The Farmer's Wife

7 weeks to go!

2012-01-22T13:48:00.000-08:00

In case you haven't heard, we are expecting our 4th and final baby girl! We are really excited. This pregnancy has been the hardest yet. Probably because of all of the farm work and keeping up with three active kids. I am now 32 weeks and we still haven't picked out a name. Here are some of the names that we both have been able to agree on. Kira, Klea (danish), Alia, and Celina. Any feedback would be appreciated!

Shia's Adventures

2011-09-01T08:26:00.000-07:00

Shia has so much energy and she loves to be outside. When I am not paying attention to her she will sneak outside and head straight for the garden. We have found her several times eating tomatoes or peas. She begs for peas and even asked Christian to pick some for her for breakfast one morning! All of the kids have had so much fun with our kittens. When Christian and I are out doing chores, Shia will be on our back patio holding the kittens. Yesterday she dropped one into Bear's (our dog) water bucket. Hans and Dane were quick to rescue it and then they snuggled it in a towel until it was dry.

First Day of School!

2011-09-01T08:21:00.000-07:00

Hans and Dane were so excited for their first day of school. Hans has 7 kids in his grade and Dane has 6, including them! Christian was home and they all rode their bikes to school. Dane loves Kindergarten and he plays with Hans at recess.

Snake, Rattle, and Heads will Roll!

2011-08-29T09:48:00.000-07:00

(Notice the snake on Dane's Head)

(These are Garter Snakes)

A few weeks ago Christian and the boys were outside in front of our house. They saw a snake on our driveway and Dane reached down and grabbed it by the tail. It started hissing so Christian told him to let it go. Then the snake coiled up and started shaking it's tail. That is when we noticed that it was a baby RATTLE SNAKE!!! So Christian whipped out his I-Phone and looked up baby Rattlesnakes, only to discover that they are MORE DANGEROUS than adult ones. The snake then started slithering into the tire on our Van and up into the frame. We poked around and looked everywhere trying to get the snake out. After about 20 minutes we couldn't find it and we had to leave to go into town to pick up some supplies with our truck. Of course I kept worrying that there would be a RATTLESNAKE where my kids often play. When we got home about 2 hours later we drove the van around Vernon running some errands and out to our Hen House a couple times back and fourth. At about 7:00 that night we had just finished working for the day and I was driving the van from our Hen House into the driveway. I was backing up to unload tools and when I went over the cement onto our driveway. Something told me that the snake just fell out of the van. So I stopped and opened my door and sure enough that Rattlesnake was right THERE where I would have stepped. It slithered away and I yelled for Christian to come and help me. After a bit of a chase he finally killed it and we were so relieved to be done with that snake. You just never know what you might find living out in the country!

The Big Summer Project

2011-08-29T09:38:00.001-07:00

This Summer has been filled with a lot of fun and work. Christian and I always say that we work hard so we can play hard. The big project this summer has been our new Hen House. It can house 500+ chickens. The chickens are almost ready and we will be selling their eggs to Copper Onion restaurant in Salt Lake. Christian's brothers and dad have come out to help us too! It has taken up much of our extra time and we are so close and excited to have it completed.

Picking Apricots on Grandpa's Farm

2011-08-29T09:19:00.000-07:00

The kids and I went to my parent's house and picked Apricots to make jam. The boys loved climbing up the trees and reaching all of the apricots that I couldn't reach. Shia picked anything that looked yummy and ended up eating a few green apples. The next day the kids helped my make some yummy Apricot Jam!

Summer Swimming Lessons

2011-08-29T09:06:00.000-07:00

The kids had a blast at swimming lessons this year. Hans learned how to swim so well that on the last day he was jumping off the diving boards and swimming to the side. Shia and I did the "Mommy and Me" class. She loves the water and isn't afraid of anything. Dane learned a lot of new floats and is excited to move on to the next level!

Enjoying The Harvest!

2011-07-28T08:42:00.000-07:00

I love summer and I love gardening. Pulling weeds in the cool summer morning, smelling the different plants growing, anticipating the ripening of a tomato. There is something that is so rewarding about growing your own food. My parents always had a passion for gardening and always grew a lot of their own vegetables and fruit. From the grape orchard to the apple, cherry, peach, and apricot trees. To their huge vegetable garden that we took care of all summer. As a child I always loved picking things out of the garden for dinner that night. Now that I have my own family and garden even the work is rewarding, especially when my boys tell me that they love pulling weeds with me. Shia has found that she loves peas and tomatoes and can't get enough of them. I tease my kids that they are my raccoons, because they will sneak into the garden and eat the ripest tomato. Every night Christian and I have a garden date and look at all the plants and pick the vegetables that are ready.

Summer Vacation

2011-07-28T08:25:00.001-07:00

A couple weeks ago we went to Hurricane with all of Christian's Family and had a little family vacation. We went shopping at the outlets, went hiking, rock climbing, fishing, and of course wave running. We had so much fun! Wave running was probably the highlight of our trip. We went to Sand Hallow reservoir, which has beautiful red sandy beaches. The kids spent the day making sand castles, playing on the beach, and riding on the wave runners. We spent the day tubing, and wake-boarding. We had so much fun that I forgot to take more pictures. Here are some that we took!

