What have we been up to? Another time warp update!

Hey all, sorry its been awhile again, life just gets so busy some times! So what have we been up to?

A family ski trip, these pics are our second trip up and we brought our little neighbor girl (in the blue on the right)

Rocking my new ski suit my sweet hubby got me for my birthday!

We found a lady selling three pairs of ski's/boots/poles on kijiji for 100$, so the kids tried them out on the hill at home!

Daddy the tow rope!!

My eggs, I get at least four double yokers a day!

Her hair is long enough for pigtails!! Love this girl!!

1. The month of February was beautiful here, warm temps, melting snow! We took the kids skiing three times, not to the mountains mind you as who can justify 6oo$ for a day when we can get a family seasons pass for 500$ for the nearby hill! The girls picked it up quite quickly and our little guy well, he likes to point them straight down and goes as fast as he can! We are still working on snow plowing with him and his s curves, but he definitely caught on quicker than I thought he would. Julianna is a little more cautious by nature than her sister, so she isn't quite as confident, but she still does really well and can navigate both green and blue runs now as well as both the quad chair lift and the t-bar and the tow rope. Hailey is a little fire ball and likes to zip down as fast as she can! Our third trip she had a good spill however and she seemed a lot more hesitant and cautious after that! She too can do both green and blue runs, and all three lifts. Down hill skiing has always been something my husband and I have enjoyed, we even skied together when we were teenagers as our 4-H club would go a couple times a year. We have really wanted to take the kids for several years now, but with all our moving  and living on a really tight budget we couldn't make it work. So I feel truly blessed that this year we made it a priority and got up three times! I have very very fond memories of skiing with my dad and my cousins every winter and I hope we can share those memories with our own children. We took a few extras with us the last two times we went. Some little girls that I used to watch when we were renting the apartment above the shop at their farm. Our motto is the more the merrier!

2. Les has been working quite a bit, but he has also had some time off, so we have been busy on the around the homestead, doing a few projects, working with the cows. We butchered all 76 of our roosters, and thankfully were able to sell all the ones we wanted to for a good price. The hens are much happier with more space and less boys! I am now getting over four dozen eggs a day!
Thankfully I have some great regular customers who take most of them off my hands! We have a new batch of bunnies, and yesterday Benjamin got into the hutch and was playing with them! Thankfully they are almost old enough to be out, they have lots of fur but their eyes aren't open yet. We checked them this morning to make sure the mother hadn't eaten them as this is her third batch and the first that have made it this far!

3. We are waiting on God for a huge change in our family. There is quite a background story to this, but I can't share everything yet. I will just say that we are perhaps, if everything works out, going to be going on a mission trip to Zambia Africa! My sweet cousin and her family are there right now for a year working in a baby home, and this fall Les felt God telling him to go! This is very significant because my husband has never wanted to go, he has always felt that he should send money, but not go himself. I on the other hand have always wanted to go, but have been waiting for his leading. Then a few weeks ago, we went to Missions Fest in the city and we really felt God moving in our hearts and reaffirming His call to go. So we have started the process to go for a 3 week trip to get our feet wet and to see where or what else He is calling us to. I am beyond excited, and also nervous! I have felt that our trials with our house in BC, moving into this house and becoming mortgage free have been God's way of setting us up for something. Right now we could pack up and leave and have basically nothing tying us here (other than family/friends) but I mean financially. Anyways I am just so curious to see what God has planned for us!

4. I have been busy as a bee painting and getting ready to put up trim and the tongue and grove on the ceiling in our living room. I was informed by my busy husband this past summer that all the above was a winter project. Well winter is almost over! Despite the two feet of fresh snow we just got, it is almost over-really! And I want all these house things finished up before spring for a couple reasons a: so that I can work outside on all the busy spring projects-like gardening, planting and tending the fruit trees I want to get, yard work and landscaping that needs to get done etc. b: if we are going to Africa for the month of May-that is a huge chunk of time out of our very very short non snowing season! So we will have even less time to get all the outside things done than before! And c: this is well maybe to much info-but I would like to be pregnant again by then sooo, I will be to sick to do anything (grrrrrrr) so I have to get it done NOW! Ahem, don't share that info with just anyone please lol! We miscarried in February again, this is our third one, thankfully we hadn't really told anyone, and it was early, but still painful.
 Hopefully today I will get another wall washed and painted. The middle two went with daddy to his moms house today for a sleigh riding party that she is hosting. So I may actually be able to accomplish something!

