Community

This blog was written on Monday but posted today due to internet connection issues. 

Community means so many things to different people.

We are blessed by those around us, often without realising it. It might be a meal, a jar of jam, or a friendly smile when you really aren’t feeling good. For me, someone who is happy to wait by the car with kids inside while I duck into a shop for 5 minutes; someone happy to drive me to Burnie with kids in tow for a ½hr appointment; happy to have my kids without question or just to fold some washing while they sit and have a cuppa.

Today’s community blessing.

Firstly, a couple we have only just met brought around a massive bag of broccoli, spinach and kale.* I have blanched and frozen it all as I do not know what the next few days/weeks will hold with regard to meals while the babies come.

Secondly, Mr T has been on my case about cooking him a lasagne. I just do not have the energy to do so. Well that was sorted this arvo when a friend came around with one and some cookies.

Community to me means giving, not asking questions, not expecting in return and giving whether or not you know the people. I think it also means not looking at things in monetary value. Do you need it? Do they need what you have? Yes? Done, be blessed. That is one reason we do not ask for money from our eggs. We are blessed by others so why not bless people with eggs? A simple thing to us, but rarely do people say no to fresh farm eggs.

*We purchased a lovely new couch and offered up the other one on a local FB page. It was a giveaway but they said thanks with a lovely basket of fresh home grown vegetables. Nice swap I reckon J

BLANCHING BROCCOLI (how I did it)

1.       Bring water in a large pot to the boil

2.       Place cleaned and chopped broccoli in boiling water for 2 min

3.       Remove broccoli, allow to drain (wash under cold water to stop the cooking process)

4.       Place in freezer on baking paper

5.       Once frozen place in labelled ziplock bags.

Broccoli will keep in the freezer for a year. Next time I will skip number 4.

I'm still here....just

I'm still here...just. Pregnancy brain, tiredness and lack of mojo is taking me over. Only 10ish weeks to go now!!! Looking forward to being able to do normal things again like eating at the dinner table without getting my belly stuck. 
I have written many blogs, just never been able to get them onto the screen. But, I am here now and this is what I have to share with you all. May it encourage you.

When in and around farming communities, you hear people saying that their calving season was a bad one or not many lambs made it. Well, for us this year, it’s ducklings that aren’t doing well.

Mama duck: 11 eggs, 6 ducklings, 3 disappeared (eagle?) 2 sold, 1 left.

Chook 1: 7 eggs, 0 ducklings – she was off the nest for a whole day and the eggs went cold.

Chook 2: 5 eggs, 1 duckling

Brown duck: 6 eggs, 5 hatched, 3 died, 1 strong and running about with its mum, 1 just hanging onto life, tucked down my top for warm and heartbeat.

You could say life really sucks at the moment. But it reminds me of the story of Job in the bible. He lost everything over time but wouldn’t curse God or give up. After this God gave back more and better. So although I wonder why and think life just isn’t fair, I can’t give up.

I don’t know if this little fella will make it the night though. But that is life, it has its ups and downs and we must go through them. It is what moulds and shapes us into the people that we are, and when times are tough God will carry us through.

UPDATE: My little fighter lost its fight for life last night. It gave a brilliant fight though. And Aj went out in last nights rain only to find the brown duck had waddled away from her very wet and cold duckling. Aj bought it inside and it's now doing well. It will stay with us and be hand raised.

New kids on the block and more

My new tee.
I grow twins, whats your superpower?

It has been awhile since I last shared with you. I have written loads of blogs in my head but not managed to get any of them onto the computer screen.

We had the school holidays; about to start week two of term four. Bring on the summer hols hehe Looking forward to some family being here for two weeks of it too.

I had a local market on this Saturday just gone and have the school fair this Friday night. Then I will have a break until mid November. The markets do alright but I think my new facebook page will serve me better.

The goats are well. Neville was REALLY sick last weekend, so sick we called the vet out. Coccidious. A germ that is in the belly of many animals but dangerous if in large numbers. A does of antibotics and we waited to see if he would live or not. He did!!! So please to see him running and jumping about. Today I went and sat in the paddock, Neville came and sat on my lap. He is about the size of our dog now so it was rather funny to have happen. We now think that Coccidious was the course of Richard's death. 

all of the goats ready to be released for the day.

Oh, of course, I haven’t been able to tell you about our new babies. Heidi and Beau. I think they were born about the end of September. We went up to Railton in the middle of the holidays to collect them. They didn’t take long to learn how to drink out of the bottles. I think that it helped starting them off with colostrum from their mums as it got them used to the teats with the taste they were used too.

Beau

Heidi - right hand side

 

 

Aj started fencing the goat paddock in the second week of the holidays. A fencing contractor came and spent a day with Aj teaching, guiding, doing. He came back a few days later to check on Ajs work. He got the tick of approval and so was left to finish off. One more small section and a gate and we’ll be done. Then the electric wire will go back on.

Have a good week all. Don't forget to check out the PM facebook page.

What is a Paper Pot Press?

