I don't have a lot to post about, things are good.  The boys are liking school this year so far, and i still wonder what on earth i'm thinking on those days when they are home for school!  It's not that it's going bad, but when i think about the alternative of them being at school every day.....that sounds pretty fabulous to me.  But they like where they are, and that is all i need.  Academics don't come easy around here, so it is hard work for all to stay on task and see that it's worth the effort.  

Plus, there's still construction going on here, which is highly distracting.  It is exciting to see our patio coming together.  I didn't know it would take so long to do, but we are almost there.  

The concrete is getting poured today....i think

The boys participated in Hempfield School district's regional cross country run (that's a mouthful).  The top 5 finishers in each grade move on to the Championship at Garden Spot next month.  Everyone but Brad qualified.  He took it pretty well.  I wasn't sure what to expect, it was a well laid out course at our local middle school.  Clay did 1/4 mile, the others 1/2 mile.  

I decided one of my favorite things to do is watch Clay run!   Apparently the other boys felt the same way.  

2nd place

Ben got 5th

Adam got 2nd 

This week starts my apple project.  We have a number of trees, at least 3 different kinds.  All but one were on the property when we moved here.  We haven't sprayed or trimmed them once and they produce like crazy.  I'm making applesauce this afternoon. 

The goats are downright lucky they are cute because they are doing a number on my roses

I'll end with a link from my favorite homestead blogger.  She has almost the same animals we do and does a lot of the work herself, and 4 children like me so i can always identify with her words.  

http://theelliotthomestead.com/2015/09/one-millisecond-at-a-time/

Goats

Last Friday we picked up our goats, they are very small, they all fit in a cage in the back of the suburban.
We just love them.  They mostly free-range around the house (and eat my roses) but overnight and when we aren't home, we have them fenced in around some brush down beyond the greenhouse.  Of course they'd much rather hang around with us.  They do great with staying close and not running off.

in the car, waiting for the rain to stop 

"Funny farm" might be an understatement right now

turkey, goat, turkey, goat

They won't get much bigger, right now the females (lighter colored) probably weigh about 15 lbs, the male is a bit older and might weight 20-25 lb.  We will wait until winter to breed the females, their gestation is 5 months.  They are very hardy, so should do fine this winter.  We have some reading to do before we breed them and get baby goats!

New routine

It's back to school time, the boys have been back since Aug. 20th.  Clay loves Kindergarten.  And i am beyond in love with my 2 'freedom days' a week.  The homeschool days are not easy.  How many days until a 3rd grader can remember 3 x 3?

There's a lot of action happening here at home, with redoing the lower barn, and adding some more patio space out back.  It's exciting, seeing it coming together.  Slowly, of course.

The olders are upset that the days they come are days when they are in school, usually Mondays. 

The boys have been trapping possoms and racoons the past few weeks.  Ever since all of these cuties got eaten...

We were suprised to see so many 'keets' at one time.  All 3 guineas were protective of them and we couldn't get close, just ask Clay (he got attacked).  They only lasted a few days.  The 2 white mammas are gone too.  

Brad's 'coon

We got 26 more meat birds, and the turkeys are driving me crazy so we may butcher those soon. 

This weekend we are getting 3 goats!  can't wait, they are so cute.  They are coming from a Christian family in the Red Lion area, who are moving.  The goats (2 female, 1 male) are Dwarf Norwegian's, less then a year old.
 
Well today is my freedom day, and i don't want to waste too much time on here :)  But that's a quick update around here.  Have a wonderful week, and Labor day weekend.