5. I bought some lovely fabric and patterns at Fabricland Friday. I have been wanting to buy some to make a few skirts for myself as I am a funny shape these days and can't find anything to fit me properly. So I thought I would make my own! I got some amazing deals, my patterns were all 50% off, and my cotton twill was 70%! It was quite a successful trip! Now if only I could find the time to work on it all! I am still behind on my pre christmas sewing *sigh*

Well I could go on and on, but for now that will have to do for an update!
Hope you are all well and that spring is just around the corner (for some of you)!
Blessings
Erin

Yarn along!

Well it has been a few weeks since I joined in with Ginny for yarn along-ok since before Christmas! But I have been working on something, I just couldn't seem to get a post up before Wednesdays! So without further ado-I am knitting a milo vest, but I altered the pattern to make it into a dress for my littlest girl. Its in such a pretty lavender color and I want her to wear it like a jumper with a collard shirt underneath! Love how it is turning out-I just m1 stitch every four stitches after the garter stitch portion. I think it is going to be full enough (I hope). So we will see how it looks when its finished! I have a cute little pair of yellow longies I will use as leggings underneath- I think it will look so cute! As for reading-I have been rereading the Duggar's second book-A love that muliples, my friend returned it this week and I just pick it up when I have a free minute or two. I have also been reading my latest copy of the No Greater Joy ministries magazine-I just love their stuff, I am always so encouraged by what they say and walk away wanting to do and be better with my kids and hubby. Well there you have it! Don't forget to head over to Small things and see all the other Work in Progress! Yarn Along.

After a long hiatus, more homesteading adventures!

I apologize for the lack of activity going on over here, its been a wee bit busy since the holidays and I am just finally getting back into the groove of things. I always find it difficult to get back on track after a holiday, the kids fight doing their school and practicing, I fight getting back to the everyday after so much interesting activity. But alas I think we have gotten back into routine-and with that comes some adventures to share with you!

We have had some new member join the homestead and sadly lost a few as well... Both of the older girls horses foaled two weeks ago! Ohh the excitement of getting up early to go see if there is a new baby in the barn lol! Sadly Julianna's filly was born in the snow and got its one leg caught in the new wind fence. Its mama is so protective she hides as far away as she can and then has her babies in really terrible places-two years ago she had one right by a pond and the baby drowned *GRRR* So this new little filly didn't get found for a few hours, and it later showed evidence of frozen legs...I WILL NOT go into how this looks as it will make you cry, so my poor dear hubby had to put it down lastnight. We have not told our girl yet-was waiting for daddy to be home too. Seriously dreading the task.

We have also had two more litters of baby rabbits, and we don't know what is going on, but both batches have been eaten by the mothers gahh!!!! We are having a very heartbreaking year on our farm this winter! Please pray for my children as they are learning a few of life's heartbreaks all at once.

On to some more positive news-I am getting almost three dozen eggs a day now lol!! My barred rocks have started laying-the first egg we found from them was sooo tiny! It was the size of a small gum ball lol! They lay much darker eggs than my buffs, they are very pretty! Only a few are laying I think, so it won't be long before we will be having more eggs than I can sell! The barred rocks were supposed to be butchered by now, but they are not quite big enough, the weather hasn't been cooperating and my hubby has been working like crazy!  He has next week off though so hopefully we will be taking care of at least all the big roosters.

I can't remember if I mentioned it before, but a neighbor had some square bales for sale, we bought 100 of them to put around our house as we are still awaiting insulation and skirting. Well he was only charging 1.00$ / bale which is incredible for good hay. So we ended up buying all 800 bales. Well my dad and hubby decided it would be great fun to haul all the bales with the team and sleigh, as they only live two miles up the road. So they did! In - 20/25 below lol! The following pictures were taken just as he was getting in with his last load for the day around 4 ish so the light is not great. The first load the took straight out to the field and fed to the cows. They can get on about 75 bales/ load. The kids and I made a few trips, and I drove the team a couple times while he hand bombed them off to the cows. It was lots of fun-if not a little cold! I of course didn't get picks of the kids and I *grrr*.

So I will leave you with that! I have a few more post coming up so stayed tuned-and enjoy the pics lol!

