Two Sparrows in a Hurricane

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Summer fun and cooking my fresh garden goodies

Its been a very wet start to summer here. We have had nothing but rain here for the last few weeks and I'm afraid if we get any more our poor goats will have to have life jackets or a boat!!!
We planted all our veggies early this year due to the heat last year we got hardly anything and I was forced to go to the farmers market to buy all my goodies for canning, but this year God has blessed us with more then last year so I am grateful.

We have had a busy start to summer, a fun start! We went to the lake with our very close friends the Justice's, put up our pool and went cat fishing down at Wateree river, didnt catch anything but we had a blast.
Cat fishing pics

David getting caught in my pink boots.

Our new breeding/baby pen

Tara our Ameracauna/Cochin broody AGAIN!!

POOL TIME!!!!

Hanging out with my best friend has become a very important hilight in my life. When ever we get the chance our families love to get together. We all get along and none of the kids fight. Its great.

Tanya and Jude

Riley and Bean

Riley, Joe, and Joesph

Our lunches and dinners are BIG when we all get together!

I also got to take my niece and daughter to the River Banks zoo and the two of them had an awesome time and so did I.

Milking a cow

We celebrated Kyles 13th birthday and Macayla's 9th birthday and Tanya's ?? in May. I took the boys for some Mom time to Peach Tree Rock just to hang and relax.

Peach Tree Rock

I have been making goat cheese like its going out of style its nice to have 2 girls in milk. I have found from eating right and exercise I lost almost 40lbs and 4 dress sizes. I will tell you this that eating either raw milk or goat cheese helps. It has given me allot more energy then I have ever had. I eat it every night.

I also have made my first butter and it will be the only butter ever found in my home from now on. DELISH!!!!

Our tomatoes have never been so big, I am now pulling 20 to 30 a day!!!

I am also excited because MY soaps and lotions were given out to the judges in the South Carolina Dairy goat show in Clemson!!!! Whooooooo

I will be blogging later tonight on our dinner and the recipes for the peppers and Rice so ya'll will have to wait to see but will give ya a sneak peak!

Just a little about us.

Billy and I met almost 4 years ago. When I found him I truely found my best friend and soul mate. He is tmy other half. We spend most of our time outdoors with the gardens and the chickens. We are flea market addicts and love antiques. Our life has been full of ups and downs but its been an awesome ride. We live each day to the fullest. Between the two of us we have 5 wonderful children, There is NEVER a dull moment in the Kirby household.

Over the past year we have decided to become more self sufficiant which for me has been a blast. We will be putting in a huge garden this spring, So by fall between the chickens and veggies we will have a well stocked pantry and freezer. Billy turned me on to chickens, I was allowed to get 11 chicks....Needless to say we now have over 80. We have Sexlinks, Ameracaunas, Barred Rocks and Easter Eggers. I am a chicken addict. We now have 11 Muscovy ducks which I have been told by a dear friend are just as addictive as chickens so I cant wait to see what happens.

I also homeschool our children which I just love. I love to see the look on their faces when they learn something new for the first time. It is pure amazement.

Both Billy and I have alot in common from our love of nature to our love of cooking. I love being in the kitchen cooking with him. We spend alot of time outdoors with our children. I want them to have the same values about nature that we do. I am also beginning to learn how to crochet, as well as teaching my daughter as I learn.

My days are extreamly busy, and there are times I may only get 10 minutes to myself, But when I do you can either find me in the kitchen baking, cocheting or out in the coop with my girls.