A NEW BEGINNING!!

A new beginning, a new year, a new perspective!!!

It's a new year and there are many new things. We are constantly changing here on the farm. Change isn't always easy. It's all in your perspective. 

Let's take a look back at 2020. For some it's been hard. But life in general can be hard. For us it was just another year. We had hard times but we also had good times. We had some successes and some failures. We had growing pains but kept weathering the storms. We gained perspective on family and what we want from them. We made lots of new memories!

 I am finally back on here to get my blogs going again. As I read the above paragraph and look at when I started it, Wow!, that was almost a year ago.  Lots of things have changed. It seems like a life time ago as I look back and see how much our family life and our farm life has changed. Our mindset has changed too. Our time with family and what our expectations are has also changed. 

So lets just go over some highlights of our 2020-2021 year. I know that was a rough year for lots of people including us. But I want to point out there was lots of learning in these two years for us. 

I love hanging out with my husband/best-friend/partner. Tim and I worked side by side for most of the year. Either doing projects outside or just taking care of the animals. The girls seemed to work a lot, even though most companies were working from home, while others were told they couldn't go to work. So this left him and I on the farm together when he wasn't working.

~~ INDOOR/OUTDOOR PROJECTS

 

I worked on some inside projects. Staining some trim for one of our daughters' bedroom. Do this why the weather is nice. 

This is a slab that Tim cut from one of our trees on our property.

It's been stacked with the other boards allowing it to dry.

I got it all sanded down and put stain on it.

I also put a clear coat on it to protect it.

Laying out the hooks I bought just to get a sense on how it will look.

Our new coat rack!!

It turned out amazing. I did wood burn dates on each corner. One being the year we moved onto our property and the other year when we harvested tree. I also wood burned T + K in the center of the board with a heart.

Yes that is a green wall and we love it!!!

Tim and I worked on getting water lines run to the pasture.

We do have the front pasture water lines done.

There has been so many projects that has been done, these are just a couple.

~~ANIMALS

We decided to venture into hog raising.

2020 we raised 2. 

Jack and Diane

Nope we have never raised any. I really can't stand the smell of them. I have an aunt and uncle that raise them. I know nothing about them other than they smell. Tim said this will be different they will be pasture raised. To sum it up they will be on grass and moved so they don't have time to leave a smell. 

Guess what??!! Tim was right!!! Yes I said it, he was right. They stayed on pasture and ate grass, ate scraps and they entertained us. Who knew pigs were entertaining? Not me.

They grew fast! They were 20 pound little squeaking piggies that grew over 300 pounds. I will say raising your own meat is so rewarding. We kept one and sold the other one. 

So for 2021 we decided to raise 5 hogs.

Look how little they were. I will say we learned more on raising 5 vs. 2.

I never knew hogs were actually clean animals. They make a bed area and sleep in it every night. They are funny to watch and they get excited when we are around. They can out run you and they love peanut butter.

I will say that I am not fond of having to castrate them or load them in a trailer. But overall I have enjoyed raising them. Stay tuned for this years hogs.

We increase and decrease our number of chickens. Not even sure how many in the last 2 years we have raised. Decided to do 2022 differently. I will catch you up on that one in a later post.

We sold eggs and hatched out several batches of chicks.

We raised several hundred meat chickens.

It takes some work but very rewarding to put this in your freezer.

We butcher our chickens ourselves. We have had help from our daughters and wonderful friends that come and help. Our granddaughter usually comes over to prepare wonderful meals for us while we are working on getting them butchered and bagged.

We raise some for ourselves and sell the rest to others.

We decided to hatch out more ducks.

2021 was a lot more successful. We love watching them do their thing and swim in the pond.

Beautiful creatures! Just not so fun when they are contained.

EmilyMae holding a Thanksgiving turkey that we raised.

She knows where her food comes from.

They are a joy to raise and definitely to eat.

 

We had our chicken tractors running both summers with either meat chickens or with our Thanksgiving turkeys in them.

Tim and I tag team moving tractors and taking care of the animals needs.

We had 3 heifers and sent them out to be bred.

In the meantime we bought a bull so we didn't have to do that again.

In 2020 we only had one calf. Miss Piggy gave birth to a little heifer we call Tiny.

Skylar with Miss Piggy, Tiny and our bull Sir Frank in the back.

Tiny is starting to grow her horns.

Miss Piggy gave birth to a bull calf #13 in 2021.

Maple the one on the far left side facing us with the big horns gave birth to a bull calf #11.

These calves grow fast.

We were waiting on one more heifer to give birth.

Unfortunately we lost one of our calves #12 RIP. 

So we only have two.

#11 with #13 in the background.

A free choice mineral feeder is another project that Tim built.

The cattle just love it.

We have had plenty of kittens.

Some have gone to a new home while some have stayed to become great mousers.

With sad news in 2020 we have lost one of our beloved pets.

She lived a city to farm life and was loved and is still missed by us.