Grandma's Easter Egg Hunt

2011-05-18T10:28:00.000-07:00

Good Times

2011-04-08T08:56:00.001-07:00

This morning I ate my entire breakfast with Shia hugging my neck and chomping in my ear. I love these days!

Typical

2011-03-31T09:35:00.000-07:00

I was just telling Christian last night how only in Vernon would my day go this way...

The kids and I were making cookies for a neighbor when somebody knocked on our door asking if I could pull their truck out of the mud. I was a little nervous, because this is a "husband job" and then I realized that it was someone we kind of know. They were desperate and didn't really have anyone else to help them and came to our house hoping we could help (they are from the city). I knew Christian wouldn't be home for another 3 hours and couldn't think of any other guys home to help. So I got all three kids in the truck, put the chain in that was on the tractor and went off-roading for a few miles to reach their truck.The kids laughed and loved every minute of bouncing around in the truck . It didn't take too much pulling and we got them out. To finish off the night Christian and I went on a bike ride with the kids and watched the sun set!

First Day of School... Again!

2011-03-29T15:39:00.000-07:00

We thought that Christian was finished with school, but Christian was offered a really great opportunity to get a Masters Degree through his work; which is the Department of Defense. So today he started school at with the Naval Post Graduate Academy. It is a two years Master Degree and he will do it on the computer via Teleconferencing during work. We thought it was just too good of an offer to pass up, even though two years seems like a long time to commit when we have a full-time farm on the side as well! I am sure that it will all work out and we are excited for this opportunity!

X96 Morning Show and our Farm!

2011-03-21T19:12:00.000-07:00

So these guys came out to our farm on Sunday with their staff and camera crew. They have radio talk show in Pennsylvania and wanted to try milking a pig. First they came to our farm and shot a lot of footage of our farm and pigs and interviewed Christian. They couldn't believe how beautiful it is. We just had a pig farrow last week, that we were planning to milk, but it died giving birth, so we did not have a pig to milk. Our friend,Brooke, graciously let us try milking one of her pigs. They were pretty entertaining. This morning they were on X96 and were talking about their experience and our farm. Christian posted the links and story on our Farm Blog. Check it out here: http://christiansenshogheaven.blogspot.com/2011/03/pork-milk.html
One thing that we thought was so funny was that they asked for a ride in the back of our truck. It is illegal in Pennsylvania and they have never had that experience. So we let them sit on the tailgate and we drove them around town. They thought Vernon was beautiful and loved being on a farm. We have had a lot of great experiences like this because of our farm.

Happy Birthday Christian!

2011-02-09T08:38:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Christian's Birthday! We invited Christian's sister Amee and her family over for dinner and cake. (They are our Vernon Buddies) We get together with them a few times a week. Christian is not a big cake fan so I made him Strawberry Shortcake with my homemade Angel food cake and strawberry sauce.
Christian is such a wonderful husband and is the most perfect dad! Here are some things that I love about him:
He is always positive and has taught me to be also.
He is so patient with the kids and especially me.
He is the hardest working guy I know.
He is always in a good mood, unless the shear pin breaks on the tractor three times in a row.
He makes me laugh!
Everything we have...we have done together.
We make a great team!
We have a wonderful marriage. Thank you for all you do.

More Winter Pictures!

2011-02-09T08:15:00.000-08:00

Winter at the farm!

2011-02-09T08:04:00.000-08:00

I have been looking forward to this winter season for a while now. Although there are still many chores to do... Life just seems to slow down during the winter. Christian and I have been working together on the weekends getting pens set up for new pigs. This week we received 25 new chicks that will be our new laying hens. Right now we have 37 chickens, 5 turkeys, around 100 pigs and some cows here and there. We received the Gurney's Catalog and many other seed catalogs that the we all have looked at together and everyone is putting in their vote for what to plant in the garden!

Some of the finished product

2010-11-28T10:08:00.000-08:00

We have been living in our house for about 3 weeks now and I am finally getting some pictures up. We are really enjoying the extra room. I love having my laundry room right off my kitchen and we love having a wood burning stove. Christian and I were both amazed how fast this new house felt like home. It already seems like we have lived here for a long time. I will post some more pics of the kids bedrooms soon!

The First part of the farm move....

2010-11-28T09:47:00.000-08:00

The first thing that we moved to our new house were the chickens and turkeys. Before we could move them we had to set up new fencing, move shelters, feeders, and the watering system. We have found that the best way to catch tukeys and chickens is at night. They are much more mild when they are roosting and can't see us coming. So we put the kids to bed, get long sleeve shirts and head lamps on and get started. We end up getting a good laugh when one of us slips in the mud and we call it a farm date. We caught about 90 turkeys and 150+ chickens that night. Here are some pictures of us moving their shelters earlier that day. Hans and Dane were in charge of moving some old fence posts to the fire pile, Christian worked the tractor, and Shia and I put in the fence and supervised.

House in Progress...

2010-11-28T09:40:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of our house about two weeks before it was done. Christian's family came out and helped us with our wood floors and they turned out beautiful. Christian and I stayed up until 4:00 am one morning laying the brick for our wood burning stove in our great room. We couldn't have done it without all of the help from family! I will post the Final Pics Soon!

Farm Kids!

