Rain in the Spring = Freezer Filling Day!

Spring is busy around the farm.  There are fences to repair and new fences to build.  There are pens to build, and pigs to purchase.  There are baby chickens to order, receive and take care of.  Don't forget about firewood.  That's essential!

With so much on the to do list, when it rains, it kind of puts a damper in the outdoor plans.  What's a gal to do?

Enjoy a day inside with the kids and get ahead in the kitchen.  Yesterday, we baked three batches of cookies, and froze two dozen of each kind. 

I've been stuck in a cookie rut lately and only making oatmeal and chocolate chip.  While we do really like those kinds, branching out is nice.  We tackled molasses, snickerdoodles and peanut butter.  And we used whole wheat flour in them all to make them a bit healthier.  

It's so nice to know that there are cookies waiting to be baked.  When life gets even busier, having the freezer stocked is helpful. 

Molasses cookies!

Jeffrey and Ellie rolling our snickerdoodles in a cinnamon sugar mixture and putting them in freezer bags. 

 Of course cookies weren't the only thing we did to stock our freezer.  Since the oven was going, I threw in several large potatoes.  When they were cooked, I grated them and put them on a freezer paper lined cookie sheet.  A quick trip to the freezer had them flash frozen.  Then we filled quart sized freezer bags.

Frozen hashbrowns ready to go! Great for breakfast casseroles, burritos and just plain ol' hashbrowns. 

Our hashbrowns getting frozen.

 We also made three loaves of oatmeal bread.  It's one of my favorite breads. I first learned about it in the Janette Oke books about Virginia.  Her best friend Jenny really likes oatmeal bread.  I used Google and found a really easy recipe on a survival forum of all places, and we've been enjoying it for a few years now. 

Mutti's Oatmeal Bread...delicious with jam!

By slicing one loaf up hot with butter and jam to accompany lunch, we were able to stick two loaves in the freezer. 

We also made a gallon each of yogurt and cottage cheese. Those won't go in the freezer though--just the fridge for eating the rest of the week.

Wow--it was a really productive day!  And when we were done, we had to clean the kitchen, so it looks really good now. 

And throughout all our work, we enjoyed the pitter-patter sound of the rain on the metal roof.  And the beautiful smell that comes here when it rains. Rain and a pine forest are a wonderful mix for the nose.

When it was time for quiet time in the afternoon, I noticed something wonderful.  The rain had stopped.  And so I went outside and built a new fence.  And got the cows moved to a new section of pasture. 

What a blessing--a productively fun kitchen day with the kids, and an accomplishment on the farming front.  Yeah!

It's raining again today.  But today is a play day instead of freezer filling day.  There's a time for work, and a time for play.

 We have big plans to play super hero and house.  We'll actually probably combine them.  And play super hero house.  Either way, it'll be fun! 

Weekly Pic Round Up

It's Saturday again.

Well, I guess at this point, it's been Saturday all day.  And now it's almost Sunday.

Either way...it's time to share weekly pictures again.

Sunday, April 6

I love comparing egg sizes with the little ones.  It makes a perfect real world quick math lesson.  Check out our small, medium and large eggs.  No matter the size, they sure taste delicious!

 Monday, April 7

Ellie looking after Simon while we were working in the field, trying to get the pasture ready for our cows.  She sure loves her brother! And yes...in case you noticed, those are mismatched socks on Simon.  Owen particularly likes to chew on and eat baby socks, so finding a matching pair can be a challenge!

Tuesday, April 8

My mom brought home some wonderful treasures for us from my lovely Aunt Gerri.  One of the items was an old typewriter.  Here my little author was trying it out.  We also received an electric typewriter, so Jayme has been enjoying comparing and contrasting the two typewriters and the computer. 

 Wednesday, April 9

Another treasure from my aunt.  This one has already gotten a lot of use.  It's an amazing pasta maker.  You put the flour in the mixer bowl, and turn it on.  As it mixes, you slowly add an egg, water and oil mixture.  Then after it's all combined, you turn the machine to extrude and pasta comes out.  Fresh pasta in minutes--fabulous!  They are so delicious.  And it makes bagels, cookies (both of which we've tried) and pretzels.  Looking forward to many more experiments with this.  Sydney absolutely loves helping.  Here, she was helping to pinch the macaroni off to size.

