some updates

Our patio is just about complete, only some electrical work yet to do!  Rod had some guys over and their kids last week for the first patio party.  There was quite the aftermath left to clean up.  But at least it was close to the house!

Before party:

After party:

Rod designed the whole patio and oversaw the progress.  He has a gift with design and creating things that's for sure!  He even found the furniture at a yard sale.  We love the patio and look forward to many good times out there.  It's on the south side of our house so i hope to be out there into these colder months when the sun is out.

Well on Tuesday we butchered our 25 chickens AND my beloved turkeys.  If i had time, i would be sad about the goobers being gone.  But alas, life goes on.  They are fun animals to have around and we'll get some again.  But their poops were getting real big and messy toward the end.  I do not miss that.  Mom, i got Thanksgiving covered this year!

The man who butchers for us gave me a great compliment.  He looked at the birds after butchering and said "i can tell they had a good life, this meat looks great".  Even though our goal is to kill our animals, we do desire to give them a happy life while we have them.  We free range as much as possible, allowing them to do what God created them to do.  I do not like the idea of keeping anything caged up.  I even feel bad for our little snapping turtle in his cage.  But with giving freedom comes some sacrifice, like my flowers don't look as nice thanks to our free range goats, who love to eat my flowers......and climb.....and poop:

We harvested a few peanuts a couple weeks ago, to see if they were ready.  Here's some of what we got.  I think we'll pull the rest out this week, along with harvesting the boys popcorn.  Sad to see the season ending.  We still have a few things going in the greenhouse.

Thankful for another great apple harvest this year.  I did applesauce 2 days, we gave lots of apples away, and got 18 gallons of cider made.  I love picking the apples.  This year instead of the man lift, i used Rod's van.  I parked it under each section and stood on the roof (his idea by the way).  Couldn't reach them all but i estimated about 30 bushel picked this year. 

Day one of sauce making:

I love to admire God's creativeness through animals.  Here are some we've seen around here lately.  They aren't all pretty, but yet they're amazing. 

A snapping turtle found in the creek a month ago.  They think it's the same one that got away from us in early spring (don't ask how a turtle could 'get away') 

Last week, they found a bat in the flower bed.  He fell from somewhere up in the barn, the boys heard it fall.  He soon scampered away. 

Someone caught a 'possum in their cage

Adam took this picture of turkey buzzards hanging out on the swings.  

After all that animal stuff, i should put a picture up of the boys!  We went to Cherry Crest last Thursday, using up their free tickets, and did the maze for the first time.  Usually they are occupied with all the other activities and we've never gotten around to doing the maze.  We did the intermediate route and it took about an hour, i think.  We enjoyed it, that place is pretty amaizing 

Rod took Ben and Brad flying for their first time, they've been waiting for their turn!  They both 

loved it.   I may never get to fly again!

We have 4 events coming in the next month here.  The first being this Saturday, the boys are having their classmates and families here for a barn party.  This has gone really well in the past.  Looking forward to meeting the families in the boys classes this year. 

I'm another year older now, last week i turned 37.   And since Clay said i look like i'm in my "twelves", i guess i won't worry about looking old for the time being :)

Time to get to my window cleaning project.  I've stalled long enough.  Thanks for reading.