we'd gone out. We ended up with bacon wrapped steaks, bacon wrapped shrimp, grilled corn on the cob and grilled sourdough bread. ALL of it was amazingly good! We all ate WAY too much and had tons of leftovers for the rest of the weekend. The grill worked AMAZINGLY well. Such a great time!

Last night, I cooked a prime rib roast on the grill. Took several hours, but I just kept feeding the fire more wood and it cooked away. I do believe that it was better than the traditional salt coated and roasted in the oven version. Every time we butcher a steer we cut prime rib roasts, they are a favorite here and something that we would NEVER go out and purchase. They've become a tradition for Christmas. :) Quite tasty on the grill, and I can't wait to try it again. So tasty!

This week will be busy, finishing up lesson plans for school that starts in just two weeks, a bit of shopping for the last few books we need, canning green beans and hopefully tomatoes, baking, laundry, cleaning and just living. So thankful for a productive and fun weekend with our kids, wishing for more time with one of them. It was hard to see my hubby head off to work this AM, but I know another weekend will be coming and we'll have more time to get things done around here. :) Never an end, it seems, but that is kind of like life...always a work in progress. :)

Thankful for Friday!

2010-08-20T06:37:00.000-07:00

YAY! I am SO glad it's Friday, this has been another busy week here at Tanglewood Hills! This time of year is just plain busy, no getting around it. I cannot tell you how much I am longing for the lazy days of winter when we are snug in our warm home knitting and enjoying just being here. :) Summer and fall bring about SO much activity here, harvesting, canning and processing our bounty (or in the case of this year, the produce market's bounty) and preparing for another winter. Around these parts, we are expecting a harsh winter, both weather wise and work wise. It's all in the Lord's hands, but we are trying to do all we can to prepare for it now.

So, what am I thankful for today? Oh so much!

* Our oldest son is home from the Marines...for how long, we don't know, but for now, he is home with us.
* My husband has still got a job!
* Most of the curriculum that we need for the coming school year is here...I have maybe 3 or 4 small books to order still, but for the most part, it's here. :)
* My food dehydrator is full of apricots, drying away for future trail mix and snacking.
* 33 pints of sweet pickles are ready to find their new home on my pantry shelves.
* This weekend, we will begin expanding our goat pasture...the fencing won't be finished this weekend, but it's a start! One step closer to having our own cow...not sure if it will be a milk cow yet, but we'll at least have a steer for meat! YAY! :)
* I've been able to spend some time focusing on my home and our routines here, trying to find a routine that will work with all that fills our days!
* Our one dairy goat that is in milk is still producing strong, we're getting just under a gallon a day! This is the longest she has stayed in milk yet...such a blessing! :)
* So far, our wheat experiment is working fine. We know what doesn't work and have found our limit. :) I am enjoying baking wheat bread again!
* Yesterday, my husband and I celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary! I can't believe we've been married so long, I truly don't feel like either one of us is old enough to have been married that many years already. Where has the time gone? I love my husband more today than I ever thought I could. He is truly my very best friend and someone that I know I can always turn to. He's not perfect, neither am I....but we have a great life together! I am so blessed to have him as my husband, best friend and father to my kids. I couldn't ask for more!
* As much as our part of the country was well overdue for a stretch of hot weather, I'm glad for the cooler days the past few days. This AM when I got up, it was 44 degrees...that's a bit cold, but I'm enjoying the cooler days. :)

We are so blessed here. I am SO thankful for all that we have, are able to do and how close our family has become. Things may be hard at times, but we all know in the midst of it all that we are blessed and well cared for!

Busy days

2010-08-18T06:16:00.000-07:00

I've been very lax about updating my blog, life has been just too busy to keep up with everything. We are finally out of our little heat wave, we saw our hottest temperatures of the summer this past weekend. As much as my garden needs the heat and sunshine, I am SO glad that we are seeing a cool down.

This time of year means lots of canning and preserving for the coming year. This week I've worked on green beans and apple pie filling. This is the first year I've tried apple pie filling, I'm really excited about it! I've wanted to try and have a few "ready made" items in my pantry for when I just don't have time to make everything from scratch. This way, I get the best of both worlds...made from scratch and a time saver! What could be better? Gotta love it! I also froze 12 pies worth of strawberry rhubarb pie filling. All I have to do is add the tapioca and put it into the pie shell....simple! We can have a slice of summer any time of the year. Yum!

Today, Brandon takes his final drive for driver's ed class. I'm glad it's finally here. He can't get his license until after Thanksgiving, but at least we are going to be done with this phase. :) I've got errands to run in town today too, so it will be a busy day for us. It's never enjoyable for me to be away from home all day, I try to group as many errands into the day I HAVE to be in town as I can so I don't have to do it as often. We'll see if we get it all done today. :) Once we get home, we'll set to work at preparing the boys bedroom for our oldest to be home for a bit from the Marines!! :) So excited!! I have no idea how long he'll be here, but we want him to have a place to feel at home while he is here. It will be so nice to have him home again...we've really missed him!

Planning for the coming school year has also been heavy on my mind. Planning our days during the school year is tough sometimes, this year will be extra busy....but we are excited! :) The mapping out of our days will start later this week. One of my stops today is to look at ready made planners. I've tried printing ones up on line, and I just haven't found what I really want. With all that we have on our plates this year, I need one that "fits" what we are going to be doing.

On the homestead front, we added a new buck to our goat herd. He's a Nigerian Dwarf buck named Honor. He's such a sweetie! We also moved our meat birds out into the tractor yesterday. I'm praying they survived the night...we had a stray cat trying to find his way into the tractor last night. My hubby thinks that it's secure, but I still worry. It would be a HUGE bummer if we lost all 25 of them now! This weekend we'll be working on expanding our pasture, stringing hot wire and getting the power hooked up in the barn for the charger. I am SO excited! One step closer to getting our cow. Yay! :)

Thankful for Friday!

2010-08-13T05:58:00.001-07:00

Oh my goodness! Is it really Friday already? I have tried to get on here and publish a post all week, so many fun things I could have and still could share, but time has gotten away from me. Life here at Tanglewood Hills has been extremely busy this week! So much to be thankful for and so much to do. It's part of life though...part of this season.

So, what am I thankful for this week? Oh my...where to start! I have found that focusing on being thankful has really helped me feelings of frustration that seem to come with a busy life and a lack of time. :) So, this week, I am thankful for:

* My family, how hard they all work to "get the job done" on a daily basis.
* Even though my garden has done little to nothing this year due to our crazy cold and wet spring and summer, I am able to buy produce that we need to get us through the year this year.
* My jobs...I know that I am very fortunate to have them. Even though there are days that I wonder HOW I will do it all, I am SO very thankful that I have the ability to work from home and help supplement our income AND be home to teach and care for our kids. :)
* My amazing husband that works so very hard in very uncertain times and almost always has a positive outlook on life. He gives so very much of himself for our family and to meet all of our needs. He's the best friend I've ever had and I'd be truly lost without him. :)
* Time with my kids, we went to the fair last Friday and had a good time together. I so enjoy getting to do fun things with them, and also seeing how grown up they are becoming!
* Our new little Nigerian Dwarf buck, Honor. We picked him up the other day and he is such a sweet heart. I think he's going to be a good addition to our small herd. :)

I could go on...but time is short this AM. I have 30 pounds of green beans to can, a large sack of rhubarb and a flat and a half of strawberries to make into pie filling (to freeze) and a box of apples to make into pie filling to can. :) Never ending! Tomorrow we are headed to a neighboring county fair, our favorite! It should be a fun family day...though rather hot, with temps edging towards 100 degrees! Yikes! :) It's all good though, we'll enjoy our time with friends that are showing their goats there and watch the logging competition there. So much fun! :)

Have an amazing weekend with your families!

Thankful for Friday!

2010-08-06T05:24:00.000-07:00

Somehow I totally missed posting my "Thankful for Friday" post last week...but my blog post did have some "thankfulness in it" so I hope that counts. :)

It's been a trying week here at Tanglewood Hills, but you know, God is good and there have also been many blessings! :)

* A new little guy, 3 months old, is the newest little one that I get the pleasure of watching while his mama is at work. I've baby sat for friends and family for years and have loved every little one that has come to my home. It's been an adjustment, but he is such a cutie and we've all fallen in love with our little guy!

* My husband is still working...it's been long days and long commutes, but he IS working...Huge blessing there!

* I got to spend a good part of a day working on a hobby I had set aside during a busy period of life. It felt SO good to spend the day on Monday scrapbooking.

* My kids came home safe and sound from their camping trip with their grandma. They had a good time, despite the cold weather.

