An update on the homestead and a hello! to new followers :)

Some of my now *34* followers (Giveaway coming soon soon soon to celebrate!!) are homesteaders or homesteader wanna-be's like me so maybe some of you can understand where I'm coming from when I say:

Why does this mess take so darn long?

You get so caught up in the research for a project!
You take the plunge and buy/collect the materials for the project!
You jump in head first...and...

wait.
and wait.
and wait some more!

My chickens aren't old enough to lay eggs, but they're growing steadily.
My chicks aren't big enough to be killed and processed, but it will only be a few more weeks.
My garden is half planted, even though we are seeing some progress on that front!
The fruit trees are just babies, even though Tim and I found a couple of teeny "practice" peaches today!
I haven't found time to put spouts on the rain barrels, even though we're using them to water the garden.
The compost is going to take it's sweet time.

I guess it just feels like I'm working myself (and my ever patient husband) for nothing, sometimes.
I know the time is coming when our property is going to show how incredible it is and we'll harvest the fruits of our labor (literally!)- but in the mean time, it's tough to feel like we're getting anywhere.

Just hang in there, my friends. Some days my posts will be mind numbingly boring, but other times I hope to have some really cool things to share.

If there is something you think I might be ready to dive into or you'd like to hear about, please share with me! I am by no means an expert on the subject matter at hand- I am a constant student and eager to learn!

Coming up this week and next week:
- A chicken coop update with pictures!
-Two kinds of homemade jelly with pictures and recipes!
-Homemade bread, in the oven and in the new (thrifted) bread maker!
- A garden update with pictures!
- Some handmade goodies that we've gotten for Baby Finn with links to the crafters!
-A review!
- TWO amazing giveaways that I can barely contain my excitement about!
- A make it yourself post with some new household products!

Thank you again, friends, for following! Please don't hesitate to comment, ask questions, and suggest topics!

The first week of Spring!

The first week of Spring was really kind to us, aside from the last couple of days being a little chilly for my taste! I was really productive at home and we got some great news. Tim got a great job offer from a company he was interested in working with, so he officially is employed for when he gets out of the Army two weeks from today!

I felt the baby kick from the outside for the first time last night! I'm almost 17 weeks and felt the baby start moving around right before I was 13 weeks. I guess with this being my third and final baby, I know what to look for- or this baby is just wild at heart!

Speaking of the baby, I believe we are going to name him Finn. It's a Gaelic name that means "fair." And yeah, all of my kids are pale- go figure. :) Having a hard time choosing a middle name, though. We'll let you know when we come up with something, but it will definitely be a tough decision.


I made a tablecloth for the kidlet's table! We eat a lot of yogurt and fruit, all of which were ending up on the unvarnished wooden table. Had to protect it somehow. My elastic wasn't tight enough on 2 of the corners, but it was my first shot at it, so I will tighten it up at a later time. For now, we're loving the easy cleanup!


The results of my first knitting lesson with my friend Kate! I've practiced a bit since then, so I hope that eventually I will actually start trying to make something :)

One of my 2011 Resolutions was to learn to knit and it was the last thing on my list I had yet to start, so I'm really excited. Progress- and it is so relaxing!



Short rows tilled in the garden, two peach trees planted (now we get to just wait about 5 more years for peaches), marigolds planted (help with bug control and pollination), and some of our seedlings put in the ground.

We did have a little cold snap, so I'm afraid that some of them aren't looking so good. I think I have enough seedlings left to make up for it if those kick the bucket, though, and end up in the compost bin.





Diapers on the line right above my daffodils! See the brownish colored diaper? I heard that you can dye fabric with tea, so I tried it and the color looks really strange. I think I did something wrong, but I definitely will try again. Some of the fabric I've seen dyed with tea is just lovely, so we'll see if I can't get the hang of it :)


My beautiful seedlings! Can't believe that I grew these from seeds and only killed a few of them :) My thumb is slowly changing colors!

Our upcycled chicken coop! It is finally finished and our 10 oldest chickens are spending their second night out there (with a heat lamp, of course) tonight. They love it! I've never seen them happier! It's 88 square feet, 44 feet of perches, 7 nesting boxes, a large fenced run is just beyond the window, and there is a closeable "chicken door" on the bottom left, so I can shut them in at night to protect them from predators. There is electricity out there, so our feathered family members will have a heat lamp as long as they need it and a fan in the summer.