Survival seems to be the name of our game lately. Not to be a Debbie Downer, but this season has surely been a test for our marriage, family, our reliance on God, our pride, our finances, our flexibility, our sanity, you name it, we've been in survival mode.
Preparing for little Ozzie and Eli has been quite a task. Much different than the past three babies. By this point in my previous pregnancies, the room has been done, my list has been made and all kinds of nesting takes place.
Right now, we're still mid-construction, many to-do's remain to be undone, and other than than the large belly I host, the twins don't seem to have a presence in this home.
That will soon change, and the joy of nesting and preparing will soon come, I hope, but for right now, we're coasting on grace.
With all that needs to be completed, life continues with it's schedule. Soccer games, school drop offs, Bible study, chicken slaughtering.....wait, chicken slaughtering?
****(Warning: If you are a vegan or animal lover, you may not want to read or see the below content)****
Jason and I are always interested in additional ways to become more self-sufficient in our humble little life. We're so grateful to be a part of a community that is not only knowledgeable in this field, but also strives to do the same. That's why a group of eight friends embarked on a trial run of providing our own organic chicken. We jumped on the opportunity as we get plenty of turkey in this household. Organic chicken is not cheap. We don't have a Costco or Trader Joe's nearby that offers a lower price of healthy meat, so we are stuck with the choice of either going without or raising our own (as eating commercial meat is not an option for us)!
It was quite a process. The chickens got pet and sung to before their final days, let me assure you that they had plenty of love from their owners during their short lives...much more than at any chicken ranch/plant!
Everett was so interested in the process, I allowed him to see the operation before it fully began. As we left he blew kisses and said, "goodbye, chickens, see you in heaven someday!". Bless his heart, my little animal lover.
The guys:
The girls:
Although it was time consuming and very tedious work, there is nothing like the feeling of eating your own meat. Gardeners understand as there is so much fulfillment in harvesting and providing food for your family. Adding eggs, milk, and now chicken to the equation, we're feeling more and more able to survive in any type of situation.
Survival sure pushes you to do some extraordinary things.
I warned you about the photos, it's your fault if your nauseous right now... (smirk)