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?
