Lantern Fest 2017

Last year, I took the kids to the Lantern Fest for the first time.  I really didn't know what to expect.  I thought that everyone would gather there, light some lanterns and then we would go home.  I didn't know what we were going to do between the hours of 1pm and 7pm, the time between it opens and when the lanterns are lit.  We went and I was surprised.  There was free face painting, free bounce houses, a fun scavenger hunt to win a prize (for the first 100 people that completed the hunt), vendor stands, a booth to decorate the lanterns, s'mores for everyone, fire pits for each group of people, games for the kids to participate in such as hula hoops contests, egg tosses, chug a kool aid, and tiki torches throughout the fairgrounds.  There was also a concert given by a small artist that is very lively and fun to dance to (for those brave enough to dance).  After the lanterns were lit and found their way beyond our vision, the fire dancers came out and put on their performance.  It was truly fantastic!

When I started seeing the Facebook posts this year, I knew that we needed to go again.  I purchased the tickets in advance to get a discount and this year I talked my mom into bringing my stepdad and little sisters.  I was also going to be more prepared by bringing chairs, blankets, jackets, and anything else that we could fit into our convenient little wagon that would add to the experience.  The kids were not told a thing until we were on our way to the event. 

We got everything packed, the kids still didn't know what we were doing, they had ideas, but no one had guessed it.  (I felt pretty accomplished for keep this a secret.)  We were headed to pick up the oldest daughter from a softball tournament and then be on our way.  Twelve kids and myself, to brave the crowds of an expected 8,000 people.  I told the kids where we were going and they all cheered! 

When we got there the security was a little tighter compared to before.  They were going through bags.  No big deal.  We were only given four lanterns for the adult tickets versus a lantern for everyone like the year before.  I don't know if we got lucky the year before or if the rules just changed.  But I was able to go over to another table to buy more lanterns to make sure that everyone had one.

We found our spot...little secret, try facing with your backs to the west so that the setting sun isn't blasting you.  We spread out our stuff and I buddied up the kids.  The kids went and got their faces painted, and then played the corn hole toss, jumped on the bounce houses, and the older kids went to find souvenirs to spend money on.  The plan was to also eat dinner there so we scoped out the vendor trolleys to see what would be the best fit for our family.  (We then decided if we were going to spend that much money on food, that we would rather something else.  So, we waited and went to Golden Corral afterwards, same price, more variety!)

The games were played and the prizes were extra lanterns to be able to send up when the time came.  I think we accumulated 6-8 extra lanterns since the kids participated in nearly every challenge.  The big winners got T-Shirts and blankets, but we were not the big winners this year.  Maybe next year!

We listened to the free concert and some of us danced and we had a really fun time.  Some of the kids were decorating their lanterns with the markers that were provided in our boxes.  I think the most remarkable part was even though there were a LOT of people there, it was like our very own little party.  We didn't have to mingle with others if we didn't want to.  We were not crowded or boxed in.  We had room to do what we wanted and we were not in anyone else's way.  It was fabulous.

They sent off the test lantern for the fire department to give their approval.  The one lonely lantern testing the wind direction and making sure that it would be safe for all of the others to follow.  The approval was given a few minutes later and in a moment, all of the people that were at the stage dancing were now scattered to their fire pit areas getting ready to light up the lanterns.

Here where everything goes into a blur for me.  Twelve kids, twelve lanterns, three of us to work the lighters, the kids wanting theirs to go up next.  PLUS!  I want pictures.  The camera is passed off to a kid that gets their picture taken with the lantern and then they are supposed to take pics of the other kids.  That didn't happen.  Instead, I have a lot of pictures of the launch, and I am okay with that too, because it is GOR-GE-OUS.

In this moment.  This small window of time.  I can feel the memory being created.  It makes me tear up thinking about it now.  I can feel a little bit slip away as this fantastic memory is happening.  They are growing up.  We have these windows of opportunity to seed plant, to create, to influence, to watch what they learn, and to enjoy them at this stage.  This moment I realize, it's amazing, and just how we light these lanterns and make a special wish, I am making these wishes for my kids and then one day all of this time that I spent decorating and caring for them, I will "light" them like these lanterns and pray that the wind takes them on journeys that they enjoy.  I see that I have this window to instill in them that their happiness and joy comes from within regardless of what is happening in the world.  Relationships with others are what is important, even when it isn't easy.  Making wonderful memories is better than almost anything.  This for me is what the Lantern Fest is about, the reminder of this moment.

I don't know if this is the same for the others that are there.  I also wonder how many other memories are these reminders and if I am missing them from being caught up in life.  I know I need to slow down.  I want to be able to see the "Lantern Fest" moment in other ways on other days.  However, I am living this hectic life keeping house, homeschooling, mowing the lawn, doing the mountains of laundry, and whatever else pops up.  However, I caught THIS moment.  I will take it!

Home Blessings!

A chore by any other name...just might get done!

I am a person that does well with to-do lists, memos written to myself, apps that organize my day, and journals with a lot of ideas and thoughts.  Visual.  I am very visual.  My DH is audible, he functions better from conversations and is learning the importance of visual things for me.  This creates two very different parenting styles.  My DH believes the kids should do what they are told, and while I agree, I believe they also need to be shown.

This has presented it's own issues, however, it has had it's biggest impression on having a solid chore routine for the kids.  The kids were told the chores they needed to do, and would constantly forget or conveniently forget and then we just had a list of chores undone and a lot of kids grounded.  This wasn't good for the kids, our marriage, the entire house.  This disagreement in one area gave birth to a lot of problems in other areas as well.  There was a lot of contention.

I started coming up with chore charts. These didn't work for many reasons. First, I was the only parent enforcing them.  Second, I didn't have time for the accountability piece to check if the chores were completed. Third, if Dad needed something the kids were dropping their chores completely under Dad's direction because he wasn't understanding that they were doing chores.  This was difficult!

Next, token charts were used.  However, this had the same problem.  I didn't have time for the follow through to see if they had done their chores.  I also lacked a measurable way of keeping their points or tokens straight, so basically, they earned nothing and eventually saw that their deeds were fruitless.  It didn't work.

I then created a jar system. Choose a chore from the jar and do it.  Get a few chores done and choose from the praise jar.  You would think this would work.  However, I had too many differently aged and skilled kids to be able to do this without having three sets of jars.  Some of the praise jar items included, "Coloring with Mom," nice idea, but the ability for the time wasn't there.  Good intentions don't get things done, and although I had the best of intentions, doing individual things with the kids as they drew them out of the praise jar didn't always work with the schedule.  I owed a LOT of praise time and rewards that I was never going to be able to get to. 

