The end is near.......

Yes, that title sounds ominous, but it's not quite what you think. We are getting close to the closing on our house here in South Dakota! Maybe, they keep coming up with last minute things that are really beginning to aggravate us and our sellers. So far, today was the last hoop, I think and we should be moving in this week!!!! Finally.
I can't wait to get into the house, I just road tripped to Colorado to pick up my antique Chambers stove. She's a buttercup yellow and in great condition. I can't wait to get her hooked up and start cooking.
There is so much to do yet. Spring is coming here to the Black Hills, but I have been assured that there will be one more good blizzard in April to look forward to. I can't wait to start the garden, there is a nice size plot on the side of the house where she gardened. I also need to get chickens and get our horses here. So much to do and so little time.
Well, until after we close, when I can get pictures on here for you all....

Ah, New Year New Place New Beginnings!

It's truly a start to the new year for me. My husband and I took a leap and up and moved to South Dakota. I had lived in Kansas for basically my entire life, oh, I had travelled and seen other places, but I never had the nerve to really pull up stakes and move to a unknown city. We were leaving a wonderful life and spectacular friends and neighbors, but the adventure was calling me in the back of my head. We knew the kids who suffer from eczema and asthma would do better there, plus who doesn't want to see Mt. Rushmore everyday?

Job one was to get our house in Kansas sold. Well, we put it on the market and waited. And waited, and then waited a little more. We found nice renters for the place and were able to leave the chickens and barn cats in their charge. We also found a nice home in Custer, SD to rent while the search for the perfect home commenced! Well, maybe perfect is a far stretch, but at least one with no major renovations to deal with.

We're excited to have a new start in a beautiful place that we're happy to call home.

The Countdown Begins.....

Well, the time is nearing to when we will make the big move. So far, it appears that all of us will not be going at the same time! The other half and the oldest boy will trudge on ahead, while the little ones and I will stay behind. As it stands, I don't think that I'm all that upset by it.

The weather in South Dakota right now is very, VERY cold and snowy. I don't mind the snow at all, but the -35 temps they have had can go to the birds, my Kansas butt can't take that just yet. I have to acclimate a bit before I just rush into it. I'm used to 20 one day and then 60 the next!

Other than that, nothing really newsy here on my end. I've been half heartily packing and downsizing. It just doesn't seem real yet. Maybe because we don't really have a home to go to yet? But we have a place for the horses and other animals until we find permanent digs.

I am also determined to have a last Christmas here. That way we can do a proper goodbye to all our close family and friends. So I'm digging out the 12ft. tree and decorations to deck the halls one last time.......

I'm Back!!

After a long hiatus, I have reappeared! So much has happened in the last serveral months, I don't know if I can put it all in one post.

We had our family vacation to Colorado and not too long after we got back, my husband learned that we were to be transferred to Rapid City, South Dakota. Hmmm. I have lived my entire life in Kansas and was nervous at first, and just in shock because we had talked about it, but I never really thought it would happen. Now I'm to the point of excited nervousness. Now we just have to wait until our house sells!

The kids are excited to move, but they are worried about all the animals. It has been decided that the horses, the dogs and a couple of cats are coming with us. The neighbor has graciously accepted the chickens. The only problem is where to house everybody. We have found some wonderful places up there, but we have yet to physically go look. Those trips are in the making.

So here in a few months, I should have pictures of the Black Hills and Mt. Rushmore instead of the quiet Kansas prairie.

Oh, the goings on here at the Hacienda!

OK, I know I have not been posting anything as of late. But, I have been pouring through all of yours. We have been quite busy the month of July and I actually can't wait until the lazy days of fall to slow down. Or, at least it seems to me that fall is slower than the other months!

In the beginning of July the family took our yearly outing to Colorado. Oh, it was a WONDERFUL time. The kids had a great time hiking and swimming and climbing rocks. I just enjoyed the weather and the peacefulness of the mountains and the watching the kids love the outside. Here in Kansas, I can only get them to go out for snippets at a time because it's so hot and humid all the time. There, they are up and out the door before anyone else!

We also have had a death in the family. Poor Bug's chicken did not make it. She just never looked as healthy as the other ones and I knew it was going to happen and should have prepared her, but I um, "chickened" out and told her it must have run away. But we have had a rash of deaths here lately and I didn't want to add another, the fish have been keeling over left and right and I don't know why. So, we're actually up on animals for the moment. We replaced the two fish that died and also added two HORSES!!!!

Oh, they are beautiful. When the weather calms down around here, we'll ride them like crazy, but it's been so god awful hot and humid that Nooooobody wants to do anything outside. So I will leave for now and post pics of the horses and my pretty zinnias later.

