Welcome Mister Lincoln

Well silly me got on a rose kick. I have been wanting roses for years, YEARS. And with the talk of more land one day, it's hard to keep waiting. Well we lost four lavender bushes (ticked me off!) this past spring and so I had four empty barrels. So after some chatting we decided to get some roses. After a trip to the garden store, and confused as ever. I came home with Mister Lincoln.

As you can see he will be a pretty red.

He is a great size.

And today he was planted in the first spot in the yard. After some research I know what two I want next, so budget depending on those.

Since I was taking photos of Mister Lincoln I took a shot of the garden in front. It's slowly turning green.

Orange trees are doing well. Waiting for their barrels. I'm to the point I don't want to put anything into the ground and since they are young they can sit in a big barrel until we know what we plan on doing with life.

And here is the front yard apple tree. It's loaded. Last year it gave us about 6 or so apples.

Weekly Update & Mortgage Challenge

Well not much going on this week. Why? Because it's RAINING. And it won't stop Raining. So I've been inside. Stressing about money. 

We have this dream of one day, selling the house and moving to some land, some real land no less then ten acres. Living off the land. It's one big reason for the Mortgage Challenge. If we can pay down the mortgage then refi removing the pmi, our payment will drop, nearly in half. Then the money going towards the house. Will go to a savings so our money is spread around. I don't like all my eggs in one basket. So the amount of money in the house and savings we should be able to pay cash for something? There for, no mortgage payment. And so where ever we move, odds are when we start out hubby will only have to look for a part time job, verses 40 plus hours a week. He likes that.

In the future when we know where we will land, and what our land looks like, we will figure out ways to live off the land and how to make money off the land. But that is another day. We've been studying bees this week, very exciting.

Right now it's hard to save 2 dollars, let alone something decent a week. So this week I have opened my etsy store. Lots more on that later, I only have two listings. With the gray skies and rain I can't get decent photos. Math wise "if" I can sell 5 pillowcases a week I believe I can put about 100 away a week. Going towards our future goal. It's not a lot, BUT it's a start. It gives me a way to help. And if I'm helping, then I'm not stressing. 

Stress as we want to do this sooner then later. We want the kids out enjoying land and weather and life. We have been working on de-cluttering and downsizing. We didn't realize we had nearly 100 totes under the house. Totes came from my past, hubby's past. Stuff that I just tote and put under the house. Deal with it later. Well it's later. Every week hubby has been off, we pull out totes and go through them. This past week alone we made 3 trips to goodwill, our trash pile is over flowing and we went from 30 totes on this load to about 8. Hoping when we are done, we will be at about 20-25 total totes. So going from about 100 to about 25. 

We then will go through the shed. Our hope is to put the totes from under the house to the shed. Just keep downsizing. Because really if it's under the house for years do we really need it? A few totes have been really hard. Well others go straight to goodwill. And some going what were we thinking saving this? When hubby is off next week, we will pull the final 25 totes and finish up round one.

Doing this now, and not doing all of everything as we are looking to move, and set up some land.  It also makes you feel better. Living with less, the house feels like it's breathing.

Then the truck is back in the shop, after breaking down on the road coming back from a hay run. Luckily we live in the country and have a country car guy. So I picked up the kids, and the car guy came to help them home. But now the truck is with the car guy. Nearly everything was under warranty so it shouldn't hurt too bad. But until you know. 

So on the Mortgage end of things. The amount is going down slowly, we seem to be in a rut. Going from 119,689 to 119,559. Seems we will be in the 119's for a few more weeks.  But we are chugging along.

Wild Flowers

Well lots going on here garden wise, herb wise, seed wise, growing wise. Honestly some days I don't sit before I fall into bed and do it all again the next day. 

So today got on a yarrow kick, I was googling something and came across a really pretty red yarrow. So I had to go and see what two I was growing in pots. I know what grows wild. And I have White and a Pink-ish in pots. I have purple and white that grows wild in the back field. So this afternoon I was trying to close my eyes (for a rare nap), but they popped open when I went DUH I'll buy some seeds and put them across the street in our "field". On our street we have houses on one side and land on the other. It's someones land, we think the line of it is the counties, but no one takes care of it and it's trees and such. You go up the road and ten tons of blackberry's. It's where you find me in August picking berries and filling our freezer. 