Now, here we are.  My DH is at our ranch managing animals and work while I have 12 of the kids home on my own.  Chores need to be done and I am not able to have the time, or energy to do these all on my own and still be expected to parent.  Back to the drawing board!

Over the past two years we have tried assigned chores with no visual helps.  Since every kid was assigned their chore, taught how to do it, and given a time to do it, it was the most successful routine up until that time.  However, the kids started complaining that doing the same chore over and over was boring.  They needed a change.  Fair enough.

I then thought, "We can change up the chores if we have a system to follow them."  The chore pallets were created.

These pallets were hard work to create. The kids had their own note cards that I could write them messages, and they could write me.  I could switch out chores on the keyrings and in theory, this was a good idea.  The kids started losing the baskets for their pencils, they were all over the house.  The keyrings were found throughout the house as well. The kids would think since they lost the keyring they wouldn't be accountable for the chores on it.  "I can't do my chores, I don't know where they are."  I really believed that this one was going to work, but I didn't foresee the issues that came with this setup.

I went back into research mode.  I have learned over the years that I do research well.  Rather, I search until I find answers because I really like answers.  Researching became a way to find the answers.  My DH was surprised to find out that I actually dislike doing research because I appear to be researching a lot.  It's not about the research, especially the process, it is about having the answers.  Off I went on the great chore system hunt once again.

I have a lot of Pinterest pins on the topic.  I have read blog after blog from moms with many kiddos.  However, one podcast that I listened to intrigued me.  From Raising Arrows the mom called their chores, "Home Blessing Chores."  I thought immediately, "I have been coming at this all wrong!"  It was the biggest epiphany on this journey to date.

Instead of assigning the kids chores, I was going to create a system in which they are able to participate to bless our home!  Our home provides us shelter, keeps us from the not so frequent rain and the never ending hot sun, it keeps our belongings safe from burglars, and most importantly we can grow in love within these walls of our home.  We need to come together and take care of this home, this wonderful home.

Now that I had a new foundation for this my brain went to work.  It needed to be visual.  It needed to be stationary.  It needed to be flexible.  It needed to cover the kids at all different ability levels.  It needed...a LOT.

I thought it would be best if I had laminated cards that were on a metal board so I could use magnets on them to rotate the jobs and move them easily.  I knew that there are some daily chores and weekly chores, so I would need to be able to have more than one section for the chores.  Also, I knew that my overzealous littles were going to pick harder chores and therefore, a buddy assignment would be necessary to help with some of them.  (An opportunity to work together!)  I made sure that some of the chores were assigned as buddy chores and that the chores were all assigned a point system.  The simple chores are one point and the harder chores are two points.  OH GOODNESS! 

I started laminating their names, their buddy names, writing chore cards, asking for kid input on the cards, and really trying to get their buy in.  If they had a emotional connection, this might just work.  My older kids helped the younger kids run the cards through the laminator, and then the little kids were able to attach the magnetic tape to the backs of the cards.  It was coming together.

I then went on Offer Up! daily to try and find what I wanted for a metal board.  I came across three identical metal boards for only $15, that my DH has informed me are actually shelves.  Who cares, they work for what I want.  SCORE!

The left board is for the "Home Blessings" that they choose.  The middle board is designated for the Home Blessing choices.  The right board is for the Home Blessings that have been accomplished.  The small pink tags by each name on the left board are the names of their buddies.  The kids add up their points and for right now, they are happy with that reward.  My 10yo was excited to be able to say, "Today I have 7 points!"  There wasn't a question about what the points earn, they are just happy about blessing our home.

We have used this system for a few weeks now and I am amazed!  The kids say, "Let's take care of our home!"  WHAT?  They are excited.  Everyone can see who has which Home Blessing and they remind each other.  When they ask to watch a documentary, I say, "Have we blessed our home?"  The kids are better able to see what needs to be done rather than me having to point everything out.  I am no longer nagging, or feeling like I am nagging all of the time.

Time...this has given me the blessing of TIME!  I would get ready for bed and then walk around the house and do two hours of work that the kids were assigned to do, or perfectly capable of doing.  It made for late bedtimes and a frustrated mom.  The other night, I walked through my very clean home and cleaned the window sills and vacuumed the valences.  Hold up.  Yes, I am able to have time to do extras that have basically, never been done. (Don't judge.)  Seven years of dust are gone from the valences!  My personal lists that I have are having an opportunity to grow and things I never had time for, I am beginning to have time for...this blog post for instance!

So, as I am typing this, my 8yo comes in this morning, she smiles and says, "Good morning, Mommy."  Then without any prompting walks over and starts picking out Home Blessings.  My 7yo then comes in and starts picking out hers.  Just now my 5yo came in, her first words, "Mom, someone stole my cleaning the pool and my sweepin' and moppin'!"  (Since I clean the pool, the kids buddy with me - it's a prime commodity!)  Folks, I think we have a winner!

Starting to Blog Again

I can't believe all that can happen in a span of five years. I think I am going to start writing from our current setting and then fill in the information missing with some flashback posts just to catch up.

Currently, I am back in the city with the kids, while DH is at our ranch taking care of animals and working at local jobs in the area. The split is a challenge, but definitely building us stronger as we learn to increase communication skills and appreciate time together in a whole new way.

Last year, I homeschooled four of the kids. It was challenging with the timing of events because each time we had a field trip of some sort we would have to race back for the public school kids to get home. It cut our fun down significantly. This year, I decided to just go for it and homeschool the kids 10th grade and down. I have 10 that I am homeschooling this year. It's never a dull moment.

I feel like the biggest dilemma is finding some quiet time for me.  I am an introvert. I truly need quiet time, and more importantly alone time....which is now non-existent!  I knew it was going to be busy, but there's something I didn't take into account.  The kids had teachers, aides, peers, and a lot of other people in their lives to share their stories with as well as share our life events.  Now they do not. Now I hear the same story 8 times a day.  There are days that I wake up ready to hear five kids talk all at the same time and then there are the other days.  The days where my closet looks really comfortable, it's beautifully cool and quiet, I could bring snacks, a pillow, my latest Karen Kingsbury novel and really enjoy myself...for at least two minutes, until they find me!

Self-care is this area of mom guilt. Taking time for myself is also meaning that I am taking time from my kids. My wonderful kids that I cherish and love and need a break from all at the same time.  I understand the concept of being well-charged and rested makes me a better a mom all the way around. I know I need a good night's rest and sleeping from 1-5am doesn't qualify.  I'm working on little remedies for this situation, but it's a trial and error process.