2010-09-21T05:58:00.000-07:00

Our kids are such farm kids. Yesterday Christian and I were trying to leave and we couldn't find Hans anywhere. When we finally found him he was planting pumpkin seeds behind our house. At school during recess he found a pumpkin that had been broken so he "harvested" the seeds to plant.
My boys also can't understand why I will not let them wear their Mudd Boots into town and Shia just loves these chickens.

House Update!

2010-09-07T20:38:00.000-07:00

Well I have not really blogged about the progress of our house even though I have taken a lot of pictures. So here is the latest picture of the outside. On the inside the drywall is already in and they are mudding and taping it. Our contractor said that we will be in it by Halloween! We are all so excited. They will be working on the rock and stucco next week! It has been really fun to see it all come together. We still have a lot of work to do: fencing, setting up water, setting up pens, moving animals. Hopefully we can get it all done before the snow comes!

The Best Little Chicken Catchers!

2010-09-02T15:20:00.000-07:00

Bracken and Bree spent a few nights at our house and they were able to help us catch chickens. We had a total of 486 chickens to catch and Christian and I were a little overwhelmed to say the least. We also had shelves for our walk in freezer that needed to be assembled for the finished product the next day. We are always short on time and the butcher was already setting up for butchering the next morning at 4 am. So Christian got to work on the shelves and Bracken, Bree, Hans, and Dane helped me catch chickens. I was so impressed with Bracken and Bree! Catching chickens can be a little intimidating. They will peck at you and hiss while you are crawling (literally) into their huts to grab them. We do it in the dark so the chickens are not running around, so that makes it a little harder as well. It usually takes Christian and I about 2 1/2 hours to catch 200 chickens. Well about 2 hours into it Christian is done with the shelves and comes to help. He is so surprised that we really didn't need him. We had about 470 chickens already caught. Christian couldn't even believe it even though he saw the full crates. He kept counting and counting. Bracken and Bree had a great time and asked if they could come and help us again! We all love having them around and will call them to come again next time!

A much needed Family Vacation!

2010-08-17T12:44:00.001-07:00

The last week of July we rented some wave runners and went to Sand Hollow reservoir with Christian's sisters and their families. We had a great time. It was so nice to leave the farm and not worry about animals for 4 whole days! We all tubed until our elbows were rubbed raw. The guys had tube wars trying to throw each other off and us girls tried to see how long we could stay on. It was sad that our bodies gave in way before our minds. (I refuse to say that I am getting old) We also went fishing at Kolob lake. After all the fun was over Christian and I decided that we need to take many more family vacations like this one!

Shia!

2010-08-17T12:36:00.000-07:00

Shia is so big! She is One and has so much personality! She knows just what strings to pull with her two big brothers and they usually give her whatever she wants. She loves to wear bows, tu tu's, and especially shoes. She steals everybody's shoes. She loves to climb up on the back of our couch and look out the window and wave to people as they go by. I have to say. I just love having a little girl!

Farm Update!

2010-06-08T16:16:00.000-07:00

Well we have been really busy. I know whats new... but really we have been swamped. In case you didn't know we are expanding our farm. Last month we bought 20 Acres and we are moving everything over and building a new house, Yeah! This past week we have been getting the poles set for our barn. When I say we, I mean Christian and his brother Niels. They have been working really hard and the kids and I have been the camera/drink crew! We are hoping to have the barn finished in a week or two and start on the house after that. We will also try to have all 20 acres completely fenced in the next couple of weeks. We also have water lines to run from our well that we just drilled and then we will move over the animals (60+ pigs, 100 turkeys, and 1300) Chickens. I am not looking forward to the Chicken part. Have you ever tried to herd Chickens? Not the easiest thing. Actually it is near impossible, but we will manage. Well here are some fun pictures of our new land and us setting it up and the kids playing around. Notice how beautiful the views are...It is our favorite part! Enjoy!

Shia-First Pig Tails, Crawling, Talking, trying to Walk!

2010-04-12T08:49:00.000-07:00

I have been super busy and have failed to blog about some of Shia's milestones. She has been growing and learning so fast! She started crawling at 7 months. Now she can almost keep up with her big brothers. Her first word was Ought Ohh!, She also started saying Daddy (of course), then Mama, and yesterday she waved and said, "bye, bye," to some friends. She is always so happy and very content to play with toys in her room! She is already starting to learn the art of teasing! Of course she has Christian wrapped around her little finger, but I wouldn't have it any other way!

Hollie, Hollie, how does your garden grow?

2010-04-07T11:39:00.000-07:00

This has been my latest 'little" project. On top of being a mom to 3 kids, being my husbands wife, taking care of 60 or so pigs, 400 chicks, etc. etc. I decided to do something I love, and I absolutely love gardening and watching things grow. We have the most perfect South facing window in our kitchen and I thought it would be fun to see what I could grow. I started 8 heads of lettuce, 4 tomato plants, and 4 cucumber plants. I wasn't sure how well they would do and now I have a jungle in my kitchen. Hans and Dane have really been excited and are in on the action as well. Hans has some Watermelon plants growing, and Dane has a 4 feet long pea plant which is starting to produce abundantly. We had some store bought Cantaloupe that Dane just loved, so he decided to try planting his own and now it is growing great! We have already harvested 4 heads of delicious lettuce and the cucs, and tomatoes flowering! This has been so much fun! The kids help me water everyday and we love watching our garden grow!

