Monday, January 31, 2011

Dream meet Reality









So the property we leased was orginally a cow dairy, and like I said before in shambles.  I mean it was gross....I had never been to a cow dairy before and had a vision in my head of what it would look like.  Which was NOTHING like I thought.  I am used to the hunter/jumper world  and horse shows so like I said before so I thought a dairy would be along the horse show lines.  Manicured lawns, freshly rocked driveways, lavender filled flower pots, bright white fences, freshly clean alleyways and little golf carts to zip around in.  Well lets just say Joe thought that was just funny.  Well me not so much.  We have made huge improvements to the property having to retro fit all the barns and milking parlor for sheep, but lets just say my picture in my head is a ways away.  The driveway has potholes, no freshly manicured lawns, no lavender, and  the alleyways were filled with old straw and cow muck.  The milking barn was old and broken leaking parts.  Oh and there was not that cute little golf cart I pictured either.  At least Joe and I have the same vision.  Little did we know how much work it is to make improvements.  We are both hard workers and love instant gratification so this process is hard, I think he just loves every time I come out to the barn and bark orders on how it should look and why hasn't this been done.  I bet that is his favorite part of the day really :)  We finally retro fitted the milk barn and got our grade A permit back and waiting on IMS approval.  The barn looks how I had pictured so things are looking up and we are finally milking sheep and lambs are plentiful around here.  So more babies to come, more improvements to make, and more marital bickering to come, all to get that little picture in my head and make it a reality!!

The Renovation










So the process of renovations brought on long hours, flared tempers, design friction etc. etc. etc.  All of those who have renovated a house or anything know how tough it is not only on budget but on a schedule.  Again we along with all our clan were living with the in laws....not that it is a bad thing.  My mother in law folded our laundry, bought our favorite foods, had a feast of a dinner each night and just spoiled us rotten.  I think now and then if I ever need to re-home myself again I know I am going there. So the new house, was just plain awful dirty smoke filled and probably never cleaned. So we pretty much gutted it.  Our process included re-texture and repainting walls. Remove a wall, all new windows trim etc.  New appliances, new counters and sink, and all new floors.  So through all this I learned a  lot about myself....that I may be part boy.  It is amazing what you can do when you want things done....and done now the womens way.  Joe seems to think when I ask for something to be done it means when he wants.  Newsflash, if I wanted it done later I would say whenever or later.  When I say can you do this it means now.  Being that Joe was so busy with doing the things that needed to get done that I couldn't do, I was left to pick up flooring, granite countertops etc.  I along with my mother in law made three trips in a flatbed truck down to Oakland to pick up the countertops.  First trip down to look at countertops. Second trip after a long lesson from Joe on how to strap the countertops to the holder on the truck we made our way to Oakland just as the gates were closing from a power outage. So no countertops in hand we headed to Ikea to get some appliances which all of you have been to Ikea is very self serve.  Feeling frustrated that I kind of wasted a trip home we went.  Third trip back to pick up floors and  countertops.  After purchasing all flooring 48 boxes and loading it on the flatbed and strapping it down, well that in itself was stressful.  Should have got the counters first.  Joe didn't mention that.  So on to get the counters, first we paid then waited for the non English speaking men to come load the counters which made things super difficult.  So here is the kicker, they load you have to secure.  So all loaded up get the first strap on the counters, then tightening the second strap as my  mother in law watches just about to say "that's good" snap I snapped a slab of granite in three.  So with everyone laughing and no one hardly speaking English.  I was ready to cry or just go crazy not sure yet.  So in we went having to purchase another slab to have enough.  So after all day and three trips to Oakland, Two slabs of granite, One piece of granite in pieces, and 48 boxes of flooring. Still almost in tears,  Home we went.  So lesson learned I am super strong like I said a bit boyish, some things Joe should just do and I never again will be going to that hardware store again !!  The granite looks great and I love the floors so at least It worked out.  The house is almost complete still a few little things to do then the renovation of the exterior. We love it and are here for awhile so well worth it, for now anyway!!

