Thanks for the emails and encouragement.  We really miss friends and family.  I didn't think we'd make much use of this blog but it's turned into the best way to update everyone.

Work continues on fencing but Tonya thinks I'm out having fun in the woods.  So I essentially said "ok, you go out there and start clearing" which means I would have to home school for a day to which she said "ok."


I don't have a pic for the next topic, just imagine TJ with a really scared expression and me too.  And it's dark.  That imaginary picture was taken last night.  Calvin and I were taking care of the chickens and Caleb and TJ had left us 10 minutes earlier to start a camp site (the three oldest decided to camp far from the house and hopefully in the AM catch a critter they've been unsuccessfully pursuing).  TJ then returned in a panic and told me that they came across some people on the property who now had Caleb.  What!?  Yeah, that's what I said, and I could tell TJ wasn't kidding.  I had no phone so I collected our predator control tool and went to find Caleb.  Thankfully I soon found Caleb who told me where the people were.  I then found four guys who apparently were in college and just decided it was a good night for trespassing.  Turns out that when Caleb came across these guys (remember, it's dark, it's the country, there shouldn't be anyone where we were and there is no neighbor near by) he told TJ to run and find me and he then kept his distance and confronted them.  They told him they were just hiking (yeah, sure, it's dark, you don't have lights, and we're out in no-where) to which he told me he said to them they obviously were not telling the truth.  I was amazed, my 17 year old confronts four strangers in the night and tells them they're liars.  Thank the Lord it ended without an incident.

This is one of the roads I occasionally drive on now.  A lot different compared to my old commute.

Pigs love attention from boss hog.

We're experimenting on a new way to feed the animals by giving them sprouted grains.  It enables you to save money and offers more nutrition.

We've set up this area to experiment with the sprouts, the bottom of the trays are covered with grain and watered twice daily.

Thanks Sue and Larry for the wonderful package of jerky.

Liberty: "There isn't any jerky left?"

Me: "No, but you can have as much milk as you want when we get home."  (We have access to plenty of milk now [same with that cat], all that's missing is a lot of chocolate ice cream which I hope we'll figure out how to make soon).