Where oh where did the weekend go? Sometimes our days get so filled, we neglect to take in those cherished moments in life. Reflecting back over the past few days, I had a lot of quality moments, however, I think many passed by way too quickly.
Where do I begin?
Lydia and I did get that much needed girls day. We had the works when it came to pedicures and manicures. Then we had lunch at the Pinkadilly Tea . That was a lot of fun. When we walked in, there was lace, flowers, big hats, and the color pink everywhere. Every little girls' delight. We even got to see three ladies dressed in their Victorian attire from head to toe. They were sitting across and behind me a bit so I had to get creative in taking a photo. I guess I could have asked them, but it was more fun pretending to be a paparazzi photographer. The funniest thing was they were so into their character role and then somewhere out of the lacy frills comes an iPhone. Too funny! This day ended way to quickly. If you have a daughter, take the time to enjoy a full day together.
I have been waxed!
Can you smell the mint?
My paparazzi snap shot :)
It's Pinkalicious!
The Girls
Yay! It's Friday! Noah was so excited about going to camp this year, especially since we moved. He was eagerly looking forward to meeting new friends and getting out of work on the farm. These are the things that are important to a thirteen year old. :) However, I knew that Noah's faith was going to grow stronger over the week and he would return a much more mature teenager, physically, mentally, and spiritually. God had this week planned for Noah before we left San Antonio. Matter of fact, this week has always been planned. A new environment, new friends, new places for quiet time, and embracing the unknown, can lead to life changing growth. It was a long week for the three of us left here on the farm. For me, most especially. Noah will always be my baby boy, even though he towers over me these days. I couldn't wait to hear how God revealed Himself to the 40 plus youth that went on this trip. The bus couldn't pull up fast enough!!! And then, there he was!
I missed you Bubba!
A very happy momma!
Saturday was a work day on the farm. I call it relaxation :) There were weeds to be pulled, pens to be cleaned, grass to be mowed, canning to do. Ah yes, more canning. This time it was pizza sauce, along with some more dried tomatoes with fresh basil. Yum, homemade pizza nights are gonna be even more amazingly delicious :) About 5 years ago, due to a lesson I did with the kids on yeast, we started making homemade pizza every Friday night. All four of our family members can make pizza dough in our sleep. Lol!
The two GREEN thumbs of the family
Garden is looking good :)
Anger Management
Hello, my name is Ribbit
Whoo, saved from the lawn mower blades !
Canning tomatoes from the Clark Family farm
$9 per half bushel (+/-25 lbs)
Pizza sauce in the making
We had a great day at church on Sunday. After 10 years of meeting in the high school auditorium, the church we have been attending here, Stafford Crossing Community Church, held their first service in their new facility. Came home to a delicious venison roast with potatoes and carrots. Mmmm! After lunch, we took the Big Green Sushi Roll for a much needed dump. Boy was that quite the ordeal to get her backed out and down our drive. Then we had to do it all over again once she had emptied that over sized bladder.
Big Green Sushi Roll
All 39' of her
That brings us to Monday. The kids got to sleep in this morning because I had a luncheon to attend, welcoming the new SG's (Surgeon General) and Deputy SG's wives. It was held at the Chart House Restaurant in Old Town Alexandria. It was an honor to be invited and represent all the enlisted medical spouses. However, the farm and my kiddos were calling :) After a great lunch, it was time to head south.
One last thing, remember that delicious venison roast from Sunday? Well we couldn't let it go to waste so my sous chef helped me make some delicious burritos for future lunches.
As I was sitting on the patio with my morning cup of coffee, I started looking through some old photos of our chickens. I came across these videos and I thought they were worthy of sharing. This is cheap entertainment at its best.
Boo! Gotcha! HaHaHaHa!
Push me momma, push me!
You know how it is when you start looking at old photos. What fond memories we have made with our chickens.
RIP Momma Buff
Your legacy lives on :)
I wish I could bring them back to the USA with me.
My Australian Friend
Can you spot the peeps? There's two :)
These next few pics are in memory of Tinkerbell. She was the Queen of Dress Up in the chicken world and made us laugh on many occasions. This Diva could strut her stuff!
RIP Little Mo
Our San Antonio Flock
Science at its best.
Looking at embryos that didn't develop
You didn't think I was gonna talk about the squirrel first did ya? Well if you can't wait, then scroll to the bottom of this post:)
This week has been anything but normal. Papa Roo and my Gentle Giant left the farm on Sunday. PR went back to San Antonio for "official business" and my GG left for a week of "NO CHORES", focused God time, friends, and a sugar high. I saw all those snacks he packed. If the ants find his cabin, those boys are in for a battle. :)
That left the Chicken Girl and me to tend the farm and have some girl time, so we thought. Sunday evening, CG's stomach cramps from the past couple of days escalated into a fever and vomiting. By morning, she was miserable and doubled over in pain. That raised a flag for PR and myself. This child never complains about anything. Concerned that it may be something more serious than a bug, PR suggested I take her to the ER. Woa, wait a minute, did he just say ER? This is coming from a dad with a medical background. You must understand, we never take our kids to the doctor unless it is very, very serious. We believe in letting their immune systems do what they are designed to do. This was CG's first ER visit and she is almost eight. As it turns out, it was only a bug and a UTI (urinary tract infection). I must give kudos to the Ft. Belvoir medical staff. They were excellent! We were in and out in no time. Well, so much for our girls' day.
