Leather Floor?

Nope, it's brown paper bag flooring...that looks like leather! Google it.

The boys have been re-doing our bedrooms. Fixing & painting walls, new flooring & trim etc.

This is what our finished floors look like -- though the trim is not done yet etc.

We rather like it.

We have already noticed that it is considerably warmer than our laminate floors.

We'll have to live on it to see how durable it is, but testimonials we read say that it is very durable. We'll give it a go! If it scratches, we can always add another coat of finish ... or cover it with rugs, lino etc.

At less than $100 per room, it was worth the try. Loads of experience. Tons of fun. A learning experience.

... And learning & lovin' it, is what we're all about here at Live'n'Learn Farm.

Oh Dear, Oh Deer

October 14, our guys took down two deer within an hour of dawn.

My Dear hit the first with the Suburban.

Deer done!

Suburban? ... we wait and see.





Thankful to the Lord that no one was hurt!


-------------------


At about the same time, Bow Hunter took one down first shot.



We needed the meat! Thanks, Lord God ... and Carsyn!

A First

Our bow hunter got a coyote ... in his first season out.


One less chicken predator.

It's Official

Carsyn's violin has been complete since June already, but with all the going's on around the farm there's been no time to post pictures etc.

Besides the finish was still curing ... and he hadn't slipped in to the city to get the official appraisal (for insurance purposes).

That happened last weekend.



The verdict is ... he has created an instrument with a $1,400.00 value. That is really pretty good for his first solo attempt as a Luthier!

He already had a buyer for the violin so it is sold and gone ... and he misses it dearly.

So do we 'cause Carsyn has played it a lot. It sings beautifully, easily.

He'll be making another one ... and another ... and another ...

He's good at it.

This is his passion.

This is his gift.

Way to go, Carsyn! We're so happy for you. Thanks for making the world a little sweeter!

Making Music

In some ways, I guess you could call us a musical family.

Singing in harmony is a recent favorite pastime slowly becoming a ministry. It is always a blessing to sing together. Our hearts are filled with praise to the Father!

Making instruments is another pass time. Our oldest two made their first violin at ages 14 and 11. Since then, Carsyn has had another in the making ... will this be the year that it is completed? Going it alone, without an instructor and in between summer farming seasons draws out the process, but progress is once again being made now that it is winter.


Mostly carved by hand, this project requires a lot of patience, precision and persistance.

Awesome flaming on this piece!


It is so good to see profitable & productive pass times.

The Winner Is ...

Corbyn's can crusher @ Rosehill won the contest -- $100.

Way to go, Corbyn!

Dream Dog

A boy's best friend is his dog, right? And every boy dreams of hooking his dog up to a wagon ... or a sleigh, right?

Our boys did! They have a dream dog!

Misty, willingly pulls firewood through the snow on the sleigh. She makes the job faster & funner!

After practice with the wood, Misty was "trained" and now gives 2 year old (tomorrow is her B-day)"Taya" fun, fast rides too... Faith Mattaya knows how to hang on really tight. She loves it!! It's one of the joys of living in a house full of boys!

Poplar Project Complete

Do you recall the poplar project that our young men started last spring? Well, the whole project took 9 months, but it is now complete & functional.


The feeling of accomplishment is so rewarding. A bunk bed for our six year old twins. They are thrilled with their new bed(s).

It was a long drawn out process. Cutting the trees ... peeling off the bark ... drying the logs took the longest though it was no work at all, lol! ... then cutting the tenons & putting the pieces together ... Corbyn did the lacquering after-hours at the cabinet shop where he works (added blessing) ... finally, assembly and testing was so good to see!





Along the way, the guys have found other uses for their tenon cutters:
... Corbyn designed a can crusher for a contest at his workplace. The boss challenged his workers to come up with something for the lunch room -- rather than purchasing a can crusher. Functional & fun though not at all like the other entries, lol!:


... a tree stand ladder that is both functional and camouflaged:

It's a Happy Day, Happy Day!

Those are the exact words I heard from three little men.

I've said it before, now I can show you ... cardboard boxes make wonderful toys! In this case, the bigger the better. And this box is HUGE as far as boxes go. I expect we'll have a permanent fixture in our basement ... at least for the winter.


Today is like Christmas at our house...and December 25 is still 5 days away!


A big new freezer arrived in a huge cardboard box. One look and there were six excited young men planning a playhouse for little sister. They had just as fun making it as she's having playing in it.

Building Memories

A recent family field trip to The Manitoba Museum" formerly "The Man & Nature Museum" left quite an impression on our young men. Of course, climbing on the "Nonsuch" and exploring it from top to bottom & stem to stern was the highlight.

In fact, they continue to build memories by making a replica in Lego:

Enough Already!

Oops, that's a little much ...

Our funny guys took the opportunity to set up a pose ... they overwatered with a little jug?

Maker of the Mystery Marks

If you guessed that a turtle made those tracks in the sand, you are right!

Our boys were thrilled to see this little guy. It was the highlight of their Sunday evening drive.

