What I've Been Up To

Hello friends. It's been a while and I feel it is time to give an update as to the comings, goings, and general happenings here on the farm and beyond. We have been busy around here and life is always happening. Time is not in abundance and everything has to have a priority. I am doing my best to be a good steward of what God has blessed me with and so, I have begun a journal so to speak to keep track of what has been done, what needs to be done, and anything in between. Farmhouse, homeschool, barnyard, and garden are my main sections with other subsections to help keep track. I am a person who must write everything down, if I don't I either forget what needs to be done or become overwhelmed with all there is to do. Writing is what helps me to think better and to know where I am in all of my to-do's.

This Fall was so beautiful and the kids and I found ourselves always making excuses for going outside. Thankfully we were able to be a little productive by enjoying the sunshine and picking up walnuts from our

walnut trees. I had such a wonderful time talking to the kids about the blessing of where we live, while watching them load the overflowing baskets with the little gems of nature's goodness and laughing at the same time. It does my heart good to see my children find joy in the simple things and to see their imaginations soar

with what God has provided in nature to play with. I am constantly at war with the temptation to let my kids

watch TV and movies. Maybe others think it a little thing, but I want my kids to grow up in reality. That a person knows how to think, how to work, how to enjoy what God has made, and that nothing is more important, exciting, or amazing than God is of utmost importance. The glitz of this world gives a false glow and it is unfortunately so alluring to children...and adults. My children have no idea how to operate a computer, get on the internet, or how to work the TV. They do know how to shoot their bows, catch chickens, cuddle chicks, and hunt for bison, grizzly bears, stone sheep, and moose in our back pasture. I am thankful beyond measure.

We were able to harvest our first animal on the farm a few months ago and it was truly a special experience. To have a steer arrive in a shrunken and wrinkled frame and to have had him end his days as a healthy, vibrant, and large animal was rewarding to say the least. The children were all present when the butcher arrived and they got to witness the whole process. There was no crying or shock, just excitement and interest in what was happening. The butcher was great with the kids and explained everything he was doing and how to do it. The kids got to see what the lungs, kidney, liver, and heart looked like and were amazed at how big Gus's stomach was. My little ones got to see firsthand where their food comes from and I was a happy mama to see that for them, as it should for all, this was normal and a day to be thankful. I was very pleased with how well our steers organs looked and the butcher said that he was very healthy. This is an animal who was true to the meaning of grass fed, no antibiotics, no hormones, no grain - just grass, sunshine, and time. Let me tell you

friends, the meat is some of the best we've ever eaten and we are thankful to have an extremely full freezer. I had the pleasure in the days to follow to render the tallow from our steer and it has beauty in its own right. There is so much to learn from living on a farm and caring for livestock. No matter what I'm doing, or where I turn, I see the hand of God intricately weaving glimpses of himself in what He has made. I am convinced that in my life of being a wife, mama, and shepherdess, that I am never far from the daily graces and blessings from the Lord.

Last week we got 30 chicks and let me tell ya, they are cute. It's difficult to be productive when there are so many adorable, chirping fuzzballs in the greenhouse brooder box. I go out often with the kids for obvious reasons, but I also let them hold the chicks quite a lot so the newbies get used to us. I have no use for crazy animals and so we will win the affections of our livestock either by handling or food. We are getting 20 more
tomorrow and so I've officially become a crazy chicken lady. Seriously, we're going to have almost 70 chickens total by tomorrow evening. Crazy. Chicken. Lady...   All joking aside we are taking a step of faith

and venturing into the egg business. I think it's something that is doable for my kids and I and so we have remodeled a second coop and are going to go for it. You will never know if you can do something unless you try. I have quite a few breeds living here on the farm because I like to try new things and I had a few new breeds that I want to give a try. Here is our chicken line up: Rhode Island Reds, Buff Orpingtons, Ameraucanas, Barred Rocks, Cuckoo Marans, and Black Australorps. The Ameraucana chicks are especially endearing because of their unique markings. Here's my favorite.


