Oh how we've grown!!!

Welcome back. I think it has been a few years. I have not written in this blog for a very very long time. 
I realized that the time I have not written has been sprinted by me in a second. As I slow down and realize how fast time has past I also realized that writing in this blog really did help keep me focused on what was really important. I am back to prove once again I can be Satisfied by living simply. 

coming into Roswell, NM (No Mountain's....weird)

To catch those who are unaware up...We moved to New Mexico in 2014. We originally started in Farmington, NM and finally landed in Roswell, NM. Before you give me the grief of stating the obvious yes we Believe in Aliens and seen a UFO for ourselves. 
The boys have grown up lots and lots and one is graduating this year (will continue below). I have a new job. Which requires us to move once again. Oh yeah and the biggest news we had a baby girl 1 month ago. Yep you read it right a Girl in this house of boys.  


So after moving to Roswell we found a nice house to live in.  It fit's us all and we are comfortable. Yet I was working so much and away from home so much because of traveling all over the state for my job I did not really get to enjoy it. I had fallen off the Satisfy part of the world. I needed to find what my happiness was all about. It was all about my family. Once I really thought about it I quite the job and started a new career.This will give me more time at home and with the kids and hubby. I am happier and my thoughts have revolved back to basics. Which brought me back to this blog. 

I want to catch you all up on our comings and goings however it could take a bit of time.  I will make this as short as I can. 

Krik has a great job with the Office of Medical Investigations as a Field Investigator. Basically he investigates unattended deaths in the county. He also is a stay at home dad still. His new challenge will be the new born baby. He is working hard to keep our household flowing smoothly. He has found us homes and even started to teach 2 of the boys how to drive.  



Jimmy is working on getting graduated from High school right now. Graduation is in May and Jimmy will graduate. Connection Academy charter school has been his school for the last few years. It is an online charter school and has been really good for Jimmy. He also works at Sonic and is really into drama. He is currently very involved with Roswell Community Theater. He has been cast in his first adult theater production. He just finished his service project to get his Eagle Scout.  I am scared his 18th birthday is only a few days away but I know he will do very well as an adult.

Cole is a sophomore at Roswell High School this year. He has a girl friend and just got his learners permit. He is excited about science and girls basically. He likes scouts and hanging out with his friends. He is a big help and growing fast. Cole also has found a voice in drama as he was voted vice president of the Roswell High Drama club. He is proud of his art and is very happy to be in biology this year. He is dabbling in music and wants to find what is passions are by good experimentation. He will be turning 16 in July this year.  


Byron is a freshmen at Roswell High School this year. He has so grown. He decide he is going to college to be a game tester of some sort. His technical skill is so much more advanced then mine. I support him in this effort as all he loves to do is play games.  He likes to play  Magic in terminate's. He wants to work as soon as he can because then he can buy more games and cards. He has friends and likes scouts. He has taken a shine to his sister. He is turning out pretty good. He will be 15 in June this year.   


Kanyon is attend Connections Academy in 4th grade. He is in love with his sister. He likes to be a helper in any way he can. He likes to watch you tube videos and play with his niece and nephew who we watch after school. He wants to be just like his older brothers and looks up to them even though they don't realize it all the time. He likes attending scouts and church. He is active and likes to skate board and play with friends.  He will be turning 11 in June. 

Lykota loves PBS kids shows like "Cat in the Hat" and "Dinosaur Train". He loves Dinosaur's of any kind and super heroes. His favorite outfit is his Super Lykota outfit (see below) He is not sure of his baby sister and really don't like it when she cries. It hurts his ears and he runs to get anyone to help stop her from crying. He is learning how to use the potty. He also likes going to chruch. He will be turning 5 in December of this year.

Introducing Mary. The newest edition of our family. She was born Feb 1st in Ruidoso NM. We are looking forward to seeing what her personality is. She looks a lot like both me an her dad. and she is very loved by all her big brothers, sister in law's, and whole family. She got blessed on March 5.   

Thins we have done across the state of New Mexico

Christmas Night 2015. 

1st tornado after arriving in Roswell

Jimmy in Actor Games

Roswell Zoo and Park.

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Cole at Trinity Summer 2016

Spring Break Update.

So I have put up pictures the last week or so of our Spring Break Projects. I will recap all our comings and goings again in this longer version of the blog.

I am very thankful for the good weather we were given during this last week here in my home town. I am thankful for by Boys that they were able to help me get the garden in and the yard cleaned up. A few projects we have been working on are all here.

