Planting Time!

I am by no means a gardener!  This year I am going to give it try, AGAIN!  Last year's drought was enough to turn a person away from ever trying to garden, but I am going to put in all my efforts and try again.  Such is life... keep trying and maybe... just maybe, you might get the goal accomplished.  If not, well, at least, you tried!! 

On March 19th I started some bell pepper seeds in trays that are sprouting up.  I hope they get growing bigger soon.... ugh!  I am so impatient!  Really, I just know it heats up in Texas fast and I want to get them well established in the ground soon.  Bell peppers have gotten so pricey, so this is an important crop for me.  I remember growing up buying bell peppers for 4 for a $1.  Long gone are those days!

On that date I also planted some seeds in containers.  I just love old galvanized tubs and such!  Several years back I acquired a few and use them for various plantings.  Mostly, I have done flowers in them, but I have tried a few other things.  This year I am going to use them for herbs mostly.  So, I planted oregano, cosmos, dill, chives, basil, morning glories, and parsley.  Of course I had to do some flowers... and those seeds were super cheap (like a quarter!). 

Today it was time to break out the tiller.  And I am sooooo tiiiiiiiiiiiiired now!  Cody did the tiller and I worked the rows and planted.  And I have no clue really what I am doing... well, some clue, but not a lot.  I planted a few things that are probably not going to make well due to the heat, but I had the seeds so I decided they were good for nothing just sitting in a package anyway.  I did consider this and tried to plant those things in areas that have a little more shade cover during some parts of the morning and evening.  I planted two diffferent lettuces and spinach.  Also, two wide rows with radishes and carrots.  And about 60+ white onions.  I am mostly hoping to get onions from this planting area.  Cody tilled up another larger bed that we planted 4 varieties of beans in.  Three are green beans for snapping and one is some kind of Cherokee Wax Yellow bean.  If those make (they were old seeds), then they will add a splash of color to our meals.  We tend to be green color food lovers.  Odd... I know! 

And after all that I picked up some more seeds tonight.  Oh my!  And a lot of tomato plants.  And I just want to share a little trick to getting more for your money when buying tomato plants (and some other plants).  I was buying little 4-packs and if you look at the stems and count them sometimes there are 2 or more where one should be.  One of my 4-packs had 7 actual stems in it.  If you are really careful you can pull these apart  and have more plants.  You just have to gently pull them apart without ripping at the roots.  I purposely searched through the available 4-packs to try to get some with extras and I was very lucky tonight. Woo hoo!  The plants are pretty tiny, though and that makes me a little nervous. 

Tomorrow after church I will plant my tomatoes and start thinking about the rest of my little gardening venture.  With all those seeds it may turn into a not so little gardening adventure, especially because I have every intention of buying some purple hull and crowder seeds (peas) at the feed store, also. 

Meal Planning Thoughts and My Crazy Whims -- UPDATE #2

I think I should make this a series.  it could be quite comical!!  While many of you are very successful at meal planning, I am just not.  I am a complete failure in this area.  Even when I have a great plan I manage to completely get off track.  This week has been the PERFECT example.  And I don't use that word lightly.... PERFECT.... I could not have gotten further off the meal plan (or life plan for that matter) if I WAS TRYING TO.  LOL!  So, I am going to copy and paste in the meal PLAN that I made for this past week.  I am going to type in another color the REALITY of the situation.  You will see... it is quite insane... and comical really.  Here goes:

• Monday -- Chicken Fried Steak, Scrambled Eggs, Mashed Potatoes, Brocolli, and White gravy (*we have lots of eggs to use up and scrambled eggs are yumm-O alongside Chicken Fried Steak... and if you have never tried that then, YOU SHOULD)
• Mondays REALITY --  I took out my Cube Steak to thaw, but apparently not early enough because when dinner time came it was frozen still.  {sigh}  So, here I go trying to pull another QUICK dinner off.  Cody had bought some Zummo Sausage that he loves, so that now made it to the menu.  I started my veggies on the stove... steamed brocolli, green beans, and corn and then fired up the grill.  I put regular sausage with BBQ sauce on the grill and the unsauced Zummos on.  See... nothing at all like the plan.  And guess what folks?  Now, I have partially thawed Cube Steak that is going to have to be cooked this week.  So, the plan will be to change the Tuesday menu... ahhhh... but watch what happens.
• Tuesday -- Homemade Pizza Party & Salad (Sierra has been requesting this and I keep forgetting. She got a little set from her MiMi for her birthday last month that has little aprons, hats, etc. for four kids to decorate and use. She will be happy, happy, happy!)
• Tuesdays REALITY -- Well, now we NEED to use that Cube Steak don't we?  Sierra little pizza night is out the window for now and it is a good thing she has not seen this menu plan.  Oh, but guess what?  I checked my email and see that I had forgotten about an event.  We could go tour a small dairy farm operation tonight.  TONIGHT!  So, I realize that if we are going to do the dairy farm we better do it or risk losing the chance.  We need to leave the house at 2:30 and plan to be gone until bedtime.  Ohhh... that soooo kills the meal plan.  Ha!  And not only that we need a quickly planned picnic of peanut butter sandwiches and snacks.  Not to awesome, but it had to be that way.  We did come home and have some quick burgers via fast food before heading off to bed.   
• Wednesday -- QUICK MEAL -- Pork Chops, Green Beans, Carrots, Mac-n-Cheese (and rolls if I remember)
• Wednesdays REALITY -- Well, that Cube Steak has GOT to be cooked.  And it is totally not a Wednesday night "quick meal", but we are going to change some things and do it anyway.  So, I decide not to spend time peeling potatoes and this is what we had: Chicken fried steak, white gravy, scrambled eggs, and green beans.  But this was a big pack off meat and there is more off it to cook, so that is going to change tomorrows plan as well.  ;)
• Thursday -- Fried Fish, Rice dish, Some veggie, corn hush puppies (We have access to a lot of fish... free... so I need to really cook it once a week. I forget... which stems from so many pregnancies and the concern for mercury in fish.)
• Thursdays REALITY -- I HAD TO use that meat... Otherwise, I would have thrown it away after today.  It was still fresh.... no funky smell whatsoever (I have a serious phobia of meat over 3 days).  So, I sliced it up into strips and cut those small to make Beef Tips.  So, we had beef tips with rice, brocolli, and crescent rolls.  I think Cody had a burger because he forgot to tell me he would be gone.  This happens, at least, once a week.  I tell him to write it on the calendar, but he just forgets.  So, he missed out on a great dinner that the kids devoured.  Poor daddy!
• And the rest of this week... below (Friday-Sunday).  I can just tell you... it is not going to happen like this.  I will either fix these meals OR one of the meals that was originally scheduled for a previous day.  {sigh} ... and life goes on. 
• Friday -- Co-op Day -- Taco Salad and Chile con Queso with chips (As I look at this I notice that this is wrong anyway.  Co-op is next week.  But we also now have someone stopping by for help with a sewing project and some other company coming for the evening.  Yep, this meal will change.  laughing..... )
• Saturday -- Last Days of Christ - Might want to go out to eat nearby (Now this one might actually happen, especially since I plan to spend the day gardening.  laughing some more!!!)
• Sunday -- Baked Chicken with potatoes/carrots/onions and seasoned juices with brown rice, homemade bread/rolls (maybe...... we'll see!  crazy me laughing some more...)