My youngest go to bed at 7pm. I know it's early, but it's needed. My oldest are in bed by 8:30pm on an ideal night.  This gives me an hour and a half to do the chores that the kids skipped, forgot, or ignored as well as be on the phone with the DH to download our days. There are days that the communication is just too much. Days that I say, "That's nice, do you have anything else to share?  If you don't, I need quiet."  In the beginning, the DH took offense to this. Now, he knows and respects that it has nothing to do with a lack of interest but rather an entire overload of my day and I need to decompress.  I am so grateful that he's learned this about me and can love me through being overwhelmed.

I feel like doing some blogging, although it is adding another part to my day, is going to add an outlet for me to just be myself.  With the kids, I know my words are always calculated and weighed out with the way I speak as to be encouraging and uplifting to the best of my ability. (I will be honest, I sometimes need to take a deep breath before responding because my initial reaction isn't always encouraging. I am human after all.)  It takes more effort to think before speaking, but I can't expect the kids to learn this if I can't do this myself.  Having something for me. That's what this is. Something that isn't stolen with sneaky little fingers reaching for a piece of food, or little feet in my closet searching for dress up shoes. Something for me.

I actually lost the password to the blog and forgot about it. When it showed up in my Facebook feed in past memories today, I decided to try again. So, here we go!

Who's got this (sometimes)?
This Momma! ;)

Directionally Challenged

A Story from the Ranch:
It was a gorgeous cloudy day and it had been raining off and on for a few days.  The three Littles had been driving me crazy for the last few hours and so I decided to take them out on a quad ride while it was somewhat sunny.

We loaded up on the quad and off we went down the usual trail.  I thought, "Maybe today we will venture out a little further."  So, we did.  We went over this wash back a forth going a further and further out.  I noticed that the clouds were accumulating but it was still gorgeous.  We went a little further, which was the furthest I had gone.  We found a clearing and I thought that this would be a good place to get off of the quad and chase the girls around a little.

As I went to shut off the quad I heard my cell phone ring...it was the school, always answer calls from the school.  I talked with them for a few minutes, no big deal, and in the process turned off the quad to be able to hear them better.  As we were on the phone it started to lightly sprinkle.  I thought, "As soon as this call is over, we better head back.  So, I get off of the phone and go to start the quad...nothing.  It won't start.  I try again and again, and I can't get it to turn over.  It's raining harder now and the lightning and thunder have accompanied the rain.  I try to use my phone to call my DH for help and it now has rain on it, so the touchscreen won't work!

I start grabbing the kids off of the quad because now it is pouring rain, and we go running through the grass to get under the trees for some cover. The girls are a little nervous, (as am I) but I try to make it be fun. "God must've thought we were really stinky because He is giving us a shower!  We are on an adventure!"

I dry my phone off the best that I can and send my DH a text, "Hide and seek, you're IT!" 
He asks, "Seriously? Where are you?"
I send, "LOL! I'm right here." Of course, that doesn't help him a bit!
He says, "I can't hear your quad, start your quad and I can find you."
I reply, "It won't start. Good luck! We'll just be here waiting."
He answers, "I'll try to find you."

I decide to go and see if I can get this quad going again.  I try and explain to the girls that I am going to try the quad, but all they see is that it is storming and they are soaked, and Mom is leaving.  So, they start screaming and crying.  I try the quad a few more times, and I get it started!! I ride quickly to the babies trying to reassure them that, "Mom is here, and it's okay."  I'm hoping that my DH hears the quad.  Then it dies. The quad quit again.

DH texts, "I heard you, and then you went away?"
I said, "Died again."

He then calls me.  He asks if I can hear his quad.  The next five minutes is a crazy game of "hot and cold" as he tries to find me, while I am just trying to get the sound of his quad closer to me.  It's still raining and the girls are getting cold.  I'm trying to get them excited about the rescue from Dad, "Do you hear him?  He's coming to get us!"

He finds us, and of course, my quad starts right up.  We go drive back to the trailer together, and the whole way he is trying to show me different landmarks and things that would help me find my way.  If I were to take the same path today, I don't know if I could get back. 

I have been lost several more times since then.  It's funny to see my DH run into the trailer to get my cell phone every time I go for a walk or a ride.  He sends texts to check in on me often, sometimes I get lucky and find my way back and other times I get rescued.  We have a handheld GPS that I need to figure out, however, sometimes....being lost is fun.

Perc Test? Solar Ovens? And TIRES!

We have nineteen days until the big move.  We want the kids to start at their new school this year.  We are packing, organizing, getting free boxes off of Craigslist, giving things to Goodwill, and things are just all over the place.  I am also trying to register the kids for school. As I fill out the paperwork...for 10 ten kids...I am realizing that I don't have something that I have always had...AN ADDRESS.  Our land has never been lived on, we have parcel numbers but no address.  That feels weird.

I called the county to see about getting an address assigned.  I thought that it was going to be a simple process.  We have a few neighbors, just look at the map and assign us the next number.  Wouldn't that be lovely? No, it is NOT that easy.  We have to call the county to come out and do a percolation test, followed by a septic specialist to come out for our septic tanks.  After that we have to file an application to build a family residence with a plat map, and then after that is approved then they will supply us with an address.  All of the sudden registering for school is a lot more difficult than it has ever been!

Through this process I have come to the realization that cooking is not going to be as "simple" as it has been. Simple as defined by we have a stove/oven that is electric, we have two large refrigerators as well as a stand alone freezer for food storage.  At the new property we have one smaller refrigerator in the travel trailer and a stove that runs on propane, we also have one very small microwave that has popped the breakers a few times.  I'm nervous about food preparation.  So, I have done some research and I have more to go but we may be investing in a solar over and start dehydrating food for longer keep without having to use the refrigerator.  Some people would really enjoy this process, they enjoy cooking and are energized by the preparation.  I am not one of these people. I cook because if I didn't my family would die, that's the bottom line. It is purely for survival. The Joy of Cooking - I wish they could tell me where to actually find this "joy".  Pray for me to learn to like to cook!! I am going to be very challenged in this area at our new place!

Now we get to tires. Have I mentioned before that tires annoy me? I truly dislike the purchasing of tires. I feel like they are too much money and every vehicle we have requires at least two of them.  With all the vehicles, quads, motorcycles, dump truck, backhoe, etc., we have 70 tires - yes, SEVENTY. That's a lot of tires, and I think they all talk and decide when they are going to fall apart and cause us problems.  Two trips ago a tire went flat on one of the trailers on the way there, and it was not repairable.  Then upon arrival it's discovered that a tire on the backhoe just decided to burst while it was sitting there doing absolutely nothing.  Two new tires this month. YUCK!

