Life lately...

Hi,

I thought I would give you a little glimpse of what we've been up to lately along with a few photos from my phone. 

Summer has arrived in the PNW.  We've been enjoying sunny days with temperatures in the 80's for a couple of weeks now.  By enjoying I really mean taking advantage of the dry weather and taking care of much needed projects on our property.  Mostly splitting rounds for desperately needed firewood. We nearly used up all we had last winter.   We've also been cleaning up by collecting the many downed branches, running them through the chipper, and spreading all that mulch where it's needed (hydrangeas beds, chicken run, etc.)  

We come in hot, sweaty, filthy, and completely exhausted!  It feels good to work hard, to feel sore muscles.  It's even better than a workout at the gym- I'm sure we burn just as many calories and notable progress is made on the property. 😀  After work like that, we reward ourselves with ice cream cones, and don't feel a bit guilty about it!  

I even found some gluten free ones at the grocery store.  I'm so glad because we have taken Mary Anne off gluten now too.  She was exhibiting signs of intolerance with very red, rough hands. Hannah suffered just like that too.  Wanting to avoid a Hannah situation with Mary Anne, and with Sarah having been diagnosed with Celiac's... it just seems prudent.  

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We have a small garden this year, but what we do have is growing!  This year we planted zucchini squash (because we love zoodles), spaghetti squash because it's a great substitute for pasta spaghetti, butternut squash because we use that in our breakfast bowls, beets, basil, green beans, and lettuce.  

Oh, and weeds.  😏 So far so good. 

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Once we are done with school for the year, I take the rest of June to absolutely NOT think about any aspect of it.  

Now that it is July, I've started thinking about next year - what we need to study, and what curriculum we have on hand that we can use, what I need to buy, and school supplies we need.  Can you believe we have graduated half of our children?!  This year I will have one new to high school (Dan), and the three little girls.  (4th, 2nd, and 1st.)  I can officially give my kindergarten curriculum away.  😮  I've just about finished deciding on what we'll cover.  I only have a few things I'll need to buy, and then to do the nitty-gritty of lesson-planning.  

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So far this summer I have done ZERO canning.  Usually I buy flats of strawberries, and then flats of raspberries. Some for jam, some for eating.  There was so much rain the first part of June, that it has delayed harvest times of everything.  I kept watching for them - U-pick signs along the road are the first clue that the picking season has arrived.  I never saw a one!  I missed it.  Thankfully, Costco carries frozen organic strawberries year-round! 😀  I do hope we haven't missed raspberry season. Have you ever put a blueberry inside where the raspberry stem was?  So good!  You should try it. You should also try a chocolate chip there too.  You'll thank me!

I like to put raspberries in a quart of white wine vinegar and let it sit for a couple of weeks.  The vinegar gets infused with the raspberries.  I use the infused vinegar to make oil/vinegar salad dressings.  

My other favorite thing (besides just eating them as is) is to make raspberry sauce for pancakes and waffles.  Just cook the raspberries on low and add a bit of sugar (only a little)  It makes for a super delicious ice cream topping too.  

We will try to go blueberry picking, but if we miss that too - well...Costco to the rescue.  Yay for frozen, organic blueberries!

I used to can peaches, but I can not find a source of organic that is affordable for canning.  So - we just enjoy eating them in season.  

Last year I canned a TON of applesauce, and we have only 3 jars left!  Did you know applesauce makes a great egg substitute? (1/4 cup = 1 egg) It also makes a great oil substitute. (1:1) And, if you use a variety of apples you will not need to add sugar!  It's amazingly delicious!  

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We lost a goat.  

Long story long...

I had taken the girls on a little "adventure" day over to Camano Island to check it out and escape the heat.  Hannah thought it would be fun to pack along a secret treat for when we got there.  We thought it would be so fun to pack ice cream and cones to eat on the beach when we got there.  How fun is that?  Kind of a reward for a long drive.

It took us just shy two hours to get there, but when we arrived at the trail head parking, there was an ambulance.  Having never been there before (so not knowing how long the path to the beach was, and not wanting to get in the way, we opted not to get out of the car, but dished out ice cream cones in the car instead.  Believe it or not, the ice cream survived.  The girls were thrilled - almost like eating leftover pie for breakfast!

