The Cole Homestead

Pay it Forward

Homegrown Dinner

I made a yummy salad tonight from the garden.  It had green onions, red sails lettuce, swiss chard and beet greens.  I made up some ranch dressing from scratch and threw in some chives.  I had a few leftover cooked shrimp that Rod had caught and sent down for me.  Fresh shrimp are SO good!  This is the first time I've had swiss chard and I really like it!

Tonight I started moving dirt into the last two garden beds.  I filled up the skinny one first to satisfy that part of me that needs to have immediate gratification.  Then I hauled a few loads into the big bed - I have a ways to go on that one. 

Once the skinny bed was full, I planted eight of the red currant bushes that I rooted from thinnings this spring.  I just had them in water to see if they would get roots - which they did!  I have 18 more of them that I think I will plant in pots for now until I decide where they should go.

Last night I potted up some strawberry starts.  The runners take over the garden paths pretty quickly - I and just hate to pulll them up and throw them in the compost, seems like such a waste.  So I dig up the ones that really have roots and plant them in little 3" pots.  I also try to pot as many extra runners as I can.  I set out a bunch of little pots on a bench at the end of the strawberry bed.  I picked up some runners that had little plants starting and put one in each pot, using a rock to hold the runner down until the plant establishes some roots.  Once the plant is secure, I will cut it from the runner.  Then I will start again with more pots.  Strawberry plants make a good barter item  :o)

I've been thinking about trying to propagate some blueberry bushes.  There are some really productive ones over by one of the storage buildings.  I have some powdered rooting hormone that I could use, or I may trim some willow branches from the tree across the street and try that.  Maybe I should try both and see which one works best.  There are blueberry bushes everywhere along the side of the road, but it would be nice to have a good, productive patch of my own.  Then I won't have to worry about someone else finding my favorite picking spot  :o)

Things look pretty good in the garden.  The red currants are just starting to turn pink.  I have two baby zucchini.  The potato plants look good.  I pulled up some radishes and green onions and sent up to Rod in Skagway.  The strawberries are loaded with unripe berries and more blossoms.  The raspberry patch is buzzing - lots of bumble bees on the blossoms.  The new rhubarb patch looks great - I think the plants must have reached down into the layer of chicken manure I put in that bed - they have really taken off in the last week.  In the greenhouse, I have one little green pepper and a bunch more babies just starting to form.  Nothing on the cucumbers yet, but they are getting bigger - I need to put up a trellis for them.  The 3 tomato plants are getting huge - there are 6 little fruits forming now.  I notice though that some of the leaves are turning yellow, brown and dry on the ends.  I need to look that up and see what is going on with them - must be something about being too cold, too much water, or not enough ventilation is my guess.  I picked some mint leaves and calendula blossoms and dehydrated them to use in my soaps.  The chickens are doing good - getting only 3 or 4 eggs per day though.  If they don't pick up soon, we will be putting them in the freezer.

Sarah's surgery is Tuesday....

Errand day

Today is our main errands day this week.  I have been out and about alot already this week, but today we are hitting up 5 different places.  Today I am going to stop and pray before each place and ask God to help me make the right decisions, purchase the best things, and to help me be a good steward to God's and my husband's money.  Do y'all do this?

The Nursery Decor

Beatrix Potter Murals

So we haven't got a home yet, but I'm having fun coming up with ideas for the nursery that are gender neutral.

I would like my walls a darker kahki with white crown molding in the middle.  I'd like a mural of Beatrix Potter at least on one side of the wall.  This is the one I've chosen so far. The site has wonderful ideas.

Wise Words from Marmee

"I want my daughters to be beautiful, accomplished, & good; to be admired, loved, & respected; to have a happy youth, to be well & wisely married, & to lead useful, pleasant lives, w/as little care & sorrow to try them as God sees fit to send.  To be loved & chosen by a good man is the best & sweetest thing which can happen to a woman; & I sincerely hope my girls may know this beautiful experience.  It is natural to think of it, Meg; right to hope & wait for it, & wise to prepare for it; so that, when the happy time comes, you may feel ready for the duties & worthy of the joy.  My dear girls, I am ambitious for you, but not to have you make a dash in the world, -- marry rich men merely because they are rich, or have splendid houses, which are not homes because love is wanting.  Money is a needful & precious thing, -- &, when well used, a noble thing, -- but I never want you to think it is the 1st or only prize to strive for.  I'd rather see you poor men's wives, if you were happy, beloved, contented, then queens on thrones, w/o self-respect & peace...

"...better be happy old maids than unhappy wives, or unmaidenly girls, running about to find husbands," said Mrs. March decidedly.  "Don't be troubled, Meg; poverty seldom daunts a sincere lover.  Some of the best & most honored women I know were poor girls, but so love-worthy that they were not allowed to be old maids.  Leave these things to time; make this home happy, so that you may be fit for homes of your own, if they are offered you, & contented here if they are not.  One thing remember, my girls:  mother is always ready to be your confidant, father to be your friend; & both of us trust & hope that our daughters, whether married or single, will be the pride & comfort of our lives."

~~Marmee -- from "Little Women" ch. 9.

Monday's Work

Pics from camp meeting

I didn't have my camera with all the time, but here are a few pics of our time at camp meeting. 

