New Changes

Currently we are without a camera for about another week until our new one arrives. It seems that I am missing all the best shots too. : ( Right now we are in the process of looking into buying a milking cow for the family. Please pray that we can so we can make fresh butter, cheese, raw yogurt, sour cream, ice-cream (yum) and more for our family. We are still hoping and praying with anticipation for another pregnancy. Though only a short time has passed since Leah has been born, it is becoming more and more evident through the changes going on in my body that we are coming to the end of our childbearing years.

Some things I would like to share when I get the camera going again: I made some fresh, homemade horseradish the other day. It smelled beautiful, fresh and fragrant while I was grating it. A good strong but not fumes strong like the Chinese hot mustard (until it sits). It is delicious. I mixed it with organic, raw apple cider vinegar and olive oil. We are slowly changing everything over to our new way of eating and enjoying this journey as we continue to learn and grow. We are apprehended by it for the time. Just a few of the books we've been reading: Real Food by Nina Planck, The Untold Story of Milk and the Nourishing Traditions cookbook. It has been life changing to say the least. I could blog about all the knowledge I have learned these past 2 months but would rather let the knowledge in these books turn you to the truth about eating real food. They are much more knowledgeable and convincing than me. : ) Some other good things... we received about a half a gallon of homemade vodka from a fellow who gives us fish (about 40 lbs of fresh ocean fish in our freezer right now) for fresh, live chickens from our farm. I am going to make some homemade vanilla with it. I am waiting for the camera to share on this blog. Today a man drove up and asked for some roosters. Matthew found that he just wanted them for the feathers for fishing. He shared with the man that he would be glad to give him the skins after he butchers some today. He was elated and shared that he owns a crab boat and will be back when the boat comes in next week with some fresh crab. He came back and dropped off some albacore and salmon. I can't believe how the Lord is working, how He is bringing people to trade chickens for fresh fish. What more could you want for your family? Wow, we are just besides ourselves.

We're busy from sun up to sun down these days but it's a good busy. The strawberries are just starting to turn color, we're already eating some of our spinach and arugula with our lunches and all the other vegetables are on their way. Our rototiller quit working last week and is in the shop but things are still moving along. Before we know it we'll be picking, washing, eating and storing. This is only our second year but I can see many more beautiful things ahead in farming and the community here or wherever the Lord may have us.

Our Day Part One

Our weather has been exceptional lately. I have had the urge to take my children to our nearby (7 minutes away) ocean to run and play. Today I decided was the day.

On our way there. This is Grays Harbor

Brady's Oysters. We used to trade eggs for oysters here last year. They were delicious!

Arriving at the beach

Straight ahead


Looking towards Westport

Looking towards Tokeland

Beach Houses

Gorgeous day. We nearly had the beach to ourselves. This is pretty normal here.

Beautiful waves

Looking for shells, rocks and anything else they can find

One of the many beautiful sand dollars here

Here's our boy playing in the sand

Here they have all found something fun to do

Elisabeth

Going up the BIG, grassy hill

View from on top of the hill

Many sand dollars just laying on the ground. They were everywhere today.

Matthew, you lost your shoe!

Friendly, little centipede

Second Half of Our Day

When we got home from the beach, we had ourselves a fabulous lunch, put the kids down for a nap and went outside to do some work and enjoyment of the sunshine.


Here's daddy and Elisabeth planting some soybeans. We are trying them out as they are a rich source of protein for the animals.

Here are the starters that daddy has been tending to in the hothouse part of our barn

Working Hard

Elisabeth and I went for a walk in the other field that daddy mowed for me the other day. We don't use this field right now but it sure is nice to go for a walk in a trail throughout. He's so thoughtful! : )

There's our barn way over to the left. I walked this just this morning before everyone got up. It was so peaceful.

Pretty Little Elisapup!

Elisabeth, you are so pretty in this picture. I had to post it. You look so pretty in your little hat. I bet you just came in from playing outside. We love you little Elisa-pup!

Duck Dinner

Well, we finally tried duck meat a couple of weeks ago. I slow cooked these skinned ducks in the back room in our turkey roasters for a few hours. When I walked in the door from being down at the barn that afternoon, I couldn't believe what I was smelling.... one of the most delicious fragrances I've ever smelled before. If you have never had duck meat, you are missing out. It is absolutely delicious. It smells and tastes better than turkey. I thought it would be a strange meat since you cannot find it in the supermarkets much. No, it is such a deliciously rich meat only people like the French would have something so wonderful in their markets as they truly know how to eat.



Mind you, I only ate about half of the meat here. : ) When my husband has more time he will leave the skin on. I can't wait to try it. I made a wonderfully rich stock with the leftovers and the fat in the pan and had a delicious soup a couple days later.

This Little Piggy Stayed Home

Like I shared, I would take more pictures of our little piggies. Here are some pictures I took the very day we got them as well as some the next day when Matthew put up some electrical wire.

Nestled close together in their sleeping quarters

You can see how little they are compared to daddy. He's putting a feeder in for them. They are the size of medium/large dogs right now. Within 2-3 months, they will be nearly 200 lbs and ready for the table.


Inspecting their boundaries. When they hit their little noses to the electrical wire, they yelp and run away like little doggies.


You should see this now, it's really a pig trough. They have burrowed the ground throughout the whole area like no rototiller can.

Elisabeth is watching the piggies. Hannah has other things on her mind.

Here they are digging down deep around a post

I think this picture is cute. Look at their little, curly tails.

Plowing the ground

A happy pig has lots of mud on his nose - so we heard.
: )

Just Look at That Face

Oh, little Leah. Just look at that face. You are so cute! You have your first tooth already and love turning over onto your tummy. You are the most content baby we have had. I thought you would be as you were so quiet for so many hours in my belly. We love you little sweetie!

Just Because

Just because you are so cute (though you look sad in this picture),

I have to take lots of pictures of you...

Getting bigger...

Pretty eyes. I didn't know a boy could have such pretty eyes. : )

Momma's boy! We won't tell a soul. ; )