Homestead Dreamer

A day at the zoo (Saturday, 9-27-08) (2 pics)

**I had more pictures but they aren't uploading :(

We had a great family day on Saturday.  We all went to the Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek, Michigan for the day.  Lance is still a bit sore, but he had a nice time and we just took it slow.  Lauren walked for much of the time, so it was slow-going anyway.

Lilli loves the zoo.  She really enjoys the small aquariums with the snakes and other small animals in them.  I think her favorite thing to do is climb on all the animal statues that are placed throughout the zoo.  She still loves to feed the giraffes too.

Lauren loved it all.  She hasn't been there since she has started understanding about critters and such.  She loved it.  She ran and ran and ran (and picked up rock after rock after rock...LOL).  She took in all the animals and climbed all the statues with Lilli.  I think her favorite was the giraffes.  It was so funny to see her pull away excitedly when the giraffes touched her with their long tongues.  She kept going back for more, it was so funny.

I really enjoy the 'swamp walk', but the mosquitos were too bad to go that way this time.  I am glad we didn't do it though, as Lance was on his feet for too long as it was.

The zoo has a new snow leopard cub, but he wasn't on display the day we were there.   Lilli and I were especially bummed about that.

Lauren fell asleep before we left the zoo and slept for the next 3 hours without waking at all.  LOL.  I guess we wore her out.

It's sort of a tradition for us to head up there for their annual zoo boo, so we'll probably be going back in a few weeks to trick or treat.

S'mores (pics)

We really enjoy having a small fire about once a week, though I'm sure Lilli would like to have one every night :)

We have one about once a week, usually on Friday evenings, but this week it was on Sunday afternoon/early evening.

We don't do anything special, we just start a fire in our pit (which we hope to create a ring of rocks around soon) and then watch the fire for a bit.  We usually eat hot dogs or brats cooked over the open fire, then we roast marshmallows and make S'mores.  We all enjoy this time around the fire, even if it only lasts a half hour or so. 

We always start our fire early, long before dark, and then put the fire out long before dark.  It's fun anyway and the girls love it.  Lilli asks for a fire often, and it's one of her favorite things to do.

This is a cheap and highly entertaining activity that we all enjoy. 

I really just wanted to post my pictures of the girls eating their S'mores.  :)

Meal Plan Monday

We had a great week last week.  It's nice having Lance home and I'm going to miss him when he goes back to work tomorrow :(

Lauren has a cold and is a bit cranky, but doing well as far as her tonsils go.

Lilli has a cough brought on by her acid reflux and she's currently on Augmentin to get rid of it (it's in her sinuses now...the acid creeps up into her sinuses causing a sinus infection...hence the cough that never goes away without meds).  She is doing much better though.  She still coughs with any physical activity and occasionally at night, but it's a lot better than it was.

Lance is doing good, but he's still sore from his surgery.  He had a root canal on Friday, but he really hasn't mentioned it much.  Everytime I ask if it hurts he says no, but that it feels funny.  The dentist gave him stronger pain meds than the hernia Dr (??).  The hernia Dr gave him Tylenol 3 w/ Codeine, and barely enough to last two days.  The dentist gave him Vicodin, and I think it has a refill.  LOL

I have a bit of a cold but nothing major.  Just enough that I'm worried about being around my dad with it though.  We don't need to do anything that will put him back in the hospital.

We are eating out of our freezers and pantry (exclusively) this week, so our menu is pretty basic, with a lot of our 'regular' dishes in it.  Lance doesn't get paid for his time off (though he will eventually get a percentage for comp pay).  We don't have any plans to go to the grocery store in the next week or two.  We'll pick up milk and deli meat and fresh fruit/veggies at neighbors stands, but no big shopping trips.

We don't have a lot of leftover nights planned this week as Lance will be taking his lunch to work and he has a microwave, so he can take the leftovers and warm them instead of having cold sandwiches for his lunch.

Here is our tentative menu:

Monday:  Roast, potatoes, carrots (crockpot)

Tuesday:  Chicken pot pie (homemade via hillbillyhousewife.com w/ a few changes)

Wednesday:  Chili (for Lance and I) and Goulash (for the girls)

Thursday:  Beef Stroganoff (crockpot)

Friday:  Leftovers or grill (depending on weather)

Saturday:  Leftovers or grill

Sunday:  Leftovers or grill

Our week looks pretty good and not over busy this week.

