Wanna Be Farm People

I love the idea of having animals that can produce and make it possible for us to be as self reliant as we can. Knowing you had some chickens right out back for fresh eggs or some cows that have been raised by you so you know what they have been eating. For some strange reason this sounds ideal to me. However, I was not planning on getting animals that did not contribute to our overall preparedness plan.

So when Mike sent me pictures of these adorable, little, dwarf Nigerian goats it was hard to resist. In order to justify getting them I ask, "Do they produce anything useful?"

"Yes, if you want to milk them!" I want to be prepared and all but I am not ready to take that ginormous step yet.

So in about a week and half we will be goat owners. I never in a million years would have thought I would own goats. But look at how cute they are. Could you resist?


I'm sure we have no idea what we are getting into but it will be fun to try and figure it out. Plus, the kids will LOVE them. And, here are all my justifications, this is a good practice animal. They are small, don't eat a lot, and we need our grass eaten down out back anyway. Hopefully, this will be a positive animal experience.

He Can Do It!

He can ride his bike without training wheels! I am so happy for him. I love seeing his confidence increase in his abilities! We haven't even been working with him.

Here is the story...somehow one of his training wheels came off awhile back and he has just learned to ride it with the one. So this past Saturday Mike thought to take off the other one because he could see he was balancing so well without the one. It worked! I was inside and came out because I think I heard shouting. Expecting to find someone in trouble or crying, everyone was happy and Carson was zipping around. I guess he got it on his first try. Mike just gave him a little push and that's all it took.

A couple comments about his outfit. Carson loves those shorts and would wear them everyday if he could. He also loves striped shirts, especially that one.(Infact, he is wearing that some outfit right now.) He is still very much into balls but he is focusing his interest into baseballs. Carson tells me he wants to be a baseball player when he grows up. He is probably happiest when someone, anyone, is playing catch with him. He likes to quote movies such as Sandlot, Incredibles, and any other little phrases from movies that interest him.

I thoroughly enjoy his personality. Our family would not be complete without Carsonator!

A Little Down A Lot More To Go

This is what we spent all day doing. I am not sure what time I started maybe around 11:oo but we went ALL day until 7:30. I don't know how I am able to type right now...every little muscle is sore. We did it though and are saving lots of money by doing it ourselves. And I like knowing that we can work together and get stuff done.

We still have this side though. I want to hurry and get it done so we can start working on our garden.
I will go crash now.

Thank Goodness for Guns

TOOLS FOR OUR DEFENSE LAST NIGHT

Last night at 2 am our alarm went off! It is not a faint little sound it puts out, it is an ear piercing scream. A bit dazed, Mike goes for his gun and flashlight that he keeps by his bed. I go to shut off the alarm, sure that the kids are probably freaking out at this point. We do a quick plan of where we are both going to go before we go out into the hallway. I am going to check the kids and Mike is going to do a sweep of the house. The kids were fine...a bit scared, but I tuck them back in and hurry to go find where Mike went.

To not keep anyone in suspense, all was well! But we were very puzzled what could have set it off. All the doors were still locked, all the windows were shut and the house was clear of any strangers. We should feel easy at this point but don't. We check the alarm to see where it was triggered. It was the motion down in the basement. We decide to call the cops and just be overly cautious. They come and do a sweep of outside and in.

After they had left I felt a little unprotected but then the thought occurred to me, "At least you have guns if it comes down to it. Mike could defend us." When Mike came back in the house he told me that they had found some insulation down from the ceiling in front of the sensor. What a relief.

Still it was a good emergency situation that gets you thinking of all the what ifs. I am thankful for our right to bear arms. It levels the playing field and makes you not feel so dependent on someone else to take care of you. What if it was a break in and the police didn't get there in time? I am glad we are prepared in this area it makes you not feel as vulnerable in these times.

Easter Weekend

Friday we went bowling and it was okay. It was good to get out and see some of the town but Morgan was all over the place, Carson was constantly whining about something and Cole...he did pretty good. I think because we haven't gone out together as a family we are a little rusty. Plus, Morgan is at the roaming stage of life where she is all over! However, with all the work that went into taking the whole gang into public I would do it again. I want to play this year a lot with my family.

It is so easy to slip into drill Sargent mode and suck the fun out of everything with all that needs to get done all the time. I need to put scheduling time daily to PLAY with the kids and let them be and do as they want will really be good for us.

The next day, our Easter as far as the Easter bunny goes, was fun. The kids enjoyed their buckets of treats they got and finding the hidden eggs in the house. On top of that we decided to brave the cold and went to a community egg hunt. Wow! is all I can say. There was a huge turn out (I am glad we went a 1/2 hour early) and there was plenty for all. I was really impressed with the city event. We froze but it was really great for the kids. I LOVE seeing their excitement! It makes me happy.

Now we will finish off the weekend with General Conference. Already with today's sessions I find myself inspired to step it up. I love the light and knowledge that comes with these special weekends where our leaders talk to us. Where our prophet talks to us! I am so thankful for that and can't wait for tomorrow without the distractions of Easter to get in the way. (It was hard to focus today with the sugar induced mob running around!)

This is Spring Time?

So much for getting work done in the backyard. Michael took two days off so we could make some good progress but this is what happened. It started snowing early yesterday morning and didn't stop! We think we got a foot of snow.

I will now show more compassion to those who complain about long winters. (I will be more sympathetic mom!) I was ready to start working on the garden. But now we will be patient and try and enjoy the winter wonderland.

My Little Reader

Cole is amazing! Here he is reading Green Eggs and Ham to me. I am so proud at how good he reads! He gave a talk a few Sundays ago in church and read the whole thing. It is crazy to watch him get bigger and bigger everyday. Truly, my little boy is going to grow up right in front of me.