Red Coop Living

Nothing Is Finished

2013-08-13T15:07:00.002-07:00

So, I have not blogged in a LONG while. Everything is absolutely crazy right now, and nothing is completely finished so I have no 'complete' thoughts to post.

Project #1- Weight loss
I grew up a fat-kid. After my Junior year of high school, I decided I was no longer going to be fat so I lost a ton of weight. I did good in keeping it off till I got pregnant with Little#1. I gained 100 pounds, literally. Not proud. Well, about a year and a half ago I decided to really get back on it, and lose the the baby weight (the youngest was over 2). Yeah, I'm a little slow. Anyway, I refused to be the 'fat girl' in a friend's wedding. So I was successfull and lost 77 pounds in about 6 months. I weighed about a month ago and realized I had put 30 back on. NOT HAPPENING! Holy crap! So....Long story short....I have no great new recipes to post because the Mister and I are dieting (like lettuce and protein). So far I have lost 15, and have 48 more to go.

Project #2- The Farmhouse Table
I showed the table in a previous post. I am still so proud of it. The benches took a back burner to everything else, and we have managed to put them off till this past weekend. Off to Lowe's we went to pick up lumber. There was not a good selection so we made due with enough lumber to make one. Mister cut it out and put it together, and I put the first coat of stain on it about 2 hours ago, so there will be a post on it soon.

Project #3- Homeschool
The littles are doing great with homeschool. This was a surprise, and not something that I had planned or strove to do. Again, we live in an area with HORRIBLE schools. We decided to go through the summer, and I am so glad. We have finally gotten into a comfortable groove, and I am actually enjoying it. They amaze me with how quick they pick up stuff! They are all officially ahead of what the public schools require. I am so proud of them. We are also enjoying the freedom it gives us. They do school in the mornings before lunch, and then they are free the rest of the day. We also can take 2 weeks off for Thanksgiving instead of Christmas!

Project#4- Full Remodel
We are about half way through a full remodel. We were only suppose to be here in Texas for a year, but that changed on us. We found out we are stuck here for 2 more years. I decided to fully remodel my house because I really was not happy with it.

Floors (acid staining the concrete)
Walls (Grey throughout entire house)
Swapped the littles' rooms
Knobs
Light fixtures
Redo Cabinetry throughout
New trim around windows

Oh yeah....we finished the girls' room.

This is the only room that's done. We wanted to test one room before we tore the entire house apart because the acid staining is a 50/50 thing. It either turns out beautiful or does not work at all. We are completely tickled! The picture truly does it no justice. The light glare makes it look like something was on it, but it's supper shiny! Oh, and we spray painted the cheap brass ceiling fan to oil rubbed bronze and I absolutely love it! I am going to hit up LOWES when the entire house is finished and buy different globes for all the fans.

Once this was done, I began tearing up the rest of my floors. Let me tell you, this is a HUGE job! I did not realize how much work this would be on my own. The house is 2600 square feet, and I am a one-man band. Right now, all the old flooring is up except the kitchen and classroom, and it's vinyl. Vinyl is the worst! All the trim is piled in my garage, and all our belongings are boxed up in random corners of the house. I hate the mess. We are also going to build new beds for little #1 and our master. Right now our mattress and his mattress are on the floors. Not a happy place. Hopefully, it will all be complete within the next 2 weeks. I cannot wait! The house will finally be normal again, and I will have tons of pictures and goodies to post.

Project #5- The yard

I have no idea what to do with it. I am thinking of painting the front door navy and planting hydrangeas in the front flowerbed. I am also checking into pricing on screening in my back porch. The squirels are butt-holes. They keep tearing up my patio furniture and stealing my potted flowers. Little demon spawns from Hell. Yeah, I said it. They are bullies and make my Rotty cry. Seriously...tiny fur covered douche bags.

Project #6- Christmas

We have decided not to do the crazy Christmas that we always do. We spend tons of money on sooooo much stuff and within 2 months, half of it is broken or forgotten. I threw away and donated 7 black 50 gallon sacks of toys when prepping their rooms for the floors. This year we are doing a big gift and few meaningful presents, and that's it. We are building #3 and # 2 a kitchen set, and #1 a Lego station. They will get some doll clothes, accessories, and Legos so there will be some small things to open, but no more. No more fillers. We have become a society that does not appreciate the quality of things in our life. It seems that everyone has joined a race to aquire more stuff than anyone else. We do not step back, and appreciate the good things in our lives. I refuse to raise children that follow this same ungrateful cycle. Anyway, back to the point. I am excited to get all these pieces built and finished so I can share them.

