Country Charm

I'm sure some people wonder why we are bothering to spend so much time and energy on an old farm house.
Every picture above was taken on our property, we love this place and all we can do here. It is a labor of love and sometimes just about growing up a big family.

Project Warm House - Wood Stove

Our new wood stove has received the nicest compliments from everyone, including being called "angel" and "my hero" I think it likes it here. The dogs are in love...

We chose a the Canyon by Lennox, as it is the biggest model available that we could find. It has all the latest and greatest, double burn, automatic blower control, fire brick and all.
Where it sits now, used to be a huge floor to ceiling patio door and window trio. On the opposite wall where 3 big windows, well two and a hole. They where old and let cold air in like a wind tunnel. We began by removing those.
I don't have as many "in process" pictures as I would like, because we didn't know we would blog about it at that point.

The deck pieces and hot tub are going to be a spa like area, with deck chairs and nice plants, the whole nine yards, it is a household of mostly females after all. But the door and windows are the after picture.

This is what the other side looks like now, we will side both sides when we paint the house...

 On the inside we cut up the floor and laid a tile floor pad and back, we used tiles that people had generously given us, leftover from their projects.

We did a similar wall and tile pad in front of the door on the other side.

We love our new stove, and it has kept us so warm and happy, we plan to put one in on the other side of the house too.

Project Warm House - Chimney

Last winter we found out that the old chimney in our house was built with wood in it, causing a near chimney fire. We used a sledge hammer and put the fire out, but our heating system was now in shambles.

So this year we decided to put in a new wood stove, a free standing one and to tear the chimney down.

Tucker and his friend John had the time of their live tearing the chimney down, for the bigger parts they took a rock bar and slipped it down the holes in the blocks and then hooked the tractor up and had tug of war with the house.

The next step was to insulate and side the end wall. There was a really big hole where the fireplace had been, Tucker built a little shelf  that slipped in as a sort of entertainment center shelf.

When all was said and done it looks so white and shiny, it is making us seriously consider repainting the whole house... "If you give a mouse a cookie".

Project Dry House

I'll begin by recapping our summer project. We replaced our roof. We had all the shingles and some know how, and thankfully an air-gun, and lots of help and advice from friends.

First we stripped 2 layers of shingles and tar paper off revealing the original shake shingles, which where in many places in very sorry shape. We then began the patching process, cutting away rotten shake and replacing some of the rotten cross boards (I'm sure that isn't the technical term). It was sort of tedious work, but not as hot as shingling.

Then on went the tar paper

And then the shingles! Then repeat that process about a million times... It was hot dirty work, but we all got great tans and super big muscles... so who's complaining?

Introduction to the family...

Hello, we would like to introduce ourselves and say a few things about each of us and what we like to do.

Mary: I'm a mother of 8 children, 7 girls and 1 boy. I have an art and teaching degree, and homeschool my children. I like to sew, cook, snuggle my grandkids, be outdoors, and be with my kids.

Laura: I am 21 and I don't live at home, but I like to help out sometimes. I love to interior decorate and I like using found objects in my decorating. I also have a green thumb and love to garden. I love to cook too.

Emma: I'm 19, and the oldest at home. I like to do art of any kind. I like to be outside, and I love my dairy cows, and taking care of them. I also like to cook and bake cakes.

Madeline: I am 17 and I like to draw and watercolor. I love horses and mules. I like to cook, and be outside, and swim in the summer, especially with a horse. I have a black and white Great Dane named Kramer.

Tucker: I am 15 and I like to hunt. I like guns and knives of any kind. I have 3 pigs, and they are my pride and joy.. I have learned alot about construction and running tools in this project. I'm not a bad hand at baking.

Adelaide: I am 13 and I like to knit. I am Tucker's chief helper. I have learned to lay tile and paint and all sorts of things. I like to cook and make jewelery for myself and for gifts.

Helen: I am 11 and I like to make up stories. I like to play outside, and I have 2 orange cats that play with me. I love to talk and ride a donkey named Gus, the faster I talk the faster he goes. I love Winnie the Pooh.

Rachel: I am 9 and I love horses. I want to be a cowgirl when I grow up. I have a dairy heifer of my own named Buttercup, and I love her.  I can usually be found petting a cat, swinging, or riding a horse.

Other family members:

Jessie: I am 25, married and have 2 kids. Kaden (2) and Ember (1 month). I love my kids. I like to paint, and run my household, I also love drama and am going to college to get a degree in drama.

Grandma: I am 85, and I like to help out my grandkids in their different farming interests. I like to teach them how to cook, can, and sew. I also like to help them with their schoolwork.