whatever

sonya - lilsoak + friends - You can use apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinger and put a cling rap over the ramekin and poke holes so they get trapped. Should solve your fruit flyvissue!

Shannon - I’ve never tried apple cider vinegar but I put a small piece of banana in a bowl and cover with cling wrap. Then poke a few small holes in the cling wrap with the point of a sharp knife. The flies go in but can’t get out and even my worst infestations are gone in a day.

Krissy - I HATE fruit flies too. yuck!!! Also, Talby’s mismatched socks are the BEST EVER!!!! I wear mine like that every day. haha.

Mary - death to the fruit flies! ugh!
and ya for cute chicken pics!
random posts are the BEST! 🙂
have fun crafting!

Tina I - Love your day-in-the-life posts! Keepin’ it real. Hate it when you have a run where your legs feel like lead and your heart just isn’t in it. I always say that running is such good training for life. Sometimes you just have to keep going, and sometimes life, like running, is just plain hard. Keep moving forward, friend. Worth it EVERY time.
We used to make fruit fly traps w/ disposable containers, bananas, saran wrap, etc. The kids use to love seeing how many they could get in their trap. Good luck!

Heather S. - Great chicken photos! Love Talby’s headband, too.

christi - hey meg! i know this weekend will be fun. thanks for keeping it real! i have a mason jar with about 2 inches of apple cider vinegar in it and a funnel that fits the jar. place the funnel, funnel tip down into the jar. the fruit flies fly in and go to a better place (aka not in my house!). good luck!

Suzanne - you have been a busy little bee! can’t wait to see the craft weekend pictures – have fun! crossing my fingers that i get to come visit the craft house sometime!

Andrea - OK…seriously, do the chickens peek at you? I know…I am not a country girl….but would like to be. Have a GREAT craft weekend….I am going to have to sign up for one of those!!! I have never been to Kansas!!!!!

Tracy Fisher - Loved your blog today. You are real. And the best thing about it is… it makes those of us other “real” people smile. 🙂 Have fun at Craft Weekend. Tracy

Dani - I hate fruit flies! the vinegar trick works!
I love that you have a normal life just like the rest of us. And, I love that you share it with us!
Enjoy craft weekend.
Oh and any chance you could rig the next giveaway so I can win haha!

Joanna W - the apple cider vinegar folks are right…it works. however, i put a thin, thin, thin, layer of oil on top…they are still attracted to the vinegar but get stuck in the oil. our traps are caked with them right now.

Lauryn - Mexican Train is the best game around. My family loves to play it… er, my adult family. Still waiting for the 4 year old and 6 year old to grow into it. The 6 year old is learning.
A card game you should look into is Dutch Blitz. Amazing fun!!! Fast paced, easy to learn. It’s a blast.

Jenn - Your post wasn’t boring at all. Its life and that’s why I visit. I like to see what other people do in a different part of our country. I agree, blog posts with out pictures are dull. The chickens are pretty. My mom told me about a sure fire way to kill gnats/fruit flies. In a small dish put either sweet wine/white wine with a few drops of dish detergent. Works like a charm! They flock right to it.

ann - Check the bug spray section of Walmart…I found these little round apple looking things that are traps for the fruit flies. They worked better than the apple cider traps I made. Good luck!

Virginia - Hi Meg,
I’ve never posted a comment, but just wanted to let you know that you are bringing back some serious memories for me. My parents moved us (me and 2 older sisters) to a hobby farm when I was six and it was the perfect place to grow up. We had chickens (including a rooster named Boss Hog), cows (mine was named Flo), pigs (Claire) and many other random creatures. There was a pond to muck about it, a fire pit, and great gravel roads for biking on. You are doing a wonderful thing for your family. Love your rural life posts!

Elizabeth MacLeod - Red wine with a drop of dish liquid but you have to change it often because they are attracted to the alcohol and it evaporates. I hope you have a fun weekend!

jenn stonier - First off thanks for posting the random but true “real” stuff that sometimes takes place!! Kids eating rice while we get “lost ” in other stuff!

Kerstie Pederson - Like your chicken photos and your post. You made me laugh….. fruit flies SUCK!
If you have any old wine lying around they seem like that too.
Have a fun weekend.

The Lovely One - Those are the cleanest chickens I’ve ever seen! Great photos!

