Bringing Home the Coops

We brought the coops home by dragging them down our dirt road from the farm. We had a good laugh because we already look like a box on wheels. Today the box on wheels was pulling a box. We got some very interesting looks on the road especially from the guy in the black pick-up who came up over the hill and the only thing he saw was a shed in the middle of the road!

Our First Harvest

We have some fruit trees and we thought we had filbert trees. I would just watch them and think, "These just don't look like nuts." But I didn't know what they were. We had Dan and Nona over on Sunday and I asked Dan. He said, "I am not sure but maybe they are currants?" I googled currants and Yes! they are currants. So I was out this morning at 7:00 picking currants. There were probably 10 pounds. I made a currant pie and juiced the rest for jelly.

House Update

We have had showings on our old house. Yeah!

The new house...I remember having a conversation with DH about how this house didn't have any projects....hmmmmm, I wonder what happened to that? We never can seem to get away with no house projects. We are working and this is what we have accomplished (sometimes we need these lists to help us see that there is light at the end of the tunnel):

enclosed the garage, created storage room, mudroom and work bench area
stained garage floor, drywall is primed and ready for paint
cleaned up after the contractor (sigh)
decided to replace the kitchen, designed the new cupboard space and finalizing it
picked out countertop
painted kitchen, living room, library, family room, school room, boys room, girls room, office, master bedroom-still have to paint upstairs hallway and master bath (it's wallpapered)
painted exterior doors
changed all the door knobs and locks
tored out carpet in master and replaced with laminate (dust allergies)
installed washer and dryer upstairs
ran network cables
replaced showerheads
weeded 4 flowerbeds (thistle was shoulder high)
pruned trees
removed fencing around dead fruit trees
learned how to back up a trailer
moved in 1 1/2 pods worth of stuff
donated a bunch of stuff
installed shelving in storage room
set up cabinets and computer countertop in school room
had the roof ridgevent fixed
got the pool working
hot water heater replaced
#1&2 learned how to mow 2 acres with a riding mower and how to manage a burn pile

okay, now I KNOW why I am tired. All this with a nursing baby.

Sunburn

Today we went to a farm auction. We bought a hammermill, two sheds to be used as chicken coops, nesting boxes, a pressure washer, wire fencing, baskets for eggs and veggies/fruits, mason jars, rakes, shovels and two swings for the swingset. The only thing I wanted but didn't get was a old cow bell. I was going to ring them in for dinner. I will have to look for another bell. But we got all for less than it would cost to make a new chicken coop. Now we just have to move it here. Look for another story on that adventure.

Fashionista?

I think not.

Hi

From #6:

I am getting bigger. I am the world's wiggliest nurser. My mom doesn't mind when I lay on her head. #2 is my favorite brother because he tickles me and makes me giggle and gut laugh. I love to eat. I love blueberries by the fistful. I love baked beans. I love watermelon. I love trout. Did I mention I love to eat? I climb stairs and untie shoes. I love sleeping in between mom and dad in the morning after I belch from my morning milk. I have no hair and I like it that way. I empty kitchen cupboards and empty mop buckets and cuddles.

Swinging

We have no neighbors to the back. I love it. This girl was outside swinging and yelling her head off at 7:17 a.m. And I didn't have to shoo her back in worrying about her waking up Tom and Rosemarie or the VanBaaks.
This acreage may have been quiet before we got here-but that little she is here now...

Newest family member

Kittens are crazy. She even attacks my fingers when I am typing on the laptop. She pounces the baby when she crawls (only her backside). She hunts flys. She lets #3 carry her around like a baby. Her name is Saphira.

Too fast

Three teeth and walking all in the same week. The good thing about moving is she has lots of open space to not bonk her head on. No furniture yet.

Our acrobats

The things they do when there is no TV.

Twinkling Fields

Just last week DH and I were talking about fireflies. We have never seen them in our area in Michigan. We thought it was weird. Anyway DH decided we need to start living in the new house (cause we came home after a night away and the cats had barfed and peed on the cleaned carpet). We went out last night after noticing a few fireflies on the porch. Our fields twinkle! There are thousands of fireflies! Really-no exaggeration. I wish I could get a good picture.

July 4th

The day started out slow. We were at the new house working. (Did you just see the 12 year old's eye roll? Working-we are always working.) We were invited to a pontoon boat ride to see the fireworks and we accepted. We thought we need to do something fun. You know, inside of working all the time.

We arrive at the house and meet some old friends there also. They actually gave us a crib for #1. The child that used the crib before they gave it to us is 15. All the families get on the pontoon. All goes well. #3 shrieks the colors of all the fireworks she sees. "GWEEN! PINK!" The glitter ones are pronounced her favorite. We motor back to the dock. We start unloading. I am still on the pontoon, #1, 2, 3 and 4 are off. DH has A#5 and 6. I have the basket of blankets and coats (because none of the children actually can carry their own blankets or coats).

I look over to DH and I watch the dock collapse. DH yells I have a baby! I have a baby! He is precariously slanted with #6 wedged between him and the boat. #5 is completely under the water. #5 is under the pontoon. I grab the baby from DH and DH and Bishop DeVries get #5 out from under the boat. The only way we found is because just seconds before the dock collapsed DH was prompted to grab her hand. She tried to fight him because you know her independence was being infringed upon. It saved her.

I am counting blessings-all 6 noisy blessings.

DH and I are still shaking.