Downsizing ... for a spell

For awhile now, my health has been on a down grade. The constant pain got so bad that I finally had to give up watching the grandbeans on a full-time basis. It was so bad, just the mere thought of running after a baby all day while in varying bouts of pain really stressed me out, making the pain worse. So, while it broke my heart to do, it was also a big relief pain-wise. Thankfully, the kids had an alternative plan in the wings and it has been working quite well for them.

I started doing a little better. I was getting things done slowly around the house and farm. Due to being able to move at my own speed instead of the speed of children, the pain was becoming manageable.

Then my daughter-in-law, DILBean2, needed to go in the hospital. Bean2 is, of course, serving overseas. With no one else to take the children until she is fully functional and able to care for the boys herself, we are taking care of GrandBean2 & GrandBean4 full time. This is what family does. We take care of each other even in situations that are difficult and sacrificial. Otherwise, you're not family, you're just people who know each other.

As you can imagine, my health started going downhill again. The positive out of this is, I have been forced to make a doctor's appointment. I need to take care of these babies .... and myself.... and the animals.... and the garden (what there is of it this year).

All of this to say, MrBeans and I have made a decision. We are harvesting almost all of the birds, not hatching anything else, and we have let Blue dry up. This alone will take animal chores down from 4-5 hours daily to about 20 minutes.

I won't have to leash up 4 goats to feed in order to milk - because otherwise Blue is bucking and headbutting everyone who is trying to steal her food even though they have the exact same thing in their feed troughs. That does not make for easy milking. Now we'll be down to just putting food in 4 troughs that are all together.

We'll go from 6 pens and 6 brooders plus incubator chores (it's old so we have to add water twice daily and manually turn) to 2 pens and 1 brooder until the baby quail get big enough to go in their pen - then we'll just have 3 pens - and no incubator chores.

AND our coffers will be FULL! I mean that's what they are here for after all - we provide love and care and a good life - they provide meat for our table. In late winter/early spring we will begin incubating again and start the flocks over for next year's meat.

Another positive out of this - we get to see how long this meat lasts! It will let us know how many birds we should raise next year. While we will be canning all the birds (as it's the only way we've been able to get tender meat so far) we also have half a cow, quite a bit of fish, a little bit of pork and deer left, some birds that we froze before we knew I'd stink at cooking them properly (but I can pressure COOK them into juicy tenderness, so not all is lost), and a couple rabbits in the freezer, plus some canned meat still on the shelves. Out of curiosity, we're going to see how far this takes us into next year.

Therefore, something that seemed so negative turned out to be wonderful blessings in disguise! Out of all this:
1) We are in a position to really care for two little boys that need it.
2) We can help our Son and Daughter-in-law and give them peace of mind.
3) I was forced to finally make a doctor's appointment.
4) We will get to see how long the meat we've raised thus far will last and determine if we need to increase, decrease, or remain the same in years to come.

I'm quite excited for the things to come! Have you ever had a time where you had to downsize the farm or homestead (or other) or had something that appeared to be negative turn out to be some great positives? Share them with me in the comments!

The Feast of Saint Valentine

So we don't really celebrate Valentine's. We generally focus on the grandkids. Okay, that's when I started acknowledging Valentine's in the lovey way. MrBeans got the children something every year. The sap ;-)

As you may or may not know, grandchildren change everything <3

I started making crafts for the wee buggers for each holiday. We're going to have quite the collection in a few years.

This year I decorated the hearth with all the Valentine items. I think I like this arrangement the best so far.

The Valentine's Day after we found out GrandBean1 was on the way, I made this...

It was in a different frame originally, with a wine-colored, felt photo matte surrounding it. Now, it's a bit simpler.

For the babies' 1st Valentine's we take "Kisses from Mimi" pictures & make a footprint flower for "Mimi's & Papa's Garden."

The top one is GrandBean1 and GrandBean2 is on the bottom. Next year I'll need a different frame since I have at least 3 more babies to be adding to the collection!

GrandBean1 in the very back; GrandBean2 to the left; GrandBean4 to the right; GrandBean3 in the front.

Still debating on whether to get GrandBean5's footprints & pictures since he was born a mere 2 days before Valentine's. Lots of factors to consider. I'm completely okay with waiting!

For the babies' 2nd Valentine's we do art!  I fold a piece of pink cardstock in half and let the wee ones scribble away. After a few snips, colors, prints, and tapes these are the results...

GrandBean1's art is the dark pink with GrandBean2's art is on the lighter pink.

The babies' 3rd Valentine's finds them making this LOVE canvas.

This is obviously GrandBean1's artwork ;-)

There's no telling how I'll arrange it next year considering there will be so much to add!

Grandbean4

.... has made his arrival!!!

GrandBean4
Sunday
December 11, 2016
3:58 am CST
5#
19 1/2 in

Parents: Bean3 and DILBean3
Siblings: GrandBean2