Gardening on Our Farm

Just planted garden

 It's been a while since I have updated much going on here on the farm.  So today  I am going to update you on our garden!

Austin planting potatoes

In Indiana, it has been raining SO much that my garden was just too wet to even till!  My hubby finally got it tilled about 2 1/2 weeks ago (if I can remember right).  And the next day I was planting my potatoes!  I got red and Kennebec potatoes.  About 15 lbs in all...  It cost me less than $2 and will bring us well over 100-150 lbs of potatoes.

Potatoes and strawberries

About 1 1/2 weeks ago, I got a bit more planted.  I got 2 types of lettuce.  I actually planted MORE than I know we will eat, BUT I am hoping to be able to sell some of it.  Hopefully that will go well...  I am going to be planting some Kale also soon (if it stops raining again).  I also planted 2 rows of carrots, two different types.  I had 4 yellow pepper plants, but one died of undetermined causes... Maybe underfoot of a wayward duck...  :(

Lincoln Peas

We also have 2 rows of peas.  3 different types of organic tomato plants, and 4 Roma plants.  I am hoping my tomatoes are better this year.  Last year, my plants weren't very productive and those that WERE, were rotten BEFORE they started to turn red.

I have one cucumber plant.

I thought I had planted my green beans, but looking back through my things I guess I haven't planted them yet.  I will get to those as soon as the rain stops and things dry out a bit.

Large Strawberry blooms

My strawberry plants that I planted last year are doing SO well!!!  The flowers are HUGE!  I can't wait to start getting strawberries.  We JUST ran out of our frozen strawberries, and I am super bummed about it!  We still have lots of jelly left though.

Strawberries with rainy sky background

2 of my blueberry bushes made it through the Winter.  They won't probably produce much for a few years.  I would like to get several more, because blueberries actually absorb pesticides like a sponge and most places feel the need to spray for bugs!  I want to get away from that!

I just got some rhubarb plants from a friend.  So hopefully next year I can get some rhubarb for some nice pies and desserts!  :)  YUM!

I also got some red raspberry plants from her also....  Oh the possibilities!

My apples trees are blossoming right now also.  I have the two older ones and the two newer ones (planted last year), which are looking great and will probably produce fruit!  Not sure how to keep the bugs off this year though.... Last year I lost all of my apples to the bugs.  :(

My good lookin' boys in front of our apple trees

I am also hoping to utilize my herb garden this year.  Last year I let it get too grown and flowered out without a chance to learn how to use them much...  I enjoyed the FEW times I did get to use them, but this year that is more of a priority!  Anyone have some ideas you want to share???  :)

So, how are YOUR garden's coming???  I would love to visit your blogs and see!  Post a link in the comments if you have a post about it!  Thanks and can't wait to see them!!!!!

Winter is Officially Here!

Hi Friends!  Today has been the first day that I haven't had a bunch of running to do during the day, so I am going to get some blogging in today!  And what a beautiful wintery day to stay in.... Well, kind of.  Of course, I need to go and get some chores done yet... which will be C-C-COOOOLLLLDD!  But it sure is pretty to look at.  I suppose I will enoy it when I get back into the house, standing in front of our corn burner...

So, all week here in Indiana, we have gotten snow!  Everyday it drops a little more.  And this weekend is supposed to be even more!  I love to look at the beautiful snow, and I even enjoy the snow at Christmas time.  But I am DEFINITELY not a cold weather person.  I am very much a warm weather gal.  So when I go out, I freeze quickly, and I take forever to thaw out!

But enough complaining!  I have been getting quite a bit done, for Christmas anyways.  There are still a few things I would like to accomplish before the big day, but am glad to have MOST gifts done, and planning getting done for get togethers...

I finally have some pictures today!  Here are 2 from putting our tree up:

Boys all ready to decorate the tree!

Koen, the little ham in the front, wanted HIS picture taken!

And here are some pics from our farm this week...

This was taken at the end of last week.  We got a bunch of rain! 

Our first BIG snow day Monday.  The animals weren't sure WHAT to do!

Turkey (yes, she is still around!) hiding out in the barn!

After Monday's snow, I broke out the cover-alls, and went to work doing my chores...

Our Jacob pair, Myst and Calvin, scarfing on some hay.

The sun coming up this morning, over a snowy farm.

Our finished tree this morning, with a beautiful backdrop!

