A Homestead Update

Things around the homestead have been busy, but I've been trying to figure out just what we have been actually doing. The days all seem to run together in the winter as we're stuck inside most of the time. Here's what we've been up to:
1. Thinking of spring. Our Santa Rosa Plum is already starting to bloom and the Shiro is right behind it. The peaches and blueberries have their little buds but the apples and pears won't start to blossom until March or April. I've already ordered my tomato plants from Territorial Seed. While I grow every other vegetable or fruit from seed, I do tomatoes from plants. I've tried the seed and failed- miserably. We have a very short, cool growing season here (from about late May until September- that's just over 4 months) and attempting to get tomatoes from seed just doesn't happen. If everything goes just perfectly then I'm lucky to get tomatoes from the plants.
I decided not to order many seeds this year since I have quite a few left over from last year. I'm hoping that the rain will stop before June this year.2. We are hog free at the moment and it's somewhat strange not to have the pigs here. The homestead doesn't feel complete without them. Gavin and I are trying to decide whether we'll be getting more in April or if we'll wait until August.
3. I'm debating the turkeys.......again. Get them? Not get them? No one really enjoyed having them but they were great for Thanksgiving and Christmas! I'll have to make a decision soon as the chicks will be arriving in just a couple weeks.
4. I just started a new Bible study with a small group of ladies about a month ago. We reading "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World." It has a short study, for each chapter, in the back of the book. It has been a great read so far. I was desperately craving a study and this book and our little group of 6 women has been an answer to prayer.

5. Binding quilts. I'm trying! I'm going to plan on sewing the binding onto my quilt today and taking photos of how I do it to share. Have you joined the bind-a-long? How is your quilt binding coming along?
6. We've had to learn to "do without" the past couple of days. My van has a major steering problem that needs to be fixed. It is not safe to drive right now so we're all packed in like sardines into my husbands truck. Our power was out yesterday morning and my husband made a terrific breakfast on the wood stove. Being without lights and an oven is one thing but when our power goes out we also lose water. The pump from the well doesn't work without power. Thankfully, the next place we'll live will be off grid so we won't have to worry about ever losing power. Hopefully.
7. We've also been trying to take advantage of the snow. I'll take the kids during the week and it's fun but not as much fun as when daddy gets to come!

8.Then there's the usual, laundry, housework, chopping fire wood as the wood stove has been going every day, schooling, church, youth groups, taxes, year end paperwork, etc. In other words, life is busy! A very busy blessing.

See what everyone else is up to on their homestead over at the Barn Hop!