Grammy's House/Farm

Looking Back - Taking Stock - Looking Forward

Wow, I can't believe it is already February 1st. Today is mine and my husbands 38th wedding anniversary. WOW.........who would have ever thought, I was only 15 1/2 and he was 16. (I think I will try to scan a picture of us then and post it) The Lord has blessed me with such a wonderful man who has worked hard all his life to provide for his family. I pray that I have been just as diligent at being a helpmeet to him.

I was looking in on my blog that has been so neglected and then over to my picture files and I can't believe I was so slack in taking pictures and posting last year. I hope to do much better this year.

It seems as though I was under a lot of stress last year, so many things going on with so many of my family members. My mother was struggling with some health issues that took some time to resolve and my father is battling bladder cancer and he also slipped on Ice and broke his back. He is doing well now and so is my mother, but my parents are aging and going through all that comes with that. I live an hour away from them and that can be very frustrating at times when I can't be there to help as much as I would like.

Last year we learned that my brother has prostrate cancer that has spread to all his bones. He was responding to the treatment for awhile but now it is advancing. He too lives and hour away and I will be trying to go and see him every other weekend now. (my heart is sick)

On a lighter side, the girls and I are back homeschooling this year and it is going very well. I kinda fell apart and sent them back to public school half the year last year but we started out in September of 2012 homeschooling again and it has been a much better year. I feel like we have found our groove. We are still using Sonlight for our curriculum and we love it.

There was lots going on last year, we had expanded the garden and I canned and froze everything I could get my hands on. Now I'm planning this years garden and looking at seed books. Evaluating what I put up too much of and what I put up that I could have used more of. This is still very much a learning process for me. I try to do a 1 year food storage and am still learning how much of what, what did well that I want to repeat, what was over kill what didn't work so well.

Also looking into all the other stuff I stock up on because my husbands work is seasonal and is usually out of work every winter. I try to stock up and fill the freezers all summer through fall and we pretty much live off that all winter and spring. So far It has been working out ok but we have run out of a few things. This year I will have a better understanding of what we need more of.

Here are a few picture from last year, maybe my picture enthusiasm will be stronger this year.

At the gun range, my family are hunters and Portia & Jayda took hunters safety last year with my son Wayne and with Papa.

above, Portia and Papa below is my grandson, Jansen with his fancy green riffle.

Wayne, Papa and Portia

My grandson, Jaren with his fancy red riffle.

The new chicken house, painting it is on my todo list for this year.

We borrowed a pony last year for Paris to ride on our trail rides. His name is Freckles and he was such a great pony for Paris to have around and ride last year that we are going to get him again this year. Her horse, Honeypie is not quit ready for her yet.

This is Penny (pretty penny) she is Portia's new mare that was given to us last year. she is so pretty and sweet. I love her and she is so gentle to ride for anyone.