Happy National Hug Day

FROM OUR FARM TO YOURS.........HAPPY HUG DAY!!!!!!

Make sure you hug those you love (and maybe even those you don't love)!!!  Hugs are good!  No words needed just give a hug!!  

I am not a "hugger" by nature!  I really have to work on it!!!  So today I will be giving extra hugs to those here on the little farm!!!!  

She has changed me.......

Short post.......I simply want to tell you that if you haven't gone to Mundane Faithfulness  -- you should!!!!  If you are not reading Kara's book - The Hardest Peace --- you should!!!!

Never in my life has God used someone I have never met in person like He is using Kara!!!!


Go here to get her book (seriously $2.99 for the Kindle version) --- listen to her heart.....be forever changed.....Get Kara's Book

That's it for today -----

Our Rabbitry

Happy Monday to all of ya'll!!!  This morning I thought I would take a moment to introduce you to our rabbits!!!!  When people ask me..."what kind of animals do you have on your little farm?"  I always mention the rabbits last b/c I am use to the horrible responses I get when I respond with "we raise meat rabbits too!"  I always want to giggle (and then sometimes launch into a big lecture) at people when they say "how can you eat something so cute?"  Do cows, pigs, sheep, deer, etc not all at least start out as cute and cuddly?  I mean seriously, have you ever really looked into the deep brown eyes of a cow?  They are pretty darn sweet!!!!  But......most of us (unless you are vegetarian, eat most animals.  When you hit the meat section of your local grocery store, guess what, all that meat was once a cute little animal!!!  The main difference between that meat at your grocery store and my chickens and rabbits -- well my animals are loved and have a GREAT life before they serve their purpose and feed my family!  Don't get me started on how much better they eat (therefore making their meat better for me)!

All that being said...... even a year ago.....I wouldn't never have guessed that I would be able to raise rabbits for meat!  That is totally a God thing!  Once again, thankful for the amazing farming community I can be a part of that teaches me so much!  Once I learned how economical and how easy it was to raise rabbits, my wheels started turning.  I started researching and researching and researching!  The meat is so good for you (even lower in cholesterol than chicken)!  It was hard to say no when a dear friend offered to barter with me for canned goods and soap in trade for a buck and 2 does to start our rabbitry!  And....I scored great cages for nearly nothing or sometimes FREE!

So...here we are 6 months later with our buck and two does!  We have had 2 successful litters of kits born (one already in the freezer and one 6 weeks old), another litter due this week, and we kept a girl kit from the first litter to add another breeding doe.  By rotating our breeding, we should be processing rabbit meat every 8-10 weeks to help provide meat for our family.  Along with the extra roos we process and hopefully chickens we get in the spring only for meat, we should be able to NOT buy meat from the grocery store!!  That is my lifelong goal!

So....ready to "meet" some rabbits...........All of our rabbits are technically mutts -- they are a cross between New Zealands, Californian, and Silver Fox -- we think they are great!!!!!  We feel blessed that God has added them to our farm and given us a way to provide for our family!!!!

This is Chloe our oldest Doe -- she is an amazing momma!  She is due to have her 2nd litter with us this week!

This is Delilah - our other doe!  She just had her first litter with us 6 weeks ago!

This is Carrots.  She came from Chloe's first litter and is about 14 weeks old and will be our third breeder.  She won't be old enough to breed until June!

This is Samson -- our sweet buck!!!  He loves attention and greets us every morning with lots of excitement and love!

This is how tiny kits are when they are born!  

This is Delilah's litter of 6 that are 6 weeks old in the grow out hutch.  They will all be processed and become food for our family at the end of February!!!

We hope you will continue to follow our adventures and learn with us!!!!  God has blessed us and we praise Him continually!!!!!

May God Bless You and Yours -- 

Jami for all of Little Bit of Faith Farm

Introducing ME -- things you might not know about Jami ---

Since it is a new year and new beginnings, I thought it would be a good idea to do a blog post that introduces you to Me -- so you know what makes me tick and why I like to share with all of you!!!!!

First, you need to know more than anything I love Jesus and strive to live my life to please Him!  But....like everyone I am a sinner (but I am saved by His GRACE) and fall short daily! But....my blog will always point to HIM!  I will not hide my faith!  I will not fail to share Him always!  He is the reason I live and the reason for everything I do!!!!!  May this blog and my life bring Him glory always!

Next up.......the man of my dreams.....I have been married to Mike for 21years.  It hasn't always been easy, and in fact, the last 4-5 years have been beyond tough.  But...this man loves me thru it all!  He loves Jesus and He loves us!  He works hard for us!  And...he continually puts up with all my crazy homesteading ideas!!!!!  Thankful to have him by my side in this journey we call life!!!!

photo credit to www.stillcreationsphotography.net

My kids.......God has blessed us with these 3 amazing children!  Being their momma here on earth is the best job in the world.  And...having them home with me every day to do school and learn to run the homestead is beyond priceless!!!  I love them and pray daily for much Grace as I strive to teach them nothing is more important than following God and being obedient to His calling on their lives!