As you can see the Retaining wall in front of our little house was falling all down. Every time the boys would sit on it or walk on it I would worry it was falling down on them. We decided it was time for a better change. So we have started a new project this summer. We are placing a rose/rock garden in front of our little house. Love the new look. Also I would like to thank our neighbor's Bob and Dave Olsen who made short work of getting the wall down with their bobcat tractor. It would have taken lots of time with our truck and chain to pull it down and more time with the wheel barrow and kids to move all the bricks and dirt. We have now put in the rocks with the help of the boys, Adam and Jaren. Thanks for everyone who has helped make it possible to even start this project. 

 In the grand scheme of things this make's me feel as though the porch can be welcoming again. I love the idea of having some simple flowers to greet people. Jaren even dug out a new sprinkler line so that the grass and roses will grow well there. Decorating this area is going to take all summer but I am happy to say it is started at least. 

New Improved Down Stairs  Living / bedroom  

Bedroom area 

 So the 1st few days of our spring break was spent moving around our home. We took the kids toys and tv out of the basement and made it our big bedroom / office space. I am so excited to have room to move. The upstairs room we had as our bedroom has been made into a multipurpose room. Guest Bed/Toys/TV for all the kids to play in. This room will come in handy int he next few months I do believe. our bed room has its own entrance and I feel better knowing that I am taking care of the carpet the correct way. My office is getting an up grad as well as I picked up a bigger nutty pine desk at a yard sale this weekend. I will repurpose it to fit into the spot I want it and make it work very well with my house and decor. 

Garden Area is started.

 The next thing we worked on was getting the garden started. Here you see a start. The boys could not wait to start planting. Jimmy put in our tomato's (Covered of course by the homemade green house), Cole put in the Peas and Beans, Kanyon in Winter Squash, and Byron Will put in lettuce once we figure out where it should be. Each of the boys are responsible for those plants the rest of the year. Krik also planted Red Onions and a few types of potatoes. We are so lucky to have so much space to build our garden area. It would not be the Myers Garden if we did not have up our mannequins protecting the garden as well. 

We also cleaned out the Chicken and Rabbit pins from winter. Starting on the garage was in the works however, the rain yesterday and today has slowed that project down a bit. I love having some energy to work but I sure am tired right now. 


Before and after pictures of the boys hair cuts are the last thing I want to touch on for the week. 
Lykota got his first cut and he was not happy about it. The rest of the boys got shorter cuts and they are okay with it. Kanyon was really the only one who WANTED the hair cuts but I figured they may thank me later when the weather really changes. To be clear I did give all the boys hair cuts. Not just these three. But for some reason I do not have before and after pictures of the other two. As you might guess, Cole looks just like Byron and Kanyon's cut is just like Lykota's. Jimmy just looks grown up. 

 Well as Spring Break comes to a close I hope you can see we are starting to work hard to get things ready to live simply beautiful this year on our little farm.

This blog is meant as an outlet to keep me on the path of simple living. I am finding myself yet again as I reinvent this wheel I go round on trying to keep all my emotion's in check and stay strong in the process. The one who knows me best has found when I start this kind of thing he likes living with me more. I too cut my hair it is not as short as I usually go but I did get bangs again just for the change. I won't take pictures because really I am self conscious about my weight issues and body image. I too am under going changes, as I am trying to eat healthy and stay strong. I will journal my success and failures on a different blog not related to this one. Hopefully that will keep me accountable on that road as well.
For now I am posting about my simple life on the small hobby farm in Utah.

Garden

Bedroom progress

so we've rearranged our bedroom into the basement of our home and this is not final this is just the first initial move now I've got to decorate. also we turned our bedroom up stairs until multi-purpose guest room which for all intensive purposes will be the boys romper room. as soon as we get done with laundry and doing other things I'll post some pictures of that. I would call to today success even though we're not done yet

Bedroom progress

Well...I feel off the band wagon. Now time to pick my self up, and live again.

Ok satisfying as simple life may be it is hard work. Time for blogging came to an abrupt halt as I found joy's in a new job, responsibility, and family life that exploded my time clock. I once use to put time each week to writing and showing off how great we were doing. That has all but stopped since LAST YEAR! I am back and ready to recommit to my new and simple life. Chaos ensues when I stop writing my every failure and success.

So I will update and move ever forward in my quest for a new and simpler time in my lovely life.

I often thought of this journey as a fun and exciting adventure. How long could I keep it up? How would I change in doing so? My gardening skills have become somewhat better yet I am still learning just how to make things work for me. However, keeping up the skills has fallen by the way side as of late. Work, family and health issues have played a huge role in that fact.