Is that not the cRaZiEsT thing ever?!!!!  I don't think it is possible to deviate further from a plan, but such is my life.  We are "whimish" type people.  I want to be able to be flexible, but sometimes it leaves me crying.  This week I was fine... no tears over it, but other times this would have had me at my breaking point.  I still PLAN to keep making a meal PLAN, but I can tell you that I would not have changed this week.  Well, if that meat would have thawed out on day one that would have been great.  It is likely that I would have MOSTLY followed the plan, but I had to use that meat after thawing it.  And that Tuesday night dairy farm event was awesome.... great friends, great fellowship, great time meeting the most hospitable people I have EVER met, great learning opportunity, and great day venture.  I would trade a million yummy meal plans for peanut butter sandwiches for opportunities and evenings like that one!!!

Watching Things Grow

I love watching things grow!   Yesterday I discovered a birds nest in our backyard with 4-5 tiny little eggs in it.  So, today we had little "field trips" in the backyard.  Sienna was content playing in the dining room, so I told the older four that I would take them out in pairs for a little backyard field trip.  This would leave one older child watching over Sienna while we were outside.  I took them out and showed them the little nest and eggs and also, I took this time to show them the progress of some seeds I planted on March 19th.  It is so neat to see things springing to life and pushing through the dirt.  I am not sharing pics at this point because really you would be looking a little patches of dirt with tiny specks of green.  It is not quite photo worthy in my opinion at this point.  The most remarkable growth (and this one is actually photo worthy to some degree) is the Morning Glory seeds I planted.  Those seedlings are actually already 3-4 inches in heighth and the leaves are about one inch long.  I had no idea they are such fast growers, so if you are wanting your kids to see some action in a hurry I would highly recommend planting some morning glories.  It might be a long time before blooming and full maturity, but you do see quick growth early on.  In addition to that I have dill, oregano, basil, and chives sprouting up.  All of those are super tiny, but definitely pushing there way into the world.  I also have a pot that I planted a full packet of Cosmo seeds in and they are sprouting up quickly, as well. 

Each day we are going to continue to watch for growth in the backyard.  I can not wait to see those little baby birds hatch out.  And the kids are so excited to take our daily little backyard field trips.
 
This Saturday I think we will try to do some planting of our veggie garden items.  I tend to get ahead of myself and buy lots of seeds, so I am all ready to go.  I really want to get out of my box and just start planting things and taking a chance on how they do.  Sometimes I think I need a well planned garden, but I am starting to think that I need to just start marking off some little areas and poking seeds in the ground.  I need to take that chance and see what will just grow easily here.  I think we tend to make it more complicated sometimes.  I would love to look up one day and have growth all over out little acre here in town.  I want to use this acre... really use it.  I am thankful in many ways that I do not have several acres to manage, because let's face it.  Most of us aren't even "using" the acre we have.  If I can learn to manage this one little acre well, then one day I hope to add more.  I grew up on land.  My parents had eleven acres... and for the most part we were the only things growing on it.  I loved the large piece of land, but honestly I think I can grow as much right here where I am at.  Of course, I am not going to have any livestock that would have odor issues here in town, but we can choose other things to do.  I want to continue with raising chickens for eggs.  I would like to raise ducks for eggs and hatchlings.  The rabbits will always be just a fun project for our kids, I think.  Selling the babies is not profitable for us, but we never meant for it to be.  I would like to raise chickens for meat, but first I have to convince my husband to kill them.  He likes them.  I do, too.  He does not like the idea of killing them... so, I guess I need to find some ugly chickens for the cause.  I want to learn to garden.  I can grow flowers well.  Surely, I can manage to improve with the veggies and fruits.  The first step is getting it in the ground.  Then, we can watch it grow.

Preparing Animal Housing

Everytime we add another creature to our little acre around here we have to give it great thought.  We have to consider it's affect on our small area and on our neighbors.  What we don't really do well is plan ahead too much.  We get the "creature" and then, worry about it's future housing.  We always have and immediate housing plan like small cages, but not the long term housing ready.  Part of this that if we get a creature that is not a wise choice we have not invested a lot of time and money for something we are going to get rid of. 

So, this is kind of how it has gone....

We had three rabbits and two small cages (3' X 3' X 3').  That worked until we had our first baby rabbits born and suddenly we had to put daddy rabbit in our old dog kennel temporarily.  The search and planning HAD TO begin.  I was making calls to check wiring prices and surfing the internet to plan making our cages.  Ultimately, I got an "easy button" on that one.  I found someone locally that was selling cages for cheaper than I could build homemade ones.  We were able to purchase two sections of caging with five caging areas in each (also referred to as a "five hole").  Rabbit caging problem solved.  Also, at some point we have adopted some lop rabbits (one for free and then, added the other three for $30 complete with cages, etc.), so we also have some other small cages here.

