The Merry Milkmaid

Hello, friends,

I recently posted about cutting back on blogging...for the simple reason that my life is getting busier.

And since this isn't a money-making blog, it will get put on the back burner quite often. It just isn't a necessity in my life. 

But back to the busyness....

There are some specific reasons why my life is about to get even busier.

For one thing, Mimi begins Ambleside Online yr1 this fall. Prepping for and homeschooling 5 children is going to be very time-consuming. I am already in the process of getting books for next year.

For another, gardening season is just around the corner. Yippee!  :)

Also, (and this is the big one !) the Lord has provided us with something we've wanted for some time... dairy goats!  

Here's the story...  

My husband and I have often talked about getting dairy goats, but they always seemed so pricey. We prayed off and on about it and that's as far as it went. We try to be as self-sustaining as possible. And we loved the thought of becoming less dependent on our local Walmart for groceries. But the high prices of goats in our area always discouraged us.

Then, last month, I got a call from a dear friend (thanks again, Shana!) who knows someone who knows someone that was trying sell some of her dairy goats to down-size her herd. The price was unbelievably cheaper than any we had seen.

So prayed. 

And waited.

And prayed. 

And He answered.

The goats arrive this evening.  We are getting 2 mamas and 2 (bottle-fed) babies.   Imagine: our very own fresh milk, cheese, and yogurt! (I can't eat cow dairy products, but I can have dairy products from a goat, so this will be a real treat for me to finally be able to drink milk.)

We are beyond excited! I'm talking sleepless-nights-because-we're so-excited  excited.  :)

But my excitement has been tempered with some doubts..."Can I take care of goats?"  "Will I have time to milk twice a day?" and on and on...

So the research began - online and I also bought the book, Storey's Guide to Raising Dairy Goats, and read it cover to cover...several times. I have learned so much, but I know there is more to learn.

There was alot of work to be done to prepare for their arrival. My husband and children worked so hard to build the barn and put up the fencing. The entire project took about 2 weeks. Hubby would come home from work, eat, then head outside with the boys to work til dark.

  Here are some photos of the construction....

Planting the cedar posts.

The boys dug all six post holes in 2 hours! Love my men!  :)

The girls helped, too, by filling in the holes with dirt.

Roof is on, walls are framed, and windows are installed.

Ian loved using the circular saw.

Two stalls in the front, and a milking parlor in the back.

The boys built the gates for the stalls.

While discussing what type of barn to build, I casually mentioned that I have always loved Dutch doors.

My dear husband didn't just make one - he made two! (Love that man!)

A very sturdy milking stand.

Yay for electricity!  :) (My husband thinks of everything!)

 Putting up the fencing.

All finished.  I love it. this whole thing was truly a family project. Hubby even put me to work pulling electrical wire. Fun, fun!

Everything is ready, so

bring on the goats!

 

I'll be posting photos of our new family members as soon as possible.  But if you don't hear from me for awhile, don't worry. I'll be in the barn.  ;)

" You shall have enough goats' milk for your food,

For the food of your household,

And the nourishment of your maidservants." 

~Proverbs 27:27

Have a blessed day, everyone.

Sincerely, 

The Merry Milkmaid   ;)

Children are a Blessing

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, 

and the fruit of the womb is a reward."

~Psalm 127:3

Continuing to Pray for Noah...

If you haven't gotten an update about Noah lately, please check out the latest at the link on my right sidebar, or go here.

And please continue to pray for him and his family.

"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

~ Galatians 6:2

Blogging Without Obligation

Hi friends,

Hope you're having a marvelous Monday.   :)

As my life gets busier and blogging seems to get put on the back burner more and more, I often wonder how some mommy bloggers do it all...homemaking, homeschooling,  having a home business, being active in their local churches, etc, and on top of all that, writing a new blog post several times a week.

As I told one of my friends recently, I feel as if I'm treading water most of the time. In other words, I can manage to get all the needful things taken care of. But the extras, such as blogging, get neglected.

