The Little Cordwood Barn

Hey Everybody!

Popping in with some pictures to share of the cordwood barn we're building:



We built a floating foundation with rammed tires and tamped earthbags.



Then we stuccoed over them with cement.



And now we're doing the cordwood! Yay. It's so fun to be back to playing in the mud. Some of you know we built our house this way, and it was sooo much fun. I love building with these natural, free materials. I can imagine the boy Jesus and his parents working to build a dwelling the same way, with the adobe. I bet He loved doing it too. :)



We're building this one load bearing, which means the cordwood will be supporting the roof. The corners are stacked like a self supported firewood pile.



Theresa and Annie are our official pointers. Their job is to come back after we've finished laying a section of wall and smooth the surface of the cob with bent butter knives. They are very efficient at their job, let me tell you! I can't hold a candle to their talent for pointing. :)

I know it's been 6 weeks since I've blogged and this is a rather pathetic catch up note, but it's all I have time for at the moment. As you can see, we've been keeping busy! With construction on the barn, working, weeding, watering, harvesting and putting up the garden, shearing the sheep, cleaning out the animal pens, putting up firewood, playing with the horses and trimming their hooves, berry picking, and biking to the lake in the evenings to swim, we've been keeping ourselves pretty busy and out of trouble. :D Life's an ongoing daily adventure... I just wish I had time to record it all! Tho, I figure I'd rather spend my time livin' it than writing about it, so that's what I've been doing! :D (But I'll continue to write when I can. ;) )

God Bless you all! :D

I Live in Heaven...

Without jest, my life is heaven:



Every morning, I get to sleep in--as late as 8 a.m. if I'm lazy enough--before Dad's booming voice resonates through the house, waking the occupants.

Breakfast is quite often raw cakes: chocolate and whipped cream or cheesecake topped with strawberries, just picked with the dew still on them from the garden.

Farm chores finds the barnyard swarming with children of various sizes, all whistling, chewing on blades of grass, swinging buckets and talking sweetly to the animals.



As the dew lifts off the pasture, the work begins. Not mind dulling repetitive work, but exhilarating, creative mind expanding work to strengthen both body and soul with feelings of creativity, accomplishment and pride.

Lunch is a hearty, well rounded meal displaying the fruits of our labors on the table in front of us, as we bow to give thanks for the ability we have to produce for ourselves the nourishment we receive.

The bread is freshly ground wheat from the night before, by the still pulsating muscles in my Dad's and brothers' arms.
The cheese was made by my very patient mother, who is diligently pursuing perfection in this age old craft of cheese making.
The salad is just picked by the small hands of my younger siblings, put together to perfection by Momma and topped with a tasty dressing, that sister dear just made up.
The cold glass of milk was just extracted out of an udder the night before by my brothers and is just as refreshing as it is delicious!
The meat has a name, as nobody is quick to forget Buddy the bull that we raised on our farm, even though most of the memories are without much affection...
The eggs were carried in in the fist of a seven year old who very diligently keeps track of the egg production day by day.
...I could go on all day, but you get the idea.

Every afternoon I get to lope through fields of wild flowers, bare back on a pony with my bare feet feeling the tickle of the long grass and my eyes taking in glorious mountainous views.



The afternoon work is often interrupted by a solar shower while the sun is high... definitely the most pampering, relaxing moment of the day.

After showering, I weed and snack awhile in the garden while my hair dries in the sunshine and breeze.

Berry picking in the back field, surrounded by my adorable laughing siblings, is a peaceful, frequently enjoyed experience.



Every blazing evening sky is rudely announced by many voices of screaming, laughing children in our routine evening badminton and volley ball games.

Every night leaves some quiet time for a rosary, whether said alone in the back field or as a family on the front porch.



Every day is ended with many kisses and declarations of "I love you," and "see you in the morning!" from my siblings and parents, as we all get ready for bed.

Every night as I'm falling asleep, I can't help but smile as I recall my day and whisper a prayer of thanks to God for how very good my life is.