As a side note about this picture, that jar with the purple cloth on top is my sourdough starter.  I've finally gotten into a sourdough groove, and we've really been enjoying the bread.  I make a loaf several times a week, and Jayme is starting to mix it up for me.  It's super simple and a great first bread!

 Thursday, April 10

A blurry picture that captures our picnic at the cedars after a long day of work.  We finally finished the fence and got the cows out to pasture.  The deer really made quick work of our fence over the winter, and all of the electric portion had to be untangled and restrung.  And I added more to try and subdivide it better.  Lots of work.

We enjoyed the picnic supper with Grandma and Grandpa.  A big thanks to my sister Mindy and her husband Drew for the picnic basket that makes the picnics more enjoyable! It's sitting next to Sydney on the bench--you can barely see it. 

I'm super thankful that we live on Grouse Creek, with wonderful picnic spots like this one.  We don't have to go anywhere for relaxation and entertainment.  It's all right here! 

Friday, April 12

An unfortunate accident.  Sydney knocked the lid to my cookie jar canister off the counter as she was climbing up on a stool to help me cook.  I was really trying to figure out how to make it work without a lid, but today (Saturday), I accidentally dropped a mug on the canister itself as I was putting cups away, and broke it too.  

So I pulled out a large plastic canister and called it good as my new cookie jar.  Problem solved!

We go through a lot of cookies.  The ones in the background are chocolate chip.  And they are delicious!

 

Saturday, April 12

Another hard working day on the farm.  When Daddy is home, we really are able to get a lot done.  We finished the pig pen, and got a great start on the chicken coop.  Here, Bryan is teaching Jeff and Ellie about using a chalk line for straight lines.  

They got to hammer in nails all over the floor on the chalk lines Daddy made.  He got the nails started for them, and they went to town.  They had so much fun! 

In the background you can see the new pig pen.  Sydney was having a blast playing inside of it.

There you go...some events from our week captured in pictures.  Looking forward to sharing pictures of the finished chicken coop next Saturday!

My Clothesline Personal Challenge

The element in our dryer broke a week ago.  Again.  We just switched it out two years ago.  So we ordered the part.  And are waiting until the 15th when it arrives to have a working dryer again.

We are blessed and have a dryer we can borrow right across the road (thanks Mom!).  And I took advantage of that this past weekend.

 Then Bryan and I started looking at the weather forecast. It's supposed to be in the 60s and 70s for the next several days.  No rain.

And I looked outside at the clothesline that never gets used (except for picnic forts!).

And I decided that I rely WAY too much on electricity to dry my clothes.  With all the laundry we do, it's no wonder our dryer is falling to pieces. 

I got to thinking.  With the beautiful sunshine that God is shining down on us, why am I lugging laundry across the road to dry in an electric dryer?

Since I was going shopping and could pick up clothespins, I decided to give myself a challenge.  To not use any dryer, at least until our part arrives.  But I'm hoping that once I get in the groove, I can continue throughout the summer.

Ahh. The sight of laundry drying in the sunshine.

I'm now a few days into the challenge.  Here's what I am enjoying:

*The smell of sunshine on our clothing.  WAY better than any fabric softener smell or anything.

*Clothes don't get wrinkly if I leave them too long, like they do in the dryer.

*Our socks are winding up easier to match.  Before, we'd have one in one load and put it away in our mismatched sock tub.  Then the next one would come out a few loads later and it too would go to the tub.  Without getting matched. Now I can see both socks on the line, and match them.

*Sorting laundry for putting away is simple.  Take all the girl clothes off.  Take all the boy clothes off.  Take all the parent clothes off.  Take all the bathroom towels.  Take all the kitchen towels.  Put each into a separate basket and put away.  Done. 

*No lint trap to clean.  You know that lint is made up of clothing?  Kind of makes you wonder....

*No electricity.  At 3-5 loads a day, that's huge!

But of course it's not all wonderful.  Here are some areas I'm struggling with:

*Owen pulling clothes off the line. Seriously.  He thinks they are dangling there just for him!

