I'm Thankful For...

I'm thankful for:

1. The day Daddy asked Mommy to marry him.

2. The new life kicking inside Mom's womb!!

3. The fuzzy coats on our Icelandic ponies.

4. The firewood, shakes on the gable ends, roof on the cabin, grain and hay being put up and all the fall projects that came to completion after all.

5. Green things outside! I miss them already.

6. The way my parents have chosen to live.

7. Music and the way I feel when a good song comes on.

8. The way we can play and interact with each other regardless of size and age.

9. Dad's sense of humor.

10. The way Mom breaks out in song for no reason at all.

11. The way Andrew talks to Johnny when he wants him to pull off just the right move for Indiana John.

12. My love of crafting.

13. Annie's knack for baking treats.

14. Stephen's ability to send us into giddy moods on any occasion.

15. Theresa's friendship when we work toward common goals together.

16. Michael's random hugs and declarations of 'world's greatest sister' for simply existing.

17. Lizzy's smile when she's embarrassed.

18. Johnny's adoration when I help him create something.

19. The great excitement I feel over the prospect of a new sibling!!

21. This home that I still can't believe we built.

22. The ability to wash laundry by hand. Such a relaxing domestic chore, that one is.

23. Earth, dirt, and all those tiny little interesting things you can see when you get right up next to the world's floor.

24. The way a sunflower can change the look of the garden.

25. The beaver that lives in our Crabapple Creek and the Great Blue Heron that lives in our Cranberry Creek in the spring.

26. The stars and the 4-5 cats that will climb up on your lap and purr while you're star gazing.

27. The way Stephen starts whistling when he's pleased with himself.

28. My small amount of ability to play the banjo. It's a blast.

29. The way a baby's nose scrunches up when they smile.

30. Big white fluffy snowflakes on Christmas.

31. Snacking out of the garden.

32. The way my little dog follows me around the house.

33, Hot cocoa after a snowball fight.

34. The way Mom and Dad still act like young love birds after 22 years of marriage.

35. The way you're bound to be joined by someone when you start singing around here... whether it be with a whistle, attempted harmony, tapping of fingers or backing vocals.

36. Mature trees.

37. How Johnny embarrassed Mom by almost beating her in chess.

39. The gentle voice Lizzy uses for her 'Mom' little person when she plays doll house.

40. The sound wood makes when it burns.

41. How cute Annie is when she gets scared by a spider.

42. The fuzzy cheeks on Theresa's baby bunnies.

43. Honey bees.

44. How Stephen's cat sticks his rump in the air when you go to pet him.

45. Bright colors and pungent smells on flowers.

46. How Andrew pretends to be so inept in the kitchen that one of his sisters just has to step in and do (whatever it is) for him. He can build houses but not sandwiches. :)

47. Christmas and the way our family does gifts! (More on that later.)

48. The different voices that Michael gives the animals when he does farm chores.

49. Our little apple tree in the front yard.

50. Theresa's perfectionist tendency in her crafts.

51. The way spring smells when you finally get to open the windows.

52. How Andrew defends his cows in all situations.

53. The sun and all the beautiful things it can do.

54. The way baby animals kick their legs when they run.

55. Most importantly, my faith, which is the mortar that builds up my life with security. I'm so thankful to God for giving me my faith and an open mind and lifestyle with which to receive it.
 
I hope you all enjoy your Thanksgivings this year!

An Interveiw with the Barnyard Animals Regarding the Latest Snowfall...

Good morning friends, and what a snowy morning it is! Won't you join me as we follow the kids through the freshly fallen snow to visit the animals on this chilly morning? Please dodge all overhead flying snowballs, as certain boys usually do more than just feed and water the animals! We know they enjoy all the snow the sky gives them, but let's ask some furry friends for their opinion of this cold white stuff...

We'll start by headin' over to grain the chickens...

Well Rooster?
"I hate it. It's cold. It covers up our food. It's cold. We can't go as far from home. It's cold. It makes our feet freeze and did I mention it's cold?"

Well, what a grinch. Lets see, who else?

"Oooh me! Pick me! Pick me! Pick me!"

Okay, how do you like the snow?

"Um, it snowed?"

"Ha Ha Ha! She's so dumb!"

So how do you like the snow Danny?
"Ah, what snow?"

Okay... let's see if we can't get a more intelligent response..

Lily, what do you think of the snow?
Da's a dumb questin; course I like it! All my food gets delivered now. And I especially like da new addition on our house dat Andrew and Dad made for jest us cows dis year:"That's very nice.

Now let's move on to Lizzy who's warming up the horses for their interviews today...

What do you think of the snow Frysta? Is it warmer this year than when you entered the world on that snowy 20-below zero night?
"Yes, it's pwetty much warmer.. actually, it's a tiny bit cold. Actually, I can't feel my nosed."