Monday:  Lilli has school, Lance is home (his last day home).  For me:  A real home day!  I'm still in my pajamas at 3PM!!!  WOOHOO!  I didn't figure I should get dressed and stain my clothes while canning tomatoes, so here I am  (I have a crummy cold too, so I don't feel like doing much).  Lance took Lilli to school this morning and just left to pick her up.  I can't remember the last time I had a real stay-home and sit in my jammies day.  I even watched a movie!  50 First Dates.  It was great.  I really liked it.  I think Lance did too, but he had to leave the room twice because he was laughing too hard and his incision started hurting.  I felt bad for him, but I was laughing so hard (at the movie) that I wasn't much help.  LOL

No plans this afternoon, a nice, relaxing day overall.

Tuesday:  Lilli has school.  Lance goes back to work after 2 weeks off.  He'll be working 10 hour days this week.  A home day other than that.

Wednesday:  This is our busy day.  Lilli has school.  Lance has work (10 hours).  Lauren has playgroup from 9:30-11AM.  Then I run her to my parent's house (super-fast) and I volunteer at Lilli's school at noon.  Last week I was at the school for 2 1/2 hours, so I'm not real sure how long I'll be there each week.  I guess it depends on what the teacher needs done.  After school, Lilli and I will go pick up Lauren and visit with my parents for a couple hours before coming home in time for tubbies.

**Sidenote to add that if Lauren is still sick on Tuesday, then I am cancelling my volunteer time at the school for Wednesday, and staying home with her in the afternoon.  She can't be around my dad with her cold and I don't want mom coming and watching her and taking the cold back to dad.  So we'll see how she's feeling tomorrow.

Thursday:  Lilli has school.  Lance has work (10 hours).  Then Lilli goes to dance from 6-8PM. 

** another side note to add that her friend from school signed up for dance and will now be taking Tap class with her.  Lilli is very excited about that.  This is the friend that Lilli invited to 'bring a friend' week last week.

Friday:  Lilli has school.  Lance has work (10 hours). 

I am going on a scrapbook retreat!  WOOHOO!  I am very excited.  I can't remember when I last scrapped.  I am very excited.  It's been planned for a couple months now and I thought I'd have to cancel when Lance had his surgery, but he's doing well and has been doing chores for a couple days now.

Lauren will go to my parent's houes whenever we (SIL Vicki and I) leave on Friday, and hopefully mom can pick Lilli up after school for me.  Otherwise, I'll have to wait to leave for the retreat until after Lilli is out of school.  We'll see how it goes.  I hate to ask my mom to pick Lilli up when she'll already have Alyssa and Lauren.  We'll just see how it goes.

Saturday and Sunday:  I'll be at my retreat and I'm not sure what Lance has planned with the girls.  Lilli plans to spend one night with my parents, but I'm not sure which night.  Lilli also has her horse lesson on Sunday morning.  I should be home sometime Sunday afternoon.

A bushel of tomatoes...

I thought I would post a yield for our tomatoes in case I ever need a reference in the future.

One bushel of tomatoes...that is two 1/2 bushel baskets packed to the top, but not really overflowing much.

One bushel makes between 19-21 quarts of tomatoes. 

Yesterday the tomatoes were smaller and the yield was 20 quarts.

Today the tomatoes were bigger (but with several bad spots that had to be cut out) and the yield was 21 quarts.

I peel and cut the tomatoes and Lance packs the jars and gets the canners going on the stove, then we clean up.  It's a mutual effort.  I can't get the air out of the jars as well as he can, so even if he's at work, I'll pack the jars and wait to cook them until he gets home to get the air out.  Today is his last day home (he's still home from his hernia surgery), he goes back to work tomorrow.  I'm going to miss him :(

I think we are going to do another bushel of tomatoes, and then get another bushel (or two) to make spaghetti sauce.  We are almost out of quart jars though, so we may have to use pints.  This is the first year that we've done green beans AND peaches AND tomatoes.  I'd really like to do a little salsa too, but I doubt that is going to happen.

Tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, squash, and applesauce are all on our 'agenda'.  We plan to dry apples this year too.  Lilli especially loves the dried apples, and it takes awhile to start storing them as we tend to eat them as they get done.  LOL

Canning Tomatoes :)

Well the pressure canner is currently jiggling away on the stove while I type.  I love that sound.  LOL

We canned 7 quarts of tomatoes two weeks ago, but that was as far as we got that day. 

We have two canners going on the stove right now, with 7 quarts of tomatoes in each of them.  We have another 5-7 quarts of tomatoes ready to pack into jars once our canners are empty and the dishwasher stops it's cycle with freshly cleaned jars.

