5 Years

Yesterday, Daddy & I celebrated our 5 year anniversary.

5 years have flown by.  We have packed a lot into them.

4 houses, 3 kids, 2 businesses, 1 happy family.

I feel so blessed to have Daddy in my life.  We have been through a whole lot together and seem to only get stronger.... I know lots of people would have given up.

He is the man of my dreams in so many ways.

This is us after we got married.  

Did you know Daddy & I were never engaged??

Thats right, we just went down to the courthouse and got married.

It was awesome.  Very low key and no stress at all.  Just lots of love ;)

Months later, we did it up and had a big wedding... but honestly, I could have done without that one.  It wasn't nearly as fun!

Our Ladies

Daddy came home from work today and finished up the coop because we found someone selling hens less the two miles away.

The coop might seem "ghetto" to some people, but can I tell you how much we spent on building this??

$0.

That's right, we spent nothing!  The pallets were given to us, and the rest of the stuff was laying around the property, waiting to be used.

Here are the ladies!  We got four Plymouth Rock year old hens.

Aren't they pretty?

The kids already love playing with them.  I am sure they will be named tomorrow.

Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent

I am new to making my own detergent, but I have tried a few ways and this is the one I like the most.

It is really easy and cheap, and it makes a lot from a little.

Ingredients:

2/3 of a bar of Castile soup.

(I used the other 1/3 to make two batches of kids shampoo/wash)

1 cup of Borax

1/2 cup of Baking Soda or Baking Wash

Water

5 gallon bucket

Grate down the castile soap.

Melt it into 5 cups of simmering water.

Add three gallons of hot water to the bucket.

Add the Borax & Baking Soda to the hot water.

Once the Castile soap is fully melted, add it to the hot water mixture. 

Cover and let it sit for at least 24 hours.

This is the final product!

You use 1/2cup per load, so the batch will wash approximately 64 loads. 

Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday

Bubba Love taking the diapers off the line.

Chicken Coop

Daddy was working with a fencing contractor a few weeks ago and brought home six pallets.  These things are awesome because they are big and sturdy, but also have already served a purpose and are looking to fulfil another need.  So what did we convert these fence pallets into??  A chicken coop (well almost, it isn't done quite yet)!!

It's more like a chicken palace!!  Not only will they have lots of space inside, but they will be able to roam free during the day while we are around. 

My hope is to be done this weekend and to get a few local laying hens soon after.  Then we will be raising (lots of) meat chicks this summer, to butcher and freeze for the colder months.

Exciting new adventures!

Storms in June?!?!

We live in California.

The state with long summers.

Apparently mother nature didn't get the memo that we Californians don't like the rain.

Because it has been raining for a LONG time now.

We are over it!!

On June first, we had a huge thunder storm and the kids thought it was awesome!  They sat by the back door listening to the big booms and (trying) to watch the lighting.

Bubba Loves face... she is so dramatic!

The clouds were darker in person.

I couldn't keep them inside, they wanted to be where the action was.

My first video post!!  We had a lot of fun watching the storm. 

But seriously, we would have more fun if it was sunny and we could play outside!!!

HazelAid ~ Amber Teething Necklace

With my other two kiddos, we used teething tablets when they were teething.  But since they have been recalled, we were looking for another natural remedy.  I had heard about amber necklaces a long time ago, but never thought to get one.  Finally, I did :)

Baby C has been teething for what seems like forever, but probably the last three weeks.  So we ordered him a necklace from HazelAid and it came early last week.  

Isn't he cute!! 

I am not sure if it is working yet... I think it is too early to tell.  But he looks so stinkin' cute in it either way!

Wordless Wednesday

Thrifted & Gifted

I don't go thrifting as often as I would like... Taking three kids makes it a little less enjoyable!

I did go this weekend with my mom, the oldest & the youngest. 

These are cute little baking dishes that I found for $2.

The first thing that came to mind when I thought about what I would use them for was Raspberry Crisp.

My fav!

I also found some really nice snow boots for Buddy Boy for next year.  However, he thinks they are for daily use right now.  Bubba Love also was given a pair of rain boots at a friends this weekend.  She also has been living in them!

Other things we found while thrifting:

~Swim suit for Baby C

~ Awesome tie-dye tank for Bubba Love

~ Book on homemade baby food

~ Birth book to ad to my library