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Ministering Opportunity: Church Services
Monday | August 31, 2009
Singing together
The Lord graciously provided an opportunity for our family to hold a worship service each Sunday morning at a local assisted living home. We have gathered at our own home for two years, so we are excited and thankful for the opportunity to share with others. We look forward to getting to better know the residents that live there. May the Lord be glorified through this!
Sarah enjoyed playing their grand piano for the hymn accompaniment
Talking with the residents; this dear lady is 95 years old. The history she remembers is amazing!
We enjoyed many interesting, lively conversations...one of the ladies is from the South, so we enjoy hearing about her life growing up in our neck of the woods. She certainly has quite a sense of humor!
Dad
August 2009
Happy birthday, Dad!! We love you!
Dave Ramsey
Thursday |
August 26, 2009
We took a Financial Peace University course by Dave Ramsey this summer. We learned a lot from this 13-week class. There have been some funny quotes generated by his humorous stories and common-sense advice. We have lots of fun now "getting bargains" [Mom does, anyway] and staying "debt free"--Samuel's goal. Samuel became debt-free this summer when he paid off his chicken feed bill with his chicken income! Dave's thoughts on saving money were inspiring to the children. Samuel says he's saving up for his Dodge truck, the boys some fancy guns, and Sarah some nice Canon camera lens!
Small group discussions after the presentation
Selling Flowers
Saturday |
August 22, 2009
Rachael and Jonathan selling their flowers and other homemade goods at a roadside stand!
Rachael's Flower Garden
Thursday |
August 20, 2009
Me in my flower garden
This year Dad made a flower garden so I can learn to grow flowers. When we ordered the flower seeds, I planted poppies, larkspurs, sunflowers, zinnias, and cock's combs. Only the cock's combs and zinnias came up. They are very pretty.
Cock's comb head
Jonathan's Sunflowers
Thursday |
August 20, 2009
Jonathan loves to grow and he planted sunflowers this year. His Giant Sungold and Double Quick Orange are now blooming
Very bright cheery blooms
Mom and Jono: chore time
The Paul's Visit, Part 2
Tuesday |
August 18, 2009
The crew headed home from the Reunion
We enjoyed a visit with the girls going home from the HSA ALUMNI. [See August 13 post]
Abigail relating some funny experiences with the SLR fans at the Alumni...we have fun with our cameras!
I have known Lindsey for a few years through letter-writing. She is from Canada, and I was so excited to hear that she was traveling on the way home with the Pauls! Good to meet you, friend!
Sharing farm stories
The Pauls, Lindsey, Rachael, and Sarah
Many good-byes
Heading out...Thanks for coming!
Paint Projects Around the Farm
Monday |
August 17, 2009
One of Mom's ongoing paint jobs, our black trailer
Painting around here does not take top priority. It all started with the goat milking stand needing welding, thus, a new paint job, too. We have now almost painted all the equipment that is worth anything around here, and only have a few projects left. Each piece has primer plus two coats of paint, including the underside of this trailer. This should be keep the equipment from rusting for a few more years.
Our old Ford 8N now has newly-painted Ford 8N gray wheels and new front tires. It starts right up, too!
Rachael and Samuel's project was to paint the two hanging goat feeders. Mom's other projects included the railing for the foyer, the wagon, a table..anything standing still. Except...do not remind anyone about the paint that is peeling off the tool shed...
Jonathan and Nathan's project was painting this smaller trailer. Mom helped with the finishing details and a bit over zealously painted the thread where the tires go back onto the wheels. THEN it became a project. For days, the boys tried to get the paint off or the tires on, then we could not find our wire brush that attaches to the drill. So, we had to wait until we went to the store to purchase one, and then trying to get the tires on again took a while. Finally! It is complete.
We have been growing our own sprouts again, lately. We enjoy sprouted lentils and mung beans on our salad twice a day. Sunflower seeds are being soaked and then slowly dried also for our salads and almonds soaked for milk drinks we make each day. We are also drying lots of swiss chard from the garden. After it is dried, we grind it into a powder to use in our soups for the winter. We have grated squash and zucchini in the freezer for later use in various dishes - we add this to a lot of one dish meals for added nutrition. We will start harvesting more from our small herb garden this week
KBR
Monday |
August 17, 2009
Creative photography with lots of KBR issues...
By accident, I received a few hundred extra copies of the latest issue of KBR in my mailbox. Normally I don't have enough for samples in-between issues of KBR, but this time the Lord abudantly provided. He has humorous ways of answering our needs sometimes, and giving us what we ask for. Ah, the lessons I learn as an editor!
By the way, the "kitchen-in-the-works" (as of the August 3 post) is now complete
Fleshing Their Hide
Saturday |
August 15, 2009
Our turkey feed has mysteriously been disappearing in our barn. In its place remains feed bag fragments, food everywhere...just a mess. The boys' assignment was to trap the clan of raccoons that are inhabiting our barn and enjoying their expensive all-you-can-eat buffet.
To make a long, dramatic story short, after several attempts, Nathan and Jonathan found a culprit caught in their live trap, which they had baited with cat food. The next night they caught the "dad" (or grandfather) in the group and a few nights later found two little coons in the trap together! That must have been some kind of late-night brother adventure for those guys, which didn't end up so well for them. The boys have skinned and fleshed each of the hides they've caught...pretty soon they will have enough coon skin hats for the whole family, as they continue to rid our barns of these unwelcome intruders!
