New Home

The little chicks new home is ready!! We worked on it all day today-running the fence and putting up the gate. Hubby helped or we would not have finished it. They have 150 feet of fenced in area to run in.

Check out their gate. It was an old baby crib spring.

They seem very happy to have more room. We are planning on leaving them in the building part tonight to give them time to adjust. Tomorrow we will open the door and see how they do in the fenced in lot. Needless to say, we are all tired but SO happy to get this big job done.

I hope you all have a great evening and God bless.

May 7, 2012 6

Irises

Our irises are in full bloom! These were given to us several years ago by a friend from church. It has taken them a while to get going but I think they are looking pretty good this year.

We have been busy this week. Does any one think this is becoming the norm? Seems like spring is a busy time. Anyway, we went to the dentist on Tuesday. Both girls got a good report. Then on Wednesday, we went to Sam’s club and bought our bulk items. Yesterday, we went down to Jessica’s. Today is full as well. Our church is doing a Mother/Daughter banquet this evening. I am bringing rolls. I also have to take Hubby’s van in to Little Town to get 2 tires put on. I was hoping the girls and I could get the nests made today for the little chicks. Hubby also wants to work on the floor for the new boxed in part of the back porch when he gets in from the job site. We’ll see.

School has taken a back burner this week with all that has been going on. We only lack 15 more lessons in math and we’ll be finished with it for the summer. We are calling quits to language when math is finished. Then we plan on doing history and science during June and July and taking August and September off. These two months are so busy here with canning. It is much easier for us to take those months off.

I also hope to make strawberry jam today. Yesterday, while down at Jessica’s we got 2 gal. of strawberries. I put one gallon in the freezer yesterday evening and hope to make jam with the other gallon today. I think Jessica is planning on making jam tomorrow. I am going to try using the liquid certo this time. I just haven’t been having success with the powdered sure jell.

Well, that’s about it for now. I better get busy if I am going to get anything done. I hope you all have a great day and God bless.

May 4, 2012 5

Chocolate Gravy

In a bowl mix:

1/2 cup flour, 1/4 cup cocoa, 3/4 cup sugar

Add 3/4 cup evaporated milk and mix well. (I use 1/4 cup evaporated milk, then add enough water to make 3/4 cup) Bring to boil 3 cups water. Add above mixture to boiling water, stirring as you add mix. When thick add 1 tsp vanilla and 2 tbsp. butter. Serve with hot biscuits.

April 30, 2012 1

Snowball bush

Some of you all might remember this picture from last year. Last year’s post was titled “Snowball bloom” because it only had one bloom on it. This year it looks like this.

It has lots and lots of bloom on it.

Today is foggy here. Very damp. I was hoping to hang clothes outside on the line to dry but I don’t think that is going to happen. It is fairly warm though-55 degrees. We are working on school this morning. Then I have an appointment to get two tires put on the car and get an inspection sticker. I guess that will fill up my afternoon. By the time I get back it will be time for supper. We are having homemade soup this evening with grilled cheese sandwiches. I used the remainder of the pork that I cooked Saturday for the soup. the girls and I are having chocolate gravy for lunch. It is one of their favorites.

Well, it is time for me to go check math problems. I hope you all have a great day and God bless.

April 30, 2012 6

Goslings

I thought I would show you all how big these goslings are. It always amazes me how fast they grow. They are however ravenous eaters. We also have ducklings (we think). She hatched them off and took them up into the field. We have not seen them since. Mama and Papa Duck are still around though so we are confident the ducklings are too. Mama is just keeping them well hidden.

I forgot to mention in yesterdays post about the chick house, all the planks and the door are from the old farmhouse we are working on. He said we could have all the old wood. We have been thinking of ways to reuse it. I think some of it will go to box in the remainder of our back porch. Today is a nice day here in Floyd. Temperature is 66 degrees. We have had some sun but it is overcast now and I think rain is coming.

Tonights menu at church is kraut and weiners, pinto beans, cornbread, cole slaw and strawberry rhubarb pie. (Thats just what I know about). For a class of 10-12 people, we sure do eat good. Time for me to start getting everything ready. Enjoy your evening and God bless.