This is Megan and Linda.  We brought Linda with us.  It was her first time to camp meeting and she really enjoyed it.  The car ride is long and the girls listened to some music and watched a DVD on the way, I believe. 

This is Paige sleeping in the carseat.  Car rides are especially long for her.... construction took us on a couple detours that we hadn't planned for. 

The girls were just talking at the memorial park at the academy.  This was one of Paige's favorite places to stop (It was also just before her class, so we had to keep her focused as to where she was going).

This is another view of the same little memorial. 

These three are Paige on the homemade waterslide.  They have a sewn form underneath.  They cover it with a heavy plastic sheet.  Squirt dish soap on the plastic and run water down from the top and half way down to keep the plastic wet.  The kids get to sliding down quite fast and at first Paige wasn't too sure about it, but she enjoyed it a bit more each time.  Paige rode down on her tummy; she rode down backwards;  she rode down with a noodle; she rode down with friends.  She only quit because they got the popsicles out and it was time to go.  She was chilly (they use just water from a hose), but had a big smile on her face.  Here's some more fun water shots...

A view from the top... Paige is in line behind one of the teachers.

Paige's first time down... a bit stiff and unsure.

Back up again!

On her back!

with a noodle!

Landing in bubbles.

With friend Thea from our home church.

With another new friend.

Popsicle ending at the waterslide. 

Paige at crafts.  They made telephones that day. 

Snack time... popsicles again... it was a really hot day this day!  The kids and MOM's were glad for this snack!

Story time with Pastor Dave.

Paige is in upper row, still in story time.  They held their classes in the music rooms so the Kindergarteners could sit on the risers.  They used the new SDA readers from the new reading program.  Paige really enjoyed them and wants them... now where to find them...

Activity time had various activities.  The kids especially liked this one.

Last one, the kids sang in the adult auditorium one evening.  Paige started out in front, but later got pushed to the back when the kids wanted to get on the microphone (which was off... the adults know better!)  Paige's class had between 45 and 60 kids each day... more on Sabbath. 

Sorry it was mostly all Kindergarten adventures... that's where I had my camera... I didn't bring it to the other meetings!  I didn't even take a picture of our camp site... and I try to do that each year...

Warmly, ~Melissa

June 29th

I'm unsure exactly how far along I am.  The testing a couple of weeks ago said I was 4 or 5 weeks along.  Right now, I could be 6 or 7 weeks.  I would LOVE to be 7 weeks along.  I'd just like to get out of the first trimester where there could be complications.  I say could be as I have been told in the beginning the numbers were low and I could miscarry.  Ever since, I've tried to hold back a bit.  HOWEVER, this is Gods little miracle and He's planned this according to HIS plans for HIS glory.  There is purpose.  So I continue to put my faith and trust in HIM.  This little miracle wouldn't have happened without Him.

I have an appointment on Friday with the prenatal high risk specialist.  Because I am a type II diabetic, I have to be closely monitored.  My sugars are somewhat higher than I'd like them to be, but aren't anywhere near what they've been in the past.  I've been EXTREMELY strict with myself.  Getting rid of sugar substitutes and having tea or water.  I have slipped an iced coffee or two, but nothing obsessive and I care more about this little life growing inside me, than I do of my own cravings.

Cravings -

                     For the most part, I'm not sure I have any right now.  I know I LOVE salads.  This is the season for all kinds of salads, pasta salads, fruit salads, green salads, etc.  My favorite are green salads with chicken and SPICEY ranch.  YUMMY.  Mexican, I LOVE mexican spicey meals too.  I've liked them before, but they just taste good to me right now.  I'm out on whether this is a craving just yet.

Doug seems to amaze me with each new day.  At first, he was distant a little.  I think part of it was the surprise of it all, another part was the potential of losing this little miracle and last, maybe not being able to feel first-hand what is going on in my body.

With each new day though, He's becoming quite the doting husband and daddy.  He has been doing more things to be sure I don't lift anything too heavy or do anything too strenuous.  His mind is spread thin with getting re-preapproved for a home of our own, having moved from his parents to our friends home for awhile and in a month or two, moving again somewhere all while dealing with a pregnant wife and watching out for our little one.  The thought of a new life to be responsible for may be an issue for him too. 

As each day comes, he's been more and more involved in fun things.  Looking online to see what the baby looks like at this stage, coming up with names and helping figure out what we'll need for baby in the future.  I think all in all, the most important is nurturing baby though.  Material things aren't as important as taking care of baby.  We are excited though to see what our little cutie looks like and who he or she will turn out to be.  My only hope, is that he/she/they come to know the greatest gift in life through Jesus Christ.  To raise our son or daughter to Love God and Serve Him.  Our baby after all, is HIS. He created him or her and blessed us with such an awesome little miracle that it's hard to comprehend any other way other than Gods way to create such a beautiful little baby.  Praise God for all He has created.

So friday is our appointment and I'm praying they'll do a sonogram early to be able to date our little baby. 

Please continue to pray God will strengthen him or her, the numbers will continue to grow, and we'll have a happy, healthy baby in 8 months.

God Bless You!

Rebekah

His Eye is on the Sparrow