My First Hard Cheese

This is possibly a goats' milk cheddar.
We'll find out for sure in 4 to 12 weeks.
And this is my cheese press, which Big Dan kindly invented for me on the spot. Planning ahead isn't my forte. When I got to the line in the directions that said, "Press at 50 lbs. for 12 hours." I wondered where I was going to find something that weighs 50 lbs.
The containers of wheat were ok in a pinch, but I'll need to do better than that if I'm going to make lots of cheeses.
It was easy to make a cheddar. I think it will be like soap making. Seems hard at first, but once you get the idea, it's fun.

A Good Day for a Picnic

The girls made corn husk dolls at the table today, and the chickens are helping with the cleanup.

Fun, Fun, Fun

Today dawned perfectly crisp and sunny, just the right weather for the day before the autumnal equinox.
The girls awoke still giddy with excitement from their day of outdoor sports yesterday.
Here they are on the 4 wheeler.
And here are two more youngsters who also liked having fun near the same wildlife camera that snapped photos of my own young.

Annie Oakleys

The kiddos and Big Dan went target practicing today, and here's what Becky and Laura did from 25 yards with my .22 rifle.
They also enjoyed 4 wheeler riding and shooting with other guns and scopes.

More Cleaning

I waxed my hallway. I figured I'd better post it, since it may not still look like this at Thanksgiving, and I want credit.

Getting Ready for Thanksgiving, One Room at a Time

Here is the new and improved orange room, ready for cousins, aunts, uncles, grandfathers, stepmothers, or any other relations to spend the night during the yearly hoe down.
I haven't posted for ages. Nothing is post worthy. School is going well. Cleaning is keeping us busy. Ice skating is fun. Big Dan is helping a friend with some carpentry. The goats are giving lots of creamy milk. Life is good.

Math U See

Here's Becky reviewing and building some addition facts with Katie.
Laura's watching Mr. Demme teach her how to find the area of a triangle.
Lily is sound asleep in math class today.

We've been back to school for a week and a day now, and I haven't been posting anything at all about this year's educational goals.

For the first time in my homeschooling journey, I was burnt out. And that was during the first week!
The girls were doing their work in a reasonably cheerful and obedient manner, but I had a sudden feeling of trepidation that there is no way I have the time or the ability to educate all three, especially now that they're getting to the higher levels.

I had to go back to the very beginning of why we homeschool. Here are a few of the reasons, which we also shared with our friendly neighborhood school board when they wanted to know why we educate at home:

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

Psalm 78:1-4 “Give ear, O my people, to my law; incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, which we have heard and heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and His strength and His wonderful works which He has done.”

Hebrews 2:13, “Here am I and the children whom God has given me.”

Psalm 1:1-2 “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night.”

Am I performing my duties as mother and teacher at this level of perfection? No way!
But going back to the written testimony of why we do what we do sure made me want to do a better job than I'm doing now.
And far from discouraging me about my obvious shortcomings, I felt encouraged by the Scripture to trust in a sovereign God who is more than capable of helping us learn Chemistry.

The Moon

It doesn't look this red with the human eye, but I'm proud that I found the "night landscape" setting on my camera, so I'm posting it.
This is the view out the side door.

Becky's Cinnamon Rolls

Oops, looks like one is mysteriously missing.
I can testify that these were delicious!

Laura's Crescent Rolls

Here are Laura's dinner rolls, made for Daddy's return tonight.
First photo is going into the oven. Next is coming out. Yum!
We got the recipe from a friend who also uses Prairie Gold wheat.
2 cups wheat flour
2 cups white flour
an egg plus water to equal 1 1/3 cup (Spinster, this is not an 11)
2 tsp yeast
2 TBSP sugar or honey
2 TBSP oil
1 tsp salt
You probably already know that you knead then allow to rise till doubled,
roll with rolling pin into a rectangle, cut into triangles, roll into crescents, let rise a little, bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes.

Water Lily

This is taken where the infamous marshmallow feasts occur.

Buck Licker Update

It's September 3rd. Do you know where your trophy bucks are?

Not at the buck licker.

Yet...

A Shortcut to Marshmallows

Here is the path that will soon (but not soon enough!) be leading to a marshmallow roast.
If the title of this post doesn't make sense to you, you should go read Fellowship of the Rings. Right now.
Today is warm, but has the hint of autumn in the air nonetheless. Tonight will be chilly.
When the first leaves start to turn, and the evenings come much more quickly, we get a tingly and excited feeling inside.
But then by February, we hate all the excitement of freezing our butts off, and want spring, darnit.

Daddy's Little Helpers

And this is what it's come to at Providence Farm.
We have "help" doing every chore now.
Especially the chore of going in the door. Lots of help with that one.

Claire's Babies

I don't even remember which day these two bucklings were born.
That's the first time I didn't note a birthday.
Hopefully these guys will be sold soon so we won't need to name them and know their birthdays.