* Our baby, Dylan, turned 11 yesterday!! I can't believe that he is already 11 years old. It just doesn't seem possible that my baby is that old, or that 11 years could have possibly gone by so quickly. He is such a blessing to our family, such a loving and caring kid. I can't wait to see the man that he becomes....on second thought, I CAN wait, don't want the next 11 years to go as quickly as the first. :)

* My kids and I get to spend the morning at our County Fair today. It's opening day and we have tickets to get in free. A tradition we've kept for more years than I can count. This year it's just my three younger kids, my niece and me...small group for us, usually we have other friends and family in tow. It will be a fun adventure just the 5 of us, exploring the animal barns and enjoying an ice cream cone. Tradition....just a bit different this year. :)

God is so good to us...I could go on and on with my list of things I'm so thankful for. I have great kids, an amazing husband and a place that provides us with so much. We have our stresses, our stressful days, our trials, but we are truly blessed! I was reminded this AM by a dear friend that God has given me enough of what I need to handle the hard things. I can either choose to worry about what's going on and stress over the bumps in the road or I can do as Cinnamon and her family are doing during a difficult time and:

"Instead we can choose to know that God has made our way perfect, no matter what that way is and all we have to do is trust in Him."

Thanks for the reminder, Cinnamon! This week, I needed that. :) God is good ALL THE TIME! I will CHOOSE to be thankful, I will CHOOSE to trust...I will CHOOSE to NOT go down the "worry road" as my friend has said.

That is another thankful item...good friends that remind me of the Lord's truths. :)

As much as I don't want to know....

2010-08-04T07:14:00.000-07:00

This is information that NONE of us really "wants" to know, but anyone that really cares about where we are going SHOULD be aware at the very least about what is being done to our food. Know that there IS a plan, a design, if you will. This is beyond frustrating, beyond scary, and beyond angering! I get so mad when I see stuff like this....but really, that anger is a good thing. It inspires action and drives me to do more for my family. No, we can't possibly do it ALL and avoid all of the GMO and effected products, but we can do something! Every little big helps the health of our families and helps to educate our kids as to what they need to do to keep this from happening further in their generation. Knowledge is power, as they say! :)

Exciting give away on Homestead Revival Blog...

2010-08-04T06:02:00.001-07:00

You don't want to miss out on this give away! Did you know that there is a company that has been around since the 1970's that makes REUSABLE CANNING LIDS AND SEALS?? OH my! I had NO idea.

This morning, I was just checking on the blogs that I follow while enjoying my morning coffee. I LOVE Amy's blog, Homestead Revival and look forward to every new blog post she puts out there. If you haven't visited her blog yet, you really should! Pour yourself a cup of coffee or tea and sit back and enjoy. :)

(Picture from Tattler and Amy's blog)

The give away that she is hosting is from a company called Tattler, they've been in business since the mid 1970's and their product is a REUSABLE canning lid and seal system. The lids will last forever and the rubber seal rings can last 20 years, according to their site. WOW! How much money do you spend each year on canning lids? I know in my kitchen I go through DOZENS upon DOZENS of them each year!! Even if I could have a few dozen of these lids it would save me a ton over my canning years. I'm all for that, let me tell you! The fact that they don't go into the landfill and will last as long as I'd need them to work is amazing.

So, if I have sparked an interest, head on over to Amy's blog and find out more about this VERY COOL giveaway! You won't be sorry, even if you don't win you will have found another amazing homesteading blog to follow and more great tips and information on this life we all love. :)

A much needed mommy day!

2010-08-03T05:14:00.000-07:00

Being a stay at home, working, homeschooling, homesteading mom is a lot of work, you know? It can be SO easy to just focus on the tasks at hand, the endless list of things that need to be done, the laundry that is never completely done (at least for long), the dishes, the lesson plans, the correcting of geometry work, the meals that need preparing and planning, the bread that needs baking...I cold go on and on. When do you take a break and NOT focus on the "To do" list and allow yourself time to relax, refill and refocus? Maybe take a few hours to do something that is totally for yourself? Is that selfish? Does that take away from your "productive time" and your roll as wife and mother? Do you feel guilty doing this?

Let me tell you, I struggle with this all of the time. So much so, that I have not allowed myself very much "me" time in way too long. There is always just so much that needs to be done and if I don't keep working, I'll NEVER get caught up. Is that your thinking too? UGH! WHY do we do this to ourselves? My husband takes every chance he can to enjoy his hobbies, fishing and hunting are very important to him. Very important to keeping him on track and recharging himself. When he isn't able to go for long periods of time he literally gets cranky! :) I used to be jealous of his "time" away, would HATE his week long fishing trips and hunting trips. At the same time that I dreaded it, I KNEW that it was what kept him "recharged" and able to keep going. He needs that time, time to perfect his art, enjoy the outdoors, get away and rest. Do I miss him when he's gone? YES! Do I want him home? YES! Would I ask him to give up this time? NO! So, WHY do I struggle so much with allowing myself that same time? Am I in need of that time any less than he is? NO!

I used to really struggle with this, still do if I'm being completely honest with myself, but I also know that I can only give so much before I need a "mommy day" to recharge. Yesterday I took just that! I have a mountain of laundry, my house is always in need of "something" to be cleaned, there is always baking and work to do, but I needed a day! My kids are off camping with their grandmother, I had no extra littles around to have to chase after, so I took a day. Much to my surprise, my wonderful husband was completely in support of me taking that day. What a man! He knows that I need to allow myself time to work on my hobbies, time to be creative outside of my work in the kitchen and keeping our home. In years past, before we moved onto our homestead, I was an avid scrapbooker. Even sold scrapbooking supplies as a side business and had "crops" at my house once or twice a month for my customers. It was a lot of fun, but when we moved here it all stopped. I was totally OK with it for a while. Just living my dream was enough, but lately I've really been feeling the need to do something that has NOTHING to do with homesteading, homeschooling or homemaking. :) Shocking! I know!

What a fun day I had! A day of being "creative", a day of reliving memories, a day of allowing myself some "me" time....and fighting the "you are being selfish, you should be baking bread or doing laundry" feeling. When Wade came home, the first question he had for me was, "Did you scrapbook today?" Then he asked me, "Did you enjoy it?" His next question was, "Let me see what you did?" He was genuinely excited for me, excited to see what I'd done with my "me time" and was HAPPY I took a day off and just let myself recharge. What a gracious and amazing man I have married! I just love him! :)

It's hard sometimes to take a break, step away, focus on your needs and not on the entire worlds for an afternoon or even an hour. It's hard not to let the "tasks" of keeping a home running, from running right over you and as a result limit your ability to keep doing your job as wife and mother effectively and efficiently. Let's face it, EVERYONE needs a break from time to time....EVEN a mom! Shocking, I know!

Goat herding....sometimes harder than it should be!

2010-08-02T09:14:00.001-07:00

Oh my! What a morning I've had. My kids are gone camping with their grandmother and that leaves the chores for me to do on my own. My hard working hubby would help, in fact he did the chicken feeding and watering last night, but he leaves way to early in the morning to help with the goat chores. We have 6 goats right now, hoping to down size a bit this coming fall, but for now we have 6. Four of our goats are full size Nubian's and all have attitude. The other two are Nigerian Dwarf...so sweet and well mannered, MOST of the time. :)

This morning was a challenge...I am not normally the one down there doing all of this on my own. Goats are smart, let me tell you, and they KNOW it's not normally me on my own and they worked it this morning. Milking went fine, that was a breeze. We have a system that the goats stick well to and as long as we follow the same routine, they are fine. Then came feeding time. I gave the girls their hay and water, then refilled their baking soda and minerals. All of this, except for the baking soda and minerals can be done from outside the pen....smart thinking on the part of my wonderful hubby. I am the one that instructed my son where to hang the mineral feeder...not the best location in the stall. I'll admit it. :( No problem filling the feeder with the minerals and soda, it wasn't until I had to exit the stall that things started to go sideways. Our yearling doe was standing in front of the gate, as I got her moved and the gate open that gave Cookie (our Nigerian Dwarf) her way out. I was distracted with Savannah and not paying attention to how far I had opened the gate. Cookie tried to squeeze between my legs, almost knocking me over. Thankfully she didn't get out, but we had a wrestling match...me with my hands full of baking soda and the mineral scoop. Whew...that escape plan was thwarted and I moved on to feeding and watering the boys.

The buck stall is behind the main barn, so I took the hose back there and put it into their watering bucket. Then came back into the barn to grab a few flakes of hay and to turn on the hose. As I was unlatching the boys gate, I was unable to see that Sam, our Nigerian Dwarf wether was situated in a place where he had an easy escape once the gate was open.
The gate flew open...thanks to Sam...and I struggled to get the hay into the feeder, thinking (not really using my brain at this point) that they would follow me to the feeder. In the mean time, Sam was out and Cooper (our Nubian buck) had gotten out of the pen. THAT is when I realized that Cooper no longer had his collar on him. FUN! I get to chase down a 180 pound buck (thankfully not in rut or he would be extremely fragrant) and try to convince him to go willingly back into the pen. Sam was another matter. That short legged little stinker is fast, I can be a fraction of an inch from his collar and he will bolt just out of reach. Thankfully he wasn't as hard to catch as he has been in the past and he was lead to the pen without much trouble. Cooper, that was another story. He was thoroughly enjoying his feast of blackberry leaves and nice tasty grass. Every time I'd get close to him, he'd push himself farther into the thorny brambles and out of my reach. Grr!

