If you would have asked me 2 weeks ago if I thought I'd be sitting in the living room thankful to have a fire, the answer would have most certainly been 'no'. Good thing you didn't ask me, I would have had to open mouth & insert foot.
It's probably in the 60's out but darnit, it's overcast, and drip drop rainy and it just feels cold. So, by the fireside I sit...warm...and cozy.
So much going on...I had lunch with Drew today. I went to school specifically to have lunch. The children get to eat lunch at school once a week, any more and they would hate me. My lunches are better and it's not everyday they get to gross their ham and cheese eatin' friends out (while teaching them about REAL food) when they open their thermos and have warm red beans and rice, or tomato soup or things like that. What kid (other than a select few) would dare admit they like tomato soup, after all. Speaking of red beans and rice, it's been a long time since I've made it. I'll have a recipe up one of these days for it if in the event you feel like making it too.
Our layer chicks arrived yesterday...25 of them. I sold 2. I don't need 25 layers! I don't need 23 either but I figure we'll loose some. They are silver laced wyandottes and let me tell ya, they are cuter than the average chick for sure! See?
Course, the model doesn't hurt either. Wouldn't you want to take a chick home is a kid like this was trying to pawn it off on your like a girl scout cookie? Yeah, me too! Come to think of it, forget the chick, I'll take the boy.
Right now the chicks are living in a large water trough in the shop basking in 250 Watts of heat lamp with water and food at their disposal. The butcher roos moved out to the chicken tractor in the barnyard and we've yet to loose one, which is a good thing...loosing one means not eating...kidding.
We're up to 8 baby goats- 4 boys 4 girls. We had 5 girls but one left us last week. Such is life on the farm. We've still got over half the does yet to kid with one holding out for God only knows what reason. Their photos can be seen on the farm site (www.marmaladehollow.wordpress.com) if you're so inclined.
Rachel reads up a storm, in case you didn't know. She reads every night before bed. I suppose we should take a hint, but watching TV is more mind numbing and who doesn't need to be numbed before slipping off into slumber? I'd drink, but TV's cheaper. Anyway, back to Rachel, she made it to the '100 point' club 2 weeks ago and today received recognition and her t-shirt. She's actually up to 108 points. I told her if she made it to 115 points before the end of the year we'd go out for a steak dinner. Books vary in their worth by how hard they are and each book has a test to take which turns into points depending on how many questions were answered right. At her last parent/teacher conference, I believe her teacher said she was reading at a 6th grade level. It blows my mind she can pronounce words like 'victorian' and not bat an eye or have to sound it out.She just flies through books and it's fun to have her read outloud as most time she will even
Life is...going.
The kids' Sunday school teacher mentioned to her husband, who mentioned to Jeremiah, that our kids our kids are so well behaved. What the heck does that say??? It tells me parents need to lock their children in the closet more often. Kidding. It means we are doing a terrific job and not only are we doing a terrific job of raising well behaved children, more importantly we're raising good people. All parents should be like us <gafaw>. Lots of people say it so it's not like she's nuts or something. Our kids really are great, and while I am bias, it has little to do with the fact that they are great people and yes, thankyouveryuch, I do take great pride in this because it's the hardest (yet most rewarding) most important job we have! Everything else takes a back seat to our two great kids.
On to other news. We've gotten a lot of rain the few weeks. Yesterday morning I was in the barn doing chores and it just POURED. It's such a nice sound. The thunder was pretty cool too. Jeremiah and I watched a really cool lightening storm one evening around 9 PM off to the east. The storm just skirted us so it was amazing to watch the sky light up over and over while we stood in the front yard in our jammies and it was pleasantly warm too! It reminded me of our living room in El Paso. The window faced north towards New Mexico (which was literally a stone's throw away). We'd lay on the couch and watch the storm come up and over the mountains that cut West El Paso from East El Paso. The lightening would crack across the valley and light up the sky, cool stuff. I love thunder storms. They are really neat here too.
Well, I guess that's all for now. It's Easter weekend. I mentioned to Jeremiah that if the turkeys didn't shut up and stop waking me up at the crack of dawn on my days to sleep in, we'd be eating them for Easter. I think they heard me because they've shut up! We're having steak, and potatoes and a host of other yummy things for dinner. We did an egg hunt at church last Saturday. I can't imagine they are egg hunted out so I suppose we may hide some eggs too! Tomorrow (Friday) unless this doe decides to kid, we're going to try to go on a drive. You now, it's amazing, despite the drought last summer, the wildflowers sure are prolific this year! I should get out and mow the barn yard because they are nearly as tall as the goat's backs. But it looks so picturesque to see them walking through back high wildflowers.
I have mowed the 'yard yard' 2 times in the past week and a half. Last year I think I got lucky to mow the yard yard twice the whole of spring and summer!
So much going on...I had lunch with Drew today. I went to school specifically to have lunch. The children get to eat lunch at school once a week, any more and they would hate me. My lunches are better and it's not everyday they get to gross their ham and cheese eatin' friends out (while teaching them about REAL food) when they open their thermos and have warm red beans and rice, or tomato soup or things like that. What kid (other than a select few) would dare admit they like tomato soup, after all. Speaking of red beans and rice, it's been a long time since I've made it. I'll have a recipe up one of these days for it if in the event you feel like making it too. 
Rachel reads up a storm, in case you didn't know. She reads every night before bed. I suppose we should take a hint, but watching TV is more mind numbing and who doesn't need to be numbed before slipping off into slumber? I'd drink, but TV's cheaper. Anyway, back to Rachel, she made it to the '100 point' club 2 weeks ago and today received recognition and her t-shirt. She's actually up to 108 points. I told her if she made it to 115 points before the end of the year we'd go out for a steak dinner. Books vary in their worth by how hard they are and each book has a test to take which turns into points depending on how many questions were answered right. At her last parent/teacher conference, I believe her teacher said she was reading at a 6th grade level. It blows my mind she can pronounce words like 'victorian' and not bat an eye or have to sound it out.She just flies through books and it's fun to have her read outloud as most time she will even 