The Longest Day!

I fully took advantage of yesterday's solstice and worked in the garden until I couldn't see anymore and for fear of the long slithery things that creep in the yard, I skedaddled back to the house.

My garden is one step, OK maybe more like a half a step away from being out of control on me. It's been so freaking hot and humid here the past week, that it's no joy to go out and work in it. And if it's not too hot, it's pouring down rain! I can't win.

The girls and I are enjoying the chickens very much. I didn't think I would say this 2 years ago, but I actually like the little buggers. They follow me around the yard and talk to me. The only problem is when I mow the yard, they won't get out of the way of the mower, so I have to wait on them......... something is wrong there, but I haven't figured it out yet. They must be somewhat happy because we've been getting 5-6 eggs a day. I'm actually giving some away now!!!

I know my post are few and far between, but with the oldest boy gone I don't have any help for the yard and it's all me! Five acres is a lot to contend with alone. I can't wait for our vacation getaway to Colorado. I will relax then and bask in the glory of the mountains!!!

Cleaning day!

Today is the day if we see that the girls are really into their chickens. It's clean the coop day. At

best it should be interesting. We had a chicken fiasco the other day, my sweet old dogs decided

that they would chase the chickens. Needless to say, we haven't had eggs the past two days.

My pumpkinhead, the self proclaimed artist is making some pretty cool designs and logos. If her

goofy mother could figure out how to get them to the computer, we'd be fine. I'll see if I can post

her wares later.

Ms. Peck and the Rest

Well they have arrived and so far so good, they are still alive! We have christened three, but not the others. Not sure why, but pumpkinhead's is Ms. Peck, the Bug's is Charpe from HSM and the Tank's is T-Rex. They are entertaining to watch and sadly even I sat there for about 20 minutes until one laid an egg. I had never seen that before and was amazed. I told my other half about it and he just looked at me and raised his eyebrows. I guess it's to each his own! Now the girls want to move on to turkeys and guineas. I'm holding out to see how these do. They have actually turned out to be more of the pumpkinheads thing. The Bug got distracted by a turtle yesterday during the chores and pumpkinhead finished it by herself.

I can't blame the Bug, the turtle was pretty cool.

A Farm

My other half has officially declared us a farm! We have livestock now ( 6 pretty ugly chickens). The kids are in heaven and I can't wait for the eggs. Getting them was a chore, being that I have never touched a live chicken before. The gal that I got them from just threw me in there to help catch them and we had chickens flying everywhere! We finally caught my number and down the road we went. They seem to like their coop well enough, but we're going to have to make some adjustments as we go.
The girls have named them so they are here to stay. I'll post pictures later of our "lovely" ladies.

My Oh My!

It has been quite awhile since I have posted, sorry about that. We've had an ick that ran the gambit of the family and kept me busy.

Now that the end of school is near, tomorrow!!!!! We have been getting into spring and summer more whole heartily. My garden is coming along fine and the old shed has now been transformed into the chicken coop. Wednesday the chickens will come home to roost! ( I hope). We went to look at them yesterday and I was warned that they weren't pretty, but oh, some of the little ladies are in dire need of a coat. They had molted and been pecked bald! They were truly some sorry chickens, but we will love them anyway. I guess I could use it as a teaching lesson somehow about beauty and eye of the beholder and not on the outside but inside that counts....... I don't know, my girls may not buy it because I don't think I can sell it hard enough. The chickens were pretty pathetic.

Well, it's hot and humid the way a good Kansas spring should be. I was beginning to worry that global warming was hitting us, the way it had been so cold and wet. Bring on the sun. Off to my next project of the day, plumbing.

Busy, Busy, Busy...

I was trying very hard to get a zillion things done yesterday before the rain came, and I was not successful. I was trying to finish mowing the yard, putting in garden and helping the girls paint the new shed. Not to mention, my youngest sounded like a seal in Frisco Bay! His allergies came something fierce and that just prompted a horrible asthma attack.

It's hard to concentrate when you're 3 year old can't breathe.

I did not know that two little girls could go through a gallon of paint so fast and actually get quite a bit on where they were supposed to!

Well, tonight we get to go to a fundraiser for our local homeless shelter. The neighbor's that I stalk, invited us.(They must not be too weirded out :-) I'll let you know how it goes. Then on Sat, we have a barbecue to go to. Whew, Sunday is our day of rest, maybe, depends on how much gets done on Sat. Oh well.

Blogger's Block!

Oh my, I have just been in la-la land lately.

We've just taken a quick weekend trip last weekend and have had rain, rain, and more rain! I've been trying to put up my garden, but I keep getting thwarted every time I head outside. On the upside, the kids have been having a heyday with all the earthworms that have appeared.

As far as my wonderful blog, it has been neglected and I apologize to it.

But I am back and full of things to do and to say. (sorta) And on a upbeat, the other half finished the new shed, so now it's time for me to get the old one outfitted for CHICKENS!! I'm stoked, but I may have to call in a few favors from some dear friends of mine, since I also think that the other half isn't as excited as I about our new found feathered friends..... He'll come around.

I'll keep all posted on the construction and have before pictures in a day or two.

Just a few pictures

Just a few things that are blooming around the Hacienda. Our Plum tree is in full bloom and the Cherry is getting ready to pop at any moment!

We've had an enjoyable week and it's only half over. So far the children are thriving in the sun and wind. The treehouse has never had so much use! Allergies are at a minimum and eczema is tolerable.

Going to get moving on my garden. I am convinced that all threat of any frost is over and am going to begin! My lovely neighbors(the ones I stalk) gave me two rhubarb crowns and I can't wait to get them into the ground. Granted when it's ready I then have to covet their strawberries and raspberries, but hey, I'm just being a good neighbor.

Well, enough writing, I'm wasting a wonderful day outside.

Harmony, Simplistic, Peace?

I am going to get insightful today. Well, as much as my little brain will let me. I have a few gripes about the world I live in.

The first is laundry. I know it's a natural process that when there are 6 beings in a confined space, things get dirty. Also said, when all of the above are outside 75% of the time. For me it's not a zen thing while I sort and pile the clothes of my loved ones into the monster I call a washing machine. Oh I do get a bit of a buzz when the process is all over and things are folded and put away, but it is fleeting. The next time I turn around, the baskets are full and ready to go again. I keep trying to call upon the laundry gnomes and fairies, but they do not heed my call, maybe some of you know what I am doing wrong.

The second beef I have in the world is bathrooms. I detest cleaning them, it is not a wonderful thing. There is no magic formula to make it any easier. If there is a trick, I would love to hear it. I am at the end of my toilet brush. I guess I could hire a cleaning service, but I would feel like I would have to clean before they got here and that would defeat the purpose.

Those are the really the only things that get me down. If I can find balance in those things, my world would be in harmony. I guess this post wasn't as insightful as I thought, just grumpy.

On a lighter note, the sun is shining and the grass is growing, the kids are thriving and our little world is in sync. So I guess an answer to my own questions would be laundry and bathrooms be damned, revel in the moments we have now. Because remember, we are never promised tomorrow!

April Showers?

Wow, this weather has transformed my yard into a green lush, prairie!

We need to mow this weekend. On Friday it was still half brown, with patches of green and then we got a rain and boom, it all turned green. Cool.

Our Easter weekend was nice and relaxing. All kids were healthy and had lots of fun at a birthday party egg hunt and then the neighbors invited them over for another one. Thankfully they got such a haul from the friends, that the Easter Bunny didn't have to bring too much candy.

My other half is what we call a Chreaster. He only goes to church at Christmas and Easter and I do all the other Sundays of the year. Well, he actually gave me a break and loaded all four kids and took them to Easter Mass by himself! I felt a little guilty for not going, but got over it pretty quick. Enjoyed an afternoon of digging in the gardens and chatting with the neighbors, without interruptions.

Our severe weather has already started here in lovely Kansas. Twice I have had to call friends to find out if we were under the tornado watch, despite the fact that they gave me a wonderful gift of a weather radio at Christmas! I keep losing the code to our area so I haven't set it up yet. Plus, I wouldn't be able to call them and ask about the weather! I promised that I would get it done today and since they do read my blog, I probably should get it done! Thank you Longs for keeping us safe.

I AM the peeping tom, hee hee

No, not really. But I am watching out my window for my neighbor to come back with his wood chips. I would like to see what they look like before I go and get some myself.

Oh, these last few days have been absolutely wonderful!! OH, he just got back it looks like great stuff, gotta go get some. Sorry, I can get very distracted, um......

The children have been outside and dirty for the past couple of days and the ring around my tub each night proves it. They have been sleeping great and the fighting and bickering is down to a dull roar. Hmm, I guess they had cabin fever too.

All things around here are blooming like crazy. We could actually have to mow this weekend, but it's supposed to rain. I'm going to get my compost going and get my seedlings in the ground soon. Just terrified that Mother Nature is going to play the ultimate April Fool's joke and give me a deep freeze the minute I do it.