The most exciting thing that I'm doing right now is a little surprise that I'm doing for my dearly loved little ones. I feel so blessed to get to be a mama to the three precious souls that I've been given. There are some seriously hard, fall-on-your-knees-in-desperate-prayer moments and there are many melt-your-heart moments where there are silent prayers sent in a continuous stream to the Lord for His abundant mercy and grace. I have never felt the depth of my selfishness until I became a mama, nor have I felt the fierce love and willingness to do whatever it takes to care for another person, until I birthed a child. It is a miracle and a gift to be a parent, but it is also a tool for sanctification. Letters are my love language. I have begun a box for each

of my children am filling them with letters from me - their mama. One might be about my love for them,

another about what we did that day, and another may be about a struggle we are going through and I want

that child to know the whys and reasons why their mama handled it the way she did. I want to give my children a glimpse of themselves from their mama's perspective and tell them stories of what they did and funny things they said. I want to write them letters that will encourage them in the Lord and offer wisdom that I've learned so far. This will be kept a secret from them until they've grown and are ready to move out of the house. I pray and hope this will be a treasure and blessing for them since this will truly be from my heart. If you know my kids...mums the word.



There is so much more that I can say, but this must be enough for now. Following is a little collage of random happenings and bits of beauty that I've captured on the farm. I am forever grateful to my God above for all that He's given me and am thankful for you friends, readers, and fellow believers. I will do my best to be a more regular blogger once again. I'm thinking of doing a giveaway. What do you think?

Little Things

A few weeks ago, I had one of the best days I've had in a long time. It was one of those days that I could feel the Lord's working and shaping in my life. His presence was ever near and it was a sweet day of fellowship with the One that truly matters.

I am always thinking and scheming about how I can do something big for the Lord; something that would make a huge difference in the life of someone else. I have a list of things that I think are worthy of my thoughts and efforts and yet, that list seems so unattainable. It frustrates me to no end that I have all these burdens on my heart and I seem to be unable to do anything. 

We all want to do something big right? What about the little things? Or the daily events that we seem to just look at as unimportant?

This day was like any other. Nothing special planned and no outings to go and do. The day went along without a hitch and when the afternoon rolled around I knew I needed to start making dinner. Quite often I will make a meal that I know will feed our whole family and there wont be much, if any, leftovers. I was set one of these dinners, but for some reason I felt compelled to make something I haven't made in a while. In fact, I got downright excited to make it. Zuppa Toscana with corn bread...one of my favorites! 

Dinner time was quickly approaching and I did a quick look in the mirror to make sure I was not totally disheveled and was thankful to the Lord that I actually was on time with the meals preparations. Soup was ready, cornbread just came out of the oven, and the table was set. As I was on my knees in the pantry putting the granulated honey in the pot to melt it a bit, my hubby walked through the garage door into the house. No sooner did I peer over my shoulder to say hello than do I see a gentleman following my hubby through the door. I quickly got up and Seth introduced me to Casey. It is not abnormal for my husband to have a person to introduce to me due to him always hiring new employees for his construction company. I assumed he was new to the business and thought no more. I walked into the kitchen and Seth was showing Casey around and the kids were chatting away with our guest. 

We asked Casey to stay and have dinner with us and he kindly accepted. And was I ever so thankful that I made soup instead of a meager dinner!!! While the honey was melting, Seth quickly took Casey outside and showed him around the farm. I got a little curious as to why Seth was talking so casually with Casey rather than filling him in on business talk, but one look out the dining room window and everything made sense.

Let me give you a background on my man.

I had heard a few stories when we first began dating and experienced it in our early marriage. My generous hubby has been known from time to time to pick up hitch hikers and give them a ride or take them to dinner. While I love this about him, it also scares me. I'm sure I don't need to explain why. When we had our first child I asked him to not do it anymore because I didn't want him to get hurt (I won't get into details, but lets just say I know of an incident with a kid I used to go to school with and it makes me incredibly leery of this kind of thing). Anyway, I have become convicted recently about how much we are doing to help the poor and the needy and for reasons only God knows, Seth and I talked a few months ago and we decided if he felt let to pick up a hitch hiker, he should. 

So when I looked out the dining room window, I saw a back pack in the back of the truck...

