Recharging ...

We're taking a break this year.  Last year was a rough, tiring year.  Between Lyme Disease, My dad's passing, my knee surgery, and run away pigs we were not at all looking forward to our busy season this year.  After talking about the pros and cons Ryan and I decided we needed a year off to recharge.  We didn't get any calves or pigs this year.  We have one steer that will be butchered this fall for ourselves and we have a few chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese - and the garden.  My mom and step dad raised us a hog that is already done and in the freezer.  My posts have been few and far between - I'm enjoying summer with the kids. Playing outside and in the pool.  Spending Wednesdays at my moms pool for her day off with my sister and nieces  Doing a lot of reading on my Nook Color and swimming in our pool.  The garden is a little overrun with weeds at the moment but once we get some rain I'll get that taken care of - lots of veges in there - the pumpkin, zucchini, and cucumber plants are loving our hot humid days.  Last weekend we had a big party at the cabin in honor of Dad - we didn't eat much of corn I bought so we brought it home.  Danica and I shucked, blanched, and cut it off the cobs and stuffed it in freezer bags this morning while Sawyer was at VBS. 80 ears of corn = 16 -3 cup bags. 

Snakes, and snails, and puppy dog tails ...

I was sitting on the couch minding my own business reading my Nook this afternoon.  Enjoying a few minutes of peace and quiet.  The boys and Danica were outside playing. The boys came bursting in the door shouting about snakes living in the garden. Thoroughly engrossed in my book I didn't look up but said "Oh yeah, cool - just leave them alone". As they approached me Sawyer shoved his fist in my face with a handful (2) of squirming, slimy, disgusting, snakes crawling out of it. I screamed and jumped about 3 feet. This is all Ryan's fault and I'm sure only the beginning of disgusting things being brought into the house by gross boys. Yuck! *shiver*

Winter has finally arrived.

Snowpocalypse 2012

I plowed 3 hours ago.... Can you tell?

Its been a day...

At 10 o'clock I started getting Sawyer motivated for school.  It takes him awhile to accomplish anything.  I made him and Danica lunch and washed my hair.  I started putting my make up on when someone knocked at the door.  It was the mailman to tell me he just chased my steer and ram from the neighbors house all the way to ours and instead of turning into the driveway they kept right on going.  In the process he let the cat in the house and both dogs out.  I grabbed a hat to cover my soaking wet hair and ran out to the 4-wheeler to chase the animals.  After following them to the next corner they finally turned and ducked under the fence.  By now we were already 15 minutes late to pick up Sawyer's friend and leave for preschool.  I rounded up both dogs and tied them up and ran a brush through my hair.  Grabbed my purse and put the kids in the car to head off to preschool.  On the way down I realized I didn't have my debit card...and I still have no idea where it is.  I grabbed a few groceries after I dropped off the boys and took Danica up to a friend's house so I could walk the fence line to get the fencer running again.  I grabbed Ryan's gloves, the fencing pliers, insulators, and a piece of barbed wire because I figured the line would be broke somewhere and I sure as heck didn't want to have to walk all the way back to get some once I got out there.  The snow is too deep to take the 4 wheeler around especially with the plow on.    The deer are forever ripping up the fence in the corner of the field so I wasn't surprised to find a mess.

 

I untangled the bottom two wires and spliced the top one back together.

 

Snow up to my knees....should have put snowshoes on my Christmas list.



Only two posts down and another broken wire. This one I pulled so hard on the wire I was splicing that the wire broke and I had to start over. Very frustrating! After this one I would have been out of wire but the last time I fixed this corner I left an extra piece hanging on a fence post. Thank goodness too because this was just the beginning of broken wires on that back line.





There was 5 broken wires total.

At the furthest corner the insulator was broke off. Thankfully an easy fix because I was exhausted and sore and still had a ways to walk in that snow.





The second half of the fence just needed tightening in a few spots where it was sagging. After moving around some plugs and wires in the chicken coop I got the fencer plugged back in. (excuse the shakiness...I was out of breath and tired)

Music to my ears...

Weekends of late...