In store for me today is running to the mill (one of Koen's favorite trips!), and staying home, making Christmas cookies and MAYBE some noodles.  I also need to catch up on some laundry, I started last night, but it NEVER seems to end!  Can I hear an AMEN!?

I also want to share with you all about our vacation that is coming up in about 7 weeks!  Yep, we are going somewhere warm!  I will share real soon!  Until then, have a beautiful day!  I need to go bundle up and get outside to do some chores!  See ya later!

Things I Love Thursday- Boys!

Happy Thursday! It's is time for another Things I Love Thursday!

So, today the thing I love, well I should say the ones I love today, are my boys. It's amazing how fast kids can grow. Here is a picture of my precious boys last year at this same time.


And here is a picture I took of them today.

I just love those boys.

Now it's YOUR turn! What do you love today? Tell us on your blog, and link up, directly to the blog entry. Or tell us in the comments!

30 Days on the (mini) Farm- Day 16

Another beautiful day, the sun was shining, and it was even a little warmer than yesterday, about 72 degrees. While I was grocery shopping for my little piglets, I stopped and got some seeds for my garden. This weekend a man from our church came and tilled another garden spot for me. Hubby thinks I'm nutty, but this year, I'm going to do it! I am going to have a nice, PRODUCTIVE garden! =)

So, after all of the groceries were put away, and Koen was fast asleep, I went out and started planting, soon the boys got into it also. I have to keep them excited about our garden, cuz they are going to be my big garden helpers!

Here they are cute and goofy:

I had them put this piece of hose in between seeds as a spacer. They loved it, and just look at the teamwork! Girl (dog) on the other hand, is NOT impressed...

This Weekend's Pine Box Derby

This Saturday, my boys and their Boyscout troop participated in the annual Pine box Derby. They were given a small block of wood, everyone got the same wheels, and same axles. They had to cut out a car shape and paint it.

The boys worked hard on it, and they thought THEY were going to win.

Here they are before the race:

Deklyn will forever have goofy smiles on his face... He won't give "nice" smiles... He always has to be funny. But they are SOooo proud of their cars and their paint jobs...

The race started, and we quickly realized that our cars were a little slower then the others (ok, a lot slower)... There were 4 different heats and each one we lost. There were 2 that Austin didn't get last in, but each one Deklyn got last.

Well, in the end, Deklyn got last place (20 out of 20). Austin got 16 out of 20. Deklyn actually got a trophy for being the slowest!

An Austin was a little sad that his car did better then Deklyn's but HE didn't get a trophy.

But, in the end we learned that the way we "weighted" the car was the wrong way, and that we need to do it completely different next year! The boys had fun though, YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE LAST OF US, PINE BOX DERBY!!!

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree...

As in rockers, like recliners...

Man, last night we enjoyed (finally) decorating our poor little tree, but we were all pooped from the busy work day. So we decorated and crashed, and enjoyed staring into the pretty lights on the tree.

I love a lit tree at night. Fire going. 1/2 Caff Coffee with lots of flavored creamer. Or Hot Cocoa. Mmmm. Oh yeah, and kids all in bed. Kick back with the hubby, and enjoy the sound of the pellets falling into the pellet stove. I guess I just enjoy this because I can hear it, after they go to bed!

So here are some pics of the happy little tree, with some happy little boys:

Here's Koen. He was "napping" while we decorated the tree. So we decided to take his picture in front of the tree. He was so excited. He would look at me, then look at the tree. He would get super excited about the tree, then look back at it again. Here's my baby:

Yeah!

Wow, that's a lot of lights...

Yeah!!! I love Christmas!

That is one fancy tree... I never saw anything like that in all my months...

I am so excited, I can't hardly STAND IT!

Dude, seriously, how did all of those lights get ON there???




I could scream, I am so happy about Christmas!

Oh yeah, here is a pic of us at the Christmas tree farm:

Snow!!!

Yes, it IS that time of year. When us, in Indiana, get some snowy weather. I like it. Well, I like to look at it from a warm house, until the first of January. Then, I am SO over it. My boys (including hubby), on the other hand, LOVE the snow. They love getting out into the cold. They love breathing in the cold air, playing in the snow...

So yesterday, the boys came home, and after homework was done, they ran outside to play in the snow. They pulled out the snow pants, gloves, hats, boots...

