A new coop

Last spring #1 and I decided to incubate eggs and have chicks. Mr. Wiedz was unimpressed but didn't otherwise have much to say about it. If you remember, only one of those eggs hatched but we purchased 5 more chicks from the feed store and had a nice little flock. They stayed in the boorder for way too long, they probably could have gotten out on their own. Without many other options at the time I covered escape areas with boards in our shed and made a largish area for them, but after awhile in the shed I was worried because there was no sunlight, no bugs to eat, no grass, no good "pasturing".

So I let them loose. We've never had free-range chickens before, and now I know why. There was poop everywhere. They ate plants I didn't want eaten. They got into the garage and even the house (only once). Mr. Wiedz had had enough. He didn't want the chickens, he didn't like the chickens, but he would get something made for them outside...just no more free-ranging.

On project weekend (when the clothesline and play set were built) Mr. Wiedz and my dad set up a fence for the chickens. And Mr. Wiedz built them a nice roost/nest area. The only problem was that they had never roosted before (no roosting spot in the shed) and just couldn't for the life of them figure it out. They tried the fence (I lined it with cardboard to keep them off) and they eventually settled on sleeping in the nest and piling on one open area next to the nests. Mr. Wiedz saw the need for a better solution.

There's a funny thing about Mr. Wiedz. He has to "catch a vision" before he can do anything. Without a "vision" there's no project, it doesn't matter how many plans I draw out or discuss with him. So a couple weeks ago, he got the "vision" for the chicken coop and started to work. The funniest part was after each addition to the coop he'd have to sit and look at it for a bit to "see" the next part!

But what a great vision it turned out to be. A coop for the chickens that opens up at the nest boxes to get eggs (complete with a bench across it so the kids can reach in) and a hatch that opens in the back to allow for cleaning. They still had trouble with roosting, we had to put them on the roost the first night and they had trouble figuring out how to get down the next morning, but now they've figured it out!

And of course there were never a shortage of helpers.

Doesn't it look great?

Now along with all of this coop building we celebrated #1's birthday and our lovely neighbor/landlord gave her more baby chicks as a present. We were wanting a few more chickens since the 5 laying hens wouldn't be able to keep up with our family's needs and our landlord thought our chickens were so great he wanted some for himself. So my brooder was full of chicks again.

Only this time there were more chicks. And they grew out of the brooder a lot sooner. I asked Mr. Wiedz to build some sort of box but with all the coop building he couldn't "catch the vision" for the box I needed. Since I didn't need anything fancy I put two boards together in the corner of the shed and *snap* I had a box with more room for my growing chicks.

During #1's week at camp I noticed that there seemed to be fewer chicks. But I couldn't remember how many we started with. When she got home I asked, she said there were 15. OK, that's a problem, now there were 12. Then the next day there were 11. Then the next there were 9.

So I suggested to Mr. Wiedz that I could line the under area of the coop with left over chicken wire and make a more secure area for the chicks. He agreed that something needed done and this seemed like a good solution. He also agreed that we'd have to tell Mr. Landlord so he could get some more (he has a free supplier).

Monday, after we took Mr. Wiedz to the airport for a work trip and I got #5 down for bed I got out my supplies.

Documented what I was trying change. And noticed that sometime during the day our numbers went from 9 to 8.

Set to work getting chicken wire up.

And moved the chicks to their new home.

It was really funny to watch the older chickens (separated by two layers of fence from their new friends) react to the new chicks being put in the coop. The new chicks seem happy in their new digs and so far we still have 8 chicks.

:: Yarn Along ::

Joining Ginny, over at small things, again with yarn along. A single photo of a current knitting or crocheting project with a current read. I am really loving these posts, taking a moment to think about what and why I'm knitting or reading. I read...a lot. And I knit...not as much as I'd like but I do have 2-4 projects going either on the needles or in my brain. 

