My Little Lambs

2012-02-02T14:20:00.000-08:00

Thoughts for Thursday

A friend's recent FB status and all the replies got me thinking about music.

We love music at our house. There is almost always some kind of music playing. It's in the background while we work and do school. The children listen to it while going to sleep. Music is a wonderful thing.

We enjoy all sorts of music here. Some people that don't know us very well might be surprised (shocked, even) at our iTunes list. There's rock, country, classic rock, classic country, "Christian", pop, bluegrass. Like I said, we enjoy many kinds of music.

We've gone through all kinds of changes in our lives. We've gone through different phases and grown. There is one phase that I regret though. The phase where we listened to those around us telling us that the music we were listening to was sinful and needed to be destroyed. When I look back at all the $$$ worth of music we destroyed, I could just cry.

After destroying all the music, we only listened to "Christian" music. We only let the children sing Sunday school songs or hymns. But there were times when I just wanted to listen to some good old rock and roll. When I was alone in the car, I'd find myself searching for stations on the radio and stopping at a pop/rock station. Then changing it back before anyone found out. I slowly started adding some of my old favorites to my iPod and listening to them with headphones so that no one else could hear.

As my children got older and started to question things, I started to realize that what I was doing was very hypocritical. I was saying that it was okay for me to listen to certain kinds of music, but they weren't allowed to.

One day my 5 year old said something that really got me thinking and re-evaluating. She said, "Mom, those people don't know Jesus, so we shouldn't talk to them." WOW!! What was I teaching them? That it's only okay to be around people that know Jesus? Is that how Jesus lived his life? Was I sheltering them too much? The Bible says that we are to be IN the world, not OF it. But, if I don't teach my children how to do that, then how will they be able to when they leave the safety of home? If I don't teach them what good and bad look like, then how will they be able to recognized them on their own?

So, as my older children approached their teens, I allowed more freedom in what they watched, what they read, and what they listened to. It has lead to many good discussions on sin, good and bad choices, and consequences.

Music is entertainment. And, I think we need to see the entertainers for what they are...human. Sinners. Just like you and me. I'd much rather listen to a singer who lives his/her life the same on stage as he/she does off. I don't think much of singers who portray an image on stage, but whose off-stage life tells a much different story. I tell my children that if a singer doesn't know Jesus then he/she doesn't know what sin is.

There have been many times when my children and I have danced and sung along to a song, and then sat down and discussed what the song was about. Was the message good or bad? How should we treat people that live/believe that way? We've even taken a minute to say a prayer that those people would someday know Jesus.

I used to worry about people finding out what kind of music I was listening to. Now I really don't care. I don't have to answer to any of them for the choices I make. Jesus accepts me just as I am. Does that give me a license to sin? Of course not. But I'm pretty sure he won't kick me out of heaven just because I enjoyed a little Kid Rock now and then. ;)

Moriah Grace

2011-02-10T06:30:00.000-08:00

A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver or gold. Proverbs 22:1

When Kelly and I got married, I had dreams of having a big family. Four kids. I wanted four kids. My husband, on the other hand, only wanted two. We had three (the last one being a miraculous answer to prayer. But that's another story...) Our little family was complete. Or so we thought...

Have you ever had your words come back to haunt you? You know, things like, "I'm never going to marry a farmer. Especially a dairy farmer like Kelly Opdahl." Or as a teen telling your mother that she was way too old when she had you. (She was 30, btw). Yeah, I'm pretty sure God has a sense of humor.

Anyway, back to the story...

Fast forward to March 2005. Kelly and I were attending our state's homeschool convention. We had left our children with some friends so that we could enjoy some time alone. After returning to our room the first evening, Kelly told me that he felt the Lord was working on him regarding something. He felt the Lord was preparing him to have more children. I literally laughed out loud. I mean our children were practically grown. And, besides, I was not as young as I used to be. Like I said, I'm pretty sure God has a sense of humor.

A few short months later, we found out that we were expecting. I admit, there were some worries. Our house was not even 1000 square feet. Where were we going to put another child? Kelly wasn't making a whole lot of money. How were we going to feed and clothe another child? We prayed about it, and left in in God's hands.

The children were excited. They wanted to name the baby Samuel, which means asked of God, because they had been praying for a baby for quite a while. So Samuel it would be. I decided that Isaac, which means laughter, would be an appropriate middle name. So I began praying for our little Samuel Isaac. I prayed that this child would bring joy and laughter to our home.

A few months into the pregnancy I experienced some complications. An ultrasound was done and we discovered that we were having a girl. So the search for a new name began.

One day while searching the internet, I came across an adoption site. It stated that it relied on something called the Moriah Fund to operate. Moriah means the Lord will provide. They relied on the Lord to provide the resources that they needed. In the Bible, Mt. Moriah was where the Lord provided a ram to sacrifice in Isaac's place. That really hit me. Relying on the Lord to provide. I discussed it with Kelly and we decided that Moriah was her name. She still needed a middle name though.