We plan to pick up another half bushel tomorrow, maybe a whole bushel, but we'll have to see.

We are buying our tomatoes from a neighbor's veggie stand as our garden has been overtaken by weeds.  I take full responsibility for that.

Tomatoes are $7 per half bushel (I think they are half bushel baskets, and not whole bushels, but I'm not really sure.  They can't be $7 per bushel.).

We hope to accumulate 100+ quarts to use this year, that is how many we've done the past few years and that is just about right for us.

We did get a few from MIL when she moved to Florida, so we have those quarts to add to our small amount left from last year, plus 7 from two weeks ago, and 14 cooking now.  We should be about 3/4 of the way done with canning them now, but I'll have to do a final count when I put these quarts away.

Woohoo, there's the timer.  Another 14 quarts for our winter stockpile :)

A creepy spider story...

Ok, I'll start my story by saying that I'm not all that scared of spiders.  I don't really like them, but I don't usually freak out either. 

I really do not like those big ones though.  The ones that are big and furry, or the ones that are big and creepy looking.  LOL

That being said, I have to tell you about what happened the other night.

I snuck off into our bathroom to take a bath.  Yes, I have to sneak or I have company in the bathtub and I really wanted a nice long, super hot soak by myself.  Well I get in there, and there's a big, creepy spider hanging part way out of one of the jets in the tub.  He had two or four legs inside the jet, and the others sticking straight out.  He was not dead, but was very still.  I backed out of the bathroom and asked Lance to come take care of something for me.  Of course he knew right away what I needed and he was in no hurry at all (Lance is more scared of spiders than I am, but he takes care of the big ones anyway).

Ok, so now we have Lance, me, Lilli, and Lauren all staring at this creepy spider half inside the jet.  Lance gets a paper towel to get him with, and he goes into the jet. 

Sigh.  Now do you really think I want to take a bath with that thing in the jet?  Yea, you bet.

So Lance starts filling the tub so we can blow him out of the jets.  It takes quite a long time to fill our tub over the jets, but we get it there and we all go back into the bathroom to watch for the spider to be blown out.  Yes, it really was that entertaining.

So we turn the jets on.  They are really powerful jets.  No spider.  We wait a few minutes.  No spider.  I'm starting to question Lance about the piping to see if the spider could have gone someplace else after entering the jet, but he assures me that there is no place else the spider could be, other than in that jet, that was on, with high pressure, for several minutes now.

At this time we are starting to wonder if he came out and climbed the nearby curtains while we were filling the tub (we were in the other room for a few minutes).

About that time (8-10 minutes after the jets were turned on), the spider flies out into the tub.  Huge spider.  He's not dead.  He grabs onto the water intake and starts crawling around like he has no problem with being under water.  We turn off the jets and just watch him for a minute.  I'm getting a little more freaked out by the minute.  How can he live in the water? 

I got a pair of old bbq tongs for Lance and he got the spider out of the water with them.  The spider is no worse for wear and fights the tongs that he's being held with.  We flush him down the toilet, but now I wonder if he's even dead there.  Lance assures me that he's gone now, but honestly, it's a creepy thing knowing he could live under water? 

Lilli  says it was a water spider.  (We've seen these around the house several times, and never in the water).

That just creeps me out.

I didn't take a bath that night, nor have I taken one since.  I'm pretty sure I'll stick to showers for a few days.

Ick.

Meal Plan Monday

Well, this week looks like a nice one as far as weather is concerned :)

Here is our 'tentative' menu for the week:

Monday:  Steaks (grill), hot dogs, baked potatoes, peas

Tuesday:  Chicken Fettuccinni (sp) Alfredo (w/ broccolli and mushrooms...yum)

Wednesday:  Leftovers

Thursday:  Cheeseburgers, brats (grill), french fries, undecided veggie

Friday:  Beef Stroganoff (crockpot)

Saturday:  Leftovers

Sunday:  Supper with family, or grill (if the weather is nice)

Here are our plans for the week:

Monday:
Lance is home. 
Lilli has school. 
Woohoo, a home day (other than that)!

Tuesday:
Lance is home and has a Dr appt (surgery check) at 11AM. 
Lilli has school. 
Another home day after that :)

Wednesday:
Lance is home. 
Lilli has school and it's PICTURE DAY. 
Lauren (and I) have playgroup from 9:30-11AM. 
Then Lauren goes to my parent's house in the afternoon.
I volunteer in Lilli's room from noon until about 1:30ish.  
A visit with my parents after school for a couple hours.