     All my boys are growing up so fast. And they have their own lives they are living fully as we speak. Cole just finished his very first play and Jimmy is in the thralls of a play as well. Byron could be a champion Magick player at tournaments and he is starting to go to those with friends. Kanyon is learning still how to help and work but mostly play nice with others and Lykota is full of new curiosity and as a toddler just learning to walk has helped him gain that confidence to begin climbing the latter of life so to speak. All the boys have blossomed this year and I look forward to having their newly found skills to help me out as I progress and strive for this simple life yet again.

     Krik is doing well and showing all of us how stubborn he can be once in a while. He loves being the stay at home dad with the boys and working to keep them on the straight a narrow path. As life has happened in the last year I have fallen off the simple living skills. I find I want to buy more instead of make it from scratch. I want to "keep up with the jones" so to speak in one form or another. This has not lead to a total over reach of mind or body but has lead to a down fall on my behalf of peace and comfort.

     I spoke a new job I had. I no longer work for the prison. I work for Walden School of Liberal Arts instead. I am the Child Nutrition Director at the school. Directing and creating the program to fit Walden's needs and be a great school asset has been one of the the most challenging things I have ever done. I work hard, long hours to even get the kitchen up and running and now it is I am working hard days to keep the program from going under. My goal is to get all the board members to allow me to keep my job but keep running this as a Walden program and not another district type program. This is a balancing act that I am learning as I go. With very little background in this field I am surprised at how fast I have caught on to the ins and outs of the Federal Program(s) and rules and procedures I am mandated to stay up on. Training sessions every quarter helps me know what, when, where and how to run a successful program all the way around.

As far as myself being totally dedicated to that simple life I sought I must admit I slipped in ways. All the hours of working I found myself just wanting to buy things instead of make them. I wanted nice things in my life, things that others would value instead of me.
My thought process is flawed and I know this. I am now looking back and trying to figure out where and when those little thoughts crept in. All I can do now is move forward. I like my house looking eclectic if you will. I don't need the french country side to make me feel good. In fact, when I get newer stuff that has not been repurposed or created by me I don't feel that energetic attachment to it. I want to feel the energy in my home, not just look at pretty things. Things the boys created for me gives me great energy and I am finding even though it doesn't always fit with the pretty decor I have started to buy I love it more then the expensive stuff I have have because I feel it, not just see it.

Why do we need our homes to LOOK GOOD? I want my home to FEEL GOOD. I am finding in order to do that I must create or have purpose and function for it. Now clean house is different then a LOOK good house. I expect that my home is swept clean of dirt and filth, cupboards washed ect. But to Look good does not have to be new or pretty. It can be cluttered and look good as well. I love coming home to a cluttered house of toys and books scattered because Lykota has been exploring all around him. Playing and learning gives off an energy of accomplishment that only those messes can provide. I love coming home to a house filled with boys running around playing in the tree house and yard because they are creating games with in their limits and striving to learn about a world around them. those cluttered things can really play huge in my mind. Forts made of mountains of blankets, couches and chairs are great building blocks for my little ones to learn and form lasting relationships with each other. Clutter like this is my favorite decorations because I know they are learning.

I have never been accused of being OCD or controlling in my environment, Nor will I ever be accused of that on any level. I love that about myself. I love the fact that I can be me with out having to provide so much structure it is stifling to everyone around me. My laundry may not always be perfectly caught up, my house may never be in perfect order who cares? I don't And if I don't why should anyone else? As long as my children can learn in the environment I provide for them and they have their little things that keep them happy I am contented to be happy.

We have moved our bedroom from upstair's in our home to downstairs in our home. I had just finished decorating our bedroom upstair's when plan's changed somewhat abruptly. Then things fell through and we no longer have to stay down stairs. Yet I find myself drawn to it. Call it a new project or maybe just more space. I am going to do something I have never thought about doing and turning my upstairs room into Multi-purpose room with things I have wanted to have before. A guest room that also is an office and storage room for toys. My boys are getting older and toy's are not as important as they use to be. I have de-cluttered loving toys that are broken into the trash and now we have a few well like toys to have kids play with when they are hear. To be played with up in the main level of the home. Love this idea that I can watch my kids and grand kids play and not have to be away from the other adults to do it. Yet if my son from TX or sister from St. George want to stay here with us we have plenty of space to give them their Own room.

Ok so what is the plan from here on out. Weekly updates with picture's to keep me going on the wagon of this great satisfyingly simple life I want. Trying to down size and upsize things you get to make your comments as to what you think would work better in the spaces I have to work with. I am starting the garden also soon. So I will keep pictures of the yard and weekly updates to how things are progressing on our little homestead. Before and after to keep my energy in the right direction.

Vacation of Learning.

So we just took a two week vacation. It taught us to work together. 
We learned to rely on each other. We saw beautiful country. 
I look at things i have seen and places i have been and wonder if we could survive now with what they had then. 

