my man

Absence has made my heart grow fonder... Ted has been gone almost 2 weeks, he returns in only 3 days. I miss him. Not just miss, I ache for him. I am grateful to have this rare kind of love and I give all the glory to God. Thank you Lord for my treasure.

Passion

Last Friday, my kids and I enjoyed a presentation on falconry. Now a week later what sticks with me most is the man's passion for birds. As he presented the history and facts of falcons he was giddy, like a child although he was in his 50's. When he shared his love for the smell of falcons he almost began skipping. He explained that he often dreamed of that smell and loved it so. He let the children smell the bird and explained now this smell would be forever with them. I love meeting people like this. People whose passion is so specific, they are an expert in their field. People who have taken their passion and put ACTION to it. My kids loved the experience and so did I!

I left wanting to buy my son a bb gun to explore nature. We talked about it and Will began reciting off wild game he would shoot. Polar bears, elephants, giraffes, panda bears and so on. Natalie was flabbergasted. She launched into explaining that he couldn't shoot and kill some of those animals. "Right mom?" I explained to them that some animals were not legal to hunt nor indigenous to WA. He said he wanted to hunt panda bears so he could use the fur to make pillow pets for other kids. (Will revived a panda bear pillow pet for Christmas.) So, maybe its a tad bit early for a bb gun, but I am grateful for his enthusiasm for adventure.

Christmas money

True confessions now. Often, Christmas cash finds its way to the pot of expenses spent running a family. Gas, home cleaners, tampons, food..... non-glamorous things like that. Before you think my man to be an ogre, let me note this is not his doing, it's my own. I can be my own ogress on this issue. (Ogress is the feminine to ogre)

This year I had cash and I promised to use it not on stuff like that. The givers wanted me to buy something personal for me. So, I went to Target and found 2 treasures I just love. First, a king size green velvet blanket. It is delightful and each night I am now draped in velvet.

The second is a super fly cookbook titled The Pioneer Woman Cooks. It is delicious, quite literally. I drink it up! I have made nothing from it yet, but boy do I enjoy the text and amazing photos. It instantly connects you to a ranchers life, probably because this cowgirl is a former city chick so she sees the vast difference in her today world from yesterday. Even if you hate to cook, I recommend this book. It's that fun. I on the other hand, LOVE to cook and plan on making something to knock the taste buds out this week for us and a neighbor. :) I will let you know how it turns out!

Cambodia Bound

My husband is serving the next 2 weeks in Cambodia. I couldn't be more proud and excited for him. Although he is already missed, there is such a peace reigning in our home because we KNOW he was supposed to go.

This year coming up with the $2500 was a journey. A journey of growth for us. Honestly, we are still believing for and waiting on $500 more. The first $600 came quickly and easily. $100 in craigslist sales, $200 anonymous gift and $300 he worked on a side job. This $600 came in only 1 week, back in July. The Lord had promised, in prayer to provide, and He did quickly! Then, nothing more came in.

Ted and I had said we wouldn't do support letters. We had our thoughts on that and as you can peg, pride was an issue for us there. We didn't want to ask for money when we are capable of working and have skill sets to earn it. How could we ask for money to help cover a trip when Ted has a good job? So many are struggling with basics like providing food or having health insurance. Who were we to ask for help? Boy, did God have other plans for us. We chose the hard road. Ever been on that one? In December, Ted came to me and shared that he really felt he needed to send out support letters. I wanted to vomit, truly! It was getting down to the final days and the credit card was suffering. He felt it was a step he needed to take. This was so hard for us. Let me be honest, this was hard for ME. As hard things are, Ted started asking why it was hard. We've received letters over the years and helped others in hard times or in faith steps and yet we didn't feel worthy to ask help for ourselves. God wanted to grow us. Pride isn't just thinking too much of oneself, it can also disguise itself as thinking too little.

