Today was a good day it is trying to be warmer if you ignore the ice dripping of the fences in the morning. My husband is setting me up a utility sink out in our outside office so I can wash my wool out and save my kitchen. I hope to run some yarn through the counter tonight so I can dye tomorrow. I just can't seem to get motivated on it though, I also need to paint our bedroom I have the paint so I really need to jump on that. I feel like I have been slacking but I am really tired in the evenings.
I am working on my shoulder wrap on the round loom it is in lavender colour I hope to put a nice trim on it. It won't be fancy like other people can do but I still think it will be quite nice. Well I should run so I can gather up stuff to take out with me in the morning to dye wool with.

Goats having a temper tantrum.

Today was a nice day it was a little warmer my husband and the kids washed and polished my daughters car, it is so unreal to think she is driving. We went out to the farm where I bought the Angora goats from and picked up some grain and grain feeders that they gave me. It took a lot longer than I thought it was really heavy and it took some thinking to fit it all in the pick-up but we managed it then we came home and we unloaded them fixed a couple of things on them. It was so funny the new girls were so excited to see their feeders so tonight I gave them grain and called them the way we call ours when it is time to get turned out so they learn the routine.
I cleaned out my office outside so I am ready to dye some wool I would like to try a little tomorrow but I will have to see if I get some time. Anyways talk to you all soon.

My 13 year old singing Happy Birthday to himself.
The girls waiting for their hair cut.
My oldest daughter in her new car.

The last of goats are sheared what a good job to have done. We dewormed then put all goats together it was quite nice to see them all together. My husband and his brother went to the auction with 9 head today and as they went over the Coquihalla they hit black ice there were a couple of vehicles already had crashed and the ambulance was there. I am so glad I did not go I can not handle that kind of stuff.
The day was taken up of two trips to town, goat shearing took up most of the day and then supper and end of the day chores., not a whole lot of playing time. Well I must run take care

Yeah she is driving she worked very hard to get this. Now Glen I am not making fun of you but it is to good not too share this story. In BC you have to get your learners "L" and you can keep that for no more than two years then you go for the drivers test you an "N" for at least two years and can keep it for up to five years then you retake your drivers test. Well my brother was excited for her he thought she got a Nintendo game :) We laughed so hard.

Lunch with my neighbors. I used my lovely dishes

Our bathroom is finished it was really hard to get a good picture my zooms on my camera are too big but my family will see the change.

It has been a busy few days we have had a birthday party with friends, we have gone to Kamloops birthday shopping, some of us have attend other birthdays, we have done driving test, we have separated goats, we have loaded goats for the auction, we have captured goats into the barn for the shearer to arrive tomorrow, we have built goat houses, and I am sure there is more because I feel exhausted.
First my oldest daughter went in for her driving test and she got it. I was so nervous I swear I aged 20 years my husband was quite nervous too so were her brother and sisters. She did real well though oh my goodness she has had a lot a happen for her in the last few weeks.
My middle son turned 13 where does the time go he is quite young for his age and I would rather have that than too grown up. He had 6 kids over for his party plus my oldest son's friend and our 6 so it was good quick party. Today we took him shopping he had so much fun and of course I made him listen to the story of his birth :) nothing clears a room quicker than that.
My youngest son went to a sleep over for a birthday party he tells us he went to bed after 12 midnight and was up by 7am we picked him up tonight at 6:45 and he looked like a zombie. So we got him home gave him a hair cut and bathed him and he is off to bed.
The truck is loaded for the auction and the very mean ram is off and as I am typing this I can here him ramming the truck he really is horrible
My heart won the old goat that was to head off to the auction she is staying I just could not send her it breaks my heart if I think to much about it. Well I must go to bed have a good night.

That is my daughter in the middle kicking the ball.

Well we made it through homework and we worked on the bedroom until 11:20 but it is clean temporarily! (that is a funny word) I am baking cookies, cupcakes for the birthday party and he really wants an ice cream cake but they are so expensive but I guess we will go into town and check them out. We have a present for him of Car hart shirt, chocolate, big package of gum, new ear phones for his ipod, a hunting magazine all about bears, a package of socks and of nickers, and a gift certificate for the horse barn then we will go to Kamloops and buy him a pair of running shoes at Sport Check and maybe a Dairy queen run on Friday no school yeah!
The big day tomorrow my oldest daughter has her driving test I have butterflies just thinking of it. I am making my husband go I will jinx her just with my vibes. AHHHHH I am so nervous for her.
I have one son on the principals list and two girls on the honour roll very clever bunch and we have got back the info that my oldest daughter did pass the English exam so graduation is happening and get this she has a summer job.
The weather outside is not very nice I wonder if it is going to warm and I think they are lying about global warming because it sure is not very warm here in our area.
I am preparing to dye some wool soon but I am going to do it out in an office we have so I can just go to it and not have to worry about my house or it in the way of supper etc
Well must run and go check my piles I am burning at the barn talk to you all soon

