This is my most recent photo of my children, taken Christmas of 2oo6. This year my oldest son Jeremy (the one on the right) didn't get to come home for Christmas.



We have been so blessed this past year. We have a new grandson added to our family, we are all in good health, have everything we need. Yes, the Lord has been good to us this past year. I am so thankful to Him for His provision to our family.



We are no longer of the mind to be moving at this time. For some reason, it just doesn't seem to be the thing the Lord wants us to do.



So we are concentrating on living to our fullest right here were we are. Making plans for a chicken house, small barn and lots of fencing. We will be raising our own meat. With our big garden, the beautiful orchard we have, planting more berries, and maybe getting some honey bees we will be very self sufficient in the grocery department.



I have been praying the Lord will send us a milk cow, at a price we can afford. I am looking forward to making butter and cheese for my family.



We will be buying some laying hens, and some chickens to raise for meat, getting a few rabbits, raising a few turkeys, a couple of pigs, and hopefully that milk cow will find us. That should take care of most everything we usually buy at the grocery store. With the exception of flour and a few other staples.



We have always been farmers at heart. We raised as much of our own food as possible when we lived in Alaska years ago. Our climate here in Oregon is much milder and makes for easier gardening.



Ed is also planning a greenhouse. Then we can start our own tomato plants and grow some things year round. Like salad fixings, maybe some broccoli. It would be wonderful to step out the french doors of my kitchen, and pick greens and radishes, scallions for a salad for dinner in the middle of the winter! Yes, that would be so nice.



I have received one of our favorite seed catalogs in the mail recently. It is Territorial Seeds, located here in Oregon. So the plants they have tested are for growing West of the Cascade mountains. Everything we have grown from them has been great.



We are growing enough for sharing with others, and canning for winter, and selling some at the local farmer's market this summer. We will put that money aside for next year's seed costs.



I am excited to see what the Lord will do in our lives this coming New Year!