So, what did I do? I thought about leaving him out until he had his fill, but I have other things to do...like scrapbook in my quiet house....ALONE! :) I went to the barn, questioning my knot tying skills. You see, my Navy Veteran hubby is the knot tying expert around here and my skills are very much lacking. I managed to tie what I think is a slip knot or at least something that won't strangle my buck and head toward him. Just as he decided to move onto a more tasty looking blackberry vine I slipped it over his head. Yay! I had him. Then he started to drag ME into the blackberry vines to get yet another tasty bite before I had him in the pen. UGH! I have no gloves on, short sleeves and carpi's on....NOT blackberry vine diving attire. I got him pulled away from the vines, all the while wishing my kids had followed through more with teaching Cooper to take a lead. He bolted into his pen, acting like he was SO happy to be home and looked at me like it was my fault he had been gone from his beloved home for so long. Crazy goat! As I left the buck pen, he bawled at me in his high pitched voice....he sounds like a sissy boy, we always tell him that the girls are going to laugh at him. Normally I will go back and talk to him some more, but NOT today! I'd had enough. :)

Thankfully, that chore is done until my wonderful and helpful husband is home tonight. I can now enjoy my morning and afternoon of scrapbooking...in a quiet house...with no one needing a thing from me...just me, my music and my photos. :) I need this break, need this quiet, need this refreshing. My kids all come home, thankfully, tomorrow. I don't think I could handle another day of chores on my own. :) Plus, I just miss my kids. :)

A busy week!

2010-07-30T04:37:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how busy a week can get, ever notice that? I've been running all week between my homestead and town...much to often to my liking I might add. Between grocery shopping, clothes shopping, orthodontist appointment, drivers ed and a trip to the fabric store...oh and a trip to the feed store too....I have only been home one day so far this week. Of course, the trips were spread out over several days. That just makes for a long week for this mama. The business of life at home keeps going even when I am not here, so today I am feeling rather buried. :) Thankfully, today is a day that I get to stay home...all...day....long!

It never ceases to amaze me how much laundry one family can generate! Ever notice how it just seems to multiply in the laundry hampers, floor and bathrooms....especially when you are NOT home? How does it do that? Seriously, this week has not been a very productive week in the laundry room, but today that will change. :) My washing machine is going to get a work out today, as is my clothesline. Sunshine...I hope you are going to be up for the challenge because I have a lot of laundry to send your way to dry. :)

Aside from running, shopping, kids appointments and trying to keep up, it's been a good week. The highlight of my week was my new "toy" that arrived yesterday! My new Nutrimill grain mill is finally here and I am going to get to use it today when I bake bread and cookies! YAY! To FINALLY have a grain mill that works well is going to be a huge blessing. I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am. Having a tool that helps you do your job here at home well is invaluable! Thankfully, my wonderful husband sees that fact and is very generous when it comes to making my job here at home a bit easier. :)

My old grain mill was beyond scary. It was so loud, I had to run it in the laundry room, away from the main part of the house. Another of it's downfalls was that it would spit flour out everywhere...I'd enter my laundry room to add more wheat berries or retrieve the flour and walk into a haze of flour in the air! AWFUL! The walls needed dusting daily when I used the grain mill every day and the top of my washing machine was looking rather scary. Thank the Lord, those days are over!

Thankfully, this week is coming to a close and our weekend can begin. This mam is ready, let me tell you! I just have to get through the tasks of today. Thankfully, I have help...my hard working kids. We'll have this house in shape and our clothesline full in no time. Taming the laundry monster that seems to want to take over our home will take some time, but I know we can do it. Starting our weekend with the laundry done is always a huge blessing! Friday just seems to be my catch up day...my goal each week is to be caught up on the laundry and baking by Friday so I can relax a bit more over the weekend. After a busy week like I've had, there is a bit more catch up to do than normal, but that's OK. :)

A day of fun, fishing and an up hill climb...

2010-07-27T06:03:00.001-07:00

Whew...what a day we had! I am still feeling it, sore muscles...aches and pains here and there. :) Saturday, my husband wanted to take us to one of his favorite fishing holes. We've all been there before, but it's been a couple of years...oh how time makes you forget things sometimes. This favorite place is called "Canyon Creek". The first clue should have been the CANYON part of that name. :) It was a very steep canyon....strait down or up depending on if you were at the top or at the bottom. I could do this! Right? Umm....sure I could. :) This picture does NOT do this climb justice...it was MUCH longer than this appears and climbing out was literally done on my hands and knees. :) So much fun!

It was beautiful though! This is a calm part of the creek, there were rapids and waterfalls not far from this spot. The kids enjoyed their time fishing and getting wet on this warm day, I just enjoyed watching them and taking pictures of the beauty of the creek and my family fishing together. Such fun! I did find myself missing our oldest boy though. It's hard to get used to him not being here with us all the time, I'm not ready for this stage of life with my kids. So, our Marine was missed...I'm sure by all of us.

The kids did well fishing. Many fish were caught and released because they were too small, but several were brought home for our dinner. A fun day, full of memories, for sure! The getting out of the canyon was harder than getting in and I was seriously wondering if this mama could make it! My ever patient husband kept pace with me...not a hard thing as I am a slow climber...making
sure I didn't fall back down into the canyon. My hero! :)

I love having time with my family, spending days like this make for some really fun memories for all of us. Life can be so busy, we can be so focused on the "task of the day" that we miss special moments sometimes. I didn't miss many this day. :)

Chicks Arrive and Garden Update

2010-07-24T06:35:00.000-07:00

This year we are trying something new, instead of buying Cornish Cross meat birds, we ordered 25 cockerels to raise until they start crowing. Yes, it will take a few more weeks, but I think the quality of meat will be better. Plus, they will forage for more of their food, rather than sitting next to the feeder and getting fat. :) Time will tell if it was a good move, but the price of the birds was too good to pass up for this frugal farmer! We ended up, with shipping, paying just over $.60 each for our birds. NOT bad, considering a typical meat bird is more than twice that. like I said, time will tell. It's a gamble we were willing to take. Having 25 birds in our freezer this winter will be a huge blessing! I've missed home grown chicken...we at the last of our last batch months ago.

Here they are in their brood cage. We converted an old rabbit hutch into a brooding cage. It's got two cages, we have a hen setting a clutch of eggs in the other cage...praying some hatch this weekend. :) It's our first attempt at this. So far, one egg has broken to reveal a nasty truth, an unfertilized egg. :(Stinky mess and one that will have to be cleaned up after the rest hatch (if they do).
Our garden has been less than stellar this year. Cold and wet weather this spring has contributed to the not so wonderful results. So far, all that has done even close to "well" are the potatoes, onions, beets (which I harvested half of this week and canned up 11 pints of pickled beets, froze several bags of beet tops too), peas and carrots. Here are my peas. I've harvested twice so far and ended up with a 1 quart container of peas. There are more out there to harvest today, perhaps another quart. :) I'll also be planting more beets, peas and carrots for a fall harvest. I've got to do something to redeem my sad garden.

Here is our lone tomato. So far, lots of blossoms, but only one lonely tomato has been brave enough to make an appearance. Won't go far, I'll be buying tomatoes to can this year. So frustrating! I also planted pole beans, they are doing OK, but not nearly as tall as they should be by now. Not sure what kind of harvest we'll get off of them this year. I am praying for an extended growing season, that would help! We have learned some lessons this year, however, so not all is lost. Yes, we'll end up with little to show for our efforts, but the knowledge we'll take into next years garden will hopefully make up for what we didn't harvest this year. Always learning, and trying to improve. :) That's what this is all about anyway, right?

Thankful for Friday!

2010-07-23T06:45:00.001-07:00

Wow, it's Friday again already? This week has gone by super fast, though in the midst of it, it didn't feel that way. Funny how some weeks are just like that. So, what am I thankful for this week? So much...but here are a few:

*My hard working husband. His commute to his current job is a long one in the afternoons. He comes home completely exhausted every day from work. We get about an hour with him to eat dinner and relax a bit, then he is off to bed. Today, however, is his day off. He's been working 4 ten hour days, trying to save himself a day of commuting, gas and wear and tear on his truck.

*My garden...I was able to harvest enough beets yesterday to can 11 pints of pickled beets and the tops and stalks all went into the freezer. Nothing went to waste! All from our garden. YAY!

*My blueberry picking kids...picking 25+ pounds this week.

*Our heavily producing raspberries. We've picked two huge bowls of berries this week.

*My kids and all that they help with around here. We may have attitudes to deal with from time to time, but that is something we are seeing progress in. :)

So much that I could add to that list! What are you thankful for this week? Even if you don't share it, at least recognize it within yourself. We are all so blessed, even in the hardest times. God is good..ALL the time and He loves to shower His children with blessings! How amazing is that?

Whole Wheat Banana Muffins...YUMMY!

2010-07-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning I decided to make some banana muffins for breakfast. They were a hit! So tasty and easy to make. My family loves muffins...breakfast, snack time and even as a side dish with dinner when I make a savory type muffin like corn bread. :) Here is the recipe:

Banana Muffins

3 large bananas
1 egg
1/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup oil
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375*. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or grease the muffin pan. With an electric mixer, beat the peeled bananas at moderate speed until mashed. Beat in the egg, sugar and oil. Add dry ingredients and beat on low speed. Mix just until blended. Fill prepared cups two-thirds full. Bake until tops spring back when touched lightly, 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack.

