2018. . . What can I say? In a way I'm glad you're over!
You started out nice and we thought you were going to bless our family and then heart ache and heartbreak. We had a wonderful first half of the year, great trip with the kids to watch the Royals play baseball and zoo visits.
July/August had us wondering "what's next"! Mom found out on TOP of her leukemia and chemo induced diabetes, she has breast cancer! Three surgeries during August and the Doctor is confident he removed ALL the cancer! Now for MORE chemo treatments and LOTS of prayers that it doesn't return, as the type of cancer can spread to other organs through the lymph nodes (if I remember what the doctor explained).
September had us rejoicing when we found out we were expecting another blessed baby from God! Only to find out nine days later that we were miscarrying and not just loosing one baby BUT TWO!!! We lost the first the last weekend of September and the second baby tried to hold on but just wasn't strong enough and we lost him/her the middle of October.
Through these storms we questioned "why", but we felt peace from God that all will work out in His timing and for His good. I'm still praying that God will bless us with a quiver FULL of children and focusing on the blessings He has already provided!
2019 . . . Looking forward. . .
As the new year approaches I'm looking forward with JOY! GOD given JOY! We have been blessed with three amazing children that we get to watch grow in God. Homeschooling, although difficult at times, is such a blessing! From bonding with our children to the friends and families we meet during this journey. We are never far from a life lesson or a book lesson!
We only have one goat to kid this year, as we made some BIG changes this last year after having FIVE mommas kid at the same time! We sold a few of the does to some friends and it has been fun helping them learn all about goats and how to care for them. We had NINE baby kids this spring! Three sets of twins! And our first losses. We had two does get pregnant when the buck got loose two months early, they had babies in February. One a single - he did great and we kept him for breeding this fall. The other a set of twins, boy and girl. Sadly we lost both of them due to the cold and new momma not knowing what to do. Momma has been a wonderful milker and she is the one we kept for ourselves.
We bred her for March/April kids and are excited to see what beautiful babies she gives us this year!
We had a duck sit on four eggs and hatch three of them. I'm not totally sure on sexes, but I'm thinking two boys and one girl. We will butcher the boys, as we do not need more than the two boys we currently have. We also only have Rouen and Mallard ducks, as we sold the mixes in 2017.
We had our first litter of Great Pyrenees puppies in September 2018, momma had 13 but sadly only one survived. She is a beautiful puppy and we delivered her Christmas morning to her new owner. She will be a wonderful addition to their farm! We are planning on a spring litter in 2019, in hopes that the warmer temperatures help momma out.
We are planning on raising a few chickens to butcher this spring. I'm thinking between a dozen to two dozen. We have a couple of teenage boys that like to help out on the homestead. I've been talking about raising rabbits, but PappaSie isn't too keen on the idea of eating rabbit! hahaha
As for the kids: K is 12 and in seventh grade, D is 10 and in fifth grade, and C is 3 and in Preschool! Needless to say we are very busy keeping up with their schooling. We are using My Father's World, currently in "Creation to the Greeks" for K and D and their preschool curriculum for C. We do supplement with Arithmetic and Language Arts from ABeka.
We only have one goat to kid this year, as we made some BIG changes this last year after having FIVE mommas kid at the same time! We sold a few of the does to some friends and it has been fun helping them learn all about goats and how to care for them. We had NINE baby kids this spring! Three sets of twins! And our first losses. We had two does get pregnant when the buck got loose two months early, they had babies in February. One a single - he did great and we kept him for breeding this fall. The other a set of twins, boy and girl. Sadly we lost both of them due to the cold and new momma not knowing what to do. Momma has been a wonderful milker and she is the one we kept for ourselves.
We bred her for March/April kids and are excited to see what beautiful babies she gives us this year!
We had a duck sit on four eggs and hatch three of them. I'm not totally sure on sexes, but I'm thinking two boys and one girl. We will butcher the boys, as we do not need more than the two boys we currently have. We also only have Rouen and Mallard ducks, as we sold the mixes in 2017.
We had our first litter of Great Pyrenees puppies in September 2018, momma had 13 but sadly only one survived. She is a beautiful puppy and we delivered her Christmas morning to her new owner. She will be a wonderful addition to their farm! We are planning on a spring litter in 2019, in hopes that the warmer temperatures help momma out.
We are planning on raising a few chickens to butcher this spring. I'm thinking between a dozen to two dozen. We have a couple of teenage boys that like to help out on the homestead. I've been talking about raising rabbits, but PappaSie isn't too keen on the idea of eating rabbit! hahaha
As for the kids: K is 12 and in seventh grade, D is 10 and in fifth grade, and C is 3 and in Preschool! Needless to say we are very busy keeping up with their schooling. We are using My Father's World, currently in "Creation to the Greeks" for K and D and their preschool curriculum for C. We do supplement with Arithmetic and Language Arts from ABeka.
PapaSie and I have started working on our health, as we've both gained a few extra fluffy pounds over the last 13 years. 💪 PapaSie is using the treadmill and I'm working along with an exercise dvd. I've been cutting out gluten products over the last year as I've noticed that I feel better and my Crohns doesn't act up as much. I'm trying to fix healthier meals all from scratch. I'm a gravy and cheese lover so it's a little hard when I love to cover things in gravy and cheese sauce! I'm a work in progress.
Things I know we have planned: (in no particular order)
Here's to a blessed New Year and many adventures ahead!
Things I know we have planned: (in no particular order)
- Royals Baseball game
- Family Reunion
- Goat Kidding (new milking season)
- Puppies
- Birthdays
- Bowling
- Kittens
- Chicks
- Ducklings
- Garden
- Fruit Trees
- Flowers
- Pray with me that God will provide a way to add on to our existing home or that a homestead big enough for our family will come available.
- My mother and her health
- Our children and their growth and walk with God
- Bible Study I'm starting with a few friends in January
- PapaSie and his walk with God and him in general as the provider of our family
- MommaSie as my walk with God and as the homemaker and ever working towards becoming a Proverbs 31 wife and mother
