Interview us!

 So, as you may have noticed, my younger siblings require a bit of coaxing to get them to talk on here. As I was doing my morning chores today, an idea popped into my head: Why don't you interview them for something different? That's right, all those goofy siblings of mine...




 ...and all those questions you've been wondering about them, like: "Do you fight? Do you like the way you're living? What do you want to be when you grow up?" etc. are about to be unveiled! Ha! So, I really want to encourage my readers (that's you if you're reading this!) to leave a comment and ask the kids a question, (or questions if you want) and sometime this week, I'll get some of the kids (Annie down to, maybe Johnny) on this here machine to answer them. I'll have them give their individual answers without reading over each other's shoulders (oh, and no help from Mom or I! ).



So,yeah, please play! (I insist! ) And stayed tuned! This one oughta be really interesting...

Coyote or Wolf?

Zooooom in:

So, the other morning I was at the kitchen sink watching Theresa out in the field, watering the new trees, when, all at once I was blinking in surprise as a foreign dog nonchalantly walked out from the tree line about 100ft. behind her. He walked out in the front of our football field, where that tire is in the background.We shouted from the door for her to turn around and look. The mules hurried to the edge of their fence line to study the newcomer in the field beyond. (See him out there in the middle?)
A quick zooooom on the picture above:

Some of the boys took off for a closer view, while Stephen went for his camera and Mom stressed about her children getting too close. (He did move to the back of our football field, marked off by the tires.)Another zoooom in on the picture above:

The guy was just playing around, uncaring of the loud activity around him as he rolled and hopped around in circles. Finally, Dad fired a few shots into the air and he took off for the woods.

Starting to come closer, just before the gun shot in the air.
Taking off scared for the wood line after the gun shots.
Since there was much debate as to whether or not he was a big coyote or a small wolf, we would never have taken the chance of killing it. Besides, he wasn't close enough to be a danger... just slightly nerve wracking how comfortable he seemed to be with our homestead.

With all the debate, I recalled the guy that was in our back pasture last spring... still don't know what he was either.

After lots of looking up online, comparing pictures and stories, we finally decided: We don't know.

Well, what's your vote?

(BTW, sorry about the blurry pictures... Stephen took quite a ribbing for those! Apparently, he had a wrong setting on at the time. lol!)

The Easter Roll

Hi Everyone! After numerous technical difficulties (notice I had to get a new blog template), I am finally back! Alrighty!

Gosh, I'm so behind picturewise. Between the new cameras and all the new homestead projects going on, I'm just so behind! So, I'm limiting this post to JUST the pictures taken on Easter Sunday. Even with this limitation, I still ended up with over 30 pictures in this post! Yiy! I swear, I cannot keep up with all these young photographers! Oh well, I know how you all like lots of pictures, right??

SO! How were all your Easters? Ours was pretty low key... pretty much: sitting at home as a family, playing lots of volley ball and badminton, enjoying each other, the nice day, and a hearty meal, sums it up.
I hope for more of the same next year!!


Oookee dokey, the farm updates. Ah, again, so much to tell...


Over the last couple weeks, the garden fences have been repaired and extended and the entire garden(s) weeded, one bed at a time. The strawberry beds have been thinned and several new strawberry beds set out. We hope for a really good crop this year! Andrew made me a flower bed across the front of the porch, making me crazily happy. For Easter, all us girls were allowed to pick out one perennial flower for the new bed, which was a ton of fun (okay, for me, anyway!!). I just can't wait for my first blooms!! (Childish, I know. Care, I don't!! )


Buddy, the bull, having finished his purpose here, was butchered on Thursday, feeding us and the earth by his passing on. I find myself sort of defending this whole 'circle of life' thing to the girls occasionally, BUT, I noticed, the boys never question it. Not that they enjoy the butchering, but they've already experienced the kind of meals that the weeks following a butchering day can bring to the table, and they aren't complaining!

Mom has been having a blast ordering fruit trees galore to propagate all over our property. Last year, we succeeded in growing most all our veggies for the season; now it's time to move on and try to accomplish a much tougher feat: that of fulfilling the kids' fruit needs.... I'm thinking this is a near impossible task at this point, but we shall see. Mom's certainly trying! The boys and Dad have been clearing land and building trellises in anticipation of fruit trees and grape vines.

Okay, and wherrrrreee is my photographer when the new trellises and garden areas are going up? Why, taking cool pictures of his cat of course!

What do you think? Should I fire him?

Oh well, I guess the animals all want to say hi again anyway!

"Um, hi!"

"Ooooh, me, me, me! Take pictures of me!"

"Lookee here, I can wun really suuuper fast!"
"And I can jump super high..."
"AND, I got clean teeth!"

"Heh, clean teeth. You want cool? Check out this wing span!"

"Oh that's nothin'. How 'bout my 'mean chicken' look?"

"Boys, boys, please try to control yourselves."

Okay, who's next?

Aww, Goofy, don't be shy!

Weellll, running up from the back, and not the least bit camera shy, is Lena and Tryggur.

Good grief, how unphotogenicly cute...

And whose to say you'd do differently if you didn't have fingers?
Nothin' to report from the farm dog. Life's pretty quiet.

Hey, hey, Goofy's comin' back for his picture.

"Aw fine, take pictures if you want."

Alright, before you get to thinkin' Stephen can't take pictures of anything but cute animals, I gotta switch subjects. On to cute kids!

Big baby blue eyes, enjoying an apple.

Big brother blue eyes, goofy as ever...

How 'bout some action shots?

"Fine, I'll take myself for a walk!"

Lizzy contemplating Easter.

Donna appreciating new Easter life.

We enjoyed glorious Easter skies all day.

As well as beautiful, relaxing evening skies...

And a wonderful, cozy little abode to call home.

Yea, life doesn't get much better than this!





Okay, catch you all later!