Summertime, Summertime, Sum-Summer-Summertime...

is for camping out in the trailer...

wearing sweet sunglasses....

rowing boats....

beautiful flowers...

hanging out at the lake...

dressing up...

and, can't forget, eating ice cream!!!

a Month of Wednesdays

Our house has been on the market now for a month, officially. And consistently a party has requested to see it each. Wednesday. afternoon or evening. Some may call it a coincidence, but after 4 wednesday showings in a row I'm certain it's a God thing.
Today we had 2 showings, 1 party who came through last week. wednesday. So the interest is there, we're just waiting in God for his plan.
Much love and rejoicing,
C.

The Chunk

The Grimster is growing! Beginning of May he was gelded, he'll be weaned soon. 6 months old next week. You love to be groomed and still have to shed your winter woolies, but overall you're doing good, colt!

My Baby

Has such heart for "little" animals. And my goodness, do I love her for it!

FarMin a Fence

As the weather grew warmer, the horses grew more restless within their small "dry lot" that kept them captive through the winter months. They've long ago eaten anything of value, and with the wet spring they were anxious to move. The one other pasture we've had is in the trees, and I'm very careful to make sure they don't overeat the grass in there - once they eat it down too far, it's hard to get it back.

So T and I set out to fence in this area, about 4-5 acres, with aims to fence in the entire perimeter in the near future. The pasture isn't great, but it's better than nothing and they can get out and run. Something Grimmie fiercely needed.

We first connected their current pasture to the pasture in the trees. They had escaped the dry lot a few weeks ago, tearing down the latches in the back of the dry lot and running through the trees. Our neighbor tracked down T, and he anxiously called me announcing their status. The girls and I drove to the barn, and the horses ran up to the truck. Needless to say, they knew they were out and had done something wrong. So when we opened the back of the dry lot and told them to check it out, they ran - thinking they were free. They ran from fenceline to fenceline, unsure about the changes (fence construction) that had occurred since they last were in the area. I love to watch them run.

T and I took a couple of days to put in posts, with the aid of my dad for childcare and general labor. I was scared of the corner braces, but after the first we got the hang of it...we think. Anyway, they haven't fallen down yet.

This area took an entire day to dig. To the left is a large gravel hill, and then an even larger hole that they grabbed gravel from for our driveway. We decided, for some odd reason, that this would be the perfect place for a gate. And yes, the rock in front of the gate was 2' down in the ground, before we hit it with the auger, then dug it out by hand. After hitting 2-3 boulders, 7 hours of digging (mostly by hand), and many *smaller* rocks, we were beat.

This is one of the edges of the fence. We chose Premier 1's Intellibraid and Intellirope, 2 strands of each. They are meant to be electrified, but we haven't gotten around to that yet. So far, the horses respect it. *knock on wood* :)

Good fences make good neighbors, we hope. We all have been spending more time out at the property, and we feel at peace there. My mom passed along a blog the other day, www.aholyexperience.com. On there Ann wrote a notable quote:

"God gives green space to the Mamas needing heart space."

That sums up my love affair with our property, with nature. The calming effect it has on my heart. My passion to teach my girls the how to enjoy God's creation, how to treat it with respect and tend it and watch it grow - and how it comes more natural when we are out in open spaces than when cooped up in the house, and even outside in the yard. The unbeatable glorious mess that welcomes us when we venture through the tree lined lane and out into the field, and it just. feels. right. Day by day, day by day Lord, we trust in you. Knowing that you will give us what we need to keep going. This land is proof of that.

Wez Dun Did Move Our House

T borrowed a sliding fifth wheel hitch to try with our trailer. So during this glorious bit of rain Monday night we decided to try a new spot. I don't know about you, but we kinda like it.

That's hot...

**FarM disclaimer: for those of you worried, this is not really our house. Merely our portable home that is conveniently located on our property for naps, escape from the wind, sun, and rain when needed.**

Happy Mother's Day!!!

From one mother to another, Happy Mother's Day!

Being a mother is a Blessing, a huge undertaking, but one I love. I hope and pray that every mother receives the encouragement to keep going strong today!

Here's the girls last week. Adalynn, the horse lover, insisted that her baby horse needed a picture too.

This picture is likely my favorite of them at this point in time.

Derby Day, yesterday, Nana made us some great hats to celebrate in. Girls, never lose your willingness to celebrate!

Today, girls, even while fighting me for pictures (Keely) and even when I discovered my camera was on the wrong setting during the good pictures, you are still a blessing to me.

Thank you

always and forever

for being my girls.

Spring at the Ms

is happening in full force. Fences are going up, Allergies are being fought, and the Animals are multiplying. (no, not like that. t's addicted to chickens - i think an intervention is in order).

sorry for the quick post, I'll update more later. Just wanted to check in, and say we love y'all, even though we haven't been here lately!

Adalynn's Prayer (CMT Worthy)

"Dear Jesus,
Thank you for this food, and for our beautiful trailer.
Amen."

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WooHoo!

because I can, that's why. Really.

A couple of updates in the House of M:

We have duckies.