Merry Christmas!

May the Lord richly bless you and yours this Christmas and throughout the coming year!
Blessings
Erin

Yarn Along / KCCO

Good morning! Today is a chilly day here in Alberta, however it is about 15 degrees warmer than it was this weekend so I won't complain!
I have worked on and finished several projects in the last few weeks, but sadly was unable to post them and join along with Ginny and Nicole! So this week I determined that I am going to this week! Even if I have to take pictures in the dark!
My current wip is a scarf for myself, which I have hardly touched because I finished 7 frilly sashay scarves in the last few weeks as Christmas gifts! I have also been trying to get to my huge sewing list, as we are doing a handmade Christmas this year! I was able to make a sweet little skirt for my middle daughter, I still need to finish two seams with the serger and topstich over the hem and add some embellishment, but it is mostly done lol! I have more of the same beautiful fabric so I am going to make a similar skirt for Julianna.
As for reading, I was given a couple of easy read Christmas books, I have read one of them, just for some light reading, not sure if I will get to the others!
Hope you are all enjoying crafting this week and don't forget to head over to Ginny's  and Nicole'sto see what all the other ladies are working on!
Blessings
Erin

Three new additions to the homestead!

Technically they were born two weeks ago-however, they are sooo tiny and naked and their mothers will eat them if we disturb them at all, that we haven`t actually seen them until today!
Baby bunnies!!!
There are three, two black and one honey colored. They are sooo soft and sweet and cute and oh I am gushing lol! I LOVE baby bunnies!
The girls were delighted today when they went out to feed and water them, and to their surprise three little balls of fluff hopped around chasing each other! They came running to the house to tell me all about them! Then begged me to come see ( of course I was going to anyway!)
Seriously-there is no cuter baby than a baby bunny!
As soon as it warms up I will go take a picture of them! So stay tuned for major  cuteness!

In other homesteading news, we loaded 110 square bales into the horse trailer yesterday from a neighbor, to go around the bottom of our house-we are now officially hill billy`s... I had hoped they would get put up today, but dad and Les are hosting a group Christmas party from the city today, taking them sleigh riding and having a bonfire out in the back woods, roasting chestnuts over the open fire, and having hot dogs and hot chocolate!  Trouble is it is -25 and much colder with the wind chill! Sure hope everyone dressed warmly!
Guess my house will have to wait until tommorow!
Also wanted to tell you that my buff orpington`s are finally laying! I am now getting on average 16 eggs per day! Needless to say we have had scrambled eggs several times this week!
Well that about sums up what`s happening around here!
Better go put more wood on the fire! Hope you all are staying warm!
Blessings
Erin

The birthday tea party!

Julianna has been asking for a tea party birthday for awhile now, so this year I thought ok-we can do this! I am pretty proud of how it all turned out! The girls were all required to dress in their favorite fancy dresses ( and to bring a change of clothes for going outside).
I have to admit that I searched pinterest for some idea's as I am not that creative when it comes to the finer details! There sure are some elaborate party decor's out there!
We went with a pink/yellow/white theme, the table was set with 7 different mini tea sets, I made mini cupcakes, mini sugar cookies ( I had lots of help decorating them!) little jam heart sandwiches and jelly pinwheels. They had apple cinnamon tea, and were able to serve themselves cream and sugar. I explained to them how high tea started in England, and why people still enjoy it today. Then Julianna served all her guests, and they chatted away! It was quite cute! My girls also bought Olivia a little plastic tea set so she could participate in the tea party! She was sooo cute!
Once they were done tea, they played downstairs (by the way this is all taking place at my parents house across the yard from us as we don''t have room in this little cottage!)
Then after awhile they all went outside to join the boys and men for a sleigh ride. Les and my dad had hooked up both teams and so they had two sleighs going, which always makes for lots of fun as they chase eachother, play catch up and try pushing eachother off lol! After everyone came in and warmed up, we served an early supper, and a bunch more appetizers and junk food!
All in all I think it was a very successful party, and the girls were so thrilled with how it worked out-which of course makes me happy!
So here are a few party pics-not as many as I would like, because my sd card was full!!! Gahhh!

These first two are the morning before the party-Olivia with her new tea set!

The girls were pretty happy with the decor, Les and I were up till midnight the night before to finish decorating!

With one of the cute cousins!

All gone mama! Where`s more!