13 for 13... 13 Pictures that best depict 2013.

We bought ourselves a camper for adventures to abound!

We made a BIG announcement that 

would change the world forever!

 We adopted aspects of a "homestead lifestyle" raising our own chicks and hens....

 And... enough turkey for 70 people 

to enjoy on Thanksgiving!

 We drown some worms and caught some amazing sunrises!

We Steamed into History and made local history on Ol 17 traveling the line like Lincoln did!

 And waited patiently... well sort of... for the newest arrival.

 After 9 months and 3 days of labor. With An all natural delivery and amazing doula We welcomed Ruth Kelly Roland the most amazing little human we could have asked for!

 And turned Dan and Karen Vaughan into Mammaw and Grandpa for the 1st time!

A second Master's Degree arrived!

We learned to smile! A LOT!

Fell in love with our simple life as a family of 3....

Now we ponder... What will 2014 bring! 

Happy 2014 from Richardson Lane

AVR, NJR, RKR

Let It Snow... Let It Snow...

We live a mile off the road... no one sees the house but us... some deer hunters... and Mule Skinner John... But... I love the cozy feeling of coming home to decorations. I had bought a fall flag a few years ago, and on today's budget a winter one just doesn't make the "must haves"...

So using my fall flag as a guide and some old fabric scraps I got crafty. 

Took some old ribbon I found and trimmed it out..

Cut some felt I also found in my fabric scraps... and added every teacher's favorite saying...

And... if you look real close you can see the snowflakes that started to fall as soon as I put it up....

So Let it Snow Let It Snow Let It Snow!

~AVR

Our First Year in Pictures

It started with a kiss.... 

Then we were the Rolands! All of us :)

We were Cowboys & Cowgirls...

We flew high.... 

And came back to make our house a home!

We rescued them.. and they rescued us.. from mice, bids, and snakes...

We worked together as a team!

 And got our first X-mas tree...

Took our last trip as just the two of us... and came home with a BIG announcement!

We raised livestock in our bathroom...

And steamed into History...

Now we wait for the next stage of our adventure to arrive :)

Baby Rol Meet conservation... Month 6..

It's pushing 90... they say pregnant people should stay inside.. well.. ok... thanks for that advice! I decided to head to the swamp! I've got a little one to raise up strong from the get go!

I'm a nerd...I'm married to a nerd...  and I'd like to think I'm growing one too! :)  While watching Maryland Public Television Nate and I saw a program about a woman who was raising White Turtlehead Plants. They are a native plant to Maryland and are the host plant for the Baltimore Checketspot Butterfly to lay it's eggs. 

Here is some more info so you can get your nerd on: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/naturalresource/fall2008/mpt.pdf

Our farm is home to many conservation projects like this stream crossing and Dad recently enrolled in a pollinator project to help produce food for the dwindling population of pollinators including our beloved honeybees! Our waterways are now pollinator food, so these Turtleheads will be part of that project. 

Kelly recently took a job with a "swamp farm," these plants were destined for the compost pile. So Kelly brought them home for our project.

So I put on my boots.. (oh yeah feet arn't swollen and they still fit) and I headed to the swamp and planted about a dozen of them at the stream crossing. 

 And... Baby Rol even got a little dirty :)... Finding a "Baby Bump" makes a great shelf...

So Baby Rol has officially participated in his/her first "nerd" event! Just like I'll get to watch my little on grow I'll also get to watch these plants grow and hopefully we'll save a few butterflies in the process.

Till next time.. 
Get your nerd on!
~ Amy ~ Nate ~ Baby Rol 

5 month update...

For the bump stalkers far away.. here's your 5 month shot... Pictured with Auntie The Great (Kim) and Aunt Kelly ( who has yet to select a creative name). So for the frequently asked questions:

1- Still not going to know if it's a boy or a girl till September... We could have found out 3 weeks ago.. but alas we like the suspense!

2- Feeling fine.. slowing down and have to act a bit like a turtle from time to time to get myself up and down.. it's quite a show! The ground gets farther away.. Have a lovely rash known as PUPPS 1 in 200 pregnancies with 70% of those resulting in boys have it.. I enjoy a daily oatmeal bath which makes me hungry for cookies!

3- Cravings- Not really. Still in love with fruit and veggies which has helped me keep from packing on the LBS.. for now.. HA!

4- Baby's room has some shelves and nightlight.. Work and the last 6 weeks of Grad School are winning the priority war... 