Friday, January 28, 2011

Kitchen/ Living Room Before
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Play Room Before
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Bathroom Before
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Kitchen/ Living Room Mid Way Renovation
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Milk Barn Before

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Dairy Before
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Bedroom Renovation/ New Windows

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Mid Way Kitchen Renovation
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The Process

Well people ask "why sheep"?  Or "Can you milk sheep", "How did you decide to do this?   Well it all started in 2008 when Joe decided he wanted to get some goats and raise them and sell them.  Well 5 goats over the months turned to 50, then 50 to 100.  During this time I was feeling quite overwhelmed on why we had to have so many. Then the wrench was thrown in.  Joe mentioned he wanted to start a dairy. Half goats and half sheep, 150 of each.  Well then the quite overwhelmed feeling went to a bit frantic.  I had never even been to a dairy. I first off was not sure how I was going to be able to handle having so many animals and not all of them pets?  Well the early mornings started.  Every goat Joe got had to be bottle fed.  His mornings started early 4:30ish before having to head to his job at Arolo Company. Then home family dinner normal family time then back out to bottle feed again and goat chores.  We continued growing our herd of all goats  for the past two years (special thanks to whitewhale farms in petaluma for such amazing adorable dairy goats).  During this process we realized how difficult it is to find the proper dairy sheep in the US since the dairy breeds originated from Germany and France. During this whole process Joe was working on a goat contract and realized that is harder than he thought.  He finally found some dairy sheep to purchase, in Idaho and Nebraska.  From that day on things seem to have fallen in place.  He decided to go partners with his dad who owns a successful dairy equipment company in petaluma called  Arolo Company http://arolo.com We purchased our first 200 dairy sheep from Nebraska  Irish Cream Sheep Dairy http://irishcreamsheepdairy.com/index.htm  and 100 from Blue Sage Farm in Idaho http://bluesagefarm.com Well the decision was made to go strictly with sheep and to sell the goats (minus Billy who is our pet now) then the day finally came for the sheep to arrive, mind you all before we had signed the lease on our current ranch. Overwhelming, yes. Well lets just say  I have wonderful in laws to house all of our animals.  Well, things just kept falling into place like they should.  I told Joe someone is really looking out for you on how things are supposed to be they are just happening. The next step was our milk contract with Bellwether Farms http://www.bellwethercheese.com in petaluma. The process just kept continuing the ranch contract was signed to our current home in Bloomfield.  Well I titled this post The Process, little did I know what work we were in for.  The ranch was in complete shambles, no milk permit and needed to be completely renovated.  The house well that is another story....awful about sums it up also needing to be completely renovated as well.  On we went moving in with my inlaws for 4 weeks, and renovations began day and night working inside and out all to start with the largest grade A sheep dairy in California Haverton Hill LLC.

Special Thanks for all of those who pitched in on renovations

Thursday, January 27, 2011

This is Billy


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"Ellie" and Hadley strolling down to the barn
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Turner Boy or aka "Handsome" as Avery calles him and "Ellie"
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Avery and Her Small Pony Kingsley
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The Clan