So there you have it. All my craziness in one little bundled up description. I look forward to sharing the finished projects!

Homeschool

2013-05-27T17:00:00.001-07:00

We recently pulled the littles from our public school system and began Homeschooling. The littles were continuously coming home bruised and beaten up. Everytime anything was questioned, I always recieved the same responses of no knowledge of an incident, or of them blatantly being harmed by other children. Anytime this was questioned I would be told how those children came from "troubled homes". My question was "Don't you think if their parents had been held accountable, instead of excuses, that these kids wouldn't be coming from "troubled homes?" If their parents were held accountable now, things would be different. Make them get a job instead of mooching off the government while staying home doing drugs.

Anyway, back to the subject- Homeschooling

We are brand new to this and still have a lot of learning. Our back room was empty so we made a classroom.

We tend to be a little on the thrifty side so I made sure to look into getting items I needed for the best value. My first need was a large white board. I checked several stores and websites, but they were all so expensive. I checked about paints and what-not. Then it dawned on me: White bathroom paneling. Off to LOWES I went! I paid $11 for a 4x8 sheet. It works great for my dry-erase board. We actually framed out one of the windows for it and then added cheap 1x3's for trim. I made our calendar with the left over piece. I drew out a calendar grid in permanent marker and used stick-on numbers and month. This also gave me the option to fill in weather with my dry-erase marker.

Every classroom needs tons posters and visual stimulation. I found some great posters at Dollar Tree. You get 2 for just $1! I then laminated them so I can use dry-erase markers when teaching. We found their desks at Big Lots for $9 and I hotglued their name tags and supply baskets (pencil dividers from Dollar Tree) to the tops. Oh, and my desk came from our local thrift store. $6 for the locking desk, and it even had the keys!

We still have a long way to go, but today was our first day of school, and it was extremely gratifying to teach the littles and see them respond with excitement. They did awesome! I am thankful that I am able to do this with them. We decided to do this because of horrible circumstances, but it has turned out to be a gift to our family. I will be posting more on our system in the future. Right now we are figuring this out. I have a couple of ciriculum resources that I'm using, I'll let you know which work best.

Happy Homeschooling!

Memorial Day Dedication

2013-05-27T16:23:00.001-07:00

I'm sure if you are on Facebook, you have seen all the dedications to the veterans and Fallen. To some this is an abstract thought, but to this family, Memorial Day is an important day. Yes, my husband is in the military, but in the past 9 years we have lost some extremely good friends. These were friends that have changed our lives for the better. There is no greater gift than lives lost protecting our country and freedom. Our home has always been known for the place to come for "Momma" to feed you. We have celebrated holidays, births, deaths, and just good times jammed into small houses with small tables. It never mattered where we lived, or how many people, all that mattered was Family and camaraderie, a place to gather and share a meal, and know we all loved each other. Over the years we have gained so many friends that became family. With that said, we also lost friends that will also be family.

After a lot of sweat and a little blood, the table is finished. We felt it was appropriate to put it together today. Now we have a proper family table for the ones that are still with us. As we come together to celebrate occasions, we will always the remember the one that no longer are here to gather.

Happy Memorial Day

Thank you to all that serve and to the families of the Fallen.

We used the plans found at http://ana-white.com/2012/11/plans/triple-pedestal-farmhouse-table

If you are in the market for building home furniture be sure to check out her website. It is absolutely amazing.

Pinterest Daily

2013-01-10T22:24:00.001-08:00

Soooo, like many other ladies in the world, I have discovered Pinterest! Oh yes! I realized last week that I use it everyday. I use it for cooking, sewing, cleaning, and trying home remedies. I have found some awesome things, and I have ended up with some horrible non-edible messes. I am just amazed at how technology has given us an outlet to share the neatest ideas. Again, just another awe moment on technology, and yes, I truly believe our phones are powered by magic. With all that said, I'm going to start blogging my Pinterest adventures every few days. Hopefully you will find some great inspiration, or maybe just a good laugh. One thing that will be clear, is how much of a total dork I really am.