We decided to try out having chickens and we ventured off to the feed supply store with no idea how many we were coming home with.  I thought a couple chicks would be good.  I asked my husband and he said a dozen.  With little thought I basically just got two of each breed that was available that day and that made it ten little chicks.  We brought them home and put them in ONE of our first cages we had used for the rabbits (3x3x3).  We knew we needed a coop, but we did not have one ready, yet.  As the chicks started growing they were getting very crowded, so we put the two cages together to form one cage.  I went to planning, again.  And I want to share a link with you that is great for seeing a huge variety of options and plans for housing chickens.  It is www.backyarchickens.com .  Being that we live in town I wanted to go simple.  I did not want to build a big coop and find that we had to get rid of the chickens later.  I decided on building more of a temporary chicken run that we could later add to.  So, I had my little plan all sketched out until I ran an errand one night and drove past a furniture store that had some large wooden frames (used for shipping couches, etc.) out by their dumpster.  I told Cody and he hitched up the utility trailer to the van and went to look.  He agreed that we could make it work and brought it home.  We were able to attach the frame pieces together and cover it all with wire for a very simply, but efective chicken run with a nesting area.  Now that we know that chickens work well for us we are planning to build a better coop this summer.  Meanwhile, they are continuing to enjoy their chicken run (approximate size is 6' X 10').  They free range during the day and spend their nights in their run. 

So, as Spring approached we decided to add a few more chicks.  I went to see what was available and came home with six more chicks and four ducklings.  Again, we used the little cages (3x3x3).  One has the six chicks and the other has the 4 ducklings.   And this is why I am writing this post.  Those four ducklings are growing very fast!!!  And guess who did not plan on that?!!!  I am trying to figure out what the solution is for them.  I was thinking that we would give them the chicken run and the chickens would have their new coop, but it is not going to be able to wait until Summer.  And the six chicks will be needed room soon as well.  I think we will end up having to make another smaller temporary pen of some sort for the ducklings. 

And I must add that I have tiny chicks in a smaller cage in the house.  I wanted to add Aracaunas to our flock, so I was thinking of ordering those until I found out our feed store had some scheduled to arrive. We anxiously awaited those and when they were in we got six Aracaunas (one drowned in the water, so we have five) and two other chicks.  So, we have stages of fowl that need proper caging and no definite plan.  LOL!  It will all work out, but I have got to get on it! 

My thoughts are mainly on the ducklings.  I have no idea really what is the best solution for them.  Maybe once they are grown they won't even need their own caging.  They might be able to just join the chickens in their housing.  I mean, now that I think about it I have never heard anyone talk about their "duck coop".  LOL!  It is all a learning process and I really did not consider too much about it on the day we bought the ducks.  I'm smart like that!  ;) 

Since this post is about Animal Housing and not just the feathered friends we have, I want to include that this past Fall (2011) we were given two male goats.  We had the idea that they would just join in with our two dogs (rat terriers) in their pen.  That pen is very large... I am guessing that it is 12' X 20' and has three dog houses in it.  That space was fine.  I would suggest having more space for goats, but they would have been fine in that much space.  We decided to get rid of them because they made it stinky.  We could walk out the back door and it smelled like a livestock barn.  I asked the neighbors and they said they did not smell it, but I am sure it was just a matte of time before they would have.  It was yuck!  I don't think this would have been an issue with females, but once the males hit maturity the odor began. 

These are our "bigger chicks".  They are approximately 4 weeks old.  We took them out to have a chance to free range a bit under our close watch.   We won't do that much as they hard to catch. 

These are the "baby chicks"... Buff Orpingtons are the yellow.... Aracaunas are the brown.

These are the "baby chicks" in their caging in our house.  They almost made it one week in here, but today I moved them out.  The weather is forecasted to be in the 80s with no rain.  We were having flood situations when these little gals came home with us, so in the interest of their survival I put them indoors.

Our ducklings in the 3x3x3 caging and under a tarp due to flash flood weather.  They like this little nesting box, but they outgrew it within a week.

The nesting box also proved to be a place that there poop could accumulate.  Yuk!  These birds are super messy and they require that their cage be washed down about every other day.

Stinking birds... I mean, sweet little ducklings...

These are the 3x3x3 cages on the simple stands we made out of 2x4 boards.  These cages are not glamorous, but they were $10 each and we had the lumber to build the stands.  These cages have served us well and have been very useful for muliple purposes.  We even had a rescued squirrel in one for a while.  Also, the flooding issue has made a fine mess and quite a stinky situation.  This is not normal, so it usually looks a little better than this.  The tarps were necessary for the excessive rain even though the rain still got these poor little birds.  They look pretty sad after that storm.  They are all better now.  If you look close you can see one of our adult Barred Rocks under the cage. 

This has nothing to do with "housing", but this is the first time our ducks got to play in the water.  We had a "pond-like backyard" due to the flooding. 

These are the "Bigger Chicks".  We had placed them in this cage to carry them to an area that was suitable to test them out with free ranging.  The orange ones are New Hampshire Reds.  The two speckled ones toward the bottom are Barred Rocks.  We already have two adult Barred Rocks and I liked them so much that I added two more to our flock.  Not sure this was wise, though.  One of these little ones keeps trying to peck me!  The two other black chicks pictures are Silver Wyandottes. 

Scheduled Posting

I really struggle with time and blogging.  Lately, I am wanting to get back to blogging.  I want it to be a diverse variety of topics that I blog about (as that is the way life is), but I find that I jump in and post something kind of in the moment.  I tend to have a lot of posts about my revelation (or lack of) about homeschooling.  My blogging becomes super sparadic or I have several things I want to post all on one day.  I have decided to start typing up my blog posts and "scheduling" them to post on various dates.  This will mean that I may post about something I did that day, but in reality that may post to my blog three days later when it us scheduled.  This way I won't appear to have fallen off the face of the earth during times that I can not spare a moment to blogging.  Maybe this way I won't get frustrated with blogging.  Also, my daughter has been asking to see my blog and I want to share it with her, but not if it is pathetic and there is little to share. 

Meal Planning Thoughts and My Crazy Whims -- UPDATE

 ~Savannah & Sierra "cooking"~

~Sahara (our Goo-Goo) "cooking~

~Caden sweeping~

Photos taken at Fort Jesup historical site in Fort Jesup, Louisiana while we were on Spring Break 2012. 