I do love seeing what others are knitting and can always use some reading suggestions! Leave a comment so I can see what you're up to. And go over to Ginny's to see what others are up to.

On the needles :: Mr. Wiedz's sweater of course. I was thinking I wasn't getting very far, I'm only able to do about 2 rows an evening, but when I looked at last week's yarn along I noticed a difference! It's growing! I can pick out some mistakes now that I see the pattern emerging. They are mistakes that drive me crazy every time I come around to them again but I can completely forget about when I'm not looking at it so I'm ok!

Having #2's sweater to work on when I just need something easy has been perfect. I'm almost done with the first sleeve. He's so excited as he's seen it get bigger and bigger, can't wait for him to watch the sweater come together!

On the nightstand :: Still not really in a reading mood though we do have a library trip planned for this week so maybe something will jump into my basket. I have been busy planning school. A friend and I are going to do science together with Apologia's Exploring Creation with Anatomy. We'll do the lessons over a couple weeks then meet at each other's houses to try out some of the experiments and talk about what we learned. The kids and I are really excited about it. I've also started plugging lessons into the calendar and figuring out breaks. With the history planned out I can start figuring out which FIAR books will go along for #3. I love this part of school!

Play

We got a new play set for the kids a few weeks back. Mr. Wiedz had done a project for my parents and they chose to bless our family in return.

Knowing how challenging these play sets can be to put together my parents also came for a weekend and helped put the thing together.

Of course, the boxes provided many hours of entertainment for kids not allowed onto the structure as it was being built and there wasn't too much to allow them to play with or "help".

Since the big kids wouldn't let him play their under-the-box-game I helped #5 play under a box.

FINALLY, they were allowed on the swings and in the tower and down the slide. It was all so much fun. They are still enjoying it every day. #1 spends at least half an hour a day listening to her iPod while swinging and #5 sits at the top of the slide enjoying the vantage point and figuring out how to safely get down.

Thank you, Grammie and Grandpa!

:: this moment ::

A photo from the week. Not too many words. A simple moment, extraordinary, special. Something I want to remember, cherish, to pause over. If you have a "moment" leave a link in the comments for others to find and share.

inspired by soulemama.

Strawberries

Quite a few weeks ago it was time to pick strawberries! I love strawberry time. I've gotten the rotary buckets before but there is just nothing like going out to the field and picking them. My mother-in-law joined me this year and we both spent much of the time remembering back to our childhoods and picking for pay.

#1 and #4 came with us while #5 stayed home sleeping with Grammie Mo watching over him and #2 and #3 were fishing with Mr. Wiedz and Grandpa D. #3 turned out to be a sorry picker - many berries in his mouth, not a single berry in the bucket. But #1 was a champion picker, filling her buckets all with a smiling face!

After picking and running a couple errands to obtain the necessary supplies we headed home to a bright and happy #5 and Grammie Mo. We spent the rest of the afternoon processing freezer jam and flash freezing whole berries for later use in milkshakes, smoothies and whatever else I can think of.

The floor was sticky. There was hardly no food prepared all day. But we had a fabulous time.

And got 38 and a half pint jars of freezer jam put up...I'm not running out this year!

:: Yarn Along ::

Joining Ginny, over at small things, again with yarn along. A single photo of a current knitting or crocheting project with a current read. I am really loving these posts, taking a moment to think about what and why I'm knitting or reading. I read...a lot. And I knit...not as much as I'd like but I do have 2-4 projects going either on the needles or in my brain. 



I do love seeing what others are knitting and can always use some reading suggestions! Leave a comment so I can see what you're up to. And go over to Ginny's to see what others are up to.

On the needles :: Mr. Wiedz's sweater. The pattern is starting to emerge which is totally exciting and it's the kind of pattern that only works when you've done the row before correctly. So I'm really excited that I'm starting to see a pattern which means I'm doing it RIGHT! Sometimes though I am needing some mindless knitting, Mr. Wiedz's sweater does not fit into this category, so I picked up #2's sweater and started working on the sleeves. Some miles of stockinette stitch is just what I need sometimes to balance Mr. Wiedz's pattern.