Thursday:
Lance is home.
Lilli has school.
Lilli has dance from 6-8PM and it's 'bring a friend' week, so she has asked two cousins (Alyssa and Megan) and a friend (Emily) to attend with her.  We aren't sure who is going to make it.

Friday:
Lance is home and has an 8AM appt for a root canal (ouch).
Lilli has school.
Lauren has a 9:15AM recheck appt with her ENT that did her tonsilectomy.
Looks like a home day after that ;)

Saturday:
I hope to take the girls to the zoo if the weather is nice.  We didn't get to go this summer and we all really enjoy the trip.  The zoo closes for the season on October 12, so I hope to get there before that.  They are open 9-6 and we hope to get there shortly after they open so we can enjoy everything before it gets busy and warm/hot.  Hopefully Lance will feel well enough to join us.

If the weather is rainy, then I may attend a scrapbook day being held at the resort where my brother works.  We'll have to see.  I would wait and do the zoo next weekend, but I don't know how many more nice weekends we are going to have.

Lilli will probably spend the night with my parents.

Sunday:
Lilli has a horse riding lesson at 11AM if it isn't raining.  Then we'll visit my parents for the afternoon.  I'll also run to Walmart or the grocery store to do our weekly shopping (it's cheaper in the bigger town).

Mom and dad are settling into their new home nicely.  It really is a nice place.  You can hear the boats racing on Lake Michigan as you sit in their living room.  They are only 1/4 mile (if that) from Lake Michigan.

Dad is doing well, still a little sore, especially if he overdoes it, but he's doing good.

We've decided not to have a real 'party' for Lauren's birthday this year.  My sister is here with her kids, and they all have birthdays within two weeks of each other, so we are going to get together at my parent's house for a small celebration.  I don't know how often we'll get to celebrate together with all the kids, so we're just going to get them all together in their costumes and call it a party.  There are 4 birthdays in all, Lauren, Sarabeth, Mackenzie, and Joshua.  The girls are turning 2 years old and Joshua is turning 1.  All of them are in mid-late October.

Lauren and I are going to make a pumpkin pinata for the occasion, I just have to find a balloon big enough to get started.  LOL.

I'll try to get pictures of mom and dad's new house this week and get them up here in the next week or so.

Update on all of us...

I haven't been able to get online in the last couple days...first it was just too chaotic and then the computer wouldn't work last night.

Anyway...

Lance is recovering from his hernia surgery.  It's slow-going but he's improving a little each day.  He still isn't moving very fast, or very much for that matter, but I don't think he's as sore as he was the day of the surgery.  He's sleeping and laying around much of the day.

Lauren has finally improved since having her tonsilectomy on Sept 4.  It took an entire 2 weeks and I was very nearly losing my mind.  I just couldn't find anything that would help her, and that is so frustrating for a parent.  She is finally over most of that crying, and now we are just dealing with severe separation anxiety.  Really severe.  If I am home, I have to be holding her nearly every second or she is screaming.  On the flip side, if she is at my parent's house, she is perfectly content and happy all day long.  Until she sees me.  Then the crying starts until I am holding her.  Sigh.  This makes car rides extremely long right now.  Hopefully this stage will pass quickly.

Dad is doing better and better with each passing day.  You would not believe it if you had seen him a couple weeks ago and then saw him today.  He has improved DRASTICALLY.  The confusion seems to have been a result of the blood thinners, blood thickeners, blood thinners, etc.  Maybe a chemical imbalance or similar?  I've never heard of such a thing, and the hospital never caught it, but that is the only thing that makes sense.  He is doing a lot better and is now dealing with the pain associated with his back surgery, and occasional pain when breathing, both of which are expected since he had back surgery in August, and blood clots in his lungs in early Sept.

Lilli is doing great in school.  She's had a bit of a cold this last week and hasn't been in much of a mood for school, but she's done very well anyway.  She has a cough from her reflux right now but we almost have that under control.  When it flares up, it takes us awhile to get it under control again.

Her teacher has a homework system that makes sense to me, but seems to be the stricter of the three 1st grade teachers in the elementary.  She sends home a book everyday of the week for the kids to read with their parents.  It needs to be read 3 times, either independently, or together, and then the kids are tested on it the following day (meaning they are tested everyday).  Then they have some type of math homework to do 3 or 4 times per week as well.  On top of this...each Monday she brings home a sheet with various sight words and a few short sentences.  We go over this sheet each night and she is tested on those words/sentences on Fridays.

