The Big White Farmhouse

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Oh April, you were a wild ride.  New puppy shenanigans, a late night fire department visit for a (thankfully false!) carbon monoxide scare, long hours in the garden, a beautiful Easter High Mass, the stomach flu shared with half the family, a broken sump pump and $$$ to replace it, jobs starting for teenagers, a fundraising gala, a first tooth lost…and on and on and on.  So many highs and lows.  We’re just holding on tight and trying to keep our humor throughout all of the craziness.  What a life!

FIVE THINGS I LOVED

1. a puppy that finally started sleeping stretches at night
2. getting plants out from under the grow lights and into the garden
3. pulling out my spring/summer dresses from storage
4. my go-to homeopathic allergy medicine
5. fifteen new little ducklings

THREE LESSONS I LEARNED

1. I’m grateful the volunteer fire department is located so close to us. //  We were awakened by an ear-splitting alarm one night and found the noise (coming from what we thought was the carbon monoxide monitor) in the basement.  There was also a terrible rotten egg smell, so fearing the worst, we woke up all the kids, rounded up the animals and took shelter in our cars while my husband opened windows and called the fire department.  They arrived in minutes and were able to determine that it wasn’t a carbon monoxide issue, but something crazy happening with the sump pump, and all was good to go.  We felt a little silly about the false alarm, but were assured that it’s always better to veer on the side of caution.
2. Painter’s tape is still a fun creative tool. // During spring break, my youngest three kids found a roll of blue painter’s tape and went to town creating roads and racetracks around the first floor.  My kids are growing and maturing so quickly these days, so it was nice to see them use their imagination in this way.
3. I’ll never be a successful influencer. // I fell down a Youtube rabbit hole about influencers and “de-influencers” and the morality/legality/sincerity of the whole influencer culture.  Woo!  So many thoughts and opinions.  I’ve since decided that I’ll never be a successful influencer.  If I could convince you to do anything, I would tell you to put down the phone, find a hobby that brings you joy, love the ones around you well, and stop caring so much about what other people think.  Can’t really monetize that!

FOUR “LITTLE PEOPLE” WE SUPPORTED

1. A book from a seller on Pango Books
2. Food goods from a farmer friend
3. Books for the kids from the local used bookstore
4. Compost from a local nursery

FIVE GOALS FOR APRIL REVIEWED

1. Keep track of how many hours I spend outdoors. // I had the best of intentions to do this and see how much of my time was spent on farm things, but I kept forgetting to bring out my phone or check the time before/after…so I just gave up, ha!  Oh well.
2. ✔ Start livestock guardian training with Samson. // He’s a handful, but thankfully responds beautifully to praise and positive reinforcement.  (We’ll be saving quite a bit of money on treats!)
3. ✔ Prep for duckling arrival and work on their housing. // The ducklings are here, but we haven’t even started on the housing!  They’ll be living in our garage for four weeks, so hopefully we’ll be able to knock out that project quickly.
4. ✔ Make a spring cleaning calendar to give me some focus. // I made the list but have only checked off a few tasks so far.  (Quick and easy wins like cleaning out my purse, flipping the mattress, and wiping down the trash can.)  I really need to prioritize this in May.
5. Try to come up with some interesting things to post here on the blog. // Well, that’s a big negative.  Better luck next month.

FIVE GOALS FOR MAY

1. Complete standardized testing and wrap up the school year.
2. Prep for piglet arrival.  (Not 100% sure, but we think Ethel’s really pregnant this time!)
3. Pick out flowers for the flower pots on the porch.
4. Paint the back doors.
5. Prioritize eating from the deep freezer to make room for new beef/chicken.

Help me transition away from “traditional” blogging income streams while still keeping the lights on at the BWF!

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission of any sale made at no extra cost to you.

FIVE THINGS I LOVED

1. the completion of all 365 days of the Bible in a Year podcast
2. watching the pigs’ absolute glee as they went back on pasture
3. a solid night’s sleep after a week of tossing and turning
4. new life growing everywhere you look
5. our new puppy

THREE LESSONS I LEARNED

1. I want to learn to butcher. // After reading this book and then following that up with the “On The Anatomy of Thrift” videos from Farmstead Meatsmith, I’m really inspired to learn how to butcher our pigs.  We don’t have the infrastructure to do this on the farm yet, but I’ll definitely be thinking about it for the future.  I feel a significant sense of duty to our animals that they get treated correctly, from start to finish, and that we do not waste the gift.  Now to train my American taste buds to enjoy things like paté and head cheese…
2. I need to make sure I take care of myself during this busy season. // Things got busy, I slacked on my intentional eating, forgot about my vitamin regiment, and…I was soon sick with a painful sinus infection.  I’m making baby steps in the right direction, though: while normally I would have just ignored it until it literally took me under, I instead took the day off from all the things, rested and even napped!  I felt completely back to normal in 24 hours.
3. Puppies are so much work. // It’s been four years since Lucy was a puppy and I had forgotten so much!  Samson cried and cried for four nights straight and we were all walking around a little zombie-like.  Thankfully, he seems to have turned a corner and we’re getting a bit more sleep.  Now to work on the chewing and the bathroom accidents and the cat chasing!

FIVE “LITTLE PEOPLE” WE SUPPORTED

1. Another family trip to the used bookstore
2. Art supplies from Jerry’s Artarama
3. Goods from a farmer friend
4. Greeting cards from etsy seller, Amy Heitman
5. A dress (for a formal event in April!) from a seller on Poshmark

FIVE GOALS FOR MARCH REVIEWED

1. ✔ Get everything prepared for chick arrival. // The first batch of chicks always seems to feel like growing season kickoff!  This year was smooth and mostly uneventful, praise the Lord!  I’m excited to have them here.
2. ✔ Install the fence around the garden. // Done!  We installed the Critterfence and now I can sleep easy knowing that my precious trees and plants won’t be gobbled up by deer and chickens.
3. See if we can find dining room chairs that will closely match the ones we already have.  (Maybe the Amish outlet?) // We had a few unplanned expenses come up, so this got put on the back burner for awhile.  Someday.
4. ✔ Purchase Easter basket goodies. // Considering this mostly done.  I still have a few sweet treats to get, but the majority has been purchased and tucked away.
5. Deep clean my master closet. // I quickly consolidated my stash of packing materials, but I definitely need a better system.  Considering this task an ongoing work in progress…

FIVE GOALS FOR APRIL

1. Keep track of how many hours I spend outdoors.
2. Start livestock guardian training with Samson.
3. Prep for duckling arrival and work on their housing.
4. Make a spring cleaning calendar to give me some focus.
5. Try to come up with some interesting things to post here on the blog.

Help me transition away from “traditional” blogging income streams while still keeping the lights on at the BWF!