I happened to be studying the Word grace and decided to look up the meaning in my Bible. I had always heard that grace was unmerited favor, but my Bible put it another way. It said that grace was an undeserved gift. It got me thinking about babies and gifts. And isn't that exactly what a baby is? An undeserved gift? So Moriah Grace it was.

And on February 10, 2006, after experiencing a couple of scares and driving an hour through a blizzard, Moriah Grace was born via emergency c-section. We were holding our precious baby girl. The Lord had provided us with an undeserved gift.

The Lord knew exactly what I needed. Apparenly he knew that as a homeschool mom of many, I would need an occassional comedic break. In her five short years, I don't think a day has gone by that she has not made me laugh. The Lord gave me my Isaac!

I was laughing at something she had said or done one day, and I said, "Oh Moriah, what would we do without you?" Ethan answered, "We'd probably have more money, but we wouldn't have as much joy". Out of the mouths of babes...

And the Lord provided in other ways as well. That summer our garden provided enough produce to feed several families.

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think...Epesians 3:20

The following are words to a song that a friend wrote and sang at Moriah's dedication.

Precious as a flower blooming in the spring

You were born into our home

And our hearts began to sing.

Your perfect skin and toothless grin

And your tiny fingers and toes

That downy hair upon your head

And your scrunched up little nose.

You're Heaven's sunshine in our hearts

And with your life we can start

To form new memories as we watch you

Day by day.

And it's so wonderfully true

That in our Father's plan was you!

In our hearts you've found a place

Moriah Grace.

We watch you growing daily

As God intends you to

And yet we can't help feeling

A sorrow that is new

We dread the passing of each day

Yet you change in some new darling way.

And we know you can't forever stay

Our tiny little baby.

You're Heaven's sunshine in our hearts

And with your life we can start

To form new memories as we watch you

Day by day.

And it's so wonderfully true

That in our Father's plan is you!

We welcome you in this place

Moriah Grace.

Tincture making (part III)...

2010-05-01T12:16:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm finally getting around to posting the final step in my tincture making process. The final step is to press the herbs. Pictured above are the things that I need for the final step. On the left is the jar of alcohol tincture, on the right is the glycerin tincture and in the back is the herb press (aka the sausage stuffer).

I place a coffee filter in the bottom of the press before dumping in the jars of herbs and liquid.

Kelly is the muscle in this process. He cranks the handle.

Out comes the liquid.

I pour it in to jars and label for future use. :)

How I make my tinctures (Part II)

2010-03-23T12:45:00.000-07:00

This is the second part of my tinctures...the glycerin part. The first step is to gather your ingredients. For my trace minerals tincture, I am using Red raspberry leaf (not pictured), alfalfa, oatstraw, horsetail, and nettles. I'll need a clean jar, and I also need about 1 C of hot (boiling) water to dampen the herbs. And, of course, vegetable glycerin, as well as a crock pot to "cook" it all in.

I have added the dry herbs to my jar. 4 parts Red raspberry leaf, 2 parts oatstraw, 2 parts alfalfa, 1 part nettles, and 1 part horsetail. As you can see, my jar is fairly full.

I add just enough of the hot water to dampen the herbs. I usually add a little at a time and stir it around to make sure all of the herbs are dampened, and then I add the glycerin. I stir this around too to make sure that it is incorporated throughout. I keep filling and stirring until the jar is full.

I place a rag on the bottom of my crockpot, set in the jar full of herbs and glycerin, fill the crockpot with water, and set the crockpot on warm. I let this "cook" for about 3 days. I keep refilling the crockpot with water as needed.

The next step is straining...

How I make my tinctures (Part I)

2010-03-23T11:43:00.000-07:00

"And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth...to you it shall be for meat." Genesis 1:29

I am currently in the process of making an herbal "trace minerals" tincture. I am using the proportions recommended by Steven H. Horne in his book, "The ABC Herbal". This was one of the very first herb books that I purchased, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in herbal remedies. Especially if you have children.

I wasn't planning on posting how I make my tinctures, so I don't have any beginning photos. The above is the alcohol portion of my tincture. I usually do 1/2 alcohol, 1/2 glycerin. You can do either one or the other, but I find mixing them makes the tincture a little easier to take. The glycerin helps tone down the alcohol, and the alcohol helps lessen the sweetness of the glycerin.

The above jar contains 4 parts red raspberry leaf, 2 parts oatstraw, 2 parts alfalfa, 1 part nettles, and 1 part horsetail. I then filled the jar with rum (you can also use vodka, but we are avoiding grain alcohol) and set it in a cool, dark place. I try to remember to shake it at least once a day, but that doesn't always happen. I usually let my alcohol tinctures set about 2-3 weeks. I strain the herbs out and store the remaining liquid in a glass jar in my kitchen cupboard.

The trace mineral formula is used to help build up the body. I will be using it as an herbal "mulitivitamin".

