We Have GOATS!!!!!

Ok, so we don't actually HAVE them...but we will. They've been picked out and taken to a friends until we're ready for them. This week we're at the "old house" getting it ready to put on the market. (Tip for future homesellers...take care of the "little" things when they happen...otherwise it piles up into one BIG thing when you go to sell) Sigh. But we're working through it all and we can't wait to be back in our camper on our little farm.

I'll post goat pictures soon...

Summer Sighs

Now that summer vacation has begun it's like the whole world has changed. (strange since my kids don't go to school yet) And while "summer vacation" has already brought parties, camping, museums and swimming...there is an unspoken torture for me. Quietly in my soul I can feel the ticking of a clock, reminding me that my kids will be going to school in just a few short months. Once they start school you never get to have that easy-schedule-spend-all-day-with-your-kids-doing-something-or-nothing kind of day again. Suddenly it's school at this time, then soccer and dance and karate and dinner has to be quick because we have to go here or there...

I'm tired just thinking about it. I loved this last couple of months just being with my kids and being able to anything we wanted at any time of day. I think that's called freedom...I like freedom. I always hated being chained to a schedule and to a clock. (especially since I was away from my kids most days) I'm not prepared to lose our collective freedom!

Sigh.

Bu-Bu-Bu-Bunny

Finally the bunnies were ready to be parted from their mom...and today was the big surprise. Luke and Laurel had no idea they were getting their own bunny...they were SO excited when they found out. They thought about names for a while and finally decided on Cookies and Cream (Cookies for short). Laurel decided he looked like Cookies and Cream icecream, and here we are. Isn't she adorable?!!? The first thing Laurel said was "it's our very first farm animal." Yes it is, just the first. I did not have a chance to build the hutch yet because I spent the morning unloading equipment from the truck and then hurrying to Dekalb to pick up the bunny, then off to the old house to meet the AC guy...I am so tired. (I won't even mention the busted RV plumbing and almost dropping the compressor because I ran my arm into a nail)

But when I saw my kids faces light up at the sight of their own bunny all the stress of the day (and the pain in my throbbing arm) melted away.

Here she is folks, Cookies, the first member of our farm family.

RIP Little Pumpkin Plant

We've had our first loss of the season. Something ate Laurel's only pumpkin plant (so far). One day it was there, and the next day it was gone. Something had a nice meal at my daughter's expense...thankfully she handled it well. I'm sure we will grow and lose many more things this summer. Hopefully the corn and tomatoes will do well...the basil and peas are looking pretty good too.

Cross your fingers for me...I have to build a bunny hutch tomorrow morning for our very first farm animal. The kids are getting their bunny tomorrow...but they don't know it yet!! But if I don't get cracking soon it will have no home. (Technically we don't have a home either...so what makes the bunny so special?!?!) If the hutch turns out nice I'll post pictures...if not...I'll just post a picture of the bunny and keep the ugly-hutch my little secret.

Our New Life

Fun at the waterfall (grandma's house)





Fun at the creek (our house)




(plus it finally dawned on me...my whole life I've explored woods around me to find hidden treasures...and now I own one...)

Mothers Day Love




We are living in 240 square feet of space...and loving every foot of it. (or lack there of)

Farm Living

No pictures yet...sorry folks. It seems like there is so much going on and so much to do. Not a day goes by that doesn't include a shovel, rake, hedge trimmers, leaf blower, clippers and a weed eater. No matter how much I do...there is more to do. (And I haven't even started on the house yet!)

Bike tires blow, weed eater motors burn up, toilets break...and the list goes on and on. But despite all that, we're having a blast. We play more, we eat out less and we hang out all day long. We make working and playing all one in the same. Plus we read and play board games every day. We just finished Little House in the Big Woods and the kids can't wait to start Little House on the Prarie. We got it at the library today and Luke hasn't put it down yet, he wants to tell everyone about Laura and Mary growing up.

This is the way life is meant to be, I can feel it in my bones. I almost struggle with the fact that Laurel will be starting school in August...the more country life we live, the more country I want it to be. (It doesn't help that we're reading Little House, now I want to weave straw hats and carve wooden dolls too)