And still have duckies, despite Banks' desire for them to reside in his belly.

My garden is up and coming. I picked up a bunch (set?) of onions at Family Farm and Home this past weekend. Sweet! And they are planted. Double Sweet!

On a not-so-sweet note, the Brocolli that I attempted to start from seed semi-fainted this past weekend. I pushed the 2 plants outside in a moment of bravery. We'll see if they make it.

The girls and I braved the weather at the FarM this morning.

Seriously. Love. Little. Kids. Boot. Feet.

They LoVe the swingset. Evidently so does the cat.

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This not-so-little monster is growing like a WeeD. I need to find time to work with him, and recently signed up for a 1-month free trial of RFDTV (are we hick now?) to learn about how to work with him. He's a smartie, he'll get it. It's more me I'm worried about.

FarMin a Swing, Swing!

As anyone who lives in Michigan can attest, this past Saturday convinced us Spring has arrived - and gave us hope that someday warmer, dryer weather will appear. Then Sunday happened, and the weather was surely consistent with Michigan Spring Weather...a mix of rain, sleet, and snow with wet-cold written all over it. bummer.

So what day do you suppose the FarM picked to install a swingset? Sunday! Of Course!

T, the girls' and I drove over to the FarM about 11 (we missed church because the girls' have colds...this weather SO helped...not...) and cooked out for lunch.

At least it didn't rain during while we were cooking...

Improvisation - the name of the game. Good thing that anything tastes good over an open fire. We made Tonkas (aka Hobo Pies) with tomato sauce, seasoned ground beef, and the occasional string cheese standin for real cheese (which i forgot in the fridge at home). And accompanied this hunky sandwich with homemade AppleSauce.

I didn't find the PAM until after the first Tonka was toasted. It takes a little bit to get into the swing of camping again, gimme a break.

The second turned out well. And the third. And then we ran out of bread...oops!

It didn't matter too much, soon the swingset arrived. For Christmas Opa and Oma bought the girls' swingset stuff. We are super excited to have this out there for them. They have been such troopers this winter, hanging out while we feed and clean.

Marshmallows amused the girls while we constructed.

And it's up!

In lieu of a working circular saw, why NoT use a chainsaw?

So pretty! The slide is still coming, as well as a climbing wall for the far side, some rings for the middle, and a rope climbing net (or something) for the near end. But the girls (and mommy and daddy) now have swings and steps! And with a swingset this size, they'll grow into it for years!

Eventually we'll probably line it with trees and fill it with sand, or something of the sort. But for now, the surrounding mud will lessen a fall. Thanks Opa and Oma and Uncle Ryan!

Our House is for Sale and other trivial tidbits

So, it's been a little busy around the M household. T took a trip to KY with some friends for a long weekend, leaving the girls, FarM and I to fend for ourselves...about the same time that Grimmie decided to get hurt, the water pump at the barn broke twice, I picked up extra hours and work, and I was trying to ready the house to put "For Sale by Owner" signs out front.

Anyway, everyone lived (by the grace of God) and we are doing well. T is in classes for his basic EMT certification, A is in gymnastics, and K and I are hangin' out and lovin' life.

Since I have been saying for the last ... oh, 2 years? that I would show pictures of the house (particularly basement) once done, I thought today is the perfect day to make good on those promises.

The outside of our home, sweet home.

Living Room:

Girls' Bedroom:

Master Bedroom:

Master Bathroom:

Dining Room and Front Hallway:

Kitchen:

And that's the upstairs...except for pictures of the girls' bathroom, but it's just that - a bathroom with a tub. And no windows, so the pictures turn out notoriously horrible.

Onto the basement...all of the rooms down here turned out like giants built them. The laundry room and bathroom are huge, and the rec room is gargantuan. Really, no kiddin.

Laundry Room:

Bathroom: (that T loves, and in fact, has moved into)

Bedroom/Office: (with french door entry)

Rec Room 1: (note wet bar in the back corner)

and Rec Room 2: (note chalkboard wall on the right)

In all, our home has turned out well. We really enjoy the space, and if it was located on our 16 acres I believe we'd be a lot closer to perfect. But, reality is that the drive over to the property twice a day wears on the girls and I, and even T in the winter when all water is gone in the pasture, the water on the outside of the pasture is frozen and then after we've poked holes in the ice the water pump dies...or the hose is frozen...ah, the joys! I feel awful about leaving the girls in the car during feeding times. I know, right now, that we are ok where we are at and we are so thankful for this home that God has given us. But we also feel that God has big plans for our property, and we know that we want to share what God has provided us with as many people as we can. And grow animals, and share that. And grow vegetables, and share that. And we feel that God is behind us, helping and guiding us. So, in that light, we have posted for sale signs in our front yard and are praying. And we thank you for your prayers! We'll keep you updated, every step of the way!

(ps...which, for the tally, we have had:

1 person drive really slowly by ...

1 person e-mail ....

23 people view it through our QR code ...

i don't know how many people see it on Craigslist ...

and 33 people check it out on zillow.com

just so you know i'm true to my word, i'll keep ya in the loop)