They've had big plans for about 2 months. They have had their big plans drawn out in a notebook. From what they are building in the snow, and where to throw snowballs... Deklyn is a little bit of a control freak... =)

But, here is what they made yesterday:

A snowman head...

I guess there just isn't enough snow to make the whole thing yet!

Things I Love Thursday

I can't believe I forgot this last week. Oh well, I had other very important things to attend to!

So this week, there is no specific picture I am going to use, but several. That is because today, I am going to say one of the things I love the most of all, is being a mom. I could not imagine not having a child or children. If I could not have children, I would have definitely adopted (Maybe this is how I will get my girl someday?). But I LOVE my kids. I guess the Lord knew what He was doing when He gave us boys!

Their father, my husband, is one of the best examples for a son to see. Of course, he lives and is proof of the teaching and examples of HIS dad and his grandpa. I am so blessed to know that they have such a great example. I love to also know that I am furthering my Father's Kingdom, by teaching my children God's Words and planting them in their hearts. I love to see the fruit that is produced in their lives. The fruit gets more and more plentiful as they get older!

I love the talks, I love the cuddling, I love making things better, I love being the person that can make the bad dreams go away, I love making them laugh, I love hearing them say "I love you".

Thank you Lord, for making me a mom. Thank you for entrusting me with YOUR children!

Boys Will Be Boys?

Recently, I went into the bathroom and found THIS on the ceiling light in the bathroom...

Wet, wadded toilet paper.... um, yeah... Here's a closer look...

I found it after my two oldest boys had gone to school. When we were finally able to ask them about it, one blamed the other (of course). So, the story goes: Deklyn threw the (clean) toilet paper into the shower, when Austin was showering. Austin then, of course, threw it on the ceiling. I mean where else would you put it?

When I asked HOW this was going to get cleaned up, my husband said, "Maybe it will get cleaned up when they are tall enough to reach it..." Austin is "supposed" to be 6'1'', but come on, I can't wait 12 more years....

Boys Morning Out

Saturday, the "big boys" got a morning/afternoon out. They got up in the morning and went squirrel hunting. Thank goodness, there were no deaf or extremely slow squirrels, or we'd be eattin' some squirrel out of the crock pot! (Believe me, it's happened before. I don't use THAT crock pot anymore...)

But sending those 3 smaller boys and the one big one out into a woods... well, everything knows your comin'. (Even the deaf ones cans probably feel the vibration in the trees.)

So, yeah, they didn't get anything. Darn.

Then they continued on the second leg of their fun day and they went canoeing. Hubby wanted to take me, but I have a baby and haven't really wanted to start feed him the expensive milk from the can yet. So we stayed home.

But the boys had a good time. They never tipped the canoe. And they came up good and tired out. A good time to go shoppin'... =)

Here are a couple of pick of my precious little squirrel (wanna-be) killers...

I just wish they'd stay this size forever....

Something New!

As if we needed anything else added to our scheduals... we can now include Cub Scouts! They signed up for that this week. And Hubby is also going to be a leader!

We will also be hittin' people up and seein' if they want to buy the Cub Scout/Boy Scout Pop Corn! They have pop corn, carmel corn, trail mix, CHOCOLATE covered popcorn, Cheddar cheese popcorn, etc. Anything sound to your liking yet? Seriously- if anyone is intersted in any of these , let me know. We will be sending 2 little boys and a big boy to Scout camp in the next year so, we need all the help we can get!

Anyways, the boys had lots of fun at their first meeting. They made boats. They were so excited becuase the actually floated. I think they are just looking forward to doing a bunch of boy stuff! And I was happy to see that the Boy Scouts/ Cub Scouts still have some roots in Christianity! Always- glad to see any organization that keeps God a part of them!

RRRRIIBBBBBIIITTT!!!

Today, we found the biggest frog I think I have ever seen in the "wild". It of course, like many other animals, was enjoying my flower beds. And now that some leaves are falling off of the Butternut tree, he had an even better place to hide.... or so he thought.



This thing was ginormous (is that a word?), he was big, very big, anyways. Here are some pics:

Here is Caden & hubby holding the frog:

Here is my hubby, he was asking if I wanted frog legs for supper...

Here is my hand next to the huge frog- It was a big, big froggy...

And as a mom of 4 boys, this is my legacy... pictures of frogs, snakes eating frogs, half balding chickens... I wouldn't have it any other way.