S U M M E R

Where did this summer go? This week I have officially signed my kids back up for another year in school. I walked into the schools and with all the hustle of the front office, the school scent and knowing that our summer is almost over was overwhelming! 

My 4 children are all in 4 different schools....Elementary, Middle School, High School, and College!

I should be used to this by now, right? NOT EVEN CLOSE! Next week we will be busy buying school supplies and first day of school outfits....and I just can't help but remember all the plans we had for the summer. Our summer "bucket list" never really happened. Oh, we had BIG dreams!! Ya know, things like: going to the beach, visit every park in the area, pool visits weekly.... 

But with all the 4H Fair projects, showing cows, farm maintenance and chores, 4th of July Party planning, and multiple Vacation Bible Schools to attend......not much else was accomplished.

I guess it could be worse, we do offer our children so many good memories of growing up in the country.

There have been many water balloon fights, bike rides, watching calves be born and chicks hatched. They have cousin overnighters and playdates..... roasting marshmallows, camping (for the first time!), running through the sprinkler. Yes, poor kids!

Our sons are learning how to grow their own vegetables, how to CAN wild raspberry jam, how to build birdhouses and new chicken coups. Our daughters have become more helpful around the farm for doing chores, now that they are getting older. 

I also had BIG plans for this blog this summer...well, LIFE is messy (and busy). This blog is like a long love-letter to our farm and home....so if I don't write as often as I should, it's just because I am busy making memories with the ones that live here on our farm and in our home...

Oh, and because I have a dinosaur of a computer and it recently went on strike of letting me download new pics! So, I will just get caught up with what I have so far....and maybe when the funds appear for a new computer I can show you all the activities and happenings of this short summer we have had! 

Until then, enjoy YOUR summer....what is left of it!

~Kim

Gunnar's Beach, our little boy's room

Here is a story of our little family.....

                            

When Baileyhusband and I got married, we planned on having a large family. Somewhere along the way, we did get that large family! But it wasn't without a lot of surprises...and some heartaches.

Our oldest 2 children are girls (Emma and Sierra), they both came a little earlier in our relationship than expected (i.e. they were "oopses", good oopses, but still oopses, don't tell them!;)

I do believe that God has a plan for every one of us and our families.

After suffering a loss one year, we went on and had a healthy baby boy (Wyatt). A couple years later, we suffered another devastating loss and concluded WE WERE DONE! We had 3 children and now believed that is all we were "supposed" to have. But God had other plans for us.......and decided He was not done with us! Along came our little precious baby, Gunnar William!  

You see, this pregnancy was a little higher risk, there was early labor with under-developed lungs, bed-rest, tons of trips to the OB/GYN with my wild imagination always thinking "something was wrong". Yes, I was a little anxiety ridden with this little one. How could I NOT be? And when he was finally born, healthy as can be,  he came in a very dramatic way....but isn't the baby of the family always a little more dramatic anyways? :) 

My sweet boy is now 8 (almost 9....sniff sniff). And even though he was certainly a surprise, he totally completed our family! This is his room that I decorated for him while I was pregnant, although the crib and changing table has been replaced with 2 twin beds and a dresser. This ocean scene is calming...relaxing. Probably something I needed while pregnant....and the poor boy will have to live with for ....ever!

Yes, he has asked to have a sport themed room...one week, and then the next he wanted a camouflage room. And I am always telling him that he will just have to live with his ocean view!  

I am mean like that. His likes and tastes will change...and if he grows up and hates me for this, or is afraid of the water....I'm sure his therapist will blame his mother! 

And I'm OK with that....for he is the little miracle that God gave us, when we had given up. 

For now, I keep it fun for him to play....and restful for him to relax. 

And having 2 extra beds in the house is good for when company arrives too....sorry guests, your room with an ocean view will never change! 

Thanks little man for making our family complete, 

and for letting mommy clean your room and take pictures!

~Kim

All decked out for the holiday weekend!

Hope everyone had a beautiful holiday weekend.....

we had over 200 friends and family over for a party on Saturday....

lots of work goes into getting the home and farm ready for that many people.

Still recovering from the exhaustion....(in a good way).....and still trying to clean up!

~Kim

Top Ten Rules for Country Living

Top Ten Rules for Country Living

(according to me, a Baileywife, who after living in the country for almost 15 years, still has SO MUCH to learn!)

{Hershey and Buddy}

1. Plant tomatoes- LOTS OF THEM-  more than anyone can possibly eat or even can (i.e. canning into sauces, salsa, etc). This also goes for potatoes for us this year....who needs this many potatoes?? I love me some potatoes, rather baked, mashed, fried, or frenched.....but we will NEVER be able to eat all that will be harvested.

{a portion of our garden this year!}

  2. Share all that is harvested with your neighbors and family....or for us, our neighbors ARE family! :) Kind of like a free farmer's market!

 3. Know the difference between an annual and a perennial. Makes gardening a lot easier. And know the difference in your weeds....makes those itchy rashes less annoying in your life!

{perennials}

{annuals}

4.Be willing to re-plant numerous things due to storms, kids, deer, or a certain peacock! Actually witnessed this fellow helping himself to our pepper and zucchini plants, but didn't tell Baileyhusband....I let him believe it was a rabbit in the middle of the night that kept coming back! (hehehe)

{Felipe trying to eat the blooms of our zucchini plant} 

5. Make peace with spiders and snakes- still working on the whole snake thing!

{this was NOT taken here, I copied from Fresh Eggs Daily's Facebook page}

6. Be early to bed, so you can be early to rise. Your rooster is good at helping you with that!

But you don't want to miss the most amazing sunrises....

7. Front porches are a MUST.....keeps you cool in the shade, covered in the rain, somewhere to sit and sip lemonade after a long day of yardwork, and up off the ground away from snakes. (And please don't burst my bubble telling me snakes can slither up to my happy place too, I will pretend they don't)

8. Learn to drive a tractor and/or riding lawn mower. Let's face it, no one wants to push mow an acreage. (and you are up off the ground, where there are snakes) This took me many years to get the nerve up to learn a Kubota tractor mower, but now that I did, it is MY JOB.... My mommy-time to myself and listen to the music I want to listen to on my IPOD.

9. No need for a gym membership, there is plenty to do around the farm....weeding, raking, mowing, gardening, sweeping, watering, feeding....and if that isn't enough: the country roads are amazing for bike riding and jogging!

10. And speaking of the farm....You must have animals.... if for no other reason than entertainment. 

{Tiny, our gray silkie, half-way through his bath....this makes me LAUGH}

{no denying who the culprit was that got into the garbage! } 

These next few weeks are going to be FULL of farm entertainment....we are getting ready for our 4H County Fair, so we are knee deep in homemade projects and getting our "Show Animals" ready.

Hope everyone has an awesome family and friends- filled 4th of July Weekend! 

~Kim

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