Adventures on the Page Farm

I sold me sheep at the end of August.  We were unable to catch the ram.  He's still eluding us.  So today the steers and the ram were up near the calf barn (which is an old 1 car garage).  I decided I would dump some grain on the ground in the barn and lure the ram in and close off the door behind him.  After a few failed attempts I finally trapped him and one of the steers inside.  I figured I just feed them both in there til Ryan got home.  I ran in the house to grab the cordless screwdriver and then climbed over the pallet I put in front of the door so I could screw it up there so the couldn't knock it over and get out.  The steer panicked. He decided the window Sawyer broke the glass out of a few weeks ago would make as good an exit route as the two doors he could have easily pushed his way through.  Mostly I was scared he'd get stuck and pull the garage down on top of me.  He made it out the window...taking the window sill with him around his neck and front legs.  I have no idea how we would have gotten that window sill off of him if he hadn't have figured out how to step backwards out of it while it was hanging down as he ate.  Interesting afternoon around here :)

Propane costs what???!!!

The snow is starting to fly around here so we enjoyed some of the last fall weather Friday while we finished splitting and stacking our winter wood supply. Danica played and Sawyer ran the wood splitter for me.

A New Dress...

I have seen a few of these online and I thought they were cute.  I didn't think they would be hard to make and I had a bunch of cotton interlock in one of my craft totes. So I found a tutorial on youtube and ....Voila!

My "One Thousand Gifts"

27 has been a rough year.  At one of our women's prayer groups we talked about looking for things to be thankful for even in the tough, trying times.  We were supposed to read a book called One Thousand Gifts. The week after I got the book dad took his life. I couldn't bring myself to read it. But through all of that and this knee surgery I've had it in the back of my mind.  I hope the ladies are still passing it around because I think I'm ready to read it.  When Jayne (the one leading our prayer group) described the book to us she said the author had fallen away from God somewhat (much like myself for awhile) and then someone dared her to make a list of one thousand gifts from God even in the midst of some horrible things she'd been through.

From Amazon.com - Just like you, Ann Voskamp hungers to live her one life well. Forget the bucket lists that have us escaping our everyday lives for exotic experiences. 'How,' Ann wondered, 'do we find joy in the midst of deadlines, debt, drama, and daily duties? What does the Christ-life really look like when your days are gritty, long--and sometimes even dark? How is God even here?' In One Thousand Gifts, Ann invites you to embrace everyday blessings and embark on the transformative spiritual discipline of chronicling God's gifts. It's only in this expressing of gratitude for the life we already have, we discover the life we've always wanted...a life we can take, give thanks for, and break for others.

So today on my 28th birthday I'm starting my list.  I will add to it periodically.

1- God led me to a church and a pastor who believes and preaches what I have believed in my heart for a long time.  He knew it would renew and restrengthen my faith.  So I would be closer to Him when things got really bad this year.

2- Because of the hard things that have happened this year my love for Ryan has become deeper than I could have ever imagined.  He knows me more perfectly than I ever realized or could have hoped for.  When to be my rock and when to let me do my thing.  When to push me a little further than I'd like to go and when to help even when I'm being stubborn and hard headed if I think I can do it on my own.  I can't imagine how I could love him more.

3- Landon, my big boy, is so helpful.  He is my right hand man.  Helping unquestioningly (most of the time) with chores, household duties, even changing diapers. If he doesn't know how to do something he's willing to try. I've seen him grow so much this year.  From one of my 3 babies to my oldest son, a young man already.

4- Sawyer, my baby boy, knows just when I need someone to crawl into my lap for a snuggle.  He, too, has grown up so much this year and is the big boy, helping, when Landon isn't here.

5- Danica, my little mini me.  I wanted a little girl so bad.  I think she pulls every clip and bow I put in her hair out just to spite me.  She truly is my joy.  She is always happy and never fails to put a smile on my face even when I think there can't possibly be a smile anywhere inside of me.

6- Amber, Heather, and Jake.  My sisters and brother.  I can't even put into words tonight how thankful I am for the way we grew up.  Its a very long, not so great story that tore us apart and brought us together, many times over, until we finally realized the four of us were what we would always need.  Who we could count on to be there unconditionally...if we needed to cry, a hundred dollars to get us to pay day, someone to stand vigil at our hospital bedside, to bail us out of jail at 3am, someone to laugh about turd fishing in the tub with, or to hide a body (just joking...sorta)  That childhood prepared us for this year.  For July 21st.  When all the world crashed around us we stood strong together.  When it was too much for one of us, the rest of us held that one up.  Truly all for one and one for all in every sense of the words.

