Meet the Farmer

This man.
There is no other like him. I can't even convey how much I love him. It brings me to tears when I think of who he is, what he does and who he will be. He works tirelessly for our family.
 Never stopping short.
 Ever.

He hits the floor in the morning makes coffee and gets going on the day. He NEVER stops.

He is a self proclaimed nerd. He loves gadgets, techy things and learning.
He loves rock music.
He can build a website and replace the brakes on his truck.
He loves the news.
He is the smartest man I know.  Ask him anything and he will likely have the answer. Seriously, he knows everything from pop culture to politics.

He has strong shoulders that lifts up a sleeping Jameson off the sofa at night as he says "come on Bud"
It melts me.

He has a soft heart and will crack a smile when he hears Madalyn calling "daddy... daddy.." when she doesn't know where to find him.
Sometimes, not often, he will get the giggles and laugh uncontrollably as tears stream down his face.
When he turns his hat backwards I know that he just got tougher.. and sexier and things are about to get real.
There is just something about turning your hat backwards that makes you smarter and stronger.
He hates washing silverware, but does the dishes almost every night.

He is happiest when he is on the tractor or working outside.
He not only believes in Jesus he loves and prays to Him.

He has owned 18 vehicles.. which is a lot given that he is only 33.

He loves bacon and prime rib.

I love when he fires up the chainsaw... mmm the smell of sweaty saw gas and wood chips

All of that chainsaw goodness with a hat backwards..umm yes please.
He cleans up nice with a button up and tie although I prefer work pants, sweaty shirt and work gloves.

He knows just what to say and when to say it, but he also knows when to just not say anything.
He is a very humble man and you will never find him tooting his own horn or wishing all eyes are on him. 
If you ask how his day was he will reply without fail "it was ok"

Not every day is rainbows and unicorns or peaches and cream.
Some days I want to poke him in the eye with a sharp stick.
Oh and before you get all worked up I know sometimes he wants to do the same to me. Hello, have you met me? I can be a little difficult and I like to have things my way ") which he mostly gives me.




I never imagined how much I could love another human until I really got to know him because
believe it or not when I first met him I wasn't a fan. Not even a little.
And he thought I was a snob.
The very same things I didn't like about him are the things I love about him now.
His strut. His tough guy attitude. His backwards hat.

 I pray for him everyday.
I ask The Lord to "bless his day" every morning when I pull out of the driveway.
 Big things are in store for The Farmer and I will be his by his side every step forward and every step backwards. No matter how steep the hill we will climb it together.. him with his hat backwards.

Blessed is me...

2 years at the Kraft Dairy

Tomorrow marks the 2nd year since we signed ownership papers of the former Kraft Dairy. It has been 2 years full of hard work, love, rotten walls, projects, animals, stress, washing dishes by hand and so much more. I feel like I have lived here my whole life. I love to drive up our long gorgeous driveway past the stable, past the milk house and barn where I park in front of our tiny little home with just enough room. I can't even explain how much I love living here.

 

Since moving here we have:

Gotten some new additions to our family.

 Duke our border collie was a gift from the Cowan family to Jameson for helping take care of all the Jersey heifers at Papa Moo's house. He has been a great pup and Bella tolerates him. Duke likes Jer the best and whines at the window if he can't be outside with Jer.

Add 3 foster chickens to our 12 chickens and 1 duck plus 16 foster rabbits!

 Done a few projects. These are my two favorite.

Built and planted a garden

 

Watch the sunrise many times. 

I am still in awe at how beautiful it is coming up over the mountains.

Learned how to shoot a gun

 worked the fields on the tractor and ran through the puddles in barn boots

Celebrated one Christmas

Washed A LOT of dishes by hand looking out this window

(not such a bad view)

Found some confidence

The Farmer built some and is still building fence.
All while looking hot..

Mad has of course managed to look very fashion forward while doing all of it.

Jer and I dreamed of owning this farm for a long time even having our first ever family photos here.

Not everyday on the farm has been easy, but everyday has been overflowing with love.

There are big exciting things in store for The Kraft Dairy and
I think Johnny and Jean would be proud..

Blessed is me...

Kitty goes to town!

Last year about this time we got two barn kitties. They have been catching and devouring the vermin that live in and around the barn. Snakes, mice and of course the food we feed them. Well this year they both became mommas. 9 kittens between the two of them. Tramps.

The momma kitties chose very good hiding places to give birth and to take care of their little babes. This last weekend the moms have decided to move the babies. I am sure they are ready to have those babies weaned and they wanted us to know it. One tucked her babies behind a wood pile in the carport and the other dumped hers under my car and then moved them to the bushes by the milk house.

