Ringing in a new year.

Well another year has past and the time just flies by. It's time to reflect on our blessings and look to what we want to accomplish in the new year. I have many things to be thankful for. My husband works so hard on everything at the farm. He is such a perfectionist! He grows a great garden and puts his heart into it. He has been busy this fall winterizing the goat shelters and rebuilding the well house.

My beautiful daughter Kelsee, is engaged and will be starting the next step in her life. We have been busy planning her wedding for next fall. She is busy with her full time job and going to school full time so she is always busy. She should be finished with her web design degree next fall and her graphic degree the following year. I don't look forward to her leaving home, as she has always been a blessing. She was home schooled and we have just had a great time with her and her friends being around. I do look forward to her pig leaving. She is annoying. I think pigs are supposed to be bacon and ham...just saying.

I am overrun with chicks and trying to keep the hatcher full. We are running out of room to put them! I am also making soap and deciding how to sell it. I have made many flavors and I find it quite enjoyable. Problem is that it has to cure for 6 weeks, so there is soap everywhere, but it sure smells good. I continue to work full time as a nurse while I go to school also. I am working on my master's degree in nurse management/administration. I love to produce as much of our own food as I can, so if my husband grows it, I preserve it! Tomatoes, jellies, green beans, potatoes, garlic, meats, whatever we can produce. He has a great sweet potato crops this fall. I can't wait until our fruit trees start producing, and I get to make apple sauce. It's already time to put in the garlic.

Anyway some of our greatest blessings are our friends who teach us many things. Especially how to be a better person. I love having friends who are so close that I can count on them when I need them. They make me a better person. I wish I had that gift. I am working on it, but I don't think it will ever come naturally. Thoughtfulness is just not my gift. Oh well, maybe a goal for this year, to be more thoughtful.

I hope you have a very healthy and productive New Year.

The LaRose's at Kinder Korner.

Ahhh.... Christmas is almost here. The tree is finally up, thanks to Kelsee and Lucas, most of the shopping is done but still needs wrapped. I need some little helper elves to do these things! We are on our way back from visiting family in Tennesee and we had a good time. Now back to work and I can't wait to get back to my soap making! I have some cherry-almond goat's milk curing at home that smells divine! Ready to get some citronella and orange, and some other done. I am truly soap obsessed! I'm going to have to think about shelving for it to cure on as it is all over the house. I have been finding ways to make pretty swirls in it and I'm ready to try a few. Well back to this long long drive.

Have a great Christmas!

Lisa

Busy TImes

I am so disgusted that I have not had the time to set up my Christmas tree. I love Christmas season but this is the busiest time of the year. Finals are happening, every animal pen gets winterized, and the garden needs prepared for winter. I wish I was more organized and had everything done before Thanksgiving. I had to cut myself off of soaping for 2 weeks to get my final paper and projects done. Finally I am done. YooHoo! Christmas shopping tomorrow and them I will decorate. I am going to have to leave up the tree until February to get enough enjoyment out of it. LOL! Well we have been working hard and trying to get a little extra Christmas money so right now we have no time. So I have to get fact to the grind. Merry Christmas everyone! Please remember to think about others more than yourself and you are sure to have a great Christmas.

Lisa

New Beginnings.

I everyone. I kind of took over this blog as Kelsee wasn't using it anyway. Well, we haven't been on in a while, you know....busy, busy. A whole lot of things have been happening! I have started working on my masters degree in nursing. We have just created a new website for our kinders! We are so excited. We are learning to make home-made soaps including goat's milk. Today my mother and I made Strawberries and Cream soap and Oatmeal and Honey. Thanks for the help mom! I can't wait to cut it tomorrow. We also have 2 does due on the 11th. Sara Rabbit is so huge! She had triplets last and it is exciting to see what we are going to get, and I want more milk for soap! On another note, Kelsee got engaged in August and will be moving on in her life...Sniff, sniff. I have so enjoyed being her mother. She has truly been a blessing to me and her dad. God smiled on us the day she was born. Well I have to get back to work. I plan to use this blog site to talk about all the things we are doing to get more self reliant. I want to produce most of out families' food ourself on our little plot.

Have a good night! Lisa