http://www.dreamforthree.co.nz Living the dream Sat, 02 Jan 2010 21:04:34 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en The new year is here and now is the time to take stock of the old and reflect on what may or may not need changing. First the unavoidable, the schoolwork. We managed to finish up all our themes from last year and so will be starting a new theme when ... http://www.dreamforthree.co.nz/2010/01/out-with-the-old/ About 4 weeks ago we got our new batch of pigs. Two Large Black male weaners whom we named Laurel and Hardy. How lovely for me yesterday, Bevan got up and did all the morning chores, while I just lingered in bed and read a book. Can't remember the last time ... http://www.dreamforthree.co.nz/2009/12/laurel-and-hardy-have-an-adventure/ This year I decided to spend money to save in the long run. So instead of buying rolls and rolls of wrapping to just be thrown out after christmas, I decided to start making gift bags. I started out making just a couple for Bevans birthday, and went on to make ... http://www.dreamforthree.co.nz/2009/12/no-more-wrapping-paper/ With all the rain we got over Winter it was painfully obvious that we needed a floor on the milking bay.  This would solve at least two problems - the cows would no longer be knee deep in mud while we (ie. Sharon) were trying to milk, and they would ... http://www.dreamforthree.co.nz/2009/09/enhancing-the-milking-bay/ I can't remember when this happened exactly, but I ended up getting one of the neighbours to help me put the shed up.  However, before that could happen I had to build the floor.  We picked a spot in a paddock next to the house (for easy access) and I ... http://www.dreamforthree.co.nz/2009/09/the-shed-gets-finished/ Yesterday morning we took Liquorice over to the neighbours, where there is more grass than we have for now, and I must say that he is not very impressed. Even though there are eight other steers in the same large paddock, he is being a baby and missing his mum, ... http://www.dreamforthree.co.nz/2009/09/sweetie-pye-gets-a-new-baby/ We have started slowly the process of weaning Liquorice and drying off Sweetie Pye before she has her next calf in January. She didn't need to be dry until november, but with Daisy having calved we didn't need the milk so decided to just take it slowly and dry her ... http://www.dreamforthree.co.nz/2009/09/sweetie-pye-lost-her-baby/ Today it is three years since we moved here! It is a beautiful spring morning, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, all those spring things are happening. Looking back, we have come along way in the preceeding three years. We love this lifestyle, something that many can't cope with, but ... http://www.dreamforthree.co.nz/2009/09/three-years-have-passed/ Sharon has been doing a great job with the gardens.  For some time now she has been talking about chicken domes and the benefits of them.  She eventually found a set of plans for building a chicken dome and I went out to gather up all the bits and pieces ... http://www.dreamforthree.co.nz/2009/08/our-first-chook-dome/ It was a long wait and with much excitment that we awaited the arrival of Daisys' first calf. She was due on the 20th of August and we were told that she would go up to 10 days early. Well the powers to be were wrong and she kept us waitingfor ... http://www.dreamforthree.co.nz/2009/08/daisy-is-a-mummy/