I do live in heaven, and I know it. I say this not to invoke jealously, but to recollect and appreciate my life and in doing so, encourage you to bring this kind of heaven down here to earth in your own lifestyles. Trust me--the return is out of this world!!

Busy (and carefree) as Bees!

The other night found the whole family working out in the garden on various projects of clearing, planting, fertilizing, watering and weeding.


As I was crossing from one end of our half acre garden to the other, I found myself watching our bees (they just came in about a week ago) drifting gently from one spring blossom to another all around me. Despite their continued hard work for their survival, they definitely take time to drift about and smell the flowers.


As I lifted my head and took in my whole family out working around me, I smiled at the similarities I found myself taking in: Annie carrying a shovel out to the back garden with Donna toddling in hand at her side, slowing her pace considerably, Stephen cutting down brush on the ravine edge with Lizzy and Johnny hauling it out to the garden, Andrew leisurely pruning the grape vines while conversing with 'his girl', Mom assessing the back garden and where to plant the 'whatevers', Theresa shoveling in the rows, Dad hauling a wheelbarrow of something into the garden, while Michael is hauling a wheelbarrow of something out of the garden.








Needless to say, I got a big smile out of the comparison of my family to a hive of little leisurely working bees.


BTW, wondering how the boys got all those cool shots of the bees?

Yup, just like you figured:

The Interviews are in!

Hey everybody,

 The interviews are here! In no particular order, I assigned each of the commented questions to my siblings and had them fill them out. In birthright order, here are the answered interviews:

Annie (18):

• Saturday, May 1, 2010 - questions
Posted by Anonymous (207.200.116.133)

Q. What would you say are the biggest most important reasons your family has decided to live on a homestead?

A. For our spiritual well-being and the strengthening of our family as a whole, and to better live the gospel in getting back to the land and living as God intended.

Q. When I was kid only the richest most spoiled kids had horses. Do you consider yourself spoiled to have horses and do you ride them often?

A. Yes, the horse lovers in the family feel spoiled to have them, I'm sure, even though we know they're just meant to be an investment. I personally don't work with the horses, though I think they're cool and they all have neat personalities (I'm especially partial to the Icelandic crosses.. they are sooo gorgeous!!)

Q. Do you have friends who don't live on a homestead?

A. Yeah, though most are friends from our last place that we still keep in touch with.

Q. Do you ever feel overwhelmed by work on the farm. If so, how do you get through that?

A. Well, we take each day at a time and try not to overwhelm ourselves.. I like to say that things are calm and busy at the same time. We try to get as much done as we can in a day without overdoing it.. and a lot of times it's more 'fun' than 'work' because we laugh and joke with each other while we're planting or pulling weeds or putting up fences.  (And of course we always save some daylight for our volleyball games in the evening ;o).)

Q. What are your favorite "only if you live on a homestead" privileges? What are your least favorite parts of living on a homestead?

A. My favorite part of doing this is having Dad home, and working with my siblings and Dad really builds a bond that you can't find elsewhere. And then comes the animals and the way the kids love and interact with the animals, and watching the work of our hands (the gardens) grow up during the summer is pretty exciting, too. This way of life has also really benefitted my spiritual life in a way I really needed.. I feel very close to God when I walk the creeks, pet the animals and just sit back and survey what He's given us here. As far as the negative.. well, it's always hard to see animals culled and chickens butchered and etc.

Q. So.....like you mentioned above. Do you "guys" argue? Who wins?

A. Yeah, I'm ashamed of the fact that arguments still happen. I always win, of course (hehe, kidding!) Naw... I really don't like the way arguing disrupts my peace and that of those around me, so every day I strive to avoid it. And when it does happen, the family gets on the case of the culprits until it ceases and the two apologize, and it's forgotten an hour or so later ;o). Mom reminds us constantly that peace in the world starts with peace in the family, and I truly believe that!