*Running out of clothespins, and my pins breaking.  Guess that's what I get for buying the Dollar Tree variety.  I've had seven clothespins break apart since Monday.  Bryan is going to stop and buy some different ones for me tonight, thankfully! 

*Actually hanging the stuff.  It's a challenge for me to figure out which way to hang things, and how to best utilize my space.  Especially if I have larger items like bedding. 

*Embarrassment about certain undergarments hanging.  We do live right on the county road.  Which gets way more traffic than it used to.  I'm working around this one by using the middle lines for those articles and putting larger things on the outside around them, but it's still a personal struggle for me. 

*The towels are rough.  

*It's different.  I'm kind of a creature of habit.  This is different.  It's much easier to simply shove clothes into the dryer and turn it on.  This forces me to do something else.  It doesn't actually take that much time, it's just trying to get into a new routine.

But, despite my struggles, I'm enjoying the challenge.  I think I'll continue it as long as the weather allows.   However, I think I will start fluffing the towels eventually. Unless I get used to rough ones by then.  Which I don't think I will!

Any tips for a clothesline newbie?

An Award: AKA Random Facts About Me

Random Facts about Me

I was recently nominated for a Liebster Award by another blogger.  I have to admit...I had no idea what in the world this was.  But I was super excited to get nominated for an award.  Especially as I learned more about it.

This award is a fun way to recognize up and coming bloggers and share some blogging love.  It's focus is on smaller blogs, which is awesome. You also get to learn more about me!

Be sure to visit the blogger who nominated me at Lady Lee's Home.

Here is how it works…these rules aren't quite the ones that were passed onto me, but after doing some searching, I found lots of different sets of rules.  So these are the ones I'll go with.  They were found here.

1. Acknowledge the nominating blogger
2. Answer 11 questions the nominating blogger has created for you
3. List 11 random facts about yourself
4. List some bloggers with fewer than 200 followers that you really feel deserve a little blogging love!
5. Let all of the bloggers know you have nominated them.  You cannot nominate the blogger that nominated you!
6. Post 11 questions for the bloggers you have nominated to answer

So without further ado, here are my answers to the questions that Lady Lee asked me.

1. If I gave you a $1000 to spend on yourself only, what will you spend it on?

This is a really hard one.  I don't like spending money on myself.  I'd much rather buy something fun for the kids or my hubby.  But...after giving it some thought, I think I'd spend the money on electric fencing supplies so I can properly rotational graze our cows.  And since that wouldn't take the whole $1000, I'd buy lumber for a really neat chicken coop.

(Does spending the money on the animals count as spending it on myself?  I really like the animals...and it'd make my life easier.  So I'll answer my own question with a YES!)

Besides, there would be just enough money left after both of those purchases that I could pick up a couple of new skirts from New Creation Apparel. They have beautiful skirts, excellent customer service and are located in Washington, just like me!   So easier animal maintenance and cute skirts?  Yup--it's a winning plan!

2. What is your favorite book?

 So many choices...I can't answer in a single sentence. 

Favorite overall would have to be the Bible.  I try to read it daily and the Lord has taught me so much through it.

 Other Favorite: Family Friendly Farming by Joel Salatin.  I've learned SO much from his books.  This one sums it all up nicely.

3. What is your favorite childhood memory and why?

Playing crazy imaginary games on the swing set with my older sister Mindy.  We had such fun.  We each had an invisible mouse.   We blasted off into outer space.  We conquered the wild west.  We pretty much did it all.  Because we were just that awesome! 

4. List one vegetable you can’t live without.

 Carrots.  Raw.  Cooked.  In stuff. Yum!

5. What is your favorite time of the day?

I love the early mornings.  

6. Do you live close to your parents?

Um...do you consider right across the road to be close?  If so...yes.  To my mom and step-dad.

 My dad lives about twenty minutes away.  

We are pretty close to my husband's mom too.  She lives about thirty miles away.

His dad...not so much.  He's in Lubbock, TX. We wish we could see him more!

7. If you could go back to college, what will you choose to learn?

I'd become an SLP (Speech Language Pathologist) and learn all about Speech and Augmentative Communication.  It's the biggest area I really wish I knew more about when teaching Owen. 

