Meet Opal, Millie, Hazel, and Abram. We’ve talked of getting goats to eat down the brush for a while, but finding does proved complicated. This morning I found an ad, texted, and picked them up – an hour away – two hours later. I planned to buy the three Boer and Boer/Alpine cross does. But […]

Tuesday was member’s night at the zoo. The kids had a blast. Everyone but Stellan had their faces painted. (Pierce escaped my photography?!) We’ve made a point of going each time they have it, and riding the train too. It’s the only time we ride it, and the only time Blaine is with us at […]

Today, Pierce Allan turned six years old. The years are speeding up on me all of there sudden. I went from the throes of spit up, nursing babies, and six years accumulated time of pregnancy to kids growing up, talking about homecoming dances, learning to hunt, and most of them “in school”. It’s so odd. […]

The two oldest girls went off with friends today, so I planned a trip to the zoo with the little six. We walked the zoo for four hours. I hit 10,000 steps on my Fitbit by 2pm. I. Am. Tired. Also, the term glutton for punishment comes to mind. I have given in. Stellan is […]

We moved up into three tents this trip. The two older boys happily claimed the little pup tent. Stellan spent much of the weekend on his bike. He rode up and down that “bump” in the pavement dozens of times. New word for him: bump. It’s his favorite. Nap time. Yoga-mat-on-the-campsite-parking-pad style. The wagon proved […]

We began our homeschool co-op yesterday again. It was a fun day, all of the kids had a great day, and I dropped all eight off with no tears. Stellan threatened but crackers fixed that. I’m on the security team this year. So… I walked. And walked. It was a fun day… and I was […]

We’re headed back to Missouri from our week in Michigan today. We’re on hour twelve and still at least four hours out. The van, packed to the gills with ten people and two dogs and the luggage for all and camera equipment for the photo shoot Blaine had to do while we were there, is […]

Pudding makes Stellan happy. Very happy. Flowers make me happy. My flower beds are doing well this year. Good thing, because my potted flowers aren't. I can't win them all. Beckett finally has German Shepherd ears! After a good month with one ear up and one down, they finally have both stood up these last […]

I've been canning applesauce. Lots and lots and lots of applesauce. We picked five laundry baskets of apples – 170 pounds worth. I ended up with 40 quarts all together, 30 quarts canned, six broken jars because I'm either missing something or my old jars are just over it, and some in the fridge for […]