Farm Fresh Eggs!!

Our hens have finally started laying, Jack found the very first egg on New Years Eve, and more and more each day after that. Now we are up to finding about 16 a day!! Atleast now maybe they can start making their keep,lol , hopefully we will make enough $ to buy their feed. Because they go through 50lbs a week! That gets costly. The boys have enjoyed going out to the coop and gathering eggs, each day we have a contest of  "who can guess the # off eggs today" Marcus seems to win a lot, he's a good guesser:)  I can actually say that we have enjoyed the chickens , all except the water freezing;)

Winter has set in......

The holidays are over and January is in full swing with weird weather. Not much snow yet, but I feel its coming. The boys are missing being able to be outside everyday and have enjoyed Netflix .....thank goodness for technology:)
Jack wanted to try going to public school so after much prayer and thought, we decided to let him, and as much as I miss homeschooling him, he loves his new school and all the new friends he's met, which makes it easier for me to except.
This is the first year having to feed and water chickens/animals in the cold......water spickets freeze:( what a inconvenience. Making sure the waterers stay unfrozen is another concern.....oh I am already ready for spring! Atleast we will have central air this summer, just got a new furnace and A/C in December!! Heating costs in the country are alot more expensive than in town with city utilities....who knew! Our utility bills are alot higher and we even are on a well!  But, I love it, so I pay it and go on:)
Now if we can get some more remodeling done on the house in these winter months we'll be doing good. We have the boys room to finish and then on to the BIG kitchen project.......that will be a major deal. I will make sure to post before , during and after of that.

CHICKENS ARE HHHEEEERRRREEEEE!!

The chickens arrived today and I must add at 6AM!!! Luckily hubby got up and went to pick them up leaving me comfortably in bed:) 
These chicks are just adorable! All black and one little exotic butterscotch colored one. We have 27 all together. I hope we are as excited 2 months from now as we all are now (doubtful, we know how quickly the newness wears off around here!) ! Pics to come.....................

A Change in Scenery and Just About Everything Else!

I have been so busy and completely neglected my blog this year!
 Since I posted last we have moved to the country (and love it), remoldeling our old farmhouse, the boys are almost another year older and I am now officially a "country fresh momma" at least that's my new altar ego I call myself, LOL. We have almost 5 acres to care for and no neighbors in sight, which we are thoroughly enjoying, esp the boys who have learned that peeing outside is just the best thing ever! I myself have learned to toughen up, since moving out here to the outer limits, I have encountered(and lived to tell about it) Spiders of all shapes, sizes and colors, a mouse that died in the walls (seriously, take rotten diaper smell to a new level and nothing helps mask it), Snakes galore(in which one I joyfully mowed to death), Ticks all over my children- hubby and I , mowing taking 3 hours(which i truly enjoy) Gardening for the 1st time, living on a gravel road and the dust which leaves my vanship dirty ALL the time:) , barn cats infested with fleas (and I mean infested), wild raspberry bushes (wonderfully delicious), a beautiful array of colorful birds, a big Pear tree I can't wait to try, a rabbit as a pet, smelly well water, a large branch of a tree falling on me during a storm (talk about life flashing in front of me!), NO pizza delivery, the smell of the hog farm behind us and most of all a peace that has come over me since the first time I layed my eyes on this homestead that I have fallen in love with and can't imagine raising my boys anywhere else on this earth-God IS good!!
 It is so gratifying watching the crops grow all around us, I have dreamed of being a country girl all my life!

Next week starts new adventures, as we are getting chickens to raise for the first time ever, I know, what are hubby and I thinking:) We are actually very excited, we have wanted chickens since the first thought of county livin' , and I mean country livin at its best:)  We ordered 25 Black Stars, they are supposed to be egg laying maniacs, bring on the fresh farm eggs baby! I am curious to see what I have to say this time next year about having chickens- I hope I can handle them!
I see mini farming in our future;)

We are starting our school year here at "The Fortner Christian Academy" the 22nd, Not only are we doing 7th grade but I am starting preschool for the 2 little guys. I am looking forward to adding that to the agenda, preschool is FUN! 

