Of daily life, updates, and chores...

Hello all,
It has been busy. We are finishing up the first home school year. It is going splendidly! It is amazing to see our Luke learn to read this year. And he is a natural at math. Yay! Daphne wants to be like brother, so she sits and does workbooks as well. She is learning about following instruction and doing a job thoroughly. We are blessed with the opportunity and freedom to teach our children. We are also blessed with several friends who home school too.

We are also planning to plant our garden this weekend. Yes, I said this weekend. Most people will plant around here between Mother's Day and not later than Memorial Day. The ladies from our co-op said that planting should take place just before, or at, Father's day! It is because of Sandy's elevation. I was told that our home is even higher and get's even colder weather. I asked what tomatoes I should plant. Several ladies rolled their eyes, and said tomatoes are a treat and don't make it every year. They told me to try them, but to stick with potatoes, peas, beans, squash, and everything green. Good news is we are near the top of a small hill. So there is lots of sun (when the sun is out). I'm hoping this does well to grow our garden.

The bad news is we haven't fenced the garden off. The previous owners did not. I don't see how they didn't. We have rabbits, deer, geese, and elk on the property. I am hoping our little garden makes it until the fence goes up!

We are blessed with all this wonderful work. We love it! We get to spend family time doing chores. There is working, singing, teaching, teaching moments (for parents too), and laughter. We could not be happier! Ryan thought that having a farm would mean more work for him, and less time with the children. But, in fact, it has been more time with family, doing farm work.

Here is our chore list:
Complete chicken coop
Put up children's swing set (We are in the market for one and would love one used)
Repair 4 wires of electric fence on 3, one acre pastures.
Fence garden
Cut down large tree in back yard
Trim up all trees and bushes in back yard
Clean exterior of shop, barn, woodshed, and house
Go to the woods and collect firewood for this winter
Buy 1-2 cords of wood from neighbor
Pressure wash all fencing, outbuildings and 5 acres long driveway
Re-seal driveway
Seal the roof of the shop

Then there is my list:
Organize all closets
Go through children's clothes and pull out the donates
Mail the clothes going out to several friends and family
Figure out a summer schedule for chores
Cleaning out toys in children's rooms
Look into buying bulk gluten-free, peanut-free, oat-free flour
Planting/maintaining garden
Burn the burn pile

And then all the day-to-day things. Home-schooling, cleaning, cooking, laundry, vacuuming, weeding, cutting the lawn, dusting, etc...

Then when this is all done, we get cows in September. Wahooo!

Really it is going to be a schedule that is important. But, I don't know how life will look. So I find I'm making a schedule and re-vamping it over and over. I really like a schedule. Maybe I'll post of the schedule when it is completed. I'll have to put that on the schedule : )