Summertime...

We took a week-long vacation at the end of June with all of my (Korrie) family. It was a great time, and here are some pics to prove it...

BLUEFISH, REDFISH

This is the story of Bluefish and Redfish. About a week before Easter our beta fish of approx. a year, named Bluefish, died. Korrie called me from work one Friday morning and told me to check the tank and see if Bluefish was alive. I did, he wasn't. Jesse came running in the living room and i asked myself what one of those cool, wise dad's from novels and movies that you wish you could be like would do in this situation. i hadn't a clue. So i brought Jesse over to the tank and showed her that Bluefish had died. We scooped him out together, then took him to the garden and buried him. Then we loaded up and went to the pet store to look for another beta. This time we got a red one, so as not to be confused with Bluefish, and appropriately she called him Redfish. When we got home later, she kept telling us to look at Redfish, Bluefish died. Then for about a week (and sometimes even still) she'd say out of nowhere-and especieally to guests- Bluefish died, now we have Redfish. When Easter Sunday came, i was a bit out of sorts and disappointed that we hadn't done more to explain why that day was so important and talk with her about Jesus, so i found our little kid's bible stories book and looked for the Easter story. not much there really for a kid's story. then i tried to explain, Jesus died and then God made him alive. Well she picked it up right away, Jesus Died! she said it over and over, and told Korrie several times. it took a bit longer to explain that now he was alive. when she first got it, she shouted, "Jesus Died!" and then got a grin on her face and leaned forward and whispered, "Now He's Alive!"

Where to go, when you need to go

The last few days have been full of excitment and trepidation. Buying diapers is so nearly a thing of the past. Zeke has been in cloth diapers for a couple months now and we're loving it. Jesse has just recently begun to go on the potty. She's great with #1 and has even gotten out of bed in the evening to go. #2 has been a difficult adjustment however. she did go once on her little seat, but not without fear and trembling and a few tears, though they were quickly replaced with joy and dancing at the group march to the commode for the ceremonial flush and the ensuing M&Ms. She didn't even try to go again for three days! When she did, she started in her diaper and we got her to the pot, but she refused to go, screaming and crying and shaking her head. so we put the diaper on again and went for a walk. when we came back, i was pushing her on the swing i built for her and she wanted down. she turned around and i bent down to give her a hug. as she squeezed my neck she began shaking and grunting. she then looked proudly over my shoulder at Korrie and announced "i pooping mommy!"
We've upped the ante to 5 m&m's for at least a try on the pot, we'll see where that gets us.

Four Years (and counting)

This is Korrie writing. Lee hasn't blogged in a while, and I hope it wasn't a passing fancy. Yesterday was our Four Year Anniversary - an event very deserving of capitals. It really is true that love grows; what I feel and think about Lee now is stronger and deeper than that June day four years ago. He continues to impress me, and occasionly butterflies happily whirl in my stomach on account of something he does. Ahhh...! As for how we celebrated, after my half day at the seminary and Lee's time at Subway we left the kiddos with my gracious mom-in-law (aka Nana) and took off for Nich-vegas. First stop, the new theater in town to see Ocean's 13. Very entertaining. The $5 Popcorn hit the spot, and the small coke was worth every penny of the $3.75. Next time I've got to smuggle in some mm's. Maybe I shouldn't admit that on a blog... Anyway, after the flick we ate at Sonny's BBQ. Man, the rib sampler was fantastic! It felt weird though, sitting in a humongous (sp?) booth, drinking out of enormous glasses, looking at the generally large population surrounding us, and then ordering lots of meat. It was one of those distinctly american moments. At any rate, the banana pudding was homemade and I recommend it as well. We returned home in time to quell Zeke and give Jesse her balloon (aka boon) - couldn't ask for much more in a date. And I certainly couldn't ask for more in a husband!

Bring on the Lard

the latest development to galvanize my dream of a sustainable farm is the discovery of the Weston A. Price foundation website. Dr. Price was a dentist in the early 19th century that decided to study native/indigenous people groups to understand why their cranial and facial development was superior, resulting in stronger, healthier, straighter teeth, naturally. He discovered that ALL of these groups consumed large amounts of Saturated Fats, that is animal fats. They also understood the benefits of raw milk and the consumption of vitamins A and D in the form of liver oil. Of these groups, those that had recently started consuming "western" diets of processed foods, their facial and dental structures suffered along with their overall health within as little as one generation.
The website is filled with studies that are largely overlooked by modern medicine and dentistry, as well as commentaries on the relationship between farming, health, the econcomy, big business, and how we got to where we are. The idea that our health is directly related to nutrition, not the "pyramid" of genetically engineered, extruded grains; hormone/antibiotic riddled meat; irradiated and "preserved" fruits and vegetables; and skim-milk (which used to be exclusively for the pigs) that has been ultrapasteurized and homogenized, has somehow been lost on the modern West. And that's just the food at the supermarket, to say nothing of the methods of growing and raising these foods, and the efforts of government agencies to support the degeneration of our food and land in the name of "health".
Needless to say, we've all added cod liver oil to our diets now and we're drinking non-homogenized milk, at least until we can find a raw milk provider, or get a jersey of our own. we are buying grass-fed, grass-finished beef, using lots of real butter, and thankfully going back to lard for cooking.
We are also spending a lot more money on food, which for me is a very difficult. But i've thought long and hard along these lines and if an ounce of prevention equals a pound of lard and a spoonful of cod liver oil, then i'm okay not spending all my money (in deductibles) on the "cures".

