Ft. Stevens Sept. 2-4, 2006

Finally I have time for another update!!!! I am just going to post lots of pictures from our last couple reenactments. This post will be our Ft. Stevens event. We tend to take a lot of pictures during our events! I wonder why?!?!? We LOVE it!










Benjamin and Sarah relaxing in a wonderful tree.












My friend Sarah and I in our matching shawls!




















That's my daddy looking as handsom as ever!

















Lydia in her wool and flannel coat and cotton bonnet.















Lydia and I after I had filled her tummy with some lunch.

Mommy and Daddy.












Gracie and her friend Anna peeking at each other around a brick chimney.


More soon!

Hysteria!!!!!!

The day Christiana died, one of the kids (the guilty party wanted to be kept anonymous) asked mom why she was stiff when he, I mean the guilty party, found her. Mom told him it was called rigamortis. The guilty party then asked, “Is that what she died of?” It was quite a while before mommy could continue the spelling lesson because of her peals of laughter and we have all had many laughs over his ignorance, poor kid! He learned something he will never forget that morning in school!

The Passing of another Creature from Our Farm

Last week, I am sad to report, our faithful old milking goat, Christiana, died. It was kind of strange; we didn’t want to give Christiana away this last year even though she had quit producing milk. We loved the ornery old goat. When Sarah was very sick as a baby we found she thrived on goat milk, so we went out and bought a milking goat. She gave tons of rich, healthy milk, and Sarah blossomed as she drank gallons of it through the years. So, needless to say, we grew attached to our bad-tempered mama goat. She kicked or butted you if you got close enough to get within her reach and she would even butt the fence as a warning, but we still loved her. Thursday morning the kids found her dead; she had died in the night. The kids dug a hole and daddy helped them bury her. We were glad she died here at our farm since this is where she gave us many, many babies and gallons and gallons of milk. Christiana has passed the baton down to her daughter, Molly, who is in the barn right now with her own baby! We look forward to many more years of milk from her!

Picutres of our Lydia Anne!

7 months

"I am suposed to be in here?"
















6 1/2 moths
Lydia in her 1860's nightgown.















7 months
Lydia is wearing the same outfit that Amber wore when she was a year old. All 5 of us girls have worn it so it is special!



















8 months
















7 1/2 months
Lydia is "helping" us unload Tecnu on a nice afternoon!


I hope you enjoyed these!

Yet Another Creature

The children have added a new animal to our farm! This “HUGE” snake was found a few days ago and it has been the center of much fun since. The kids had daddy look up what kind it was because they thought it was a boa constrictor; but it wasn’t, only a rat snake or something similar. Gracie, ignoring my cautions, snuck it into mommy’s room to show her. Well, I knew mommy had finally seen it in Gracie’s hands when I heard a shriek echoing from the room and then “get that snake out of here, now! I really don’t want a snake loose in my room!” By that time everyone was laughing at mommy’s reaction! It was funny, but very mean too!!!

Calling Names?

I found this darling short story in the Home School Legal Defense magazine Court Report, May/June2006. I thought you might enjoy it!

Quoted straight from the article:
“Sticks, Stones, & 1040s
One afternoon, my 9-year-old daughter,
Ella, came running to my wife in dismay.
“Mama, Mama, the other kids are being
mean to me and calling me names!”
Surprised that our children had resorted
to this discouraging behavior, and wondering
what names they had learned, my wife
inquired, “What names were they calling
you?”
At Ella’s reply, we found ourselves stifling
smiles-then asked her siblings if they had
indeed called her this mean name.
Although the boys howled their denials,
Sofija sheepishly admitted, “Yes, we did call her
a ‘tax collector.’”

Sent in by- Peter Freimanis, Albuquerque, NM ”

Obituaries

Our Family Farm Obituaries in the last 3 weeks

~ Within two days 4 sweet (and loud) baby bluejays died. Their mother had died and their new mothers couldn’t take the real mothers place no matter how hard they tried. I personally think the cause of death was a broken heart for their beloved mother who gave her life to save theirs.

~ 8 Tadpoles passed away. Cause of death- sun stoke

They were greatly loved and cared for until their bowl of water was unwittingly left in the sun too long. They will be missed.

~ Father mouse and 4 children died in captivity. They were very happy in their small cozy home but when mother mouse escaped their mouse morale plunged low and the vigor of life went out of them. With kind hearts their captors set the two surviving children free.

Amidst the sadness of passing creatures there is also new life here on the home range. Abby, Andy, and the twins Amy and Adam were born to Missy, Molly and Maggie two weeks ago. Their vigor and energy in life is amazing! They jump and play constantly with each other when they are not napping or nursing. They did tell us they will be most happy to share some of their wonderful milk with us when they are old enough not to need so much. Baby goats!!

Mulch or Molt?

Hello Everyone! I am finally getting to add another post! Enjoy!

Yesterday we had several families to our house for a Memorial Day party. While the group of us young women and girls were feasting on a wonderful lunch on a beautiful green lawn Kacey asked seriously, “Did you mulch recently?” Gracie innocently blurted out, “Miss Kacey, only chickens mulch!?!?” She didn’t know the stuff they put on the flowerbeds was called mulch! The only mulch she knew was when the chickens molt in the winter! Needless to say it was a while before we could continue with our lunch for the fits of laughter we had to suppress before we could swallow!

Our First Post!

Hello and welcome to our family blog! This is where we will be keeping you up to date on goings on at our humble abode. Everything from exciting news to funny stories about the children and the things we do together. Most of you see the MS family when we are all dressed up for church or sitting nicely in a family room, but what do they do at home? What gross things do the children find to get their hands on? What silly thing did the little ones (or not so little) pipe up with? Here is where you find out! Please check back here often, as a large family will keep me quite busy!