For Aunt Carey

I am Eight Months Old.

Quietly Grateful for the Rain

A rainy morning is a bit welcome.  It means I can stay inside and make granola and whatever else and take a break from outdoor work.  There's lots to unpack and settle and clean.

Yesterday's laundry that didn't dry in the rain (!) will head to the porch to finish up.

Grandma's percolator is going and the morning milk is chilling.  Looking forward to that first hot cuppa joe this day.

Homestead Barn Hop

1948 International Harvester~Can't you see this in the 4th of July Parade?

Sweetheart had bought the tractor a few weeks ago and had been waiting on it to be delivered once they attached the loader.  It just arrived and is already being put to use.  Hopefully, the weather will cooperate so that we can plow this week.  We've got lots to plant!

Everything is blooming!  We have so many fruit trees here.  We've been told we have apple, crabapple, pear, cherry and plum.  The wild plum trees are everywhere.  They almost outnumber the dandelions.

But not quite.  Lots of these!  Salads soon and maybe some Dandelion Wine.  The boys love to feed them to the goats and bring me bouquets of them.

Look closely.  The pasture is full of pink and blue Forget-Me-Nots.

Pumpkin is trying to blow grass whistles--"Like Margaret Dashwood, Mommy!"  

Dumpling exploring and digging with sticks.

Cupcake was napping.  I'll try to get pictures of her soon, Aunt Carey!  All the ones I've taken lately are blurry.  She's rolling everywhere!
***

While I was typing this up, rain started hitting the window next to me and in the same instant the goats started bellowing.  I got up and had to decide:  goats or the wash on the clotheslines?  The goats won this time.  Now I guess it will be awhile before the laundry is finished.  It rains a lot here.  :)

So, we're keeping busy here on the homestead.  In between the regular work, I'm busy pruning out all the dead growth I can.

Yesterday I spent at least an hour pruning one lilac tree.  It's eye level with me when I'm standing in the upstairs bathroom!  Who knew lilacs could grow so tall?  And all I pruned was from the ground up and as far as I could pull down to prune.  I'll worry about the higher stuff some other time.

I spent the morning working time clearing out the center flower bed of all the dead rose bushes and more.  I wish I had some "before" pictures!  I'll try for "after" pictures tomorrow. I hauled out several wheel barrow loads from just that one spot.

We bought our homestead in January and no one had lived in it for over a year when the 92 year old owner moved out.  Her husband had passed away a decade before, so regular maintenance just hasn't happened in quite some time.  We've done a lot and have so much more to do!

She apparently loved flowers which is a huge blessing to me.  Seeing all the new flowers bloom these last few weeks has been amazing.  Hope blooms!

And, I got three eggs last night.  Spring has sprung (finally) here in Idaho!

Our ongoing project:  the farm name.  We wanted to be Wiseacres Farm, but there is already one here in the state and the domain names are taken.  I suggested Roaring Goat Farm the other day.  Bella's days here maybe numbered.  (Maybe I should let her see the goat ribs I'm defrosting for dinner we got from the neighbors.)  The other goat, Eve, is fine and not at all noisy.  I like Nubians, but she is ridiculous.

Suggestions for names, and serving suggestions for goats, are welcome. 

Linking up to the Homestead Barn Hop!  Check it out! 

for u

just driving around a bit

just a few hours off with Cupcake along for the ride. i have a million thoughts, but can't seem to get them all typed. spring sure is pretty in these parts. in between rain and more rain, of course.

Busy Days

The boys are busy playing, the girl is busy being cute and we are busy unpacking! It's all finally here. It's been a long year. So, in between rain and snow, we are working away and dreaming of weather to plant in.

No Time to Write

But here are some pictures!

Wild Plums

Coming soon....

How's This One?

I tried to just put the fancy font on the extras and leave the posts plain, but haven't figured out how to yet.  So, until then I'll just be plain.  Is this font ok?  Size? Color?

I finished up painting the dining room today.  That took toooooo long.  But I learned a lot and hopefully we can figure out an easier way to do the rest of the house.  90 year old lathe and plaster that's been patched repeatedly just isn't easy to paint.  It looks better, but I think it could still look even better.  Just not by me and not right now. 

I'm still working on wallpaper removal, so the kitchen looks fantastic, let me tell ya.  No.  Not really.  It's one of those things that you wish you never started.  Kinda like removing the areas in the bathroom where they put wallpaper and contact paper over woodish paneling.  And the random picture of the puppy from the toilet paper package they'd glued on.  Dumpling was a bit sad when I ripped that one off.

I could go on and on about all sorts of lovely things were done to improve the house somewhere around the 60's, but I'm going cross-eyed and need to try and wash the paint out of my hair before I go to sleep.

Questions?

Our Pond

I've got a few questions for you all.

I changed the font awhile back.  I think it is pretty, but I agree that it is harder to read.  I enlarged the font size and darkened it just now.  Does that help?  Should I just switch it back to the plain font?  I am hoping the changes work.

Also, I became an Amazon Affiliate when we moved to Idaho as Colorado residents are not allowed due to state tax regulations.  I have been approved to join another affiliate program as well.  Here's the issue at hand.  I am looking for ways to add to our income as Sweetheart does not have a regular job now.  Every little bit helps.  I would be in control, I believe, about what ads and how many may appear in the side bar.  I don't want to become and endless commercial, nor do I want to drive away readers.  What are your thoughts?

