To-Do List

This is the list of things I need to get done before mom and dad get back from taking Grace, Sara, and Linnea to the Orthodontist. :D

• Take Christin to pick out her new Alpacas (with the youngest six children I might add)
  
• Flavor cheese (three flavors this week)
• Package & label cheese
• Clean the van
• Load the van for two markets
• Get the ice chests cleaned out
  
• Double check that the ice bottles are all frozen and/or freezing
• Keep the kids safe and happy
• Start dinner--I can't until they get home with the pizza
  

Who ever said living on the farm was "kind of laid back"? Y'all have a good weekend and hopefully I will be able to come on later this weekend to update life on the farm and work at the Livestock show. :D

Swede Farm Happenings

Let's see...

We are recuperating from Thanksgiving and having friends over for 5 days. We LOVED having them here, and wished that they could have stayed longer. Having a break is always a good thing, but for some reason it always seems to take a week to get over that break. :-S
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The Youngers in the house are counting down the days to Christmas and counting their money for our wonderful day of gift shopping. Where Mom and I get a list from everyone what they want to buy, they hand over the money and then we all go out and hit three or four stores (sometimes more sometimes less) to buy everything on the list. Everyone but dad is normally there to help pick out the items that they want to buy. But as "Santa's honoree elf" at Swede Farm I always the main one shopping and wrapping. (Which reminds me, I've got to start wrapping sometime soon.)

It's the funniest thing to hear Timothy, Liberty, Noah, and Judah sing the Christmas music that we have been playing. (Thanks to dish network we have a half dozen to dozen channels of Christmas music). The renditions and antics that we get is enough to keep us laughing half the day.
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Our kidding Marathon began Sunday morning, as we were running out the door. So, some of the Carlson Clan did not go to church, while others assisted with the birth and then headed out for church. lol

We just had does kid yesterday, two LaManchas and two Alpines. The fourth one kidded around 11 PM and with her kidding, she broke our record of most kiddings in one day which was three. We got a grand total of 7 babies in the four kiddings. :D All spoken for and hopefully will be at their new homes by the end of the week.

Now we have four more does to kid. One of which is one that I bought two years ago and I am praying (well, I have been praying) for a doeling from her, as I have yet to get one from her. :D
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Now, I am off to do laundry for with kidding season comes a real need for someone to stay on top of laundry and not always for us humans. Esp. in this cold we have to always have fresh towels to wipe the babies off as the enter the world and to cover them up with as it's a huge change from mom's 102 to Field Store's current 50 (or colder if it's after dusk, which all but three were yesterday). On top of that the girls are forever changing since they hate to have the birth goo on them. (Not sure I can fault them for that one!!)

Oh, plus the girls have yet to find a way to keep a diaper on the goats, so I am washing more bedding as the girls will fall asleep cuddling a goat and wake up to a nice puddle in the middle of their bed. lol so, its towels and sheets for the goats and then clothes and bedding for the girls.

And then time to prep dinner. I just wish I had a ball game to watch as I am getting a little tired of watching the "House Hunters" and "Dinner Impossible".
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And thanks everyone for putting up with me messing with the blog.  :D 

Whew!!

Today was a long day, it seemed longer then it really was. I want to say that it started at about 12 am the night before with toddlers being crumpy, but that was last night and really doesn't count as today, does it? :D All righty then, it started at six this morning up with the toddlers and watching them as one of the girls started breakfast. Then as they eat, I cleaned my room. I had rearranged it the day before, so I had the after furniture moving clean up to do.

Then at 10:30 I headed next door to 'help' Grace baby sit the neighbor's toddler and baby. In truth I went over to get my baby fix. :D They have a two month old that I haven't seen in a couple weeks and he's the only baby I've been able to hold in the past two weeks, because there are no other babies that I can hold. So, I head over when ever mom can spare me and my neighbor doesn't mind me. :D

As I walked up our driveway a friend was driving in the other driveway for a day of butchering. To save those with less then strong stomachs I won't go into full detail. All I will say is that Grace has one less buck to feed and there are eight less rosters crowing on our place. It is very quite out right now. :D

Two of the rosters made some of the best chicken and rice soup that I have had and hopefully in the next couple days we will be having the best chili in town!! :D

Now, I am off to clean up, hopefully clean my room a wee bit more and then hit the sack or mattress, or whatever you want to call it. :D

Just to Let You Know

I have been asked this from time to time and I have finally come up with the answer! :D

Question: "What is the worst farm chore for you?" or "What farm chore do you like the least?"

Answer: "Raking up wet dairy berries!!"

I would much rather butcher then rake up wet dairy berries. And before anyone asks, 1)Yes there is a difference. and 2)No, I don't mind 'dry' dairy berries. :D

And why am I saying this now? Well, over an hour ago I came in for breakfast, and I had just finished filling three wheel barrel fulls of dairy berries for my now WAY to late garden. :-S

I just thought I would let y'all know that about this! lol