Okay, positives.  We are learning. We are learning about solar power, places to buy our special tires, animal fences and corral panels, different trees and foods for the garden that we are going to plant, and the requirements for the county to do all of these things.  It has been interesting to say the least.  Although it's a lot of work and the information is overwhelming at times, it's going to be good once we are there, and the memories we are going to build will be worth it all.

Country Momma

A Couple More Steps

We've taken a few more steps in the direction to our ranch and I wanted to take a few minutes for an update! We have added some horses!

We still have Blu and have been training with him for about six months now.  Blu is in great shape and we have gotten a lot more experiences with horses.  We are truly enjoying being horse owners! We are loving this so much that we have added three more horses!!

Blu is on the left, and Tinkerbell is on the right.  Tinkerbell joined us in May 2013, she is a clydesdale/quarter horse.  Blu and Tink get along wonderfully!  They work in the round pen together, and they are in a turnout together now.  When we take Blu to go work with him Tink is right on his heels. They are best buds!

This is Waffles, our belgian mare.  She was our addition in June 2013.  The day we got her we realized that she wasn't well taken care of at her last home.  She was about six months from foundering and our awesome farrier is going to save her from this.  She has made us earn every bit of trust that she has given to us.  Waffles is out of shape and we are helping her get to a healthier weight and gain her muscle back.  She will be a dream once we are able to rehab where she needs to be.  Waffles is a love and we love having her!

Last, but certainly not least, is our new colt, Roman.  Roman was foaled on March 23, 2013.  This is a special day because it is the anniversary of the adoption for four of our kiddos.  Roman had foliculitis the day after he was born.  We had to give him daily baths which he was not too thrilled with.  He is now weaned and we have a completely different colt.  Roman halters, walks on a lead, ties, and loves to be brushed. He is growing so quickly, but he was so big at birth that he never felt like a "baby" anyway!  Roman is spotted draft/percheron and is expected to be about 17hh. Big guy!

Although I haven't posted in awhile, you can see why! We have been busy adding to our family.  There's a lot of other things that have been going on, but I have babies waking up from naptime, so it will have to wait. :)

Loving This New Life!
Country Momma

Merry Christmas

Since the last update...

We are the proud owners of Blu, a draft cross, half percheron, half quarter horse. He is about 16 hands and has a wonderful disposition.  We have a great trainer working with us so we can learn Blu while Blu also learns us.  I had my first lesson the other day.  The riding part was wonderful, it's the getting on and getting down that proves to be the challenge.  I stood on a mounting block but it still felt very high, I placed my left foot in the stirrup and with a lot of time and hesitation I tried to throw my foot over and decided it wasn't going to work. My trainer said, "This is a big horse, you aren't going to throw your leg over like a cowboy in a movie! Jump to your stomach and then put your leg over."  That was much more doable.  Now, I wasn't graceful, or cute. I was a clumsy, clamoring, definite first timer trying to grab anything I could hold onto to ensure I wouldn't crash to the ground, and I did it! We turned left, and turned right, we stopped, and we walked. And then it was time to get down.  Getting on was easier!  I again just as clumsy attempted to move in ways that I have only seen Gumby move to get off this horse. I went to my belly, but I didn't estimate this right and the horn of the saddle went right into my stomach (ouch!) and then my shirt got completely caught on the horn as I jumped off and flashed anyone who was witnessing my first ride. But when we were done, we had gotten a little closer, and I felt a lot more like the Country Momma that I'm becoming.

We are also the proud FUTURE owners of a new foal that we have purchased in utero.  Another draft horse that in expected to join this world in late March.  Both the parents are absolutely gorgeous and we are excited and anxious all at the same time.  A lot of work and energy comes with caring and training a foal, but we are up for the challenge.  The dam for the foal is 18.1 hands and the sire is 16.2 hands, so the foal is estimated to be around 17 hands, one big horse.  We like the draft horses that have the percheron in them.  Their feet are so big and do not require shoes, less maintenance.  We like that.  We still have to have feet trimmed and shaped but it's not near as expensive as keeping up with horseshoes.  So, the baby is a new exciting addition, expected in March and I can't wait to post pictures!

In the process of getting to the ranch we also have to pack.  Have you ever packed 16 people?  The last time we moved there was only nine of us, and now with 16 it's going to be different!  We are purchasing a semi trailer.  My DH is going to look at one today, and if it's the first of a few that we are going to purchase then I can start packing as soon as it's here.  I am hoping that we get this trailer soon so I can take this packing on in shifts and not feel completely overwhelmed by packing everything in a short period of time.  I am trying to come up with a very detailed list of what is in each trailer and a number system for boxes, things like that to make it easier if we need to find something in a hurry.

The quonset hut is nearly taken down.  Only one day of work left and it will be completely ready for it's ride to the ranch.  This has been quite the process to get the hut down and we have been blessed to have several family members to help take this monster down. Now we will haul it up to the property and start getting the permits to put it back up. 

This time next year we will hopefully be living at the ranch.  We will hopefully have the horses there, and have the four goats and three of them will be pregnant.  The kids will be in school, getting ready for Christmas break that will be spent riding quads, watching for frostbite, and riding Blu.  We will probably have a lot of hot cocoa and have had a few dealings with the weather that cause us to be snowed in or rained in because of the dirt roads.  It will definitely be an adventure.

I wanted to give you an update before the holidays! We are very blessed by all that God has given us, and very blessed from all that He has also withheld.  I am amazed daily by His blessings.  May His blessings also pour out on you especially during this Holiday Season!  Merry Christmas!

Country Momma

Learning Stuff

My DH has taken the 10,000 gallon water tank up to the property. It was a definite journey since he took double the time to drive to the property with his giant "Oversize Load" signs on his suburban with various flags. He left at 1am so he wouldn't hold up any traffic and be as least amount of a nuisance to others as possible. It was incredible to say the least. To give you an idea of the size of this you can see in the attached picture that this is a 650 Case backhoe, a regular suburban and the black circle, that is the water container that the backhoe just pushed off the back of the trailer.