I think his Tractor's Sexy

2010-03-30T07:26:00.000-07:00

We have gotten to the point on our farm that we just need a tractor. He have been planning on getting one for the past 8 months or so. Luckily we have had great neighbors who have helped us get by in the meantime. I am sure they will miss the barter of pork, for their service. We got the tractor late Friday night and Christian and I came home and drove it around while the kids were in bed. We had to deliver Pork early the next morning, but when we got home Christian's friend was at our house excited to see his new toy! Many other Menfolk from town came to admire Christian's new toy. I love seeing him out "working" on it.

Happy Birthday Hans!

2010-03-30T07:06:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that Christian and I have a six year old son! Hans is naturally a sweetheart and a leader. (He gets that from his dad) He is a wonderful big brother and loves taking care of Dane and Shia. He is also a great help on our farm. There are so many projects that we could not do without him. For instance we lost our door on our livestock trailer somewhere in the desert between our house and 5 mile pass. (This is long story for another time) Anyway, I was driving into town with the kids one day and we found it. It weighs well over 100 lbs. Hans helped me get that door into the back of our van. I am always amazed at how much easier he makes things for me. Hans has loved Kindergarten and is the perfect student. His teacher is always telling me how great he is in class. He loves learning and loves to be challenged. I am so happy to have him in our family. Happy Birthday Hans we love you!

Our New Recipe with great help!

2010-01-08T15:05:00.000-08:00

I love to cook and I recently got the idea of making our own Ham and Bean soup recipe to post on our new website. Everyone asks me what do they do with a ham hock, so I thought I would give them some ideas. I first started by making our own bean mixture. Hans and Dane loved helping me with this part. We got a variety of about 20 pounds of beans and mixed them together. We used Small whites, Black Beans, Lentils, Small Reds, Dark Red Kidney beans, Large Limas, Green split Peas, Great Northerns, and Pinto Beans. There were beans all over the kitchen. Some were wasted, but it was worth letting the kids do the pouring and mixing. Then I simmered one of our Ham Hocks for a few hours with some spices. I added the beans (only 2 cups), some tomato paste, salsa and a few more things and cooked for a few more hours. It turned out delicious! At dinner Hans and Dane kept saying, "this is soooo goood! We are such good cooks." I thought they were pretty cute! For the past few years we have bought the Honey Baked Ham bone (this was before we did our own pigs of course) and used their spice pack and recipe, but this was so much better and I loved that the kids could help too!

Viking Cooking School

2010-01-08T14:48:00.000-08:00

Christian already posted a lot about our Viking Cooking School adventure on our farm blog, but I thought I would post some more pictures here. We had such a great time meeting our customers, learning how to prepare this gourmet meal, and most of all eating it. This was also Shia's first cooking class! I was a little worried to take her with us, but she was an angel, of course! She was loving all the attention. She was passed around the whole time and the camera man (for the Salt Lake Tribune) went crazy taking pictures of her. Jim Light, the executive chef was so kind to put this all together for us. Thank you Jim! We had a wonderful evening! Here are some pics.

Our New Website

2010-01-04T18:49:00.000-08:00

Here is a link to our new website for our Family Farm. We are now offering Beef, Chicken, and Turkey as well as our Pork. We have been really excited for this and feel very passionate about what we are doing. Please check it out and let us know what you think.
http://www.christiansenfarm.com/

Preserving More than just Applesauce

2009-11-17T14:04:00.000-08:00

About 5 years ago Christian and I started canning. I was so impressed that he would help me and he really likes it too! We have made Applesauce, Apple Pie Filling, Bottled peaches, pears, Tomatoes, Salsa, jams, and anything else that we could get for a good price. Although we love the idea of saving money, we love feeling self sufficient. Little did we know Five years ago that we were starting a family tradition. Hans and Dane love to help us with the process and we all talk and listen to music while we work. This year we tried an all natural applesauce. We didn't add any sugar or cinnamon to it and it turned out to be the most delicious applesauce yet. I think it turned out beautiful, if you can call applesauce that. I even had an Apple Pie Filling demonstration at our house for the Young Women in our ward. Hans and Dane have been asking whenever they eat something if it is homemade!

Halloween Fun!

2009-11-17T08:51:00.000-08:00

We had 3 full days of Halloween fun this year. Our town does a Harvest Festival at the school with a dinner, and costume parade, pumpkin painting, face painting, decorating cookies etc. It was really fun. Then we have our Annual family Halloween party at my Sister Jana's house and all the kids go Trick-or-Treating door to door around her house. Halloween is always busy with Dane's Birthday and the Night time Extravaganza. Last year we did a hay ride with friends around the town with our trailer and it was so much fun we had to do it again this year. Stan and Amee were able to join in on the fun and the kids were loaded with candy. Hans was a Star Wars Storm Trooper and Dane, well after 3 different costumes and 3 special trips into town he finally settled on Bat Man. Shia was Scooby Doo, thanks to our neighbors giving her the costume. I was a Rocker and Christian, surprisingly was a Pig Farmer.

Happy Birthday Dane

2009-11-16T14:57:00.000-08:00

Happy 4th Birthday Dane! The day finally came. Dane counted down the entire month before his Birthday. We had a fun day full of presents, treats, cake, ice cream, and family. Dane had to have a Star Wars cake so Christian had the idea of getting him a Lego set that we could help him put together that morning. It took us 2 1/2 hours to get it all put together, but we had a happy boy! We love you Dane! Happy Birthday!

Spending Time at Grandpa's Farm

2009-10-21T13:49:00.000-07:00

Along with all of our own farm work we have been helping my Dad pick his apples. This is something that I secretly look forward to every year. Growing up on an apple farm is not very much fun for a teenage girl. But now I love to take my family there and pick apples with my siblings and their families. My Dad also raises Pumpkins and Pine trees. Christian and I have our own little Apple/Pumpkin/Pine Tree store in front of our house to help out. All of the grand kids get to pick there own pumpkins for Halloween and we all enjoy eating apples right off the tree. They are the crispest, freshest apples you can get. Yum!

"Pretty Please Princess Mommy"

2009-10-17T10:20:00.000-07:00

Amee, Leeanne, and I decided to take all of our kids to Toys "R" Us for the day to look around and get some ideas for Christmas. We all said, "What were we thinking taking 9 kids into a toy store." They all wanted everything. Dane found the Indiana Jones Legos and carried a box of each around the store. I tried to tell him that he could get some for his Birthday, but he wouldn't put them down. He was so sweet and kept asking. Then he started saying, "Pretty Please Princess Mommy," and that was the clincher, so of course I just had to get them for him.

2009-10-17T10:15:00.000-07:00

We have been trying to squeeze in fishing at the reservoir before it gets too cold. We took the kids up and went camping in our new camper last weekend. It was very cold, but we all had a great time. Thanks to our Mr. Heater we slept toasty warm.

Preparing for Winter

2009-10-17T10:05:00.000-07:00

Getting a farm tucked in for Winter is no easy task. Christian and I have been busy planting the field, completing electrical for watering Chickens and Pigs, ordering and stacking hay into the shelter, cleaning up and organizing the yard etc. etc. Here are 12 tons of hay that we ordered to hold us over for the winter. In the process of stacking it the whole stack fell over. Christian and a few wonderful neighbors stacked it all into the shelter and it is now covered. Today we should finish up the last of our preparations and we can kick up our feet and wait for the snow to fall.

Little Brother Hugs and Kisses

2009-10-17T10:01:00.000-07:00

Hans has been loving school. He feels so big riding his bike to our little elementary. Dane has to give him a big hug and kiss every morning before he leaves. I think it is so cute. Then Dane repeatedly yells, "Bye Hans, I'll miss you." out the window until Hans is out of sight.

Shia's Blessing Day!

2009-09-30T14:27:00.000-07:00

First Smiles

2009-09-30T14:07:00.000-07:00

Shia first smiled on August 1st and has been so smiley ever since. She is the sweetest and most easy going little baby. She also started laughing. It is so fun to see her grow. The other morning I was holding her and she fell asleep in my arms. She must have been having a good dream, because she just started giggling and giggling. It was so cute.

Hans' First Day of Kindergarten

2009-09-30T13:55:00.000-07:00

The Dreaded day did come... Hans started Kindergarten. He was so excited. I, on the other hand wasn't so sure. All my friends, that I walk with, were taking bets on whether I would cry or not. No, I did not cry... at least not at the school, instead I went home and was a little teary eyed thinking how fast Hans has grown up. I am so happy to have him as my little guy. Here are some pics of him at his first day. He was so excited to have his cousin Trey in his class. We have such a small Elementary school, only about 35 kids. There are only 6 kids in Kindergarten and they are all rambunctious boys. Their class is one of the biggest yet for their school. Their poor teacher will be really busy with them this year!

Ophir Canyon

2009-08-20T07:20:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago we went to Ophir Canyon for the day. Christian's parents brought up their horses, we had a fire, and the kids played in the stream. We all had a great time.

Swimming Lessons

2009-08-20T07:04:00.000-07:00

For the Past two weeks we have been doing swimming lessons for 1 hour each day. The boys have loved it. Dane was really scared at first but toward the end he loved it. He keeps asking when we can go back. We stayed some days to swim longer and had a lot of fun! I even put Shia's little legs in and she liked it too. I love the summer and I am sad to see it come to an end.

A Sticky Situation

2009-08-05T12:21:00.000-07:00

Dane decided to put his gum in Hans' hair so I used Peanut Butter to get it out. Hans couldn't stop laughing because he thought it was so funny that I was putting Peanut Butter in his hair. Then Dane wanted Peanut Butter in his hair too and was upset that I wouldn't put some on him.

Our Little Princess

2009-07-22T14:09:00.000-07:00

Time Flies!

2009-07-22T13:45:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how fast time flies. Shia will be 5 weeks this Thursday. It has been so much fun having a little girl and Shia is the sweetest little thing ever. She is little and petitie. She still wears newborn diapers and clothes. It hasn't been a hard adjustment so far. Hans and Dane just love Shia and love to help me. They take turns getting diapers, pacifiers, blankets. etc... It is like she is all of our little doll. I just love having a little baby in our home. I have forgotten how wonderful it is and the sweet spirit they bring. Last night Dane had a bad dream and came into our bed with us. Shia woke up to eat at the same time. I layed in bed with Shia snuggled up to me and Dane curled up to my back feeling his breath on my arm and thought how blessed I am to get to be their mom. I love my little ones so much. I couldn't do it without Christian. He is so supportive and the perfect hubby. I love you!