On the nightstand :: I go through phases with my reading, and right now is just not a reading time. I've checked out a few books from the library but I can't get into them. I have been doing a lot of prep work for history and school for the fall though. I'm almost done planning history lessons and now I get to plug everything into the calendar and match #3's FIAR books and other plans.

A frozen moment in time.......... (Guest blog, Mr. Wiedz) ((Amended))

I have grown to have a deep appreciation for Mrs. Wiedz blog.  Partially because I know how much she enjoys "capturing the moment", sharing with her followers.  I am constantly amazed the she has developed a visitor following from all over the world, those that have similar passions, interests and lifestyle.  The blogging world has given her an avenue to share the simplicities of daily life.

As much as I appreciate and respect the enjoyment she gets out of the blogging, my personal fulfillment comes from reading and observing the captured moments, those that I am told about when I get home after a busy days work, often unprocessed or appreciated for months.  You see, the World of Wiedz is much more than a blog, it is a snapshot of time, a frozen moment that forces one to stop, think, process and appreciate, life's greatest simplicities.

We recently found out that my father has an aggressive form of prostate cancer.  The process will be  difficult, but Grandpa G will fight.  We live in a world of great tragedy.   I occasionally find myself bogged down, focused on death instead of life.  Mrs. Wiedz moments allow me to remember, that life is best lived in the little moments, those I share with my father, son's, daughter, and spouse.  The moments of #2 shielding #5 from water, a pure love, the simple clothesline, the canned strawberry jam, the knitted fishing sweater, the process of homeschooling all recorded in time.

In closing, I am reminded of a lesson from my wife, the love of my life.  I will share with her life, the birth of our children and the death of those we love, high's and lows.  Life's path is not about a sprint to the finish, it's about the reflection and appreciation of small incremental moments in time.

5:55pm 7-19-2011
A frozen moment in time, speechless, only guided by God's greater plan for Mrs. Wiedz and our lives.  Something happened tonight that goes beyond logic, understanding.  Something that commands an unrelenting faith.  It seems as if my life is a broken record, just when we have hit our stride, a bump in the road, although this as it seems might be a mountain.  For those of us that know us, please be patient as everything will be revealed in time.  A riddle, "As we take a leap of faith, the new year is upon us, bringing together new and old, life and death, happiness and sadness, some would say a man is impetuous, some would say blessed, how might God honor those he loves".

A long awaited project

We've been getting a lot of projects done around here lately. The last couple of weekends actually have been project weekends. Completed projects! 

So I have a lot of projects to share with you. Not to mention the school planning that is going on around here. And the garden growing. So much going on.

Today I'm starting with a project I've been asking for all year. I drew plans. I figured costs. I asked each time extra dollars came into the project budget. A couple of weekends was the time!

A clothesline! A simple post and cross-beam with lines strung between. 

I love it! The weeks after it was set up I didn't turn on the dryer once. So much laundry can be done when you're not waiting for the dryer cycle and I was able to turn out our whole laundry room in a day. Plus it is so enjoyable to stand in the warm sunshine folding clothes off the line!

Course, it's been raining for days now and I'm back to the usual dryer cycle and folding laundry in my laundry room while staring outside.

:: this moment ::

A photo from the week. Not too many words. A simple moment, extraordinary, special. Something I want to remember, cherish, to pause over. If you have a "moment" leave a link in the comments for others to find and share.

inspired by soulemama.


I don't have a photo today. We've had a l.o.n.g. week. Day camp for #2 and #3, a sleepover and vbs and friends for #1, and general playing and napping for #5 and #4. I don't think my camera has come out except for one or two photos.

But I do have a moment. Such a sweet moment. I wish I had a picture of it. I almost re-enacted it so I could have a picture of it.

