Grind that meat

 

Grinding the meat into hamburger was a before dinner family event tonight. Thanks to the T’s lending us their super duper meat grinder, we ground all the meat in record time.  Thank you T’s!

 

40lbs

Backyard Beef Butcher’in

2012 has been the year of the Butcher. Thus far, we have butchered, for the first time, a goat and a sheep. But today, toDAY, we stepped up in the world. (Exhaling a warm breath upon my fingernails and shining them on my shirt;)

It all started with a phone call. We had just spent the morning singing with our sweet friends at the local rest home and I was settling in to a productive laundry day, I thought, when I got the call. A neighbor’s yearling beef heifer had just cut herself beyond repair. He said she was perfectly fat and happy until the accident and he needs to put her down…now. The local butchers would not fit it in. His options? Putting her down and disposing of her, or  calling that odd homeschooling family who eat sheep and goats and see if, you know, they’ll slaughter a beef heifer the fly. He has stumbled upon many of our butchering times together and loves the fact we’re not afraid of a little blood and hard work.  ;)

But, Paul was at work. I distinctly remember thinking to the Lord. “Lord, should I really do this? I have so much to do today. I really can’t pass up your provision. Help me pull this off. We’ll roll with it Lord, please let me look back at the end of this day and be thankful for whatever I am getting ourselves into.”

“Boys? Are you up for butchering a heifer?”

“REALLY?!!! Mom, really?! A whole cow? We are SO there.”

“Yes. We’ll take the heifer off your hands.”

A half hour later the 44 mag did it’s job(Mr. C did that part…ewe…ewe…ewe) and they bled her out and got her lifted up with the tractor bucket. The boys started skinning, but the job was obviously nothing like a goat or a sheep. Discouragement crept in when we realized our knives were dull and this cow had an udder. An udder? Really? I didn’t know what to do with an udder. I called my friend Mindy whose husband used to be a butcher…he’d know what to do with the udder. She gave me Brian’s cell number. He confidently gave instructions…hmmm, I’m not convinced we can take this on.

Back out we walked and stared at the huge, hanging carcass. I usually do not come and hang out with the butcherers until AFTER the head is off. For some reason, it is at this point that it goes from a “aaawww, the poor thing” to “carcass” and I can handle the whole ordeal. Well, the head was on, it was staring at me, and I was skinning a dead sweet heifer. Did I mention my husband was at work? I suddenly felt this was not the right thing to do and it may be easier to just cut hunks of roast out and call it good. Then Jacob hollered “Mr. W is coming down our road!” Thank you Lord.

Mr. W got off work and drove to our house to survey the beast. He convinced me it was too good a deal to leave. He drove aaaaall the way back home, got dressed, got on his tractor and drove aaaall the way back to our house. Our tractor was overloaded with such weight and his picked it up with ease.

  

Long story short. Brian took pity on us and carved the beast FOR us. Tenderloins, filet mignon, roasts and hamburger meat. Identifying each piece as he carefully carved them out, patiently teaching Jacob. Then my hardworking man pulled in the driveway! He was pretty excited with all the meat harvested and jumped in. We processed, packaged and froze it all tonight. We have many, many pounds of boneless meat. Gorgeous, red, lean, yearling beef.

The cutest butcher this side of the Mississippi. Luv ya babe…

I had mentioned to Mr. W how it hit me we never got to school today. He reminded me THIS was school today, education at it’s finest. Jacob really stepped up to the plate in Daddy’s absence, Danny…well, Danny has a broken arm and he did what he could, and Gracie? She, matter of factly, wondered what in the world were we doing with that cow upside down?

The children are excited to have chunk of meat tomorrow night for dinner, beef NOT in ground form. Is there such a thing? We will feast like kings with humble hearts before our Lord who never ceases to surprise us with His unique provision of food, often with an educational twist.

I AM thankful at the end of our day, so thankful we took on this seemingly overwhelming task, and that the Lord orchestrated the whole thing and made it work. Thank you again Mindy for lending us your talented husband!

He’s Seven!

Celebrating Miker T. Biker’s birthday! He learned how to read this last year, and write, use a sander, jump his bike, add and subtract numbers…many other fun things too. Miker is always full of questions, calls me “beautiful mamma” and reminds us always to pray at every meal. He is a leader. He loves Jesus and learning more about God’s Word. He loves helping mamma around the house, opens my car door and is truly a gentleman.We love you so much Miker!

_{disclaimer: Sickness kept us home from church.}

Two chicks from his sister Emma

A kite!

The grand finale was a custom built trike by Daddy, Jacob and Daniel. Two Browning machine guns mounted to the handle bars and painted camo. Complete with sparklers in the guns to produce a cool charred affect in the guns.