Stephen (16):

• Monday, April 26, 2010 - questions
Posted by Anonymous (24.106.39.114)

Q. Have you ever wanted to go to a big school just for a day to see what it would be like?

A. I've wondered what it would be like.. but have never wanted to go:)

Q. Do you have 1 teacher, or several?

A. Well I'm my own teacher for most things:).. but for school it's mainly my mom.

Q. Do you like your teacher(s)?

A. Yea, he's really nice;)

Q. Did you ever skip class and go hang out by the river without getting caught?

A. No, don't think so, I like most of my school / work.

Q. Do you have any collections? Would you like to collect something but not sure if you can?

A. Tried collecting things once, didn't care for it much.

Q. Would you like to have a penpal from a far-away country? Which one?

A. Not particularly... I never really liked pen-paling.

Q. Ever wish one of your aunts would come and live with you?

A. Well that could be really interesting... Guess it depends on how hard they work;)

Theresa (almost 15):

• Wednesday, April 28, 2010 - Questions
Posted by Bernadette (75.248.44.119)

Q. When you grow up, how close or how far away from the homestead will you live?

A. I really want to live as close as I can (there are a lot of big beautiful pieces of land around here that I would love to live on) and raise my own family and homestead.

Q. What are your three favorite fiction books?

A. Those Cruel Dreams (Author Mary Lund. :)) A Gown of Spanish Lace (Janette Oke), and I love the two series that Annie wrote, Crylian and Cascadia.

Q. What is the farthest from home you've ever traveled?

A. We went to Alabama as a family in 2003... other than that I haven't really gone very far.

Q. How many hours of homeschooling instruction do you receive each day? Each week?

A. The younger half of the family have around three hours. The older kids just do their school when they have time. We don't really have hours, just our assignments that we have to get done throughout the day. A lot of hands on stuff. We're always learning. :)

Q. How often do you leave the homestead?

A. Just to go to Mass, and daily Mass (which is 15 min. away).

Q. Have you ever been in a cave? A swamp? Lake Superior?

A. There is a cave on the way up to the Porkies that we went down (pretty yucky spiders down there. :) ) I can't recall ever being in a swamp... Oh yes, we love Lake Superior!!! It's the most clean water I have ever been in! (And since we are only 4 miles away we are able to bike. :) )

Michael (13):

• Tuesday, April 27, 2010 - questions!!
Posted by Jaclyn (70.124.50.247)

Q. What is the first thing you do in the morning?

A. pray morning prayer

Q. What is the last thing you do at night?

A. pray my night time prayers

Q. What's your favorite thing about homeschool?

A. being able to do school, when i feel like it and, to be able to do it at home with my brothers and sisters

Q. What's your least favorite thing about homeschool?

A. i don't have one!

Q. What do you want to do when you get older?

A. be a priest or homestead near home.
 
Lizzy (11):

• Tuesday, April 27, 2010 - Some questions for you!
Posted by April in RI (70.188.180.209)

Q. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?

A. Normally hash-browns.

Q. Do you ever eat it at dinner time?

A.Yes always.

Q. Do you know how to make it yourself?

A.Yes even with our own potatoes.  

Q. Could you show us readers how to make it?

A.You shred a potato and fry it in oil until it's crispy and then salt it.

Johnny (7):

• Sunday, May 2, 2010 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Jaclyn (70.124.50.247)

Q. How do you all assign chores??

A. Mom, Dad and Stephen divide it up.

Q. Is it easy to keep things clean and in order?

A. No. That was easy! No! (laughing)

Q. What are some chorses that the little kids do, and what do the big kids do?

A. The little kids do laundry, cleaning up (and it's not so easy), farm chores, close up the chickens... The big kids cut down trees, build houses, milk the cows, make shelters for the sheep and all the animals, make gardens. Actually, another thing, and make fences.

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There you have it. Thanks everyone who participated! That was really fun. We'll have to do it again sometime!

Some L.F.P. updates...

Lund Family Productions website has been receiving some updates due to the upcoming release of our latest Indiana John movie. Head over to our L.F.P. blog to check them out!

The interviews are all in--thanks to everyone who participated and asked questions! Check back, as I'll be posting those shortly.