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Joining Barbara in commemorating the year in once a week posts … just whatever is going on in your life: the mundane, the crazy, the normal, the everyday.

This has been a fun, action-filled week.  I forgot about taking pictures on Monday and Tuesday – just too busy enjoying our visitors. 

 

Monday: Eric, Dash and Angelina left at about 5pm to run their 4-H exhibits to Clover Days in Litchville.  By the time they returned, the Methe Family, from NE, had arrived in time to share supper with us. 

Tuesday: Eric and Dash left early for Fargo and dentist appointments; Kevin and his oldest son, Mr. J, tagged along for the ride and to visit.  Michelle, I, and the rest of the kids hung out at the farm chatting and prepping food in the kitchen.  Getting re-acquainted with old friends is the best way to spend a warm summer day.  Overnight rain left the fields too wet to harvest with only a couple hours left to go…the Methe boys were happy! 

Michelle, Angelina and I headed to Litchville to pick up the 4-H exhibits.  Dash and Angelina received blues on everything they entered.

Wednesday: The oldest girls, Miss M and Miss R whipped up a batch of Mocha Brownies.  They were enjoyed by ALL!

In the afternoon, the guys all headed out to harvest those last strips of the winter wheat.  They finished up, even with a break-down!  Mr. J (Methe) was absolutely thrilled to ride in the combine and even drove for a short time. 

We finished the day by leaving the kids at home to have pizza and root-beer floats while the adults enjoyed a quiet meal at Centerfield’s in LaMoure.  Great food and great friends.  Always lots to talk about – everything from homeschooling, to food, to kids, to curriculum, to discipline, to faith, to Regnum Christi, to old friends, to gardens, to health and back again!

Grandma and Grandpa Golden Acres arrived late that night, in time to share a glass of Red Ass Rhubarb wine and a bit of cheesecake.  The wine was tart.

Thursday: Bright and early start to get the chicken butchering area set-up and ready for action.  This year, we had an amazing group to get the job accomplished.  Went fast and smooth.  Everyone chipped in and did their best to get the 35 chickens cleaned and ready for freezing.  The Methe family, Grandma & Grandpa Green Acres, Grandma & Grandpa Golden Acres, and a neighbor and her two children showed up (thanks to Facebook!) to help.  That’s a total of 9 adults and 13 kids (although one of the older girls did stay inside to watch the four youngest kids who were too little to help in the process). 

Anyway, there’ll be more on this day, later!  Lots of great pictures of all the action.

By 11am, we’d started to clean up outside and the carcasses were all in water, cooling.  I headed inside to get lunch/dinner ready at about 11:30am and we were eating by Noon. 

The Methe family packed up and we said our long good-byes around 2:15pm.  Promise it won’t be so long before we see each other again!!

Grandma & Grandpa Golden Acres, Grandma Green Acres and I thoroughly washed, tied and sealed the chickens in bags for freezing.  We started at about 2:40pm and were done by 5:30pm.  Eric kept the kids entertained and out of the kitchen.  Grilled pork chops, green beans, and a lettuce salad for supper tasted wonderful.  My parents, Eric and I sat with our feet up, Bulldog in hand to end the day.  Beat, but happy.

Friday: A day of catch-up on laundry, errands, emails, phone calls, and fly-swatting (will it never end! … I suppose with the first frost.).  Angelina left very early (6am) Grandma & Grandpa Golden Acres to head to her Aunt Julianne’s home.  She’ll help watch her cousin while everyone else does a few projects around the farm and home.

Loving life on our little farm.

Peanut Butter Finger Bars

Fresh eggs from the layers … fewer eggs now due to fewer hens.  That’ll all change in a couple months time!

My dad, Grandpa Golden Acres, on the right.  Eric on the left with Zeke, Graham and Louis in front.  Examining the wheat field and learning how to eat wheat berries.

Grandma & Grandpa Golden Acres’ mode of transportation and boarding on this trip … we are the first stop, then on to my sister’s, then on to a grandson’s 4th birthday, back to my sister’s, then to Bismarck for a meeting, and finally back home again.