We think he liked it.

Gracie and Lillie the one-eyed dog enjoying the sunshine today. I chose to milk this morning and it was sooo therapeutically wonderful to sit out there and talk to my goats. It doesn’t get any better than this. 

Dentists and Doctoring

Poor Danny. Talk about being kicked while you’re down. You know how when you were swinging, you would lean waaaay back and look behind you? Remember the thought entered your mind that it sure wouldn’t be fun to accidentally let go and fall off on your head?

We now have proof that, no, it would NOT be good. Danny did just that and has a minor broken arm because of it. 

The good news is we had a cast ready for him as his sister broke her arm in the SAME spot two months ago.

The bad news is the poor kid was scheduled to have two molars pulled this morning.

We got to the dentist and he had two permanents pulled and a surprise baby molar that was ready to come out.

This will make room for moving his teeth into place and provide room for his wisdom teeth, which will not have to be pulled…that is good.

He is such a brave, strong young man and the Lord heard our prayers and made the teeth pull without pain! He is so good to us and I am so thankful we know the living God who hears.

Now I am off to do his chores…man, that boy does a lot around here!

Road trip!

Well, if you consider an hour and a half drive a road trip. I do. Half of us are heading off to the Christian Heritage Family Discipleship and Homeschooling Conference, oh joy! I get to shop for our 2013 curriculum tonight until I drop. I will have six, count them, six, students next year! I never would have guessed the Lord would do this for me. He is so faithful, merciful, all-enabling, rich in kindness, patient, I praise Him. I am learning not to fret at the anticipation of an added student. He has always been faithful to give me what I need to incorporate another child at the study table.

Food is packed for both the leavers and the stayers, house is clean. At this point may I stop and say my kids are the BEST. Do you know that I was being watched last night by my eldest son and as soon as I went to bed at 11pm(!), he waited until Daddy and I were asleep, then he woke up the older children and  they all came downstairs and CLEANED my house. It is beautiful and a huge check off my list! What a BLESSING they are.

This morning we have 80lbs of chicken coming in that I need to process before leaving, but that really shouldn’t be a big deal and Daniel has a dentist appt in prep to get teeth pulled next week, then lunch and we are outtahere.

I best be mov’in.

Relax’n

That’s what we’re doing, and doing it well.

At 4pm today…

Grace and Elijah were pretending to drive off into the sunset…

Jake was building wooden rifles…

Micah was sanding something…

Danny was drilling trigger holes in his wooden pistol.

Lyddibugs slept the afternoon away…

 

The girls beaded…and beaded…and beaded…

And I took each of my kennel dogs out into the sunshine and fresh green grass for a run. I am so thankful for our day of rest Lord! Meditating on His goodness and faithfulness today.

Hovander Park

Saturday was spent in Ferndale while Daddy was  *delegating* at the Republican County Convention. We visited Fragrance Garden, walked the boardwalk and the children ran up and down the tower until they were pooped. I stayed on the ground.

Feeling educational, we brought our Audubon book of birds, a notebook and pen to catalog all of the ducks we saw. We left only seeing one, a widgeon, like that counts, and Micah dropped the Audubon book in the lake. <sigh>

Creation was beyond beautiful that day…

One eventful day…

I thrive on days like today. I don’t know why, but I do. Maybe it is the challenge?  Maybe I’m just crazy? I’ll go with the latter.

 

This morning started with a trip to the dentist office. THE trip to the dentist office. I was told three hours total and I’d have my boys back. Four and a half hours later, they arrive with their shiny new gear. Aren’t they handsome? They look great and seemed pretty proud. I, only slightly disappointed in half a day gone from home, resolved to get right home and tackle the day. Laundry, dinner, school still loomed.

Got home and Lydia was crying. Jess said she had been crying a lot so I put her on my back in the Ergo, that always makes her happy.;) Then Franz called and they had animal feed for me…now…by 4pm. I made arrangements to leave…again. Then a phone call that our little doeling we sold yesterday was refusing to eat and she needed to come back to mamma, she was getting weak. We met at Franz and I got animal feed and a doeling. I got home, ran her out to the barn and she nursed well,  regaining strength.

I went in my house. Jess had started dinner, Yay Jess! I  threw Lydia on my back again, finished making  kombucha, did a couple dishes and someone yelled that Elijah threw up on the couch. This is where things got fuzzy. I got him in the bathroom where he threw up again several times, dinner was burning, I ran to pull it out, I came back to Elijah. Just as I bent over Lydia threw up all over my back, my hair, herself and the floor.  Sigh. I love my family. Thankful for the excitement the Lord throws into our life and thankful for days like this that keep me young.