Red Raspberry leaf is a good for the female organs. It can be used during pregnancy and can even help with morning sickeness. It is also good for lactation. It can be used to treat stomachaches and bowel problems in children and can even help with diarrhea in an infant. It is very high in vitamins and minerals.

Oatstraw is also good for the female organs and can balance out female cycles. Also high in vitamins and minerals.

Alfalfa's name means "King of all foods". It is very high in vitamins and minerals, is a good source of carotene and Vitamin K. It has 8 of the essential amino acids, which need to be supplied to our body by our food or with supplements, as the body does not produce them. It has the highest chlorophyll content of any plant and allows for rapid assimilation of plant elements. (Chlorophyll is amazing stuff and I plan on posting how to make your own some time this summer).

Nettle is a blood purifier and is great for liver and kidney function. Also very high in vitamin and mineral content.

Horsetail (Shavegrass) is a great all-purpose herb. It helps strengthen hair and nails, helps the body utilize and hold calcium, is good for the kidneys, is anti-parasitic, can dissolve tumors, and is good for the eyes, ears, nose, throat and glands.

I love the fact that herbs are more readily absorbed by the body. I also love the fact that I can find so many herbs growing around my own yard. And, the ones that I can't find in the wild, I can grow in my herb garden.

What my children do for fun...

2010-03-16T13:58:00.000-07:00

Tasha's baby

2009-05-29T11:42:00.001-07:00

Tasha and her baby, Ruby.

We were hoping she'd have at least one more, but she didn't.

Here's Ruby after we moved her in to the house. The other goat belongs to my mother-in-law and sister-in-law. The children are just bottle feeding her for them.

Ruby and Abby.

Laura's babies

2009-05-29T11:33:00.001-07:00

This is the second twin buck, aka Amos, he's the bigger of the two. Ashley has claimed this one.

This is the smaller twin buck, aka Jonathan, the smaller of the two. This is Veronica's favorite.

Here they both are after being born.

Laura cleaning Amos.

Laura cleaning Jonathan.

Hope Shalom

2009-04-25T13:20:00.001-07:00

Hope Shalom Opdahl arrived Sunday, April 19, 2009 at 6:11 am. She weighed 8 lbs 15 oz and measured 20 3/4 inches long.

First calf of the year

2009-04-08T13:17:00.000-07:00

This is Grandpa Dale's cow and her baby...a bull calf.

Kelly happened to be out there right as the calf was born.

We left for town right after this and came home to find she had had another bull calf. So Grandpa started off the year with twins!

My Greenhouse Room

2009-03-29T14:59:00.001-07:00

This is a view from the outside. My father-in-law had to cut a hole in the wall to get the bulk tank out.

Here is a table Kelly made out of a door. Those are the seed he started for me.

Another pic from the outside.

The table along the window is made from leftover countertop.

This is our lab, Buddy, looking in at Kelly taking pictures. I think he wants in.

The finished roof

2009-03-29T14:53:00.000-07:00

More roofing

2009-03-18T17:56:00.001-07:00

Roofing

2009-03-18T11:52:00.001-07:00

Rafters going up. Here's the crane used to set the rafters in place.

They got all the rafters up in less than an hour.

Kelly and his brother, Aaron working on the roof.

Handsome hubby coming down to check his work from the ground...and maybe get something to eat.

The Master Bedroom

2009-03-12T18:48:00.001-07:00

Here is the finished floor. I am absolutely loving my laminate.

This is the view from the doorway. The bedroom is on the north side of the house and only has this one window, so I decided to go with a light color on the walls and floors. It really brightened up the room compared to the dark paneling.

This is the closet.

FINALLY...babies

2009-03-08T16:11:00.001-07:00

My goat finally had her babies. Here's one of them.

Here's the other one.

And the best part is...they're both does!

Butter

2009-03-08T13:29:00.001-07:00

Squeezing the buttermilk out of the butter.

Washing the butter.

Working the salt into the butter.

Packing it into a container.

The finished product. YUMMY! :)

Yet another new adventure...

2009-03-03T11:06:00.000-08:00

This is Grandpa Dale's cow. She aborted her baby this morning and Grandpa offered to let us milk her. The children have been wanting a cow to milk and now they have one.

Here is Ashley straining the milk. We got a whole gallon.

We plan on making butter, kefir and yogurt. I may even try my hand at cheese.

Ethan's room...

2009-03-02T07:21:00.001-08:00

Here is a pic of Ethan's floor. He and Kelly worked hard to get it done. It is a lighter shade than we have in the living/dining room.

His closet.

Here is his room from the doorway. He did all the painting himself. Kelly and I will be moving in here temporarily while we finish our room.

More goats

2009-02-05T18:23:00.000-08:00

This is Tasha. She's a Nubian cross. She's due to kid in May.

Another picture of Tasha.

This is Laura. She's a Nubian/Toggenburg cross. She's also due to kid in May. She's the daughter of Tasha.

Another picture of Laura.