Monday- I was reading a blog on tons of things to do with old baby beds. You would not believe how clever some people really are. I was not in the need of any benches or tables, but I NEEDED a puppy gate for my Rotties. I love them with all my heart and we kennel them at night, but sometimes I just need to contain them for just a bit in their own room. It gets a little crazy sometimes with the littles and dogs, and company, and the mailman, and the random doorbell ringing. Gracie (my hateful heeler) just jumps it because she thinks she's not a dog :-) After a few measurements, Mr.Man and I set off to the garage. He used the jigsaw to cut out simple U's for the gate to rest in because I hate the swinging. It always ends up broke in my house. Then I measured the doorway and cut the sliding side of the bed to fit. Ta-Da!

Not too bad if I say so myself. *Pictured is my sweet Lucy*

Tuesday- This was my regular bread day, no pinning. I make all our breads homemade and freeze them so they are ready whenever I need a bread. I like this better than the prefab biscuits. This way I KNOW what's in them. *Unfortunately, I do not get to eat any for awhile because I'm still 'fluffy'. It is nice to have in the mornings for the littles. I can pop a few biscuits in while they get dressed, and BAM, hot breakfast before the bus. I made 6 batches of regular biscuits, 2 batches of cheesey biscuits, 2 batches of cinnamon rolls, and some loaf bread. I just wish strawberry season would hurry up and get here so I can stock up on my preserves.

Wednesday- Oh for all that is good and holy, I made the best burgers. I found a Pin that had no link. It was a picture of a burger with a pineapple slice wrapped in bacon. I knew this would be great! I used my usual burger recipe and then just added the goodness. Not sure if you're drooling yet, but you should!

Pineapple-Bacon-Burgers

2 pounds ground beef

1/2 cup diced onion

1/2 cup Dale's

Sliced pineapples

1 pound bacon

Mix beef, onion, and Dale's
Pat out patties
Top with pineapple
Wrap with uncooked bacon

I assume you could grill these, but I fried them in my cast iron on the stovetop on medium-high. I used a lid so that the burgers would cook through faster without burning the outside.

Now today was the kicker.

Thursday- Honey Mustard Chicken topped with cheese, bacon, and mushrooms. For the Original Post Let me tell you, it was AMAZING! Erika was on the money with this recipe! Be sure to check their blog for some really great recipes. I used my trusty cast iron and there are no words for how good it came out! I followed her recipe except for the cheese, I didn't have Monterey so I just used cheddar. The honey mustard glaze was the best I have ever tasted. This is definitely a MUST!

Thanks for reading! Bare with me and I promise to get better at this. Next week I will remember to take more pictures.

Oh, and as always, don't forget to smile.

Bathroom Garden to Hide Stage Fright

2012-10-04T11:32:00.000-07:00

We have this weird window in our bathroom that creeps me out. I have been reassured by many saying "You can't see through it", but I hate it. You have no idea how it feels to have stage fright in the middle of the night. I was playing around with the thought of curtains, but it's just above my jacuzzi tub. They were so awkward, I took them down. Then I had the idea of growing ivy and making a lattice for it to grow and cover the window. The more I thought about it the more I wasn't satisfied. I do not work for something that does not pay or can't eat.

When in doubt and need randomness, where do you head? Number 3 and I went to good ole WalMart and bought a window box. We decided to plant some veggie seeds that we had left from last year!

After much debate we used cucumbers and heirloom tomatoes. I love the way the plants smell and you can't argue with food! Number 3 was so excited about choosing and getting to play with dirt in the kitchen.

After a few days we were surprised by a few sprouts. We are at week number 2 and the tomato plants are getting huge! The cucumbers are little slower, but they are coming along. In the next week we are going to try putting up a lattice using handy-dandy 550 cord. Oh yeah, we believe in a healthy dose redneck around here. I am hoping with a little luck that they will blossom and fruit. After reading several resources, I'm not sure if they'll fruit because of the lack of pollination. Who knows? It would be nice to have enough tomatoes to make sandwiches and salads in mid-Winter, and enough cucumbers to pickle a few jars here and there. Either way, at least my window will be covered soon and I can have privacy in my master bathroom.