RIP Cuddle Bugs 

~~FAMILY

Many milestones for our family as we adventure through this update. As we spent time with family and friends, sadly not all are joining us in 2022. Come along as we spend precious time with our loved ones.

Skylar bought her 1st car!!!

Skylar and her sister bought a car together to share.

Kaitlin wanted the car they bought together and paid Skylar her half.

Now Skylar is a proud owner of her own car.

EmilyMae and I made this little flag to hang in her room.

I helped Brieanna make a pillow from material we found at a thrift store.

She absolutely loved it and I loved the time we spent together.

I am hanging out with Makenzie and Kylie

These two girls are growing up fast.

EmilyMae and I hanging out.

Kaitlin, Brieanna and Skylar at Easter time.

We were hanging out watching the little kids find their Easter eggs.

EmilyMae and Liam playing Dinos.

We made time for family movie night.

(Krystal, Kaitlin and Tim)

We are eating lunch together before going swimming.

(Jessica, Liam, Isabella, Brieanna, EmilyMae and Tristen)

Tim baptized Skylar.

 

This was such a blessing for Tim to be able to do this for our daughter.

Acts 2:38

Peter said, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Kaitlin graduated!!!

All adults living here now. Any moms out there know exactly how I feel.

I am happy and sad all at the same time. Never did I think that I would work myself out of a job I absolutely loved. I spent everyday for 18 years + and I have homeschooled my last kid.

I will say I am excited to see her expand her wings and fly. Isn't that what we have been teaching them to do. Bitter sweet!

Another family meal time.

Leith, Isabella, Kaitlin, EmilyMae, Skylar and Tristen

I think we have been making up for our time apart during quarantine.

Thanksgiving time!

Family playing games and spending time together. Spoons is a full contact game at our house!

I make them use plastic ones now as they have bent too many of my metal spoons.

(Jake, Ashley, Brieanna, Leith, Liam, Tim, Tristen, Seth, Skylar, Emilymae, Isabella, Jessica and Kaitlin)

Our families went apple pickin'!!

Tim, Brieanna, Krystal, Kaitlin, Skylar, Tristen, Isabella, Jessica, Leith, EmilyMae and Liam

Makenzie and Kylie on there many adventures they go on.

Skylar and Kaitlin take their first flight by themselves.

I know they will come back. It's hard watching them grow up and become independent.

I just love these girls. I get the pleasure of loving them and being in their lives.

(Brieanna, Krystal, Skylar and Kaitlin)

Tim and I enjoying some time with our grandkids.

(Tim, EmilyMae, Krystal, Makenzie, Brieanna, Kylie, Tristen, Isbella and Liam)

Kaitlin and I out and about.

Family picnic by the fire night.

(Kaitlin and Skylar)

Tim and I hanging out by the fire.

Swim day at Grandmas!!!!

(EmilyMae, Krystal, Liam, Tristen and Brieanna)

Hanging out by the fire.

(Krystal and Tim)

We try and go for a walk on our property often.

Today we all hung out and the cows wanted to join us too.

(Krystal, Kaitlin, Skylar and Tim)

Checking the fencing around the property.

(Tim and Krystal)

Hanging out and making time to fish. Yes we caught a 5 gallon bucket full of catfish.

(Krystal, Kaitlin and Tim)

We welcomed our 8th grandchild.

(Kylie, Kelsie and Makenzie)

Out taking time to enjoy our property.

I am so blessed to be living here and feel extra blessed to be raising our animals and provide food for our family.

Tim and I are out celebrating Tristen.

Love this hard working young man.

Another family picnic by the fire night.

(Tim, Skylar, Kaitlin and Willow)

No I'm not drinking this, but I am still making tinctures and homemade medicine for the family.

Tim and I out on a date night.

Tim and EmilyMae making breakfast together.

This little girl loves to help in the kitchen. She even helps when I make homemade medicine and tinctures.

We had our annual Halloween party. So blessed with family and friends that came out to be with us.

It was a hard time for us. And we are so thankful. This year has been so hard on our family and many things have changed as we go into the new year.

Our daughter and her beautiful family

(Tristen, Isabella, Brieanna, EmilyMae, Jessica and Liam)

Kaitlin the wonderful helper to her dad helping him clear off our solar panels.

~~GARDEN AND EATING WELL

Potato slips are almost ready for the ground.

We harvest lots of potatoes.

Isabella helping me to get things canned up. Teaching her some wonderful things.

I learned how to can homemade apple pie filling.

I will say it tastes better than store bought cans.

Oh my, I don't think I could go back to buying it again.

Our grape vines gave our biggest produce this past year.

This was one of our several baskets that we picked.

Home grown chicken with home grown onions and home grown green peppers.

We eat good around here.

I finally learned how to make homemade biscuits.

Let me just say Mmmmm good!!!

Thank you for coming along on our journey as we grow, discover and strengthen ourselves!!!

When life gives you a hundred reasons to break down and cry, show life that you have a million reasons to smile and to be thankful for.

Stay Strong.