Our Family Jots and Tittles

It seems as though this week has been packed with excitement as we "get to know" our new tractor and how it works with it's attachments. The farm came with a 6ft bush bog. We didn't realize how valuable it was until just recently, when we priced an equivalent used one for $1250! You can imagine our appreciation grew very rapidly! It was sitting in the field unmoved for over two years (it was very heavy, we didn't have the means to move it and didn't have any place to put it if we did). The rod and pto shaft were jammed pretty good, but Ben dislodged them, and Elijah oiled them up. He took her for a test run in our side yard and it worked wonderfully! So we are very excited about that!!

The (well) pump house was built (YES!). We drilled the well almost two years ago...got the solar pump equipment all gathered about a year ago...then it was a matter of putting up the building to house it all. Now that is finished (almost... Ben is anchoring it to the concrete right now and it still has to be primed and painted. I will so be SOOOOO happy to get off our chlorinated fluoridated town water once and for all. We have been drinking out of a Berkey and bathing with a filter...The animals get whatever rain water we collect...but not if it runs dry...the have to drink from the tap. The garden never had a choice. :-( But this is year...that should all change!! We still have to install the pump and solar and connect it to the house and get the water tested (and possibly filter it) so we are drinking our own water yet...but it is getting closer by the week.

The pump house is 10x10 on a cement slab with a drain and quite tall to accommodate the specific equipment. (13-14 feet in the center I think. So it will be perfect for hanging a deer or other assorted things.) :-) One side is higher than the other by a foot. That is not an error, that was part of Ben's plan, to have the angle right for the solar panel. (He had to remind me of that.) :-) The interior is lined with Tyvek. We had our Amish neighbors build the pump house for us. His mills his own wood. He is the one who built our shed above our root cellar (and may possibly build our turkey brooder house this spring). We are pleased with it. It is so nice to see plans come together (Do you remember A-Team 1980's sit-com?! HA!!).

Eliana is coming along with studying her alphabet. She really enjoys sitting down with me to "study". Gideon's reading is also coming along. My biggest focus with Naomi right now is math. We spent so much time getting language and reading going that, we are now shifting our focus for her. She is ready though. She is enjoying learning how to tell time and count money. I am showing her patterns in math and we found Racko to be a fun game to help reinforce sequencing and thinking skills. Hailey is doing double lessons to finish her math book (Saxon) and Elijah conquering spelling tests quickly as that has become a focus for him...if he can get his mind off of his flock of turkeys coming this spring. :-)

Ben and I have our thoughts wrapped up in the many, many farm projects on deck. Our taxes are done and sent in and we are expecting a sizable return and we shuffled some things around, so we have some money to work with. (YES!!) We finally got our Farm Tax ID number - so that helps with some of the bigger farm investments, because sales tax in TN is pretty high. It looks like we might actually be able to finish the interior of our second floor (after 2 years) and get the sewer system fixed once and for all, as well! YES! (That means I get to move my playset back into it's original spot when it is all finished. YES! But it also means I am going to have my yard torn up a lots more again this spring...But it's so worth it! I'll keep you updated as things unfold.

Some of the ladies and I are starting a Book Study/Discussion together at the Messianic Keepers at Home Forum if anyone would like to join us. The book we are reading/discussing together is Mama's Torah, by Batyah Wootan.

I am on Day 22 of my Juice Feast. Ben has actually joined me in the Juice Feast for a week too! This is his 4th day. If you want to check in on us every now and then, I am journaling our experience at http://www.gettingrawdiculous.blogspot.com/ . So I leave you with this:

Blessings and Shalom to You and Yours!

for the Tribe of Ben