Now we have also gotten a new goat. Mister Dashell was found on craigslist, where else? However, I noticed a cough when we got him. We thought, with the rain lately he probably has a little bit of a cold, no big deal it's not like he was a baby goat the owner's said he was ten weeks old. The next day he was worse, so I took him to the vet. The vet takes one look and says, "He's not 10 weeks, no way. He's 3 weeks old tops." (We learned that horn growth says a lot about the goat's age, let alone the umbilical cord was still attached!) Also, Dashell has pneumonia and since he is sickly he has no fat or muscle on him and we have to give him two sub-cutaneous injections a day. My DH does this while I hold him still. It's a whole new world. We were going to breed Dashell with our other goats but since he has started his life so sickly we have decided against it. He will be a wethered (fixed) male and will run with the does as soon as he gets well. We have another two weeks of antibiotic injections. Here is our loving little Dashell...he's great at taking his meds, and in the second picture he has his butt in the air like a dog and his tail is wagging back and forth. He is a LOVE!

Through this we learned that we have to separate sick goats. Dashell also has two parasites that we have to treat the other goats for because we didn't separate him from the start.  Lessons learned.  We are also realizing that it will be good to have a stock of dewormer and other animal supplements available on the property since we will be no where close to a veterinarian. We are researching all the things we will need on hand keeping close mind to expiration dates, storage requirements and anything else that we need to know.

Some added goat pictures. Here's our three girls, Abby, Bailey and Capri. Abby is the most friendliest and the other two are warming up! First pic is Abby and Bailey getting into the hay, the second pic is them leaving the hay after getting in trouble. :)  Then Miss Capri who is the prissiest goat, and then a pic of what we usually see them doing, grazing and hanging out side by side.

I am also doing other research to find out more about meal planning, gardening, storage for all of it.  I've looked into canning, but it looks like a lot of work. I have fallen in love with Pinterest and all of the ideas that it offers, I've just got to put it into practice. I'm trying to start freezing meals, but I am wondering if I'm going to need another freezer. I'll post a picture of my freezer after I start this process. What a process!

Currently we are taking down a quonset hut that we have purchased (from craigslist). This building is 25 feet wide and 70 feet long. This is going to be a temporary living quarters at the property. One more week and the hut should be disassembled and we will hopefully be beginning it's transport to the ranch in September.

There's a little update from this Country Momma!
From Raising Faith Ranch! (We named the ranch!!)

Our FIRST STAY-cation! Part 2

We got there late on Thursday night and we stayed until Monday afternoon.  It rained off and on the whole time. It was wonderful! We all worked together and had a great time. The kids had television withdraws for the first day and then started using something I think they had forgotten about....their imaginations.

I loved watching the kids enjoy nature around them.  There was a lot of mud and so the kids made Brownie Soup...a step up from the mud pies I made when I was young. They played "drive-thru restaurant" which was hilarious. I think the funniest part was when Lily ordered, "Two Dr. Peppers the largest size you make," just like Daddy does.  Nathan (9) was the cook and came up to me totally exhausted, he said, "Lily (7) just ordered three of everything on the menu! Even though it is pretend, I'm stressed out. Now I know how Burger King feels when we pull up!"  Carissa (5) was inside and I heard her say, "Costco will be closing in 5 minutes please get your food and items and head to the nearest register. Thank you for shopping at Costco." It was interesting to hear how the kids played and I am sure that moving from city life to country life this will change drastically over time. I really got to enjoy the kids and just sitting back and watching how they play.

My DH was able to get the chicken coop off off the trailer and then the trailer and the dump truck got stuck in the mud.  The dump truck and the trailer took two days to get them out of the mud.  It was a lot of work but we were able to do it together.

We learned that the baby propane grill takes over 45 minutes to grill hot dogs for our family.  We will be investing in a new-to-us grill to go to the ranch the next time we go to spend more time with family and less time cooking. 

Our lives move at a much slower pace while we are at the ranch. We didn't worry about the time or about how dirty the kids were getting.  The kids played in the rain and had mud ball fights. In fact, they went off exploring and kept in touch with us by using the walkie talkie. ("Come in home base, come in!") They loved the freedom and we loved feeling relaxed about it.

My stepson learned to ride a quad! That was a huge accomplishment and we are very proud of him. He is really growing up, at 13 his voice is beginning to change and he is starting to want to take on the more manly jobs.  He was Dad's helper the entire time and loved it.  I know he will probably be taller than me his next visit and a little more mature.  He is becoming quite the young man and it was a blessing to see him light up with such excitement over everything that he did with his dad.

Since we've gotten back and the kids have asked to go back up there several times. Vivi (11) has said, "Mom, it's just so comfortable there. Everyone is so much more relaxed. When can we go again?" It makes me feel good that our first time staying up there was a success and that the kids want to return and have some more fun. If this is a preview to life there, I am so excited!

The laundry when we got back....nightmare. I am looking forward to having a washer and dryer at the ranch to be able to bring home clean laundry!

Future Focused!
Country Momma

Our FIRST STAY-cation! Part 1

Instead of going on our usual vacation for a roadtrip to Yellowstone, or a week in Southern Cali we decided to stay at the ranch. My stepson was in town visiting and very excited to go to the ranch so we decided to make a special trip for him before he left to go back to his other home.  With one extra kid we have to drive two vehicles. So my DH was driving the dump truck with a trailer and a 25-foot chicken coop that we had bought for the ranch with two of the kids, and I had our 15 passenger van with a trailer and two quads on it with 13 kids.  So off we went. The van I was driving went much faster than the dump truck and the kids and I arrived much sooner than my DH, in fact he was over an hour and a half behind us.

So, when I got to the dirt road one mile from the ranch and the tires started spinning because we were totally stuck in the mud, I knew I was in trouble. I called my DH and he said he would be there as soon as he could but it could be up to an hour and a half.  My poor city kids were already freaking out in the van talking about, "When there are no lights people can see you, but you can't see them. What if there is a mountain lion waiting for us!" I knew I couldn't just have them sit there, they were getting scared. I decided to take action. I don't know why I thought I could do this, but I did.  I unstrapped the quad and took it off the trailer and decided that I was going to drive the kids two at a time through the dark and the mud to the trailer that my DH took up there two weeks before.

There I went...I was so nervous. I left the oldest there and grabbed the next oldest to take her to the trailer to get things set up for the rest of the kids. I drove super fast (for me) and this was the first time I was driving this quad on something other than a city paved road. It was bumpy and the mud was flinging! Mud chunks were flying off the tires and hitting us in the head and sticking into our hair and then twirling around getting more stuck. It was an adventure! I dropped off the first kid with all the specific instructions about taking off your shoes outdoors and locking the door, and then back I went as fast as I could to get the next kids.