Well, I failed at the meal planning that I tried this week.  BUT my focus was on it more and meals went a little better this week.  By that I really mean Dinners went a little better.  I don't have a problem with breakfast and lunches.  I don't even mind if several people are eating different things.  I can manage the earlier meals of the day with no problem.  Dinners just exhaust me... just thinking about it.  By that time of the day I am ready to be done with the kitchen.  And it is really not that I want to be done just with the kitchen, it is that  I want to be DONE.  Really done.  Like the housekeeper fairy drops and BOMB on our house that makes all things magically done.  I want to go for walks outside and piddle with my yard and plants and play with my kids and jump on the trampoline and watch ducklings splash in the water and let my kids play with rabbits in the yard and walk their dogs and ride their bicycles around the block as a family and take a long soak in the tub and cuddle my kids on the couch and run to the store for grocery/etc. shopping and about a zillion other things.  But I also want to sit down at a meal together like we always do.  I just don't necessariyly want to cook it and clean it.  LOL! 

And part of this stems from our dishwasher going out a while back and us being determined that it was not really out.  Like it just needed a break.  Well, it got a break all right.  As in a "break"... broken.... doesn't work... doesn't clean the dishes... actually, makes them dirtier... yeah, "break" is what it got.  And that was about a year ago.  I think it was right before Sienna was born.  Oh... and I thought it would be a good "experience" for us all.  We would not take for granted what we had.  The kids would learn the value of really washing dishes and how to wash and drain and such things.  What I learned is that my kids can do that fine.  Daddy... not so much.... so this causes some strife when I am telling him you have to wash the outside of a dish as well as the inside.  He is not one for positive criticism or being taught (by me).  So, I think it is time to get that new dishwasher.  Ugghhh!  And I don't want to go shopping, either... whine and moan....

So, dinner... maybe I can try another approach.  "The night before" approach.  I see problems with this, though.  If I don't have the ingredients, I am gonna get frustrated.  LOL!  Well, we'll see.... I am going to start working on the weekly menu thing.  Even if I can have SOME meals on the plan, then it should be helpful.  I am thinking that I can start with this:

• Monday -- Chicken Fried Steak, Scrambled Eggs, Mashed Potatoes, Brocolli, and White gravy (*we have lots of eggs to use up and scrambled eggs are yumm-O alongside Chicken Fried Steak... and if you have never tried that then, YOU SHOULD)
• Tuesday -- Homemade Pizza Party & Salad (Sierra has been requesting this and I keep forgetting.  She got a little set from her MiMi for her birthday last month that has little aprons, hats, etc. for four kids to decorate and use.  She will be happy, happy, happy!)
• Wednesday -- QUICK MEAL -- Pork Chops, Green Beans, Carrots, Mac-n-Cheese (and rolls if I remember)
• Thursday -- Fried Fish, Rice dish, Some veggie, corn hush puppies (We have access to a lot of fish... free... so I need to really cook it once a week.  I forget... which stems from so many pregnancies and the concern for mercury in fish.)
• Friday -- Co-op Day -- Taco Salad and Chile con Queso with chips
• Saturday -- Last Days of Christ - Might want to go out to eat nearby
• Sunday --  Baked Chicken with potatoes/carrots/onions and seasoned juices with brown rice, homemade bread/rolls

OKAY... so maybe my solution should be to just type it in RIGHT HERE as I am blogging.  Maybe my mind just needs to be in it's "free zone".  I really thought I was going to plan about three meals and leave the other weeks open.  Guess I got it done.  Now let's see if I can follow it!  Ha!! 

Debt Free Living

We have been on a jouney the past few years (about three) to be Debt Free.... and we have finally made it.  Wooo hooo!  And I want to make this point VERY clear... I am not bragging!  Actually, I have been afraid to tell anyone for fear they will think I am bragging.  And there are so many people going through tough financial times and I do not want to "rub this in there face" so to speak.  We have had tough times ourselves and I remember thinking it was going to last forever and wondering why on earth others seem to always have extra.  The reality is that I know they probably had "extra" alright... "extra" debt.  It is real easy to look at the person with a new car, new house, new shoes, and new pedicures and envy them, but the reality is that they probably are in debt for it.  I told my husband this the other day:

"It SEEMS we have sacrificed a lot to get out of debt, but the reality is that those in debt have to sacrifice everyday to be in debt."

And just in case that does not make sense I will explain it a little more clearly.  Yes, we have given up having the newest cars, the fanciest clothes, the well manicured lawn, the fun pedicure, salon days, full price brand name shoes, boats, four wheelers, fancy dinners, etc..  We have never had excessive debt.  We have worked hard to keep it that way.  We have not spent money that we have not had to spend with exception to charging our home and cars or something that was a necessary NEED*.  We have been careful with our money.  We have vacationed in cheaper motels/hotels.  We have searched out things we want or desire in thrift stores before buying it full price in the store.  We have done without a lot of stuff that others would buy without considering the strain it would put on their finances.  We have avoided completely paying any high interest.  If we charge on a credit card, we ALWAYS pay the amount in full on payday.  We do use credit cards sometimes, but it is well thought out like when we vacation and do not want to carry a large amount of cash.  We also like the cashback that we can get with our main credit card and the promotional offers that sometimes are offered for a new credit card (I'll gladly take $10 off my $100 purchase, but it is not worth the trouble to take $1 off my $10 purchase.).  We have sacrificed, but for those that are running up there bills higher and higher with no end in sight due to mounting interest charges they will sacrifice much more.  Most of those people will have to have both parents working just to afford their lifestyle.  Those parents are going to miss out on spending the time I get to spend with my kids everyday.  They will sacrifice way more for their debt than I have ever had to sacrifice to stay out of debt. 

And if you are out there reading this and thinking there is no way you could ever be debt free I say... Yes, you can!!!

