Sad barn

We are still trying to figure out what to do with the barn.  It was originally a 2 stall milk barn with a chicken coup out the back and a 4 bin chicken hutch attached.  It needs to be cleaned up...there are a ton of spiders!  At this point the chicken area is over run by blackberry bushes, thinking it might be easier to start over.  I really thought we would get more done around here this winter.  Like our neighbor keeps telling me, at least no one will fire me for not getting it all done and there is always tomorrow...I need to meet some of the old timers around here to give me some pointers on what to do.  Today is for laundry and dishes everything else must wait tell another day.

Meat production a go

We acquired our first 2 rabbits for the new meat producing part of our farm.  Rosie is a red New Zealand and Nosey is a Californian.  I will try to post photos soon.  We plan to get a white New Zealand as soon as the local breeder has a litter or we can get to Spokane to our breeder there.  Sky is excited for us to have rabbit on the table but we are still a few months from that.  Both rabbits are older then I originally planned to get (around 9 months) so they are about ready to start producing.  They are currently cuddled up in the same cage but we hope to get a hutch built soon to separate them when we are going to have babies.  Going to be hard to not get too attached to the babies, they are always so darn cute!  But we have been upfront with the boys so they are aware that the mommies and daddies are the pets and the babies are dinner.  I want to research what I can do with the pelts...The rabbits we got are much smaller than Wheeler and of course Dog who was half Flemish Giant.  I was hoping our breeders would be a bit bigger but the breeder we got them from didn't have real good records of their births so I am hoping maybe they are a bit younger then 9 months and maybe they will still grow to a good size. 

Home schooling???

We have been talking again about maybe home schooling the kids.  I am so torn.  I love the quiet days cleaning the house.  I can take a nap if I want at noon.  Sky is just starting to get some friends as school and I hate to take that social life away from him.  He has always been such a social butterfly.  Bray is excited about the idea of home schooling.  (he has begged me to ever since 1st grade at Lincoln Heights in Spokane...the worst school ever) but I digress...   I wish I had a crystal ball to see what is the perfect choice for all of us...

I guess it is time to start researching different options so I know what I need to do.

bread...yum

I will admit I can  be a bit of a bread snob.  But I am in love with a new bread recipe I tried for the first time last night.  It is a no knead bread that only uses 4 ingredients.  3 cups of flour, 1 3/4 cup water, 1 tsp yeast and a pinch of salt.  stir tell well mixed, cover and leave it alone for 12 - 24 hours...I let it sit for about 18 hours.  The next day dump the goo onto a counter dusted with oat bran fold into a ball and let it rest while putting an oven safe dish with a lid into the oven and set the temp for 500 degrees.  Once oven is good and hot put dough into pot, put lid back on and set the timer for 30 minutes.  When timer rings carefully move loaf of bread to a cooling rack and as soon as it is cool enough to slice, sit back and enjoy!  A chewy bread that is wonderful with some cheese and a nice glass of wine.  Hubby likes it with PB and J so it is very versatile.  my loaf was about 7 1/2 inches in diameter. 

 
Note: this is not my photo, I was so excited to try it I forgot to take a photo before I sliced the loaf.

New Year, new hope

So time for resolutions!  My plans for the future are full of hopes and dreams of a better life for my family.  Hope number one is that the boys will make some really good friends.  It has been hard to make friends here.  The kids who have lived here for years already have their friendships set up and it appears they don't like to make room for new kids.  They are really missing out.  Sky is the nicest little boy.  A true friend.  He would go to the ends of the earth to help and protect a friend as he proved the last few years in Spokane with his best friend there. 

The new year is also bringing swim lessons and wrestling.  I graduated from Rogers which was a HUGE wrestling school but I really know very little about it.  I find it strange actually.  But we are going to check it out and maybe one of the boys will be interested.  I want them to try everything new they can to find their place in this world.  We have tried cross country, baseball,soccer and swimming.  Cross country was the only thing the boys really didn't like.  I can't blame them...I do not understand why anyone would want to just run and run unless they are being chased by something much bigger then they are.  We joined the Y here a couple months ago and I try to take the boys down there regularly but, now with lessons a couple times a week both boys will be able to get that extra exercise that is always lacking in the winter months.  Just as with soccer/baseball season I won't know if I am coming or going for the month of January!

My eye is looking towards spring and I am already thinking about what I am going to plant in my garden.  I have purchased a couple really good magazines since moving here, Hobby Farm, Hobby Farm Home and Maryjane's Farm (those of you who know my family will understand why I bought that one).  Still thinking about what animals we are going to get...thinking chickens and rabbits for eggs and meat and trying to decide about giving goats a try for milking.  Sky loves goat cheese!  The idea of a cow that gives gallons and gallons of milk a day not to mention their size and the work involved...but that will be down the road a bit.

Well, I have a goal of getting all the laundry done today so I hope you all have a wonderful new year...