My impression of Camano Island - it's quiet and scenic.  It's what I imagine Deer Isle, Maine to be like.  I could definitely see Eric and I living there in years to come (you know the ocean is forever calling to me.) The only thing it seems to be missing is a charming little town with gift shops, an independent book store, etc.  We didn't explore the whole island, so maybe there is one.  

Anyway, the day was a hot (89 degrees - that's hot for Washington!), and once we were home the girls asked if they could sit on the back deck and play with water toys. (a bucket filled with water and toys like army men or pocket dolls or whatever.) Abbie went out first and discovered one of our goats lying on a stairs that lead up to our deck.  She came in crying saying that Kaanapali was there bleeding and missing a leg!  

We immediately thought a bear got to her, but the more Hannah and I thought about it, that didn't really fit the circumstances.  It turns out, as I looked closer, that she wasn't really missing a leg, but she had skinned it, but good and was bleeding a lot.  It was a mess! I'll spare the gore-y details, but suffice it to say, we had to put her down.   We have only three now.

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Ellie's chickens are doing well, even the one that was missing for a few days.  At least I think they are well.  We are only getting an egg or maybe two per day from four hens. 😒  I'm not sure why.   We quit giving them so many scraps so that they would eat their feed to ensure the proper nutrients needed for egg-laying. Ellie is good to check their water each day.  If you've have chicken experience, we'd love your advice!  (she has four hens, one was in the coop.)

. . . . . 

My calendar is filled with doctor's appointments.   For a time, while Eric wasn't allowed to drive due to his broken collar bone, I was taking him to all of them, but now I only go to the ones with the rheumatologist. (for moral support and catching details from the doctor's conversation.) There are appointments for Hannah too (still trying to get to the heart of her digestive issues), and for Mary Anne - she has begun vision therapy.  

Also - for the next few weeks I'll be taking a dear friend to chemotherapy appointments.  Nothing like that to give one a bit of perspective.  I catch myself complaining about something and then realize that I have NOTHING to complain about.  I am privileged every day to do life with my favorite people!

. . . . . 

Eric and I are just about ready to take our coffee roaster exam.  There is so much to know - from seed to cup how coffee is grown and processed, to green coffee buying, to cupping, to brewing and extraction, and of course all aspects of roasting.  It's exciting and scary all at the same time.    

. . . . . 

So life is pretty busy, but the schedule is loose, which is one of the best parts of summer vacation.  

- Carol

Snow and farm stuff

Hi Friends! 

It's our first snow day of the season.   For about a week the weathermen have been saying snow was on the way.  Each day that the ground was bare the kids were so disappointed. 

When we woke up this morning it looked just like a snow globe outside with flurries swirling in the wind.  Baby, it's COLD outside! 

Sometimes the snow is fun.  Other times it is just bitter cold and makes some hard jobs even harder. 

This was one of those times.  This morning we discovered one of our goats had died.  

We started our herd with three goats.  She was one of the three.

Zuma (03/2005 - 12/2016)

She was a sweet and gentle goat, and patient and agreeable on the milkstand. 

Life on a farm may often seem idyllic, but the harsh reality is that chores need to be done in all kinds of weather.   The water buckets freeze and chores take much longer.  Digging a grave in the hard, frozen ground is no exception! It's not easy!  Hard work does build character though.  Hard work is not bad, though we are led to believe it is.  God created work for us and I believe it to be satisfying...when done well. 

 I'm proud of Dan for managing this.  He is strong.  He is also astute.  He mentioned to me last night that he thought Zuma wouldn't be with us much longer.  She was acting unusual yesterday- not greeting him, not even getting up to eat when he filled the trough with hay.  It was like she was just too tired.   Last evening when securing them all in the barn, he gave her an extra hug and gently talked with her.

Zuma had a funny personality.  She was so docile, but also either deaf or indignant.  If you had something of interest to her, she may come to see you, but otherwise she would just continue on grazing without a care in the world - even if you were honking the car horn for her to move.

Silly Zuma, we'll miss you!

the stuff of life...