Since becoming "aware" of weeds and such. I have been up there just looking when I have time. No yarrow over there. But on the other hand I don't want to spend money. I have tons of yarrow why not transplant it. I then went out back to see what is happening to my yarrow. My container of white yarrow has gone crazy. Where my pink is barely hanging on, looks like I have 2-3 plants in there. Where white is wanting to jump and I wouldn't be shocked if I have 50 plus plants in there. 

So tomorrow I will be thinning out the white yarrow and moving it to the open field. Depending on how many I transplant, I may go and dig up some of my wild and place it over there??? 

But I went up today to show hubby where I was thinking of putting the yarrow. And we found these two flowers. I know they are something????? But what? So the last picture I believe it's Wild Camas. The top picture, really no idea. I'm tempted to call it Dames Rocket or in other words Hesperis matronalis But honestly I have no idea. Hubby went out and planted it with the wild bleeding hearts he brought home last year. So in the morning I will take out the computer and compare. Might have to wait until it has bloomed more? Anyone have any ideas? 

According to the map of WA Damas Rocket is not in my area, it's in the county below me? Hum yeah like things don't jump?

Weekly Update & Mortgage Challenge

Yep, it's been two weeks. Well we had sun. Yes. SUN. And I had two very sick boys. Just a fever, but it was high and nothing was bringing it down and they felt like crap. So a few sleepless nights.

Our apple tree, it gave us about 6 apples last year. This year it's loaded. Might be too loaded we may be picking baby apples so we don't loose the tree from weight? Hopefully I can get a photo of our pear tree later. It's loaded also.

Ran to the garden store, as I lost BOTH bay leaves this past winter. So I'm replacing both of them and found a pink rosemary. And lavender thyme.

One of my herb beds. See the holes? I finally dug up my garlic chives that died. Major debate going on here. Do I replace with new garlic chives? or plant my Nelly chives there? They are doing great and need a home. On the other side of the holes, I lost my rosemary. I haven't pulled them yet as I still have hope. But it's ever fading?

This guy finished his math book. Lucky for me he has a math brain. But Tucker started this book this week. Oh just pray for me. He does not have a math brain. But three lessons in and we are doing ok. Ethan is finishing up his "hard" math book this week. Then he will start 5th grade. 

Mortgage is going slow, it's dropping, but the numbers seem to be falling slowly. Sitting at 119,689. Math wise won't be out of the 119's until next month. Ran numbers for a few weeks in advance. And things are ever so tight. We have cut a couple of wants so we can save for some van work that we know is coming. Belts will need to be replaced before our trip. I'm not getting stuck on the side of the road with a broken belt. Been there done that, won't be doing it again.

Weekly Update & Mortgage Challenge

And it has been a week and then some.

This one finished up third grade math. Lord help me trying to get him through fourth.

So it's our Anniversary on Friday, after 11 years it's nothing exciting. Just surprised we made it another year. But In laws give us money, and it came Tuesday. So we jump in the truck and run up and get some bark. We have been wanting to do this for 3 plus years. I can not tell ya how awesome this looks. Although we are a little short.

But we won't be finishing this week. Why? Well in pulling the truck into the driveway the truck died. This was apparently a start of a fight. After getting the kids into the house. I come out to tell hubby we should try and jump the truck. No, it doesn't need jumping. So he calls his car guy, the car guy tells him to jump it. So now I have to go out and help him jump it. Which worked and we got the truck into the drive and then proceeded to have a BIG fight. About how he doesn't ever listen to me, but he will listen to anyone else. We had the same fight a few hours later. And I'm sure we will have it again.

Pretty right?

The boys got a few plants for their beds. 

So it's a very tough week right now. We seem to be getting hit left and right with expenses right now. The truck was moved to the top of the list because it's needed for hay runs. I blow a fuse today, not only blow it, it was out. Had to replace it. Puppy went sick, but after some googling decided to give it some time. No food for about 12 hours and now he has nearly all bounced back and started eating chicken and rice that I made him. So had to worry about him all day and do we take him in, do we wait. We've been through this before with other dogs, we get antibiotics and sent home. I don't want a puppy full of antibiotics if we can just wait it out. Although we know how puppies get into things and eat stuff they shouldn't. 

So BIG Mortgage news. We are now below 120,000. Being hit left and right makes it really hard to pay that extra. I keep hoping the struggling will pay off. Currently at 119,949.49.