Bottle babies

2009-01-23T08:25:00.001-08:00

The children were offered some bottle babies, which, of course, they couldn't turn down. So we now have two little goats in our basement. They are brand new, so they need to be fed every 4 hours...a lot like real babies. Here they are after their bath. (Again a lot like real babies)
This one is Ethan's. He's a little buck named George. He's a twin whose momma didn't want him. We plan on keeping him and using him as a billy.
This one is Veronica's. Her name is Jordan. She was the runt of a set of triplets.

Milking

2009-01-23T08:15:00.001-08:00

Here is Veronica milking Mandy. Notice the nice stand Kelly built for me.
Faith "supervising".
Veronica on one side...
Ethan on the other.

Mandy looks forward to her alfalfa pellets while being milked.

Our latest addition...

2009-01-23T08:11:00.001-08:00

This is Ebony. She is 1/2 Nubian, 1/2 French Alpine. We purchased her from a lady by Towner. She is due to kid around March 1st.

Too much snow...

2009-01-19T20:21:00.000-08:00

This is the sight that met my father-in-law when he came to check the calves this morning.

Barn pictures...

2009-01-19T20:17:00.000-08:00

This is the back of the barn.
On the roof...

Scared and confused calves

Let us out of here!

Inside the barn...

2009-01-19T20:15:00.000-08:00

More goat pics...

2009-01-11T19:26:00.001-08:00

Boots getting a treat.
Daddy introducing Boots to Mandy. He didn't like her.
Moriah holding Molly. We can hardly get her to leave the barn.
Ashley holding Holly.

Our latest project...

2009-01-11T19:18:00.000-08:00

This is our new nanny goat, Mandy. As many of you know, Faith cannot have cow's milk. She has been on goat milk since she was 2 months old. Since we're now on a farm, we figured it would be cheaper and easier to just milk our own. We plan to milk three. We're still trying to find a couple more. I may even try my hand at goat cheese and goat soap.
Daddy giving a lesson in bottle feeding goats.
Moriah taking a turn feeding her baby, Molly.
Ashley feeding Holly.

My new bathroom tile...

2009-01-11T19:12:00.001-08:00

Here's a sample of what my tile will look like next to the laminate. I can't wait til it's all done!
Our former neighbor...a.ka. Grandpa Stan...purchased tile for my bathroom. Thanks Grandpa! :)

Two of my favorite things...

2008-12-15T19:10:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love this. My mom had it crocheted and helped me get it framed. I often tease that if our house starts on fire that this is the first thing Kelly has to grab...then he can go back for the children. *wink*
This is the nativity set that my mom made when I was young. I've always loved looking at it. It used to come out only at this time of year, but will now be displayed all year long. She didn't get all the pieces painted, but it's still beautiful. Thanks Mom! :)

The guest bedroom

2008-12-15T19:05:00.000-08:00

Here's the guest bedroom...also known as Ethan's room for the time being. That's all his stuff piled up along the wall.
Ethan worked hard painting walls.
Kelly and Ethan put down the carpet.

An Update on the Living/Dining Room

2008-12-15T18:58:00.000-08:00

This is what the floor looked like to begin with. And yes, that's Faith throwing a fit...hard to believe if you know her. :)
This is after Kelly and his dad got done putting in the laminate.
From the other side of the room.
Here it is after we moved in our furniture.
From the other side of the room.

My whole family...

2008-11-23T13:22:00.000-08:00

This picture is kind of blurry...but I wanted to put up a picture of my whole family. This was taken at my Grandma Schauer's funeral. (11/21/08)

Pictured are: back row: Veronica Opdahl, Ashley Opdahl, Brittany Muscha, Hayden Muscha
5th row: Jay Filler (Dad), Mary Filler (Mom)
4th row: Kelly Opdahl holding Faith Opdahl, Dawn Opdahl holding Moriah Opdahl, Carmen Muscha (sister), Ben Muscha
3rd row: Ethan Opdahl, Jennifer Broin (sister)
2nd row: Miranda Broin, Demitri Broin
front row: Jason Filler (brother) holding Jason Filler Jr., Anna Filler holding Jayella Filler and Jorj Filler

Faith dancing

2008-11-23T13:14:00.000-08:00

The view from my front door

2008-11-08T09:53:00.001-08:00

I'm putting this picture up for a certain someone and her children who have never seen snow. Just wanted them to see what is looks like here. Just so they know, they are welcome to come and visit anytime. :)

2008-11-05T11:56:00.000-08:00

This is for all of our canned goods. Kelly plans on putting up a wall and door to enclose the area.

This is the spare bedroom. The floor will have carpeting and the walls will be painted.

The basement...

2008-11-05T11:49:00.000-08:00

This is the furnace room. Kelly enclosed it when we lived there before.
This is Kelly's work area. He put the work bench up when we lived here before. This is where all of his tools and things will go until he gets a garage or shop put up.
This area will be a family room of sorts. There will be carpet here and we will set up a TV area for watching movies.
There used to be a freezer here, but I think Kelly wants to put up shelves and hooks for storing things.