I found these pictures on my phone that I quickly snapped on our way out to church a while ago, and I forgot to post them with the haircut photos.  We got the ideas from this book.  

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In other news.  My basil is not too happy!

We've had LOTS of rain.  Many places are baking with triple digit temperatures, while we've been hovering in the low 60's.  Summer, where are you?

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By now you know I'm not much a clutter bug-saver girl.  We are regularly passing stuff on to Goodwill. The few yard sales that I have done in the past, have never been very successful, but I had a few bigger things and thought I'd give it a try again.  A friend offered the use of her driveway since she gets lots of drive-by traffic. The forecast looked promising...

until a bit later...

But...her Queen Elizabeth roses are beautiful!

Needless to say - I came home with most of my stuff.  :-/
If you are local and you like this dresser...

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Meanwhile the hydrangeas love the rain and I am so glad! They are my favorite!

I've been cutting lots of bouquets to enjoy inside.

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Our garden this year. 

Radishes, lettuce, zucchini, and butternut squash are the only things so far poking their heads up out of the ground.  Both Eric and I agree that since our growing season is short we will begin our garden with starts from now on. 

Instead of investing in a new rototiller (next year), I am in favor of raised beds instead.  I love the look of them, and the kids and I could manage turning the soil.  I think we'd get more out of our space too.  

If you have experience with raised beds, feel free to leave any tips you might have.  :-)

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We still have goats (six).  We are not milking any at the moment.  We are sort of at a cross- roads with that. 

Having fresh, raw milk for drinking and making cheese is such a blessing, but with Hannah being allergic to goat milk (and possibly other children too) along with longboard events that would require us to find a farm-sitter/goat milker, it hasn't been a priority.
At the moment, they are weed-eaters which is equally helpful.

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We had a surprise visitor. 

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I picked up a flat of strawberries.  They are were the epitome of summer!   I need to buy another flat.  I also need to do some jamming.  I've come across some freezer jam recipes that sound interesting - combinations of fruit like strawberry/plum - and don't require pectin (which is often GMO).

Did you know that raspberries are actually candy?  :-)  They are just.so.good!

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Costco has been carrying thin cut pork chops.  The package contains enough for two meals for our big family.  :-)  

Here is a delicious marinade I found in the latest Costco Connection magazine.  It was for Pork and Watermelon Kebabs.  I didn't end up making the recipe as kebabs, but I did use the marinade and it was super yummy.  

Pork chop marinade
6 Tbsp. brown sugar (maple syrup or coconut sugar would be equally good, I think.)
6 Tbsp. soy sauce (coconut aminos)
6 Tbsp. diced red onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp. lemon juice (fresh)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. ground thyme
dash of pepper to taste

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Still going through pictures of our recent trip. 
Beautiful scenery - and Mt. Adams.

and a different kind of coffee art. 

It's hard to believe we just about half way through the year.  Our niece arrives in a few days.  We have an adventure or two planned, but also lazy days full of reading and relaxing.  

Enjoy the sunshine - we finally are.


~Carol 

Teachers: rocks, gardens, and tea.

A few of us have been under the weather the last few days, one of them being me.

 

Yesterday, though not feeling tip top, I thought I'd spend a little fun time with the kids on our garden rock project.  What better way to get out into the warm, fresh air for a change of pace and perspective.

 

 

Daniel wasn't really very interested in painting rocks. I was a little surprised, but what struck me was his maturity. He was willing to do what he did not want to - happily, so that he could be a help with the little sisters and be a blessing to me too.

 

 

Mary Anne, on the other hand, couldn't wait to paint! 

 

I thought it would be an easy, low-key, fun thing to do since we could be outside, but somehow this particular project just stressed me out, despite my best efforts to prepare.

Part of it may have been the mess along with my lack of energy, or maybe it was their bickering and whining.  Sadly that lead to my sharp tongue.  It grieves me so that I still struggle with that.

 

"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. " ~ Proverbs 15:1

I know that and yet... 

 

My character is revealed and refined - through God's Word - by way of parenting!

Here are a few of the rocks ready for the words.  I had the children paint them solid colors so that they will still be easily seen when things start of grow, and cover.