Pictures of Shia!

2009-06-20T13:58:00.001-07:00

New Pig Farmer

2009-06-18T21:51:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody, Christian here filling in for Hollie. I just wanted to announce the arrival of our newest little pig farmer. Shia Hope Christiansen was born this afternoon around 3pm. At 6 lbs 6 oz and 19" she is a bit of a runt but absolutely beautiful. Hollie did really well and should be able to come home tomorrow. She has lots of dark hair just like Hollie did when she was born. Hans and Dane were so sweet and were cute to listen to as they held her. Hans and Dane couldn't figure out how the baby came out. Hollie and I just looked at each other when they asked about it. I am not sure if we are ready to start explaining that stuff yet! LOL They have seen our sows give birth so if it comes up again I guess we can refer them to that. : ) I will post pictures tomorrow when I get home. Thank you all for your concern and well wishes!

Two More Days to Go!

2009-06-16T12:48:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that there are only two more days. I am getting started on Thursday! The time has gone by so fast. I thought it would be fun to post these prego pics that Heidi took for me. Hans and Dane are so excited. They talk to our baby all the time. They even made a chain that they have been counting down with. They will be such great big brothers and helpers!

No Mom!

2009-06-11T18:30:00.000-07:00

One morning while I was in the shower Hans came in and told me there was something that I had to see. He had painted this sign and taped it to his bedroom door. As I read it he must have thought that I was sad, because he said; "Don't worry Mom I made this sign so you don't have to come into our room and clean it. Dane and I can clean it all by ourselves and you can just lay on the couch and watch a "Mom" show. I thought this was the most precious thing ever. I love those little boys!

Plant Party Anyone?

2009-06-11T18:24:00.000-07:00

One morning Hans and Dane came and got me and told me they had a surprise for me. They had gathered all of my artificial and real plants that they could find (including the ones from the front porch that were still leaking water) and put them all in the living room. Then we had a "Plant Party" and they danced around the plants.

Congrats Sheena!

2009-06-11T18:22:00.000-07:00

Christian's little sister, Sheena, graduated from High School last week!

Ophir Camping Trip

2009-05-28T21:02:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of our camping trip to Ophir Canyon. Christian's whole family decided to join us. We had a lot of fun. Hans got sick in the middle of the night and I drove him home and took care of him. Then later that day we went back for a few hours before it was time to leave. Christian and Dane had a lot of fun hiking and horseback riding while we were gone. Christian and I even had a romantic horseback ride together. It was so pretty up there.

Hard at work...

2009-05-28T20:55:00.000-07:00

We were busy delivering pork all day long. This is what it did to the kids.

Baby Update!

2009-05-21T08:18:00.000-07:00

Only 28 days to go! My doctor has decided to start me on June 18th. Being out here in the country and so far from the hospital he thought this would be the best thing to do. I have never been started before, but I am really excited for the convenience of it all. We still do not have a final name picked yet. The top names are Shia (pronounced Shya), Skylie, Whitney, and Savannah. I am happy to hear any feedback that you might have on these!

Flowers for Mom!

2009-04-29T11:16:00.000-07:00

I have the two sweetest little boys ever! Right now we have a lot of these purple "flowers" growing around our property. Hans and Dane love to give them to me. Of course I am so excited and give them a big hug when I get them, so they keep them coming. I had to laugh at this because Dane brought me some more "flowers" yesterday and I was busy doing something. So he put them in a cup of water for me. Of course he just sees me do it and doesn't realize that the roots have to go in the other way. My little boys are such a huge blessing to me and I am so happy that I get to stay at home with them and be their Mom!

A Mom's Nap!

2009-04-15T07:02:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been so tired with being pregnant and chasing two little rascals around all the time so yesterday I decided to take a short 30 min. nap. I figured that I could get away with that. So as I was sleeping Hans and Dane kept trying to talk to me and play on me etc. I did get a little sleep but I woke up with Cap'n Crunch cereal in my hair and Hans was using Dane's Sling Shot and slinging the cereal at me and was able to get one on my eye (while closed). Hans and Dane were both laughing hysterically. When I finally figured out what was going on I had to laugh with them. I sure am ready for this little girl! I need Backup!

Kindergarten Check!

2009-04-14T09:58:00.000-07:00

Hans had his Kindergarten check. All week he was so excited to see Nurse Grandma and Doctor Wynn. On the drive over he asked me if he would have to get a shot. I told him yes and he kept telling me that he would be brave. He did such a good job and Grandma gave him and Dane plenty of stickers and treats. The shots were harder for Dane then they were for Hans. Dane told me that he doesn't want to go to Kindergarten and when I asked why he said, "because I don't want shots." I love the picture of Hans doing the eye chart and Dane trying to help him. We have the best Doctor and of course the Best Nurse that we could ask for. Thanks Mom!

Our First Camping Trip of the Year!

2009-04-08T09:05:00.000-07:00

We got a new (but used) Camp Trailer and the boys have been begging Christian and I to use it. So this last weekend we drove out to the reservoir and tried it out. It stormed all night long and the woke up the next morning to snow...Good thing we have a trailer now! We had a lot of fun and can't wait to go again!

Our New Family Blog

2009-03-31T07:44:00.000-07:00

We have finally set up our new blog for Christiansen's Hog Heaven. I have a link to it at the top right of the page. Check it out and let me know what you think!