First Signs of Life in the New House

2012-09-17T11:35:00.000-07:00

After buying most of the furniture we are finally getting settled in the house. This is definitely taking longer than any other move. We have literally started over! We were excited to sell everything and buy all new, but Mr. Man and I had no idea that starting over would be so much work!

Anyway, sorry to ramble! I love Chickens in the Road blog because she always posts the neatest things! A long time ago she posted about re-growing celery in a bowl of water, and I thought "How neat!" Here is the original post Well now that we are living in a populated neighborhood instead of in the country, my growing options are limited. I want to grow some things in my bathroom window, and I figured this was as good a place as any to start.

I "planted" my celery. I was worried that it would not work because this celery sat in my frig for over a week.

As you can see, we still have a lot of growing to do, but it amazes me how fast this has grown in just two weeks.

If you were wondering, no, I haven't been sitting in my bathroom watching this grow! I have been working room by room while waiting.

Isaac's room was first. My little man is a nut! Yesterday he came running out with a cape on and announced, "My superhero name is ExtraLarge!"

Then it was on to my girls' room! They are what you would expect from a 4 year old and 3 year old. Everything is pink and purple and looks as if Princesses exploded in their room.

Then it was onto the living spaces. I still have one living room that's not done. I firgured I'd mess with it later. A giant Christmas tree room keeps coming to mind ;-)

Then came our room. We have a king size memory foam mattress. After looking at tons of beds I decided to build my own. There were two big facters 1)I'm cheap 2)if I can build it myself, why not?! I guess those two reasons are really just one, but back to the subject. Here is my new bed. I still lack the extra throw pillows, but you can see where it is going.

We are not doing the major decorating in this home because we only have 21 months left here. Now that the bare necessities are done I can move onto important stuff! Like kiddos and crafties! After lots of work I have my craft room up and running! It's not pretty or cutsy, but it is functional and actually really nice.

So that was my last few weeks in a nutshell. Now that all is settled, I promise to post more often. I hope you enjoyed! Here's a parting thought, just in case you have not smiled today.

I Promise this Won't Become a Habit

2012-07-20T04:55:00.000-07:00

First and foremost, my heart goes out to the victims and their families. This horrible event has changed more lives than anyone will ever know. It is yet another situation when questions should be asked to help prevent this happening again in the future.

This post, and posts like these will not be habit. I do not believe in shoving my political views in people's faces, but this has weighed on my heart for awhile, and then listening to the news at 3:30 am broke my heart.

There is a good question that needs to be asked today. Is a handgun or vehicle more dangerous? If I do not have my pistol on me and really have the urge to kill someone, I would just run them over. If in doubt, backup and run them over again. The people killed yearly by vehicular man slaughter far outnumber the people killed by handguns.

Be prepared. Today we will be pelted with more politicians and such with more gun restriction purposals. They will spew at how the guns are at fault, but keep this straight, a psycho man killed those poor people, not a gun. Gun laws are at their strictest, but yet crime is at its highest. It looks like this would make people open their eyes and realize we are going about this all wrong. Instead of a state deciding who can and cannot own a gun, why not let EVERY citizen own a gun? We let EVERY citizen get a license to drive a vehicle. I think there needs to be a serious reevaluation of the laws. Why not require anyone of a certain age who wants to carry a weapon to take a class? There should be a training course, written test, and actual skills test. Then be issued a gun license exactly like their driver’s license. Then if there are offenses their license would be revoked, again, like a driver’s license. The class should be as extensive as driving tests are meant to be. Classes on general care, cleaning, handling, gun ethics, caliber, quick response, and accuracy should be taught, and then required to pass. There are a hundred different things that I have not mentioned, but I think you get the gist of what I am trying to put across. Not to mention, the economical boost. It would be an industry that would expand tremendously and create jobs. That is something this economy needs more than anything right now.

If there had been one, just one, responsible armed person in that theatre, there would only be two people in the hospital right now, the victim of the first shot fired, and the gunman. He would have fired that first shot and then the situation would have been handled. Gun laws do not stop criminals from carrying. They only make it harder for upstanding citizens to be armed. It took over two years for me to legally own a handgun in New York. Then, I was still not allowed to carry it. I am not trying to say this would be the perfect fix, but it would definitely be a better option that what is being placed right now. I hate to sound like a close-minded old man, but carrying a gun is our Constitutional Right, but in law making, that really does not seem to have any bearing anymore.