And finally, what are you interested in reading about?  I think this place is pretty random.  It mirrors me, I know.  Life had changed a lot since I started blogging over four years ago.  Should I just keep on keeping on, writing about whatever strikes my fancy when I have ten free minutes?  Are you interested in more about the farm, what I'm chasing this day, how many eggs we've gotten (4!!!), what we're planting????  Are you  interested in more simple living things, making stuff from scratch, homemade herbal goodies and cleaners?????  Pictures of my adorable kids, updates on the kiddos, (Cupcake is rolling everywhere all the time!) silly things they say and do, (Remind me to show you the Lego Limited Edition Wives & Daughters Collection that Pumpkin built.) ????  Tea things?????

Just curious.  Thanks for any feedback you give me.

Mothers Day

 

I have been blessed with the most wonderful Mother.  Wish I was spending the day celebrating with her.  I miss her.  It is funny that Sweetheart is with her today and I am here alone with the kiddos.  Holidays seem to work out sort of wonky for us.  And that's just fine.  Too many expectations simply lead to disappointments and we have so much fun celebrating the ordinary days that it really works out fine.

I am excited though that I will see my Mom later this week as she is flying out to visit.  We've all missed her so much!  It'll be nice to just hang out and show her our new world.

My heart is heavy today, not for my being alone here with the kids though.  Because I see the blessing in just being able to be a Mother.  It's hard work, don't get me wrong, and I don't think I'd do too well as a single mom or a military mom at all.  But it's not that.

It's my heart aching for dear friends who have tried and lost and been unable for whatever reason, and for no known reason, to have the children they desire.  While I am blessed with all my crazy littles running around, and I do know the loss of one born to heaven, I've been able to have these dear ones. 

 But I want to laugh and take silly pictures of my dear friend's belly swollen-with-life, as I wish it was.  Not emptied for the third time of life at the same point of the pregnancy.  She is grieving, I know.  I think of my friend, blessed with one, and she is a blessing, but years have passed since then and there has just been more loss.  For other friends, losing loved little ones at all stages of pregnancy.  And I can't even imagine the suffering of those who little loves die so young.  

We have the hope of heaven, my dear friends and I.  Don't know how one survives without that.

So in the midst of flowers and brunches, and breakfasts in bed, enjoy the day.  Enjoy it all!  Enjoy it even if everyone has forgotten what day it is.  And say a prayer for all those Mothers whose arms are empty.

Picture It

Dumpling walking ahead of me, this cloudy, rain dripped morning.  Wearing his cowboy hat and and carrying the milk bucket he looks so grown up and silly boy all at once.  I wished I had the camera to capture the moment.  That's why I blog, really.  To be able to capture a moment, a thought, a pretty little thing~to notice the gifts in the little moments of life~renews and refreshes me. 

Not having my camera in hand, I simply tried to capture the image in my mind's eye to hold it there and smile.  I thought briefly about stepping back in to grab the camera, shook my head no and went on. See, I was holding the bucket of water for the goats in one hand and Cupcake in the baby carrier in the other.  Pumpkin is in charge of gates and we're all headed to the barn for morning chores.  To stop now would be a disaster.  Bella's bellowing her fool head off and it's an hour before milking time, but she won't stop and I'd like to silence her forever, but then we'd have no milk.

And so we're off to the barn and I'm trying to keep a happy heart and remind the boys to watch for the hole and to hold the gate for everyone and not trip myself up and be thankful the water hasn't sloshed into my shoe like yesterday and to just do the next thing all while praying for grace and patience and peace and help.

It's Day 2.  Sweetheart left yesterday to go back to Colorado and get the rest of our things.  It's been a long day and it's just started.  He got stopped in Wyoming due to the winds and we aren't sure how long this will all take.  It's been almost a year since we moved for the first time and I'm tired of not being settled.  I'm tired of not having a dresser, a place to put basic things. 

I want to not want, to be just perfectly happy here as it is.  But realistically speaking, it's not just my pride and vanity, though there is that component I know.  I would like the rest of the couches and chair parts so someone who comes in can actually sit down somewhere other than the dining room table.  The boys are missing their stuff as well and Sweetheart needs his tools and we've been doing pretty well overall I'd say considering.  But it's time for it to be over.

Did I mention I'm also trying to paint?  I am insane.  I know.  Whatever.  My goal is to finish the dining room and kitchen while he's gone.  I am having trouble getting the wallpaper off the plaster walls in the kitchen.  All ideas are welcome.  I'd love to pain all of the downstairs, but even I think that might just be too much.  See, even I know my limits.

So, feel free to pray for us all.  For safety and sanity mostly. 

Well, the boys are done eating breakfast and the girl is smiling away at me so I'll sign off.  Probably won't be on here much for awhile.  Unless I just need a break.  Plus, the wild plum tree next to the barn started blooming yesterday and I want to get some pictures of it to share...

Finally.

Someone laid an egg.  :)

I Miss You.

Just wanted you to know. (Thanks for the pictures, Roisin.)