Once we got home Thursday from picking up everyone from friends and camp we headed straight to the backyard to check on the chickens and see if there were any eggs (there was, one). After that excitement most of the kids moved into the strawberry and raspberry patch for a late afternoon snack. Earlier I had set up the sprinkler to water the yard next to the garden and it was hitting much of the garden area as well. It's important to know that #5 HATES the sprinkler, in fact, he screams every time he is gotten wet. #2 knows this and was in the garden/berry patch with him. I saw from the living room windows that every time the sprinkler would come around again to their area of the garden #2 would shield baby with his own body. #2 took the water each time so that #5 wouldn't have to and wouldn't get upset.

Such a tender moment. Such a beautiful look into my sweet #2. A moment, although not photographed, I want to keep in my mind for a long time. Something I have retold and pondered and cherished all week.

:: Yarn Along ::

Joining Ginny, over at small things, again with yarn along. A single photo of a current knitting or crocheting project with a current read. I am really loving these posts, taking a moment to think about what and why I'm knitting or reading. I read...a lot. And I knit...not as much as I'd like but I do have 2-4 projects going either on the needles or in my brain. 

I do love seeing what others are knitting and can always use some reading suggestions! Leave a comment so I can see what you're up to. And go over to Ginny's to see what others are up to.

On the needles: Mr. Wiedz's sweater will be on the needles for a long time. Nearly finished with the ribbing. I've got the pattern photocopied so I can mark each stitch off as I complete it and have the stitch abbreviations sitting right in front of me. For the swatch I was constantly having to turn the pages over and losing my place, hoping I can find a solution without going crazy.

On the nightstand: Time for thinking about and planning canning season. I have a love/hate relationship with canning. The strawberry jam is done...that I am immensely please with. We ran out in February and it is the only jam some of us eat and others favorite. With my mother (her broken ankle kept her at the table) and my mother in law we got 38 1/2 pints done!!! No running out this year!!!! I'd seen some great canning books out in blogland but these are a few good looking ones my library had. Preserving the Harvest looks great and I'm putting a hold on it. Stocking Up, Keeping the Harvest and Preserving will all help to get me in the mood.

:: this moment ::

A photo from the week. Not too many words. A simple moment, extraordinary, special. Something I want to remember, cherish, to pause over. If you have a "moment" leave a link in the comments for others to find and share.

inspired by soulemama.

How in the world did this happen? She's 10!

:: Yarn Along ::

Joining Ginny, over at small things, again with yarn along. A single photo of a current knitting or crocheting project with a current read. I am really loving these posts, taking a moment to think about what and why I'm knitting or reading. I read...a lot. And I knit...not as much as I'd like but I do have 2-4 projects going either on the needles or in my brain. 


I do love seeing what others are knitting and can always use some reading suggestions! Leave a comment so I can see what you're up to. And go over to Ginny's to see what others are up to.

On the needles: Mr. Wiedz's sweater! On my night away (another post) my dear Mr. Wiedz suggested going to the yarn store. We'd been one other time, to pick out his yarn, but we had all 5 kids with us. Not the best browsing, touching yarn, taking our time kind of trip. This time, I got to ask questions, look through pattern books, contemplate supplies I may need. It was a delightful trip. So I got a pattern. A shawl collar, cabled pattern. It is going to be a challenge. I usually hate ribbing but having redone my swatch in pattern, I can tell you I'm loving the ease of ribbing right now. This sweater will have each stitch scrutinized and poured over. A labor of love.

On the nightstand: The Emancipator's Wife. Not loving it. Haven't picked it up in a few days, don't really miss it. Need to make a trip to the library...next week.

:: this moment ::

A photo from the week. Not too many words. A simple moment, extraordinary, special. Something I want to remember, cherish, to pause over. If you have a "moment" leave a link in the comments for others to find and share.

inspired by soulemama.

Meeting our new cousin.

If you need to find me...I'll be sitting and holding him *I wish*!