Busy Painting...

2008-11-05T11:45:00.000-08:00

Here's Ashley putting a coat of primer on her walls.
And here's Veronica working on her room. She's doing pink and brown. I really like the pink...it's very pretty.

Laundry room and bathroom

2008-11-05T11:29:00.000-08:00

This is the laundry room...which will be Ethan's room. Right now it's storage for all of our supplies. Thanks to my FIL for getting the flooring up.

Here's the bathroom. My FIL got the flooring up in this room too. He's been a huge help. As you can see, the subfloor will need to be replaced in this room. Didn't Kelly do a nice job cutting a hole in the wall? He's working on getting the plumbing and electrical ready for the washer and dryer.

2008-11-05T11:24:00.000-08:00

This is the living/dining room minus the carpet. It's had one coat of paint on the walls and will need at least one more coat. The couch isn't ours and will have a new home soon. As you can tell by the pattern on the floor, there were square tiles under the carpet. I can't wait for the laminate to go in.

The kitchen

2008-11-05T11:16:00.000-08:00

Here are some pics of the kitchen after a fresh coat of paint. I'm very pleased with the color. It'll go really well with my apple themed decorations. The kitchen table was my mom's and dad's first table when they got married 45 years ago. And if I'm not mistaken, it was second hand when they got it. I'd say it's held up pretty well. It's not our actual kitchen table anymore...it's a spare.

House Update...

2008-11-05T11:11:00.001-08:00

This is what you see as you come in the little entry. As I said before, this will be removed and we will be putting on a bigger entry.
These are the steps up to the kitchen...they are very well worn. The walls need some patching and a coat of paint.
Here's Moriah posing for a picture with her baby doll, Rose.
These are the steps going down to the basement...also very well worn. My children want to leave them that way. They say it gives the house "character".

Still more...

2008-10-20T13:38:00.001-07:00

This is Veronica's and Faith's room. The floor will be painted brown and the walls will be pink and brown. The paneling was added. The upstairs used to be just one room. We have considered taking the wall down and making it one room again, but for now it will stay as is. The upstairs is all plaster and when we put new windows in, we will take out the plaster and put up sheet rock. But that's a project for another day. :)
This picture got dark, but this is Ashley's and Moriah's room. The room is sort of divided in half. The floors will be painted brown and the walls will probably be lavender and blue. (If she ever makes up her mind).
This is looking at it from the other direction. Underneath all that paneling is plaster.
Here's a pic of Buddy enjoying the sandbox. I think he'll fit right in on the farm! This is right outside the porch...it will be moved to the backyard (and filled with actual sand instead of gravel).

More house tour...

2008-10-20T13:29:00.001-07:00

Across from the bathroom is the laundry room. This will become Ethan's bedroom. The roof also leaked in this room and there is one spot that will need to be repaired, but it will have to wait for now. The flooring will come up and this room will have laminate as well.
This is the only closet on the main floor. When they put the basement on the house they added the bathroom and laundry room, so this room got a closet. I thought maybe we could make this in to the master bedroom, but Kelly said no. This room is just a little bit smaller that our room.
Here's the carpet from the upstairs..waiting to be taken to the garbage pit.
Here's Ashley pulling staples off of the steps after the carpet came out. You can't tell in the pic, but the walls and banister are bright green. They'll be white soon.
Here's Veronica cleaning up the dirt and dust left behind by the carpet. She's coming out of what will be her room. The floors will be painted brown for now and at some point will be laminate.

Tour continued...

2008-10-20T13:21:00.001-07:00

Just off the living room is what will be the master bedroom. It's not very big...big enough to hold a bed and dresser and have just enough room to walk around the bed. The carpet will be removed and this room will have laminate flooring. (As will the living room and dining room...I forgot to mention that).
This is the closet. I think they mostly put that in to enclose the pipes that are in it.
At the other end of the house, just off the dining room is the only bathroom in the house. We're all wondering how we're going to manage after having 2 bathrooms for so long.
Here's the vanity. Across from the bathtub will be the washer and dryer.

The roof leaked after we moved out and the whole ceiling collapsed in this room. Kelly's dad and brothers sheet rocked and painted. But the subfloor will need to be replaced. This room will have laminate floor.

Tour of the house

2008-10-20T13:11:00.001-07:00

As you come in the little entry you can either go downstairs (I forgot to take pics of the basement, but will add them later) or you can come up to the main floor. You enter in to the kitchen. This is the view as you enter. Notice the few cupboards...they are the only cupboards I have. I'm not sure where I'm going to put everything. The floor was put in by my grandma and parents when we got married 15 years ago and will stay for now. It's really dirty, but seems to still be in good shape.
I'm standing just inside the doorway, next to the cupboards looking in to the dining room.
This is from the stove to the other side of the room. It's not a big kitchen, but it will hold our table, so that's good.
This if from the dining room looking in to the living room. This is really one big, LONG room. It's over 30 ft long and a little over 11 ft wide. The dining room will be an office/school area. The wall on the right side of the photo (south side of the house) will be lined with wooden bookcases. The door in the middle of the room goes to the upstairs. The dog at the bottom is our new puppy, Buddy.
These are the steps to the upstairs. The carpet has already been pulled off.