Ted prayed and sent out letters. The result, $1400 has come in! Praise the Lord! We cried each time money was given. Blown away, overwhelmed and humbled to have family and friends sew seed into our lives. I realize now these people will reap a harvest as well and I would never want to deny that blessing. We've been growing. We are in process. It was/is still hard at times. I wonder what some think of us, and then dismiss it knowing we were obedient to what God called us to do and I need not fear man.

God is unleashing HIS power in Cambodia and we are humbled to be a little part of that! And who are we? Because of God's grace we are daughter and son to The King!

Contentment

My beautiful mom wrote this beautiful poem. May you be encouraged by it, as I have been. You are amazing mom!

CONTENTMENT
A full heart is what I have
Readjusted dreams come true
With memories worth the save
And some to throw away, too
Leave the past where it belongs
The future's bright to behold
No need to dwell on all the wrongs
Therefore, go forth!
Be Bold!

Why We Home School

I don't have a cute little school room and my kids don't wear adorable matching clothes. In fact, most days they are dressed in mismatched, worn out play clothes. Their teacher, me, is often wearing sweat pants and not the super cute ones with the matching zip hoodie and pink rinestones.

Some may think we are crazy and some days I think we are too. Some may wonder if I am teaching them anything and some weeks I obsessively worry that same thought as well. Unlike some, I am not anti public school. In fact, I think public schools are a good place. I really do. This is radical thinking for a homeschool mom. So, why do we do it? We homeschool for 2 primary reasons right now.

1. To maintain innocence a bit longer. Please note I believe there is a distinction between innocence and being naive. I DO NOT want my children to be naive to this world. I think that can be dangerous. However, they also do not need to learn big words and adult concepts at 5 and 6.

2. We want to live life as a family. We want our kids to bond with one another and have deep roots within their family. The last 18 months on 43 open acres has helped cement that. Our family is together often. We have many habits that bring togetherness and we love it.

Some things I know about my kids. They are friends. They LOVE to learn and are capable scholars. My kids are explorers and long for adventure. They are bold and daring. My kids are social and have many friends. (This is a big misconception some hold true about homeschooled kids.)

I don't know what schooling decision next year will bring. Each year we ask God and He directs us. We believe these are His kids that we are blessed to raise and care for. We are committed to loving them always and doing as the Lord would lead. For now, I savor being with them every day. I count it as pure joy to watch them grow, learn and love. This doesn't mean everyday is easy. Often, it isn't but when you know what you are doing is what you've been called to do, you trek on. And on the real hard days, I hit the pillow in surrender and thank God that tomorrow is a new day.

my dream bathroom sink

Oh my goodness, I LOVE this sink. I think my hubba hubba needs to learn plumbing skills because this is what I wish our next main bathroom in our next home to be like. It makes me smile!!!! If you have never washed your hands here, you must. Visit McMenamins, or more specifically there women's bathroom, and find a SMILE. It's delightful. I wonder if the men's loo is as exciting?

lost kids

Yesterday was stimulate the economy and visit your health care professionals day in the Bailey home. In the morning, all 3 kids had Dr. visits and in the afternoon it was dentist visits for everyone. Blahhhhh I had to look at that sign again, only floss the teeth you want to keep. I hate that sign.

Our goal is not to torture our kids with a marathon day of Dr. visits, rather Ted is in charge of dentist/eye exams and I the Dr. We forgot to coordinate.

Anyway.....our pediatrician gave us a really good tip that I wanted to pass along. He asked if we've given Lydia the lost talk. If you've ever lost a child you know how frightening this is for everyone. It has happened with each of our kids to varying degrees and it is no picnic. But, preparing your kids for what can easily happen is a good thing. Our pediatrician explained a good strategy for when they get lost is to tell them they should find a mommy. Mommy's are most likely SAFE. Mommy's are everywhere and they are on the same mommy team. Don't you love that? If a child approaches a mommy and states they are lost, that mommy will work hard to find that child's mommy. I love this easy to remember plan versus O.K. kids we are at the zoo. If we get separated and you are lost, find someone with a navy blue sweatshirt or t-shirt that has a polar bear on it and then tell them you are lost. Way TOO complicated. So, yesterday we had the if your lost find a mommy talk and I feel better.