I've been tagged....

2009-03-30T10:39:00.000-07:00

Stephanie tagged me a while ago and I am finally getting around to it. This picture is of Hans and I picking apples in my parents orchard. We had so much fun. Hans kept saying, "I love this Mom! This is so fun!" Even Christian wanted to start his own orchard. Hans looks so handsome in this picture (so much like Christian).

This is what you do:
Go to your pictures in the 4th folder Select the 4th picture and write about it.
I tag... Heidi, Sheryl, Misty, & Amee

Happy Birthday Hans!

2009-03-30T10:13:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that Hans is already 5. This day seemed so far off 5 years ago when we started our little family. For his birthday, Hans wanted to help me make Spiderman Cupcakes. The only other request that he had was going to Kangaroo Zoo with his cousins Callin , Trey, Else, and Eliza. We decorated the house with Orange and Black Crepe Paper that Hans picked out and we made a big sign for him. Later that night we had Cupcakes and at Grandma and Grandpa Bronson's house with all the cousins. It was so fun being able to really spoil him for the day! We love you Hans!

Our house Before we fixed it up!

2009-03-26T09:01:00.000-07:00

When we first found our house it hadn't been lived in for over a year and looked like a squatters paradise. After a lot of hard work and money we finally have it fixed up. The bathroom had mold and was completely gutted. The washer and dryer hookups were in the kitchen and are now downstairs. We have had this done for a while, but I thought it would be fun to post the pictures.

After the Remodel....

2009-03-26T08:53:00.000-07:00

Here is our little country house. There are still a couple unfinished places (like my Pot rack to hang above the kitchen sink). But for the most part it is done!!

This Little Piggy....

2009-03-16T19:05:00.000-07:00

Our Little Piglets were born on Feb. 13th. There are 10 of them. I never knew pigs could be so adorable. They are growing so fast. Whenever I go out to their pen they are all snuggled up together and look like the laziest happiest pigs!

My New Hair!

2009-03-16T11:38:00.000-07:00

Fun Winter Days with Family!

2009-03-16T11:24:00.000-07:00

It has been so fun having Stan and Amee living out here in Vernon with us and of course the boys love having their cousins close by too. The boys kept jumping on each others backs when they were going down the hill. It was so funny to watch.

Christiansen's Hog Heaven

2009-03-04T18:47:00.000-08:00

We are full fledged Pig Farmers. We started out right before Christmas with the idea of just getting two pigs. Now here we are a little over a month later and we are up to 19! Yes, you heard me right. Somehow this pig business has fallen into our laps and expanded before our eyes. We specialize in Registered Purebread Berkshire pigs. Berkshire is the elite quality pork, usually you can only find it in resturants. So I will be putting together a special blog for our new family business. I will post a link when it is ready.

That Dreaded Manilla Envelope

2009-03-01T07:36:00.000-08:00

I recieved that dreaded manilla envelope. Hans' Kindergarten registration papers came and I didn't know whether to cry or to cheer. He is so excited to go to kindergarten. He is already telling me that he can walk all by himself and that I don't have to pick him up from school either. . Hans has grown up so fast... So I will cherish the time that I get to have him home with me all day long. I love you Hans!

Our Baby is a....

2009-02-24T11:11:00.000-08:00

It's a Girl! We are so excited. She is doing really good and is growing right on track. Now I can buy those cute little foofy dresses!

The Way My Hubby Does Fencing

2008-12-31T11:15:00.000-08:00

A Country Wifes Way of Fencing

2008-12-31T11:10:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I went to feed the pigs and saw that our Boar knocked down the fence in between the two pens. I didn't want Christian to have to worry about it when he got home, So I poured them some grain to keep them busy and nailed away at the fence. I know this is a bit overboard...but I had some motivation.

My Motivation....

2008-12-31T11:07:00.000-08:00

This is Dozer he is our 750 lb. Boar. I am scared to death of him. This is the reason I fixed the fence the way I did.

My Little Pig Farmers

2008-12-31T11:03:00.000-08:00

I had Hans and Dane help me feed the pigs this morning and I let them get in with the little ones. They loved it. Hans asked me if being a pig farmer meant that you fed them and petted them. I said yes. After that he kept saying that he loves being a pig farmer.

Our Afternoons

2008-12-31T11:00:00.001-08:00

Yeah! The snow is back. My kids love to go to the park and tube down the hill. This kept us very busy last year.

Our New Pet... Ok not really

2008-12-17T16:45:00.000-08:00

This Praying Mantis was out to get us one day. I was watering the horses when Hans yelled Mom there is a huge bug on Dane. I looked and sure enough there was this Praying Mantis on Dane's Back. Of course Dane started screaming, crying, and running around in circles, but I was on the other side of the fence and couldn't help him. Finally he got it off. Dane was hysterical. I had to run around the fence and calm him down. I explained to Hans and Dane that it was just a bug and that they didn't have to be scared of him. Then we went back into the house. About 10 min. later I was making lunch and had my back turned to Hans. Hans yelled, "Mom the Praying Mantis is on your back." Of course I started yelling and jumping around trying to get him off. After a long battle he fell to the ground and I was victorious. Then Hans reminded me that he was just a bug and that I shouldn't be so scared. It seems like I have to eat my own words alot with a 4 year old.

