Catching Chickens

It's been a couple of non-stop weeks around here (and finally winding down -- much more peaceful).  My apologies for lacking a chicken update last week.  So here are weeks 4, 5 and 6.  The girls are growing fast.  I would say they are about the size of a gallon jug -- only bird shaped.

4ish weeks

5 weeks

6 weeks

Marshmallow -- notice she has a bit more white baby fluff
left, compared to some of the others.

The girls have lost most of their baby fluff and are flapping around -- doing the flap and fly.  As they get bigger they are supposedly not flyers, but right now they can fly/jump over small obstacles and get up on top of things about 3' tall.  In fact, the kid-pen turned chicken pen has been retired in favor of the dog-run turned chicken-run.  The coop isn't done yet, but we are putting the chickens in the big pen during the days because they were flapping right over the sides of the kid-pen.  Fencing is 6' high in the big pen, much better.  At night they still come in, but those girls are awfully cozy in the brooder box.  They jump in and nestle down, as there isn't much room to run.

Red Roo, notice everyone else's combs are smaller and
blonder -- me thinks Red will be repurposed, eventually
invited to a potato and carrot bath :(

The other side of them being in the brooder box at night is that they are ready to run by morning.  Red Roo is our resident dominant chicken (we call "her" Red Roo as we aren't entirely sure it's a "her," but rather a "him." -- the comb and wattles are bigger and bright red, legs are bigger, too)  So Red Roo has jumped out of the bucket everyday this week in transit from the house to the pen in the mornings.  I'm definitely ready for the coop to be in the pen and those girls to be outside full time.  Don't need DH chuckling from the windows as we try to round up errant chickens.

The coop is coming along nicely.  DH has it just about done (with the help of my DearSons).  There are 3 utility windows, a chicken door, a full-sized door, 5 nesting boxes and a tarpaper roof, right now.  After it's moved, we will get shingles on.  These chickies are gonna be comfy -- there's insulation in the walls, ventilation, and plans for some varied roosts, too.  All that's left is to paint, move, and shingle!  I'll get pics up after we get it all together and moved -- a commensurate coop post ;)

Red Roo also likes to perch on the bucket and
watch over everything, too.

The pen is not entirely ready -- there are pallets, which we
are leaning for shade/perch until the coop is in.  The dog-
house is also still present, though the dog isn't
 -- the girls don't go in it (smells like predator, I think)

Yes, catching chickens can be fun.  The pen itself seems to be holding them, but the transit between is the challenge.  Red Roo jumps out of the bucket, as I said; so I've seen Tula, our GSD, corner Red and then Red demonstrate the (male?) behavior of jumping feet first on an adversary.  Tula was more startled than anything.  Our city ordinance does not allow roosters, so if "she" is a "he" -- it won't be staying.




In trying to get escape artists back where they belong, sending the boys to catch them does NOT work.  They just go head-on and scatter them; a losing battle.  I've found herding the chicken is better (hmmm...kinda like boys).  I go this way and that way and get the chicken to go the way I want, then grab them when they are cornered against something.  Sometimes patience works better than chasing.  There's one in particular that doesn't like to be caught in the evenings.  Everyone else is in the bucket, and "RoadRunner" is doing laps around the pen.  I sit and wait; soon RoadRunner is curious enough to come see where everyone is, and she walks right up to the bucket.


So the chicken lessons of the week:

• Love (appreciating the support of the people I love, and being gracious and forgiving when others don't think the same way I do).  
• Joy (nothing is better than getting out your box and running on a sunny morning). 
• Peace (being content to get to a calmer point in life). 
• Patience (wait for the chicken to come to you).  
• Kindness (letting the kids help whenever they can, even though I would rather yell preventatively, "get away from the chickens!"). 
• Goodness (always taking care of what is out charge, provided for our needs by the Father).
• Gentleness (the watch-word whenever boys want to hold or pet them).
• Faithfulness (DH has worked diligently to finish the coop for my hobby-homestead).   
• Self Control (no crazy antics with chickens, please boys -- and be calm with the boys, Mama).