 

We've had such beautiful, warm, sunny days, but rain will return this weekend.  Eric was so sweet to plant the garden for me.  We usually work together planning and planting, but one must make hay while the sun shines, or in this case - plant the garden, and I just wasn't feeling up to it.

We planted from seed.  We'll see how is goes and grows.  Lettuce, kale, Swiss chard, green beans, beets, cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkins, along with some herbs and nasturtium and sweet peas for color and fragrance.

 

I am thankful for our little garden and how it sustains us through the summer with fresh food.   I am hoping for enough green beans and beets to can.  I think beets are like candy!

 

I am still such a novice gardener, when the seeds start to sprout, I find it hard to tell what is the plant and what is a weed.  When I spend time in the garden, I often end up thinking on spiritual things.  I am reminded that I must regularly pick out the weeds in my own heart.

Pride, selfishness, discontentment.  Even the thinning of the beets, which allows the ones that remain to be full, and big, and strong,  reminds me to thin out the extras in my life so that what remains is of good quality.

Here is another thing we enjoy on warm days.

 

 

Sun tea brewed with Original Good Earth tea.  It really makes the best iced tea.

My jug holds one gallon of water.  I usually use just 5-6 bags of tea because Good Earth is sweet and spicy and strong. 

 

Have you ever heard it said that we are like tea bags?  Once hot water is poured over us {hot water being trials} - what is the result in the water?  Our actions show what is in our heart, and it is the trials that often bring that to the surface - sort of like brewing tea.

What's in my tea bag?  What flavor am I?  I know what I'd like to be.

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While outside today, the kids discovered a bird's nest.  There in the hillside.  There is at least one baby bird inside, but we didn't get a really good look since we didn't want to disturb it too much. 

 

Do you know the kind of bird that builds a nest like this? 

And here is the baby

 

 

and the baby.

 

 What cute kids!

 

Hoping your spring ~ almost summer ~ days are filled with joy.

 
 
 
 

Life lately

This is my new favorite, no-fuss dinner. 

Pork or beef roast covered in your favorite BBQ sauce. 

{This one from TJ's is mine.}

 

 After it has cooked on low all day and made the house smell absolutely heavenly,

shred this flavorful meat, then serve over baked sweet or regular potatoes. 

 

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Heading up to the house after some farm chores.

 
They adore their big brother!

 

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I had the Littles collect some rocks for me.  I want to use them as garden markers. I still need to wash them, but when they are dry, I'll have them paint them solid colors and I'll add the words. 

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Matthew just tilled our garden again and it is ready for planting. 

 

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The blueberry bushes are very happy this spring.

 

 Once they start bearing fruit, I hope we'll get to the berries before the birds.

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Daniel found a little friend. 

Can you see him jumping away?... yep, the green blurry thing.
Daniel went to point at him and away he jumped.
 

I can't help but marvel at God's design. 
That frog is EXACTLY the same color as the grass.
 

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Kanapaali is three weeks old already.  

This kidding season was different from others, giving us yet another learning curve.   In the past we have bred two goats.  This season we only bred one.   Often Kinders birth multiples, but in the event that one would only kid with a single, there were the other babies from the other goat.  Once we separate the babies away from the mamas, they have each other for company.
Poor little Paali is all alone.

Goats thrive being together, but integrating a new little one into the herd is hard to do without Mom nearby to protect her and show her what to do. 

She wasn't taking to the bottle well.  Our goats are very friendly and tame, but they wanted nothing to do with this new little "thing".  She was so lonely.  Thankfully, we noticed early on that she wasn't thriving after being separated from Mom.  We decided to put her back with Mom during the day.  They are both very happy and Paali is adjusting so much better now.

 

It was so nice to enjoy some time outside in the sunny weather.  We've had so much rain, and NOT just sprinkles or drizzle.

 

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We are still plugging along with school studies too.  Some subjects are just pages away from being finished, while others still have a bit more to go.  It's hard to stay focused this time of year.  I think all of us are anxious to enjoy some free time...picnics in the sunshine, new places to explore.  It's coming soon, just a little bit more.