New Furniture

When we were in Michigan, we stayed in a house that had 2 couches that converted into queen-sized beds that impressed us.  We decided to buy one for the basement, but in a bright orange color.  My father-in-law and Elijah put it together Friday night:

We also bought a bed frame.  For the past 15 years, we've just used our mattress on a box spring on the floor, but I was looking to get some more storage space in our room, so we bought a bed with drawers underneath.

Elijah and Nathaniel put together the bed while Malachi and I put together the headboard.  I finished making the drawers under the bed today, so now it's done!

Behind the headboard are little shelves, too: 

Lydia put in the middle shelf.  She wanted to help.

Meat Chick Update

Today we moved the meat birds to a bigger space.  They are growing well, and they have feathers on their wings.

Lydia enjoyed taking these chicken photos, actually.  She moved the chickens for me as I got them clean water and food.

The meat chicks will be 2 weeks old tomorrow.  We could harvest them in as little as one month, or wait a couple more weeks.  We'll see how they grow.

So far, they have consumed about half of a 50-lb bag of chick feed.  I was happy to find non-GMO, Kentucky milled chick feed at a local store, and it's actually a good price.  They are eating more all the time, so I'll have to buy more feed this week, but I expected that.

Weekend Project

Our latest project arrived in boxes that Gyunay has dubbed the "Batcave".

We'll be putting together a new sleeper couch for the basement, and a new bed frame with storage for us.  The chicks were a bit noisy during the delivery - that is their orange and white pen to the right.

As Promised...

Chick pictures!

We now have 15 meat birds in the garage.  They are healthy and happy little chicks, and the kids love playing with them.

Frogs and Popsicles

The weather has gotten cooler, but this guy's love of popsicles is unabated.

Lydia is so happy to have another frog.  This one was in the garage, and she relocated it to the fountain, where another frog has also been living.  She is over the moon happy with these "pets."

Coming soon: chick pictures.  I brought home our meat chicks today, and Gyunay is so excited about them.  He can't wait to introduce them to Lydia later.  (By the way - he understands what they are for!  As he says, "Get bigger. Cut them. Ack!  And eat them.  Yum.")

Zoo Lovers

We've visited two zoos in two different states in the last two weekends.  My kids are all zoo lovers, so both zoo trips were a hit.  First up, Mesker Zoo:

Hanging with cousins on the hippo statues.

I love my nephew's expression in this one!

And then onto the Cincinnati Zoo:

See the otter at the boys' feet?  I love otters.

Getting good group photos is a continual challenge, but these cousins had a ball.

My kids went to the Cincinnati Zoo four years ago, when it was nearly 100 degrees and miserable.  They've wanted to go back ever since, and we finally made it there.  The weather this time was perfect.

Book Review - These Healing Hills by Ann H. Gabhart

These Healing Hills, by Ann H. Gabhart, is an intriguing look at the Frontier Nursing Service in  Appalachian Kentucky just after World War II.  I really enjoyed this book.  The details of living in the mountains at that time, including the different expressions of speech, are evident throughout the book.  The main character, Francine Howard, is not only likable, but also open-minded towards the people she is being trained to help.  I had never heard of the Frontier Nursing Service, and this book was a delightful introduction to it.  The author did a great job of researching the time frame and area, and the story feels very authentic.  Francine's faith is also woven into the story without feeling forced but rather as an important part of her character.  I highly recommend this book.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Revell, in exchange for a review, but all opinions are my own.

August Harvest Totals

It's been a great month for tomatoes, and we've had plenty of other produce, too.  I'm so happy with the gardens overall.  The potatoes are a disappointment, but they aren't all harvested yet, so hopefully I'll get some more.  And the sweet potatoes won't be harvested for at least another month.  As always, I have more big plans for next year, and I'm currently working on starting a winter garden, but I'll share more on that later.  So here are the August totals:

Arugula - 1 cup
Beans, calypso - 1 c dried beans
Beans, golden crescent - 9 c
Carrots, dragon - 1
Carrots, little finger - 7
Cucumbers, Edmondson - 16
Cucumbers, Russian pickling - 1
Eggs - 175
Kale - 1 bunch
Lima beans- scant 1/4c
Onions, candy - 14
Onions, green - 3
Potatoes, Kenebec - 1/2 lb
Potatoes - purple Viking - 1 lb
Tomatillos - 2 lb
Tomatoes, black Krim - 17
Tomatoes, black Vernissage - 112
Tomatoes, golden jubilee - 82
Tomatoes, St. Pierre - 227
Tomatoes, woodle orange - 77
Watermelon, sugar baby - 1

Plus, lots of sunberries, cherry tomatoes, mint, parsley, dill, cilantro, oregano, and basil, and the tiniest cantaloupe ever: