Pre-Spring is in full swing.

So we're in Pre- Spring mode. This means that even though we are still dealing with winter and snow we have to start planning for the spring. Spring for us means breakup. Lots of melting snow and mud. mud, and more mud. Not to mention standing puddles and flooding because the water can't sink into the still frozen ground. So much to do that we are keeping very busy.

I've started my plant starts. So far I've done tomatoes and peppers. Here are the varieties that I'm planting this year.

2/28/17

TOMATOES:

Indigo Cherry

Gold Nugget

Yellow Pear

White Cherry

Speckled Roman OG

Verona F1 OG

Pozzano F1 OG

Amish Paste OG

Granadero F1 OG

PEPPERS:

ACE

Early Jalapeno

Hungarian Hot Wax OG

Numex Joe E Parker OG

Purple Star

Alma Paprika

Long Cayenne

Leeks	King Richard	18	03/03/17
	Gevaria F1	18	03/03/17

Brussel Sprouts
	Catskill	18	03/03/17

Meet Peaches! Peaches is going to be our new family milk cow. She's a Brown Swiss and is currently waiting to be AI'd. Once she is confirmed bred she'll get to come home to Sweet Homestead Alaska.

Soon I will be cranking up the incubator. April will bring 4 weaner piglets and 4 hives of Buckfast bees. Because we're switching over to a cow we didn't breed any of our goats this winter. I'm really going to miss having baby goats jumping all over the place.

Chocolate Chip peppermint cake with chocolate mouse frosting.

Lisa

The kids celebrated their birthdays together this year all on one day. 

Lisa Worked hard with Nonnie to make these Lap Quilts for the Boys.

Wyatt is his SWAT gear.

Ken's Custom Truck Build is really coming along. It was hard to get good pictures after he'd been welding and grinding in there. 

Just want to give a little shout out to my Beachbody coach Jenny Morgan of Faith.Farm.Fitness  If your looking for an at home exercise program she can help you find one that's right for you. Then she can hook you up with a challenge group that will help keep you motivated to keep up with the workout and stay on point eating a clean and healthy diet. I've used Beachbody programs in the past because I like to get in some extra cardio inside in the winter. This winter I wanted something new and I needed some motivation and support. I found Jenny a fellow Christian, Homesteading, Homeschooling mom and I am so thankful. I started with my first round of Core De Force and one of Jenny's challenge groups. I'm now on week 3 of round 2 of Core De Force and in the Graduate Challenge group and loving it. It's one thing to loose weight there are a million gimmicks and plans that can help you with that but then your either stuck using some supplement or you end up rebounding. Real results happen slow and aren't about being skinny. Their about being the strongest healthiest you that you can be! The only way to get there is learning to eat healthy, get plenty of exercise and find balance in your day. 

Your body is God's Temple don't let it fall apart! 

1 Corinthians 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 

1 Corinthians 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. 

Happy New Year and Welcome to 2017

Happy New Year Everyone!!!

I hope that everyone had an amazing holiday season and that you're all geared up for 2017.

We had a really fun New Years complete with hot dogs roasted over a bonfire, smore's, funky flames and fireworks. Great food and Great friends. I wish I had taken out my camera but not sure I would have had much luck with pictures in the dark.

So we finally got some snow after waiting and waiting with only a few inches on the ground. Then it warmed up to 35*f and rained! Soooo... the top of the snow turned to ice. Luckily we've had a few more inches not to go on top of it. It's been a weird winter so far with crazy temps weird snow fall and lots of wind.

We have a lot on our list for 2017. Not resolutions just a long TO DO list. On top of that list is getting a cow and selling some of our goats. That makes me sad I love my goats. We have some new ideas for things we want to grow and it's time to inventory my seeds and place some seed orders. We want to do some pasture fencing and make some upgrades and repairs.

On a more personal note I'm working with an amazing group of ladies including my sister and lead by Beachbody Coach Jenny Morgan, with the common goal of improving our over all health. Not just doing some fad diet but making a lot of little changes to improve our health and that of our families. It's going to be a lot of fun learning and sharing ideas. My mom, Donna and I have already been doing Stronger Seniors and we're all seeing improvement in our over all strength and balance. We've been doing it for around 2-3 months now.

A big part of my journey will be learning portion control and meal planning. Here is a picture of my portion control containers and my planners as well as our week one menu.

I am LOVING my new planner and would highly recommend it to my fellow farm/homestead ladies. It's called the "2017 Heart of The Farm Planner". It's a great tool for not only household tracking but also farm tracking, goals, and meal prep/planning.

Come fall I hope to do even more preserving of foods from our gardens and high tunnel to make sure that we have healthy veggies available year round We did pretty good this year and so far we have enough of most things to get us through the winter.

Well, Welcome to 2017 and I hope that every one has a year full of blessing.

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. Psalm 139:14