Homemade Natural Animal Wormer
Friday |
August 14, 2009
Homemade natural animal wormer made with herbs
Wormer in individual containers for each animal group
The Pauls' Visit
Thursday |
August 13, 2009
Lydia, Susanna, Sarah, and Abigail
We met the Paul family in 2005 at a farm show. Abigail was the editress of Hidden Wisdom magazine for Christian families. When I saw HW, I was inspired to start my own magazine, and thus KBR was born. In 2006, my parents surprised me on on my 15th birthday and took us to the Pauls; while there, Abigail showed me how HW works and helped me with some software I had gotten for KBR. The time with them was a blessing.
In 2008 - actually, exactly a year ago today - I received a special yet sad (for me) email from Abigail. She explained that she felt it was time for her to move on from editing HW magazine, which she had published 80 volumes of in 18 years. I was very sad to hear this because HW had been such a blessing and "friend" to me! But she asked if I would add her HW subscribers to KBR's mailing list. This was an incredible honor. My family and I agreed to do this, and it has been a joy to "take on her work" and work with her former subscribers.
Abigail and her two younger sisters are attending the 4th annual homeschool ALUMNI this week, and they were heading through our area, so we were thrilled to have them stop by on the first leg of their journey. Though the visit was very brief, it was great to see them again. I was glad for Abigail's help regarding the latest complications and computer mysteries I have been having. :) I am so grateful to the Lord for providing Abigail as a godly mentor for me throughtout these years, especially as I began publishing KBR.
Ladies catching up on news
Abigail giving
design ideas for the cover of my forthcoming book
Taking the Pauls to meet their next ride, I showed Abigail my scrapbook pages of the our visit there a few years ago. Seems like ages ago...so much has changed for both families since then!
Abigail and I
Sarah, Lydia, Abigail, Susanna, and Rachael
HSA Reunion Bound: headed west!
Samuel: "Goodbye, Susanna!"
Meeting Wisdom's Gate
Tuesday |
August 11, 2009
We recently were invited to hear Skeet Savage speak in Kansas City. We heard of Wisdom's Gate many year's ago, and it was wonderful to meet their family and become re-acquianted with their ministry.
Mom talking to Skeet Savage
Sarah and Rachael talking to Bethany and Glory: their family together publishes three magazines and many books: we have lots to learn from their operation!
Mom talking to Sony
Meeting new people
Glory, Sony, Sarah, and Bethany
Meetings
Monday |
August 10, 2009
We recently "ran into" some like-minded families -- providential meetings are a blessing!
The children having a bit of fun together while mom and dad organize some plans and paperwork
NaTers
Saturday |
August 8, 2009
"It's what's for dinner": NaTers!!
NaTers are famous in the Bryant home. A few summers ago, Nathan planted his first crop of yukon gold potatoes, and when he harvested his bounteous crop, we loved them---they were so rich and tasty compared to store-bought potatoes. Since then, Nathan's Potatoes have been nicknames NaTers, and we always cheer when "that's what's for dinner!" This season Nathan planted even more than last year (we never can grow enough to last through the winter!) and Jonathan has been helping him dig the harvest.
Thank you for laboring "in the hot fields" for our dinner, boys! We appreciate your work!
The color difference between store-bought and home grown potatoes is amazing, and the taste does not compare! They are delicious!!
A Farm Tour
Saturday |
August 8, 2009
Welcome to a tour of Bryant Family Farm!
Life here at the farm has been quite busy lately. Since advertising the business on several local websites, we have had calls almost daily from families near and far--even one from D.C!--wanting to order and visit to see the operation here. This has been great since we have beef, chicken and pork ready to sell in our freezers. It has been a blessing to see how God has expanded our business this year. Since farm tours are in progress around here right now, we thought we'd take our blog readers on one as well. Enjoy!
As we enter our front field, we stop by the hen house which is full of healthy, newly laying hens. Samuel cares for these chickens and gathers their eggs for your table!
Just a bit further is our portable buck and wether pen. Nathan will inform you about our pure-bred registered Alpine buck
Next Nathan will take you down to the doe barn and show you his milking does, which he cares for and hand milks twice a day
Here are the few remaining goat kids from this spring's kidding season. They love visitors!
Gooble! On the way back up, we pass our turkeys, which are relishing the fresh green grass they receive twice a day. These guys and gals will be ready in time for Thanksgiving meal!
Here Nathan is on Dad's old Ford 8N, which is now running very well, thanks to some recent repairs
Our 100% grass-fed Murray Gray beef cattle
Our pigs are enjoying fresh pasture each day and are growing nicely
They will also be ready this fall
You might also see our children being a bit creative with cow feeders...who needs playgrounds?!
As you head inside, you might also hear some music as you cool off! Hope you enjoyed your tour and visit again soon!
Getting Together
Tuesday |
August 4, 2009
We recently got together with some families in our area
After a delicious meal, the men headed out for some ax-throwing
All the boys had lots of fun together--games, wrestling, competitions, and more
The girls enjoyed watching the activities and talking
"RUN!! Quick! *The enemy* is approaching!" ...or were they running from *The Canon* -- my camera?! [both terms were interchangeable to them] But I was fortunately armed with faster shutter speed than they could run...
Opening Doors: Paint Projects
Monday |
August 3, 2009
Before: Girls' room
As I wrote earlier, the Lord has been providing projects for me to work on since graduation this year. It has been amazing for me to see these opportunities unfold in this new season of life. My biggest summer project so far has been repainting several rooms of our home. This has been a great project--from buying the paint to seeing the finished results--and in the mean time I have learned many valuable things that I hope will benefit my family and future home later in life. I am grateful my parents have allowed me this opportunity to learn through trial-and-error in their house!
After: Girls' room
Before: Foyer
After: Foyer, with new pictures
In Progress: help from Joseph
In Progress: The hallway...the most challenging place to reach
Before: Dining room
In Progress: Dining room
Samuel helped roll
After: Dining room
Before: Kitchen [currently in the works...]
Cutting the chair rail for the kitchen
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