I guess that sounds like a lot of work for 1st grade, but it really only takes about 10-20 minutes to finish everything.  The reading is no big deal for us, as we read every night anyway, that just tells us what book we HAVE to read, before we can choose another.

The critters around here are doing well.  9 of our pigs went to the processor last Sunday, so we are down to just 6 pigs now.  They have another month or so before they'll be ready.

Of course, since Lance is recovering, a leak just had to happen down with the pig water (Murphy's law?).  So I just hooked up a longer hose and I water them when I feed them now.  It's not a real big deal, as I water the steers anyway, but the pigs were used to having an automatic watering system, so I think it's been an adjustment for them.

We have 7 steers and they are all doing well, and keeping our pasture trimmed low.

We have 14 chickens (13 hens and 1 very small rooster), and 5 guineas.  The chickens are moulting so we only get about 3 eggs per day right now (4 are too young to lay yet).  I think I may send some to the auction when we take the goats this year.  I have a few that I really like, but the rest can go.  I do really like the guineas, though, so they are staying :).

We have two goats, but I think they are going to auction sometime this fall.  I just don't have time to milk right now and I don't want to keep them around and have to feed them all winter when I'm not even sure I'll be able to do it next year either.  My new plan is to wait until Lauren starts school and try it again then.  It's just too hard with a little one.

We currently have 4 dogs. 

2 big Great Pyrenese livestock guardian dogs.  We really need to sell them, as we don't have the goat herd for them to protect like we used too.  I really LIKE having them though, as they are in the pasture between our house and the road, so they'll bark if anybody comes up the driveway.  I'll miss having them when they are gone.

We still have Biscuit, the Heeler.  He resides in an outdoor pen most of the time, but I do let him out sometimes at night, so he can run around and play, but then I lock him up again before I let me chickens out the next morning.  He enjoys giving chase and they don't appreciate being the objects of his affection.  LOL

RC still resides in the house as part of the family.  He's getting on up there in years but he's still a very nice dog (he's a Jack Russel).

We also have one barn cat left.  He's one we got from my parent's house and we really like him.  He's black with white paws.  He's very friendly and a great mouser.  He's also great with the kids and puts up with being handled a lot.

**side note to add that the neighbor's dog killed our little kittens, but Lilli thinks they ran away.  We didn't have the heart to tell her what really happen.  I've been letting my chickens out during the day, as I hate leaving them locked up, but if the dog starts attacking them again, I'll have to keep them locked up, or risk losing them all.  Blasted neighbors that don't believe in keeping their dogs in their own yard.  Sigh.

My mom and dad are moving on Saturday.  The girls and I are going to try and help a bit, maybe we can help pack at least.  Lance will stay home and rest.  I think my brothers are coming to help on Saturday, but I haven't really talked to anybody, so I'm not sure.

Lilli's horse riding lesson was cancelled this week.  The girl who gives her lesson is going to Vegas for the weekend.  LOL 

I think Lilli is going to spend the night with mom and dad on Saturday, so she'll be able to visit them longer on Sunday since she doesn't have her lesson now.

I'm off to do some houswork and catch up on laundry.  Hugs :)

Home from Lance's hernia surgery...

He is resting comfortably now, but has been in a good deal of pain since the surgery.  None of the pain meds have alleviated the pain, but he feels 'ok' right now.

He was in the 'surgery' for 2 hours.  They took him in at around 10AM and he came out right about noon.  I think the surgery only took about an hour, but with pre-op and such it must have ran longer.

They were able to do it laporoscopically (sp), so he has one incision near his belly button and two small holes on each side of that.  His pain is in his right side, higher than his hernia pain was, but not right at the incision either.  Maybe it's where the mesh was placed. 

The Dr (who I termed as 'shifty') said they took a look higher in his abdominal area (with the scope/camera) because Lance had been having pain up higher too, but they didn't see anything out of place.  They said his gall bladder looked ok from that angle as well.

That's really all the info I have right now...I'll post an update later...

Pictures of our flooded driveway (and road):

Taken from the higher part of our driveway looking toward the road.  The narrow opening is where we turn into our drive from the road.  It's all one big lake now.

Taken from the road.  You can just see our address number sign.  The opening for our driveway is a little to the left of that.

The overall view of our new lake.  You can see almost see the opening for our driveway on the left.  The road is under water almost to the stop sign way down yonder.  LOL.  It hasn't been under this much water in several years.  It does go under water about once a year, but it's not usually THIS much water and I can usually still get my car, or at least the plow truck through it.

A neighbor going through the water.  He's just about level with our driveway in this picture.