I have considered closing this blog, but a few of my friends have told me that it's a great encouragement to them.

So I have decided to continue to blog, but I will blog without obligation. In other words, I will not feel obligated to post several times a week. Or even once a week, if time doesn't permit. My husband and children are my first priority. And my ministry to younger women (via this blog) is second. (Titus 2:3-5)

I will post when I have something worthy to share. Something that will impart encouragement to the discouraged. Something that might help an overwhelmed young mother. Something that will make a sad reader smile.

I hope I don't lose any readers because of my lack of posts. I have made some wonderful friends through this blog. (You know who you are! *wink*) And I will try to stop by and visit you all as much as possible. :) But I must admit it's a relief to have made this decision. 

Until we meet again, my friends...may you have a truly blessed week in Him.

The Fairest of Them All

Some thoughts for today.....

The View From My Window

Hi friends,

Hubby and I have an east-facing bedroom,

so this is the first thing I see when I open my eyes in the morning....

You might be wondering, "They have a cross in their back yard?"

The answer is yes...and no. 

You see, when hubby built what we call "The Ark" (i.e. playground for the children)

in the backyard, he built this cross-shaped mast to attach the Zipline to.

But when the sunrise is just right, it's a beautiful reminder of Resurrection morning....when the cross was empty, obviously. But even more than that, the tomb was empty.

And it still is.

Go to the tombs of other "religious" leaders. You'll find their bones.

But we serve a risen Savior, my friends,

who will one day return to this earth to take His Bride

home to be with Him forevermore.

May we live light of His promised return.

And live in such a way that we will "not be ashamed before Him at His coming."

~ I John 2:28

linking up at The Modest Mom

February Daybook, 2013

February - yippee! A short month, then spring is just around the corner.  :)

For today, February 19, 2013.....

Outside my window...it's 52 degrees, sunny, with a beautiful blue sky. And cumulus clouds are floating on the wind.

I am thinking... about preparing supper. It's only 2:00 pm, but the children are reminding me that their hunger pains aren't far away.  ;)

I am thankful...for antibiotics. I stubbornly fought a sinus/ear infection for quite some time, before finally giving in and going to our family doctor. Help is on the way!

In the kitchen...we are growing rock candy.

I am wearing...a white top under a red top (love the layering thing) and a multi-colored peasant skirt - all treasures from my thrift store.

I am creating...bloomers for Natty for this summer. She has already grown out of the ones I made her last year.  :(

I am going...nowhere today. I LOVE stay-at-home-days!   :)

I am wondering... if Mimi will be ready for yr1 of Ambleside this September. Hmmm...still praying about that one.

I am reading..."Trusting God When Life Hurts" by Jerry Bridges.  Awesome book, and just what I need to be reading right now.

I am hoping...for a bountiful harvest from the veggie garden this year, with plenty of rain throughout the growing season. Last year it was too hot and dry to harvest much of anything.

I am looking forward to...planting peas at the end of the month.

I am learning...that using encouraging words with my children is a wonderful motivator.

Around the house...musical instruments are all over the couch. The children just finished practice and the house was filled with music. Love that.  :)

I am pondering...how our country has gone downhill so fast over the past four years. I used to wonder why the older generation (namely, my parents) worried so about our country. Now I realize that what they remember, is so far from what it is now. America is no longer in her glory days. How sad...especially for my children and grandchildren.

A favorite quote for the day..."The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety." ~ George Mueller

One of my favorite things...is hearing the laughter of my children as they play together.

A few plans for the rest of the week...school lessons, maybe a trip to the library, and, after my battle with this infection, getting some much-needed rest!

A peek into my day...

This is Asher having his morning devotions. Sometimes, when it's not cold enough to use the wood stove, we use the heat pump, which happens to be the case on this particular morning. Asher's response to not having  the warmth of the wood stove is to completely cover up with this blanket to keep warm. I guess you could call it his prayer tent.  :)

I hope your week is going wonderfully, friends!

linking up at The Simple Woman's Daybook