You know, come to think of it, that's been our verse this week: Galatians 5:22; the Fruit of the Spirit -- look it up, you'll be blessed by it.  The mom-prayer challenge I've been doing has focused on it for our sons, and it's a good way to reroute the attitude boys get during busy times.  We sing it, we quiz on it (earning grapes or strawberries for each one they remember), and I see it everywhere.  Amazing when the Word becomes the Living Word -- seen in all aspects of our lives, even chickens.  "Against these things, there is no law."  Amen to that, and thank goodness!  Blessings to you! :)

Dance in the Rain, Mom

Some days are bright and warm and sunshiney -- and some days are like a thunderstorm.   As a mom of boys, I see the changeability of the days three or four times a day.  Some moments are great -- they are coloring quietly, helping in the garden, building a massive frontier-log homestead together, speaking gently to each other -- SUNSHINE!  Other moments are arguments, messes, sassy mouths and holding grudges -- STORMS!  So, what's a mom (or dad or other caregiver) to do?

Soak up the sun when it's out, and then make the choice to enjoy the storms!  Here in the midwest we had a few days of this, last week -- literally.   The mornings start cloudy, the sun comes out, the weather warms and makes me wish school was out so we could spend the day outside non-stop.  Then it gets really warm -- almost hot.  A storm brewing, no doubt.

Now, I'm not a "fan" of storms.  I would rather enjoy a sunny day warm and delightful, than be stuck inside with the booming and the rain.  But...can I plant my garden without the rain?  A storm is the natural way of clearing out the dead brush and limbs and undergrowth in the woods/fields -- that's how the creator made it, to work in harmony.  The sunshine feeds life, the rain grows life, and the winds complete the cycle.  So on those stormy days I appreciate the time to catch up inside, if the chores are done (shocker, believe me) I have the freedom for some reading time or a game with my kids.  The blessing in the storm, if you will.

Life with boys is like a late spring day -- changes constantly and there's usually a storm brewing.  But there are so many joys too -- the moments of wholesome boy play, getting good and dirty just for the sake of being hands-on, jumping to help mom (because that's what good men do).  In the storms, I have to choose to appreciate what I can of it.

It's a challenge in the thick of it -- to not lose my cool, or feel the failure.  To keep heart and faith that God will see me past that valley of life.  At one point I was ready to throw in the towel -- I had a 2 year old and an infant and I was overwhelmed.  Almost two years later I had a 3 year old, a 2 year old and a newborn -- really overwhelmed.  As they grew it was moments of complete contrition.   I'm not worthy to be their mother.  I will never get this right.  I'm losing my mind.  How will they learn to be good men if they have an angry, frustrated mother who can't get past her own hormones?  I was on my knees crying out to God to carry me through that -- the depression, the unworthiness, the fear over my lack of control in my situation.

The amazing thing is he did carry me through it.  He brought me to a group of moms that knew exactly where I was at -- fellowship and understanding, someone to walk along side me.  I grew by leaps and bounds spiritually those first few years in my MOPS group -- I'm still growing.  He carried my marriage through it to -- we made it past that typical "7 year discontentment."  I don't call it the itch, because I never really wanted to leave, but it was so hard to really focus on what we wanted for the future of our marriage when my own selfishness wanted to focus on what I wanted for my future (or my family's future).  But our gracious God did not stop at taking care of me and my marriage, he changed my perspective on my role as Mom.

As moms of boys it is our privilege and our calling to be here for our boys.  We guide them and nurture them.  My philosophy is I'm not raising boys, I'm raising men -- hopefully strong, good, faith-filled men.  Men who will be husbands and fathers and leaders.  Can I do that of my own free will?  Is it my effort alone that will bear fruit?  Is it my actions that will affect my kids and generations to come, for my name alone?  Yes, I hope to leave a legacy, but not one for me.  I hope to leave a legacy that in how God leads me and uses me, as his hands and feet, will indeed be ultimately glorifying to Him.