These were a real hit...my kids loved them and so did I. Perfect with a hot cup of coffee. :)

Sauerkraut Recipe

2010-07-21T21:11:00.001-07:00

I was asked by a reader of my blog to post the recipe for the sauerkraut I made this week. It is super easy and so far mine appears to be working great. I have 4 more days for it to work it's magic, so we shall see how it turns out. Anyway, here is the recipe....I would HIGHLY recommend that you order this cookbook, however! It's by a woman named Fran Gillette that lives here locally. I have three of her cookbooks and love them all dearly! The history in them alone is amazing. The books are not expensive and well worth every penny, I promise!

I didn't make the full batch of this, just used the 6 heads of cabbage that I had purchased for this recipe. I didn't want to jump into doing 40 pounds of cabbage if it was not something that was going to work well for me. Not that I don' t trust the recipe, but there is always that factor of "user error" you know. :)

Homemade Sauerkraut

40 pounds shredded cabbage
1 pound salt

In a very large pot or bowl, layer cabbage and salt. Mix well until the cabbage is starting to sweat or make juice. Pack into sterile, clean, wide-mouthed jars. Pack the cabbage down firmly until 1/2 inch from the top of the jar. Wipe off rims and place cap and ring on. Tighten. Line a large wash tub with newspaper and set quarts in the tub. Cover with a large towel and keep tub with cabbage in a warm to mild place. Jars will bubble and stew for approximately 4-5 days. Don't panic! This is OK! Jars will start smelling like sauerkraut as they work. When fermentation stops, wash off jars, rinse seals and lids; wipe lids. If needed add some water to bring liquid up to the neck of the jar; about 1 inch from top. Replace dry lids and seals. Process in a boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes. Ready to eat in 4-6 weeks.

It was SO easy to make this with the help of my food processor. I actually did mine in two big bowls. From 6 heads of cabbage, I got 5 quarts of kraut. I had to guess on the salt, just put a layer of cabbage and then sprinkled on canning salt and repeated until the bowls were full. Mixed it up with tongs and once it started getting juicy I packed it into jars. EASY! I just had a mess of cabbage everywhere....do you do that? Canning seems to be the hardest thing to do neatly for me. :) I found more cabbage that I had missed cleaning up the following morning...AFTER I had cleaned (or thought I had) the mess up the day before. :) Yes, I guess I am a messy cook. :)

If you decide to try this, let me know how it turns out and if you did anything differently. I'd also love to hear if you order any of Mrs. Gillette's cookbooks, you will love them! The best cinnamon roll recipe I have ever had is in them (I believe all of them, they are that good). Best pie crust recipe too. :) They make the perfect housewarming gift or wedding gift! Anyone that loves the country and loves to cook will love them. I sound like a commercial and no I am not being asked to say this or sell these cookbooks...I just LOVE them! I also love to see local business people succeed. :) I know most of you aren't local, but I'm sure you understand. :)

Fall like morning...raspberry jam...and sauerkraut!

2010-07-21T06:02:00.000-07:00

This is the scene I woke up to this AM...is it fall and I really missed summer? Our weather has been more fall like this summer than summer like. My garden has suffered because of it. So frustrating, but I can't change it so I will choose to be thankful for what our garden does provide this year. Potatoes, onions, beets and carrots are doing well in my garden. Tomatoes are going to be scarce, as are green beans I'm afraid. Not one of my cucumber, zucchini or squash came up from the seeds I planted, most of my pepper plants have totally stalled or died since going in the ground and my lettuce is looking more like micro greens than lettuce. The fog is beautiful though...I just wish it were settling over a well producing fall garden, rather than a poorly producing summer garden. :) Oh well...can't have everything.
My raspberries, on the other hand are doing quite well this year! They don't seem to care that the weather has been rather cold and fall like. Sure, we could get more juicy berries if the sun would come out and shine, but we are still getting a good harvesting of berries anyway. Yesterday I spent a bit of time washing berries and making jam. I had a big bowl of berries that the kids had picked on Sunday just right for a batch of jam. Aren't the jars pretty?
When I was in town on Monday, I picked up about 6 heads of cabbage at a local produce stand. I love this place, a 5th or 6th generation, family owned, working farm. Most of the produce that I preserve that I can't grow myself, comes from Bi-Zi Farms. It just feels good to support a local family run farm, plus they are such a neat family to boot! :) Anyway, back to my cabbage....I have been wanting to try my hand at making Sauerkraut and found a wonderful recipe in a cookbook put out by a local lady named Fran Gillette. The kraut ferments in the quart jars that you end up canning it into. What could be easier!! We'll see how it works. I didn't buy the 40 pounds of cabbage the recipe called for, so I tried to salt it accordingly. Hopefully I didn't over do the salt. :) Either way, it will be a fun experiment. If it looks like it's working the way it should, I'll go buy 40 pounds of cabbage and make the whole recipe later. I can't wait to try the kraut....but it will be another month before I'll know how good it is.

Blueberries are here!

2010-07-20T05:03:00.001-07:00

My family LOVES blueberries. While this picture is not the best (I took it with my cell phone), you'll have to trust me when I tell you that these berries were so sweet and juicy. Yesterday, in the misty, cool morning...which by the way, felt more like fall than summer...my kids, my niece Devon and I headed down the road to a blueberry farm. I LOVE visiting this place. The gentleman that owns it is such a sweet man and his place is BEAUTIFUL! We found him about two years ago, though last year we went to a different farm because they had a better price...won't be doing that again. These blueberries are so much better and so much closer, plus I just really like supporting a neighbor when I can. :) The blueberries from his farm are huge and so easy to pick. Can you tell I like his farm?

The kids and I picked for nearly an hour and managed to pick just over 25 pounds. By the time we were done, this 5 gallon bucket was just about full. Not bad work for a few teen age kids, a 3 year old and this mamma. I am planning on getting at least that much again, perhaps more. The berries we picked yesterday have found their way into my freezer and into pint jars in the form of jam. I made three batches of blueberry jam yesterday, for a total of 27 pints! That should last us a while. :) I only froze three bags of berries, in four cup portions. We will need much more than that in the freezer for pancakes, muffins and smoothies this next year....did I tell you we LOVE blueberries? :) I also want to try drying some for our baked oatmeal and granola. Perhaps I had better plan on more than just 50 pounds. :) CRAZY, I know, but I told you... :)

Here are my finished jars, ready for the rings to be removed and to find their new home on my pantry shelves. What a job that will be, my pantry is in need of some reorganizing. I should have done that before now, but there is always something else that needs my attention more. This year I plan to be more organized in my pantry and keeping better track of what I can and freeze for the coming year. That way I'll have a better handle on what we actually need and use each year.

Carnival Time and a Great Weekend!

2010-07-19T05:27:00.000-07:00

Ever have one of those weekends that you just HATE to see end? That was this past weekend for our family. Such a fun time we had! We started out the weekend with the kids gone to their aunt's house for the night on Friday and the day on Saturday. That left Wade and I with a night and afternoon to ourselves. The best part is that even though we could have found work to do around here, we didn't! After a lazy breakfast on Saturday morning, Wade and I headed into town for a few things, just enjoying looking around and spending time together. We got lunch and just sat and talked. Rare moment! :) After a while, we went home and just enjoyed a lazy afternoon in a quiet house until the kids came home around dinner time.

Sunday, we overslept and missed church...forgot about the new summer schedule....oops. So we had breakfast, got chores done and headed to the carnival in town. We haven't been in years and it was a really good time. Very small, but still fun. The kids were excited, we didn't tell them where we were going. :) The first stop I wanted to make was the "Friends of the Library Book Sale". Such a great event and one that I always seem to miss, until this year. :) You can fill a grocery bag with books and it's just a $1! Pretty cool. I walked away with just a handful of books, maybe 5, but they were still just $1. :) I kind of wish Wade and I had thought to go there on Saturday, I bet there were even more books to choose from then. Oh well...we had a great time!

Alyssa wanted to play one of those silly carnival games...so we let her. LOL No, she didn't win, but every kid has to try...right?
Then the kids picked a couple of rides to go on. There weren't many to choose from...this is a small town carnival, after all. :) Getting them to choose one to go on all together was hard, but we managed. Dylan had never been on a carnival ride...not since he was very little and has no memories of it, really. Yes, it's been THAT long since we took the kids and let them ride on rides. I personally can't stand the rides, they scare me to death, but the kids had fun. :)
This ride, once they were loaded on, they closed the door like a space ship. That made me SUPER nervous, but they said it was fun and they all came out with smiles. Alyssa even went on it a second time later when the boys were doing another ride. Crazy!

The next ride ended up being a bonus...the ride cut short, so they got their tickets back. Pretty cool! :) Alyssa didn't enjoy this one as much, but it was fun watching the boys get her spinning. :)
She was having fun, but had a problem with not being able to control the spinning...the boys enjoyed getting her going. :)
The boys decided to go on a scary ride..at least to this mamma. I'd NEVER go on it, but they had fun. We tried to get Alyssa to join them, but she wanted to go back on the space ship thing. :) I was a bit worried about Dylan, but he wanted to go...and had a blast! Crazy boys.
I couldn't get any clear pictures of them on this ride to post, but here they are getting off. This ride went WAY up in the air, hard to explain, but they stayed level while this huge arm swung them up and around several times. Like I said...CRAZY!
They came off the ride all smiles....guess they had fun!

