Atmosphere

There is much atmosphere around here these days! On this last Saturday, we got four goats!! We received them from our dear friends Sam and Daniela who, due to a new city ordinance, were unable to keep themselves. So, we received the blessing of them GIVING us the goats. The mom is the goat with no horns. Her name is Dora. The one with horns is Dora's daughter, Boots, who was one year old this March. Dora gave birth to twins on April 26: Lucy has ears that stick out like Dora and Edmund has floppy ears like Boots. For those who want to know the types of goats: Dora is a purebread Saanan goat and the father of Boots, Lucy and Edmund is a purebred Nubian. They are a wonderful addition to our farm. Jack is so excited about the whole thing! He says: "Finally, we have a normal farm!" Well, I don't know how 'normal' we are--but we are here! Even though Dora is still nursing the twins, you have to milk the mama goat once per day to help with milk production. So in case you didn't figure it out yet....yes, I am milking a goat. A very funny experience. I feel like an idiot out there, but you know, if little kids can do it, then by golly so can I! Jeremy is working in Bellevue for the next 3 weeks or so, only coming home on the weekends, so needless to say, I'm forced to quickly learn on the job--which is probably good since otherwise I may just sit back with some lemonade and watch him! LOL

I just finished reading the book, "I Dared to Call Him Father". Marnie had recommended it to me--WOW! I really don't know what else to say. I was trying to read it fast because I wanted to know what was going to happen, but at the same time needed to read slow so that I wouldn't miss anything! I learned many things by reading this book. But one of the things is knowing when the presence of the Lord is with me or not--and noticing, if I do leave His presence, to ask forgiveness. Peace will reign if we are as one with Him.

The weather is turning warm and so beautiful. Jack and I are heading out to Omak Lake for the first lake run of the season!! Can't wait!! Just need to find the sunscreen................

She is Married!!!!

My girl is married!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was a beautiful, blessed day!!! Everything went perfectly and the weather was SUNNY!!--that in itself is amazing since April in Seattle, is not always known for sunny and comfortably warm weather! So many people made a selfless effort in setting up and cleaning up--and many people traveled many miles--including 3 families that were guests that came from CA--

They had a beautiful honeymoon in Oregon and are now back home; working on organizing the apartment--LOTS of presents to find homes for! :)

Three days after coming home Sabrina (our pastor's wife) and I headed to Easton (about 3 hours away) for the central WA women's retreat. It was such a beautiful time--all was based from Exodus 3:14--I AM who I AM. Learned sooo much!!

Now I'm back home working on getting things back to a schedule and get the house organized for the summer. Gardening has now begun--we have strawberry plant and raspberry bushes planted so far, and in the next few weeks when we are not have anymore frosty mornings, then we can get our veggie starts into the ground. Goats should be arrived within the next month after "Dora"s twin babies are ready to weaned. The baby chicks are growing quickly! We go through so much baby chicken food!! They are pretty funny looking right now--feathers on the bodies and fuzzy heads--somewhat awkward looking!

Mother's day is on Sunday--bless the mom's in your life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Less than a Week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, we are now less than one week until Veronica's wedding!! I'm just so excited for them!

Apple butter for the wedding is complete. I want to put something decorative on the jars, but that is not my 'gifting'...... LOL Well, it will still be wonderful to have all the jars out there. As some of you read on facebook, I did 100 lbs of apples and 130 --1/2 pint jars. Have I said that already? I just hope it tastes ok and that no one dies from my efforts!! LOL Sorry all I've been talking about is apples! :)
My next mission is to find a fitting dress for mom of the bride!! I do have 2 options, but my sweet husband said that on Thursday when we head to Southcenter to pick up tuxes, I can check out Macy's. Hopefully the Lord will show me the perfect dress to wear. Well, I should just KNOW that He will show me!!
Jeremy has been gone for the last week and is to come home late tonight!! Then I will get my hair done tomorrow morning and we head to Issaquah on Thursday morning!! I'm really excited and am going to do my best to not stress over things. It will be a beautiful wedding regardless--this I know! Must remember my camera!
It is soooo sunny outside! It is 68 now on our mountainside--high 70's when Jack and I went to town earlier for storytime. Feels so good to be warm! When we get back from the wedding, we will work on planting a garden and will be getting our goats!
Looking forward to summertime visitors!! I hope that we get some! :)
If I don't write before Thursday, I'll will post when we get back from the wedding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ready for a little break!