So Lady, what don't you like about the snow?"
"My tonguue geddin fwozen when I dwink."

Muggur, what do you think of the snow?
"Oh, das what dis white stuff is? Oh, dood. I was chased by one of dem white tings falling fwom da sky and I was so tcared... I tought I was doing to die!"

Oh... that's nice... Ahem. Okay, lets talk to some beasts with higher IQs for a change.

Hey April and Mae, how's the snow?
"It's pretty good." "No it's very good." "Well, no, I wouldn't use the word 'very' because that implies perfection and it is a little on the cold side." "No, it doesn't imply perfection, it implies close to perfection and it's not that cold." "I think it is cold. Perhaps the word 'moderate' would be a choice substitute." "Your ears are on backwards, 'very' is the perfect word!" "No, see, now you're using the word 'perfect' to imply something that is only 'very good'." "I wasn't implying it for the 'very good' replacement. I was implying it for the substitute of the pretty good." "Hey! my ears are not so on backwards. At least my mother was a mare!" "Well, the understatement of the year would be to say that your father was a donkey." "You have no idea what the understatement of the year is, but if there was one, it would be to say that you have any intelligence whatsoever." "I do too know what the understatement of the year is, and it just happens to be that your---"

Okay, perhaps intelligence isn't the best substitute. We'll settle with 'very good' by turning to Dukey:"Well, it's a tad chilly, and just a hint nippy, and perhaps 15% cold. I don't mind tho, it's an excuse to get the blood pumping by--"

"Hey! Hey!" Yes, Lena, we were getting to you...

"Well, take your time why don't you..."

Thank you, I was getting to you, sarcastic little pony. Okay. How do you like the snow?

"Snow? Oh yea, I know snow, it's cold."

Thank you for that, now you can go pester somebody else.

To the rest of you, thank you for joining us. We hope you come back and visit soon!!

Cabin Roof On!!

The cabin roof is finished enough for winter now. Foam insulation and the metal roofing will finish it completely in the spring.

Here it is at the halfway mark:
Isn't it pretty?
I'm glad that the round rafters will be left visible in this cabin (the round rafters here in our house had to be buried inside the ceiling).
Andrew working on the right side:
Roof meets gable end:

Finished!! (A molding strip will run down the peak to cover that little gap.)



Wouldn't she look cute decked out for Christmas?

Some Pictures from the Week...

Nothing much to report here on the home-front... Life moves on just as it did yesterday, with changes so subtle that we often don't recognize them until a year or more of time has past. It's been rainy, a little snowy, sometimes cold and very wet and muddy here. The boys keep switching between their mudders and snow boots for farm chores. Andrew and Dad are putting the roof on the cabin and Stephen and Michael are putting the gardens to bed for the winter (both projects nearly done!). Us girls have been kept busy mopping up the mud behind the boys and making meals to keep Mom off her feet, etc. We are very much looking forward to Thanksgiving, the arrival of our new sibling and Christmas!
Everyone is healthy, warm, well fed, excited yet content, exercised in body and mind, yet well rested and overall happy.

Well, I won't keep you, I just have a few pictures from the week to share. Blessings to everyone!

The bunnies are getting so big! It's so much fun to have them running around the living room.
"Ah, Mom? Somebodies here..."

Fighting over who gets to sit in Mom's food bowl...

Some of Stephen's photography using the tree across the road...
At night...

Snow! (And there's still little red apples on that tree in the background.)
"Don't bother coming out guys, it's not enough to go sledding.." (thankfully this all melted! More predicted for tonight though).

If that electric line (overhead) and the van silhouette weren't there, they could be Indians on a ridge overlooking a westward headed wagon train...
Naw, just gals having fun...

Dad's gorgeous sunrise pictures... (Stephen misses out with his sleeping-in tendency!)
Sigh...

Also, our Lund Family Productions website has been receiving updates. Head over and read up on the post production of our latest short movie.

Have a nice day!!

Egg Delivered C-Section

BREAKING NEWS: Egg delivered c-section. Mother does not survive.

Ok, we had an 'oh my gosh' moment this morning... Mom and I were butchering the 'egg eater' chickens and Mom was pulling out her chicken's guts like normal, when she suddenly cries, "Oh my gosh!". We all stepped closer to look and then began our own rounds of 'Oh my gosh!'es. Out came an egg! Fully formed, big hard shell, must have been just about to be laid.

Apparently, I mean obviously, (well duh!) she still lays. But, it wasn't that big of a loss because she has been caught twice in the act of eating eggs (usually her own). We've had this problem with chickens before. It usually correlates with the change of season when they stop free ranging. However, we've upped their oyster shell mineral which should fix the problem.

So, that was our first experience with butchering a layin' hen. I was totally amazed and told Stephen to go get his camera, but he was too grossed out and I don't think he really wanted to remember the incident... Sorry!