All in all, it was a fun day. We got to spend some fun time with the kids, tried a deep fried Twinkie....it was actually good! I was VERY surprised. :) Fun time as a family...missed our Marine though. :( Anthony was never far from my mind yesterday, remembering times we took him to this carnival too. It's hard having kids grow up so fast, but we are so very proud of all of our kids and love every moment with them! This season of life is so short....we are enjoying every moment! :)

Kefir!

2010-07-16T08:05:00.001-07:00

Earlier this week, a friend of mine sent me some kefir grains in the mail. I have wanted to try this for a long time. In the past, I've used the powdered kefir cultures you can purchase and thought that they were OK, but not wonderful. OH my goodness! This new kefir is amazingly good! I made a smoothie for the kids and I for breakfast this AM, our first with this new kefir. Absolutely AMAZING! The flavor is SO much better and I didn't get the "goatie" flavor I've noticed with our other kefir. YAY! Anyone that knows me knows that I have really struggled with the whole "goat" flavor or hint of flavor in our goats milk products. The milk itself is fine, no after taste, but anything that is left out or heated leaves me with that goat flavor. No one else in the house notices it, I'm the only crazy one. LOL I love my goats and since I am the only one that notices it, we have kept going with them.

If you can get your hands on some kefir grains to make your own kefir, I highly recommend that you take the opportunity! Kefir is SO incredibly good for you. So many benefits from digestive to immune boosting! This will become an every day thing for us. I can't wait to see how it improves our digestive issues and also keeps the nasty bugs away that can make us sick. :)

Thank you Becki for being so generous to send us a kefir grain start...I'll add that to my "Thankful Friday" list! :) See....small blessings that can mean so much more than you think until you really look at them. Love it!

Thankful for Friday!

2010-07-16T05:29:00.000-07:00

This has been a long week, full of ups and downs. Looking back over my week, I don't feel like I accomplished much, but I guess that's OK. :) Yesterday I was fairly under the weather, feeling rotten and extremely tired. Thankfully, today I feel a bit better and ready to face the task of getting ready for another weekend. I so look forward to weekends these days, it seems to be the only time that we get to see Wade much. His work schedule these days leaves little time for much in the way of "family time". Trying to make the most of it is hard sometimes, but we are so thankful that he is working. Any time I start to get frustrated with the fact that he is not home, or is so extremely tired I remind myself that it could be worse...he could be laid off again. We know that is something that is not out of the question in the coming weeks, so we will remain thankful he has a job now. :)

Our family has been so blessed, the Lord has provided for our every need. How could we not be thankful? Each Friday, here at Tanglewood Hills, Friday will be our "Thankful" day. I'll post a list of "blessings" we've noticed or received during the week. It is just too easy to loose sight of the blessings the Lord gives us in the midst of hard times. Often we miss the little things that the Lord does just to remind us that He has not left us alone in this life. I'd like to try and focus on the many blessings as I end my week, rather than the stresses and aggravations we might have faced during our week.

This week, I am thankful for:

*Fresh milk from our Tinkerbel
*Home made hamburger buns that turned out beautifully yesterday. :)
*Wade's job and the income it provides
*Amazing kids that took such good care of things yesterday when I was not feeling well
*Chickens that are giving us an abundance of eggs
*Fresh peas from our garden
*Finally receiving the registration paperwork for our Nigerian Dwarf doe, Cookie
*My clothes line
*My job with Gling and my amazingly understanding boss

So much more I could list, but you get the idea. :) We ARE so blessed! Thank you Jesus for all that YOU have provided for our family.

Baking bread....I LOVE this chore!

2010-07-14T04:59:00.001-07:00

Baking bread is just one of those things that I have always loved to do. Our years of gluten-free only were hard on this bread baking mamma. Oh sure, I found some amazing bread recipes, developed a few myself by tweaking recipes I found, but there is just something about baking wheat bread. The dough is so amazing to work with. The smell that fills my home is one of the best scents that can come from a country kitchen. My kids were so excited over the bread I made yesterday, the flavor was amazing...a slice of country living! It's funny how a couple of beautiful loaves of bread can make your day a bit better.

So far, our new journey in eating whole wheat products again has gone well. I am extremely hopeful that this is going to work for us....for me. Praying daily that eating more whole grains, organically grown will be a good thing for us. The years of being sick were hard, adjusting to a gluten-free diet and way of life was hard as well, but important too. We appreciate a wide range of good food now, yes, wheat is our flour of choice but there are so many amazing grains out there! I never would have thought of using bean flours in my baked goods and liking them! Gluten-free eating is a part of our life, there are things that will still be enjoyed, but having the option of also eating whole wheat products is also part of our life as well. Everything in balance, is what I'd like. :) Soaking our flour and grains has worked amazingly well and has not been as hard as I expected it to be. Like anything, it's a process of leaning to make it part of your routine. Thankfully, so far for us, it's working well.

The next step on this journey is to try soaking and sprouting my wheat berries before I grind them. This is something that I have wanted to try for a long time, but it seemed so complicated. Well, after years of finding ways to make bean and rice flour come together to make a tasty loaf of bread, I have decided that it can't be THAT hard. :) I love working with food. Love finding ways to make what we eat better for us and also just plain good!

To the river we went

2010-07-13T05:23:00.000-07:00

Last week, we had a few really hot days here. Not a normal thing for our area in July, but once in a while we get a nice heat wave going. Last week, the temps were headed up towards 100* several days in a row. By day two, we were really feeling it. The kids wanted to head to the river, so we decided to visit my sister-in-law's house next to the river. Every other inch of water in the county was wall to wall people...EVERYONE wanted a place to cool off. :) Thankfully, we had a nice spot to visit and the kids got to spend a bit of time with their cousins. Sad, we live only a few miles apart, but rarely see each other. Busy lives are to blame, but that really is no excuse. We had a great time, the kids got to cool off and I had a nice visit with my husband's brother and his wife. I didn't get in the water, but enjoyed a shady spot on their deck and watched the kids have a ball. Alyssa's friend Ally was with us, it was a great afternoon!

The Abundant Life: Make Mine Freedom (1948) cartoon

2010-07-12T05:57:00.000-07:00

This was posted on a blog I follow this AM. How very true it is....Make MINE Freedom!!! Enjoy this, watch it all the way to the end and decide for yourself. :) Not a hard choice, really, but some these days have forgotten or have chosen not to remember what it means to be free and also what it takes. Too many are all to willing to sign over their freedom for a "quick fix" to issues we face as a nation. Even though this cartoon is over 60 years old, it couldn't be more fitting to today. Sad really, that we haven't learned much in 60 years.

Follow the link below to The Abundant Life blog. Thank you "Ma" for posting this!!

The Abundant Life: Make Mine Freedom (1948) cartoon

Yard sale and hay time...what a weekend!

2010-07-11T21:24:00.000-07:00

What a weekend we had! Such a busy time, but a fun time too. Our yard sale was set up and ready to go early Saturday morning. The people started coming right away...even before our 8:00 AM opening time. We didn't mind, it was a nice older gentleman that loved to talk. He visited with us for a long time, bought a few things and then said his good bye. :) Slowly, the crowds started coming. All day long, we had a fairly steady flow of people. I think the best part of the day was just spending the whole day with my hubby. We haven't had so much time together without working on something in a long time. Made for a fun day, for sure. :)

Saturday we got a phone call that the gentleman we usually buy our hay from had hay on the ground and ready to be hauled out of the field. It was good hay and a good price. So, even though my dear hubby was tired from a long week and a busy day of running a yard sale, he and our son Brandon headed out after dinner to bring in almost 100 bales of hay...that's just under 3 ton. YAY! Thankfully, that should be all the hay we will need until this time next year. Thank the Lord! Such a huge blessing and one less thing for us to have to deal with for the rest of the year. We even were able to load almost half of it into our hay loft in the barn...first time it's had hay in it. :) So, even though it had been a long day, my guys worked at bringing hay (with the help of some dear friends of ours....the guys helped them with some of their hay too) until 11:30 PM. We were up and ready for day two of our sale the next morning, bright and early. All tired, but we had a job to finish.

So, as you can see we had a long weekend. It was fun, full of hard work and so much together time. Loved it all! Tomorrow is another day, the start of another week. I have yet to plan menus or soak any grains for breakfast. I am thinking we'll end up having yogurt. :) We are all tired and have stayed up far too late. I'm headed to bed...far later than I had intended. It's all good though, it's been a great weekend! God has blessed us beyond measure and we are so thankful for it all.

Is it hot enough for you?

2010-07-07T09:33:00.000-07:00

After what felt like an endless winter, a wet and cold spring, summer has finally come to our farm. Sure, we've had summer sunshine for a while now, thankfully, but the heat has come to visit as well now. Our forecast high for today is 90-95 degrees...tomorrow the high could reach 100! Talk about jumping into summer. It went from 60s and 70s to 90s in a matter of a day.

So, for today and tomorrow the kids and I are laying low. I'm avoiding turning on the stove or oven for fear of heating up the house even more. There is plenty that needs to be done in the kitchen, but the cooking will be kept to a minimum. Such a bummer too...so much baking I'd like to do. :) Oh well, we will survive.