A friend challenged me to join her in the 21 Days of Prayer for our Sons Challenge http://www.themobsociety.com/21-days-of-prayer-for-sons/ and I have seen two benefits immediately -- though I'm sure there's more fruit to come.

I'm humbled to realize that it's not my power and action that will take my sons to that ultimate goal -- it is the faithfulness of the Lord.  The thing I am assured of is that if we pray faithfully and believe He can do anything in our children's lives, He will answer that prayer.  The timing is not always our own -- but I have faith that his purpose and timing are better and more purposeful than my own.  Prayer is the single most powerful thing we as moms can do for our sons (or daughters, for that matter).  The commentator challenged us to wear holes in our jeans praying.  Not holes in our shoes chasing, or crackles in our voice lecturing.  Holes in our knees, praying -- bringing our boys and their futures before our gracious God who concerns himself with even the littlest of our concerns.  We don't have all the answers or solutions to every problem or question, but we do have the opportunity to show we have faith despite that lack of knowledge.  Believing without seeing or knowing is true faith.  Letting go of our own control and giving it over to the wisdom of the Lord.

Second, I have been blessed to really grow in my prayer life through this.  To feel like I'm finally doing something right and making an impact for my boys and their future as men.  I find myself not only in prayer for them, but for their future wives as well.  For their future families and the impact they in-turn can make on the world for our Lord's purpose.

Then today in church, as our Lord is so apt to do, I was presented with a neon sign.  I pray for neon signs, you see.  I know in my blur of a life, I'm prone to miss subtlety; I need big clear messages.  Our pastor was in Matthew chapter 9, and he reminded us that the least likely believer is the one that Christ makes His priority.  That wayward son will be sought by God.  My boys are too young to be real heart-knowledge believers yet, but I know the promises of the Lord don't say they won't wander.  The Lord knows what the future holds, I don't.  The promise of the Lord is that if I point my sons on the right path, when they are old they will not turn from it.  

It is my hope they grow to know the Lord and stay in his truth -- that it will be warm fuzzies all the way.  The reality is the enemy tells a tempting lie; he makes it easier to believe the world than the Word.  It is my job as mom to never lose faith in the Lord's work in my sons' lives, no matter how overwhelmed I am by the circumstances.  No matter how hard it gets, I must never cease praying and never lose hope.  I will always love my sons unconditionally -- through the good and the bad, through the mountains and the valleys.  Just as my Father loves me unconditionally, so I must distinguish between the sin or error and my son.  Hate the sin, love the sinner -- always.  After all, aren't I one, too?

There are days that are full of challenges, but I can either lament the difficulty of it, or I can look for the teachable moment and pray my sons and I grow from it.  I look forward to the moment when I can look back on our lives and in retrospect see the times the Lord has brought us through the valleys and back to the mountaintops.  A speaker at a women's conference I attended recently, Holly Wagner, made the poignant point:

Wouldn't it be great if life was mountaintop, mountaintop, mountaintop, Heaven?!  That's not how it works -- life is full of valleys.  But where does the fruit grow?  Not on the mountaintop, but in the valley!

When we are overwhelmed by this calling we have as moms, it is not the point to give up, but rather to cling to a purpose and faith stronger than my own efforts and will.  So my message this Mother's Day is this -- don't run from the storms in life.  Look for the blessing, dance in the rain, and know the harvest is yet to come!

Budget-Saving Garden

There are three reasons I grow a garden.  The top reason for me and my analytical brain: saving dollars makes sense!  The other two are health (knowing what my food is exposed to is very attractive) and industry (being productive and teaching the boys to work for what they have is enjoyable to us).  With three growing boys all three of these topics are near and dear to my heart.

I read that the average garden costs $70 to put in and has a return of about $1 per square foot.  Our garden consists of 40x45' main garden, 10x10' strawberry bed, 4x7' herb garden, 4x7" salad garden, 24sf of blueberries, 3x20 pumpkin patch (though it grows past that).  Grand total: 2040 square foot of food-producing garden.  That doesn't include our chickens, who will be making eggs this fall.


