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Monday, September 26, 2011

Update on my Goals...

On January 1 of this year I listed 103 goals I would like to accomplish this year.  The other day I remember I had made this list and thought I would check to see how things were going.  And since I haven't really been blogging that much on HSM I realize some of these goals haven't been met.  HSM has taken a backseat to life and my other blog the Farm Wife.  Just a few weeks ago I was contacted by someone who likes my work and encouraged me to take it a step further.  So I am embarking on a new adventure for HSM.  More details to come soon! I have updated the 1st 40 and will do the remaining later!

2011 Goals!
1. Spend more QUALITY time with William & Wyatt-I have made extra efforts this year to spend more time with both my husband and the boy.  We have gone on trips together and just spent a few days at home enjoying each other's company.  It has been great but we should do it more often. 


2. Keep the house in order EVERYDAY-this has not been accomplished....there are still days when it looks like 2 tornadoes came through our house.

3. Never go to bed with dirty dishes in the sink-this also has not been accomplished...more nights than not there are at least a few dishes left in the sink.

4. Read my bible DAILY...and pray about it- I have been praying much more than I have in the past however I am still not getting in my daily reading time like I should.  I will do really well for a week or two and then it drops off again...gotta find a routine that works for me.

5. Potty train Wyatt- DONE!

6. Blog everyday- not everyday but I have been consistently blogging over @ The Farm Wife

7. Keep my gradebook up to date-this is no longer an issue...i left the classroom in June to return to the county as an informal environmental educator.

8. Have my lesson plans done a week ahead of time-#7 explanation applies here as well!!!

9. Update my school webpage weekly-#7 explanation applies here as well!!!


10. write on the farm blog each week- I have actually been doing this more often than once a week most weeks!

11. begin an adopt a cow/ewe program- still developing the program...hope to launch 1/1/2012

12. advocate for modern production agriculture...family farms are a good thing- I have jumped into this full swing...even attended trainings and spoken to various groups about the importance of modern agriculture.  I will actually be on the cooking stage at state fair Oct 15!!

13. declutter my house once and for all- a work in progress!  I have began this process and let go of lots of things but not finished yet!

14. sit down to supper with the boys EVERY night- we have increased our supper time together...it makes a great way to wrap up the day.

15. dress nicer...especially when going out...even to make an early morning wal-mart run- this is hit or miss...some days I'm a diva other days I'm a disaster!

16. take better care of myself- doing better but should really drop my Bojangles habit

17. attend WIC each month- with William's new work schedule this hasn't been possible as he works late on Monday night so that's mine and Wyatt's night to spend quality time together.

18. Set aside time each week to coordinate SCBAP and BRE activities- I have gotten the SCBAP activities coordinated much better this year...probably not thanks to me but to my super national contestant...BRE is still suffering from lack of activities.

19. have another baby- still working on it

20. finish redecorating Wyatt's room...finally- not done yet...his taste and interest keep changing but we are finally narrowing some things down.

21. feed up nightly before William gets home- this has been completed...each night Wyatt and I trek to the barn to feed up.

22. practice my photography and photoshop skills-I take pictures like CRAZY...getting better at capturing the moment...photoshop skills are developing but not quickly.

23. complete Wyatt's 2nd scrapbook-I've started it but nowhere near complete

24. scrapbook our family farm- haven't even found paper for this project yet

25. help others understand why modern agriculture is important- working daily to share with others in various ways, Facebook, Twitter, and forums.

26. plant a garden- done and done again!  We actually planted a summer garden and now a winter garden.  Crops are beginning to come up and need to get to weeding!

27. learn to can- we have canned a few items but not sure how well it turned out...i think too much pectin in the jelly

28. clean out the car shed...and put a car in there..LOL-yeah no...haven't touched this!

29. landscape the yard- we did landscape right around the house but the front yard is still a blank canvas

30. bake a fresh loaf of bread each week- did really well with this until my oven went out...still haven't fixed that!

31. increase my compassion level- working on it

32. have more patience and understanding-prayer has helped in this area!

33. teach Wyatt to count- Wyatt can now count to 8...that's how many cows we milk in one line at the dairy barn

34. teach Wyatt his ABC's-he has gotten much better however he must have a hammer or some other object to beat with while he is singing them!

35. help Wyatt learn to ride on his own...meaning Bartow moves without me leading him- Wyatt is trying but his legs need to get a little longer...right now Tubby (Bartow the horse) is too fat to feel his little feet.