After a couple of days of recuperating, CG was back to normal. Yay! We can go have our girls' day before the guys get back. Not! Can you believe she chose spending time with her chickens over getting her nails done? She said, "Mom, I have been sick and haven't been able to love on them." "Spoiled", I say, "Pure spoiled"! Well, I guess there were plenty of chores we needed to do anyway. There were weeds to be pulled from the garden, grass to be cut, chicken pens to be cleaned, food and water to be filled. Uggh! I want my nails done!!!!
Okay, I know this is really why you are reading this post. You want to know about the squirrel. While CG was loving on the broilers, I was mowing. No, we don't have a riding lawn mower. I guess I could say I was working out in my outdoor gym :) Yeah, that is what I was doing. Anyway, I looked over into the edge of the woods where we have a small trap. Yep, you know where this is going, right? For a split second I thought, "Oh that is what is eating our corn, a squirrel". Then, I realized, the squirrel was in the trap. We have never caught anything in that trap! The guys are gone. It's us two girls and a squirrel. I stopped the mower, took out my earbuds and called for CG to bring my gloves and her herding stick :) Oh, joy, I don't even know how this thing works. Guess I should have had Papa Roo teach me how to catch and release. LOL!
Okay, okay, I think we can do this. Let's try again :)
I don't know who is more nervous, us or the squirrel.
Guess that didn't work!
Are you done laughing yet? I have to admit, it was pretty funny, but only after the fact. We were successful in releasing the squirrel, however, we needed all four hands to do it so there is no proof in the video! LOL!
That's it! Today we are having that Girls' Day, complete with lunch at the Pinkalicious Tea House:)
For those following our broiler adventure, I have posted their four week old pics on the broiler page. Look for the Broiler Adventure tab at the top of this page.
I couldn't resist posting a few pics taken around the farm. It just amazes me each time I see one of God's creations. The intricate details and the complexity of each little critter, shape, color, personality, etc. Everything created with perfection. Take time to look and listen to the things around you, to include your children and your pets that you take for granted because you see them everyday. God created all of this for our pleasure and companionship. The Smithsonians have nothing on God's living museum, nor does your favorite radio station come close to the symphony that is being played around you each and everyday. Our world is so fascinating. Who needs cable or Spotify?
Just look at the attention to detail.
L
Momma Spider taking her babies for a stroll.
Whoo, these kids are heavy!
Lydia is opening a new non-profit business:)
Chicken Girl's Diner is OPEN for business!
FREE Soup and Salad
It's tough work being the Chicken Girl.
Enjoying a little time with Baby, her pet roo:)
Ladybug and Ginger chilling under the Mulberry Tree
Beautiful butterfly, could you have landed
somewhere else?
One of the Buffs checking out the new
nesting boxes
We have found a great local farm, The Clark Family Farm, just up the road from us. Gail and Mike are the sweetest people. They know all their customers by name, even us newbies :) and their produce is beautiful.
I know you may be asking, "Don't you have a garden?" Yes, we do, however, we are a ways out from harvesting so in the mean time we can support our neighbors. Lydia loves the fresh bouquets of flowers for just $4. Seriously?! We now have fresh flowers in our home everyday. It's so refreshing.
On with the canning story. We purchased a bushel of canning tomatoes last week and made some delicious spaghetti sauce, along with several packets of dried, seasoned, tomatoes. Canning has been around for years and I believe it is starting to make a come back. It really is not difficult to do and you don't have to use expensive "canning pots" and other suggested tools. Get creative. Any large pot will do as long as it is deep enough for water to cover the top of the jars. You probably have tongs, pot holders, and a ladle or funnel. The final and most important items would be the jars.
For our family, it is very satisfying to see our end products, whether it be sauces, beef jerky, jams, or jellies. To think that we did it is simply amazing. The food in those jars or vacuum packed bags did not come off of a shelf in some grocery store. It was harvested with our own hands and in some cases, our neighbors. Oh, I forgot to mention the bonding time that is created when you make canning a family activity. My children love it. Heck, either of them could make jelly on their own and they certainly can make dried tomatoes, with the help of the dehydrator of course. We have lots of laughs and taste tests during our canning times. The kids love it when we ask their opinion about a flavor. They both have extraordinary pallets. Gordon Ramsay would be proud!
Our canning season has only just begun. Here are a few pics from this past weekend. We will be making pickles later this fall and probably some chow chow.
Take the time to try canning with your family. I promise the memories made will be PRICELESS!!
Ginger is inspecting the tomatoes!
Blanching and Peeling Team
Loading the dehydrator
Our first batch of spaghetti sauce
First batch of dried tomatoes
Our Sous Chef
Toamtoes with fresh basil
Lydia did all of these by herself :)