The other night we did not get the hockey players home until 2pm and into bed at 3pm and then I was up at 6am but my son slept until 11:50am. Last night I was so tired I went to bed at 8pm slept until 10:30 then promptly woke up and could not sleep all night.
Today I helped my dad we are building another goat shelter obviously for the goats. They really use it even the little calf sleeps in it.
My children are doing there homework Oh my gosh I hate homework and no one tell me it is good for them it SUCKS. Imagine all of them doing homework one on a saxophone which in between each breath he snivels, one doing science project and will not try to figure it out on her own, one on computer doing a power point, two fighting over nothing and one doing spelling sentences with a lot of help.
I am trying to stall I have to go clean my two youngest boys room and I swear they are part PIG. Other than that all is well it was a good day we got a lot done. We are in birthday mode three of my children have birthdays in the next three weeks. Well must run talk to you all soon.

Soccer weekend over my daughter won MVP for her school and was given a soccer jersey. It was an okay weekend for weather not overly nice but I have seen worse. Today was quite nice I planted some flowers that I had watered some flower patches and did general sorting and cleaning outside. Saturday night we separated the goats and got the ones ready for the auction so that will be next weekend if all goes as planned. I am having a very hard time staying awake I have to leave at 12:15am to go pick up my husband and son in town. It is funny sometimes I can stay awake no problem but when I have to go somewhere I am very tired it must be all in my head. Well I must move around to keep awake off to clean. Have a great night.

Not too much new around here but the same ole, painting the bathroom is done. Tomorrow I will finish up any loose ends in between soccer and taxi service then onto a general cleaning of the house. I have notice I am not putting as many photo's back up and things seem a little different. After I get the house tidied up I will start our bedroom next that will be a big chore our room is quite big so I have to be in the right frame of mind and tonight is not it I am very tired so I am off to bed have a great night.

AFTER

The wall behind the cream coloured cabinet is a lighter shade of yellow and the wall behind the stove and other wall is a gold buff colour. Now I need to do some sweet talking for a new floor in the kitchen but he is a little sick of me, which I don't think is very nice.

BEFORE

Before pictures of the kitchen

I just finished the first coat of paint on the kid's bathroom it is a blue called "chillin" not really my colour but my middle son wanted something baby blue so blue it is. I think it will be okay if I go the other colour either cream or white.
Today was only a half day for the school children so it was nice to have some of them home earlier the oldest two went to watch rugby. My husband and middle son left at 4pm and are traveling all night to Saskatoon it is a very long trip and I am so glad it is not me going. I can't travel I was homesick and I didn't even get on the bus. I truly get homesick I get this real lonely feeling a despair feeling that I just want it to go away, it is right in the pit of my stomach. I absolutely hate the thought of going away. I can handle day trips of shopping or sight seeing but even then when I approach home I get this really anxious feeling WEIRD yeah I know.
Well I must go to bed long day tommorrow it is the start of the soccer tournament.

Tonight this blog will not let me post photo's so you will have to wait to see my kitchen and our family room. Today we sat through a very cold soccer game I am not sure what is colder hockey or soccer. Not a lot of news finished painting today and it is time to clean up everything and maybe just may be paint the kids bathroom. I have big plans to do things this weekend but I think reality is taxi service and soccer games.
I am having interference with my heart it won't let me sensible and send the goats to the auction. It is sad to send them on even though I don't even know them yet one old girl I think she will have to stay she is rather lovely a very nice personality. I must have a list ready to go for next Friday. as we will go to the auction Sat. I am also planning my middle son's birthday party, Oh MY goodness he is going to be 13. All our children are growing up so much. Well must run have a good night.