Speed up to today. I left to head to an appointment at the salon and ran to TCR to say bye to Jer then headed to town. I was at the salon for about two hours went to the bank then stopped for coffee at Journeys End. I pull up to the window and hear a baby kitty "meow.. meow" WHAT THE!?

I asked Vanessa if she heard it and she did. I got out as did Slotte who was behind me in line, but we couldn't find anything. We concluded that it must be under the coffee shop.
I head home and get a text from Jer saying that when I left TCR a kitten fell out of my car!

GAAAH!

This means I likely have a kitten that has ridden to town, chilled for two hours while I was in the salon, then around town and back home UNDER MY CAR!

As I step out of my car in the driveway I hear "meow.. meow" and the grey momma kitty runs over under my car and lays down. The baby keeps calling to her mom and the mom starts to talk back. After a few minutes the baby jumps down!

It was a happy reunion. Momma licked, nursed and snuggled her little dare devil!

Here are some pictures of the reunion....

 and you'll never guess what happens next! The damn thing walks under the car and jumps back up there! 

 I'll be working to get it down before this evening! It is leaving for it's new home tonight!

Blessed is me...

 

The Great Fowl Debacle

Since moving to the farm I have wished for chickens. Black and white zebra ones (Barred Rocks), red full feathered ones (Rhode Island Reds) and the ones that look like they have been fluffed with a blow dryer (Silkies). Jer said no no no on the hairdo chickens cause they aren't the best egg layers and they aren't big enough to eat (I'll get some someday I just wont ask first). 

I have also been reading on ducks and how they are very proficient in eating SLUGS. I loath slugs. I think we should salt every single one! Ducks are also egg layers and I hear the eggs are super yummy. Khaki Campbell's were my ducks of choice. They lay about 300 eggs per year. Omelet anyone?

So after begging Jer I bought 3 chickens and 2 ducks! When we went pick up little critters the kids were super excited. They were cute little fur balls. We intended on letting them grow out of their baby feathers at Tucker Creek Ranch (Jer's parents farm) because our barn doesn't have power and the babies need to be under a heat lamp for a few weeks. We just needed Daddy to get home from work!

Daddy gets home we shove dinner down our throats and head to TCR. What happened next happened in the first 5 minutes of walking into the barn. Brace yourself!

The goats make a racket when anyone walks in the barn because they think it is dinner time so Jer grabbed a bucket of grain and slide the door open to feed them.

Jameson and Madalyn walk over to pick out which pen we were going to put the babies in and Jameson declares "There is a DEAD goat!"
I set the box of babies on the ground walk 10 steps to see what the kids are looking at.

Jameson screams! "GET OUT OF THAT BOX"

I look over to see a barn cat INSIDE the box of babies.
Jameson runs over and grabs the cat who promptly scratches him. 

I glance into the box.

A dead chick. A maimed duck.

Jameson bursts into tears.

Madalyn cries "THAT was my FAVORITE chick!" (we had them about 1 hour at this time)

Jer walks in from feeding the goats and asks "what is going on"
I reply "we have a dead chick. The cat jumped in the box" 

and start to nervously laugh. 

(you know the laugh the one that comes at the most inappropriate time when your brain gives you two choices cry.. or laugh. Since I don't cry much my brain thought a good time to laugh. Not a full on laugh just a nervous giggle. I know what you're thinking... worst mother ever! Judge if you want, but it had been a stressful week and I swear this stuff only happens to us!)
Jer tells me to "get out of the barn and bring the kids home!"
I walk out of the barn where the kids were standing crying and Jameson says "DADDY NEEDS TO KILL THE CAT. SHOOT HER WITH A GUN! I HATE THAT CAT!"

Ok.. more laughing.. cause wait.. Jameson just said that?? My little animal lover wants to shoot the cat?

Both kids cry all the way home and talk about what jerks those barn cats are. Good thing it is a short drive.
I get the kids home and in the shower. While Jameson is in the shower I wonder about the symptoms of cat scratch fever.. I refrained from WebMDing it cause we all know I would have had Jameson diagnosed with some awful disease within minutes. I would have been staged in the driveway with Jameson buckled in waiting to head to the ER with a cat scratch when Jer got home! 

I apply meds to the slash on Jamesons belly after the shower and both kids fall asleep on the sofa.
Jer comes home after getting a fowl fortress set up to ensure we don't have a midnight massacre.