For me numbers make more sense than just saying -- "save money by doing this!"  So here's an example of a spring's garden spending.  My spending total so far:

Asst. Seeds (some 2-3 years worth)  $23.69

Growing pots, flats, seed starter    14.95

Bulk Onions (est)     2.00
Garlic Bulbs     3.20

Hot Pepper Plants (budgeted)     5.00

3.45# Seed Potatoes at $0.54/#      1.99

20 Broccoli Plants      6.94

8 Cabbage Plants      3.38

$61.15

I also get a $15 budget for annuals (flowers) every year and stretch that across wherever.  This year I spent $11.20 on 27 pansy plants (3 9-packs) and planted them in 4 planters and 3 hanging baskets.  I'm also allowed to add one perennial landscaping plant/grouping.  I watch for canning supplies on sale -- just bought a few flats of quarts for $7.99 a dozen -- long term investment.  I would advise setting your limits for each category and sticking to them -- that's the best way to budget!  Keep all your receipts in one place to make this easier.

Some tips for making your garden dollar stretch:

• Start your own plants, if you can.  A sunny south or west window works great.  Make them only one layer deep or they will be reaching across the shelf/table for the sunlight.  Some plants like to be misted rather than drenched -- keeps the leaves from drying out in the house once you take the dome off.  Start them in small pods/packs, then transplant the ones that do indeed grow into bigger pots so they grow better and deeper.

Saw this on Pinterest and had to give a go!

• Store your leftover seeds.  Some seed packages go a long way (like tomatoes and lettuce).  I can stretch then 2-3 years, some times up to 5 with herbs.  Store them in a cool, dark, dry place to prevent them from starting to germinate or decompose.  I have a shoebox that I store closed, in our basement, over the winter.   http://www.motherearthnews.com/ask-our-experts/seed-viability-zb0z1203zmat.aspx has some great info on this topic.

• Save containers.  You can reuse many containers/growing trays for years.  This year I had to do some replacing/restocking so my bill was a little higher than normal.  This goes for the containers your store-bought plants come in, too.

• Watch for things to be on sale -- Most garden stuff goes on sale early in the season to get people excited and buying.  After-season clearance is a great time to shop, too -- if you don't need it immediately.  You can often get shrubs and perennials for 1/2 price at that point!

• Look into saving your own seeds from year to year.  I've not done this yet -- but that would cut my bill in half!

Cut Hosta into 1.5 - 2 inch sections and plant, making sure
you have multiple leaves and a good section of root.

• Get perennials from gardening friends if you can.  Strawberries send off shoots every year.  Hosta grows exponentially, the same goes for bulbs and rhizomes.  Our hosta around the north and east of the house came from a single plant at my parents' house, the ones around our patio splits off my sister's plants, lilies came from my in-laws neighbors.  Odds are, they are just looking to get rid of the excess and it's a win-win!

• Trade plants with friends.  If she grows hot peppers and you grow sweet peppers, there's bound to be extras of each.  Help each other out!

Multitasking -- while sauce simmers, make jam!

• Plant for what you want to preserve -- you save even more money off your grocery bill by cutting out prepared items and making it yourself (My spaghetti sauce from the garden averages 1.41 a quart, compared to 1.98 at the store -- less if my onions and peppers do better this year; strawberry rhubarb jam is 1.77 a pint -- compared to 3.95 at the store.)

Do it yourself!  That's what a garden is all about -- grow it, dig it, plant it, tend it, harvest it -- reap the rewards!  Your family will benefit, not only financially, but also in health!

Being frugal is a big part of our lives.  Not just for the times and the economy, but also for the sake of being good stewards of the resources we have.  How awesome it is to see a $1900+ net return on our garden!  All on the platform of being willing to work for what we have and the faithfulness of our Lord to provide through it!