This weekend we have a yard sale planned. I am NOT a fan of such undertakings, but it was something we decided we needed to do given our current financial stresses. Thankfully, my hard working man is back to work for a few weeks, but we never know when that could change and have decided to take this chance to get rid of some unwanted clutter. So, we'll be busy making deals and hopefully making a bit of money to put away for a future lay off. It will be SO nice to get rid of all of he extra "stuff". I just hope that I can survive the doing of it. :)

Friday, Alyssa and I will be busy baking a few goodies to have on hand for a small bake sale table at the sale too. That always is a welcomed thing at yard sales on early mornings. My goal is to make two batches of cinnamon rolls and a few batches of cookies. We'll also have lemonade and maybe some bottled water and soda...we'll see. With as far out as we live, I don't want to invest much. I don't have any idea how many people will venture our way...my prayer is a whole bunch! My prayer is that the Lord would bring buyers for the big things, that we'd get our price on them and that much of the little stuff would be purchased as well...my ultimate prayer is that it ALL sells. :) Wouldn't that be a HUGE God moment? Oh my! :)

In the mean time, given the heat, I'm taking advantage of the free clothes dryer. :) I'm working on the loads of laundry that have piled up. Hoping to get all of the bedding washed and hung out by the end of this heat wave. :) That is a job in and of itself! My clothesline will get a big workout this week, for sure. I love that tool...one of the best Mother's Day gifts I've ever gotten!

Wheat Hoagie Rolls...so good!

2010-07-06T13:51:00.000-07:00

Today I made a batch of Crystal Miller's hoagie rolls. I have been visiting her site, The Family Homestead for years and love trying her creations. I would LOVE to be able to take credit for this creation, but all I did was follow instructions. :) These rolls are AMAZINGLY light and fluffy. Perfect for any brat or hot dog you'd want to fill them with, or just to use as a sandwich roll. So good! My next batch of these will actually be hamburger buns.

Because I am trying to totally avoid processed flours, I want to try this recipe again without any added unbleached flour. We'll see how it goes. The amount in this recipe is so little, it won't be the end of the world if I have to keep the processed flour in them. I do have to try though. :) Either way, this recipe is super easy to make and the dough is amazingly soft and easy to work with. I loved making these. How I've missed baking with wheat flour...so far, we are doing well. My prayer is that we have found what is going to work for our family.

These will go perfectly with tomorrow night's dinner of grilled hot dogs and brats, potato salad, fresh carrot sticks and cucumber coins, and fresh melon salad. I can't wait to have dinner tomorrow. :) Thank you Crystal for posting this amazing recipe on your site....I am hooked!

First of the Season!

2010-07-06T12:19:00.000-07:00

Raspberries, so sweet and juicy! I do believe they are one of my favorite berries. Our raspberry canes are doing so amazingly well. Every year I am blessed with an abundance of wonderful berries. This past weekend, I picked the bowl of ripe berries. There have been a few ripe, here and there for the past week or so but this was the first "real" picking of the year. In another day or two, there will be more ready. Most of these berries will end up in the freezer for future smoothies and berry syrup to be used in fresh yogurt and on pancakes and waffles. There never seems to be an end to the ideas for these tasty berries. There also never seems to be enough berries for all of the ideas. :)

American Pride!

2010-07-04T16:01:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July everyone! Today is such a special day. Our country's birthday...no matter how we may feel about the current state of things in this country, one thing remains...being proud of ALL of those that have served our great nation. Past and present. This took on a whole new meaning to us this year. Our oldest son joined the military. He became a United States Marine! I just got off the phone with him, thankfully he is able to call us often. :) He is in training right now in California. Feels like such a long ways away, but he will be home again in August. :)

This spring, we were blessed with the chance to go visit him and see his graduation from boot camp. What an event that was! So many amazing memories we made that weekend. A once in a lifetime event and we felt SO blessed to be there! We are so very proud of our son and of every member of our nations armed forces. They serve a great nation...sacrifice daily for our freedom! There is NO way to thank them enough. The picture below was taken at MCRD San Diego, CA.
This is our son on his graduation day...such a handsome young man! We are SO VERY PROUD of him! :)
Have a very safe and happy 4th of July! Say a prayer for our service members and their families. They all give so very much to keep our great nation free! God bless them...and you. :)

Adventures of soaking grains....so far, so good!

2010-07-02T05:25:00.000-07:00

It seems as if I've spent every spare moment in the kitchen this week. Between my work for Gling, the gluten-free website I work for and my own personal cooking and baking, it's been a long week in the kitchen. Not that I'm complaining, mind you, I love both jobs. :) Creating tasty foods for my family and tweaking recipes to be gluten-free and tasty is always a good time. OK, not always, it really isn't fun to have a recipe not work, but for the most part it's all good times!

My newest adventure in soaking grains and flours has been a huge learning experience. I've had several successes and one failure. One thing I am learning is that I have got to get better at menu planning...like planning ALL of our food for the week, not just dinner. So, this weekend, that is what I'll be working on. I need to come up with a good plan for the next week so that I will know what grains or flours to start soaking when. So far, other than the flopped recipe, that has been my biggest hurdle. I am learning that planning ahead, something that I "thought" I was good at, is a must...oh, and I realized that I have not been planning as well as I had thought, either. :)

My biggest success, in my mind, was the soaked baked oatmeal! HUGE success in the fact that my oatmeal hating daughter LOVED it! YAY!! This mamma was thrilled at that statement. :) One less battle, gotta love that. Not only did my family love it, but I was also able to make it gluten-free and therefore add it to the list of recipes on Gling. That is always a huge bonus, being able to share something that my family loves with the gluten-free community is always a good thing! When we first started eating gluten-free, I struggled to find a good site to meet all of my needs for information and recipes. That is why I love my job with the website so much, I get to pass on what I've learned and get a bit of extra money for our budget as well. A win win!

My flop of the week was a kefir soaked sourdough bread. I don't know what I did wrong there. I'm waiting to hear from the friend that I got the recipe from and see if perhaps I missed something. We'll see if I can't get it to work next time. It's a recipe that her family loves, so I'm thinking I did something wrong.

I also have a sourdough starter that I'm using that I bought from Leeners several months ago and never got around to trying. So far, my first bread attempt was a good one! Very sour and very tasty. YUM! I am hoping to make sourdough pancakes this AM for breakfast and start another batch of bread tomorrow. Thankfully, so far, we've seen no ill effects from eating these soaked flours and grains. I am praying it stays that way. :)

Other than gluten-free goodies and soaked flours and grains, I've also been working on a bit of cheese making. Last night I started a batch of Fromagina. I bought the culture from New England Cheese Making Supply Company, I get all of my cultures from them. The selection is amazing and the prices are good too. This is the first time I've made this cheese, we'll see how we like it. I guess its a creamy spreadable cheese. Sounds tasty to me. :) I'll also be making mozzarella today as well and perhaps ricotta. I have several gallons of milk to get used up. Between cheese and ice cream, we'll be well supplied in dairy products this weekend. :)

Summer has begun...finally!

2010-06-29T14:18:00.000-07:00

Last week was our church Vacation Bible School. What an amazing week it was. We averaged about 150 kids a day! Amazing! The kitchen was a happening place with snacks of many kids being made daily. I had a blast and thoroughly enjoyed my time there. I had amazing help from so many awesome people, they all made my job so much easier! I felt extremely blessed to have each one of them helping. It was a very busy week and it left me feeling VERY tired every afternoon. I did manage to get a bit done around here though, thankfully. Never enough hours, don't you know. :)

This week, we have focused on reclaiming our house and just enjoying being home. Laundry had piled up, the kitchen needed some attention and the rest of the house as well. Thankfully, we have all pitched in and reclaimed most of the areas around here. YAY! It has felt so good to just be home, other than running Brandon to his driver's education classes. I've gotten out in the garden to do some weeding, Brandon worked on mowing and Dylan and Alyssa weeded the berries. Things are beginning to look like someone cares around here. :)

Between all of the loads of laundry and various other activities, I have been reading on several different sites about soaking grains and flours. We have been living gluten-free here for many years. It has worked well for a long time, but we are exploring other options to eliminate the stomach issues that began our gluten-free journey. So much information has been swimming around in my head regarding all of this from what I've read, our history and the time line of the stomach issues we've seen in our family along with eating habits we've had. I am finally at a place where I feel like I can start to try some of the soaked flour recipes I've found. I just took a batch of soaked whole wheat muffins out of the oven and they look and smell amazingly good! Once I have all of the information and sites that I have visited in my searching, I will post a detailed list of facts that I've found and where I found them. Eating whole foods, whole grains, and more fermented foods has been on my heart and mind for some time. We've been there in the past, eating only whole wheat products, avoiding pre made and pre packaged foods. Over time I have gotten lax in this area, but we are now trying to focus more on the whole foods way of eating. Our goal is to find a way to eat that will be the most benefit for our family nutritionally, health wise and financially. I think we may be on the road to a workable plan, time will tell. :) I can tell you know, that I am EXCITED!

Summer Beauty in Bloom!