I smiled to myself and actually laughed. I was so thankful to the Lord for the change of heart that I could rejoice in seeing the Lord work things out. I had made enough dinner to feed twice as many people as we had at the table and my husband brought a wandering soul into our home so we could talk, feed, and encourage him. My children got to see their parents welcome a stranger into our home and they didn't think anything of it. They in fact, loved having Casey there and he was great. Conversation seemed to flow seamlessly and we rather enjoyed hearing about his life and interests.

We can be so quick to judge and act out of fear. And this evening was the exact opposite. Casey was a true gentleman and was actually on his way home from visiting friends. He decided to hitch hike from Oregon to Georgia so he could meet new people and have an adventure. He works a couple seasonal jobs and was on a break. We talked at the table for quite a while and Seth asked if he was ready to go. Lets just say that it was so hard to not tell Casey he could sleep on our couch, when I knew he was wanting to continue on his journey. I felt very inhospitable, but this was how he wanted it. His only request was to try our raw milk because he never tasted it before. And of course, he loved it.

While Seth was dropping Casey off by the interstate (I know, I know), I was pondering over the Lord's providence and how He so perfectly orchestrates events in our lives. Once I got the kids to bed, I went outside to do the chores. I am a creature of habit and always do them the same way, but for whatever reason I decided to do things a bit different. I fed the cat, went to feed Franco, and then headed for the coop. With the layout of our fence and such I have to go through a gate to get to the coop and it's a good thing I went this route. Nestled in the corner of the gate was one of my Welsummer hens. I would have NEVER found her here because this is not the usual spot for a missing chicken to be, let alone the usual chicken. A Rhode Island hen is usually found roosting on the top of the run, so I would have never thought to look here. I picked her up and immediately thought, "Lord, you care about the little things too. Not just what I consider to be big, but you care for the little things too. Feeding and welcoming strangers into our home (big), but also a lone hen that might be harmed if left by herself in the night (little)." 

I tucked the missing hen under my arm and just thanked the Lord for His providence and care for His people and His creation. People are of infinite more value than animals, but that doesn't mean He doesn't care for them.

"Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows."

Matthew 10:20-31

I walked into the coop, turned the light on, counted chickens, closed the run door, and then set the hen on the roost with the rest of the girls. No sooner did I set her down than did I realize she had a patch of feathers missing from her back. She was fine, no blood, but she probably got too close to Franco and got a few feather plucked out. I thanked the Lord (again) for letting me find her and see that she has some feathers missing. I now knew to watch out for her just to make sure she's ok.

I went to bed just in awe of how the hand of God plans the steps of His children and changes our hearts to want to do His will. I will probably not forget this day as it had a profound impact in my life. 

***

A few days before we left for our trip to Wyoming I found a letter in the mail that was addressed to Seth. It was from Georgia and I was so confused as to who it could be. I didn't know Casey's last name and I for some reason thought home for him was Texas.

I called Seth and asked if I could open it and once given the ok, I ripped the envelope faster than you could blink. I about started to cry once I realized who it was from and thanked the Lord that we were able to show the love of Christ to one who we may never meet again.

Not sure if you can read the letter, but here is the second half of it:

"The whole trip, Atlanta- Colorado- Oregon- Texas was amazing, but one of the best highlights and probably the most memorable moments was getting the chance to meet you and your family. I can't thank you enough for your hospitality, kindness, and gifts. When people ask about this trip, yours is the first stay I tell. Please extend my greetings and thanks to Noel, Jude, Ella, and Leah. May you all continue to be safe and prosperous. 

                                             -Casey Tucker "

Reading this means more to me (and us) than any amount of money or wealth. We are thankful for the chance to have met Casey Tucker and we pray that the Lord will work in his life.

If I have one thing to say it's this, don't let an opportunity to do another person good pass you by because your are afraid or because it might make you uncomfortable. God is the only one we need to please and He always, always cares for His children. May we always live to please him and never forget the poor, the needy, or just the traveler passing by.

Coop Du Jour

Remember this?

I'd like to forget it. This has been one part of our farm that is...how you say, less than desirable to look at? It was an old green house and it also was the pump house. Even in it's 'day' I think it probably was still hideous. I'm serious. Look at this thing, it was definitely built for function with no aesthetic appeal. My opinion and I'm stickin' to it.

Now however things are different and we've torn down this wretch of an eyesore and replaced it with this!