Well, the wood is calling me and I should go apologize to my neighbor for stalking him. He's a biology prof at KU, I bet he gets it alot :-)

Um, something must be wrong..the sun is shining!

Oh, I do apologize.... The trip to Nebraska and all my basketball(dreams down the can!) and then I had company the day after we got back and then confirmation and then my good friend having her first baby and cleaning house........ I think you get the picture. I feel exhausted.

I enjoyed the company, but between her 3 kids and my 4, I felt overrun. My life is now back in center and at peace. Well, at least a little left of center and teetering in the balance! But as they say "That's how I roll".

Not a lot of new news around the Hacienda. The garden shed/barn is almost complete, so the chickens are a step closer. The neighbor just got a new puppy, so the kids have been spending the evenings bugging him. My youngest tank figured out how to climb trees! I quietly awaiting the er run for that.

I know I said I would take and post pictures from Nebraska, but it really looked and felt like everywhere else. Cloudy and cold. So, we go to Lincoln in April, maybe I'll get lucky then.

But in the meantime, my shoots are growing and the sun is finally shining and this week is supposed to be WARM. I can hardly wait to get outside and in the dirt.

24 hrs and counting....

Well, crunch time is upon me. We leave tomorrow for Nebraska, so that means I need to clean and pack. The days have been getting away from me and I'm not sure why. I blame daylight savings! I love it though that we're getting more light in the evenings.

My pumpkinhead is sick. The weather plays with her in the worst way. We've got the bubbles(runny nose), and the asthma crud. Yea Spring! I hope and dread it all at the same time.

The other half informed me yesterday that I had better tape my game so I can watch it when we get home since we WON'T be leaving early enough to get to the farm to watch it. He wants to get the roof on the shed before we leave. Hmmm, that was not in my plans at all. I guess he doesn't understand that there will be another game on Saturday, geesh does he not pay attention at all?

The girls have been running around the house this morning looking for a bit o' green to wear. They think that if they don't a leprechaun is going to find them and give them a pinch! Where they got that idea, I have no idea, but it's funny to see them scramble. Happy St. Pat's to all and have a wonderfully 'green' day.

Oh, Can You Say.......

Slacker! I have so much to do, but yet, to no avail do I get anything done. It took me 3 hours yesterday to run into town to do 2 things. I have no idea where the time went and I can't even blame the kids because they weren't with me!

My ultimate excuse is that it is March Madness! I'm totally caught up in the moment. Once this is over I can get back to a normal, lackadsical way of life. Not caring about sports at all because basketball is over. Breathe.

Allright, enough about my freaky sports addiction an onto important stuff. I had the kids pick a subject to write about. The Bug wrote on St. Patty's day. My Pumpkinhead wrote on the Easter bunny. And my wonderful little Tank wanted to write on Elephants. Let me tell you they were doozies! It was actually a pretty good activity to do since one loves to tell the story and the other one loves to draw. I've been searching for other things to do until we leave for the farm. (We will be leaving at the crack of dawn because I need to be there by 8 for the game!!)

Oh, and through our local sustainability network, someone is giving away their llama! I put an e-mail to them and I'm next on the list. Uh, I haven't mentioned this one to the other half yet... I'll tell him when he's in a good mood!

One of those days....

So far, it's day one of spring break for my older daughter and if it keeps going like this, 10 days is going to be loooong. The weather doesn't help, it's rainy and gloomy outside, the kind of day when you just want to curl up with a good book and get cozy. I'll have to see what kind of activity we can do to keep all at peace.

This week was shot due to I have no car because my other half is playing firefighter and I have no means to get anywhere. Which is particularly annoying since I have found some great things on some other sites that I'm dying to try, but I have to get the materials. Hmm, maybe this weekend.

I completed my shopping bag and I have to admit, it won't win any prizes but for a first time stab at sewing, I didn't do to bad. It's usable and looks decent, so on to my next grocery run, it will be put to use!

Hopefully this weekend will dry out, I really would like to get to my front garden bed and start transforming it into my kitchen garden. The seeds I started are coming, I just have to hope that we don't get that extremely hard freeze in late March to kill everything off. The past two years we've lost our cherries and plums to the freeze. I like to get the kids together and give them a % of what they pick when I take it to our local market. It turns out to be a pretty penny! One of these days I'll learn to can, but it's still way more than we'd eat. We've trimmed back our grapevines in hopes that they come back. After 6 years of being in the house, we haven't had the wonderful grapes that we had that first year. True be known, we really didn't have the time to get to them. We had to work so hard on the house to get it livable, that the gardens and fruits trees that were here got neglected.

Well, I have lots to do this summer, so Mother Nature had better get it into gear because I'm READY!