Free Entertainment

Who say's great entertainment must cost a fortune? I went to the greatest art museum tonight for Free. It was a once a year gala and my boys even got to attend. It was the annual Walden Progression Art Program. All of the boys entered the competition and each one came home with at least one award.

 Jimmy took 2nd in his age group for photography. He also go the Silver Award for Progression. It was a great thing for him. He took a picture of a pipe over the river that was reflected just right. He entered it under the name of "reflections".

Cole won 2nd place in 2D art for his age group. He got the Bronze Award for Progression. He drew and colored a picture of a dragon. Then placed it on tin foil. Named it  "Silver Dragon"

 Byron got the Silver Award for Progression for his 2D art. he did a pencil drawing of a bird with four angry birds as well.

Kanyon won Honorable Mentions for his Photo of Oreo the Bunny. He also go the Silver Award of Progress. The name of his Photo was "Oreo Bunny".













So for free we got lots of great entertainment. It was open to anyone who wanted to come and support Walden's kids.  Yep budget friendly, family friendly, and sanity friendly what else could have I asked for.

I am so glad I could support my kids in this great endeavor.

Spring has Sprung

Spring has officially sprung here on the little farm we call home. Rabbits are having bunnies, Chickens are flying and trying to eat every bug they can gobble up, and Hubby and I have cabin fever.
I got the cleaning bug not to long ago. I have started to organize the homestead. Decorating is not far behind.
So far the inside has been done wonderfully.

 To get this much organization done with in my home is a small miracle  Almost the whole house is done now. My bedroom, Dining room, Front room, Kitchen (Including inside cupboards), laundry room, and family room have all been done.
That leaves the really hard rooms: Mud/ Storage room. And garage. neither of which I or the boys have had time to tackle just yet. But it is coming quickly.

 The bookshelf alone took us 3 hours to get straightened and done. But we are slowly chipping away at the cleaner side of life.
With the baby here now we have had the challenge of cleaning around the bigger :"toys" if you will. the Swing, port-a-crib, bouncer ect. They are easy to move but harder to keep looking nice if company happens to come over.

With my office in place I can keep up on bills , calling, family things that needs to happen. the best part of this whole thing is my phone. Jimmy had a birthday party and one of the boys needed to make a phone call.He picked up the phone and looked at me and asked. "Mrs.Myers how do you turn this on?" Then proceeded to figure out how to dial. I laugh to myself thinking of how cool I thought this phone was when Krik gave it me.

Look closely you can see even Baby Lykota helped out today. 

 The boys and I have been busy also getting the yard ready for our garden this year. Can't wait to get it in. Krik could not either. He went out a got himself 50 tomato plants today. .

Jimmy and I worked on getting the row's cleaned out so we can plant tomorrow. He would have helped but he had a minor heart attack on Sunday so he is under doctors orders not to do that kind of work for at least a week of not two

The boys are so excited to have the garden going in. Kanyon has asked to plant: Pea's, watermelon, and tomatoes. Byron asked for : cantaloupe  potatoes, and pumpkins. Cole asked for : Lettuce, carrots, and egg plant. Jimmy asked for: Romina tomatoes, jalapeno, and green peppers. We are planting all this plus squash a variety of sorts, onions, spices such as thyme, basil, cilantro, ect..
I love the fact I have such space I can plant as much of something as I need and as little of stuff as I don't want.

The last little bit I have gotten into cooking homemade from scratch meals. Breads, muffins, stews you name it I am trying it. For Jimmy's birthday party to save $ we had it at our house. The kids got to watch movies and make their own pizza's from scratch. I prepared the pizza dough ahead of time and they topped it. then we cooked it.

This was so much fun for the kids. they enjoyed doing it so much. I think they enjoyed eating them just as much.

 They munched down and had a wonderful time at his party. Jimmy turned 14 years old this year. He has grown up so fast.

yep they watched old tv show's classic Doctor Who and Star Trek Voyager. Yep I am raising Treky's. Love it too.

 Byron had his blue and gold banquet for Cub Scouts this month as well. He had to make a cake for dessert that night. He decided to make a tie dye cake from scratch. He made a white cake and colored it. Baked it and frosted it. Loved it too.

he worked hard on this. Letting it cool was hard for him because he wanted to frost it so fast afterward. He made chocolate frosting and it was a white and chocolate cake. I must say for his first time making a cake it tasted yummy.










 He won best inside surprise cake for the night.

Colorful it was and loved it we did.












Well as the summer wheres on I will keep you all apprised of how my simple life ride is going. Cooking is just a fun start to saving money. I even made homemade bread bowls to serve my stew in on Easter.

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