I was raised this way...  You don't buy something that you can't pay for!  It is simply really.  I am in awe of the way my parents did things, but I also know from my mother telling me that they had to learn the hard way.  Wouldn't it be so much easier to not learn the hard way folks?!  I would have NEVER guessed it, but apparently my parents had run up a bit of debt and had to consolidate all their debts to one loan so they could get it all paid off.  After that time they did everything different and that is the part I remember and the part I learned from.  There is this stuff called money... Yes, MONEY!  And if you don't have it, you don't spend it.  If you see those new shoes that you want so bad and even if they are on sale for $20, you don't buy them if you don't have the money.  And no, those ever-so-popular things called CREDIT cards do not count as money.  Let's redefine "credit cards"... they are debt creators.  If you don't want to be in debt you need to stay as far away from credit cards as you can.  And if you already have credit debt you need get it paid off as soon as you can.  The interest rates on these things is outrageous.  You don't want to end up paying three times the amount for that $20 pair of shoes.  ~~I am tempted to post advice on paying off debt, but there are soo many scenarios.  If you need advice on what to do, you can always ask and I will be happy to help.  If you want to do that privately my email is littlethingstx@att.net . 

*Need = Something that is required for living. -- So, I must admit what I am talking about as a "necessary NEED" in reality is not even such.  We have financed and an air conditioner, cars, our home, etc..  In all seriousness these things are not REALLY necessary NEEDS like food, basic clothing, etc..  We could have done without air conditioning, even cars if we did not require them for our job (for use we did, but actually do not now), and we could have stayed in our smaller completely paid for home (although I am glad we did not). 

Biblical Courtship As Opposed To "Dating"

"Dating" is a dangerous game.  I know, because I did it.  It was what we were taught to do by society and being that I was not being raised in a Christian home it is what I was allowed to do.  And I just want to say that even Christian homes today are allowing "dating".  It is seen as "normal" and anything outside of "normal" would just be "weird" according to society.  Well, guess what?  We are called to be different and set apart from the world.  I started "dating" at the age of fifteen.  And mostly, I started because of the pressure to.  I really had no real interest.  And actually I had my first boyfriend at the age of thirteen because I thought I was "supposed to".   I had absolutely no concern for a boyfriend and when he tried to hold my hand at school that was the end of that relationship.  It is a pretty funny story to share sometimes, but what it really says is that I was too young to be thinking of such things. 

The problem with dating is that it is not even legal to marry for a whole three years after that at the age of eighteen.  And, of course, most parents do not want their child to marry straight out of highschool at the age of eighteen or such.  So, what does that mean?  Do you seriously think that your child is going to meet someone at fifteen that they will marry and spend the rest of their life with?  And if they don't marry that person don't you have to know that there are going to be problems from this arrangement.  They are going to give away little parts of their heart to someone that will later be a stranger to them.  Oh but the beauty of it if they were to just save all those little parts of their heart for the one that God has prepared for them. 

I tell my own children now that they are too young to think about "dating" until they are ready to start thinking about marriage. Yes, that is what I said... MARRIAGE. Isn't that the point of "dating" to begin with. Everyone wants to find that ONE TRUE LOVE and LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER. You are not going to have a ONE true love if you have dated TWENTY people! Without even realizing it you are going to have given away little parts of your heart to those twenty. That's twenty little parts!!! 

A few days ago the following was posted on the Biblical Courtship facebook page and I just wanted to share this.  Men and women alike should heed this advice:

SINGLE MEN WHO DESIRE TO BE MARRIED, HAVE THE DIVINE ASSIGNMENT OF FINDING A WIFE.
... Proverbs 18:22, “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.”

God called you to be spiritual leaders, to be protectors, to be an example of Christ's love for the church.

(1) Maximize your time with God. Read and study the word of God. Serve in your church or ministry.

(2) Do not court women with whom you are unequally yoked:
      (A) NON-BELIEVERS
      (B) BELIEVERS WHO HAVE DIFFERENT THEOLOGICAL BELIEFS THAN YOURS.
Only court one woman at a time. Do not ignore women who God puts in front of you- women you meet at your church, ministry team etc..

(3) Examine a woman's character- charm is deceitful, beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears God is to be praised. Does she love the Lord, her God with all her heart, soul and mind? Is she wise? Is she unselfish? Is she kind? Would you feel proud to introduce her to others? Do you feel honored to be with her? Are you becoming a better man by knowing her? Are you growing in your relationship with God, because of her example?

(4) Do not allow yourself to be rushed into turning the relationship into romance. Build a strong friendship with her first. Guard your heart, and then wait to hear from the Lord and ALLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT TO GUIDE YOU ABOUT IF, HOW AND WHEN to proceed further.

(4) Never place a woman in a position of dishonor. Respect a woman's body as a temple for the holy spirit. Recognize that when you are with her, whether in person, on the phone, on the internet or via text--Jesus is there with you the two of you, and you should not do or say anything that would be inappropriate in his eyes.

(5) Do not allow others to speak negatively about her, in front of you.

(6) If a woman spends more time with you, than she spends on her relationship with God, she is idolizing you, so encourage her to focus more on her relationship with the Lord.

(7) Pray with her and pray for her. Invite her to visit your church, and also visit her church. Teach her the word and help her to grow spiritually.

(8) If you plan to take her out, invite another godly couple to go with you.

(9) Avoid spending time alone with her, especially at your place or at her place.

(10) Consider this-Are you two really compatible? Does she expect that when she gets married, her husband will buy her a 12 bedroom house?-While you just want to live in a small country house on a farm? If you have been called to pastor a church, will she be supportive of that?

(11) Consider this- If you had daughters, would you want them to be like her? If you had sons, would them to marry a woman like her?

(12) Do you balance each other out? Are your weaknesses her strengths? Are her weaknesses your strengths?

Adding To Our Flock & Feeding The Flock

So, I added 6 Aracauna chicks and 2 Buff Orpington chicks to our flock today.  I am not sure we really should, but we wanted some "Easter Eggs".  {Grin}.  We are seriously getting way more eggs than we need, but getting those colored eggs from the Aracaunas in a about five months will be so much fun!!!  And since there were some other choices I decided to pick up a couple of the Buff Orpingtons.  We are going to have eggs running out our ears!  Maybe we will start selling some to offset the cost of feeding and housing our ladies.  I originally thought we would do that anyway to teach the kids and let them run the business part; however, after the hens starting laying I have really enjoyed sharing with others.  There is just something wonderful about knowing that you have something to give and share with others.  It blesses the heart so!  I love knowing that my friends have left my home with something healthier than the store bought alternative. 