7- My Mom!  Who would have ever thought that I would be HER mini me?  My mom and I have quite the history.  I'm not going to go into that either.  Today she and I can complete each other's thoughts.  We are so much alike its scary.  When no one else seems to understand I can call Mom and I don't even have to finish a sentence and she knows just what I'm feeling and just what to say.  Funny how when I was younger I thought there was no way we could be more different.

8- My Dad ~ He always said "There is something to be said about being a good person"  I hope when I die people think I'm half the good person he was.  That lesson is why I help people unconditionally, without expectations.  Why I forgive so easily.  Why I trust people more than they sometimes deserve.  Why I work so hard and strive to do the best I can.  And why I'm hard on myself when I know I could be, or do better.  He told me often "This, too, shall pass".  I've repeated those words a lot this year.  I only wish he could have believed them a little more.  I still hear him whispering them in my ear on bad days.

9- Ogema Baptist Church and its members.  Until this year I've disliked living up here.  I didn't know many people and I'm shy until I get to know people.  But the moment I walked into that church I felt like I finally belonged.  People went out of their way to introduce themselves, to make me feel welcome and to include me.  They have walked with me, prayed for me, and helped me through everything I've been through this year.  Some taking me to doctor appointments even though I was virtually a stranger.  Bringing me meals when it was difficult for me to get around.  Taking care of my animals when I stayed with my sister after dad died.  Making sure I came home to a clean house.  Offering to watch the kids so I could have breaks and rest when I needed it.  The list goes on.  They, too, have helped strengthen my faith in God and Jesus through their own faith.  Being around them and seeing and hearing their faith makes me want to be closer to Jesus too.  "There is something to be said about being a good person" and the people there really are. 

(to be continued....)

Ringing Pigs

Rooting in the dirt is a natural instinct for pigs; they do this to create a cool place to lay or to forage for insects. Pigs can overturn a field of grass or dig their way under a fence quickly and easily...





As you can see from the pictures we've tried many ways to discourage their escape but they are still able to dig and stay far enough under the electric fence that it doesn't zap them. So our only option to prevent the rooting is to put rings in their noses using very sharp triangular rings and a special pair of pliers...



Ryan caught each pig and held them while I quickly put three rings in each of their noses. The pigs are still able to root lightly but the rings make it uncomfortable and irritating to root deeply.

The pigs squeal more from being caught and held than from the actual piercing.


 This pig has hematoma (a pocket of blood and fluid) in his ear.  This is a result of shaking his head vigorously and injuring the ear or an injury that happened at birth.  He came to us like this and its slowly getting better.

Fishing with a 3 year old and a 1 year old ...

Getting back at her brother while he was napping...


Motor-less lake for fishing with the little ones...


Ryan spent the day fishing with Sawyer's pole more than his own...


Danica did her own fishing too....with donuts and cheese popcorn...


Who me?...


What day fishing with little boys doesn't include...  (notice Ryan fishing with Sawyer's pole again)




"A whittle one like me!"


Couldn't keep her from playing in the water no matter how hard we tried...


Supper at the lake...

Nothing better than free....

A month or so ago the power company cut a path under all the power lines. They delimbed all the trees they cut and chipped all the small stuff. We cut up the few trees they cut down in our yard. Lots of the neighbors have trees cut on their properties too that will probably be left to rot. Ryan stopped by some and asked if they knew who owned the property across from them. They told him a lady from Florida owns it and they watch the property for her. She hasn't been up in 4 or 5 years. Ryan asked if we could cut up and take the down trees for firewood. They appreciated that he asked. They were expecting someone to steal it during the night. There is quite a bit of hardwood. They gave Ryan permission to take it. We spent most of the day Saturday cutting wood, throwing it in the trailer, and hauling it home with the tractor. The boys had lots of fun helping and playing in the mud puddles. Danica took a long nap and played in the car for the little while she was awake.















And we added a new baby to the farm. Ryan brought it home in a gunny sack in his Saturn.