Our farmyard...

2008-10-20T12:56:00.000-07:00

This is the machine shed. Kelly's dad actually owns this farmstead, so the shed holds his machinery that he doesn't use often. Behind this is cattle pens.
This is the original milk barn. The little white building in front contains the bulk tank that held the milk until the milk truck came. This barn now is used only to store straw. Although it may become home to a couple of milk goats in the spring. Behind it is cattle pens. His family keeps all of their beef cattle here during the winter and they calve them out here in the spring.
The building on the left is a garage. Not sure what the one in the middle was. It collapsed a long time ago. Kelly and Ethan are hoping to salvage some of the wood for a tree house. The building on the right is my chicken coup. When we lived here before, I had ducks, but will have chickens in there hopefully when we move.
The little red building is a grainery. Right now it is just used for storage.
This is the new milk barn. It has been converted to be used for beef cattle. They have a working shute and calving pens in there now. (The van is mine.)

Our "new" old house...

2008-10-20T12:26:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, Kelly has taken a job working with two of his brothers, so we are moving. The farm we are moving to is actually the farm that Kelly and I lived on after we got married. The house is 100+ years old and is in need of much work. So I thought I'd document all that we are doing. The above picture is of the "front" of the house. As you can see, it is in much need of paint. We're hoping to get that done next summer. I'm thinking a nice soft yellow. The little entry will be removed and we will put a larger one on. It will go between the two windows and out at least 12-14 ft...maybe more if we put a bathroom in it. Kelly is going to build in benches with hinged lids to store stuff in. A dream come true for me!
This is the actual front of the house, but in the 50's they put a basement under the house and turned it, so now this faces east. The porch floor is completely rotten and will need to be replaced. We are planning on completely rebuilding it. And if I get my way it will be an enclosed porch. I think it will make a wonderful screened in summer porch. I told Kelly we can add a swing and he and I can sit out there in the evenings. The second floor windows are going to be Ashley's and Moriah's bedroom.
This is the "back" of the house. We have a nice big backyard completely enclosed by shrubs and trees. The double windows on the right are the living room and the single window on the left is the dining room. At some point we want to put sliding doors or french doors in the dining room and build a deck. The upstairs windows are to Veronica's and Faith's bedroom. This faces south, so it gets lots of sun.
This is the actual back of the house and faces west. The window on the right is the bathroom and the one on the left is the laundry room, which is going to become Ethan's room.

The family who owned this house before we lived in it the first time raised a big family in it. Their youngest had leukemia and died at a young age. The financial burden along with the father's failing health caused them to move and put it up for sale. It sat empty for many years before we lived in it the first time. It needed a lot of work when we lived in it then, but being we were a young couple just starting out, we weren't able to do much with it.

So now we are going to raise our family here. We are going to work on it as we have time and money. There are some things that need to be done before we can move in, and the rest we will live with for now. I am so thankful for a handy husband who can do most of the work himself. What a blessing!

Nap time

2008-10-20T12:25:00.001-07:00

Moriah fell asleep on the floor one day and our cat, Boots, decided to take a nap with her.

Camping out

2008-10-20T12:22:00.001-07:00

Since we've been busy packing, the children have been camping out in the basement. There are boxes and totes everywhere, so they made Moriah a bed in a laundry basket. She thought it was great!

Relaxing

2008-10-20T12:20:00.001-07:00

This is how we found Moriah one day.

Happy Birthday to you...

2008-09-22T06:32:00.000-07:00

Faith's birthday cake...Thanks Angel!
Faith with her cake. It almost looks like she's scared of it.
Hmmm...I think I'll have a taste.
MMMM! Maybe I should try some more...

So yummy! Notice her name is smeared and there's a chunk missing from the corner.

Garden update...

2008-09-17T09:31:00.000-07:00

My pumpkins...
squash...
more squash...
cabbage...

and those are cucumbers climbing the cattle panel. Makes for easier picking.

My grapes

2008-09-17T09:28:00.001-07:00

I cannot tell you how excited I am about my grapes! Aren't they beautiful?! Now I just have to figure out how to take them with us when we move.

Coons!

2008-09-17T09:25:00.001-07:00

This is what raccoons do to corn. Thankfully, someone gave us some. I'm happy to say that I have 21 quarts of cream style corn in my freezer.

Beets, beets and more beets!

2008-09-17T09:20:00.001-07:00

We were surprised at the size of our beets this year.
Kelly only picked about 1/3 of them.
Buttered beets, anyone?

