Tons of projects..

Things are moving along in the kitchen.   We have tile going in and the cabinets were painted and walls painted too!   I can't wait to see how quickly things happen once things start being buttoned up here.

Its finally moving along

So we have been working a lot at the farm in the last couple of weeks.   I have come to the conclusion that this home is certainly a labor of love for us all!  We find things in the walls that bring memories back for my husband and I am so grateful that I could be on this journey to bring this special place for him back to life.

New cabinet color - I think I am in LOVE with it!!!  It will be perfect once the rest of the kitchen is all pulled together!

Look at this fantastic find from the Habitat for Humanity Restore Center!

It looked awful when we brought her home, but after some elbow grease, she is just as perfect as she was when she was brand new!

As we have peeled back the layers it has been amazing what we have found - this was some of the original wall paper, however it was so dried out and so brittle that it flaked off with the slightest touch

We have decided to expose the brick from the old furnace.  Don't mind the junk in the other room :) 

Need to redo those steps...... badly!

Happy New Year!

Everyone is up and at em

So excited!!!

I left the iphone world behind and i now have a droid. So what this means for all of you is that i can post from my phone, which in turn should mean more action on this site!!! For example, this is what brings me joy right now:

What a weekend it has been!! It has taken us a couple of days to recover from a 48 hour wrestling bender that we were on for Friday and Saturday!
Here are a few photos !

We had a great weekend!  After Saturday we have played board games and made so many things off of Pinterest! Our favorite dish of the weekend was Paula Deens Banana Pudding!  Delish!

Here you go! Try it out for yourself - it was so easy and the kids loved it!

{photo via bake or break}
Ingredients

* 2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies
* 6 to 8 bananas, sliced
* 2 cups milk
* 1 (5-ounce) box instant French vanilla pudding
* 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
* 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
* 1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whipped cream

Directions

Line the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top.

In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Have a great start to the week everyone!  And please don't forget why we are able to celebrate this day with our families....

An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

So it has been MONTHS since I have posted on here - but as part of my New Years resolution, I am going to attempt to post at least one new update each week.

I plan to change the format a bit as well. I will now begin to post everything from the house update to the boys to any new finds that I come across that I want to share with you all!

So to start off I will share with you all the laundry soap that I made! Its the perfect way to begin a "thrifty" start to the new year! :)

The mixture is as follows!

1 4 lb 12 oz box Borax (2.15 kg or 76 oz) found in the detergent isle

1 4 lb box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (1.81 kg) found in the cooking isle

1  box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda 55 oz (3 lb 7 oz) found in the detergent isle

3 bars of Fels-naptha soap, found in the detergent isle

2 small containers of oxyclean or store brand oxyclean (try to get about 3.5 lbs total (1.58 kg)) found in the detergent isle.

(this is optional, I added it into mine because I have pretty messy kids and the cleaner the better)

(you can also use pink Zote soap instead of Fels-naptha. I had really wanted to but could not find it anywhere) **Update: My sister found pink Zote soap at Home Depot**

You should be able to find all of these items at your grocery store.

This detergent is fairly mild smelling, it is not over powering. If you love a strong scent you may have to add a fabric softener to each load.

All of the credit for this goes to this link!

http://beingcreativetokeepmysanity.blogspot.com/search/label/Homemade%20soap

Disclaimer:  Please use at your own risk. 

So things around the farm are beginning to show signs of prep work for spring - this happens every year as we hurry to button things up before the snow flies for the first time - the animals are milling around like they are trying to soak in their last little bit of sunshine before the winter haze sets in.  I actually like this time of year - the temperature is incredible and the scenery is gorgeous - Here are a few pics to share

Time

This time thing seems to fly by way to fast. I have realized that summer has ended and we are nowhere near where we wanted to be on this project. We have just plain run out of time! I wanted to become frustrated at all that has not been accomplished, but then soon realized all that has been done. The house does not look at all as it did at the start of the summer, and so many plans have been put into motion. So with that I bid the summer a farewell and look forward to all that winter has to bring.


~ Our Green Acres!

I know it's been forever!

So I guess you could say we've all been a bit distracted and busy and nothing but summer has gotten any attention around our house. But today in an effort to get back into things we began cleaning out another barn. This is where the dogs will have a wonderful indoor outdoor home and I will have a potting shed. We are essentially going to split the building in half front half for me, back half for pups. But while cleaning it out we came a crossed this sign that use to be for the big hip roofed barn! It's amazing! Now to find a great spot for it, I'm thinking kitchen? What do you think?




So understand that it is rather large and fairly bright, but it is so much of the history that is this farm that we will call home. I can't wait to read your thoughts and suggestions!

~ Our Green Acres!

so sad...

My poor blog has not had any attention in WEEKS!! Maybe tomorrow I can spend sometime getting things updated - See you then!

Finally an update !

Sorry it has taken so long, but it is hay season here and not slot was getting accomplished for a couple of weeks, accept hay! But now Mr Green Acres has had a week off, however, not a week of rest! Sorry honey! Take a look







The house is painted! And the trim is almost finished too!



It looks amazing to us, considering where we came from





Our kitchen floor looks great too. Thanks to sister in law Michelle's cleaning power!




Our Green Acres!

Trying to stay in where it's cool

So it is 98 degrees here today! Seriously! 98! So I am spending my afternoon off in the cool temps of my AC! But of course while doing so, I am wandering the Internet looking at ideas for the house. We keep finding ourselves drawn to the paneling in these rooms. It just looks like an old farm house.
What do you think?




http://www.murdockyoung.com/


Coastal Living







~ Our Green Acres!

Down on the farm!

So this evening I finally remembered to take my good camera instead of just using my cell phone - here are some updates
1.  more siding was removed in preparation for more paint - still have to take of the electric issue, but the prep work is finished

2.  the ducks have consistently come home from the pond for 3 nights in a row now - such a happy duck momma :)

3.  It is really starting to look like a farm, like people live there, like life actually happens there - I feel so lucky to have such an amazing life ahead of us!

Take a look

The peonies have opened

The garden is in

Mr Green Acres taking off more nasty siding - please be careful of the electric line

Some of the Bunn boys pigs - they are funny creatures

Snout

One of the baby chicks that we brought into the farm a couple of months ago - not such a baby now

Beautiful sunset looking out into the back fields

The ducks making their way in for the night! 

The house is starting to look like somewhere people live

So there you have it - things are shaping up - the next couple of weeks should finish up the outside and then it is on to tackle the inside!!! Can't wait!!


Lots of Love!