And on that note, I want to say that I am so THANKFUL that I can drive to the store and pick up the things I need when I need them.  I just wish that we could rely on those things being the best they can be.  Simply put... I know what is going in my chickens.

• Our chickens are fed on Chick Starter for the first few weeks of their lives. 
• As they get older we mix Chick Starter and Hen Scratch and they feed on that until they are can eat the Hen Scratch.
• We switch them to Hen Scratch only until they are near laying age.  This is also around the time they have almost reached their full size and we allow them to "free range".  We keep them in up to this time to protect them from predators.  Once they begin to free range, they show little interest in any of the feed.  They will only eat it when they are closed up. 
• After that we mix Hen Scratch and Lay Mash Pellets for them to feed on as they wish.
• ***We also give our hens scraps of all sorts.  They LOVE leftover pasta.  I am pretty sure they think a shell noodle is a nice juicy bug.  ;)

I am looking forward to a little bit of this.  So pretty!

Our Little Acre

We started out here on this little lot of land in the middle of our small town with 3/4 of an acre of land.  Being that we live just a few blocks from the old town square 3/4 of an acre is actually a pretty large piece of land.  Now, I grew up on 11 acres, so to me it is not large, but for town life it is a nice size lot.  There was a 1/4 acre vacant lot behind our property that was not being maintained, so after some research I found out that there were debts owed to the city for a house demolition and several years of back taxes owed on the property.  After a couple of years I called the owner and offered to pay his debts and an additional $2, 000 to him for the property.  This was a generous offer since I could have pushed the city to confiscate his property and I would have probably gotten his property for much less.  Mostly, my husband wanted the property and I knew that this was the best approach to assure we got the land.  So, we did it and now we have 1 full acre making us the only ones in this area of town to own half a city block.  Seriously, it is a big deal and we are quite in love with it. 

The only problem is.... I fear we are gonna get thrown out of town for all the creatures we have started keeping in the last couple of years.  Hahahaha!  It was a big joke when we moved here over ten years ago that I had come from the country and might dare to have chickens here.  I honestly thought I would NEVER have chickens.  Fast forward to the present... and we do have chickens.  And more creatures.

We started with dogs.  Pretty simple... pretty normal.  We had four, but have had some deaths, so now we have two dogs... rat terriers.  They have such sweet personalities.

Over a year ago we added rabbits.  In the Fall of 2010 we got two California Rabbits and one died right away of heat stroke.  We returned the other for fear of it dying.  A friend gave us another rabbit her kids did not want anymore.  Within a month or so we purchased two more rabbits.  By the early Spring of 2011 we had over 30 rabbits!!!  Oh my the way they multiply!  We upgraded to a 10 cage system  and we now have lops and regular rabbits. 

In the Spring of 2011 we also added eight chickens for the purpose of laying eggs.  In the Fall of 2011 a friend gave us 3 bantam chicks and we have one that has survived.  Actually, we found her first two eggs today!  Woo hoo!  They are so cute little tiny eggs.  Anyhow, this Spring (2012) we have added six more chicks and four ducklings and we intend to add a few more chicks next week. 

Last Fall (2011) we were given two male goats that we were going to raise with our dogs, but that did not work out because once the goats hit maturity they began to have a strong scent.  It smelled like a livestock barn here.  Stinky!  They had to go. 

So, right now on our little acre we have:
8 laying hens (2 Rhode Island Reds, 2 Barred Rocks, 2 Golden Sex Links, 2 Black Australians
1 bantam hen (Duck Wing Bantam).... Ooops!  Update:  It seems our banty got in the dog yard... It's a gonner!  :(
6 chicks (2 Barred Rocks, 2 New Hampshire Reds, 2 Silver Wynndotte)
4 ducklings (Uncertain of breed)
4 lop rabbits (1 baby)
16 mix rabbits (9 babies)
2 rat terrier dogs.

LOTS OF FUN on our little one acre!!!!

Meal Planning Thoughts and My Crazy Whims

I know I need to get organized and my life will be easier, but Cody and I are both such "on the whim" kind of people.  Well, I am pretty organized for the most part, but we tend to be the kind of people that LIKE to be open to changing our plans on a whim.  Or we used to be.....  Really, we aren't really so much that way anymore, but we do change our "plan" a lot if we have one in place.  We just don't really LIKE doing that like we used.  We have so many here that we know we need the structure more.  I might make out a dinner plan for the week and seriously by the end of the week we might have actually stuck to the plan about half the time.  I have to say that our weeks still go easier if there is that guideline, but it is frustrating to have a plan in place and look back on it and know that you do not necessarily stick to it.  Sometimes I might have Spaghetti on the menu with homemade rolls and salad, but when that day comes around I feel like making homemade pizza, salad, and fruit instead.  Silly me... I should stick to my plan, but I am too driven by my whims. 

Honestly, I am not much of a housewife.  Don't get me wrong... I am committed to my family and all that jazz, but I am talking about all these "womanly duties".  I was much better suited in many ways to the bookkeeping/accounting/secretarial work jobs that I had in my pre-mother days.  I was very efficient, punctual, neat, and all those things I needed to be for that job.  Of course, thinking about it I am sure that is because there are so many dynamics to be a mother and housewife.  Sad to say, but I really don't want to dust the furniture.... like ever.  Ughhh.... does that make me lazy?!  I don't think so really.  I just don't really have a great interest in that being done.  I mean, I want it done... I just don't want to spend my life dusting.  I would much rather go outside with my kids.  Pathetic to admit all this, right?  And I want you to know that I am that momma that gets up and gets the kids and me dressed (some days... Hahaha!) and then, puts away the dishes from the prior day, makes sure the kids eat cereal or I cook breakfast.  We clean up and get on with our day taking care of animals and doing school while chasing toddlers around the house.  We have lunch almost everyday at noon.  Straight up noon!  I like a schedule and for things to be mostly the same each day.  I change diapers frequently, wipe nasty hands and faces, keep my little ones mostly clean... well, maybe not so much those two cRaZy ones (Caden and Sahara) that are always getting into something muddy, wet, or sticky... but I try..... confession: some days they just wear their underwear because it saves me laundry.  Yep, see... maybe I am lazy... but seriously, I don't think it is really possible to be fully lazy when you have five kids (and a husband).  I am constantly sweeping it seems.  I remember when I rarely had to sweep.  Now, it has to be done.  Has to!!  And that blasted drought we had this past year killed a lot of our grass and we have gone from having a lush green lawn to dirty, patchy grass that makes a mess of my floors.  I am forever sweeping these floors. 