It was cold and I figured out that I had to breathe in a downward fashion so I wouldn't fog up my glasses. I learned certain spots were bumpier than others and began to navigate around them. I made this trip 6 more times. Back and forth, back and forth. I began to relax, and enjoy the trip. I was becoming the Country Momma. I had a problem, I found a solution, and I was making it happen! :)  I wasn't as stressed and even began to laugh and feel empowered by the experience I was gaining by the moment.

By the time the last two kids were the only ones in the van (the oldest and the baby) I was relieved to see my DH pull up with the dump truck at the end of the road.  He came down to the van and because the mud had dried while I was hauling the kids he was able to get the van unstuck and drive it to the trailer. I went and picked him up with the quad and drove him back to the dump truck.  Then he drove the dump truck through the mud and made it to the trailer. (He is obviously a much more skilled driver than I am because I would've gotten the dump truck stuck too!)

Although it was a little scary and stressful. I did it. I made it through our first challenge. I was proud of myself, I figured it out.  My DH was so proud of me also for taking care of the kids and making the most of it. The kids thought it was great, they loved it. Even now I will overhear them talking, "Remember when mom drove us fast in the night and the mud was flying all over? That was fun!"

Some of the lessons we learned were; always wear your hair back when riding the quads to avoid what we now call "quad hair," the country is very dark at night especially when it is overcast, and if you are ever feeling like a target just make sure you remain a moving target!

More to come...
Country Momma

Autobots, Roll Out!

Today I spent two and a half hours outside using the pressure washer to clean off the backhoe. The backhoe was greasy and oily with years and years of yucka all over it. I went out there to see how to make that pressure washer work, and before I knew it there I was...abandoned. Everyone went inside and there I was. I decided to go to town and make it as clean as I thought I could. I didn't feel like I was under the beating sun because the back spray from the pressure washer was spraying all over me cooling me down. The large chunks of tar and grease bouncing off and flying into my hair were also a distraction as to how much time I had spent out there. Now I am suffering from heat exhaustion and thinking to myself after we get the house built it will not be so hot, it will be cooler and less days of heat exhaustion.
It was very satisfying to see the dirt and grime disappear and see the bright yellow paint shine through. I had a few minutes to myself to let my imagination run wild and I decided that our dump truck and our backhoe together would be an excellent Transformer. I tried to imagine the fun Autobot that our two vehicles would make crushing the Decepticons with the large digging bucket. Then I thought, this is probably weird. I'm imagining a Transformer out of my backhoe and my dump truck, then I realized I passed weird a long time ago and the simple fact that I can say "my backhoe and my dump truck" puts me in a category with very few people. So, imagination gone wild I feel our Autobot would be called Digger (because Dump-hoe didn't sound kid friendly) and he would crush several lower level Decepticons at one time, however, Megatron is out of his league because, well, let's face it Optimus Prime is the bomb! :)

Before...

After...

Now that I see these two pictures together there's not that much difference...however, in person there is a significant difference and plus, I know I worked really hard!



Anyways, my DH will hopefully be taking Digger up to the property tonight. He has to drive the dump truck up there at night because there is no air conditioning and he also wants to prevent overheating since the dump truck hasn't proven its abilities to us yet with a long trip. Digger will be delivered to his home and start working very soon.

I'm going to send my camera up with my DH so he can take a picture of Digger and I am sure that his golden yellow will be beautiful against the scenery on the property. Throughout the next two weeks we are hauling all of the big items that we will need to get things moving up at the property. So far this includes, Digger, a 25 foot chicken coop, three 275 gallon containers to use for septic for the RV, a storage container, a 10,000 gallon water storage tank, two quads, ten horse panels for a corral, a trampoline, outdoor furniture, and a lot of tools.

I can definitely say that we are on our way! God has opened up so many doors and I know that we are just beginning to see the miracles and wonders that God can do.  We are definitely feeling like things are going to be changing on the property. I can't wait to start showing you pictures of the property and the changes that happen!!

Raising Faith,
Country Momma

Water Tank!

Hello Interested Readers...or maybe you're just curious! Well, we bought the dump truck and the man delivered it as promised. A few days later my DH used the dump truck to go and pick up the backhoe. My DH got the backhoe loaded and hooked the hitch to the dump truck and made way for the 20 minute drive home. Then something "caught" in the gearshift. Now, I don't have all the technical jargon but I can tell you that it was not the transmission, it was a lever in the shifter that got caught and made "3rd" gear the only gear that he could drive in.  So, the 20 minute trip became nearly an hour driving with no air conditioning and going about 15 miles per hour with the hazards on during rush hour. To top it off, a tire blew up somewhere along the way and the 6 tire trailer became a 5 tire trailer. However, he got it home and everything is safe. Since then he has fixed the gearshifter. This did not cost anything....oh!! except for the pressure washer that he said he REALLY needed to clean off some of the parts before putting it back together. I think I was played a little, but I'm going to use it to wash my car. :)

The next item on the "To Get" list is a water storage tank. There is no water on the property yet. We have access to a community well where we are able to get 8,000 gallons a month, so we needed a place to store it.  We have been all over craigslist and also calling on leads from anyone who gives us a name and a number.  The largest tank we had found until now was 5,000 gallons and it was for $2500. However, it was a galvinized tank and my DH wanted a plastic one. So, the search continued.

Finally! I found "IT!" A 10,000 gallln container, huge! The nice part, only $1,000. Amazing. We emailed the ad and got no response, in fact, we got no response for so long we just assumed that it was sold. However, this weekend we got the email that the seller was in the hospital and that's why she didn't respond. The business called us today and they said that the container is ours. It's so large that we have to get a permit to move it! We are taking measurements and finding out what the regulations are to move this monsterous water storage tank.

Just another item to check off the list, but it is amazing how it's all working together. Next on the list, a water trailer to be able to haul the water from the well to our storage tank.

Pray for our neighbors! So far these items are out front just filling the cul-de-sac. Pray that our neighbors have tolerance and that we are not in their way.

God is so good!

Blessings to you!
Country Momma

Dump Truck? Yes.

My DH found the backhoe but we don't have a way to haul it. None of our vehicles are big enough, or have the right towing hitch. We also need a dump truck to be able to haul dirt and debris all over the property, and my DH knows that we can haul the backhoe with the dump truck...two birds, one stone.  So, to craigslist we go. We found a dump truck that met my DH's list of expectations: be a diesel engine, have a pintle hitch, be about 12 tons, have a long bed and it needed walls. It was listed for $6500, and so off he went to take a look at it. But he was given some fun instructions...