36. be more frugal with my money-comes and goes...some days I'm great with this others I am terrible!

37. enjoy the little moments in life- doing my best...slowing down some has allowed me to sit back and really focus on what's important.

38. sew at least twice a week- for about 6 months I didn't sew at all and within the last month I have really picked up and started enjoying this again...i really love to sew just some times don't crave out the time.

39. set aside time to craft with Wyatt each week-Wyatt and I create something at least once a week.  It might only be a play dough monster or a painting but each week we create something fun.

40. listen to William- this isn't really that hard...he doesn't talk much but now I try to make sure I am actually LISTENING not just hearing him talk while I watch TV.

So there is the first 40...I will finish the rest later but that is a start to let you know where I am and how I am doing!

Monday, April 11, 2011

baking brownies...on a snow day...excuse the messy kitchen
So I realize I haven't posted in a while
my goal for the year was to post more often...
life got in the way. 


yum...brownie batter...again excuse the kitchen

Since the first of the year we had a major snowstorm
that kept us out of school for a week
we have been to Charleston, SC for a conference
and Orlando, FL for a conference
We have finished lambing out most of our ewes (those are female sheep)
Finished one full set of calves out on milk
now working on the second set
I coached a 4-H team for a state competition
competed at State
hosted a "how to show" clinic for 4-H'er involved in a local livestock project
had our annual livestock show and sale
things from my son's perspective
Wyatt got accepted to pre-school for the upcoming year
so we are beginning to prepare him
we have read the same book 214 times
he has become an expert at making circles
wyatt trying to land the blimp
And I have crafted zero..
none...
i was inspired to work on a project this weekend
and when i plugged up the sewing machine...
nothing...i kept getting an error message...
so i set it away...then
yesterday i took the time to work on it and finally got it back working



Monday, January 17, 2011

Laptop Cover

A few months back I got a new laptop...
mainly because my old one was destroyed by a little man.
I didn't have a cover of the laptop
but didn't want to purchase a plain ol' black one.

So what does a crafty lady do???
MAKE HER OWN!!

Now this is not a tutorial by any means...
just a little bit on how i created my cover!

First I measured the width, length and depth of the laptop...
decided I would use some scraps I had from Wyatt's quilt
pieced them together
ironed a piece of fusible fleece to the back...
attached a piece of knit fabric (Rst)
and then stitched 3 sides together
flipped it right side out
covered the raw edge with some cute binding
folded right sides together
stitched the bottom edge and one long side
inverted and
shzam!!! a new laptop cover!

Again not the hardest project in the book
but definitely a cute one!!



Happy Sewing!

Linking up @




Photobucket



The Trendy Treehouse


Keeping It Simple


 

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Nice Washcloths for Young Kiddos

Apparently we have mean washcloths at our home...
now i am not exactly sure what a "mean" cloth is but
that is the word my son uses to describe our washcloths.

Luckily Becky from Becky Ann Designs
helped to solve the mean washcloth problem.
Becky gave Wyatt two flannel washclothes and soap
she made for Christmas.
Below is one of the two...

I sent her a message on FB to find out exactly what she did,
since i didn't want my little man going around telling everyone
about our extremely mean washcloths.

I was amazed by the simple nature of these washcloths
and wondered why I had made these before...
umm...I thought I was crafty!

Well yesterday (snow day 4) Wyatt and I sat down 
to make a bunch so he didn't have to suffer anymore!
He helped me pick out the fabrics 
attempted to help cut with his John Deere pilers
and then sat on my lap as we stitched them together.


We now have an even dozen NICE washcloths.
This would make a great beginner project for someone interested
in getting started sewing...
I will post a tutorial soon...
really its easy peasy!!

Please forgive the photo quality...my digital is broken..won't charge AT ALL
and these were taken with my camera photo!

Friday, January 14, 2011

Another Printable

This printable is more of an example than a free download,
however if you have a little cowboy named Wyatt
you are welcome to have a copy of this.

I made this for my son's room.  His walls are a little bare but his love for all things cowboy and farm related regin supreme.  To make this I used photoshop and a picture I had snapped of his "South Dakota" boots after a day of playing in the feed barns.  I think it turned out ok...what do you think?  I would love any suggestions you have to make it better!  Thanks!!