Washing dishes

2008-09-17T09:16:00.001-07:00

The littles wanted to help Sissy wash dishes. This is how Sissy let them help. The dishes got "washed"...and the floor got "cleaned".

Taking the baby out for a spin...

2008-08-26T14:42:00.000-07:00

En Garde

2008-08-26T14:28:00.000-07:00

Corn and beets

2008-08-05T15:26:00.001-07:00

Here is my corn. I plan on freezing cream style corn.
These are my beets. Not many came up, but the ones that did are nice. We'll soon have buttered beets for supper. YUM!!!

Pumpkins and squash

2008-08-05T15:24:00.001-07:00

My pumpkins...

and my squash.

Cantalope and watermelon

2008-08-05T15:20:00.001-07:00

Here's a picture of my cantalope...
and this is my watermelon.

Fifteen years...

2008-08-01T14:23:00.000-07:00

Seeing as how I put up our wedding picture on our anniversary, I thought I'd let you all see what we look like after fifteen years of marriage.

Momma and her babies

2008-08-01T14:18:00.001-07:00

Here I am with Faith after her bath. She's my smiley baby. Those of you who know us know it wasn't always that way.
And here I am with Moriah. She wasn't too excited about getting her picture taken. She wanted to write her letters.

Pizza and Oreos!!

2008-08-01T14:15:00.001-07:00

Here's Faith enjoying her pizza and oreos.

Peek a boo

2008-07-31T09:30:00.000-07:00

Faith peeking out from under the table while the others were busy snapping beans.

Hard at work

2008-07-31T09:26:00.001-07:00

Moriah and Ashley snapping beans. Moriah kept saying, "I'm a good helper!" She certainly was!

Hard at work

2008-07-23T19:55:00.001-07:00

Here are my older ones shelling peas. That bucket was full and when they were done shelling I had enough for a little over a quart, so we ate them! I wasn't about to start my canner for 1 quart!

One is the loneliest number

2008-07-23T19:54:00.001-07:00

Here is my one lone pepper. Poor thing! Hopefully there'll be more soon!

More of my garden...

2008-07-23T19:37:00.000-07:00

Here's the enclosure Kelly built for my strawberries. There's a swinging door on the far end. Right now it has that plastic mesh on it, but next year he's planning on putting chicken wire on it and making it more permanant. We'll take the mesh off this fall. I don't think it would survive a North Dakota winter anyway.
These are my raspberries. Actually, they're Kelly's raspberries. I'm not a big raspberry fan. Although I use the leaves to make my Red Raspberry Tea! It's hard to believe that just last spring there was just a few sticks there. We were worried that they wouldn't make it. I don't think we have to worry anymore. Along the fence line in the background is where we planted our asparagus. I'll have to get a pic of those up. I haven't taken one yet.
Here is the archway Kelly made for my grapes. Isn't it cool? I love it! It's probably one of my favorite anniversary presents ever! (Right up there with tires and windshield wiper blades!) Behind the arch are my zucchini plants.
Here is my herb garden. It looks a little rough in the pic cuz I've harvested quite a bit out of it. Closest is burdock. I only have one plant, so I'm a little nervous about harvesting the root. Behind the burdock is my evening primrose. It's absolutely beautiful when it's blooming. In the middle was yarrow...which is now hanging in our garage to dry. On the far end I have comfrey (it's laying over from a big windstorm), calendula and chamomile. For some reason my mints didn't come up. Among everything is plantain, feverfew and a few other things. Alot of it is volunteer...it came with the dirt we got from our old farm.

Gardening...

2008-07-18T15:59:00.001-07:00

So, I thought is was time that I put up some pics of my garden. The above are close ups of my grapes that Kelly bought me for our anniversary. He made an arch with a cattle panel for them to climb. (I'll have to post a pic of it cuz it's cool). We were told we should get a few bowls full this year and a couple of gallons next year. They are grown in Canada, so they shouldn't winter kill. They are comparable to Concord grapes. Should make great juice and jelly!
These are my peas. There are 4 double rows. Kelly cut cattle panels in half for them to climb thinking that they wouldn't get very tall, but some of them are as tall as me. (Not that that's tall) We were hoping that 8 rows would get us some to can, but they don't seem to make it to the house. They are better than candy! YUMMY!!! (The wood thing in the background is Ethan's knife and tomahawk throwing target that he and Kelly built).
These are my 8 rows of beans. Hopefully we will get enough to can to make it through the winter. Last year we ran out. We eat A LOT of beans!

These are my cucumbers. We have two varieties. Kelly put up a cattle panel for the climbing variety and the next row is the bush variety. We eat cucumber salad a few times and the rest will be pickles! We never have enough pickles!

We also have tomatoes, peppers, cayenne, onions, garlic, carrots, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli. We also planted some lettuce, spinach and radishes. Oh, and I told Kelly to plant me ONE zucchini plant and he planted me 8, so I think we'll have enough to feed the whole town!

