Baby #6 is 4 WEEKS!!!

Why do they have to grow so fast??

Think Garden........

The past few years our gardens have been planned with the CSA and Farmers market in mind. They haven't been very pretty as far as design and have needed to be simple long rows. This makes planting, picking and weeding easier. We use plastic mulch for the rows, which is not really pretty, and things are planted to grow vegetables not to be admired.
This year we are not doing a market garden or the CSA, so I can grow what I want and not have to worry if it will sell or not. I am going to use the upper garden by the house. I have a 60x110 area,I would like to do a cottage garden look and have a few raised beds for the perennial herbs and such. I went through some of my seeds to get some started. I am not sure what tomatoes to plant, last year we had over 500 tomato plants with 200 being the colorful heirlooms. I like growing lots of different things so I think I am going to have a hard time just picking a few. What are your favorite tomato varities??

Where oh where did the spring time go?

I am way too preocucpied with other things to think of a good subtitle to go with this picture. Furnace repairmen are on their way, the laundry is respawning, dishes are magically growing, children are fighting, videogames are being played, baby needs to be fed, and I NEED SPRING! There has GOT to be somewhere the kids can go to get out of my hair?!?

We hired a few boys to do the milkin'.......

Introducing Frank and Larry... the new help. With baby #6 hunky husband has been doing the milking chores along with his full time job. Because of this, we needed some new help. Frank and Larry are our new additions to get rid of the excess milk, and they are doing a fantastic job. We plan on using one of these new boys for breeding, and the other is going to taste delicious on our dinner table.

Smoker

I hate to get a gift that is useless. Last year for my birthday my Dad gave me this wonderful smoker for my birthday. He built it somehow, he is amazing and I love it so much!! I have a spring birthday and with last summer being so crazy I only got to use it a few times. When my parents came to see baby#6 I put my Dad to work on smoking some lamb ribs. I had collected about 8 sides of ribs and they really take up the space in the freezer. When we have a animal butchered I like to get back all I can. I feel horrid when some thing gets wasted. Lamb ribs are usually not taken and sent to the renderer. I hadn't heard of anyone cooking lamb ribs but I thought we should give it a try. They were out of this world!! They were meaty and tender and had a fabulous flavor, I don't understand why the ribs are not included when they butcher. I am glad that I had taken ours.

My new love!!

Baby #6 is finally here,she is wonderful. I am grateful to see my long lost feet and be able to breathe again. The other children and hunky hubby are so awed by the new little one. I have to admit that I have forgotten how sweet a new baby is. I just love cuddling up with her in the rocking chair and just watching her sleep. What a wonderful blessing!!