More to come..................................

Homeade Laundry soap recipe

Here is the recipe I was taught by a friend (thanks Lisa<3) and it works great is easy to make and save us alot of $$$!!!!!!!!!!!

Things you need to get:



•5 gallon bucket with a lid


•cheap cheese grater


•box of Borax


•package of ivory white bar soap


•box of washing soda(good luck finding it in Lebanon, had to go to brownsburg)


•small bottle of liquid detergent of your choice(this is optional, just for scent)


RECIPE:


1 qt water


2 C borax


2C washing soda


2 C or bars of ivory bars (grated)


Boil the qt of water and dissolve the ivory soap , stir until totally dissolved.


Poor into bucket, add the borax and washing soda, stir well, add the optional bottle of detergent, stir, add 2 gallons of hot water, stir, done, easy enough! Stir each time u use it, it may gel.


Enjoy !

Fall is here and I am loving it!!

Anyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE fall! I love pumpkins, sweatshirts, great weather.....just to name a few!
We are through 9 weeks of homeschooling and its going great, I am amazed and thrilled about how Jack and I's relationship is even better than before, he is realizing that I am not such an uncool mom, and we are really enjoying each other. I am really enjoying the relaxed lifestyle that homeschooling brings to me, we are on our time and we get done what we are suppose to, and most of the time we are ahead of schedule, but it is so stress free and fun! I am learning so many things with him that I either forgot, or never learned in the first place!!
We are in a homeschooling group and have fun going to CROSS (its called) every other thursday we meet and have P.E, Math pentathlon and Art classes and Marcus does a preschool class and we have had fun field trips and many more to come. Its been nice getting to know more families with similar beliefs and a christian lifestyle that homeschool too!
 Now if we could just get our house sold and get to the country before winter sets in, I am starting to wonder if thats going to happen:(  but all things aside, life is good, and I am blessed beyond measure.
 My dad had a cancer scare, he is recovering and they think he is cancer free after surgery, praise GOD! It is funny how we go along with life and something like this happens and it rocks our world as we know it, it makes you think and pray like never before and then with Gods grace, we can look back and thank Him for answered prayers, and get back to our daily life and just go on. I pray that we do not have to visit anything like this again fora very long time if ever!
I am having fun hanging with my family and watching the leaves fall!
I am sharing a fun fall pumpkin poem that I recently came across(thanks Julie Mark), enjoy:

P  is for the people that Jesus came to save
U is for the unconditional love to each he gave
M is for the message that we should all be sharing
P  is for the priceless gift God above gave us, he is caring
K is for the King of Kings
I  is for the insight that He brings  
N is for the nails in His hands
S is for the Savior who gave His life so that we could stand

So when you see a pumpkin, don't think about some guy named Jack. Instead remember Jesus Christ, Lord of Lords who one day IS coming back!

TIME FOR SCHOOL!!!!!!! Home Style:)

I cannot believe how fast the summer has flown by! But Its time for my homeschooling venture to begin! I have successfully downloaded Jacks programs and  begun preparing for our first year! I am very excited about teaching him at home and I think it will strenghten the family! But anyway, we are ready to begin starting tuesday!!
This month has been so crazy that I haven't even thought if blogging! But I know I needed to update!
My little guys have been playing outside everyday and love to ride their bikes, and being on a high traffic corner, I have to watch their every move! Since moving here in March, it has been nice being free from the financial burden, but we quickly realized that our yard was too small for 3 young boys and we need more space, so we have started looking in the country! Call me crazy but I have had a sudden urge to garden, raise chickens and live the country life! So lets hope another move is on the horizon for the fortner five!!
So many things start this week! School, preschool and awana! I am looking forward to a very inspiring fall!
I am looking for some new recipes for my meal planning and some fun recipes for saving money, I just learned how to make my own laundry soap, how fun and a great way to save money, I would like to learn to do more fun homemade things....any ideas????