2010-06-29T14:03:00.000-07:00

The first of our summer roses have finally bloomed. So beautiful and so very fragrant too! I bought two new rose bushes this past spring, one yellow, the other a purple blue color. I didn't catch the yellow one at it's prime, but the purple one is a perfect blossom. So beautiful! My son was outside and noticed how nice they looked, so he came in to grab the camera and took the pictures for me. :) How did he know I'd want to share them on my blog. :)

Busy days...ready for some down time!

2010-06-26T15:07:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a busy time we've had the past couple of weeks. With school getting out, at least the main part of the school year...we still do math and reading through the summer, getting ready for our church's Vacation Bible School and having a successful VBS, I have not been home nearly enough.

Today is our first full day at home to just breath in what feels like forever! We all got to sleep in until we felt like getting up, for the most part, and have been lazily getting things done around here. Our boys are going to a party with some friends. Alyssa is hanging out doing this and that. Wade is working on a project in the shop and I've done random things all day. Laundry, dishes, defrost our freezer and made a list of all that is in there.

Vacation Bible School was a HUGE success this year! We had around 150 kids there all week long, plus teen helpers and leaders and a bunch of adults to make things run smoothly. Once again, I was in charge of the snacks for the whole week. What a job that was, but I had amazing help from many people and we all got the job done. It was amazing!

Finally, summer has decided to come to our area!!! It was about time! My tomatoes are not doing well and my peppers are all about dead. We've just had too much rain and not enough sun and heat. So frustrating, but I keep telling myself that God knows what our needs are. We'll figure out something, one way or another.

Thankfully, Wade is back to work for a while. He'll be traveling quite a bit every day to and from work, but at least it's a job. We will choose to be thankful! :) This next week is another busy week for us, but thankfully it's mostly at home. Driver's Ed a few days this week, but for the most part, we are going to be HOME! Thank the Lord! It will give me time to work on a few recipes for Gling, need to write a blog or two for that site too and the rest of the week will be working on homestead stuff. I am so happy to be able to focus on home more now. This school year and then VBS has left me feeling a bit out of touch here. It's time to get things in order and ready for a glorious summer! :)

A graduation and a new stage!

2010-06-17T21:35:00.001-07:00

Tonight, we watched our 14 year old daughter graduate from 8th grade. Where has time gone? Amazing how fast she went from a little baby girl to this beautiful young woman. My goodness! :) The past 4 years of school for our little girl have seemed like a blink on some days and a lifetime on others. This graduation starts a new chapter in her life, and ours. High school is the next step...are we ready? Next year will be the beginning of a grand adventure, for sure!

We are so very proud of our little girl, almost a young woman. She has grown into such a beautiful young lady. We are blessed!

New Free Downloadable Menu Planners for Summertime!

2010-06-17T06:20:00.000-07:00

New Free Downloadable Menu Planners for Summertime!

I LOVE these menu planners. This is something that I have really struggled with doing, but I know that it would save me a bundle in the long run if I'd just get myself into the habit of planning better. With money as tight as it is these days and the fact that we have got to find ways to manage what we have in a more efficient manner, I am going to try getting more organized! I saw these planners on Heavenly Homemaker's blog and just HAD to share them here. Maybe that will help to motivate me a bit more too. :)

Homeschooling....learning what you never learned in school.

2010-06-16T12:51:00.000-07:00

Ever have one of those days that you wish you could go back and learn something when your brain was young and new things just came easier? Oh my! My second oldest son is now a 10th grader and we are working on math through the summer...long story...this week, we started Geometry. First off, let me say, that when I was in school I never made it past Algebra 1. I took economics and other classes to fulfill my math requirements for graduation. Math and I were never very close friends. I liked the idea of being good at math, but it just never came to be. Well, learning geometry at almost 40 is a challenge, let me tell you!

Today we have struggled with Venn diagrams and understanding the different symbols that go along with them. Understanding concepts in math is not something that comes easily to me, but I "get" how this works. Explaining it to my 15 year old son is another matter. He HATES showing his work, and that is something that I am requiring so that I KNOW he knows how he got his answer and so that I can help him get past mistakes he may make in finding the answers. Oh, what a struggle. :)

All in all, I am enjoying it. I always "wanted" to take higher math, but never dreamed I'd be learning it because I am trying to teach my son. :) Funny how God uses things like this to help to grow us. Thankfully I have a wonderful friend that I can call when I am really stuck. She is also teaching her son and math has always come easily for her. YAY! Yet another blessing. :) My son and I will get this, we will learn geometry and be ready to move onto Algebra 2 later this next year. I am confident of that fact. How we'll get there is beyond me at times, but we will. :)

Chicken stock...Oh my!

2010-06-14T20:14:00.000-07:00

For the past several months, every time I cook a chicken (well, almost every time) I save the neck and back to make chicken stock. It's amazing to me how quickly my stock of chicken stock has increased....pun intended. :) This past weekend we grilled two chickens. When I was cutting them up to put them on the grill I saved the back and neck (we actually did two chickens, so there were two of each...imagine that LOL). I put them in the crock pot, filled it with water, onion and garlic powder and let it cook away for two full days. This morning I shut it off, took out all of the bones and stuff and poured it all into my big stock pot. The meat and bones don't go to waste, I usually either pick out the meat and freeze it or just give the whole lot to the cats for a treat. This morning, the cats got a treat. :)

After it's all strained out and the stock is all that is left I let it cool until I can skim some of the fat off of the top. I like leaving a bit of fat in it for extra flavor, but not all of it. I then add a bit of water since it's so rich from cooking for so long and to help stretch it a bit further. Often, if I have time I'll also add onions, carrots and celery to the chicken when I cook it in the crock pot. This adds tons of flavor and even some rich color. This past weekend I didn't take the time to do that step, so the stock is not as dark as usual. It still works great to add flavor to rice or to use as a base for gravy or soup.

This morning I ended up with 7 quarts of stock from those two backs and necks. Not bad, I'd say! The picture above is bit pale....between the sun coming in the window next to the jars and the quality of picture from my cell phone, it looks much lighter than it actually is. I've made some stock that was as dark as the wood of my cabinets. Makes amazing gravy! At last count, I have about 30 quarts of chicken stock in my pantry now. If I hadn't used any of it, I'd have more, but it is there to use. :) I've also done beef and turkey stock the same way. HUGE money saver and so much better tasting and good for you, compared to the store bought. I also have pieces of our last round of butchering in the freezer to make into stock. That will give us an easy 14 quarts of stock if I cook it down long enough. I love homemade stock....full of so much good flavor! Yum!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie...Yum!

2010-06-14T19:50:00.000-07:00

I made a pie with some of the strawberries I bought last week at the produce stand. It was SO good! When I was a kid, my aunt made this pie every summer. I LOVED it! I've never tried to make a pie, I've made a strawberry rhubarb cobbler, but the pie was amazing. Yummy! Not quite as good as my aunts, but still good. :) Thankfully I had a pan on the rack underneath the pie, it boiled over all over the catch pan. Made a lovely mess of the pie plate and the pan below. Still tasted good. Someday, I'll learn to make a pretty pie, not just a tasty one. After all, we eat with our eyes first...or so they tell me. :)

Is it really Monday?

2010-06-14T13:06:00.000-07:00

Oh my, what a weekend we had. I am still not ready for Monday and here it is 1:00 PM on Monday afternoon. :) We had a busy weekend in the garden and loved every minute of it...hard work and all. Today I've been busy in my kitchen making cookies, pie crust, hulling strawberries and cleaning up between it all. Laundry is also going, though it won't make it to the clothes line today with the chance of rain and colder temps we seem to be having. Huge bummer, I hate using my dryer this time of year but on days like today and a mountain of laundry threatening to take over the bathroom, I have little choice in the matter. It's amazing how fast the laundry piles up when we are outside working our buns off in the dirt. :)

My week is a full one with end of the school year obligations, baby sitting, my cooking and writing work, VBS preparations and an orthodontist appointment. In the midst of it all I have weeding to try to get to around the berry vines, plants and bushes. Also need to get a flat of marigolds in the ground and do some clean up in my front yard beds. So much that always needs doing and only so much of this mamma. We are truly blessed though and every task that needs to be done is a reminder of how many blessings we have. The mountains of laundry reminds me that we have a big healthy family that is active and works hard. The dirty dishes remind me that we have food to eat and healthy appetites. The never ending baking and cooking that I do shows me how much my job matters....just think what we'd be eating if I were to just open a can or a box for every meal or snack. All of the school books that fill my desk and the piles of papers are a good reminder that we have amazingly smart kids that rely on us for their education and what an honor it is to be the one that gets to show them this world and all that God intended for it to be for them. We live in a country (for the time being) that affords us the freedom to homeschool. To teach our kids what the Bible says about living a godly and productive life. We may not agree with many of the choices that our government makes or even the direction it appears to be headed, but we still pray as scripture teaches, for our leaders and trust that the Lord has a plan.

These are the things that I try to focus on when life seems to be getting busier than I can handle or when I feel like we are getting no where. Things are tough right now with my husband's work situation and the down economy, but we are blessed beyond measure! God is providing for us daily and will continue to do so in ways that we may not expect. Even in tough times, it's exciting to see how God will use them not only for His Glory, but for our blessing and benefit! How cool is that?!

