These Days

These past few weeks has been a whirlwind!  We took a week and went up to Illinois.  It's always nice going back to my stomping grounds.  It was nice to take a "break" from things.  

I didn't cloth diaper, and didn't miss the extra laundry.  

I didn't have to worry about my typical household chores.  

I *gasped* used a microwave....and *more gasp* secretly enjoyed it.  Oh it was so nice to warm up left overs in 30 seconds instead of 10-15 minutes.  However, I kind of forgot how to use one and cooked my daughters noodles into nasty mush once....oops  

However with that being said, being gone gives you appreciation for home.  Rejuvenated us to get back into the swing of things and even more craziness for garden season.  

While in Illinois, Emri loved cooking

When we got back, we learned new tricks and was quite proud! (no the stroller is not about to fall on her)

Now you will find us working outside.  Our latest project is fencing in our garden with a 7-9 foot fence to keep the deer out.  It's no the prettiest, but should work well!   

Remember how we ummmm recycle trampoline frames? (Chicken coop)  The bottom of that gate is part of a trampoline frame.  

I wish I had a picture of Natalie doing her favorite activity..helping Daddy outside in the evening after Emri is in bed.  She gets her "tools" (Melissa & Doug wooden tool set) and is right along "helping" Daddy with the fence building.  I'm usually pretty strict about bedtime, but she's been getting to stay up a bit later with this nice weather to spend some time outside with her Daddy.  

Our garden reeeeally needs to get planted.  Because this is just a sampling of what's in our dinning room:

All of this was started from SEED!!!  Kris counted our tomato plants......101 plants!!  He said he planted a few extra in case some didn't make it.  As of right now....they are all making it!  Anybody want to buy a tomato plant? 

That's what our days have consisted of.  Kris and I just got done attending a Home Educators Convention.  It was great and really reinforced this is the right thing for our family, for this time.  I'm super excited!  

The BLESSINGS of Canning

Our (not so little) seedlings are growing!!  Our tomato plants from seed are looking great.  Today I pulled out a jar of spaghetti sauce that was canned on my due date last year.  While pregnant, I always go past my due date.....and last year due date was celebrated by canning spaghetti sauce! Anyways, I'm going to be honest, while I enjoy being outside, enjoy being in the garden, I do not enjoy the prep or process of canning.  I never have, probably never will.  Last year didn't help between being massively pregnant, and then juggling a newborn.  BUT, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the blessings of canning.  It can make throwing a meal together so easy.


About a week in a half ago, a sweet friend of mine gave birth to her third little son.  A sign up sheet was floating around for meals for them.  I jumped on it because I remember from almost 9 months ago, that is one thing I would have loved, more meals to be ready and not have to cook or worry about dinner!  But, I was a bit stuck.  We are at the point of needing a grocery run and while I can scrounge around for dinner for our family, what I would serve would be an embarrassment for me to serve to another family! ha! I got to really thinking about what I had on hand that could make a suitable meal.

1) We have whole frozen chickens that we butchered for meat.  So I thawed one, roasted it, deboned it it and added some spices.

2) Garden Green Beans, we added garlic to ours because we are garlic fans! :)

3) Jar of apple sauce from when we went picking apples in the fall

4) For dessert, I took a jar of canned apple pie filling and made an apple crisp.  I got a bit apple crazy, but this is what I had on hand and to work with

5) I made a homemade loaf of bread

6) I threw in a jar of apple butter just as an extra.  (see an apple trend! haha!)

All that for very little effort.  The apple crisp, all I made was the topping which took maybe 5 minutes

The "sides" were in jars, ready to be served

I used my bread machine for the bread (10 minutes to throw ingredients together?) and bake in the oven.  A COMPLETELY homemade meal, and mostly farm/local grown as well!

I was sooo thankful for our effort and time spent on canning last year. Hopefully this year we will can even more to decorate our shelves with!

We've been SPRINGing

It's been a bit.  So here's what we've been up to:

We have loosely been doing "school".  Right now our schooling consists of lots and lots of library books.  Natalie is loving it.  Each day it isn't raining or nasty cold, I force myself to take the girls outside.  Oh, I love being outdoors, but it's a chore getting everybody dressed (well the less clothes they wear inside, the easier it is ha!)  and out the door. We enjoy swinging, Natalie picks flowers, torments the chickens, and we go on nature hikes. Emri got her first feel for grass, and well, tried to consume it.  

So that's what we've been doing...just SPRINGing. :) Soon I'll post pictures of our growing garden.  (umm the garden that's taking over my dinning room!)