Transition

Extremely excited?
Extremely scared?

I've been wavering somewhere between those two emotions the past couple of weeks, never really sure which one was winning.

Why? My Karl and I decided to take a step of faith with our lives. Due to some board decisions at his arena job which he could not reconcile being part of with being a believer, he resigned.
We've been talking for years about making the farm our sole income, but have put it off, knowing we needed a bit more financial stability first. Now we've taken the plunge. Going into the farm full time at the beginning of the season when there is no income doesn't make much sense, but we are trusting that this is what God has called us to for the moment. Won't it be an exciting ride?!
We've also made some decisions about the farm that leave me wondering how things will go from here. We've dropped our organic status, meaning that while we will not change the way we farm we can no longer advertise as organic. What this also means is the end of huge stacks of meaningless paperwork twice a year, keeping a fair amount of money in our own pockets each year, and much more freedom in how we do things. We think we'll actually be able to farm more sustainably without the organic certification. For instance, I'm excited to be able to compost without having to track (with receipts and such) the certified organic orgin of every orange peel, egg shell or apple core included. And to not have to write for permission every time I want to apply said compost.

If you want to know more, my Farmer Husband has started a blog of his own to chronicle our adventure. I'm sure he'd love for you to stop by and say hi at http://stonysoil.blogspot.com.

I do think the extreme excitement is beginning to win as we look forward to seeing how God directs us as we walk in faith.

Spring Cleaning

Due to my blood clot, I'm not getting as much of it done as I would like, but I'm amazed at how much "free" time I have when I hand the girls each a cloth and container of water

and tell them they're allowed to wash their house!

HOURS of fun!

I can't be certain...

but I think they enjoyed making cookies with me!

First Flowers of Spring

On our walk a few days ago we discovered a long awaited event had occurred. The flowers had arrived!

These first ones were just pussy toes,

but the next day the dandelions came!

Heidi proudly showed me her bounty...

and Hannah, just as proud, showed me her chunk of mud.

Our Little Farm Hand

Heidi spent the day with Daddy yesterday. It was great fun to see her tromping along beside him as he busily got the farm ready for spring. At one point they came for the gas can and I can only imagine she asked to help carry it, for when I looked out the window she was holding his hand and walking, pulling the wagon with the gas can in it with her other hand.

Later, I looked out the window and saw this: Apparently Karl had been cultivating and Heidi got to ride. He said she had been singing away as they went around the garden.

She informed me that Daddy let her drive too. He had let her take the lines in front of him and go around with the harrows a couple of times. "They went when I said 'Giddy up' and when I said 'whoa' they stopped!"

Just don't anyone tell her she's a wee bit smaller than the beasts. She really does think she's the boss 'o them and issues commands with all the authority in the world.

Big Sister Loves Baby

I have been truly enjoying having a child old enough to know what's going on this pregnancy. How fun to share with Heidi the joys of anticipating a new babe and to see pregnancy through her eyes.
She's been making plans as usual and I love hearing her thoughts on all we need to have and do before Baby arrives. It started somewhere around the end of the first trimester. We were washing dishes together when suddenly she burst out, "We're going to have to buy a new sippy cup, Momma!" I was afraid she had broken something at first, but when asked why, she responded, "For the baby." Oh, I guess I wasn't really thinking that far ahead yet. From there the list grew: a new bed, a new high chair, plate, nob (her name for pacifiers which I've never used), blankets, pillow, teddy bear, rattle, and so on, all the essentials for a baby.
She is insistent we are having another little girl. When she first learned of Baby she prayed for a little brother. Then it came out that her plan was to marry him when they grew up. Once she learned that wasn't really an option she immediately began to pray for a girl. She always refers to Baby as a girl and refuses to listen when I tell her God might give us a boy. She quickly reminds me, "But I choose a GIRL baby!" I hope she's paying at least a bit of attention when I tell her it's God who gets to choose, not us.
She's also insistent that she needs to be allowed to name the baby. When last I asked her what she would choose if she were given such a privilege, she confidently replied, "Chunk, if it's a girl. Pond, if it's a boy. But it's a girl, so Chunk." I remind her that Daddy and I named she and Hannah and this baby will get the same treatment, even if we are stuck for girls' names.
One of my favorite things was her discovery that Baby could hear her already, and that sometimes Baby responds by kicking. Now she's talking to my tummy all the time. She loves to "make up different languages" to talk to baby in or just to run up to me and say, "I love you Baby!" Lately she's started sneaking up to me then loudly saying a random word like, "bicycle" or "sewing machine", then giggling and asking, "Did Baby kick you, Momma?" What delights me most is when Heidi decides to sing to Baby. The other day we were cuddling in bed and she sang a precious song so gently to Baby I just had to record it:

Little Baby don't cry
Let the sun come out to play
I will hold you little Baby
When the first stars come out to shine
I will put you in your cradle
I will stroke you
I love you little Baby

My Little Seamstress

A few weeks ago (before the blood clot) Heidi and I spent one of Hannah's nap times choosing a pattern and cutting out her sparkly red wedding dress. The one she's been requesting for quite awhile and now I'm not sure when it will ever get done. I gave her the scraps and she quickly set up shop with her sewing machine. It doesn't work, but you would never be able to guess that from the hours she spent happily making dresses for her baby.

I look forward to sewing side by side with her!

Planting Seeds

Today it was time to start planting and once again I had some great help!

Preparing the Soil

The girls and I got ready to start seeds in the greenhouse yesterday. I'm thrilled to have potting soil left over from last year so I don't have to tie up my oven with dirt right now - not really something I could do with a blood clot anyway. All we had to do was fill our trays with planters and fill the planters with dirt. I had lots of willing help!

I told Heidi she was a good farmer. She made me laugh as she vehemently countered, "I am not a farmer, I am a farmer's WIFE!" Then, laughingly corrected herself, "Actually, a farmer's daughter".

Hannah enjoyed the dirt, but it was really the sand on the floor of the greenhouse that caught her attention.

I think we're all excited to be working in the dirt again.

Enjoying Spring

Our Easter

The girls got some fun treats in celebration of our Lord's Resurrection. Favorite among them were their new sippy cups, but second on the list was for sure the jelly belly bracelets I had strung together for them. Candy? In our pajamas!?! So exciting!!!

After church we had an impromptu potluck and gathering of three families at a friend's house. It was wonderful to be together with friends and just bring what we each had to share rather than be concerned about it in advance.

The girls enjoyed exploring their farm,

and really enjoyed getting to see real lambs on Easter.

What a wonderful day!

Easter Eggs

We spent Saturday evening dying eggs as a family - I quickly realized how wise I had been to wait until Daddy could be there to join us, all those colored liquids are exciting!

Karl made me get into a picture just to prove I exist.

Hannah just wanted to stir and stir.

How Helpful

I couldn't stand the grime on my windows anymore yesterday. Laying on the couch looking out them all day made me very aware of their sorry state. I got up and quickly had Heidi help me wash the three most visible ones. Just as I was finishing, I turned to see Heidi running her hand over a freshly washed pane. I had known it would happen, but laughingly said, "Can't they stay clean for at least five minutes?"
"Oh, okay, Momma," came the reply in her sweetest, most compliant voice, "You tell me when it has been five minutes and then I will touch the windows."