Mary - LOVE the cows!
what a dreamy view! 🙂

Kelli @ Lolly Jane - My sons are on my lap chatting in my ear about your cows but they request to see a bull, haha. SO glad to have met you. You really put life in perspective in our short chat. I can see why my sis is obsessed with you..
XO

melody - I live on a dairy farm so I HAD to comment! 🙂 Although we have Jersey cows…:) You know the brown ones with the big soft eyes? 🙂
Your pictures were awesome.

Chris - I super love your cow pictures. So funny how they stayed so close together in a line. And the grass-stained knees…I love cows.

Michelle - I had to show my two children your pictures! They laugh at me because I take my camera with me when I walk and have been known to stop and take pics of the neighbors’ “gorgeous girls”–cows and “cuties”–goats. (named somewhat mockingly by my teenage daughter as I had to stop for yet one more picture!)
I love spring with all the farm life and flowers surrounding our home. So thankful to all the farmers. As for chickens, we are on our way to having our own small flock–I am very excited.
Good luck at SNAP. You will be awesome!

Diane - I absolutely LOVE all these pictures.

Stephanie - Living in the country is the best. We love our chickens and we have a huge variety so that we not only get brown eggs…we get speckled ones and blue ones. We have outside rabbits in a large enclosed area since we live where mountain lions and bears wander through the creek nearby. Animals are wonderful to have because they teach our kids responsibility. I barely do anything with the animals. 🙂 Enjoy!

Jen Brandt - Love the pictures of the cows, Meg. Made. my. day. Thank you so much! Have a wonderful, wonderful weekend!

Gemma - Amazing! I love the close-ups. Cows are so pretty.
You are so lucky!
Gemma x

Linda - Havign smores in the cool of the evening is a sweet time with family! Lovely place.

amy cornwell - Love it! I’m so jealous still 🙂 You’re so blessed!! Awesome.

Katie - The cows are fabulous you lucky girl!!

Kelly - Just pretend you are hosting all of them like at a craft weekend! Then you won’t feel nervous. You’ll know you’re about to welcome them to a wonderful experience!
I love the cows!! Kelly
p.s. thanks for saying the name of that bush. I may just have to plant one. I love them. Any downsides to them?

pam - oh man! it is letting me leave a comment. 🙂
i love the sunsets…
and the moo cows. makes me really miss home…
you are an awesome photographer.
miss you.

ko. s - How fun! How lovely! How much I dream of a house like that!
Have fun at Snap! Don’t hide missy, you’ve got sooooo much talent to share!

Kerry Wiebe - That is the same view but from my screened in porch!!! You are going to be great sister!! Just remember you rock! Love YA!! Can’t wait to hear all about it!

Amy @ Little for a Little While - Thos pictures of the cows are beautiful! It would have scared me to have them so close, good for you, brave one!

April R - (lol Angie!)
Meg, have FUN at SNAP! 🙂 Be awesome 🙂
ok, you were probably just being funny about the deodorant thing
but for anyone out there that might not know there’s the wonderful Rx: Drysol.
It’s a summertime, public speaking time, humidity busting time friend.
You put on at night, wash off in the morning,
u don’t need the regular stuff, AND you don’t use it everyday.
It works.
And people who have to be around me are glad it does.

Angie - Do you feel like PW taking pics of all those cows for your blog? lol
Maybe Mr. Duerksen could dress cowboy for you someday. 🙂

Jess - Look at you! You are a true farm girl now. 😉

jen - i just love, love those cows and wow your new home is awesome! not something you ever see here in so. ca..just beautiful. but i am for sure bonkers over #109 how could you not lay one on his nose! he is so sweet! love your blog… it’s so so fun!
have fun in utah

Lisa - What a peaceful new life you have now. I’m happy for you;)

Amnah - Not gonna lie, I miss seeing pics of your old house, or should I say “the craft weekend house” now. But I’m falling in love with your country home. Very cool.

jamie - seriously love how you call the cows by their numbers. once you discover their personalities you should name them! you’re super fun…

Sara Torbett - We live on a farm with cows! We love ’em. Our evenings are often spent checking the cows. My 10 month old especially likes them 🙂 the BEST is the new little calves! They are so playful and frolick everywhere. Not so smelly and “manure-y” yet either. 🙂 praying for your conference! You’ll do great!

Julie - I am having cow envy! We would looove to move to an area just like yours, but alas, the housing market is preventing any movement for us. I long for only the sounds of wildlife in the evenings. Keep sharing pictures…I look forward to them! Hmmm..I wonder if my subdivision would frown on chickens.

sue - What is SNAP in Utah ???

