Tuesday May 14

Today was a full and busy day. The two younger boys worked on some laundry this morning. Thomas and Matthew completed a construction job today that's been long and drawn out, fitted in between door jobs. Austin was out with the lawn crew.

I was up earlier than usual. After breakfast, I read with the boys until the midwife came. All seems to be going as a normal pregnancy should.

After my checkup, the boys had scattered. Melvin was mowing the lawn. Between mower breakdowns and rain, the lawn was looking pretty hairy. More hairy than pretty.

Christopher was watching chicks and trying to see how many hatched. He also emptied the dishwasher. (Click here to see a video of the chicks.)

I worked on making menus for the next couple weeks and getting a shopping list ready. Then I made a list of some food prep that could be done.

The last few months I've been using Eat at Home meal plans, simply because of pregnancy brain. It was too difficult to plan and Tiffany has all the thinking done for me. Actually, I did alternate my own meal ideas with hers but leaned heavily on her plans.

Now that I can think again to some degree, I decided to make my own plans for the next couple of weeks and see if I can whittle the grocery bill down.

Last year was not a real profitable garden year so my freezers and canned food shelves are quite empty. That does not help the grocery bill! Especially with six big eaters. My appetite has returned so that includes me.

After lunch we headed to school for program practice at 12:45. It's that time of year again. Practice every day this week and Friday evening is the performance. Next week we'll be FREE.

While the boys practiced (for an hour) I crawled into the back seat of the van, curled up and slept. If you've never tried pregnancy at age 46 you should! Ha ha. It is quite difficult.

After we were home and I rested a bit more, Christopher and I tackled some things in the kitchen. He started working on a breakfast casserole. Then he had to go do the milking early so Melvin finished the casserole.

I got a batch of bread mixed and rising, then worked on supper and other things. There were leftover mashed potatoes from Sunday that I reheated;

I fried burger, onions and cabbage together

and made a fruit salad with apples, canned pineapple, frozen blueberries and yogurt. Sweetened with a bit of maple syrup and flavored with vanilla.

The cow has really upped the milk production this spring. I turned a gallon of it into vanilla pudding, sweetened with Sucanat.

I want to make some freezer meals so I fried a couple packs of hamburger for that venture.

And a pound of bacon, baked for another potential breakfast casserole.

The fresh baked spelt bread.

It takes more bread with the guys getting their own breakfasts and lunches. With my poor coping skills at present, there are fewer leftovers as well for lunches. Plus Austin wants more finger foods to eat "on the run" with his lawn care job.

I felt pretty good about how much I accomplished single handedly. The boys were all gone to Kid's Club for the evening. But. ..if I do that much, it just kind of sets me back physically. One day up, the next day down. One step forward, two steps back.

Thomas spent the evening working on a chicken coop. The chickens have been in the fenced-in garden area but if we want to plant a garden they need to move. Plus the chicks need something with a "roof" so hawks and owls can't get them. AND we want something that we can move across the lawn or field to let them pasture feed.

The boys came home around nine o'clock, ate their supper and we called it a day. Kitchen cleanup waits till morning. That's the way we roll around here. Not the best way but hey, you can't always have the best, you know.

Life Today

Outside my window...

The day is very cold. The nights are very cold. (High of 21, low of 8) The animals' water needs to be checked periodically to see if they are able to drink it. The ice is thick and smooth on the pond, much to the boys' delight. 

But the sun is shining! And the days are lengthening now. Ever so slowly, but it helps my mind to know that it's happening. The boys keep quoting, "When the days lengthen, the cold strengthens." Must be truth to that.

I am thinking…

The thought has come to me a number of times recently how incredible it was for Jesus to come to earth. He had such a wonderful home of love and light, where everyone did His bidding. And He chose to enter a dark, sin-cursed earth where He chose to do what others bid Him. It hurts to think about the awful exchange. But He did it for the joy it would bring. To Him. To His Father. To us, as His inheritance.

I am thankful for…

...warm fire.

...freedom.

...the Bible.

From the learning rooms…

We read how The Wilder family (Farmer Boy) gathered in their harvest for the winter. We decided there is so much we could raise to feed our creatures. We raise our food so why not theirs?

From the kitchen…

We prepped our supper this morning so we could follow our own interests this afternoon. There is a sweet potato souffle in the oven, waiting to be baked. Lettuce, onions and tomatoes are diced; rice is cooked; burger is browned and mixed with beans and taco seasoning; and nacho chips are crushed for a haystack supper. All that's left is the cheese. The question is, "Do I make cheese sauce or shred cheese and serve with Ranch dressing?" 

I am wearing…

...the usual. Prayer veiling on my head, reading glasses, a dress (maroon), socks, shoes.

I am creating…

I feel excited. I'm actually getting a dress cut out, slowly but surely. I normally cut one out all at once but this one is taking at least three days. I know. I'm weird like that sometimes.

I am going…

I'm not going. I'm staying put. Lol. Seriously, I'm a homebody and don't go more than I really need to and then sometimes not. 

I am reading…

Not sure what's next. I just finished Red Scarf Girl by Ji-li Jiang. Not a happy story.

I am hoping…

...to get some apples canned. Just got a few bushels for $5 @. The boys really like canned apples with a topping of whipped cream (real cow cream).

I am hearing…

...my little, three-year-old nephew's prattling. He is telling his daddy that he was out hunting. He had gone out with Christopher and a toy bow and arrow. Little ones are so cute!

Around the house…

Melvin, Christopher & I are tackling kitchen cleanup and organization. They are constantly hounding me with the questions, "When did you last use this? Is this something you use? Do you want this? Do you need that?" We are decluttering for sure. Look out landfill and thrift stores. Here we come!

One of my favorite things…

Solitude.

A few plans for the rest of the week…

Keep decluttering and cleaning. 

Keep the men fed and their clothes clean. 

Make menu plans. 

Have a lonely boy over while school Christmas vacation is in session. 

Work on a dress. 

Plan the food assignments for the next sisters' sewing. 

Oops. That was supposed to be a few. Well, it is a few... relatively.

Here is picture thought I am sharing…

Creative son once again. This was made
using the whole set of Rummikub tiles.