My gifts from God!

Homesteading ---  many of you reading this will be laughing b/c you knew me 5+ years ago and are thinking "NO WAY!"  But.....it's true, making this small farm we rent a self sustainable homestead is my new passion in life!  This is nothing but from God bc a few years ago this city girl would NEVER have asked for any of this.  But...I would be nothing but lying if I told ya'll I didn't like this new journey God has us on.  I LOVE IT!!!  I love my chickens!  I love the rabbits!  I love my huge garden!  I love canning!  I love dehydrating!  I love being frugal!  I love DIY projects!  I love re-purposing and recycling to save us money!  Most of this blog will be dedicated to life on the homestead so I hope you all enjoy learning with me as I go!!!!!  And....making mistakes too!!!!

Making our own dishwasher detergents and soaps makes me smile and saves us $

A few of the chickens on the farm!!!!

I LOVE my dehydrator!!!!!!!!

KNITTING -- This is another new passion and while I could have lumped it into homesteading, I decided it deserved an entire spot by itself!!!  This is somethingI would never have enjoyed in my "past life" -- but I love knitting on my looms!!!!  It's my new therapy!!!

yarn makes me smile!!!!

And....when I knit....these guys usually join me for snuggle time!

Other things I like.......Being HOME!!!!  Being in my kitchen!!!!  Playing games with my family!   Fieldtrips!  Fires in my wood stove and our fire pit!  Shooting my guns!!  Doing my nails (yep farm girls like pretty nails too)!  Singing in choir!  Hiking in the mountains!  Power Walking!  Spending time with good friends!  An occasional glass of Elderberry wine!!!  My Plant Therapy essential oils!

100% pure essential oils at a fraction of the cost of many MLM oils!  Love them!!!!

So...that's a little about me!  Now as you read my posts, you will know my heart and why I do what I do!!!!  I hope this blog brings you inspiration and encouragement!  I hope you will enjoy our adventures as much as we do!  Thanks for joining us!!!

Blessings for a Happy Saturday -- 

Jami

Goodbye 2014.......Hello 2015......

As we spend today taking down Christmas and cleaning the house (wow it gets so dusty when you run a wood stove), I have been reflecting and praying!

2014 (as well as 2010-2013) was rough!  I am not going to lie.....the journey God has us on is rough emotionally sometimes but we are working hard to continue to trust in HIS plan b/c we know HIS plan is so much better than anything we can dream or imagine!

And....as tough as the journey is....it is also so much fun as I watch God transform not only me but the entire family!

We are certainly becoming more self sufficient out of necessity but I don't see it as horrible...It's a blessing and so much fun!  I find myself laughing out loud a lot when I hear myself say things that my old self would have never dreamed of --- "we are out of chicken broth......time to process a rooster!"  Seriously --- we haven't purchased chicken broth in 2 years -- whoop whoop!

Or...."hey....don't throw that away......we could use it for something!"  Oh my goodness my grandma is laughing in heaven at the things I save now :)  Just before sitting down to start this post I took oatmeal and ice cream containers and made them into our 52 week money challenge banks for 2015!!!!!!

And...while I still struggle sometimes with how small our home is......God has done amazing things in my heart and I am no longer the high maintenance city girl I use to be.  In fact...if it hadn't been for the gift card I received from my in-laws and my husband for Christmas to Kohls....I would still be wearing jeans with holes (and I mean the good jeans I wear out in public and even to church sometimes -- YIKES!) b/c I have gone from the girl who had to have shoes and jewelry to match every outfit to never buying anything new for myself b/c the money would be better spent on the kids, on homeschool curriculum, or the farm.  Or...bc we just don't have any extra!

While I am praying and trusting that 2015 might become a year that we can get ahead financially and not have to skimp by or barely make it, I am trusting more that I will lean fully on God and be obedient to His calling even if it means NEVER having extra!  God knows the desires of my heart  -- the desires to be healthy and the few things I really desire that will take $ and I am trusting for HIM to provide for those desires!!!!!  

I want to be a blessing to my husband and learn to NOT worry.  A blessing to my kids by teaching them to not make the mistakes we have made.  A blessing to others by being obedient to what God calls us to do to help!  And...I never want to miss out on being obedient to God b/c I am afraid we don't have enough!  He will make it enough -- he always does!!!!!

So....I am NOT praying that 2015 will make us wealthy but that we will continue to learn from what God provides and that we will trust in HIS perfect plan --- that I will focus on the time I have with my kids - training and teaching them to be obedient to God's calling on their lives!

And....our prayer for all of you that take time to follow our adventures and read our stories -- that God will bless you beyond measure.  That you will soak in His GRACE b/c it is ENOUGH!  He is enough - whatever else is going on may we always remember GOD IS ALL WE NEED!  His Love is ENOUGH!!!

Be blessed!!!
Jami