Linking up @





Punkin Seed Productions














Thursday, January 13, 2011

Free Printable

I have seen lots of these while blog hopping
i just love them
so i thought i would try my hand at making one...
more time consuming that i orginally thought but
well worth the time and effort...
i can't wait to start on one for my son's room!! 
So here you go a free printable for you to use



Right click on it, and save
you can print it from home or at your local photo shop
it is sized to be an 8 x 10

Linking up @






Whimsy Couture









Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Working on Day 3

Snow in South Carolina is a big thing...
an event to be celebrated, enjoyed, and then...
gone when you wake up the next morning!
it's a weather related one night stand...
not this time...
it began snowing late Sunday night...
snowed most of the day Monday...
began sleeting last night..
this morning we woke up to a total forest...
it looked all nice and pretty...
like fresh snow waiting to be enjoyed...
but it wasn't...
one look at my porch steps told me differently...
it was 6 inches of snow with 1/2 inch of ice on top

being a farm wife i didn't have the option of hanging out inside the house all day...
someone has to feed baby calves,
check on ewes,
 and make sure all the kids are accounted for and okay
(goat kids people).

i began my morning by filling up 5 1-gallon jugs
 to haul hot water to the barn to mix milk ...
i loaded the jugs
my soon to be 3 year old

 into the make shift wagon/sled
and pulled the whole contrapation
kid and all to the barn...
the path was slick
my son thought it was WAY more fun to go fast than i did
but we made it...unharmed down the hill to the barn
the calves were happy to see us
as the milk warms their tummy
for the most part everything was fine
we did have a calf that needed special attention
he wasn't doing good last night and this morning was worse
he wouldn't get up or drink...
tubing him was useless
its discouraging...
i have spent the last 5 days morning and night
feeding him
ensuring his health
but the weather has gotten the better of him
you learn that with the gift of life comes death
you deal with it and move on

the ewes however were fine...
we are starting to see many of them bagging up...
preparing for lambing

the kids crazy as ever...
jumping all over their mom...
the hay bales...
and my son

and one of the previously weak calves had greatly improved!
I am happy to report i didn't have to
tube a single calf this morning!!!

For you non-farming folks..
To tube a calf you mix up a bottle of milk
pour it into a hard plastic iv bag kinda thing
this bag has a long semi stiff plastic tube on the end of it
you must keep the tube bag right side up
until you are ready to give the calf milk
otherwise you are wasting...
time...
milk...
and money!!!

You then take the semi stiff tube and place it in the calf's mouth
making sure the tube is on the left side of the calf's mouth
you ease it down the calf's throat
the entire time you have to make sure you are on the left side
the left side goes to the stomach
the right goes to the lungs
once you are certain you have the tube in the calf's stomach
your turn your bag upside down and milk gravity feeds into the calf's stomach
this is a great way to feed  calves that aren't doing well
it helps ensure the calf is getting enough to eat
with weak calves it is also good
as the calves don't have to use up all their energy sucking down a bottle..

so after my morning rounds...
we headed back up to the house...
going up hill is much harder than walking down hill...
especially if your little man rocks the make shift sled thingy.

he enjoyed playing outside for a while...
we attempted to venture out to pick up
milk for us...
another bag of milk for the calves...
feed for the calves...
and a few other random supplies...
no such luck...
we are stuck again...
this time in front of our porch door...
William's not going to like this...
(he had to pull us out last night too)

i spent the rest of the day...
doing laundry...
catching up on emails...
hanging out with wild man...
(who is teaching teddy bear to ride the rocking horse)
and explaining why we can't go outside
and ride Bartow or Force today...

instead i caught him with a bottle
of apple barrel paint...
redecorating his chalkboard wall...
the chaise lounge...
and himself...

we are looking at day 3 of being at home tomorrow...
i got the call about an hour ago...
no school tomorrow...
I suppose i could do some lesson plans...
but really i plan to sew...
i don't know what yet but i will be making something!!!

Until then have a great evening!!








Monday, January 10, 2011

Snow days!

Snow days are wonderful days...
no school...no work...no dealing with 100 screaming 7th graders...
now don't get me wrong I love my job
 but sometimes its nice to have an unexpected break.

Around our house snow days mean...

You get to trek to the barn to feed up bawling calves and hollering baaing sheep,
in the freezing cold and can't complain because it is the life you choose.

Sometimes our jeeps get stuck in the snow and we have to use our hands to dig them out...
man if we had just put its top on!