Poplar Prime Time

The oldest three of our young men have been busy felling & peeling poplar logs.

There is a small window of time in spring that is prime time for this project ... which will make it possible to finish the project later in the year. Grandpa told them they had to wait until just the right time to harvest the logs & peel them - in spring.

Throughout the summer, the logs will dry out & then they will be ready to be used.




It's a lot of work, but interesting and fun ... not to mention a great use of their time and a great productive way to enjoy the outdoors in early spring.


Can you guess what project they have in mind?

Shaping Up

Five new candles took shape this week. Brayden has been busy, with some help from the rest of us, making some new molds for his candles. It was nice to have two new flower molds ready for Mother's Day. In fact, that's a wonderful Mother's Day gift for me -- to see my dreams coming to reality. Thanks Brayden!


The little violin mold was the inspiration behind the whole candle business just over six years ago. Our first method of molding the violin trio proved to be less than satisfactory ... it has taken a lot of persistence and patience to finally have the time & resources to finally bring this to fruition.


Watch for the remainder of the strings trio in the months to come...

Back on Home Turf

Corbyn's back. We're glad to have him home again ... yup, we missed him while he was away. Faith Mattaya welcomed him back too -- at just 15 months, we weren't sure what her reaction would be ... would she have "forgotten" him? Or would she be shy? Nope, not at all, there was no hesitation to run and give him a big hug - even though she had just awoke from a nap. The pictures are a blur, it all happened so fast ... but the essence is there so I've posted them anyway.





Maybe I can convince him to write a post to let you in on a bit of what his trip was like ...

Prepare for Take Off

Corbyn, leaving for Cambodia with his Uncle Darryl who is going on a missions support trip with Children's Camps International. They will be gone from March 30 - April 15, 2010.

Corbyn left for Cambodia on March 30th @ 6:00 AM. He's getting there on April 1st -- 26 hours after leaving Winnipeg airport. He's flying over the date line and missing his birthday on March 31st.

What a memorable trip right from the get go!

The two of them are going to encourage the believers in Cambodia - distributing blankets & clothing as well as helping at various VBS camps numerous Churches are hosting.


This is just a short trip around the world ... are you prepared for THE flight? When Christ sounds the trumpet to call His loved ones home, will you meet Him in the air?


"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."
I Thessalonians 5:9

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
John 3:16

These 20 Years

It has been our joy to know & nurture this young man for these last twenty years. They've been good years together. We are so grateful to God for sharing him with us.

It was our privilege to celebrate his 20th birthday on Monday, March 29th though his actual birthdate isn't until the 31st. Read more here.

Special note: I was very thankful to finally find my missing recipe for chiffon cake (Thanks for the recipe, Margaret!) Can you believe this hightop cake was made with whole wheat flour? It was delicious with whipped cream & cherry sauce!

I'll post the recipe in a later post. Watch for it!

Changes & Learning Curves

Whew, what a week!

Monday - Molly arrived and threw us into learning curves with milking by hand. Hey, we're not the only ones, she had to learn with the guys what hand milking is all about. Apparently the milker we have has issues - we're trying to get those resolved.
- Corbyn's ticket was bought for his trip to Cambodia, March 30-April 14, 2010. He's going with his Uncle Darryl on a ministry trip for Children's Camps International. Please pray with us for them & those they seek to serve through this great opportunity!

Tuesday - we finally located and brought home 50 new laying hens. They're as hard to find in Manitoba as the proverbial "hens teeth", lol! From now on, we may just hatch our own in an incubator. Wouldn't that be fun??

- Corbyn started part-time work @ Rosehill Woodcrafters Ltd., but when he came home after his first day he was already full-time. Having him gone all day everyday has really made a huge change in all of our lives!! Of course, he has learning curves to go through at work, but we do too ... changes in schedules & responsibilities etc.

Wednesday - made our first batch of yummy yogurt. Whoohoo!
- Faith Mattaya decided it was worth it to learn how to walk with boots on so that she can go outside, see the animals & play with the kitties.

Thursday - A Happy 6th Birthday for Benjamin & Bronlin. It is so hard to believe that they're already six!! We really celebrated their birthday already on Sunday when Grandpa & Grandma Wiebe were here for a wonderful visit.

again a long day of baking & preparing for Farmer's Market on Friday.
- we made our first butter ... with great success!

Friday - Farmer's Market & shopping in Brandon.
- failed our first attempt @ making cottage cheese ... much to the delight of the cats & dog!

Saturday - resting up and preparing for Sunday & company (house cleaning).
- made our second batch of cottage cheese with success! Yay!

Thank you, Lord, for creating a Day of Rest!

A Special Day

Happy Birthday, Carsyn!

May this year be your best yet. Love you, young man!


Finishing off the day playing Rook with the rest of guys.

What to Do On a Cold Winter Day

What to do when you're stormed in ... ?

Some of the winter fun our family has been enjoying:
Puzzling, singing harmony, playing instruments, sledding, Legos, flip-track, playing Rook, read a book ... and more.







- storm or no storm, life goes on as normal here!