Planning a weekend getaway!

It is so busy anymore! I feel like the Summer is disappearing. But it has been full! Play time, new animals, family fun...

We had to add another goat pen on. The girls had CLEARED the first pen. We bought an easily moved electric mesh goat fence. The girls are SO happy! :D

Matt building the ORIGINAL pen.

The Original pen NOW.

More of the original. And they were only out here during the day!!

Happy Lucy!

Ms. Daisy Mae. I am starting to feel that she is a pygmy- Nubian cross. She isn't getting any bigger,  except that pot belly! We still think she is our baby though!! :)

  

    

Sawyer was pointing to Daisy, saying "Ba, ba"! This was a couple of days ago so you can see she isn't very big.

 If we aren't playing outside, or running errands, I am trying to get things done in the house, praying that the boys play peacefully! Sometimes prayers are answered! :)

Sawyer and Gabriel playing right before bed.

Sawyer loves crawling around with half and Easter egg in his mouth!

Playing in the grass at Mamaw and Papaw's!

Meals have been delightful and fresh!!

New Succotash (all fresh from the garden!) recipe for my cookbook with shripm scampi! YUMMM!

Sewing isn't getting done as it needs to be. I will be finishing up an apron tomorrow so it can be shipped Wednesday (the deadline...I always do this to myself!) I hope she likes it!!! 

The embroidery on the apron I am making for a Mary Jane Farmgirl Apron Swap!

We have been discussing a trip!! Matt even brought up a last min. Free Dinig WDW trip! But for now I am planning a mini weekend getaway to Mammoth Cave. We are also going to look at some property! Trying to find a place to stay hasn't been easy. Most places are already booked. A cabin would be ideal, but all that I could find were a few hotels with rooms available. They don't look like much and are over $100. A wild hair had me clicking on a B&B. I have never stayed in one. This one "called" to me, with an alluring title!

Country Girl at Heart Farm

Country Girl at Heart Farm Bed & Breakfast is a green-built, refurbished farmhouse on a 140-acre working sustainable farm in Hart County, Kentucky.

Our farm-stay Country Girl at Heart Farm Bed & Breakfast offers five uniquely-themed bedrooms with private baths that will envelope you with shabby chic flare, homegrown ingenuity, and antique and historical treasures. Stay for a while on the wraparound front porch and listen as the Amish buggies pass by or join us for real farm activities during your unforgettable environmentally-friendly travel experience “where you can get your hands dirty or just put your feet up.” http://www.bedandbreakfastkentucky.net/

Turns out they have 2 room suites we can fit our family in and one was available!!! So I made a "reservation request"! EEK! I am so EXCITED!!!! The room is called the Pioneer. Pictures are from their website. I am so excited I really wanted to share!! I hope they won't mind!

I better get Matt up for work and get some lesson planning done. The school year starts soon! Night and God bless!!

PS- Forgot to mention Gabriel "rammed" my camera while I was taking pictures and it is now broke again. :(

I promise I have not disappeared! :)

Can you believe July is almost over...ALREADY? Summer always goes by far too quickly.

I guess the good news is we still have 3 and a half weeks or so until school officially starts! The local public school Isabelle used to attend starts Aug 8. Can you believe that!?! Earlier every year.

We year around homeschool. It provides us with plenty of flexibility while still meeting (and exceeding) the state mandated 180 days. So our summer "break" didn't begin officially begin until last Monday. Isabelle is enjoying her "real" freedom. She spends her days reading, taking care of animals (including bottle feeding a 2 day old kitten), and -sorta- doing her chores. She would rather spend all day, everyday basking in the sun light flecked ground, traipsing about in the woods.

But we still go out and run errands. Farmers market, pick up our CSA, go swimming, ect...

Saturday's Market Buys

Ratatouille!!

French Peasants Dinner....YUM!

We made coffee filter butterflies last week, too! Gabriel loved watching the colors blend!