Hen Update

All 13 hens are friends. They spend their days free ranging the property we live on and pooping on my sidewalk which makes me crazy. I become a bit immune to it (which I am sure disgusts you as a reader) until someone is coming over. Suddenly my poo-free goggles are off and I see it everywhere. It is at these times I am so tempted to purchase a power washer, to which my husband would jump and dance for joy. This has not YET happened, but would be on my list of necessary items for any free range chicken owner. Now, in theory, we could leave them locked up, but my empathy wins over. How could I ever force 13 hens who have been permitted to go where they please and explore where they may to suddenly live in an enclosed dirt area?!? It is inconceivable. No way. A free range they shall be!

On the subject of eating.... I have eye witnessed our hens eat the following: insects, grain, spiders, a mouse!, and a frog. I would never have believed the frog and mouse had I not seen it with my own eyes, but it truly did happen. A favorite treat we give the girls is oatmeal. I am not an oatmeal measurer. Consequently, I often make enough oatmeal for a High school football team. These are the days the hens enjoy. They LOVE it! And yes, once or twice on some of these particular cold WA days, I've been known to make a pot just for them. I vaguely recall a man from the co-op chicken class I took before this all began sharing that he did that and I thought he was nuts! I looked at my friend and said something like, that's never happening for my chickens. Ha! Oh to live some more life and change ones perspective.....

The hens are quite attached to the family. When we head outdoors, they usually gather around us and follow where we go. Reading this, it sounds annoying but I find their following quite endearing. I am certain they would like to go for van rides, but this hasn't happened.... yet. When van doors open, they often go in and need to be gently escorted out. Otherwise, you can only imagine what that car detailing fee may cost! Now, I would be flattering myself if I left you in anyway to believe they enter our van to see us. That may be the case, but I strongly suspect its the snack crumbs ground into the carpet that brings them in.

In September we were up to 12 eggs a day! Can you believe it? Now we are around 4. Most recently, these 4 eggs are frozen. Hens naturally slow down in the winter months, it has to do with the amount of light they receive. You can put a light in their hen house which causes them to lay more, but hens only have a certain amount of eggs to lay in their life so I figure its 6 to 1 half a dozen to another. Ha, pun intended.

*The picture is of Harriet. She is very photogenic, as I'm certain you can tell. She enjoys the lions share of attention and having her feathers rubbed.

Happy New Year!

Today is the first day of 2011 and I am excited. I am choosing for today to be a new start to a new year filled with new joy. With out the particulars, 2010 was one of the hardest years I've lived so far. There was much blessing, and even more grace, but great pain to walk through as well. I'm thankful for all I've learned, but even more thankful to welcome in 2011.

I have big hopes for this year. Dreams I plan on putting footprints to. I've been asked about my blog title, 'A Year With Chickens' and all I can say is we're waiting for God to direct our steps. I've thought of grammar correcting it to 'Years With Chickens', but I don't feel like that's the right thing right now so I shall continue as it lies. We are looking for a home. We are believing God has the perfect place just for us, but in the mean time we keep on living. As a side note, Natalie hopes the new home has 2 things. 1. A room of her own. 2. A place to build a coop so the girls can come with us.

I had a funny thought yesterday. We had playfully considered getting 3 alpacas through a connection and I thought well that wouldn't be much and it definitely wouldn't be a farm. I laughed mathing up the animal count. 13 hens, 1 bunny and 3 alpacas? Welcome to the farm! We are most likely going to pass on that opportunity, given we aren't sure when we'll move, but it was a funny thought. It's easy to discount things you've learned when you live them for a season and they just become a way of life. In the beginning of this journey, not creation, I wasn't sure when and what to even feed a laying hen. I am not an expert, but I've learned a little about hens and I am overwhelmed with thankfulness for the adventure I'm blessed to live.

I am excited to unwrap and live out all that 2011 has to offer. I am ready to seize the days!