Sickness begins

I have a kiddo that isn't feeling well whatsoever. He is home sick from school. He is bundled up on the couch. Our daschund is under there with him sleeping.

I need to clean the house and wait for the oil man to come. Next week we are having our furnace serviced as it has been running rough. We are thinking of adding a pellet stove in here eventually. I would love to have some wood heat instead of just oil.
Income taxes are filed.
Hubby found a rototiller we will be buying in a month. I'm so excited to have our own!!! We will expand the garden this year doubling it and I plan on having an herb garden this year!!! Also some other exciting news hubby is on board with us getting ducks!! He will build them their own little swimming hole :)
I looked at seeds at tractor supply yesterday but for veggies they did not have quite what I wanted. I think I will be ordering them through a catalog this year.  The boys are so excited to garden with us. I did find a shepherd hook for my grandmother's bird feeder. In the spring we will get that as I love watching the birds.
Have a great day!!! Time to get that housework going. 😀

Not too great at homesteading

We have managed to lose another girl. (Chicken) I almost feel defeated but keep hoping the last 2 girls will make it to warmer weather. It saddens me that my tiny flock of 6 is now down to 2. This spring I'm hoping to add some more girls back to them and have hubby build us a better coop. Word to the wise prefab coops are not for Maine winters.
This week I need to finish hand sewing the boys girlfriends Valentine gifts. I decorated our tree for Valentine's Day and put my Gram's flag out.
I received a letter from the Arbor Day Foundation that my trees and lilacs will be here end of April beginning of May. They also sell other trees and plants at a fabulous price so we will be putting in an order the end of February. With this next order we get a free Red Maple Tree.
In the next couple of weeks I find out if I meet with the neurosurgeon to have surgery on my spine again.  We will see as this surgery may be more invasive.
I have managed to finish quite a few books in the last week. I have found reading on my kindle while hubby watches his shows in the evening gives me quite a chunk of time to devour books. I certainly do love to read!!
Hubby is snoring away and it's best I hit the hay before it's time to get the kiddos off to school. Night

Change is Never Easy

I have a confession, I HATE change.  Although change is inevitable I still struggle with it.  My parents moved away and I'm still struggling with it even though it is a positive thing for them.
A friend I was close to years ago and kept in touch with virtually lost her battle with cancer. She was ready to go through those pearly gates.
My dad's cousin passed away today. It seems like my dad's side of the family is dwindling quick. I think that is the hardest part of getting older, fewer relatives are still here.
Family is important. The older I get the more I realize how important family and faith truly are.

MLk/Birthday Celebration

My hubby turned 40 yesterday on MLK Jr day.
I attempted to have a surprise birthday party but due to the snow Saturday it didn't quite work out the way I imagined.  He was surprised on Sunday anyway. Here are some pics. A friend of ours made the cake.

Antique Additions to the homestead

We have a new antique shop in the area (http://www.centralmaineantiquemall.com)
We purchased a vanity. My other desk I was using as a vanity was large so I need to reorganize my makeup.

We also bought an old well pump which hubby attached to the buffet near the kitchen. (It will eventually either be outside within a well house or beside the kitchen sink when we redo the sink and counters)

Back to dusting!!

Hand sewing

I finished the hand sewn penguin yesterday. It came out pretty well.

I did not make anything today as I spent the day visiting with my parents. They are getting ready to move to the Southern US.
I'm happy for them but sad at the same time. I've enjoyed having them closeby.

Repurposed old Glass Door

I just finished the 3 marriage quotes on the door above our bed. They came out pretty good.

The first quote is by Ogden Nash - "To keep your marriage brimming, with love in the loving cup, Whenever wrong admit it;  Whenever you're right shut up."

Second quote - "A great marriage is not when the 'perfect couple' comes together. It is when an imperfect couple learns to enjoy their differences."

Third quote is by Fawn Weaver - " Happiness in marriage is a moment by moment choicr. A decision to Love, Forgive and Grow and grow old together. "

Blessings Come in Different Ways

I got a message from one of my friends that she is cleaning and reorganizing her home. She had a few craft things and was wondering if I would be able to use some. I told her sure!! She also had a bedding set to give to me. (Will show a pic next month as its red and I will use it for February )
Here is a photo of the crafting supplies I was blessed with. The 3 on my bed are the supplies. The tote on the floor is the bedding set.

We needed a couple more laundry baskets so what a huge blessing I have received today!!!

'It's the Season...for Seed Catalogs

I have received a couple of seed catalogs this past week which I am so excited to start receiving! !

I have had fun the last few days thumbing through the pages and trying to figure out what I want to plant this year in our garden. I know I am doubling the size of our garden as I was unable to can much of anything. Hubby and I are going to try some dwarf trees this year as well.
I donated to the Arbor Day Foundation this year and should receive 10 free Colorado Blue Spruce trees to plant as well as 2 free Lilac bushes.
I'm also researching plans for a homemade small barn. I want half the barn to be a coop for the chickens and the other side for goats and a pig. Hubby keeps telling me no on a pig but, I'm telling him food for the winter months.  😄
We went to Hobby Lobby today as I was looking for shark themed stuff to finish decorating Dylan's room. (Did not find any) they do have lots of very cute chicken and farm items.  They also carry tins that I like to add to my cupboard doors in my kitchen but guess who couldn't remember how many cupboard doors needed a tin?
Hubby is refereeing tonight and I need to bring some boys back and forth to practices.
Have a great afternoon and Happy Homesteading! ♡♡

Room is finished

Master Bedroom is finished with the exception of my closet.
Instead of real candles in some of our candles we bought battery operated ones. The candles we attached to the repurposed glass door are real though. This weekend I plan on painting a quote on the glass door with a marriage theme to it. I will posts pics of it as soon as I finish it.
(I really need to get a new SD card for my ohine as everytime I try to posts new pics it says my phone doesn't have enough memory. It's obviously telling me I need to start printing pics! !)

Hubby built me a new piece of furniture out of old doors that I had wanted to make into barn doors. (Doors were too heavy and wide for where I originally wanted them).
Here is the bench he made instead.

We need to finish the entryway/mudroom but I can not decide on how I want the walls. I have been watching a lot of 'Fixer Upper' on HGTV and I love the look of shiplap.  On the other hand I love the white wainscoting with a chair rail. On top I would paint the walls a soft buttery yellow. I'm torn between the 2 looks and can't make up my mind so it is on hold for a bit.
We have been keeping an eye out in the Uncle Henry's and on Craigslist for a claw foot tub that we would love to add to the master bathroom this summer.
This summer we will build 1 more bedroom in the basement for our boys. Then most important cost for our own fixer upper will be replacing the current fuse box for one that is up to code. We have the old know fuses but feel it's time and safer to put in circuit breakers. (Plus insurance companies demand an update.)
I have slowly been crafting again. This week has been pure insanity with 2 different trips to the er for 2 of my children but I have decided to use a Christmas Tree I had in our master bedroom before we moved to this house and use it year round.
Each month I have decided to put a different theme of ornaments on the tree. January's theme is snowmen.
Here are the ornaments I made. This weekend I will be making felt ornaments to put on it as well.

Here is the tree decorated and sits in my kitchen on top of an old wooden high chair. (We found this green beauty sitting beside the road waiting for the garbage truck 4 or 5 years ago)