New Year's Eve Celebration

Our New Year's Eve Celebration is pretty laid back.  It is a day that we usually spend around the house and are able to relax after all the holiday hustle and bustle.  As the evening approaches we get things ready for our "fancy dinner".

We have made grilling out a New Year's Eve tradition.  Tonight's dinner is the finest of homegrown organic sirloin steaks (raised right on the farm) with the usual sides of potatoes, veggies, and a salad.  The kids choice of dessert is an Oreo chocolate mousse cake (obviously not organic, but sure is yummy and definitely a treat!).  The kids are also always excited because on New Year's Eve we give them their choice of drink for their wine glasses at dinner time.  Usually it is a kiddie cocktail with cherries on a stick or strawberry daiquaries , but this year they unanimously decided they would see what a Coke tastes like.  Yes, in this house, soda is never really an option.  On occasion we do have our root beer floats or on a really really warm summer day we will have an iced cold glass of root beer.  On birthdays and other special celebrations we will break out the 7 Up with cherries for a sweet cocktail, but that is pretty much it.  So the whole Coke thing is completely new to them.  Very daring!!!



 

A Brisk Morn On Our Little Funny Farm

 word of the day:  anomalous
definition:  deviating from a general rule:  abnormal

Seems to be quite fitting for our little farm.  I wouldn't have it any other way.  It is our fun.  It is our way of life.  It is what makes us who we are.

On this brisk morning I took the camera with me as I tended to the animals.  It was calm and still.  I thought it would be fun to give examples of what anomalous could mean around here.

The animals in their normal morning routine, wait patiently for someone to tend to them.  As soon our goats hear the door or see movement coming from the house, they run down their worn path bellowing, whining, begging for attention and food.  Attention they do get, and as you can see, they get plenty to eat.  I have seen chubby, maybe even fat goats, but these goats are beyond!  They are as wide as they are tall (anomalous).  Over the winter months they do slim down (compared to what they are when the weather is warm and grass to eat at their desire), but definitely don't get skinny!  They are two of a kind!

 Next in our morning routine are the pigs waiting for fresh water.  Stinkey, our pet sow has been with us for about 5 years.  She is very spoiled.  As long as it is cold and their is snow on the ground, she doesn't come out of her hut 'til she feels she has reason to (e. g. to drink, get a treat, eat, roam around the pasture, etc.).  She gets very crabby when you disturb her from where she is nestled all snug. This morning I called for her to come out and take a picture, but wasn't able to convince her.  She decided she would pose from the doorway.

The other pigs have a little bit more ambition.  They make us laugh as they run around and play like a bunch of little kids or puppies.  They are very fun to watch!  Cheap entertainment I guess you could say.  

I have to share a picture of this one pig that sort of sticks out from the rest.  From little on, she has had an expression that is truly unique.  Her tongue sticks out of her mouth like that of a dog (here you can see it a little bit).  When she gets excited her tongue hangs way out the side (of her mouth) and even has a little bit of a pant (anomalous???).

 
The cows seem to be the most normal.  Just happy to have their hay. 

As for the chickens, they pretty much have the run of the farm.  When the snow gets deep and the weather gets cold they tend to keep close to the coop.  We do however have two birds that like to be different.  They would much rather hang out in the barn.  We catch them, put them back in the coop with the others, but find by morning they have made their way back to the barn.  Instead of eating grain like the rest of the birds, they insist on pecking through the cows hay and eat the cat's food.  Definitely anomalous!!!  I am waiting for the day they start to "moo" and "meow".


Anomalous, but fun!

Christmas Day 2010

Christmas Day couldn't begin early enough.  The kids were up way before the sun--all anxious to see what sorts of goodies Santa left for them.  Before ripping the gifts open we always take a picture.  Cheesy and forced smiles is what we get (understandable under the circumstances, I guess)--quicker they get the pictures over with, the quicker they get to unwrap presents.

In the afternoon we headed over to Pam and Al's for our Christmas Day celebration.  We spent the time visiting, eating, and later in the evening watched old home movies from when my mom, aunts, uncles, and me and my cousins were little.  Lots of fun!  Lots of good laughs!  Can't wait to do it again next year! 

Christmas Eve 2010

Christmas Eve was spent at Grandpa and Grandma's out at the farm.  Had plenty of eats and treats.  All made out like bandits!!!

'Tis The Season

As Christmas nears we enjoy the many festivities to celebrate the holiday season.

The Santa hats are being worn, the Christmas tree is decorated, the stockings are hung in the doorway (don't have a fireplace), and the baking is a work in progress.  The shopping however hasn't even begun.

There is much snow on the ground and the air is cold and crisp.  Definitely very fitting!  This is my favorite time of the year.  I love the cold, I love the snow, I love the hustle and bustle of the season.

The love of the season isn't necessarily shared.  Jack has suggested many times to move south.  That I find amusing considering the fact he doesn't tolerate the heat very well.  Definitely spoken from the one in charge of the snow removal and keeping the animals in their fences when the wires are buried in the snow.  I guess I understand.

The kids definitely love the white powder.  They play in it everyday until their cheeks are rosy and fingers are cold.  They still find sledding down the septic mound (in which they have way outgrown) amusing.  Digging tunnels seems to be the latest and most fun of the snow-playing activities.
 

    

Our list of things to do before Christmas is here:

Find Santa!  Jack-jack still needs to give the ol' guy his Christmas wish list and is worried that if he doesn't get the list to Santa in time he won't know what to leave him for Christmas and in confusion leave him nothing.  Cheyenne has been told there is no such thing as Santa Claus (by classmates) and is on a mission to prove them all wrong.  The hunt is on!!! 

Shopping.  We should probably start that sometime.  I keep telling myself that this year will be easier and it will go really quick, but not able to convince myself of that very well when the list of people to shop for runs through my mind.  Now I am to the point where I keep "reassuring" myself I tend to work better under pressure (hoping!!!).

Baking.  It seems as though we have some of that left to do.  We were off to a good start, but the goodies seem to be disappearing faster than we have been making them.  The kids enthusiasm for decorating seems to be dwindling, therefore my help is slowly disappearing, too.

Crafting.  We still have gifts to make.  One of my favorite things to do!  Some projects are complete whereas there are still a few we need to start.  



The countdown to Christmas, only 10 more days!