You know those mom cars you see with the little family stickers so neatly placed on the back window?  Well I always joke saying can you imagine our car it would be...Joe,Me,Avery, Hadley, Turner, Ellie, Tully, Kingsley, Billy, 4 chickens 300+ sheep. Can you picture that...well it would wrap around a few times.  Needless to say I am not putting those family stickers on anytime soon.  So this family, yes we are animal lovers.  We have 2 dogs Turner and the new puppy Ellie. Turner is Joes and  is a working dog. He herds the sheep and goes to work with Joe every day. Joe seems to think he is herding really well even though he is still a puppy.  In my opinion he is just doing whats natural.  Little does Joe know, he does those commands in the middle of the day when he isn't even here and no one around.  I haven't had the heart to tell him yet, that will come when he is driving me nuts!!  Ellie is the new addition and is 11 weeks old.  Why did I add a puppy while raising two little kids? Good question...and still no answer.  I forgot how much work a puppy is like a newborn baby...which I have my handful with two already.  Lets just say I will be on the potty train wagon for quite awhile.  Tully is our cat who since we moved doubled in size...not sure how but he is massive.  We have an issue with him and the crib and Hadley he seems to think its his and sometimes I will go in and poor Hadley is sound asleep all cuddled next to him.  They have a love hate relationship.  Kingsley is Averys small pony.  We got him for her (Not) really for me.  I have never been horseless, so in the midst of my "Mom years"  the horse got traded for a small pony.  We got him in hopes to be a small show pony since he is a fancy mover.  So once Avery gets a little bigger I hope to start her on him. Billy, well he is our first male goat we had.  He bred all the female goats last year and was supposed to be sold .  Well the key word SUPPOSED, I still can't seem to let that happen.  He has tons of personality and has become quite a pet.  A few weeks ago Avery went outside to give him a carrot.  I hear her scream and I go running outside past  billy who is standing in my newly renovated kitchen outside to Avery.  "Billy went in the house she cries"  She proceeds to tell me he ran past her into the house and wanted  carrot out of the fridge not hers.  So in we go to get the goat out of the newly renovated kitchen, who does not just scurry from you.  He has to be dragged!  So for those of you that drove by the house that day and saw some crazy lady in her pajamas, dragging a goat of her house with two crying children, "I am sorry".  Just a normal day with the clan.  The 300+ sheep and chickens I will get to those later.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

The Breakfast Fight

Each morning I wake up to hearing Avery's little feet pitter patter through the house.....actually let me rephrase. Not pitter patter more like thump thump thump (shes not exactly light or quiet in the morning) and every morning she stands at my bed saying "mommy the suns up breakfast time".  Then "Avery's hungry"  Shocking (not)since the kid eats like a 10 year old.  Then 5 minutes you hear Hadley up and chatting away in her own baby language of course. Then its breakfast time.  Joey and I bicker quite a bit about food he seems to think that cereal is not a meal...or mac and cheese is not food. My version is why make things from scratch...I know he is Italian and things have been passed down that way but the time you make homemade pasta from scratch and clean up the kitchen the day is over.  So that argument is still not settled.  Weekdays we have eggs, cereal, oatmeal and things up my alley that are simple and easy and weekends are daddy's breakfast which include sausage, eggs with onions etc, pancakes (The works). I am exhausted thinking about the process, all planned and thawed out by Joe the night before.  Sometimes Joe strolls in the house during weekday breakfast, and asks Avery what did you have for breakfast?  She so happily replies "Cereal"  he laughs and proceeds to tell her he will cook breakfast this weekend. Now if I could only figure out how to find a way for Joe not to like my cleaning maybe we could have him clean as well.. Life would be great !! I think I will work on that and while we are on the subject I am off to clean.  If I made money for cleaning my own house and picking up each thing I would be rich!!

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

The Fam Bam

Here are some pics Of the family Avery Olivia who is now 3, and mind you all grown up already and thinks there is no need for  parents.  If only we had a lowes or home depot "Drive Cart"  at our house I really think she would even try to drive that to preschool.  Hadley  Leighton who just turned 1 December 27th...yes people christmas baby. Uggh I have to party plan around christmas every year which I am not looking forward to.  She is a true joy always full of smiles, walking around like a crazy baby into everything.  She can sure hold her own though, I think once she learns to thow a punch Avery is in trouble.   Joe aka the hubby.  Well hes a workaholic...which compliments me because I am a shopaholic.  He is a terrific dad who cherishes each moment, totally unromantic but he tries.  I love him to pieces and we have a great marriage..Well today anyway...isn't that how it works great one day drive me nuts the next??  If he could only learn to master the yes dear, which he is seeming to have a little trouble with. So in a nutshell this is the family which is my life!
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