We have a garden on the farm where we keep our horse where we planted beets, corn, TONS of squash, pumpkin, watermelon and cantalope.

We have strawberries...I'll have to post a pic of the enclosure that Kelly built to keep the birds out. (I'm told that I'm spoiled). We are anticipated a good raspberry crop and we planted some asparagus thanks to Kelly's brother Aaron.

Mrs Potato Head?

2008-07-18T15:56:00.000-07:00

Here's Moriah wearing her Mrs. Potatohead's glasses. Can you tell who's the clown of the family?

Tired!

2008-07-18T15:53:00.001-07:00

The children spent the day in Minot with our neighbor, aka "Grandpa". Shopping makes you tired!

Getting Clean

2008-07-18T15:50:00.000-07:00

Here'e the littles getting clean after breakfast.

After a swim

2008-06-25T09:14:00.000-07:00

Faith after a dip in the baby pool in the yard. She loves a bath, but hates the pool. Go figure!

Traffic jam

2008-06-25T09:09:00.000-07:00

The littles having fun on their toys!

Out for a drive

2008-06-25T09:07:00.001-07:00

Faith out for a drive on her toy car. She actually just sits on it and plays with the horn and buttons. But she looks cute doing it!

Strike a Pose

2008-06-25T09:02:00.001-07:00

Faith is getting to be quite the character when the camera comes out.

After a Bath

2008-06-25T08:59:00.001-07:00

The girls thought it would be fun to wrap Faith's head like they do after a bath.

Daddy's Girls

2008-06-13T16:44:00.001-07:00

The littles relaxing with Daddy while he's home for lunch.

Bibs from Grandma

2008-06-13T16:42:00.001-07:00

My mom sewed bibs for the girls. They are so cute, so we thought we'd show them off. Thanks Grandma!

Joy Riding

2008-06-12T12:11:00.000-07:00

The littles going out for a walk.

Home cooking

2008-06-12T12:08:00.000-07:00

Moriah made the "awfuls" (waffles) that we had for lunch today. She was so proud!

Happy Anniversary!

2008-06-04T09:47:00.001-07:00

Here's a picture of me and hubby 15 years ago today. I can't believe it's been that long. It seems like only yesterday...and yet, it seems like we've been together forever. The Lord has brought us so far in our marriage. I am so thankful for my Mr. Steady and look forward to MANY more years together!

Boys and their toys

2008-05-30T08:10:00.001-07:00

The boy got this trike from Grandpa when he was 2 or 3. We brought it out for his little sister to try this summer...this is what I saw when I looked out the window.

Rainy days and Mondays

2008-05-30T08:09:00.001-07:00

Faith in big sister's raincoat.

Hats

2008-05-30T08:02:00.001-07:00

The girls decided to play dress up with their baby sisters.

Outdoor beauty

2008-05-30T07:59:00.000-07:00

Here's our little Faith enjoying the day outdoors.

Determination

2008-05-21T16:00:00.001-07:00

Faith REALLY wanted the apple her sister dropped on the floor.

Being Two Is Exhausting

2008-05-16T11:13:00.000-07:00

This is how I found Moriah. And she told me she didn't need an N-A-P!

The birth of a chocolate lover

2008-05-15T14:37:00.000-07:00

The children were having a picnic outside and Moriah ate the cream filling out of her oreos and gave her baby sister the chocolate cookie. It was love at first bite!

The big black thing in the background is a tire tube. Daddy brings them home from work and blows them up so that the children can jump on them. Sort of a poor man's trampoline. In the winter they go tubing with them.

My little lambs

2008-05-15T13:13:00.000-07:00

After my 2 year old was born I started singing a version of "Mary Had A Little Lamb" to her. It went something like this...Moriah is a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb. Moriah is a little lamb that Jesus gave to me.

When I was pregnant with her, I read a book called "The Power of Motherhood" by Nancy Campbell. In it she told a story about the difference between momma sheep and momma goats. Apparently in the face of danger, a momma goat will run and leave her little "kids" unprotected...while a momma sheep will protect her young. She said mothers of today are like nanny goats...leaving their "kids" unprotected in the face of danger.

God always likens His people to sheep...even Jesus is likened to a sheep.

In Zechariah 10:3 God says he will punish the goats. Ezekiel 34:17 and Matthew 25:31-46 speak of God seperating the sheep from the goats; setting the sheep on His right hand and the goats on his left. Verse 41 of Matthew says this, "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels".

All of this got me thinking about how I refer to my children. They are gifts from God, yet I was referring to them as "kids"...that would make me a momma goat. I did not want to be a momma goat that left her "kids" in the face of danger. I wanted to be a momma sheep that protected her little lambs at all costs. I wanted to be a momma sheep that taught her little lambs how to follow the Shepherd.

I vowed never again to call my little lambs..."kids".

The Boy

2008-05-15T12:17:00.000-07:00

Ethan

The Girls

2008-05-15T12:05:00.000-07:00

Ashley, Veronica, Moriah and Faith