5- yes we have names... you must inquire to know them otherwise you get to be surprised about those as well. Let's just say they are strong names from our families that represent our love of old time ways.

This was my first "mother's day" Nate surprised me with this GIGANTIC bouquet of sunflowers on Mother's Day morning. Love to see my flowers from Space!

Baby Rol had a few items that had to be unpacked. For those that know my grandmother was a professional storyteller. When she passed I packed these away, never quite able to listen to them... I promised myself they would stay in the box till I was ready.. I decided that they will be the perfect bedtime stories for our little one... It is such a blessing to know that even though she won't be here in person her voice and her stories will be something our little one can grow up with just like we did. Grandma finds ways to make her presence known... like the Indego Buntings ( her favorite bird and not a backyard regular) who sat on the post at our wedding and who has been in the yard for the past few weeks just watching from the tree. <3

And.. the Baby's room would not be complete without re purposing some yardsale finds... If you remember Froggie Rol he got a home on the shelf total project cost $2. :0) Those Vaughan genes are all about thrifty re purposing so they better get used to it! 

THanks for stalking/ checking up on us!
We are well and enjoying growing our little family...
Much Love,
Amy, Nate, & Baby Rol

It just isn't spring till there is livestock in the bathroom!

Some people think you are a real woman at 14.. others the day you get married... today I feel like a real rural American woman.. because... I GOT MY CHICKENS!

 Today was the Mud Sale in Airville Pa, it's like adult Christmas... You spend some money leave with awesome stuff, eat way to much... and make memories with your family!

We've been pricing chicken houses and they are well over $1,200 at all the local places. Today at the mud sale we got one exactly like I wanted for only $400! Nate said it was worth every penny how excited I was.. I quickly headed down to the livestock tent and found these little fellas with 78 of their brothers and sisters up on the auction block, and claimed 10 for my very own! It's a gamble because they are straight run ( meaning you don't know if they are roosters of hens), but any roosters will taste dandy!

 I come from a long line of chicken women in this family! Mamal Jones grew up raising peeps and she  and my Mom had hens in Aberdeen when my mom was growing up. An old trick is when your peeps first get home you mix a little sugar with the water to give them a little kick start after they have traveled.. then you dip their beaks in to show them how it works...

 Next you get them some chop and pick at it with your finger, they will immediately imitate your behavior and realize yum yum this is good stuff.. Another trick is to put the feed in something shiny like this cookie tin lid, then they stay interested after you leave them.

 So at your house it might be spring with Easter Eggs and the like.. But as a child and now as a grown up...

 It just isn't spring till there is livestock in the bathroom!

Here is my beautiful new chicken house where my babies will go once they get their feathers in!

So from our growing homestead to yours! Happy Spring!

Much Love,
THE ROLAND FAMILY

Driver Coming Soon!

So... in case you missed it.... We're having a baby!

Nate and I as well as our families are thrilled!

It's been a fast 14 weeks and I never got sick probably because I slept for those first 9 weeks. :) 

 When we first found out we were expecting I found this little guy in one of my consignment shop trips. He's the exact match to the one I bought my beloved Sam when we found out he was going to arrive. Early in a pregnancy it's hard to feel pregnant and push through the yicky stomach, the complete exhaustion, sooo that is where Froggie Rol comes in... Froggie Rol gave me a focal point, a goal, he reminds me to step away from the ice cream and have some fruit instead, and to look forward to the day Baby Rol and Froggie Rol meet for the first time.

 Things I like to eat, salad... lots of salad... things I don't can't and won't even consider... deer meat.. weird... After polling friends and at the advice of the midwife... milk from the farm is a no go for the next nine... so for the fist time in my life I am stuck with store bought milk.. ugh! How do "normal" people drink this.. oh they put chocolate syrup in it... I get it now... It's just 9 months Amy and then you can raise Baby Rol on the good stuff...

If you know me well... I find ultrasounds weird and a little gross... I will admit I do love to see our little one and I have the pics in my wallet if you ever ask to see them, otherwise... in the words of Pop Pop Danny... if you were meant to see in there they would have put in a window. So... Froggie Rol can give you this week's insight into Baby Rol's development... According to the web, Baby Rol is the size of a cell phone. So here is Froggie Rol hanging with his buddy...

Till next time...

Much Love from our growing family!

Amy, Nate, Baby Rol, & Froggie Rol