Terrie G - I heart #132 and that tongue sticking out!
Just wait until you get a wiff of them in a strong wind when you are ready for a ‘fresh’ breeze in the house….that part of being on the farm I don’t miss so much.
Girl…you will do fine in that crowd of women!
If you get stressed….just pretend they are the chickens or the cows…I mean that in a good way… LOL!! 🙂

Shelley - Since you’re a bonafide “country” girl now, I must tell you that you live on a road, not a street-lol!!
And, I can practically smell #109.
Do you want to smell my pigs?!? I can get a pic for ya!
Enjoy your country living 🙂

Kimberly - Ha! Great post! (And I think you’re jealous of ol’ #132… not many people can do that! Although my husband can… TMI?)

Kristen - Get some chickens!!! Maybe your neighbor with the chickens can take care of yours while you’re on vacation. We have a farm across the street that grows strawberries and has chickens…best eggs ever and my kids are obsessed with the chickens.
Whenever we pass cows my husband loves to yell “I won’t eat you” that’s all I could think looking at each picture (he’s a vegetarian).

Meg Carter - Meg! What perfect timing?!?!? This post was meant to be. This weekend I was planning on starting 2 paintings. One of cows and one of a chicken! These are awesome reference photos for me. The paintings are for our first little girl on the way, for her nursery. Yay!!! Jumping for joy!! It is a sign that I am supposed to start NOW!!! Thanks Meg, for the inspiration and help you did not even know you were giving!!!! I will be sure to show you the paintings when I am done!

jacqui anderson - meg, wait till the cows start running with you!! when we were on the farm and i would run down the road beside the cow paddock/field they would run along the fence line with me and wait till i was coming back and then turn and run with me again!!!

Leah - Beautiful pictures. Can I move in? Love the cows.

Marilyn - Aww… aren’t cows great!? I rode one when I was about 8. Well, I rode it until the lady across the road called my gramma and tattled. It really was different from a horse!

Dani - Chickens and COWS…. man you are in the country! Miss my country life as a child.
Have fun at SNAP. You are an amazing lady and will be wonderful! You know all your readers already love you, so you shouldn’t be worried!
Prayers for your nerves!

Lori H - I didn’t grow up on a farm but we visited my grandfather’s farm a lot so we got our chicken, cow, barn cat , wandering the in the broom sage, playing in the creek fix! My mom and her siblings kept the farm after my grandfather passed and I still love to visit, especially when 23 + of us pile into the little farmhouse for Thanksgiving dinner. Priceless!

angie - Love reading about your country adventures. Your kids look so happy and content.
Btw we have a golden retriever and a golden doodle and the doodle sheds way more than our retriever! Not quite sure how that happened! They are my favorite breeds, too 🙂

Tracy Fisher - I let my kids get pollywags (sp?) last year at the Little League fields with their friends…. I’m actually not sure what ever happened to them… except that I hear frogs croaking all over our neighborhood… all year long… sorry neighbors. haha. Good memories of when I was a kid doing the same thing.
And by the way, I love Craigs horse!

Heather - Oh, Meg. Everything about this post leaves me with a big grin on my face, and slight envy in my heart. Okay, maybe more than slight, but not enough not to still be smiling. 😉
My grandparents were farmers and I have such very fond memories of my time on their farm. If I could move to the country without making my life ridiculously complicated I’d do it. But for now I’m a city girl who spends time in the woods as much as I can.

Katie - I’m so glad for you that you’ve found your “home”, part of my childhood was spent growing up on old farm land. It was so educational and full of exploring and adventure. I want that for my kids one day, hopefully we’ll make it. I want mountains, country, creeks and a pond, and fields, throw in an old farm house and a barn, oh and a garden that tends itself and I’ll be one happy chick! I do want one cow, for raw milk. Oh dreams! Anywho, I love your blog, but I’m not one for commenting and my reason for commenting today would be to inform the kiddos that the egg they found belongs to a goose. I’ve seen them around our parts lately as well!

Kelly - Gotta love a city boy on his “horse”. Too funny.. but I can so relate!! I’m sure he loves riding on all that open green space, too. Wild and free!! 🙂

Suzanne - your beautiful daughters look like they have taken to living in the country….too cute!