Ok, I have said my piece. Thanks for reading.

The House is Like Sex...

2012-07-16T12:59:00.000-07:00

After having the perfect house sold out from under us, we finally found a home and are just waiting for it to be ready. We hopefully only have a few more days of hotel living and we will finally be home.

This home is definitely a compromise, but it will do. We will only be here for about two years and that gives me time to perfect, thoroughly research, and test methods of doing the things I want to do. So this home is like sex, some are just practicing, some are in it-to-win-it, and others are just doing it for old-time’s sake. (I know you’re smiling and wondering) We are practicing for our final home so that when the time comes to really settle in and plant roots, I will be ready.

My goal for the next two years is to become extremely organized. Not just once, but to live a productive and organized lifestyle. I want everything we do and every dime we spend to be productive, not just blown and wasted. I want to HAVE what I NEED, and I to WANT what I HAVE. I would like to say that the food we eat is grown by us, and things that we have are made by us. Not only to teach my children to appreciate the small things but also for a physically healthier life.

Gardening:

The big challenge is the yard is relatively small. I will be learning how to grow my vegetables in containers and hanging down fencing and walls. The goal will be to have the largest yield versus smallest growing area.

Cooking:

I would like to go almost completely organic. I am not fond of the thought that we intake more chemicals and processed goods than actual organic. This even goes for meat.

Crafting:

Well, this is always the fun part of life. We own the tools to fill a work shop, everything sewing machine possible, and tons of crafting supplies. I want to dabble in, not just crafts, but actual clothing, furniture, and daily needs.

Family:

This is the most important one. My main focus is to do all this as a family. I want my children to grow up and remember working together to get things done. I want them to smile when they look back on life. I do not want them to think they have to buy everything under the sun to be happy.

Financial:

Our money goals are normally very private, but my cards are on the table. Our goal is to buy a home, not just a house, but a place with land and that offers the things we want to do when the Husband retires. We not only want to purchase this home, but to pay for it in cash.

And then, to top it off….Get ready to laugh…We will be learning how to stockpile and build a supply to sustain us for long periods of time without having any kind of outside contact. Because you never know when the Zombies will attack! Hahaha! I know it may sound funny, and No, we do not believe there will be a Zombie Apocalypse, but you never know when there will be natural disaster, economic failures, or any number of things that would require you to be prepared. Plus, it gives me a legitimate reason to Coupon.

So in closing, here goes to Texas city living.

Relocating Beginnings

2012-06-11T12:43:00.001-07:00

Ladies and gentlemen I am now blogging from Texas. That's right, Texas. It has been awhile since I posted because we had a lifestyle glitch. In February we found out that we would be relocating to Fort Hood, Texas. Needless to say, it was a big surprise and extremely scary.

Many things have happened. First off, we sold the flock. It was a hard thing, but they went to a nice farm and I have full confidence that they are happy and healthy. We then sold the barn. I was amazed at how something that took my husband and other young robust men a month to build was tore down in one day by two older gentlemen. Hahaha! I definitely made them aware of this fact....Over and over....A girl has to have her fun.

Then it was time to begin planning the actual move. We were at a stand still because I have put a lot of work and time in the looks of my home for the past several years. In the past year I have had a nagging feeling that we were beginning to be more focused on the looks and appearance of our lives than actually enjoying it. With this heavy on my heart, we had a serious family meeting and decided to sell everything. Well...Almost everything. We kept the things that make our lifestyle possible, but not restricting. We sold all the furniture and knick-knacks. It was very liberating. We bought a car hauler for my Mercury and every square inch became prime real estate. It is amazing how when you think of packed space as real estate you really find out what is more important to you. So now you get to laugh. The important things: important kid toys were kept, the cooking equipment, DVD's (yes we're nerds), tools, the sentimental baby items, Chris's work gear, and the few clothes that fit. We have shed a lot of pounds in the past few months.

On April 20th we cleared our home and began our journey. After 2 days in the truck with 3 littles we were finally in Tennessee at Grandma & Grandpa's house! We dropped the littles and headed on to Mississippi to the other set of grandparents to prepare for one of the most important events ever. One of the most dear people in my life finally married. That's another story entirely...And yes I'll tell it later.

Now, with the all the fun over, it was time to get back to the plan.