My Photographers

2008-12-16T08:56:00.000-08:00

One day I was out moving pipe for a neighbor and I left my boys in the car. They got my camera out of my purse and took about 30 pictures of each other. Here are a few.

Runaway Kitten

2008-12-05T10:53:00.000-08:00

I just can't figure out why our kitten ran away? (Are you feeling my sarcasm). We did find him a few days ago and he has adopted a new family. We miss you Oreo.

A Child's Prayer

2008-12-02T13:45:00.001-08:00

I asked Dane to say the blessing on the food for lunch today and he prayed that our baby could come out. Hans and him are both so excited for our new baby.

A Nutty Morning!

2008-12-02T13:41:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning to the sound of a crack followed by a chomping and then Hans saying mmmmm! This continued to go on for a few minutes then Hans ran into my room and said, "look Mom, I found a puzzle nut." I asked him what he was up to and he told me he was cracking nuts for breakfast.

Best Buddies

2008-11-19T13:21:00.000-08:00

My Apple Pickers!

2008-11-19T13:08:00.000-08:00

We went to my parents house a few times to help them pick apples. We really did have a fun time. Hans and Dane loved being up on the ladders and knowing that they were really helping. Hans kept saying, "This is the funnest thing I've ever done. I love picking apples." Even Christian was talking about putting in our own orchard. (My dad was pretty proud)

First Showing of Twilight

2008-11-18T19:18:00.001-08:00

I don't know how this happened to work out so well, but Christian's sisters got tickets to the first showing of Twilight and of course they got me a ticket too! I am so excited. Edward...Here I come!

Happy Birthday Dane!

2008-11-14T11:23:00.000-08:00

Dane Turned 3 on Halloween! He is getting so big. He got this little bike for his birthday. He was so excited for it.
When he was born we called him our little goblin.

Dane loves to play outside and follows Hans wherever he goes.
He also loves: anything spiderman, helping me in the kitchen, trains, all animals especially cats and dogs, Riding our pony, playing legos, and fixing things.
When Christian is home Dane will not leave his side, even if he is working outside in the cold.

Dane you are the sweetest little boy.

We love you! Happy Birthday!

And Baby Makes 5...

2008-11-12T10:58:00.000-08:00

We have been really excited for a new baby at our house. I am only 8 weeks along, but I can never wait to tell people. I figured if both our families know then we might as well post it on our blog. So it is official I am due in June.

Here is a look at what we have been up to!

2008-11-08T15:30:00.000-08:00

I have been a slacker... My sisters keep telling me to get with it and update my blog, so here you go.

For most the month of October we have been hunting. Christian drew out for the mozzaloader hunt, but we couldn't find anything. Hans and Dane loved every second of it and hiked all over the place with us.

Christian's family came out to our house for the week of the Rifle hunt. Stan and Niels each got a deer! Yeah!

My deer!

2008-11-08T15:20:00.000-08:00

I did not draw out this year, but our neighbor gave me one of his permits to shoot a doe on his land. So we walked across the street and waited in the alfalfa fields until a deer popped up on top of a hill and I shot it at about 160 yards. It was the coolest thing ever. I was kind of nervous about shooting bambi, but I was able to do it.
Christian was pretty proud that his wife could get a deer and he was nice enough to gut it for me. What a guy!

Butterfly Kisses.....

2008-09-01T12:09:00.000-07:00

2008-09-01T12:05:00.000-07:00

These boys are always catching bugs. Hans spends hours a day catching grasshoppers, butterflies, flys, moths, and anything else that he can find. We constantly have a mason jar on the counter top with some kind of new discovery in it. Oh the joy of having little boys!

Quote of The Day

2008-08-12T18:53:00.001-07:00

"Hey Dad, I can count all the way to Eleven-teen."- Hans 4 years old

My Little Piggies' Mud Hole

2008-08-09T19:54:00.000-07:00

We have been doing a huge remodel to our house over the last couple months. This week we painted the outside and have been very busy. Needless to say Hans and Dane got creative. The made a big hole in our grass and filled it up with water. So here are our little muddy boys.

What is all the Hype About?

2008-08-07T08:33:00.000-07:00

I have been wondering for the last little while, "What is all the hype about Stephanie Meyer's books?" All the while I have been getting a hard time from sister in laws and anyone else who found out that I haven't read them. Whenever I saw someone put it on their blog I thought how trendy. Well Heidi let me borrow Twilight and I started reading it.... In fact I can't put it down and now I constantly think about Edward. So thanks Heidi and I just want to say I have joined the Bandwagon.

Our Baby is a Big Boy!

2008-07-29T09:17:00.000-07:00

Yeah! It is a great day at the Christiansen house. For the first time in 4 1/2 years we do not have a little one in diapers. Dane is now potty trained! This is him as a baby. I can't believe how much he has grown.

The Catch of the Day!

2008-07-23T14:42:00.000-07:00

2008-07-23T14:20:00.000-07:00

For Family Night last week we went to our reservoir and went fishing. We were about to go home and I told Christian, "just a few more casts." So of course on the last one I caught a fish and let the boys pull it in. They were so excited. We caught a good size brown then we went home and ate it.

Priceless

2008-07-23T14:17:00.000-07:00

Our Afternoons

2008-07-23T14:15:00.000-07:00