Seriously, do I really even need to say anything? Probably not, but I will. Just continuously scroll up and down and join me in singing, "Hallelujah!" We've been needing a coop for our 'girls' for sometime now and finally finished this beauty. I've been wanting to post updates, but I knew that if I held back I could to an unveiling that this coop deserved. As you can see, this coop blows the ole shed out of the water. Or out of the field you might say. Or the universe, it might be a stretch, but I'd go with it...

***In the second picture you'll see a door, that leads to our water pump that goes to our well and is walled off from the rest of the coop. Just wanted to interject this cause I didn't add a pic of the inside of the 'pump house' part. Not very exciting looking at a water tank.

On the contrary THIS is VERY exciting!

Here we have the doors that open to the back of our nesting boxes. I had to leave for a few hours and had NO idea that my awesome superman of a hubby would make them look so nice. What a guy I have!

Bear with me, my excitement may manifest itself in words...and pictures.

My father-in-law built the roost and I must say it was very smart of him. What a great use of space! I love it and the girls love it too, which is a plus cause ya know, they like to roost and all.

My precious Ella wouldn't stop sitting on the bar. She found out why I told her it was not a great idea. Can you figure out what happened?

I wish I had this on my front door. I am always amazed at how many sales men and random people show up on my front door. I at times want to tie our dog to the door, I'm pretty sure no one would come a-knockin'.



Franco actually is the sweetest dog EVER, but for the undesirables comin' to my door...they don't need to know that.

Rabbit trail, back to the coop.

I love the men that God has placed in my life. What blessings to have a husband that is far beyond what I deserve and a son who lights up my life! Speaking of my boy, he LOVES the girls (the chickens that is) and has declared himself the best bird catcher ever! He may be right.

I am thankful to the Lord to be able to have such a nice coop and the ability to own and raise chickens. Such a blessing and I'm convinced that that first egg will taste so good. Mmmm.

Now that the coop is done, we are wasting no time and getting started on the garden. I hope it actually grows this year. Last year was a flop. Big time.

I will give you a quick glimpse into our gardening endeavor and also a look into the crazy stuff I find my adrenaline junkie hubby doing.

Yep, he's not satisfied with just moving the mound of wood chips, he has to be on it at the same time. Ugh! I keep telling him that I want to grow old with him. I hope he is listening...

If pictures are worth a thousand words, than I have spoken thousands upon thousands.

I have one more picture for you and let me tell you...it speaks millions.

I'll let you guess why...

The Reality of Farm Life

Or should I say...the reality of life?

There's no easy way to put this. So here it goes.

We lost a chick.

I'm so bummed, but after some time and thought I have had to come to the fact that this is reality. This is true whether or not you live on a farm, right? Big picture here...we are born, we live, and then we die. It happens to everyone and everything.

Sometimes faster than we think though.

I went out to check on the chicks Saturday night and found one separated from the rest and not doing well. As I picked up the poor chick I thought maybe it just got too cold and so I held it in my hand for a while under the light, hoping that the warmth was all that was needed to pick the little thing up. I also dipped it's beak in water, but it was not interested. Thoughts came flooding to mind as I kneeled down on the ground and hovered over the edge of the trough holding the helpless chick under the light.

I thought about life and death. I thought about the order of things here on earth and why it is that everything that has life follows the same cycle.  I also prayed for the little chick, but it wasn't to be that it would make it. In fact, the helpless creature died in my hand. Hindsight is 20/20 and that's a fact. When I first got the chicks and was in the process of putting them in the brooder, I noticed that one was trampled a bit. I didn't think much of it because there were quite a few chicks in the box and it seemed to be doing fine once it's beak was dipped into the water. The next morning I thought it was funny that the chick was so tired that it slept in the main area of traffic and hence, got ran over a few times. I moved it and it 'seemed' to be doing fine. During the day, I checked on the chicks often to make sure that the temperature was what it's supposed to be and yet again it seemed to be okay. Nevertheless, that night as you know, the poor chicky turned for the worse.

I'm sure if I separated it, it may have had a better chance but it never was really thriving to start with. I am a novice and as such, I am learning lessons. Albeit, the hard way.