We headed for Texas. Oh man, it's hot here! We found a home, and are hoping that we get it. It is absolutely perfect! Usually when we move, I have to redo it to make it fit our lives, but this is perfect! I almost cried when walking through. It has an amazing kitchen to can and cook in, raised garden beds to start our gardening, a huge shop for my redneck work ;-), the bedrooms are perfectly placed, and I honestly could go on all day about how perfect this house is. The only downfall is it will not be ready till August. I thought this was going to be a major issue, but hanging out at the pool all day while the kids play is growing on me. We are going to be the prettiest shade of Southern in no time.

I have dreaded this move more than you can imagine. I was devastated that we were having to leave everything behind. After looking at this new house, my spirits are renewed! The owner's mother was there and informed me I can garden year round! Last night I spent hours researching seasonal gardening in Central Texas and now I am ready. I am afraid to get too excited but I might become a true Texan ;-) So be prepared. On August first you will be bombarded with new gardening and chicken blogs! so please be patient because there are great things coming!

Canning Out of Season

2012-03-09T13:25:00.004-08:00

Yes, I am aware it is not canning season, but recently we found out we are being relocated. Now we will be embarking on a new adventure to central Texas. The flock had to be sold along with my barn, and all the Spring plans are pushed back till June. We have lived in upstate NY for the past six years, and absolutely love it here, but the next climate will bring some nice advantages. I can not help but feel a little overwhelmed by the thought of this upcoming move. So naturally, I have been cooking like crazy trying to cope with the stress and anxiety. It's not that I do not want to go, but this has become home and I love it so much here. Sorry to wander, back to the subject, Canning Out of Season.

The canning began on Tuesday. I did not realize it would end up being a two day project filled with explosions and many hours of sweat. It made my entire house hot as blue-blazes, but also with the wonderful aroma of home comfort food. My staples needed to be restocked, and I wanted to try some new things. If you ever want to make someone smile, take them home-canned goods. It works every time, I promise. Thankfully, Allison (best canning partner ever) was willing to come keep me company and help.

Strawberry preserves were first in order. They are a staple in my home and almost everyone else's that I know. Being a true Southern girl at heart, there is nothing more homey and filling as a hot biscuit with homemade strawberry preserves. These never last long so be sure to make tons!

Strawberry Preserves

4 cups white sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tbsp Pectin

3 lbs Strawberries (averages 6-8 cups when diced)

Dice Strawberries * I do half with the larger cube and half with the smaller
Mix all ingredients in a heavy thick bottom pot.
Heat on Medium Low till sugar has completely melted to a nice clear liquid. Don't rush it, make sure it's not gritty.
Then bring to rolling boil for about 3 minutes. *220 degrees Fahrenheit
Ladle into hot sterilized jars
Then process for 15 minutes in water bath
Makes about 3 pints

This will be your best friend when canning!

Allison (a great friend) has an aunt the makes the most amazing squash relish. I have not been able to find a recipe that even begins to compare. So we started with squash and added this-n-that till we produced wonderful results! This makes the absolute best hotdog in the world.

Squash Relish

12 cups Shredded Yellow Squash

5 tbsp Pickling Salt

2 1/2 cups onion

Shred Squash as fine as possible
Mix well in large non-metal bowl
Cover and let set in refrigerator over night

1 Green Bell Pepper

1 Red Bell Pepper

6 cups white sugar

2 1/2 cups white vinegar

1 tbsp cornstarch

3/4 tsp ground nutmeg

3/4 tsp ground turmeric

1 1/2 tsp celery seed

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Dice Peppers on smallest grate in chopper
Mix ingredients in a large boiling pot
Drain squash and rinse good with cold water
Make sure to squeeze it really well
Add to pepper mixture
Bring to a rolling boil and then simmer on Medium Low for 30 minutes
Ladle into sterilized jars and process for 25 minutes in water bath
Let cool for 24 hours
Makes about 4 quarts

These are two staples in my pantry now. I hope you enjoy them! We tried several other recipes, but two were not tasty at all, and a few have to rest for a couple weeks before they can be tried.

Have fun canning!