April 29, 2012 4

Little Chicks New Home

We’ve been busy getting the little chicks new home ready for them. They are growing so fast. They have outgrown their little coup and are in need of a bigger home. We decided this building would work great for them. It was a metal shed we built several years ago to store the lawn mower in. It needed planks on the inside to keep it warm in the winter. The girls and I put them up Friday evening. Then this morning, we all went out and got started fixing the front. It now has a nice door and a window and is fully enclosed. All we lack now is making some nests for them and putting up the fence and building the gate. Okay, so that sounds like we lack quite a bit but we are one step closer now than we were yesterday. You can see one of the old hens in front of the house. They were so curious as to why we were blocking off the shed as it is one of their favorite places to take a dust bath.

Today was cool here. Temperatures were in the high 40’s-lower 50’s. We wore light jackets all day while we were working. We came in and ate supper. I knew today would be a long day outside working so this morning I put some pork in the crockpot and some pinto beans in another crockpot. All I had to do when we came in was fry some potatoes and make cornbread. I then decided to build a fire as it was about 60 degrees in the house. We are nice and warm now. There is just something very comforting about a wood fire. So relaxing.

I hope you all have a great evening and God bless.

April 28, 2012 4

Ouch!!!

I thought I would show you ladies what happens when a cinderblock falls on your toe. Thankfully, I was wearing boots or it would have been lots worse. I must tell you all though, I really hesitated about showing you this picture. I did not realize I had such strange looking feet until I took this picture. Oh well, they are what they are, I guess. It didn’t get me out of work though. I had to go with him this morning to texture the ceiling on the sheetrock job. That job is finished now so we can go back to working just the remodeling job. He has been going to the sheetrock job in the mornings and the remodeling job in the evenings. Doesn’t that sound wonderful!!! 2 jobs at one time. We are so blessed.

Our temperatures did warm up some today. I think we actually got to about 50 degrees. It is supposed to be cold again tonight. I just finished building a fire to keep us toasty warm. I kinda thought we were finished with fires for this season but I guess I was wrong. I hope all this cold doesn’t destroy the fruit harvest.

I hope you all have a great evening. God bless.

April 24, 2012 8

Snow

Hello ladies! Just a quick post to let you all know we are getting snow. It has been snowing here all morning. Nothing has laid on but it sure is pretty to look at. Temperature is 32 degrees with lots of wind. Feels like winter not spring.

Well, I am off to help Hubby. He is already on the job site waiting for me. School is almost finished. The girls will do history after lunch. Enjoy your day and God bless.

April 23, 2012 8

Update on Job Site

Hello everyone! I know it has been several days since I made a post. First off, my blog was down for a few days. Thanks to David, I am now back up and running. Second, we have been pretty busy here. I thought I would share a few pictures of how the progress is coming on Hubby’s job.

We tore up the flooring in the livingroom. It was in pretty bad shape.

The floor joists were sitting down on the ground. Of course, there is only one way to fix that.

This was our progress as of Monday evening. Tuesday the girls and I had to go to C-burg so I didn’t get to help (too bad, right!) Hubby did finish moving the dirt out of this section. Next we will tear up the other side of the floor and do the same thing again. It is hard work but exciting. The house is really starting to take shape. Today, I helped him hang sheetrock on another job. Thank the Good Lord, work seems to be picking up some for us. We are SO thankful!

The girls working on school work. Homeschool is so much fun. We can take it with us wherever we go.

I thought I would show you all what damage termites can do.

We will be replacing these pieces of wood with blocks. Tuesday when we went to C-burg we stopped by the Horn’s for a visit. They had a great surprise.

Baby Ducks!!! Their mama duck had just hatched 16 baby ducks. It was very exciting. We had a nice visit and Vicki helped me (actually she did all the work) list some school books on Ebay to sell. Thanks again, Vicki.

Today has been wet and chilly here in Floyd. When we came home from hanging the sheetrock, I built a fire to take the chill out of the house. Wet weather seems to make the house feel colder. Well, I think that about catching up all we have been doing. I hope you all have a good evening and God bless.

April 18, 2012 8

Birds and Spring Cleaning

The other day when we went to work with Hubby, Grace got these pictures.

I think she did a really good job. Today was spring cleaning day at church. Every spring we set aside one Saturday to come and clean the church. Heavy duty cleaning. We had a great time and the church looks and smells really nice. We were hanging up the freshly washed curtains when I noticed how nice they smelled. I commented on it and was told they had been washed in the homemade lavender laundry soap that I made. How about that!

Here are a few random pictures taken today.