This is the reality of farm life. Life and death happen, whether we like it or not. If your uncomfortable with this, then I'm sorry because this is life. If your really uncomfortable with this, then may I suggest you don't farm? Not meaning anything by this statement, just stating the truth. As a farmer I raise animals for food and plant gardens for food. Both have life and death cycles. My husband and I have decided to raise sheep so we can have meat to eat and to sell. Therefore, this Spring when we have lambs (Lord willing), if there are a few nice ewe lambs we will probably keep those for breeding, but everything else is destined for butcher. That's why we have them...so we can eat. We also plan on having a garden so we can have delicious, nutritious produce in which to eat, sell, and possible preserve for later consumption. We also are raising two cows, but I don't think I need to continue to explain the cycle, you probably get the picture. This is why we farm.  We farm so we can eat. Simple.

I love this life and this reality. Surprised? As a believer in Jesus Christ, I am not afraid of death because I know where I'm going. Sure I don't want to die right now because I want to grow old with my hubby and raise our children. However, I know that where I am going is infinitely better than life on earth, and so I have peace. I love that being granted to raise my kids on a farm has enabled me to show my children how to care for creation, how to care for themselves, and I get to watch them learn and see for themselves the order of life. Amazing!

All in all a chick was lost, but perspective was gained and played it's part in the big picture.

If your wondering, the rest of the chicks are doing GREAT! I'm serious, they are so fun to watch and the kids keep thanking me for getting them chicks. I will admit, I've had a little issue of their #2 sticking to their soft down feathers so I took it upon myself to rectify the situation. Instead of cleaning each bottom as it became messy, I decided to put a little vaseline on their hiney's so the said #2 couldn't stick. They were NOT happy when I did this, but they'll thank me later when I'm not wiping their booties with a warm cloth and clipping what won't come off with scissors. Is this to much info? I hope not because I even took pictures.

Oh yes...I did.

And, your welcome.

After the whole rear cleaning and slathering, my son Jude and I cleaned the brooder box, err trough. It actually wasn't that dirty, but rain is coming so I'd rather be cleaning it out on a sunny day than a rainy one. As you can see, my boy LOVES these chicks. Such a fun way to spend time with my lovey.

Looks better doesn't it? And sorry, the pictures should be swapped.

Reality can be hard to handle and reality can be joyous. I'm thankful that right now, my reality is a blessed one.

Chick Days

WE GOT OUR CHICKS TODAY!

Can you tell I'm excited? I hope so.

Let's rewind a year, shall we? Last winter Seth and I were planning on getting chicks. I was so excited I could hardly stand the suspense of coup building and chick ordering. Alas, we got terribly busy and realized that it really wasn't a wise thing to do, so we put them off for another year. I was disappointed to say the least, but I knew that it was the best decision.

This year we are still really busy, but feel like we are in a better position to add a new species of animal to our livestock. I am so very excited to raise chickens. I've never been a fan of birds, but I have a feeling that is all going to change now. Don't get me wrong, I will not be cuddling with a chicken, nor will I be kissing one. I do not consider livestock to be 'pets'. I thoroughly enjoy them, but out of pure enjoyment is not why my hubby and I have animals. They serve a purpose and that is...food. Yes, you heard me right.

I wholeheartedly believe that as the stewards of what has been given to us by God, we have a responsibility to raise, care for, and handle animals properly. Are they fed well and have water? Yes. Do they have shelter? Yes. Are they cared for when they get sick? Yes. Are they treated like my children and hugged, kissed, and fawned over? No.

Sorry, but you won't ever hear me refer to my animals as my 'four legged children'. Won't happen.

You will see me thoroughly enjoying, caring for, and sometimes laughing at the farm bums antics. You may even get a few names uttered under my breath when the jerk-faces, err sheep get out.

My point is, and yes I've got off on a tangent (sorry, probably won't be the last), that I want to convey that while I enjoy my animals, they aren't equal in my affections for my kids, hubby, family, and so on.

Alright now that we have that taken care of. What were we talking about? Oh, yes. Chicks!

I had my wonderful man video me surprising the kids with the baby chicks. Their reactions were so sweet and animated. Mainly my son Jude. He should be a professional storyteller.

We also took a bunch of pictures. Here's a brief look at our afternoon. It was lovely and sooo much fun!

Have you not had enough chick goodness? Well, here's a video of me surprising the munchkins.