Jenn - It’s amazing to me how life always seems to work out the way it’s supposed to in the end….sometimes it may take a bit longer than we expected. But that’s okay. I guess we’re more fateful for it when it finally happens. So happy to hear you and your family are loving the country life so much. My hubby and I grew up in the country but have lived in the city for years. We bought 5 acres in the country this summer and are so excited to build and move there. We’re going to have to wait a bit longer though before that dream can come true….until then, we’re having fun planning and preparing for our big move. 🙂
Love all your pictures in this post….

Londen - I think you’re right about having the best summer there, looks like so much fun! Our six year old explorer would love it! Be tick aware while out in the woods…we found one latching onto our dauthers scalp! We were only in our suburban back yard which freaks me out.

elisa - This was an awesome post. Those frogs are so stinkin’ cute. Way better than my spider. Which I didn’t kill. Spiders eat mosquitos. Or however you spell it. I too am enjoying a more rural life- although I do wish I had a barn.
And “butt” really is a good password. 🙂

Tanya H - LOL! ME TOO! The part about wanting to live on a farm, taking Ag Bio at 15 becuase it would be “easy”, deciding to never, ever, ever, marry a cowboy, but still wanting to live in the country. haha!! I love the pictures of your new area, and all the fabulous adventures your kids get to have!

Becki - That little bridge over the stream is amazing! It reminds me of where I grew up! (We had no bridge though- just a “crick” as we call it!)

Suzette - I’m married to a city boy engineer with a nature boy son and a shedmeister golden named Lucy. We live in the burbs in CA but were right on the edge of the country. I wish we’d nudge a little more into the country but I don’t think it’ll happen. I’ll just have to live with one foot in each place. Oh, and with my newly turned 13-y-o son, the password would definitely be p – n – s! Why are adolescent boys so fascinated by it?!

Di - You didn’t tell me Katie had a twin!? Love the pics…what a blast! and the password? hee, hee…know you were laughing too!:)

Pamela Gordon - What a fun time your kids are having! I’m so glad you and your family are getting to enjoy the farm/country life. There is so much to see and learn isn’t there? Just think of the millions of kids that don’t have any idea where our food comes from. A trip to the farm should be included at least once in a child’s early years. We live on 2/3 of an acre in the country and I wouldn’t trade it! Blessings, to you and your family. Enjoy!! Pamela

Seriously Sassy Mama - Too cute! I dream of living in the country.

Jacci in Ohio - Ha ha… Ok 🙂 you’re doing GREAT with the transition. I’m truly thankful and happy for you.
Glad it’s been so good for everyone! That the rental really will be a time of rest… A break for you. Love the
Little froggies!

Kirsten J - So cool – I really wonder what that egg held?!?!? I grew up with a creek in the woods in my backyard ( and love that my folks still live there, so my kids can play ) – and we’d capture water skippers and minnows for our pets. I only wish I had pictures of me and my brother playing in that creek – reminder to self: take more pictures this summer when we visit Meme and Papa.

Sarah{Handbags*N*Pigtails} - Hahaha…love the full circle comment. I always said I could NEVER marry a farmer or a military man. I married a teacher. Now that we’re both teachers we have the same vacations=BONUS!
We’re into so many different hobbies though(beekeeping, making our own food, ice cream, honey,etc…) that my sister in law says she thinks we’re trying to be Amish. I just tell her to back off. Everything is better homemade:)
Love the frog pics.Country life is the best! You can always drive or fly to a big city for that kind of life. But the quiet country…there’s just nothing like it.

gina - Glad to see you guys have the right kind of “horse”. 🙂 My dad has worked for Excel for YEARS.

Terrie - Best years of my life were in the country!!

Shelly - I live in the Flint Hills of Chase County and I thank God everyday for our little farm and all that we are able to provide for our two kids. We truly live in a beautiful place. Your kids will thank you some day for giving them such a fun place to grow up.

Talysa - I DID have the privilege of growing up on a farm..snotty cows and all…and let me just say this: YOUR KIDS WILL THANK YOU FOR THIS ONE DAY!!!
Best memories of my life were hot summer days picking watermelons out of the garden, finding a shade tree, and digging in. Or setting up “store” under a big oak tree and using the leaves as money. Or catching fireflies at night. Or how sticky I was every single night…baths were not optional.
You did a good thing friend. I’m envious. I am in suburb hell and hate every minute of it. I did marry a city boy though. 😉