And I really enjoy the "man duties" like mowing and gardening or building and repairing things.  I am not your average girl.  My mother was forever dusting and cleaning... doing perfect laundry... vacuuming, sweeping, mopping... preparing her dinner idea long before lunch was accomplished.... painting her fingernails and spending two hours putting her face on.  I am not that kind of girl.  Just let me get out of the house and we are good, but I do want the inside cleaned and organized and running smoothly.  I will do it... I just don't feel natural in doing it sometimes. 

But I was talking about menu planning wasn't I?  Well, I have my cute little file here waiting on me to work on it.  Ughhhh... it is staring at me even... taunting me.... I never quite stick to this, but I NEED to.  As you see I am procrastinating and writing this blog post instead, though.  I want to be one of those gals that using their great binder system like my friends Tara and Quinn.  Oh, how they inspire me.  And I start kicking it all around and then... that's as far as it goes.  ;)  And one of the reasons is that I seem to complicate things.  I organize the organization.  You know.... like I have to rearrange a whole shelf to sit my sweet little binders on and then, I end up with a pile of stuff from the shelf stacked somewhere else and then, I need to organize that, and so on and so on and so on.  Only I never seem to complete the things I intend to before someone or something distracts me. 

So, here's what I have in my little folder.  It is a hanging file and is labelled, "Meal Planning". 

• I have weekly menu planning sheets (blank) with the seven days of the week calendar style and a large square each for B (breakfast), L (lunch), and D (dinner).  At the bottom of the sheet is a shopping list section for listing any items needed for that particular week.  I only write in the items that I need to buy (I mean, WHEN I use this... ha!).
• My shopping list check off sheet.  This list all the items I usually buy.  I simply go through the list and check off the things I need to purchase.  I need to update this sheet, though.  Our Wal-Mart rearranged a while back (a long while back... ha!) and I never got this updated.  It is still usuable as is, but just not as efficient. 
• I have a stack of index cards with sample "dinner meals" on them for inspiration.  The idea is to flip through and pull out a card and that is what you have for dinner.
• Lists of Main Entrees categorized by meat type or other main ingredient.  These are all meals I cook.  There are over 50 main entrees on this list. 
• Another list of about 15 complete meals with entrees and sides.
• Another list (chart style) of sample meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (complete with alternative meal options for picky eaters).  (Oh my!)  (Examples are: Boiled egg & apples; Grilled Cheese & Apples; Ramen Noodle & Orange; Pizza/Pizza Pocket -- these were for times when Cody and I might want a meal that little ones did not like... old list... one spoiled rotten child... ha!)
• Past weekly meal plans that I had actually used.
• Calendar pages that I would sometimes write down our meals after the fact to see what actually works for meals in our life.
• Old School Menu plans from when Savannah was in public school with notes for things that we actually did for lunch sometimes
• Brochures for meal planning ideas and recipes tips.

Wow!  With all that in place you would think this would be an easy thing for me to do.  Maybe I will get on board this time.  Really, I have it pretty organized I just need to set aside some time to plan.  I think I will go to bed for now, but leave this folder on the dining table and discuss meal planning with my kids during breakfast.  If I had some people on board I think I would have success.  My biggest problem really is that I feel like I plan and then nobody wants to eat what is on the plan.  If they had a hand in the planning, then it would got better and relieve some of the burden off of me.  That has actually been one of my requests over the last year to my husband.  I told him I just need someone to give me dinner ideas rather than me plan it all alone.  His ideas are so not like mine, though.  And they are not at all healthy.  I want to provide healthy alternatives when possible.  Tonight I asked him what he would like for dinner tomorrow night.  He said, "Hamburgers and french fries."  I can tell you what else he would list.  ;)  Corndogs and french fries; Hotdogs and chips; Spaghetti and French Bread (maybe salad); Fried Fish and French Fries: etc..  The problem with this is that I kind of want us to all live a little longer, if possible.  Even if we were going to have Hotdogs I would want to have fresh fruit with it.  Spaghetti would include a salad or green beans.  Fried Fish would be served with brocolli and a pasta or rice dish.  I try to eliminate some of the fried things and replace with fruits or veggies.  Also, my meal ideas go more along the lines of Chicken Parmesan with pasta, salad, bread; Homemade Chicken Tenders with White gravy, brocolli, mashed potatoes; Pork Roast with Rice, Gravy, Corn, Mashed Potatoes, Biscuits; Taco Salad with dips and chips; Pork Chops, Mac-n-Cheese, Veggie Side, Sweet Peas; and such. 

Fast Forward 24 hours later....
Well, I DID actually work on that folder a bit.  And I explained it to my girls a bit.  They looked a little less than thrilled, but want to help plan.  I think my folder was a bit of an information overload for them.  ;)  As we had a breakfast of waffles (storebought frozen type... a rare thing) and scrambled eggs they helped me decide on lunch for the day and dinner also.  Sierra was suggesting hamburgers or porkchops for dinner, but Savannah pointed out that her mouth was hurting from losing a tooth the night before.  We decided on Chicken Gumbo... and Sierra requested rolls to go with it.  Interestingly, I still almost botched the plan even with having a plan in place.  ;)  I lost track of time to start the pot of chicken cooking, but I did still get it on in a reasonable time frame... but I did forget the bread altogether.  My poor brain has left me!  In the end we had two choices... Chicken Gumbo or Chicken and Shrimp Gumbo... with Crackers and it was yummo! 

Lunch ended up being canned peaches and Bean and Cheese Quesadillas.  I started making the kids Cream Cheese and Monterey Jack Quesadillas a while back when I was trying to eliminate orange food coloring from our diet some.  They got hooked.  I have sense made a million different versions of those Cream Cheese Quesadillas and they are almost always a winner.  To make them you simple spread some cream cheese on a tortilla.  Spread some refried beans over that and sprinkle on some grated Colby Jack Cheese.  Butter an iron skillet and cook on medium heat for a couple minutes, then remove and fold in half to serve. 

