We love both traveling and living the country life. The two do not normally go together as a lifestyle. It’s usually either one or the other, but we are pretty determined to experience both. Living tiny right now is also helpful in having the ability to do both. The kiddos also seem to enjoy both as well. Living tiny has definitely facilitated their sibling relationship in a good way. Thankfully.
These guys love a four-wheeler ride. They also like playing hide and seek behind hay bales.
We worked on putting back together and staining the deck that was given to us. The kids liked being involved with the project.
Ava did a good job tightening the bolts on the grill cover. She was definitely putting some muscle into it…hence the faces.
We are very pleased with how it turned out. I love having a space now for outdoor cooking.
This cute guy is digging his new boots, which are easy for him to put on all by himself. Lord knows this mama is tired of putting on and taking off tennis shoes all day long.
This Week’s Books
I absolutely love the Bruce books. They are so cute and I can relate to Bruce in many ways.
“Mr.Pusskins” was Ava’s favorite this week. I think Daddy read that one quite a few times. “Road Work Ahead” of course spoke to Shepard. “Do Not Build a Frankenstein” was super cute. “My Awesome Summer by P.Mantis” was kinda creepy. I only read that once and tucked it away. It was a little too informative about the life of a praying mantis. I don’t feel like toddlers necessarily need to know that praying mantis’ eat their siblings. Plus, I do not want to answer the 1 million questions that our toddler would come up with about that topic.
Gluten Free & Dairy Free Menu
- Pumpkin Spice waffles, almond milk yogurt mixed with peanut butter.
- Chocolate chip banana donuts.
- Grilled chicken with ketchup, basmati rice and mixed veggies.
The kiddos are big waffle fans and I couldn’t be happier that their favorite waffle flavor is pumpkin spice. This was my first try with banana donuts. They were good, but I think with a few modifications they could be better. I do enjoy trying new donut recipes though! Normally, I give the kiddos steak sauce or avocado ranch with their chicken. I asked Shepard if he wanted brown sauce or green sauce, but he said he wanted red sauce. Our boy loves him some ketchup. If he doesn’t use it all from dipping his chicken or meat in, he spoons up the rest like it’s a side dish leaving none behind.
I thought I would share one of my kiddos absolute favorites. They love this pasta and I love that it is more nutritious than just regular old pasta. When I look for substitutes for some of our favorite dishes that usually have gluten, I always try to find something that is not only gluten free but also has more nutritional value.
- Grilled chicken Caesar salad, mashed sweet potatoes, and buffalo cauliflower.
- Hamburger skillet topped with creamy ranch, waffle fries, and green beans with bacon.
- Buffalo grilled chicken rice bowl with mixed veggies.
It’s been awhile since we’ve had a Caesar salad and this one did not disappoint. I was really craving burgers one night, but I didn’t not feel like putting forth the effort to make patties. So, I browned some beef, seasoned it like I do for burgers and added in burger toppings including mushrooms, pickles, and green onion. Top it off with creamy ranch and it tasted just like a yummy burger. My new favorite rice bowl as of lately is a buffalo grilled chicken rice bowl. Yum-O.
Farm Animals
Scott nicknamed our Pekin duck on the left Bertha. Just a few weeks ago, the ducklings were splashing in this old roasting pan. Now, Bertha takes up the whole roasting pan and leaves hardly any water when she exits. Now, we’ve upgraded the roasting pan to a small stock tank. In the future, we will upgrade them to a pond.
Sammy and Dean sharing one of their favorites…a branch of leaves. I love these guys! They are the cutest!
Ava still loves doting on her chickens no matter how big they get. She told me the other day we need more chickens, ducks, and goats. I am guessing she’s liking this farming stuff.
Our first egg! Friday morning I let the chickens out and one of the hens followed me to the goat pen. She was very persistent about getting in there even with the goats inside. She starting quickly making a little nest and getting herself situated. I cleaned out the goat pen around her. She got up and quickly came back. I let her be for a little while and came back to find her egg! We are so excited. Now we just need to train them to lay their eggs in the chicken coop instead of the goat pen.
Workouts
I was able to squeeze in 3 workouts this week. Unfortunately, I apparently sustained too many injuries for my back this week to complete my goal of 4 workouts. I am thinking my back pain is due to a combination of working/lifting on the deck, missing the last step in our tiny house one night, and lifting goats and kids. I think my back is just over it for the time being. I did an outdoor run on Monday and the pace and time look terrible for 1.5 miles. It was hard earned though considering it was mostly uphill. And that is why I opt for the treadmill a lot of the time. I like smooth, non-incline, no potholes, no unexpectedness popping out of nowhere. However, when the weather is gorgeous it’s hard to choose no scenery with the treadmill versus beautiful scenery even with the occasional wildlife surprises.
On Another Note…..
I love these couples shirts! If there is any Disney movie as of lately that makes my tears fall it is “UP”.
That’s a week! I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful week! God Bless!