As of this evening I've done 106 jars of apple butter!! It will be good when I finish so that I can write about something else--though I'm not sure what that would be! Trevor and Jack have been SO patient with me! Tomorrow we are heading for Wenatchee for the day. Bill and Leanne are taking Trevor--weekend hiking fun for them!! Jack and I will go to Goodwill and Fred Meyer. Tomorrow evening I'll work on making another applesauce base and then back to it on Saturday. It's supposed to be really warm though, so maybe Jack and I will head to the park or play at the lake for a little while.

Today while the crock pot was going, I was talking to Melissa on the phone about kitchen designs--next thing I know, I'm totally rearrange cubboards and wiping down the insides of them. Got rid of a few things; and found that quite a few things could be put down in the pantry. The counters look quite nice and clean!! I'm totally going to crash tonight!!!!!!

One week from tomorrow I'm going to see my dearest friend Marnie. We have known each other for 31 years this fall and we get to see each other all next weekend for the wedding!!!!!! Her husband Kurt is coming too, which is good because Jeremy will need someone to talk to while we are talking constantly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Productive Day

Well, today I got 27 jars done!!! Woo Hoo!!! Applesauce base is premade for tomorrow's batch. Making the applesauce is defintely the messist part. I decided-twice- to "help" the blending process along and stuck a spoon in the blender and another time a knife in the blender. Needless to say, I now have one less spoon; one less knife and had A LOT of applesauce everywhere!
Today was such a beautiful day outside! It was sunny and 60--which is very warm considering that we are at 2600'! Also got Trevor and Jack's hair cuts done so that they will look good for the wedding.

A very productive day today! ~~ Bedtime in 1.5 hours...........

75 Pounds of Apples.......

Yes, I have, as of tonight gone through 75 lbs of apples! I've been making apple butter for my daughter's wedding which is in 1.5 weeks! My goal is to have 150-200 jars of apple butter done by the end of the weekend. Will I make it? Well, I'm not going to give you a play by play of my cooking like in 'Julie and Julia', but I will report when I finish! :)
Aside from being as one with the makings of apple butter, we got 10 more baby chicks this last week. They are very cute--they are just starting to get their wing feathers and are quite fuzzy! They are the type that lay pastel colored eggs! Isn't that so cool???? Maybe we won't have to color Easter eggs next year! LOL
Jeremy is working in Bellevue for the next week, so it's just me and the boys hanging out at home. Jeremy is also able to go on the men's retreat this weekend also. He is really looking forward to it!
Oh, we got a giant trampoline!! AND we got it for free from a lady at church!!! It is sooo much fun! Needless to say Trevor and Jack are sleeping quite well at night and I'm getting some much needed exercise! After the wedding Jeremy will then be able to set up our playground set that is currently sitting in a large box out back. It's like having our own park and with the animals our own petting zoo out back!
Hope you are having a blessed night tonight--I'm going to crash and rest up for tomorrow's cooking day!

Spring Snow!!!

Yes, you read that right--spring snow!! On Friday we got 3"! Yesterday on the way to Twisp to go to church it was snowing over Loup Loup Pass. By the time we got home our snow was melted and it was a beautiful afternoon. This morning it started snowing about 7am!! We are currently back to just short of 3" and it is still snowing!! It is really beautiful--odd though, when Jack wants me to rehide all his easter eggs so that he can have another egg hunt! :)
Jack was sick on Friday but did better yesterday. I started getting sick on the way home from church~~ GREAT! LOL I am, thank goodness, feeling better today and am enjoying the day in my jammies while doing laundry (and hiding eggs.......)
This week I need to get my apples so that I can get started on making apple butter!! The wedding is getting so close!! I'm so excited for Clay and Veronica. They get the keys to their apartment at the end of the week and Clay will be able to get moved in. In the meantime, we are going to start sending all of Veronica's stuff over (via Jeremy as he heads over the mountains to work) so that she can work on going through everything. Still need to make our hotel reservations for the wedding~~ another job for this week!