You get the chance to snap what you thought would be a great picture of 3 calves...
while you are bottle feeding one...and fending another one off

Your horses stand in the snow to consume a bale of hay

and you get the mean green to the barn, turned around and almost back up to the house before you...
spin the wheels until the front driver's side tire is slick,
and you are stuck...
this means you have to wait on your husband to come home in the flatbed ton truck to get you out

it also means that the little bullrider above can't practice...
can't saddle up...
and must play all day in the freezing cold to make up for the two previous statements...

its also when i cook & bake...
a loaf of bread...
a pound cake...
oatmeal cookies...
potato soup...
thinking about meatloaf to go with the potato soup...

So what's the weather like where you live?
what do you do when you have an extra day at home?

i hope if its cold you are warm...i hope if its hot you are cool...
either way i hope you are enjoying your family



Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Just another day...on the farm

Yesterday was the first day back at school
 after a wonderful two week break. 
It was hectic...
to say the least...
but I was able to get there somewhat early
finished lesson plans for the rest of the month
review some ideas
and see my lovely students again

Today on the other hand did not start out well...
I woke up late (bad way to start the day)
Then as I got the hot water ready to mix milk for calves
 Wyatt woke up
he wanted to stay in the house
to watch Clifford while I fed calves
(this isn't unusual as it takes him a while to wake up and he would prefer to snooze with teddy)
so I got bundled up and headed to the barn
I had mixed up one bottle and was feeding the 1st calf when...
 I heard him holler from the house
 next I him crying and closer
my heart stopped i was worried that something was wrong
but no when i got to him nothing was wrong
other than he had run outside
forgot to put on his shoes or coat
and said he was
"Fzeeezing"

He came on down to the barn with me
to help finish feeding up
feeding the calves was a challenge as they are still young...
just a few days old
it takes longer to feed them
the 1st calf drank OK...a little slow but not too bad
the 2nd calf wasn't interested...
he drank about a 1/4 of a bottle
and decided he was done..
this caused me lots of
 FRUSTRATION!!!
I fussed...
tried not to cuss...
and prayed that he would just eat
i broke down and called William...
explaining how this wasn't going to work
as it was already 6:50
I needed to leave the house in 20 minutes
he listened with a sympathetic ear
said it would be OK
 (he doesn't have a clue sometime)
then said if the calf drank some milk he would be fine until this evening
so i moved on to the 3rd calf...
thank God for a smart calf...
he drank the bottle without me even having to get in the pen...
AMEN..an answer to one of my prayers

I was finally headed back to the house
got dressed 
round up the little man
to head south to the barn
I was only 5 minutes late to work
but still in my world that might as well be an hour
i was off beat and stressed
the day ended with me being...
exhausted...

when we got home
 it started again...
William's clothes needed to be ironed
for tomorrows Farm Bureau training
the horses and sheep needed hay...
dogs needed feed and water...
and the cats were running wild...
Wyatt insisted on playing baseball
we still have to feed up tonight,
cook supper,
update my classroom website,
bathe the little man,
wash dishes,
and
hopefully
spend some time with my hubby

So what's a day at your house like?
do you have to feed calves?
wash clothes?
chase a two year old?

I am sure you have to fulfill many of the same requirements
as I do
maybe without the calves and sheep included
perhaps there is not a calf licking the back of your pants
while you chase a two year
or a horse trying to nibble said child's hair
instead of the hay
but still the same basic things

Until next time I hope you all have a blessed day!!
P.S. maybe soon I can share pictures...if I get a new camera

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Break is almost over!!

As a teacher, I relish my breaks here and there. 
Today is officially the last day I was able to sleep in late,
not get out of my pjs *i'm still in them at 3:30*
let the Little Man run wild and play outside

I still have things i want to do today,
that may or may not get accomplished.
like bake another loaf or two of bread,
make a few more head bands, 
and take down the few remaining decorations that are scattered

but for the most part its back to our old routine with a few changes
1. practicing our word, number and color of the day after school
2. sitting down at the table to supper each night
3. Wyatt has a bedtime...for us 8 or 8:30 since you never know when William will be home
4. William and I spending some time just the two of us discussing what's important

for me the changes will be even more...as my 105 things to do this year is already kicking my tail!

