and a birthday celebration it was!

Happy 1st Birthday!

Someone is one year-old today! She has Favour from the Lord for sure!
She must have a new dress to wear to her party that momma made!

We cannot imagine life without precious you! Happy Birthday!

farmin'...

"and the green grass grows all around all around and the green grass grows all around!"

Do you remember the tune? grass fed milk, grass fed beef...
everyone is out to pasture officially

they are having a grand time!

I wonder what they talk about?

a weekend at Maple Valley off-grid Cottage!

we love it because we can "get away" but we can keep the chores goin' night time is the best time for games and stories and funnel cakes around the bon-fire!
priming the pitcher pump for the cottage kitchen cookin' some grub!
it was snuggly and FUN!

head lamps are part of our wardrobe now :). I used to be caught on errands with an apron that I had forgotten to take off... Now its an apron and a head-lamp :)!

The best part... We felt of vacation but we could still do all the chores. We didn't mind the "drive home" either :)... We just walked!

We have officially "un-winterized" the cottage! We have water again! We have a cool farm sink we are going to hook up just for you and ours :) ! Find out more about your stay at the Maple off-grid Cottage here with more pictures here...

How about a "musharoon hunt" at Maple Valley Farms. We are just a few miles away from 2 state forests as well as our own property to hunt for the praised morel mushroom, a Michigan delicacy... We do the cookin' and you do the huntin! Call the farm for all the great details!

Maple Valley off-grid Farm 616-566-8481

Just for fun!

although the Gentle Giant did not think this was fun at all. I missed the real footage... He was holding this one to get the other one that escaped last week on the way to the butcher. Let's just say it was an interesting 3 1/2 hours!

one of our best investments...

As poor as we have ever been in monetary means (we are always rich in Him and blessed!) one of the best investments in our early married years
was a wonderful bedstead and mattress... King sized... so a child or two can snuggle in the nest as well...

after a hard days work in the fields, hanging laundry on the line and canning, or even for a long winter's nap or after the birth of a precious little one...

we look forward to lined dried Italian cotton sheets, downy pillows and cotton blankets

with vintage linens and pillows to fall upon... suddenly everything just else melts away at the end of the day...

How do you like your grass-fed beef?

I am a medium-rare girl myself... we love it plain or with just a touch of our very own farm grown horseradish and fresh sour creme!
Did you know our grass fed beef is on the menu and you can try it as well here?

or better yet, buy some for your very own family straight from us! You should at least know where your food comes from! And now, you can know your farmer, have pasture to plate and enjoy the health benefits of grass-fed beef too! Join the many others who have tried our beef and give us a call if you are interested in 1/2 or whole beef. ~Matt, "The Gentle Giant" Maple Valley Farms 616-566-8481

a small part of our home-learning...

He is a plow-boy... at the age of 12

Our son has become our official "plow-boy"... He is just 12 years old...Dad teaching him the "ropes"... We have really learned what a lot of these old sayings really mean! Like "don't cry over spilled milk" or "counting your chickens before they are hatched"...L-R Comet, Marge and Jim. Jim was happy we still kept him in the lead. He is older but much wiser...The smile on his face says it all. It puts a big warm smile in our hearts as his parents too! He truly is doing what he loves!

The plow-boy in action below!


What were you doing at age 12? I was not doing this :)

Come to our next Nourishing Traditions Meeting May 11, 2010 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Here is our eldest discussing the brewing of Kombucha tea at our April Nourishing Traditions meeting. We also discussed a guide to natural sweeteners. We carry most natural sweeteners from Nourishing Traditions in our bulk food store.

In May you are invited to come to the meeting to discuss all things Nourishing Traditions and we will especially talk about and show how to make fermented sauerkraut. You won't want to miss it! It is 6:30 - 8:30 pm.

You can see our entire Nourishing Traditions schedule here. See you soon!

a spring night on the farm...

plantin' the fields with poppa! front porch nights... this week we will get more of the summer furniture out! 2 different views from the farm...

grass-fed beef...

the farm from afar

and wide...

the produce stand is getting ready for your visit!

2nd one born backwards so she needed some assisting

A great goat-birthin' video!

Here is the first one born!

new life of the farm this week! 4 kids born!

This is Issie's 2nd kidding... She had twin girls and we appropriately named them Connie Mae and Bonnie Kay! Sorry Auntie's! The "Great Him" witnessed first hand the miracle of life! Sylvie (Issie's Mom) gave birth to "Jake" and Cari...the first one born from Sylvie, "Jake"... Not sure if we will keep Him...
We will always be excited at the birth of a new animal on the farm!

The 3rd of many rooms getting a remodel... all on a twist-tie budget!

I recovered our chairs with burlap (left). A CHEAP and big and improvement! Gives the room a more earthy and farm feel!


The Gentle Giant made the table with the myrtle on it for me. It is something I will always treasure... He made it for a Christmas gift also, on a twist-tie budget like this kitchen remodel. I was so surprised as we had promised not to buy gifts for each other this past year. He made it all out of wood that we had and our son helped him.I used left over paint and what I did have to buy only cost $5- for mi stint cans... I always look at the mi stint racks of paint first... I took the cupboard doors off and sewed curtains for the fronts with rick-rack on the bottom. I figure I can have all different fabrics to mix it up a bit for the seasons etc. I painted the cupboards white and distressed them. I put these funky, eclectic cabinet knobs on that were only about .50c a piece! I was so pleased when I tore off the ugly back splash and 1970's counter top that the wood already was cool and distressed and then I just applied poly on top of it.

The walls are painted tan. And they seem to change colour throughout the day. I am pretty happy the way it turned out but I am only 25% finished as now I need to move onto the "sun room" side and then finally finish with the family room. The family room will be a really big project.

I know you will enjoy the redo as well when you come to visit the farm at a cheese or soap making class! Hope to see you soon! ~Ang

I am tempted to pull the siding off the house next. Don't say "I dare you Ang" because you know I got it in me to do it! I already learned this spring how to hook up and run the miter box and run it all by myself with the generator. My husband just loves when I do things like this :)...