It went like this...
Dude said, "Okay, I'm going to be at my son's baseball game. The keys are in the ignition. Take it for a spin and feel it out. When you get back just leave the keys in the ignition, and then give me a call and tell me what you think about it."
My DH said, "Oh, I'm going to love country life."
Dude said, "There's nothin' like it!"

My DH took the dump truck for a test drive. This sounds hilarious to me. Who has a dump truck besides a sanitation specialist? Who does this? Us, we do. So my DH likes this dump truck and it seems like he's actually made a friend. My DH thinks about it for a few days and decides that he's going to start off the deal by offering $4000. He makes the plan to call him while he is on road to spend the weekend at the property and then...his phone pooped out. :(  The new phone was delivered today.

In my opinion, my DH takes awhile to make decisions. We've lost a few deals because he takes time to research items before calling the people to tell them that we are interested. I admit, at times this causes a bit of frustration, for both of us. So, because he didn't get back to the dump truck guy I thought, "There goes another deal! Where will we find another dump truck?"

We got the phone today, activated it, and there's a text message. "Are you still interested? If you are I will sell it for $4000." Seriously!! :) My DH didn't have to wheel and deal, it was offered at the price that he felt the most comfortable with. God's hand is all over this from the broken phone, to the timing of it all.

Our schedule is REALLY packed and we were worried about how to pick it up because it is about 4 hours away.  No problem (God says) the man is delivering it to us! Not only that...he has a friend that might sell us a 40 foot storage container and deliver it! In addition, he used to work at a cement company and may be able to help with some information about having concrete delivered when that time comes. God has supplied again, and I am sure that He will continue to.

I am learning that God is supplying us with not only materials and equipment for what we need, but He is also directing some amazing people to enter into our lives. These people may bless us for a time or bless us for awhile, but it is obvious we are to be open to the relationships that are possible with each person we call through craigslist or from a friend through a friend. I just pray as these people are blessing us that blessings are heaped upon them from God and maybe God will use us to bless them, and that will also be a blessing!

The journey continues!
Country Momma

The Backhoe Search is OVER!

We have been searching for a backhoe for the last two months.  Craigslist ad after craigslist ad from at least 5 different states. We have traveled to Flagstaff, Queen Creek, Payson, and many other cities to look at every backhoe we could find. We've looked at equipment resale stores, auctions, and used equipment sites and it has felt like we weren't going to be successful for less than $15,000.  We don't have $15,000 to spend on a backhoe.

Simultaneously, we have been searching for a heavy duty equipment trailer because if we were to buy the backhoe we would need a way to haul it wherever we needed to.  We have searched and searched and it appeared that we would need to spend about $3,500 to get a trailer strong enough with enough length to be able to haul away our backhoe once we found it.  It has been quite a challenge, however...

Today God's blessings showered down on us. My DH found a craigslist ad this morning for a backhoe.  It is a Case 680, and it was located in Apache Junction.  My DH went out to see it because for the price (building the suspense) he figured it wouldn't be in working condition.  He went to take a look at it.  This machine started right up with the push of the button! We've looked at other machines for a lot more money and they leaked oil all over, this one didn't leak at all. He checked the strength of the machine and it was strong enough to pick the tractor up with the both the bucket and the loader. All of this checked out.  It's an older model but it will still work for all that we need it to.  We will need to get new tires that we have already found for $200. So, we have a backhoe.

We still hadn't found a heavy duty equipment trailer. We hoped that we were going to figure something out.  Then we got there and didn't need too because the owner also decided to GIVE US HIS TRAILER. Yes, the heavy duty trailer we needed to be able to haul it. As we were talking to him we realized that none of our current vehicles are strong enough to pull the 21,000 pounds of backhoe and trailer. So, he offered to deliver it to our house for free! 

We were blessed today (as we are each day). Our great deal for today...how much was this deal you ask?? We got the backhoe we needed AND the trailer for a total of $4,000. I am in awe, we searched and we waited praying for God's desire for us, and now here it is. We are now going to be able to use funds that we thought we were going to have to designate for the backhoe to water storage tanks and quads to be able to get around on the land. It's happening.

God is amazing. I would've never thought a deal like this would've been possible. However, here it is.

Sharing Blessings,
Country Momma

Dedication and Exploration

We went up to the property yesterday for the first time since our escrow closed. We thought we would do a dedication ceremony to dedicate the land to God and ask that we are guided by Him for everything thing that we do with this precious gift. We were blessed that my dad and a close friend of ours were also coming along to participate in this event for our family and our future.

We got off to a bit of a rocky start as we do any day we plan something. No matter how much I plan with laying out clothes, having drinks and bottles ready the night before, no matter what I cannot plan for poopie diapers, upset stomachs, teenage attitudes, toddler attitudes, clumsy kids needing ice packs, or vehicle issues.  Most likely whenever we have a specific time to leave by ALL of those things will happen. So, getting 14 kids out the door is always a challenge. We finally got on the road about an hour and a half later than we wanted to but that was pretty good compared to trips in the past.

With our crew we know that we are going to make about 3-4 pit stops on our way there. Yesterday I noticed for the first time that my children are much more aware than I thought. As we pulled up to our first pit stop which was a McDonald's a few of them say, "This is a two person one." They all agree with one another and I have no idea what they are talking about, but I'm busy ushering my cherubs across the parking lot watching for cars and holding chubby little hands so I just keep talking and walking knowing I will figure it out soon. We walk into the bathrooms and my girls say, "See only two people at a time!" I guess with 11 girls they notice the number of stalls because they knew every bathroom we went to and they do not want to use Sonic as a pit stop because they only have one stall and it takes too long (plus the spring on the door is broke and it slams on them when they open and shut it). One place had a sign that said, "LARGE bathrooms inside!" We found out this meant they had extra wide, large stalls but they only had three of them. :)

Our close friend was up touring the property before we got there. He loved it! I am so happy that he thought it was a beautiful as we do. Unfortunately, he had to leave before we got there. So he told us that he had left something for us to see to show us that we had been there. I was very interested to see what he had left. When we got there we found a Toyota hubcap hanging from a tree on a strap down strap. He gave a tree a necklace! We are leaving it there! :)

We pulled up to the property and took off in the jeep. The kids happily stayed in the van and watched Megamind (one of their favorites). Off we went. Kevin drove and he went over four foot trees that he called shrubs, huge boulders that he referred to as annoying obstacles, and I learned to "duck" inside the vehicle as large branches were hurled into the window and missed me by mere inches. We found the spot where we might plant my dad's house, and the views are gorgeous!