I am not going to bed tonight until...
I have read my devotions and study God's word
finished my lesson plans
 packed my lunch
clothes laid out
 the house is in order...somewhat
at least no dirty dishes,
laundry in the laundry room,
clean clothes put away,
and the den where you can walk through it
(without tripping on another John Deere tractor)

I would upload pics to go along with all these wonderful things but the camera has seen its better days...
Still praying I won the Pioneer Woman giveaway for a Nikon D90...

So until tomorrow...have a blessed day and a wonderful evening with your family

Saturday, January 1, 2011

HSM's Goals for 2011

I have lots of things I want to accomplish.
Some of these things are easy to accomplish within a day or two,
others will require committment over time to make them a reality.
So let's begin:

1. Spend more QUALITY time with William & Wyatt
2. Keep the house in order EVERYDAY
3. Never go to bed with dirty dishes in the sink
4. Read my bible DAILY...and pray about it
5. Potty train Wyatt
6. Blog everyday
7. Keep my gradebook up to date
8. Have my lesson plans done a week ahead of time
9. Update my school webpage weekly
10. write on the farm blog each week
11. begin an adopt a cow/ewe program
12. adovcate for modern production agriculture...family farms are a good thing
13. declutter my house once and for all
14. sit down to supper with the boys EVERY night
15. dress nicer...especially when going out...even to make an early morning wal-mart run
16. take better care of myself
17. attend WIC each month
18. Set aside time each week to coordinate SCBAP and BRE activities
19. have another baby
20. finsih redecorating Wyatt's room...finally
21. feed up nightly before william gets home
22. practice my photography and photoshop skills
23. complete wyatt's 2nd scrapbook
24. scrapbook our family farm
25. help others understand why modern agriculture is important
26. plant a garden
27. learn to can
28. clean out the car shed...and put a car in there..LOL
29. landscape the yard
30. bake a fresh loaf of bread each week
31. increase my compassion level
32. become more patince and understanding
33. teach wyatt to count
34. teach wyatt his ABC's
35. help Wyatt learn to ride on his own...meaning Bartow moves without me leading him
36. be more frugal with my money
37. enjoy the little moments in life
38. sew at least twice a week
39. set aside time to craft with Wyatt each week
40. listen to William
41. don't complain as much
42. make 5 dresses for me
43. don't go overboard for Christmas and birthdays
44. talk to my sister regularly about life not just to complain
45. witness to someone
46. take a family vacation...no working
47. attend the NAILE
48. help Wyatt to show his heifer this fall
49. sew summer outfits for Wyatt
50. give handmade gifts for every occasion
51. don't wait to the last minute to make gifts
52. finish my classroom bulletin board
53. update or change the bulletin board once a month
54. design a storage system for my crafting and sewing supplies
55. bake cookies and cakes from scratch
56. buy a Sam's club membership
57. take Wyatt to Toys'r'us
58. keep a gallon of Sweet tea in the fridge
59. be prepared for people to visit
60. paint the dresser and add bookshelf to make hutch for kitchen
61. get caught up on laundry
62. clean off and organize back porch
63. clean off and organize side porch
64. wash all the windows in the house...inside and out
65. replace broken/torn window screens
66. create a welcome sign for porch
67. put up a farm sign
68. organize farm records
69. set up a mini home office (somewhere)
70. make curtains for the master bedroom
71. finish a full sized quilt
72. have movie night once a week
73. judge at least 3 livestock shows
74. clean out the old feed room...new door...new window...drywall...make it into a farm office???
75. build a chicken pen...and put hens in it
76. host a show clinic
77. attend 4 sheep sales
78. buy a new (to me) car/truck
79. set a bedtime for Wyatt and STICK to it
80. write letters..not just emails
81. mail thank you notes
82. take family photos
83. do a group family photo with my sister's family
84. mail birthday cards
85. become a retro housewife that works a full time job
86. wear a dress at least twice a week
87. get a manicure more often
88. move more often...as in walk not houses
89. create easy to follow tutorials at least twice a month
90. share my favorite recipes
91. help with Ag in the classroom
92. plant a school yard garden
93. host a farm tour
94. help plan a YF&R day for York and Chester counties
95. drink more water
96. donate items i don't need or use anymore
97. recycle more
98. set a good example for my students
99. help Wyatt learn his Catcheism questions/answers
100. be more thoughtful
101. tell people i'm thankful for them
102. manage my time better
103. host giveaways on HSM

ok so i think that is everything...i am sure i will add to the list as time goes on but right now thats it!  So what do you have on your list for 2011?  Share with me...I always enjoy reading comments!