Oops...I did it again.

2010-06-13T08:38:00.000-07:00

Well, once again I got ahead of myself. I was totally sure that this weekend was Father's Day weekend. Oh well...I guess that means I'm ahead of the game, right? :-) If only that were true in every area of life. Always being ahead would get boring anyway.

Yesterday we finished planting our garden...finally! I am wishing I'd had more room for a few more things, but what we have will have to do. Our water supply is not always what we wish it was in the summer months, so our garden size has to be kept down a bit. Oh well...we'll have a bountiful harvest of what we were able to get in the ground....right? :-)

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-12T07:20:00.001-07:00

We have a busy weekend ahead, so I decided to post this today rather than tomorrow. :-) Praying you have a wonderful weekend with your "dad's" and enjoy making some memories! We'll be busy in the garden today, not sure about tomorrow....that is up to the dad of this house. :-) Our dad's work so hard to provide for our families in these hard times...I know my hubby does. I am forever grateful and amazed at how strong my husband is. He is my hero...my best friend and the best dad my kids could ever have hoped for. We are truly blessed! Love you honey...you ARE the best!

Strawberries are here!

2010-06-10T20:46:00.000-07:00

Today did not end up being as productive as I had hoped, but I did manage to get a few things done. The rest will have to wait for tomorrow or another day altogether. I just have to be OK with what I did manage to accomplish, right? One thing that I did do that I had not planned on doing is buying some strawberries. YAY! We look forward to fresh local strawberries all year. Tonight while my son Brandon, was in his driver's ed class, I visited a local family farmer that has a produce stand on site. I love to buy my produce from them, just knowing that I am helping to support a family run farm that has been run by the same family for generations feels good! Not enough dedicated farmers these days, to my mind. Anyway, they had local strawberries and I just had to get a flat. :-)

Talk about tasty! So, what am I doing with them? Half of the flat is in my food dehydrator, the other half is in the refrigerator to be washed and dealt with tomorrow. I was doing good to get half of them in the dehydrator. It's been a long busy day today.

Here are the berries in the food dehydrator. I absolutely love this machine. My husband's aunt gave it to me last year and I have used it a ton. I honestly don't know what I did without it! My kids love the strawberries I did last year in it, so I want to try and get more dehydrated this year to add to granola and trail mix. Such a tasty way to get fruit in them and they take up little to no space in my pantry! Love that. :-) Dried fruit is a favorite around here and if I can make it myself, all the better!

So, even though my list from this AM was not completed, I knew it was a huge feat to take on. I did manage to get a few things done on that list and a few things I hadn't planned on doing. I don't feel too bad about that. :-) One thing that I did that wasn't on my list was to make a caramel sauce for ice cream or whatever we choose. It was super easy and tastes amazingly good! I love it when I find that I can make something that we would normally buy at the grocery store. Huge money saver and so much better for us in the long run. With all that I did accomplish today, it feels like a very productive day...never mind he list I still have to get to tomorrow. :-)

Here comes the sun...

2010-06-10T08:45:00.001-07:00

This morning while I was drinking my morning coffee and making blueberry pancakes for breakfast I caught a bit of the news. The weather forecast, to be exact. Guess what!? We are in for some summer weather around here after all! I had thought we were going to skip it this year and just have a wet season. :-) Thankfully, our area will see sunshine starting late tomorrow on through the next week. Saturday it could get up into the mid 80s! AWESOME! :-)

So, no more laundry for me until the sun comes out to stay and we will finally finish planting our garden for this year. YAY! In the mean time, I'll be working away in my kitchen. What's on the list?

*Yogurt
*Mozzarella
*Bread
*Cookies
*Boil potatoes for potato salad and hash browns this weekend
*Boil eggs for potato salad
*Make an apple crisp

Needless to say, the next two days in my kitchen will be busy. It's all good though, I'm looking forward to a break from the kitchen and a chance to get my hands in the dirt this weekend. :-)

Seemingly endless rain...

2010-06-09T17:41:00.000-07:00

The rain keeps falling here, day after day. We did have a day or two in there with no rain, but today it has been stormy. Blue skies for a while, then the wind would pick up, the sky would darken and huge raindrops would begin to fall. Over and over it has done that today. The blessing in this pattern are the short moments of blue sky that we got to view from our rain splattered windows. It's been a very wet spring here, and I am ready for some dry weather. My poor garden has suffered from a lack of attention. It's been hard to have enough time to really devote to weeding and planting with all of the days of rain. Someone told me last weekend that as of last Friday (or perhaps it was Thursday...no matter really) we had seen 20 strait days of measurable rain fall. WHAT? No wonder I'm sick of the rain.

I have lived here almost all my life, the rain normally doesn't get to me the same way it has this season. I love the rain and all that it brings to our part of the country. The green scenery is breathtaking! The rain this year has been horrible and non stop it seems. Makes it very hard to stay productive outside. I am trying to make the most of it, getting as much done outside as I can when the rain lets up. Honestly, though, I'm not making the kind of progress that I had hoped by now.

Another area that is suffering due to the rain is my laundry. I have tried to hold out on some things for the sunshine, but once we have a day or two of sun there is too much laundry to hang out on the line. LOL I am using my dryer when we have several days of rain, or need something washed right away, but I am NOT enjoying it at all. Trying to cut back and not use as much electricity is hard when the rain doesn't let up. Oh for the warm sunny days of summer...I am ready!

Tired....and blessed!

2010-06-05T19:22:00.000-07:00

It's been a super long day! I was awake at 3:00 AM, thanks to our "Princess"....um, I mean cat. Daisey was left inside last night and decided that 3:00 AM was a good wake up time, she was lonely. She started howling and walking around the house looking for someone to serve her. Thankfully, Wade got up and put her highness outside. :) Unfortunately, the damage was done and I was awake! It took me almost an hour to go back to sleep, then Wade's alarm went off just as I was starting to drift off again. Mind you, it was 4:00 AM....on SATURDAY. Yep, he forgot to turn it off last night before we headed to bed. Thankfully it didn't take much for me to go back to sleep, but my alarm started blaring at 5:30. I turned it off and thought just a bit too long about getting up. Next thing I knew, it was 6:30 and way past time for us to get up to head into the church for the kids to get ready for the parade. UGH! Not a good start to our day. :(

Our church has a float in the towns parade every year to promote our upcoming VBS. Alyssa needed to be there to help in the kitchen for the youth group fundraiser that was going to go on during the festivities....Gluten-free Teriyaki Rice Bowls. Brandon had driver's ed this morning, so we stayed long enough to help out for a while and then headed out to get him to his class. Dylan and Wade stayed home to do some much needed mowing. When Brandon and I got back to the town where the parade was, we had to park quite a ways away from the church due to the road still being closed to traffic. So, we got a good workout. :) The kids ended up staying in town at friends houses and I came home to relax. The lack of sleep from this AM and my extra exercise and also the amazing sunshine left this mamma exhausted!

All in all, though, today was a good day! No, I didn't get any time working in my garden in the sunshine like I'd hoped to. I had very little time at home at all, really. But, I got to spend some time with my church family. We have such an amazing group of church members, they ARE family and sometimes they are just what I need. :)

We are facing some tough times here at Tanglewood Hills, the economy has really made things hard for us...I know, we are not alone in that. My hard working husband works construction and this is NOT a good time in construction. He was laid off last week and we have no idea when he will be called back. Thankfully we were somewhat ready, knew it was possible just not exactly when. Sure, we could have been more ready, but all in God's timing. We have never gone without paying our bills, or food on our table. We have been truly blessed. Lean times here on the farm, but we will get through. Honestly, we are set up better than many living the way that we do. Could we improve? Sure, who couldn't! That is all part of this journey. We will learn to do more with the little we have and most of all we have our family and a loving God looking out for us. :)

So, even though I am tired...I am blessed! Even though our future is full of questions...we serve a God that knows all the answers! What could be better than that?

I am going to take my tired self off to bed. It's early, but I've earned it. :) Praying for more sunshine tomorrow, but know that we may wake up to rain. It's all good....God knows just what we need. Thank you Lord! :)

Busy days....

2010-06-04T20:39:00.000-07:00

Spring time on a homestead is a busy time of year. From goats kidding, new baby chicks arriving or hatching, garden planting and various other outside chores that need doing after a long winter, our days are full. The weather in these parts has not been cooperating with our need to be working on outside chores and garden planting, however. Quite frustrating, to be honest.

Early this spring I started my tomatoes and peppers inside. They did beautifully and were on track for a mid May planting when the weather decided to stay cold and wet a while longer. We finally got them in the ground, but they are struggling with the lack of sunshine around here lately. Thankfully we've had a few days of sun in the midst of the rain and are heading towards a nice stretch of sunshine. My garden needs it, and so do I.

Our potatoes and onions are doing amazingly well! This is the first year we've had good success with onions. We planted both sweet and red onions. Yukon Gold and Red potatoes are doing well, first year for both of those too. Last year we planted, with great success I might add, some white potato sets that a friend of ours gave us. I loved them, but wanted to try something new. :) So far, so good!

Thankfully, the sun is coming out tomorrow and we will have at least part of the day to weed, plant and work our buns off while the sun is shining. Never a dull moment, but we are blessed!