We got back to the van and tied a ribbon between two trees. We got all the cameras ready and the video camera. Our daughter Vivianna (11) was so excited to be in charge of the video camera. All the kids were great while Kevin prayed a prayer and we got ready to cut the ribbon. We cut the ribbon and everyone cheered and clapped.  Then we got out the shovel and everyone took a turn shoveling some dirt. Then Vivi brought the camera to dad to view some of the video she shot, so excited. That was when we discovered... she never pressed 'record'! Oops! Well, there that went, but we plan to do a full reenactment the next time we go up.

Kevin marked some trees to cut down with orange duct tape while I gave the kids jeep rides, acting like we were going to crash into trees going a whole 5 mph. They loved the excitement.We then loaded up and got ready to go. We had a great time! The land is dedicated to God to use it and us according to His will for His glory.

What a day! I feel less nervous each time that we go up to the property and make some more plans. I  am excited for the day that I actually feel confident about this whole new unfamiliar life. I think about all of the things that have been unfamiliar and what successes they have turned into. Just a few more chapters in my book...or I mean LIFE. ;-)

Have a wonderful Memorial Day!
Country Momma

The First Auction

Through all of our craigslist searches my DH found an auction that had a lot of things that we could possibly use in this venture.  So, we did our homework. We watched Storage Wars, Auction Hunters, and Storage Wars Texas! Homework done and now we are professional bidders with all the fake knowledge and even less experience and of course, we now feel that we are fully prepared! :-)

So, he takes seven kids and I keep seven kids and he leaves for two days. One day is for previewing the auction items and the other is to bid on them.  He stayed at his parents' house because that always comes with free babysitting, good food, and well, it's home.  The kids that went were happy to stay with Grama and the kids that stayed were feeling like Momma's big helpers.

So, off my DH goes...he took pictures of ten items that he wanted made notes of others that he thought he could like.  Then he started his research and gave himself price limits on each item. (I thought that he wasn't going to stick to it, but I am proud to say he did very well.)  He talked with his dad to get his very valuable and knowledgeable opinion and got some sketchy sleep.  He was so worried about my night he kept texting over and over to make sure I was okay. (I'm always nervous I won't hear the kids cry if I am asleep.) So, he slept a little and then off he and his dad went to participate in this auction.

They get there and the wind starts, and keeps going, and then the dirt joins the wind. His dad tells me he's glad that he brought a small shovel to be able to clear the dirt from his ears. My DH texts me and shows me a picture of the crowd that began to dissipate as the day went along. He sent me various pictures of items that were cool but were obviously going to go for too much for us.He got two items, the rest of the items that he was hoping for sold for more money than he was comfortable to spend on them. I am very proud that he stuck to his guns on the amounts. He ended up winning 18,900 feet of barbed wire, enough to fence the entire property. Then he also got 2 hay feeders that hook onto corral panels, that our three goats and future horses will no doubt appreciate. I am very glad that he is bringing back much more money than he spent, and also feels like he got some good deals. :)

However, the biggest thing I believe he got out of the day was the experience of attending the auction and seeing how this one ran.  This auction started at 9am and ended after 5pm, that makes for a long day especially with the dirt and the wind.  The auction went very quickly but there were so many items at the auction.  Also, some of the items were in bulk quantities and they would separate them out so that 200 corral panels become 10 separate lots of 20 panels each, so that makes things take a lot longer also. All in all it was a good auction and my DH feels that he is off to a good start to be able to fence the property. We now know how this auction runs, we know that they sell some pretty good items and it will be worth our time in the future to go to other auctions at this auction house.

 So, tomorrow we go to dedicate the land. How exciting!  I pray for great weather, well behaving children and continued peace for this journey that we are embarking on.

Blessings!
Country Momma

Won if Buy LAND

Well, Paul Revere, we got the land!

Yes, 75 acres of bare naked, completely raw land. There are trees, cacti, rocks, dirt, bushes, stickers, thorns, flowers, grass, and various wildlife animals. However, this city slicker Momma is missing, water, electricity, shelter, pavement, streetlights, and of course, the nearest Wal-Mart. We are beginning a huge adventure!  I think our journey will be different than most because we are tackling this with 14 children in tow.

This weekend will be our first trip to the property since the close of escrow. We are cutting a ribbon, shoveling some dirt, and breaking a bottle of cider on a big rock to dedicate the land in any way we can think of.  This weekend we will also walk the path that will one day be our driveway and tie a ribbon around the trees that need to be cut down to achieve our goal.

I'm nervous. I love the convenience of the city. I enjoy being able to run to the store for a quick ingredient, however, that will no longer be the case.  During this process of building our house on the property I will be in complete learning mode.  I will learn how to plan the meals for a full month ahead of time. I will learn how to use more ingredients for foods that we have in the garden (my kiddos will probably want to try and plant a McDonald's) and growing more dependent on our chicken eggs and organic meat.  And I am sure every once in awhile I will be blogging my own cheerleading and encouragement to get me one step closer without losing my sanity.

My DH will have the bigger challenge.  He's building the house.  We are not talking about a little house on the prarie one room with a loft.  We are talking about an 8500 sq ft home. We are not hiring contractors or professionals to do this. We are making this our family project full of memories and long days.  My DH has a lot of experience with building, but this is the largest project he has ever taken on. We are learning about solar panels, grey water filtration, generators, radiant flooring, rainwater catchers, and all the materials needed to make it happen.

Every time we learn about one thing we know we will need to buy so much more to make it happen. Hello craigslist!!  I heart craigslist!  My DH gives me the list and off I go with my new challenge, and then his phone begins to chime in with the craigslist ads that I have texted that will hopefully meet the needs that we have.  He makes the calls and sets up the appointments to look at all this stuff that I have no clue about and then tells me about the dreaded cost. He can make some great deals, and I think the thing that makes me feel the best is when I can look up the item and see what the retail cost would be and see our savings.

We are currently shopping for a backhoe, water storage tanks for potable (that means drinkable, learned this one recently) water, old semi trailers for storage, and industrial trailers to haul the backhoe. We are also keeping our eyes open for a commercial walk-in refrigerator, freezer and a dishwasher.  We shop at Habitat for Humanities, Craigslist and any auctions that we find. We have so much to get and we need to do it as inexpensive as possible.  It's definitely a challenge!

So, here we begin our journey. I figure my kids will enjoy being able to read this later and see all that Dad and Mom did to give them more room to grow and teach them how to live off the land.  We are excited to show them how to make goat cheese and ride quads.  It will also be exciting to have this memoir to look back on and see our funny stories, or the challenges we overcome.

Blessings to you,
New Country Momma