A picture is worth a thousand words

Today was a very special day my oldest daughter won a scholarship from Minor hockey for $500.00. I am so pleased for her doors are opening for her and all her hard work is paying off. We all managed to keep it a secret personally I hate secrets but this was a safe and good one. She was among two others who also won one boy she has gone to school with since kindergarten and the other is her boy friend. I am so happy for all of them.
So for the painting end my son's room is done, my living room is done, one part of my hall is done, my kitchen is done and my family room is done. I have four chairs to paint tomorrow then I may take a break but my children would like their bathroom done so maybe this weekend if I can fit in a hockey tournament, soccer tournament, barn dance and a trip to Saskatoon Sask.
My new goats are wonderful they are slowly getting to know my a couple just can't resist coming up and some look at me like I am crazy. I talk loud to my animals and I sing when I do chores I hate to see them get scared when they have not heard me approach them. My miserable ram is still ramming the fence it just needs to hang in there another week until we can ship him out. I must run talk to you all soon

They are here!

The goats have arrived and it seems they are settling in quite well. They are very wooly and will be sheared next month.

My middle son won this award now for the second time this year. He is grade 7 and is on a modified program. I lost a lot a sleep wondering if we were doing the right thing agreeing to put him in this program but it has been wonderful for him he is doing quite well and the goal is to get him back to a regular grade level.

Hot dogs any one!

Good Morning
I am waiting for my flag to go up to go have coffee with my dad, every morning he makes the coffee lights the fire and puts up a orange swimmy and that is my sign coffee is on. I am the only one up here so I thought I would right a quick post to wish every one a good day before I head outside.
The goats come today it is exciting but I am not sure how it will all go about I guess I will know soon enough then I will tell you. It actually was quite nice to only feed a few mouths at the feeder so that is definitely something to think about.
We will do an auction trip in the next two to three weeks and then I hope that is it for this year I will still have the one young lamb but I could keep her over winter.
In the mail I received two magazines Creative Knitting and Harrow Smith I had ordered them last fall from my son's school and they just came in now for the first time.
I am a little sick of painting I am onto the family room it will look nice I hope to finish up this week then to try to talk my husband into new flooring but that will have to wait until he gets back to work we pick some tiles out in Kamloops. I still would rather get someone to do it then it would get done but I think that would be to expensive. Oh to dream the only problem is the dreams don't quit they just keep rolling after one is reached there is another rather exhausting actually. Must run have a pleasant day.

This is my husband trying very hard to get the bolts of something under the logging truck. He tells me what he is doing but I never know what he is talking about.

What happened to Thursday I swear someone is pulling tricks on me. I guess it is too many paint fumes but oh my goodness my house is looking great. Kitchen is just about done but the paint has been awful it doesn't want to go on the wall very nice. So now I am cleaning up and I have one more spot high above a cupboard then on to the family room. Actually I have a lot more to do come to think of it. Hmmm sometimes I wonder why I do these kind of things.
We had the last baby lamb born this afternoon my goodness she was so slow and we had a White french angora rabbit have a whole litter of white babies yeah! we really want the white. We so do not need any more bunnies so she is the only one this spring that we will let have. Our weekend is crazy as usual oldest son has found hockey in Kamloops so my husband will take him over, my youngest daughter has birthdays to go to, oldest daughter is playing in a soccer tournament, middle daughter is playing in a volley ball tournament. None of this is a big deal except NONE OF THEM CAN DRIVE! We are great taxi service but the pay is poor.
My husband picked up my simply knitting magazine when he went to Kamloops to pick up parts so I can dream about learning to knit better.

A beautiful rose sits on our table.

This morning we woke up to -11 very cold but the day warmed up beautifully not that I went outside much I am painting my kitchen. I like it but non of my ungrateful family like it but they will get over it. Quite exciting this painting thing I really have never painted a home before I actually hate painting but like the end result and I will be glad when it is done. My garden is calling me and so is the sunshine.
When I had my sheep and angora goats in the barn ready to get sheared they looked so lovely all the different shades of white, I am going to put them back in just to take their photo.
I just finished watching the Secret Garden it is a very lovely show so pretty and very cool music if you haven't watched it go and rent it I know you will like it. Well of to bed talk to you all soon.

Planting time soon

Hockey over NOT.... we had a phone call about my middle son to see if he would like to join the peewee team traveling to Saskatoon, so In two weeks my husband and son will be heading off. This is so not is our plans it is not financially in our plans but he never gets to go on any trips but now with his dad home he can so who am I to say NO. The weather is so unpredictable we went to Kamloops for parts for the logging truck and we hit ice, rain and snow. The wind was so bitter cold when we got home I went outside to check the animals then I started on the kitchen we washed the walls next is primer then paint. It is a little over whelming so I had to dive in head first so I would not chicken out.
The other day I sorted my wool and put it in containers so the glass room where I weave is much tidier but I kinda miss admiring all my lovely colours of wool. On my way to Kamloops I started crocheting a face cloth in natural cotton colours something simple and mindless and enough to keep my from being a back seat driver. Must run we are finishing putting the flooring in my son's room.