This is a Paper Pot Press and today I used it to make seedling pots for a range of vegetables and a couple of garden plants. You can find Paper Pot Press kits on a few websites and prices are about $20.00. Its brilliant, all you need are old newspapers which can be collected from most newsagents.

1

2

4

3

1) Fill the ready made pots with potting mix

2) Make a small hole, put seed/seeds in and cover over. See packet details for depth of hole.

3) Write the plant name on halved paddle pop sticks and place on the side of each little pot.

4) Cover with glass or plastic but remember to leave a little space for air to get in. This means it stays warm for germination but the plants don't rot or grow moldy.

In other news, our white Sanaan goat, Richard, died. We don't know why, as he is with the others and they are perfectly fine. I was in Melbourne at the time so my wonderful Aj and MrT buried him for me. It is funny how attached you can get to an animal in such a short amount of time. He was my stud male, going to be the father of many...I mean its life, things are born, things die. 

The upside is that we still have Neville and Mable who are spending day times on leads trimming the grass for us. The kids were playing in a dirt pile today and Mable was just able to reach them and be noisy, I mean helpful. She received some very muddy head pats :) I will have to remember to take a picture of Neville and his new day time kennel, an old dog box which he loves!

The goat paddock will be fenced very soon. Aj has been working on the preparation of it all day. 

Enjoy your evening all. xo

LegoLand

Today was the LEGOLAND party. Mr T had a ball with his friends 

and all the Lego games and activities.

Painted MDF Lego men

Pin the head on the Lego man

His set up on Wednesday

Games:
*Egg & Spoon, on their knees using dryer balls
*Pass the Parcel
*Lego Bingo
*Sleeping Lions, and believe it or not a child suggested it and all jumped in
*Guess the number of Lego blocks

*Pin the head on the Lego man

All lolly prizes went into their take home boxes.

They also painted MDF Lego men which I had cut out by a local company.

THE CAKE

I tried to make everything smaller than normal as I know how much kids waste party food. I made cupcakes and a small cake. It meant that the kids were able to take a cupcake each and as they were topped with blue icing they were a hit!

Cupcakes

Guess the blocks

 

MarsBar slice made in
 a Lego silicone tray 

Candles blown out, wearing his b'day top from his Aunty :)

Party boxes

 

All the food was eaten (the plan) and all had a great time. MrT's highlight was playing 'paeleontologists' in the dirt pile with his friends before everything kicked off :) 

And I had a wonderful snooze on the couch. Massive thanks to Aj for all his help. Love ya!

A full week

Wow, it has been a full week now since we found out we were having two babies!! I feel like this has been a really long week but it's Friday tomorrow. Yay!

Aj is away on an Outdoor Ed camp at Walls of Jerusalem for two nights, back tomorrow some time. My days have included feeding goats, moving/feeding cows (chasing cows, cos i left a gate open), attending to chickens and doing all the normal mum stuff.

I have starting weaning Neville (the goat). 500ml, poor kid thought he was very ripped off as he was drinking 1L. The goats are doing really well on the new brand of formula and no longer have scourers. They have settled into their new home to I guess.

I have been making bibs today and looking forward to finishing them off and showing you all.

I have the big scan on Tuesday. Looking forward to seeing mu babies in more detail!!!

Oh dear, look at the time, I'm off to bed. Night all.

Still coming to term with...

Still coming to term with...the fact that we are having ANOTHER set of twins!!!

We have 2yr old b/g twins as you know and just yesterday found out we are 17wks with another set of fraternal twins; making 6 children in our family. (we had said no more, changed out minds and were trying for no5/the last baby, yes you can laugh) Aj researched it yesterday and worked the follow out. 

Having a set of twins 1:285

Having a second set of twins 1:12000

Having a second set of twins after fraternal twins 1:3000

For probability of having two sets of fraternal twins 1:85500

It is 4 times more likely to have a second set of fraternal twins. 

I don't think it is that common here in Australia.

but add another two kids to this picture.

I am well. I'm still in shock though! I guess I know what I am in for this time around. It explains why I have been feeling so tired; unmotivated to clean my house (apart from the usual stuff) and why I 'popped' so suddenly.

I am excited and feel blessed that God trusts me to raise another set of twins. He doesn't give us more than we can handle with His help so I will be ok. I know that the carefree pregnancy I wanted this time around will be a little over shadowed by obstetricians and midwife check ups. Plus I wanted to give breastfeeding one last shot and it is so much harder with twins and four other children to look after. I also wanted to have the baby and come home from hospital on the same day...things to think about and maybe just to see how things turn out at the time. I know the risks involved in home births but I do wonder why it all has to be so controlled these days.

People at Aj's school were saying things like 'you stud Aj' and 'go you!' but it is seriously not his doing. It is me! I released two eggs...I have no one to blame but myself hehehe

I have another market tomorrow. Last weeks market when well and the baby shoes sold well so I am sewing up a few more small ones today. They look great on the new stand Aj made for me. All visible and at a good eye level.

Must go and get on with the day, goats to feed, wood to bring in...