We have added a few more chicks to the fortress cause Jer says "if you're going to have chicks you might as well have more than 3"
Jameson has gotten over wanting to kill the cat and Madalyn hasn't even asked to go see the chicks. 

Jameson has also informed me that "sometimes farm animals die and we need to get used to that" I wonder if he will feel the same way when it comes time to butcher the chickens for dinner? Time will tell. In abut 4 weeks.

Blessed is me...

BEST pancakes!

My friend Alaina shared her pancake recipe with me a few months back and I made them last Sunday for the first time. They are amazingly delicious and very filling. I wanted to share the recipe because even Jer who doesn't love pancakes likes these! I made up a few batches of the mix to have on hand so I can just scoop what I need. This is a double batch cause our kiddos will eat them throughout they day if there is any leftover.


Pancake batter
2 cups mix (see below)
1-1/4 c milk (any variety will work I have used cow and coconut)
1 cup cooked oats or mashed banana* (I have also mixed cooked oats and applesauce)
1 TBSP honey
2 eggs **
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon (I added this cause I think all pancakes are better with cinnamon, but you could leave it out)

depending on how thick or thin you like your pancakes you can add more mix to the batter. I like mine to be a little thick so I add about 1/4 cup extra mix.

* 2 pkg instant oatmeal is about 1 cup and you can find good instant oats in the health food department
** if you can't have eggs sub in 1-1/2 TBSP water, 1-1/2 TBSP oil and 1 tsp baking powder per egg


Mix:
2 cups ground oats. (just whiz in the blender)
2 cups flour (I use Bobs Red Mill whole wheat pastry flour)
4 TBSP sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1-1/2 tsp salt
I hope you like them as much as we do!


Blessed is me...

Farmhouse pictures!

 I was going through the pictures on my phone and found the 'before' pictures from when we first bought the farm. The changes are amazing!

Bathroom 1

Really nice wallpaper, no sink and you had to get in the shower by squeezing by the toilet.

 Laundry room/entrance
Note on the before picture all the brown on the ceiling.. that my friends is RAT PEE!

The new pantry and hall tree were made with wood from our barn, Jer's parents barn, Uncle Dan's house and from Jer's grandpa's wood pile.

Kitchen
2 layers of wallpaper to be taken down!
The 'new' cabinets were moved to this wall from about the stove area.

Open shelving pipes were custom made by J.H. Boatworks (cause Tim and Deb love me)
Only downside is the dishes on the way top have to be washed before I can use them cause they get greasy and dusty.

Jameson's Bedroom
GROSS carpet and moldy walls.

Madalyn's Bedroom

When we took the closet out you could see through the wall to the outside.

 Master Bedroom
Yellow walls and green carpet. This was Mrs. Kraft's bedroom.

Dining Room

There were FOUR layers of wallpaper! I saved the chandelier and it will go into the master bathroom when it is done being remodeled.

 

Fireplace
I love our fireplace! The wood, tin and nails were all found in the barn. The pegged piece is from the stable and was used to hold the halters for the Kraft's Draft Horses.

We aren't finished yet, but I love love love our little farmhouse. I feel like I have been here all my life. I wish that Johnny and Jean could see how much love bursts inside these walls. I know Jean would love to see Jameson with his barn boots on headed out to mend fence with Jer and to see Madalyn standing on a stool wearing my apron mixing cookie dough.





I had rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world. — George Washington

Blessed is me...

Fog

 The fog is thick and heavy at the farm (and likely all of Clatsop County)

It lays upon the fields.
The mountains are covered and unseen.

The sun is rising but is hidden behind the thick blanket of mist

 

and caps over the tall trees

birds nestled up high can be heard with their morning song

 

There is always hope that the sun will burn it away and shine bright on the day, but

sometimes the grip of the fog is so tight that it holds on until very late in the day revealing only a short glint of light before it is covered again in the darkness of night. 

Where is the sun?

I never question that the sun is there. I know it is. I just can't see it.

The fog wont last forever.

Soon it will come to pass.
Like many things in life it is temporary.

Trials.. Temporary

Sadness.. Temporary

Stress.. Temporary

Sickness.. Temporary

Life.. Temporary

Just like the fog sometimes these things burn away quickly and pass, but other times they linger and hold on.
It seems like the fog (trial, sadness, stress) will never lift.
Where is the son?

When will He shine?
Then I remember.. He is always there, always shining.
Sometimes I just feel like I can't see or feel Him, but He is always there.

Burning away the trials of life.
Shining bright like the sun.

We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us! 1 Corinthians 13:12

Blessed is me...