Anyway, the idea was to plan for the rest of the week, but it did not really happen because we had to prepare and have dinner and go to the store for groceries.  The good news is we now have some options for cooking and tomorrow over breakfast maybe we can get a couple of day planned out.  If we start slow things will improve I think. 

Sitting Up Late

Sometimes I just sit up late.  It is "my time".  I don't really do anything, but let my mind go.  I read blogs or facebook, look at pinterest, work on school planning, shop online, or work on bills.  The crazy thing is that I stay up really late when I do this.... like 1:AM or 2:AM, so I try to not do this often.  It is exhausting, but sometimes I just need that time that is so quiet.  As I sit here I hear the train whistle.  I usually never notice the train whistle because life is whirling all around me.  I heard and ambulance speed through the streets a little while ago.  I often do not hear these sounds.  Amazingly, they are loud sounds, so it is interesting that I could not notice them.  But I do.  Sometimes there are many little voices talking all at once.  Sometimes there is this precious little three year old screaming at me.  Actually, that is quite often.  Whew!  That one has added a few gray hairs to my head.  She just does not understand how to speak to get what she wants.  She goes straight to the tantrum stage.  I have got to get better at handling her personality.  Often, I am unable to focus solely on guiding her.  She needs and extra dose of direction and guidance.  There are just sometimes when feeding an infant has to take first priority or putting that infant down for her nap.  That three year old sees no reasoning, but getting what she wants instantly.  I love her dearly.  I joke that it is a good thing she is cute.  And it is.  I also joke that if anyone ever stole her they would surely return her.  And they would.  She can make me twitch.  By noon time she exhausts me many days.  But I love here so!!  And that little guy in the house.... Well, he is.... busy... and rambunctious... and all boy.  And the two of them together are like a little mini hurricane running through the house... all... day... long.  And sometimes they just run through playing and giggling and talking about some jibber-jabber only the two of them understand and they have us all giggling.  Well, anyway.... sometimes you just need to sit up late.  :)

Dinner in a FRENZY

Lately, my life has been a bit more than I can handle.  Yes, I said it.  Life is not full of all the warm fuzzy feelings all the time and there are some things in my life that are just not getting resolved.  My frustration level is through the roof and it is a struggle to relax.  By dinner time everyday I feel like a failure.  And by this time everyday I have done a zillion things and I look around at what appears to be disaster around me and then, it is "crunch time"..... "crunch time" is that time when everything has to happen quickly to get the next goal accomplished.  Last night that goal was Wednesday night church services and at 5:00 PM I realized I had not made a plan for dinner.  Ughhhh!  And everyone needed to be at church by 5:45 PM.  Oh my!  Overwhelming!!  And I was throwing myself and all out fit in the process trying to figure out what on earth I was going to do.  My husband's solution was just to simply stay home and miss church since that is a rarity.  And I do get that, but I think the kids needed to be there.  So, the scramble began.  I pulled out some hamburger meat and threw it in a pot with a bit of water to super fast thaw it and cook it at the same time.  I cranked the stove up to high and was pleased to see this working even though I had no idea what that hamburger meat was going to be.  I also opened a couple of cans of green beans and got those seasoned up and going on high, of course. 

And just to say... I can not really able to convey to you the ridiculousness of the scene at hand.  I was crying and acting a fool.... yes, this is a "real" moment folks!  I am a poor planner.  I stink at it these days.  I wear way too many "hats" and I really need some other people to take over some of these "hats".  And I know where the problem stems and I know the solution {so this is not a good time to give me advice in this area}.  I just need some WILLING parties to step up.  Until they do, I am stuck in this situation. 

So, back to the scene... As I open every cabinet I realize I am out of just about anything that would turn this into an actual meal.  Mostly, the pantry stays stocked, but there are always those 4-5 items that you need at that moment that seem to have dissappeared.  But we did survive and I did come up with something and guess what?  I came up with a new dish my WHOLE FAMILY liked!!!! 

And God got me through this ridiculous moment! 

So, later when I am feeling absolutely crazy again I want to have this recipe availabe since it is sooooo quick.  I have a list of really quick meal ideas for busy days, but even those require defrosting meat ahead of time.  So this is what I did....

First, I took out about a pound of ground meat, which I freeze in one pound or half pound packs.  As I stated above I threw that in a pot with about two cups of water and turned the stove on high.  I occassionally flipped the meat and broke it apart.  Once the meat was cooked I poured in two cans of pinto beans and a package of taco seasoning.  While this was cooking I opened a can of refried beans and heated those in a glass bowl in the microwave with 1/4 cup of water and seasonings (1/2 tsp. onion powder, 1/2 tsp, salt, 1/4 tsp. garlic powder, 1/2 tsp. paprika .... approximate measures).  In another bowl I chopped up 1/2 cup of Velvetta & 1/2 cup of cream cheese and added 1/8 cup of water.  I microwaved this to melt stopping occassionally to stir.  Watch this cheese closely or you will have a cheesy mess in the microwave.  I quickly grabbed a baking pan and poured in some round tortilla chips.  I drizzled the beans over the chips... then, the cheese.... then, the meat/bean mixture.  I put this in the oven at 400 degrees and baked for a few minutes.  So, now you have nachos!  You could serve them this way or add trimmings (lettuce, tomatoes, olives, peppers, pica de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, etc. with salsa and dips and more chips). 

Now, this is rocket science kind of meal, but it saved me that night.  It is just one more meal to add to my "quick fix" selection of dinners.  I seem to have to rely on these more and more these days.  We ended up making it to church that night at about 6:00 PM.  The kids were a few minutes late, but they got there with food in their bellies. 

The following is a list of a few of my "Quick Fix Meals":
Nachos (above)
Taco Salad
Meaty Ranch Style Beans & Rice
Taco Soup
Beans & Rice with Cornbread
Broiled Boneless Thin Pork Chops, Green Beans, Mac-n-Cheese (or rice or other veggie)
Broiled Chicken Chunks with Sides (like the pork chops example)
Breakfast for Dinner

So, this is not a glamourous post, but it is life.... Just being real....