 

Otherwise, most of my spare time has been homeschool planning. I think I have all of our curriculum purchased!! Phew! Gabriel starts preschool this year, too, so things may be a bit dicey at times. I can't wait to see him light up when he learns something new, though!

For math this year for Isabelle, we are trying Teaching Text 6. I am SO excited about this! I think we may have finally found a good match for Isabelle! 

Writing- Jump In!

Grammar- Finishing up a couple of Starline books and Language Fundamental, as well as some printables.

History- History Odyssey Early Modern (we will likely use this 2 years, since I have so many additional things), local history, and The American Heritage DVD set

Science- Truth In Science (also likely a 2 year curriculum for us), experiments, and Nature Studies

Art- Learning about great artists and some of their styles. Making this up from internet resources mostly.

Music- Isabelle started drum lessons a couple of weeks ago. She is learning to read music and play she chose. She will also be learning about some of the great composers.

Home Ec- Plenty of cooking! Maybe some needlework.

I think that is about it. We take plenty of field trips as well! I have about a third of the year planned in my planner. Yippee!!!

So what is new for you???

Night and many blessings!

Heirloom Garden Stuffed Peppers..... YUM!

Yup! Another recipe to be added to my cookbook! They turned out FABULOUS! And in addition to their yumminess, I made a Peach Berry cobbler, topped with vanilla bean ice cream for dessert. They entire dinner was local, basically farm(mine or local) to fork, except for the grains and ice cream. I used organic barley in the peppers and the cobbler crust was wheat and corn, also organic. And local grassfed beef! It was a truly spectacular meal!

The only real improvement would have been homemade ice cream. I have gotta get an ice cream maker!

After dinner we went to the fair. I just love wondering through the exhibits. Especially the horses!! I miss having horses so badly.

 Isabelle did well. Considering we didn't sign up until about a month before the fair and it was our first year! I am pretty proud!!

Yep, we had discussed it before, but now I believe a couple of sheep will be added to our homestead...lol!

This momma had these sweet twins THIS MORNING!

Sawyer REALLY wanted to pet that Nubian doe.

Perhaps the most unique horse as far as color I have ever seen. She is a paint... Flea bitten gray and white.

Bitsy was a lovely Haflinger. We have actually considered a couple of these as dual purpose, pulling and riding for the kids. Someday....Sigh....

Gabriel's Swing ride.

Matt and Sawyer waiting.

Isabelle's Ribbons. The Reserve is for her rabbit poster.

Many blessings! Night! xoxo

4H is done and we got another goat!

Yes!! We completed all of Isabelle's projects!! Here are some snapshots!

As Days Go By- History project on Spring Mill Village.

Photography

Vet Science- On herbal Medicine. I am quite proud of this!!

Forestry

Rabbits

Construction Toys

Gradening- Trio of Basils

I can't wait until we can go to the fair and see how she did for her first year! I celebrated after with homemade Mojitos! The mint is from my CSA with VegetableLand!

Last night, after turning in her projects, we went to Dinky's again. We brought home a new goat! Meet Lucy!

Her ears do this funny "bat" thing!! lol!!

Daisy Mae is quite a bit smaller.

They could be sisters!!

Lucy follows Daisy around like CRAZY! A goats should, but Daisy has become quite happy with us as her herd. She seems to get annoyed. lol! They balance each other, though, Daisy Mae tends to prefer the green leaves of weeds and such, whereas Lucy prefers the stems. Lucy doesn't have a taste for grain and she hasn't been imprinted, so she will require some work.

I signed up to do an apron swap on MJFG! I have fabric cut out and look forward to sewing my swap partners apron next week. I got her gifts in the mail today. She made me the sweetest, full length, strawberry apron. It is so special because while we were emailing a couple of weeks ago she was preserving her strawberry harvest. I just LOVE all the extra goodies she tucked in for me!!

The kids and I went to the Farmer's Market in Newburgh today. I got the most GORGEOUS peppers! So tomorrow we are having stuffed peppers for dinner!! YUMMM!

I will leave you this evening with a gorgeous photo of the pumpkin blossom's in my garden. Night and Blessings!!