The History so Far

2011-12-28T10:21:00.000-08:00

This is a long lived dream come true. I have wanted to live on a farm, have livestock, and grow my own crops for as long as I could remember. We are a military family and have lived 'on post' for several years. We finally got tired of the hussle and bussle of living so cramped. This past summer we made the plunge and moved 'off post' to the county. We now have no neighbors and live in an area that allows us to farm and have our animals. We started in July with our first group of Ladies: Buella, Opal, Bettye, and Pearl. They are Sussex hens.

As time passes, and people find out that you have accommodations for animals you'll find people offering you animals. I find this extremely exciting and fun because you never know what you are going to get. For example, I got two super cute miniature roosters. They were about 8 inches tall at full size! Poor little guys had no idea that they are small.

Then I acquired a peachick! It took us some time to figure out what it was!

In October we decided to purchase more hens. I really enjoyed the birds and the fresh eggs are amazing. We did what most do and started looking locally and hit the jack-pot with Craigslist. I found a man who could no longer care for his birds due to health issues and had a huge flock that I could choose from. We got 8 more ladies: 2 leghorns, 1 Rhode Island Red, 1 polka dotted bird (I still have no idea what she is), 1 Wyandotte hen (who was my pride), 3 Rhode Island Whites. They were a little older than I wanted, but still dependable layers.

After all the excitement of new birds, we had tragedy, we were raided by bears. There was a momma and 2 babies. They got Pete (our peachick) and Mac (white miniature rooster).

After much debate we decided that we wanted to go all out and start a chicken farm, not a big commercial production, but a nice small natural farm. I want to have an establishment with healthy, friendly, and loving birds. I want people to be able to meet the hens that their eggs are coming from. I also want to have a regular rotation of birds for people to purchase and for meat. With all this said now the decision to make was to figure out which breed was best suited for all this and whether to purchase or build a barn. We live in upstate New York so the weather is a HUGE factor. After much research we chose the Wyandottes. They are beautiful, friendly, winter hearty, reasonable layers, and good meat. They are also a Recovering Breed. They are hard to find, but are worth it.

In November I found a lady who bred Wyandottes and was wanting to weed out a few roosters. She would not sell me bird, she wanted to trade hens for the rooster. So we drove to Mexico and traded Pearl and Opal. I was devastated to lose 2 of my original ladies, but when I saw him I realized he was completely worth it.

You are smiling, aren't you! I know I am! I love this rooster and smile every time I see him.

Then came the issue of a barn. We looked at several options, and could not find anything that suited our needs so we built one that gave us the options we were wanting. I needed one stall for my chickens that had storage above for hay and my travel cages, one stall with open rafters for peacocks for perching, and a storage area and shelving for chick boxes and incubators. After much work and pain it is finally up!

It may not look like much right now, but it will when we are finished. It still needs more paint and cosmetic work, but that will have to wait till the snow melts in the Spring. It took longer to build than we planned, but I guess that's how everything goes. It is 12 feet by 22 feet and 12 feet tall.

The orange chicken pictured is the Buff Orpington rooster.

I am so excited about this barn!

After we finally moved the chickens from the small coop to the barn, I found a lady who was needed to re-home a Buff Orpington rooster so I got him to put with my odd ball lot of hens. Now they had a rooster, and I had a rooster in the other stall for my future Wyandotte flock.

I started looking to build my Wyandotte flock when I learned you can order day old chicks online and have them delivered. The only problem was that it is so cold here, the shipping was going to be an issue. A few weeks ago Husband and I were standing in Tractor Supply looking at chicken stuff and picking up feed when a little man randomly walked up and asked if we were in the market for buying more chickens. He said he had over fifty and they were all still laying even though it's winter. We agreed to follow him to him to his home and see what he had, because he had no idea what breed they were, but we can always use layers no matter what breed. When he opened his coop door I thought I was to going to dance with joy. He had a coop full of WYANDOTTES! I was so stoked! There were 16 total, but one of the Wyandottes was a real 'spirited' rooster so we bought all 15 hens. My opinion is the only good 'spirited' rooster is a dead rooster. There is no sense in being rude, especially because I feed, love, and take care of you. Some of the hens are a little beat up and need some extra love, but they are so beautiful.

After a few days of being in their new home they started laying, and I put the new eggs in my new incubator. I have never hatched eggs before and am hoping for the best. I will definitely keep you updated.

So now you are up to speed with my chicken history. I'm hoping that this new year will bring lots of chicken fun and love.

Happy New Year!