8. What is your favorite movie?

Hmmm...right now, I'm thinking The Hunger Games.  It's about the only movie lately that I've stayed awake for...and it got me to read the books which were really thought provoking. 

9. What is your favorite season?

Spring.  The earth just seems so alive after winter.  It's beautiful!  

10. List one important thing you learned from your parents.

To persevere. 

11. If you had to choose between the ocean or the mountains, where will you live?

 

Note the mountains (well hills) in the background...we are surrounded by them.  See the trees? Now pay attention to the lack of salty water.  Yup--a great place to live! Thanks to my Bryan for the lovely pic!

Mountains any day.  I love them.  And the trees.  Sand?  Salty water? Good for a quick vacation, but definitely wouldn't want to live there.  


11 Random Facts About Me...in no particular order

1. I share a birthday with my Aunt Gerri.  She's pretty special, and I've always loved the fact that we share this day in January.

2.  I have a mild lisp.  I can usually hide it, but when I'm tired, it's definitely there.  Guess what?  With a child with a pervasive sleep disorder and a nursing baby, I'm pretty much always tired at this stage of my life.  Trying to learn not to hate the lisp so much...but I really notice it when I'm reading aloud to the kids.
 
3. I really like animals.  And want to create environments where they can be happy and productive.  Watching the chickens scratch around for a bug, and seeing the cows kicking up their heels in the field is really relaxing for me.  

4.    I really don't like big cities.  We lived in San Diego for six months (well Imperial Beach) while Bryan was stationed there.  My sisters both grew up and left for the other (much more populated) side of the state.  Me?  We moved back here when it was possible.  Gladly.  I love the slow pace of life on the farm, and really enjoy days when we don't have to go anywhere.

5.I like drinking out of mason jars.  Easy to keep track of how much I'm drinking.  Easy to hold onto.  The wide mouth quart ones are best for water!

6. I'm learning to make my own personal care products.  Yup--that means my toothpaste, deodorant, chapstick and lotion were made by me.  From mostly the same ingredients.   

7. I dream of creating a successful family business here at the farm.  One where our children can join us and someday hopefully take over.  Multi-generational businesses are so amazing to me. So I'll end this fact with a brainstorm question:  If you had a couple hundred beautiful acres to use but not much start up money, what would you do to generate income?

8.  Being with my kids makes me happy.  I miss them when they are visiting Grandma or somewhere else.  I love working with them.  Playing with them.  Reading with them.  Schooling them.  They are a large part of my life, and I'm trying to remember to enjoy it now because they won't be little forever.

9.  I'm not musical.  At all.  I took a piano class in college and my teacher told me I have no rhythm. It's true! But I love to sing.  And I teach the kids a hymn a month.  Thankfully my husband is really blessed in this area and can teach the kids the correct tune.  The changing of tunes really doesn't seem to bother the kids much.

10.  Cooking is something I really enjoy.  I've simplified it for this stage of life, but every once in a while the desire to spend the day in the kitchen to create something wonderful hits and the kids and I get busy.  Potstickers...they're a favorite that fall under this category.  Homemade shells, homemade filling...lightly browned and steamed...yummy!

11.  I graduated from Walden University with my master's in Elementary Reading and Literacy.  With a 4.0.  And I regret it.  I enjoyed the teaching pay raise that went with it, but Bryan and I knew our desire was for me to be home.  Now we owe $35,000 on an education I'm not using.  And without it, we'd be completely debt free.  But that's okay.  Someday we'll get there. 


Blogs I Enjoy... And I Think You Will Too:

 
(I'm pretty sure I'm meeting the "Under 200 followers" rule....if not, I apologize in advance! I am just counting the followers listed, not Facebook "Likes" or other social media counts). I also made sure that these blogs didn't come back with a search result for "Leibster"...trying to spread the love with others who haven't already had it!

Some of these bloggers will have NO idea who I am...some I've interacted with before.  Regardless, I truly enjoy the following blogs...