My Son

The other day i was driving to work, thinking about being away from my kids, wondering what they were doing while i was gone. my mind drifted to thoughts about being a father. sometimes reality hits you when you're unaware. things dawn on you, things you already knew, thought about, realized; you just realize them anew. being the father of a daughter is something i'm getting used to, learning about and enjoying. being father to a son is still freaking me out. he's wonderful, happy, smiley, talkative and strong. Ezekiel means "God strengthens" or "Whom God makes strong."
there are times when i am paralyzed by all the mistakes i could make, but most of the time i'm just in awe, thankful and excited about raising a boy and helping him become a man.
i feel an even closer kinship with my own father. i want to honor him and the way he raised me, helped me become a man. i pray, not enough, but i pray that the Lord makes me a good father, gives me wisdom and patience in raising my kids. it's too early to talk about the differences in raising a girl and a boy, but it feels different; scares me in different ways, makes me happy in different ways.

a dream

My dream is a simple one. my dream is to be simple, to live a simple life, to do simple things. i want to farm. that is, i want to live on a farm, raise my kids on a farm, go to work out my back door, eat all my meals at home, actually see the fruit of my labor, and do something i believe in. i've been researching sustainable farming and homesteading for about four years now. i've also followed land prices over that time. i designed a dream home and two barns, laid out the farm paddocks, looked into windmill well pumps, ponds, alternative energy sources, woodstoves, direct marketing livestock and anything else i could think of. so here's a peak at my dream:

i see a hand-hewn log home with a large family room, large kitchen and a dining room table that seats 12 so there's always room for friends and family. there's a small barn with equipment shed and a larger livestock barn to keep the Belgian draft horses and for milking the goats. there's a small orchard with apples and pears, a grape arbor, strawberry and blackberry patches and a half-acre garden for fresh veggies. there's one hill-side that's covered in wild flowers for Jesse.
Some Highland Cattle are grazing in the field beside a stand of trees. To me, Highlands are the perfect combination of smarts, looks, size and hardiness. they're a very gentle, long-haired breed of cattle from the rugged highlands of Scotland. they are considered a heritage breed since they haven't changed or been "improved" like the commercial breeds. their hair provides a layer of warmth and protection, thus they don't carry the extra layer of fat and suffer less from diseases and parasites that plague many commercial breeds. they are also excellent mothers and calf easily.


in the pasture nearby are a few sheep. there are two breeds i'm thinking about. the first is the Scottish Blackface, which are also a hardy breed from Scotland. they are "hair" sheep and their wool is popular with fiber artists, rug makers and the finest grades go into the famous Harris tweeds.
the other contender for sheep breed is the Dorset. they are a dual-purpose breed, good for both wool and meat.
both breeds have some appeal , though the Dorset is much more popular and thus, available.

in a pen beside the livestock barn there are a few goats frollicking. the Nigerian Dwarf goat is a smaller breed of milk goat that many people keep as pets. they are cute, fun and great milkers for their size. i hope that we can make cheese and soap from goats milk.

i also see a couple of Tamworth hogs rooting around, preparing the garden, cleaning up brush for new pasture and making everyone laugh. they are touted as the best homestead pig for their easy going nature, their lean meat and their personality. they're also a heritage breed that hasn't been affected by commercialization.

Of course we can't forget the chickens!! Barred Rocks are prodigious brown egg layers. they have long been a favorite of farmers. i like their look and hope to have plenty of eggs to sell. i also want to try raising broilers on pasture in "chicken tractors." i've done quite a bit of research on pastured poultry and the health benefits as well as quality and taste of the meat appear very impressive.

i think about the farm everyday, and every day i have to go to work for someone else is motivation to work even harder to realize my dream. Someday i will walk out my back door, collect eggs, move chickens, hitch up the Belgians to mow hay, spend the afternoon repairing fence, piddle in the barn, and eat food i raised and grew for dinner.