April on Our Homestead
Posted By Jacque on April 19, 2008
Lately I have felt like I am miles behind. I think I always feel this way though. Things are so quickly constantly changing. Throw in illness or a mishap, or a goat kidding, and I feel further behind. I am pretty good about not letting it affect my attitude, but I think I am looking at the calendar, saying, “Where did April go?”. Can you believe it is April 19th? Which that reminds me it is the anniversary of Waco, the OK City bombing and Columbine, if I am correct.
Here I shall digress… I remember watching Waco. 
We lived in Las Cruces, which is just 45m from El Paso, so it was weird that it was in Texas. The OK City bombing: we were in OK city on the 17th. We stayed the night there in a motel on our way back from Las Cruces to Bremen, where we had just moved to. I remember my brother and I took the Uhaul back to South Bend, and I saw it on the tv in the UHaul office. I was astonished and asked what was going on. Since we had just been there, it was quite unreal. And, Columbine. Well, most people have heard of it and remember it.
Here is a picture of Las Cruces. My mom and my dad-in-law and mom-in-law still live there, as well as many friends. We’ll be taking a trip out there this summer. Anyone living between here and there, let me know if you want some visitors… Oh, and anyone in the area interested in goat and chicken-sitting, email me! We’re throwing in the farm fresh eggs too!
Back to life today:
I am very busy. Of course I am. As are you. As are we all. I feel behind because I never caught up from our bout with Influenza. I had articles to write, articles to edit and reviews to get in that were late. I have a review to get done of a wonderful book that three of my children have read, but I have not. Had we caught up from then, I don’t think I would feel so behind. It’ hard to catch up on six weeks of life. Glad we don’t have a stone schedule.
To top it all off, Lucy and I were sick last week with some virus that I must have gotten from the IM, because it is just like what Christina and her children had the week before. 
No, really, it was scary for us about Lucy. She had had diarrhea and a bit of cranky fever, and I was sure she was cutting a tooth. Then three days later, when there was blood and mucus in her diaper, it really freaked me out. That in itself is strange, because I always remain calm, cool and collected for our children. I also always pray, which is not just a repetitive act, but I believe God can and will heal us, if we only ask and believe. I made it a habit a long time ago to pray with our children through fears, hurts and bad tempers.
I asked Matt what he thought. He said, “Let’s pray.” I searched the internet for answers, and we just trusted the Lord to show us if we needed to take her to the hospital. We felt a peace about waiting and watching, so for the next three days, we did. I got whatever she had in that time, and she is still nursing and sleeping with me, thankfully, and after 3-4 days, we both got better. She cut a tooth shortly after! Very cute!
Now, we are nursing Isaac, Jocelyn and Rachel back to health. Matt has now had it for almost a week and has been going to bed as soon as he walks in the door. Eric and Hannah have been chasing chickens from the front yard. I have been chasing Caleb. I even put an eye and hook on the screen door. Amanda has bee doing almost all the chores that Jocelyn and Rachel usually do. She and Eric, who usually have personality conflicts (I think it is a firstborn thing) have been working very well together. Without the horses, I also realized that Eric and Hannah can feed the chickens and goats and put them away without help. And, no, Chloe has *not* yet kidded. I think the other *not-pregnant* goats will kid before she does! We do keep checking on her though.
Eric, Hannah, Isaac, Caleb and I did get to sit outside on a blanket yesterday and read the science curriculum I am reviewing. It was fun. Since the weather has been nice, they have been outside a lot more. It is hard for me to keep them in now, and I usually find them outside just enjoying it after they go to do a chore or something.
A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.
In the midst of it all – even feeling behind, I am thankful to the Lord for it all. He has put it into our living to just live life. We always work around life and through life anyway, so all of this is really not being behind. We aren’t really behind on a schedule, just projects I wanted to get done. Having a daily routine with room for flexibility, as well as planning ahead is the way to beat frustration. Otherwise, feeling behind can be very frustrating.
Projects on my list right now are:
*Finding out how Cowboy the wonder buck is getting out and fixing the pen so that he cannot. Either that or feed him so much that he is too fat to squeeze through!
*Planning and setting aside the books for our next school session.
*Getting back into the daily praise and worship habit.
*Take a daily or every other day walk with the Littles.
*Rewriting many of the course plans I made up and are on my missing flash drive.
*Writing/editing articles for Growing in Grace (side note: I realized the other day that I literally have over 50 articles/posts to correct/teach on/edit for the girls each month, and that does not include my own articles and blog posts!)
*Finish up April reviews
*Ready the garden and plan that.
*Box up all my Partylite and have the girls write their initials on the pieces they like. Decide what I want to keep, use or get rid of.
*Ready all items in the garage we are getting rid of for the town-wide garage sale. I am going to give away at least 80% of all of it.
*Set up my website and download and design a new template.
*Write up at least one of the ten EBooks I have on my list!
A praise is that the sickies are all getting better! Another is that I prayed last week and asked the Lord to provide another pen, and Matt came home with a free one last night! Even the little stuff!
Right now, Isaac and Caleb are watching a lady on a cooking show make fig preserves. They are literally riveted to their seats watching it. I don’t know if it really so interesting or if it’s because they don’t watch tv. Jocelyn loves cooking and recipes, so her request to turn up the volume is not surprise. Poor girl. She has been so sick. None of them are in danger of dehydration, because we drink a lot of water and it is no chore to get it into any of them, but she has not been hungry at all and has felt just miserable.
Maybe everyone is just hungry! lol. Isaac turned around and smiled when they showed a tortilla and cheese. We haven’t made tortillas in some time! They are making a sandwich wrap, and I must say it looks delicious! That is one thing we always made when we had company, a wrap cut into small rolls. Quick and easy, we need to start doing that again!
I am just finished nursing little Lucy and she is pleasantly and contently sleeping in my lap. Life is as it should be.
blessings!
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