Lots to share by way of updates. Where to begin...
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Had a wonderful Mother's Day!!! Natalia "got it" this year and was in full Mother's Day mode all weekend. She could hardly wait for me to open the card she had made at school and the picture she had painted in Art Class. Super cute!!!...and there is just something about the fact that none of it was mommy-initiated. I was soaking it up. My hubby watched the kids all day Saturday so that a friend and I could have a GIRL's DAY OUT. And believe me, we had so much fun I came home at 8 o'clock and promptly went to bed, I was completely tuckered out! I think we went to 12 places!!!!! (I think it should become a Mother's Day weekend tradition...) So, not only did he bless me by giving me the day off, on Sunday morning he and the kids made breakfast for me and let me sleep in, AND he washed dishes and cleaned up the kitchen all weekend.
I know. He's a keeper!
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Our first batch of chicks are now 2 weeks old and have taken up residence in the pasture pen.Here they are on Day 1:
...and on Day 14--growin' like weeds!!!
Interesting poultry factoid: humans aren't the only creatures who struggle with gluttony!
These birds are a bit like teenage mutants in that they are bred to grow so rapidly they are finished at 6-7 weeks. So it's no surprise that they eat constantly. Joel Salatin calls them high octane birds...and they certainly are!
We've been vigilantly monitoring the brooder box temperature several times a day, checking to see if they're happy, and have been thrilled that we haven't lost a single bird! So it came as a worrysome surprise when on Day 10 we suddenly discovered they all had a bulge on the lower side of their neck.
Immediately we went online and searched for input. (What did people do before computers?!)
THEY WERE GORGING THEMSELVES SICK! And they actually can die prematurely if left to their own devices!
So we took away their food overnight and immediately the bulge went away. (They have a pre-stomach called the "crop", and when it is empty they eat. Well, their stomach was full AND their crop was full to the point that they were bloated!) No more bedtime snacks, you feather-brained birds!
Tonight I snapped a few more pics of them now that they are out in the pasture.
Can you pick out Adam in the picture above? (He likes to "herd" the egg laying hens with a stick.)Batch 2 is in the brooder until we pick up Batch 3 in two weeks. (We've got 4 batches lined up almost back to back to take advantage of the optimal weather for growing these birds before it gets too hot.)
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There are less than 4 weeks of school left for Pete and Natalia. Whoo hoo! Though I know Natalia will be really sad and miss her teachers and friends. I'm thankful for the friendships she's made as well as the moms I've gotten to know, mainly through the prayer group that meets each week. And so many of those families live within 5 minutes of our house, so I'm confident we'll plan some time together this summer.
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My eating and exercise goals have been going well. I've lost a few more pounds in the last weeks, and I'm much more motivated, thanks to finding some like-minded friends to keep me accountable. Just as important are the things God is showing me through the book my mom and I are reading together and discussing weekly. I will continue to recommend MADE TO CRAVE by Lysa TerKeurst wherever I go, because while it's geared mainly toward taking care of our bodies in a way that is healthy and glorifies God, it can be applied to whatever issue we're struggling with and the desires/cravings that motivate us.
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Preparations for our trip to POLAND this summer are going well. I have my new passport, found a dress for the wedding, and an AWESOME pair of flipflops that are the most comfortable thing I've ever worn in my entire life (OOFOS, from RBShap). I struggle with pain in my lower legs and feet if I don't have super cushiony heeled footwear with lots of arch support. And while I would go barefoot for most of the year if I could, flip flops are typically horrible for your feet and spine. I am now in flip flop heaven...
3 comments:
My hubby just told me tonight that he's giving me a day off at the end of our school year for me to celebrate however I wish. Do you want to know the first thing I asked him?
I asked if I could go to a homeschool material consignment shop that day?
Am I pathetic or what?
I think I'll need to come up with some better plans. :)
Hurray for comfortable shoes!
My mom and I went to the Dansko outlet on Monday. I wasn't planning to buy anything, but then I tried on a pair of sandals. And I decided that it's dumb to be wearing support-less pieces of foam when I could be wearing those. :) I'm like you... my back and hips hurt when I wear bad shoes!
I know I've said it before, but I'm so fascinated with your chicken raising.
I gotta get that book! I have not been having a very successful experience with weight loss after the first ten came off. I'm feeling pretty discouraged.
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