Spring time

Good Friday the weather was so beautiful, it was actually hot out and it was the warmest day of the weekend.

Enjoying Easter morning

Easter gifts from Oma, chocolate and gift cards

What a wonderful busy Easter weekend I think we need a day to get over our holiday. We enjoyed our time had a wiener roast, gardened, played, looked for the rabbit. On Easter Sunday we had 17 people for supper we ate turkey, potatoes, carrots, roast beef, bread buns, Caesar salad, juice fountain, apple pies, chocolate cake, vanilla cake and lots and lots of chocolate.
In between cooking looking for the bunny I had to go out and clean the barn (which was awful) because the sheep shearer phoned and is coming on Monday. That was so not in my plans but it is done he will be back within the month to finish. I have to go with when the neighbor hood does their sheep so I don't have too much say we just do them when he is in town. So today we sheared sheep goats and alpaca's then did some hoofs, dewormed a few and then I spent the rest of the day cleaning a pen for our billy goat. I swear if I see another pine cone pine needle I will scream. so I am not working tomorrow other than chores that is it. I have been working for two months straight and I feel very tired however I bet I forget I would like to start on my kitchen now. Well I am off to find some tea, have a wonderful night.

Done

Our living room is all finished and I am really happy with it, next I would like to start the kitchen after Easter.

Before and during

The living room is started

A big black rat

My twelve year old son thinks he is so very funny he put this in our bed and my poor husband aged at least tweny years.

Happy Good Friday what a great start to a holiday weekend. We have been busy our living room is painted and finished fireplace mantel door and little cupboard is all painted and we put down new flooring in front of the entrance door it all looks really well. The yard is all clean fish swimming in the pond, grass nicely mowed all ready for Easter bunny. The front yard looks awesome It transplanted some Virginia creeper, shrubs and Honey suckle from the barn to the front yard. We took the winter manure and mess piles up to the compost with the tractor. It is looking lovely.
The children and my husband our watching Happy feet and the laughing coming from the other room is very loud so it must be a good show.
We have the goat, sheep, lambs and kids loaded and my husband will head off to the auction in the morning. I will take my oldest daughter to ref soccer and then to driving lessons.
At the barn we burned the old hay and pine cones we had many little fires going in the night one of the little lambs must have tried to sleep on the piles of ashes and he singed the wool on his leg he didn't burn himself but it was very funny. This year the lambs are so bad and some of them are already mean and bunting us which is a first so I guess they take after the dad. Well I am off to read my 'spin off magazine it just came in the mail. Have a wonderful Easter and I hope the Easter Bunny finds all of you.

We were very brave in our choices of colour. Now onto the next room!

My oldest son's room is done

Baking lessons

Learning to bake

The living room is painted it looks quite nice however my family lack of enthusiasm sucks, you'd think they'd have to paint actually I really like it. I just have to do the wall in the hall by the living room and behind the book shelf. The only fibre related things I have been doing is feeding my woolly creatures. One of my next jobs is to clean up my wool and put in containers I had not long ago put it all out so I could admire it but really it should go away and not be on display we really do not have the space.
We had to go the school today to pick up my youngest son he was not feeling well he had really bad stomach ache all day I just hope that horrible bug is not coming back.
I am having mixed emotions I gave my little horses away and if I think about it I want to cry but I know it is the right thing to do but damn I hate it when I have a sensible moment. Well I must go to bed talk to you all soon.

My youngest daughter found this pine needle out in the back field. It was really neat.

I'm back I have had to stay off the computer because over Spring Break my children were all using the Internet and we were very close to over using our time limit so that was the reason for the break. I have been painting my son's room it looks cool red and almond new blue bedding and better yet new flooring. They have this 12x12 flooring that just sticks down very cool very easy, very cheap Sal if your reading this just the boot room we did.
When I do stuff to my house it reminds me of my sisters who are very, very cool. My one sister taught me jump in and try something like the flooring, painting and make everything you do like a holiday. Even if we are going outside look around and take the most of the walk. Now my other sister when you visit her you feel like you've been on a holiday no matter what is going on she is fun and full of life.
We had two new babies yesterday and now we are down to the last two and they are so slow, slower than molasses it is crazy. We are off to the auction next weekend if all goes as planned and the Easter Bunny just might show up at our house we have been very good.