We just got back from driving over 4,000 miles.  My poor hubby drove it all himself since we had a big trailer on the back and he didn't feel comfortable with anyone but himself behind the wheel.  Don't you just feel for me not being able to drive?   Our journey's took us to a youth camp where we enjoyed ourselves immensely and then to my parents where we loaded up their furniture in the trailer we were towing to bring it back to Nevada.  They're going to be only 6 hours away from where we live.  What a treat for me since they've always been so far away.  It almost feels like they're next door neighbors.

My Zachary (16yos) was so excited upon seeing his garden.  Everything had grown so much.  The family went out there this evening and spent about 15 minutes picking weeds. 

  "Many hands make light work" is a very true saying.   Even the little ones were able to help.  The walkway where Audrey is standing is all weeds that were pulled.

Oh, those tenacious weeds!

Learning what is a weed and what isn't.

This garden is probably quite small when compared

to gardens in the east but when you live in Arizona...

you almost get happy just to see weeds!

This garden is part of Zachary's high school course.  He has done extensive reading learning all about companion planting, good and bad bugs, composting and soil.  I once looked at Mary Janes Pay Dirt Farm School and they had a course that you could attend for a week on Organic Gardening.  The cost was $2,950.  Mary Schofield in her book The High School Handbook says that organic gardening is a college-level course.  So not only is Zachary learning a great deal getting to do something he really enjoys, he gets to count it as part of his science.  That makes him happy. 

Copyright 2008 Treasuring the Moments

Well the time has come for my kids to sell the 4-H lambs they've been raising for the last several months.  Starting Wednesday we haul their animals in, Thursday they show and Saturday they're auctioned off.

Wesley decided, with strong encouragement, that it was high time to work with his lamb, Billy.  But lambs, as Wesley experienced, can be quite stubborn. 

First things started off with a smile - even if it was just a courtesy smile.

But just minutes later, fierce determination had set in.

"Billy, get moving."

"Ha!  Just try and make me!"

"You're going to move if. I. have. to .... IF. I. HAVE. TO. bite my tongue off!"

With that dire threat and sheer muscle, Billy started to move. 

Besides understanding more clearly why the Bible says what it says about lambs, and just how thick their wool can be, among other things, Justus (4yos)  has discovered how much fun it is to ride a bronc lamb.  You can really get a good grip with all that wool. 

But sometimes it doesn't really matter.

Have a great week.  I don't know if I'll get another chance to post this week since we'll be busy with 4-H AND my husband is taking me away for our 19th anniversary on Tuesday & Wednesday.  I tried to tell him I was too busy but he wouldn't hear of it.  I guess I'll just have to suffer not getting to cook and clean for two days.

Too many things were going on this month for me to be able to post.  Things like a trip to Louisiana, a lot of visitors and a lot of  cooking.  It's a good thing I like to cook or I'd be in a heap of trouble.

Zachary, my second oldest turned 16. 

Our church is in the process of building a church.  A few weeks ago we had an Amish-style barn raising except it was for our church.  The slab was poured ahead of time - then Thursday, Friday and Saturday about 25 men showed up and put up interior and exterior walls, doors, windows, trusses, started the roof shingles, and siding.  It was an incredible three days!  My mom, sister and I fed the men every day hot meals.  The ladies in our church helped out by contributing food too. 

Building and setting interior walls.

Discussing something important, I'm sure.

My brother-in-law didn't want to miss out

on the fun, so he flew in from Pennsylvania.

Setting the first truss.

Our youngest supervisor directing one of the workers

Laying the first course of shingles.     

The Dining Hall, where lunch preparation

was underway.             

My dad was in charge on this day. 

He came from Nevada.     

Justus, ready for some serious work.

A view of the interior.

And finally, yours truly, along with my nieces, mom and sister.  We were the chief cooks and bottle washers.  I think we were as tired as the men by the end of the three days.  We fed them, fajitas, salmon and shrimp, beef brisket and chicken over the course of the three days.  My dh wanted to be sure we fed the men well since they were all volunteering.  I don't know how they were able to work in the afternoons after consuming large lunches, but somehow they managed.        

It seems as if many of you are finishing up the year.  Good for you!  Our schedule is always so sporadic that we need to homeschool year-round.  I have some kids finishing their 3rd term, others are still in their 2nd.

As my kids have grown older I find it more difficult to stay on track.  My husband needs them for work outside of the home.  I know this is a good learning time for them but I have to admit it is a struggle for me.  I like my schedules and checklists and if there's any deviation from them it really bugs me.   But what else to do but press onward?  I should be very strong in the trait of perseverance by the time my homeschooling journey is over!

We had twin goats born today, a boy and a girl!  We didn't weigh these but they say they normally weigh about 7lbs at birth.  They're able to walk too.  So far, the kids are doing well. 

 We're so green at this that we just keep our fingers crossed from one day to the next hoping we do everything right.

Oh, one more little fact about mama goats.  They eat the afterbirth shortly after it's expelled.  I found that to be interesting and thought you might too  Homeschoolers are interested in all kinds of weird things, right?

Things have changed around here the last week; we are becoming a real bona-fide farm. 

We now have 2 milking goats (purebred Nubians), which Zachary milks morning and evening.  He is our early bird and loves being outside so he's really enjoying this job. 

He has a garden planted that he tends to every day, keeping his plot weed free and checking to see what seeds have sprouted.  I'm counting his gardening and goat keeping as part of his science for homeschool.

Nubian kid.

We have eight Boer meat goats.

And of couse there's our puppies.

"Heeelp!  I'm stuck!"  (the sound of howling)

Playing a little 'follow the leader'.

"Squawk!  Cluck, cluck, squawk!  Newsflash from the coop; six chicks have hatched in the last 3 days.  Squawk!"

(notice the chick in the back left corner of the nesting box)

 This chick is only a few hours old.

 Being born is hard work.

(I thought some of the chicks wouldn't survive because they were just laying around, but by the next morning they were up and at it.)

Stay tuned for more happenings, or as the chickens would say, 'hatchenings' on the farm.