April 13th Snow Levels

The plan is to retake these pictures next week and compare snow levels. 

Fluff Had Kittens!

Above the ceiling in the straw bale house!!  There are at least 3. Two orange and white and one black and white. 

Our International Ambulance :)

The Sign

The start anyway. Papa and I are talking about adding the number on the front and Family Homestead under it, each on their own slab. Kids and I talked about adding flowers under and on top of each post. Our slow kids sign is going bye bye too as soon as we can find a replacement. 

On a totally different note. We saw our first robins of the year today!! Yay. A whole flock of them! 

House Update

So work on the house has re-started. Papa has; put in these lovely doors (master bedroom and bathroom), 

And this bedroom door, 

Built this wall and installed the electrical panel and doors (still need staining but he wanted to make sure they fit), 

Here it is from the kitchen side, 

Built all the interior walls :) (this picture is looking into the two side by side bathrooms and the master bedroom down at the end. The door on the right is the on-suite bathroom door.)  

Here is looking the other way, before the bathroom wall split that space in two. 

And I took all the doors off the kitchen cupboards and removed the hardware and started sanding them (loving the belt sander btw) 

I've got the first rough sanding on the doors, and a couple small cabinets, done. Next job a fine sanding on the doors and staining the doors. Painting the cabinets needs to wait until we get a bit warmer temperatures. Oh and this is not the final placing of the kitchen cupboards. :) The sink is in its spot though :) 

We also spent a day in the city buying supplies, researching others and stocking up on groceries and buying needed footwear for kids :). The kids are still doing school full time and so my time is split between the daily grind and the sanding. 

This week we'll be working on plumbing, wiring and kitchen doors. 

Some of the supplies we got in the city. I'll admit I'm super excited about toilets, light fixtures and all of the little things that make up a house! 

G's Quilt, Finally.

Look who has been sleeping under her new quilt since Saturday :) Little Miss G has a long ways to grow before she'll outgrow this one :) 

The Vitamin Man :)

My boys had a blast making faces with my vitamins the other day :) Super cute little man don't ya think? 

Baking Days.

Thursday and Friday are my prep days, the days I try and make all the things we eat for the next weeks meals, and I rotate meals/buns/ goodies and make lots and freeze the extras. It's a system I just started and so far I love it. Here is the baking I did yesterday and today :) 

I made my baked oatmeal recipe times 9. No joke! One mix up of 5 and then one of 4.  Made 48 baked oatmeal muffins and put 3 large 9x13 pans in the freezer. Neat trick I just learned. Put bakers paper in the pan, than your stuff, cover with wrap and freeze, take out of pan, bag up and label, and put it back in the freezer...when it's time to eat just put it in the pan and bake! BONUS the pans just need a quick wash instead of a deep clean when your done :) 

Here's the recipe..

2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup brown sugar, I do less 
1 tsp cinnamon 
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup melted butter
2 tsp baking powder
3 cups oats
1/2 a cup raisins or craisins 

Mix it all up and bake for about 30 minutes at 350 

If you want a 9x13 pan full, double it! That's a meal for my crew :)

It can be a little hard to get the frozen stuff out of glass dishes. I placed mine upside down, inside the bag I was going to freeze it in and set it in the sun. About 20 minutes is all it took and the glass popped right off and I could take the pan out and label and freeze the meal. Part of the problem was I trimmed the bakers paper too short and couldn't get a good hold on it to pull out the meal. Leave it long and fold it over! This picture was before I trimmed it. Yes I made the lasagna with homemade cottage and cheddar cheese, only the Parmesan cheese was store bought.  I use little noodles so it's easier for the kids to eat, no cutting needed, and cheaper! These lasagnas need the cheese on top and they are done! 

Yesterday I put 3 lasagnas in the freezer and today 3 baked oatmeals using the same pans :) I've done this with 9x9 pans and 9x13 pans. Less waste than tinfoil pans and stack easy in the freezer. I learned this neat trick from a Momys on my Momys.com board! Oh and this can be THM too if you use a approved sugar :) 

Picture Wall Re Do.

I had a couple spare minutes a couple of days ago and I re did our photo wall. Looks good hey? Missing a few people though! 

Grandma and Grandpa Griggs, Grandma your picture fell behind the bookshelves and it didn't seem right to put Grandpa's up without yours. Please this time could we get one of you two together? :) (Don't worry about M I got ideas for her ;) ) 

Missing 3 nieces...pretty sure the two sisters are my fault. Their mom is really good about giving me pictures of them and I must have misplaced them. Please may I have a new one? :) Please! I looked and looked and I can't find them! 

Missing Niece M. I have a mission for you :) I would really like a picture of you and your mom together :) 

So you have my permission to nag your mom (and grandma and grandpa into taking them) and please get me a new picture? :) 

Several of my siblings and their loves are missing from my wall and I'd love updated pictures of you all! 

Moms I would also love a picture of Great Grandpa and Granny for the wall. I have a old one of Granny but I'd love a new one. 

Several aunts and uncles never responded to my first wall call... But we still love you and we'd love to have your pictures for our wall! 

There are numerous cousins who aren't present on my wall.....hint hint hint! :) 

There is a certain family of four in Montana that I need a new picture of :) Please :) Ours was very old and now I have none :( 

Also a H family of 5 in Alberta needs to send me one with their not so new baby included :) 

Oh and there is a lovely family of 4 in PG that have been slacking as I've not seen a single family picture of them yet! Get to it A and M and get one to me while your at it :) 

D, now that you'll see L for a bit would be the perfect time to take a new family picture and pass it along :) 

There is a wonderful mom raising 3 beautiful girls, L that's you!, who I need a picture from :) 

Oh and a certain M family of 8..... :) 

I think I lost the one from the C family, so if I could get another that would be wonderful :) 

The B family of 5 in B.L. is present on my wall but it's an old picture...hint hint! 

Oh yeah and a certain K family of 7 is missing :( I do have a very cute baby picture but I'd love a family picture. 

Hmm I'm sure there were more.....but I'll just put it this way... If you love us send us a picture :) We'd love to see you up on our wall :) 

You can send them by snail mail, email or even just tag me on fb :) See it's easy! Love to you all! 

Thanks in advance! ;) 

B

Thankful Thursday March 13th?

Hmm you know your busy when you remember the month, hey I've even been writing 2014 lately, but not the day! I know Monday was the 10th and today I'm writing a thankful Thursday post so I'm pretty sure it's Thursday but boy does it feel like Friday! Anyway I digress. 

Today I'm thankful for our thankful book. After family devotions Papa writes what we are thankful for in a black book that sits by the table. I love that we are thankful for something every day and we get to share it with each other. 

Mud. The snow is melting! 

Lard..

This is a midway done picture..30 quarts and 6 litres and 9 containers of cracklings. 

I'm thankful for sunshine and snuggles and baby smiles.

 

I'm thankful for little boys who love their sisters.

And green flannel jackets..

I'm also thankful for pencil crayons and projects...

I'm thankful for fun in the snow.

And that E wasn't hurt too badly..

And projects finished 

And that Papa has the month of April off :) 

For days out...G eating worms and dirt on our last city trip. She shared with J and they both got enough! Yum! 

Oh and the birthday girl!! 

But she gets her own post :) 

Happy Thursday all!