A Saturday on Swede Farm

Saturdays are very busy days for our family and have been every week for the past four or five months.

Ever Saturday morning we get up around five. We being Dad, Mom, Seth, and any other child that is going to market with them, (who that is changes from market trip to market trip), and myself. While mom is inside getting the kids ready to go, dad and I are packing product.

When we started going to market we had one MAYBE two ice chest for all our product. Since we have had all those goats kid back in February, we now have a ton more milk. So we are bringing one ice chest PER product. One for the Kefir, one for the plain yogurt, one for the vanilla yogurt, one for 1/2 gallon jugs of milk, one for 1/4 gallon jugs and one for the chocolate milk.

Once we have product in the ice chest we work together to load it into the van with all the other stuff we need for market as well as leaving space for all those who are going to safely sit in a seat. You would think we could do it in a 15 passenger van, but sometimes it is a tight fit!

Well, yesterday was a little different in more then one way. First, this was our first Saturday to have the girls back from Germany, so we had a few more options on who should go stay, who should go and of those who stayed what work they were to do, etc. Second Sara was showing three of her rabbits (rather one was hers, the other two were dad's). Sara had to be signed in and in place by 10. We are supposed to be at market from 8-12, set up and ready to sell that is. So we had a little juggling to do.

So, what did we do? We need someone to go with and stay with Sara, some one to stay at market and someone to stay at home to watch the children and get chores done. So, we decide to send Grace with Sara, me with dad and mom to drive Sara there and then come back to help us at market, and Chris to stay home with the youngers and get shores done. (Plus I think she was trying to get me out of the house for the day).

Sounds like a great plan right? Adults in all three places, everything should go fine right? Well, first we got a late start, because my alarm clock has not been working lately. :-S So, instead of going off at 4:30, it decided not to go off at all. (there, went my shower!) So, I head out to load up product, the most every and at the fastest rate as well!

I come in get ready to go, with the call going out "Leaving in 5 minutes!". I quickly get dressed, grab my purse and bible study bag and head out the door. Only to find that the cage they have for the rabbits is three times the size I thought it would be. I suggest one idea, and it didn't work. So at dad's suggestion he and Grace take out the back row while I go and hunt for a travel mug, which I never found. I had to wait until we got to market to get some coffee at Katz. (Well, dad didn't suggest I look for the mug).

So, we get to Market, loaded down with 6 ice chest, market gear, two rabbit cages, and five people to help setup, one toddler and a ton of energy. :D We get set up, mom, Sara, Grace, and I (change in plans) head over to the Reliant hall to help get Sara's rabbits singed in and set up. After she is all done, mom and I head back leaving Sara to watch her rabbits and get them set up for showing and leaving Grace with her to help her stay calm, make sure Sara eats and to have fun, this is after all the livestock show, the one thing Grace asks for each year for her birthday. lol

After we get back to market I make my rounds, I get some coffee at Katz, a cheese sample from Lisa, Say hi to the Hattermanns, Bring my knife to be sharpened, talk with Julia--the Market Manager--about kid's day next week (and tease her about being a Brewers fan in Houston). After I have said hi to everyone, I head back to our booth to help with the milk. By this time it's 9:30-10:00 which is when it really starts to get busy, not just for us but for all of market and there is no real time to chit-chat.

At this time mom, dad, and I are all helping costumers. Giving out samples. answer questions on goats milk and goats, and filling out orders. Hectic? Yes!! But a TON of fun! I love doing it. Oh and we are also watching Seth who is trying to pull up on anything he can and pull out anything he can.

After market shuts down, we slowly start to close down, I don't think we have ever taken this long to close down. I do think the fact that all three of us were very tired and had nothing really to motivate us to get home didn't help any. (Hey, Chris was watching the kids, she can handle them!) Plus it was hot, you can tell that we are starting to get to the Houston Summers! lol

I napped on the way home, about an hour's worth of nap was great! When we got home we had someone here who was helping us to put up goat shelters. :D So, dad went out to help them with that, while mom started planning dinner, the youngers ran around and played until evening chore time and I worked on my garden.

After about an hour or two of that work Chris, Linnea, and Emma headed out to milk, while I cleaned up my stuff from the garden work, our friends left, with mom and dad soon followed them down the road to get the girls from the livestock show.

After chores were down we eat and I settled the little kids down, while I thought the older kids were doing their after meal jobs and a little house cleaning. They weren't they were talking about Narnia and listening to it on tape. Grrrrrr!!! The rest of the family got home and we all pretty much crashed after that.

Well, there you have it--a close to normal Saturday on Swede Farm.