1. Gentle Joy (Beautiful photography, and a fabulous chocolate chip cookie recipe...and more!)

2. Diamonds in the Rough  (I've gleaned some great practical homeschooling tips from this one!)
3. Trial and Error Home Ec (Some fabulous tips for housekeeping) 
4.  A Little Wife's Happy Life (Great posts on getting organized as a homemaker.)
5. Plain and Not So Plain (Amy's put out some wonderful series.  I've enjoyed her challenges for simpler living and her current one on losing weight.) 


11 Questions For The Bloggers Above:
1. What is your favorite sandwich?
2. What is one thing you hope to accomplish in the rest of 2014?
3.  What scent most makes you think of your childhood?
4. Where is your preferred locale--Rural, Suburban, Urban, Other?
5. What was your favorite blog post to write so far?
6. Are there any TV shows you can't miss?  If yes, which one(s)?
7. Why did you give your blog the title you did?
8. What genre of books do you most prefer?
9. Where is your dream vacation happening?
10.  Who most inspires you?
11. When do you prefer to write?

Now to go let the above bloggers know....

What fun!

Pic Round Up

Yeah!  My iPod is taking decent pictures, and I have some from this week to share.  I'm trying hard to capture the little moments and not wait until a picture perfect moment to snap.  After going for too long without pictures, I know that those portrait moments don't happen too often!

Some glimpses into our week...

Sunday, March 31

A picture I snapped this morning of the tire present we're making for Ellie.  It still needs a paint job.  It was a long week! 

Monday, March 31st

Spring cleaning at the farm includes getting our chimney cleaned.  Consider this my public service announcement reminder if you have a stove...annual cleanings are a good thing.  Especially if you live in pine country and get a lot of creosote.  I thought the stove with the pipe missing was neat.

Tuesday, April 1st

Look at this amazing Tom Turkey. He was strutting his stuff for the ladies down the road.  We had a good time watching him.  I love that nature provides so much entertainment around here!

 Wednesday, April 2nd

We had an impromptu picnic under a fort made from blankets on the clothesline.  It was really fun.  Ellie's lunch choice (crackers, meat and cheese) makes an easy to move meal.  We actually were out of cheese this time, so we added a jar of homemade pickles that my mom made last fall, and some stuffed celery.  Yum! Clean up was so simple.  Shake everything off and watch the chickens scramble over.

The grass was really cold, so we brought a bunch of blankets and pillows to sit on.  One side effect I didn't foresee....Owen turned his juice box into a squirt gun.  And I had a fort-full of laundry to wash.  Oops!

Thursday, April 3rd

Blueberry Maggie's Milk.  Yummy!

Friday, April 4th

We are on phase one of pasture restoration here at the farm.  That means we're going through and taking the stuff out of the field.  We separated into three piles--metal, trash and wood (a post next week on what I found...it was neat!).  After working hard, we needed to play.

Using rocks, we outlined a castle making use of the old manure tank area that hasn't been used in a couple of decades.  We hid a special rock tied with bailing twine and separated into teams.  The goal was for one team to storm the castle and steal the rock.  The other team was castle guards.  It was fun!

Saturday, April 5th

Cinders catching some sunlight rays.  He's a cutie!  And loving us working in the field.  He can run around like a crazy puppy, and when he's in the house he's much more willing to play nicely.

It was a good week!  We have plans for more outside work and play next week.  I love spring!

Sit...Good Boy...I Mean Girl!

We took Cinders through six weeks of basic obedience classes.  The kids enjoy practicing with him. Sit.  Yes.  Good boy.

Stay.  Yes. 

Down.  Yes.

Good boy!

This morning, Sydney left her vitamin on the table (it got hidden under the edge).  When clearing the table, Ellie found it and offered to bring it to her. 

I had to chuckle at the exchange that occurred.

Ellie held the vitamin up in the air above Sydney's head.  She said, "Sit!"

Sydney obeyed. 

Ellie replied, "Yes, good boy." 

Then she looked puzzled.  "I mean good girl." 

Oops! 

Well, Sydney did obey.  Perhaps this training technique works as well on little girls as it does on little dogs.

Life is never dull!

Sit..Yes!  Good boy.

When Your Child Suffers

Owen's seizures are back.  We've been working with the neurologist, and are currently increasing the dosage of Onfi--an anti-epileptic drug that he takes.  If the increase doesn't work, we'll be back to trialing different drugs looking for the combination that works best.  In the meantime, Owen is having several seizures a day, sometimes falling and hurting himself because of them.

He is extremely tired, thanks to the Onfi.  I don't mind him being tired at night (actually I prefer it!), but during the day, it's hard to see him so worn out.  With all of the seizures and his other medical problems, Owen has endured much pain in his short life.

Not the most recent picture, but an example of the type of injury Owen's drop seizures can bring.  This one was from the coffee table...

As a parent, it's really hard to see my little boy suffering so much.  In fact, if it weren't for my belief in the Lord and the strength He provides, I don't think I would be able to be even partially sane any more.  So how do I cope when Owen suffers?  Here are five things that keep me going...

1.  Pray

The Lord is the master physician and the great healer.  I know that He CAN heal Owen, or at least ease his pain.  I pray for the doctors to have wisdom.  I pray for Bryan and I to have wisdom.  Owen's pain can be such a mystery at times, it's hard to always know when to go get him checked out and when it's just typical childhood pain like teething (despite his high pain tolerance, Owen is extremely sensitive in the mouth).

I know that the Lord is in control, and can trust in His timing.  But giving my cares to the Lord helps tremendously to be able to function when there is suffering. 

2.  Know that the Lord doesn't make mistakes

This is a big one.  We know that Owen is here for a reason.  We've learned so much because of him.  Our faith has grown stronger.  Our marriage has been strongly forged.  Our kids have learned to be patient and understanding.  Owen is a blessing.  And we love him.

We often sing the hymn, "Rejoice in the Lord" by Ron Hamilton.  It was one of the first hymns we memorized when we started learning them.  The first line has kept our family going many times: "God never moves without purpose or plan..."

We know that God has a plan for everyone.  Including Owen.  God knows what He is doing.  And we can trust what the Bible says in Romans.  Everything will work out for our good.  Maybe we'll be able to comfort another parent someday. Maybe we'll be able to witness to a doctor and show him/her the life changing power of Jesus Christ.  We don't know.  But we trust in the fact that God doesn't make mistakes.

Someday Owen will be called home to glory where he'll receive eternal rest.  Until then, he is here for God's perfect purpose.  

3.  Offering Comfort

Often there is nothing I can actually to help Owen.  When Owen seizes, we just have to stand back and watch it happen.  Of course we make sure the area is as clear as possible, and administer his emergency med if it occurs for a long period of time.  But, afterwards, we can scoop Owen up and snuggle.  We can fold out the couch bed and watch a movie (one of his favorite activities).  We can bandage any wounds he got from falling, and seek any attention he might need.  But mostly we just spend time with him.

It doesn't feel like much, but I know that it is helping.  He is much calmer when he's surrounded by those he loves.  On bad days for Owen, our schedule often goes out the window.  We do the bare minimum to survive, and work on building fun family memories of togetherness.    Owen knowing that he is loved is much more important than a clean floor.

Owen loves water.  A warm bath can bring him much comfort.  As can playing familiar games on his iPad.  It's important to know what you child enjoys so you can help take their mind off of the troubles.   The iPad has been especially useful in the hospital setting when there's not much to do.  It's helped Owen through EEG prep (lots of wires on the head), and x-ray prep. 

4.  Remember to take care of yourself

In order to help your child, you have to remember to eat and sleep.  You are no good to anyone if you are harming yourself by not taking care of your most basic needs.  Nap together.  Take shifts with your spouse or other friend/family member.  Have a nurse sit with your child while you run to the cafeteria.   A long shower can sometimes make all the difference in the world when it comes to outlook on life.  You might need to be creative, but do what you can to make it happen!

5.  Focus on the positive & Create positive moments

If I only think about what is happening with Owen, it can be overwhelming.  I try to stay positive and upbeat--if not for myself than for the other children.  Having a sibling going through trials must be hard, so I remind myself that they are also struggling.  We spend time together counting our blessings.

Take a few minutes to watch the sunrise (or set).  Smell the flowers.  Make cookies.  Give or receive a warm hug. The small, positive moments help everyone.  Bring as many as you can into life. 

Watching your child suffer is perhaps one of the hardest things we'll ever have to endure as parents.  What strategies help you get through the rough times?