All eight chicks are happy and healthy and feathering up. 

I'm feeling a little proud of myself that we've made it through the first week and kept them all alive.

We cleaned out the crate the other day and gave them fresh shredded paper bedding. Can't say that's my favorite part, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it might be.

We moved the crate from the bathroom counter to the bath tub so I can reach them more easily and it's closer to the window for some air ventilation, but no draft. 

While I cleaned the crate, M made a fresh ramp for them to walk up to their water dish. We put them in another box while we cleaned and they squawked away. But they paused for a close up.

It seems like they never stop eating but their  feed crumbles are so small that the giant bag we bought might last awhile. I also sprinkle in a little grit with their food or just in the shredded paper to keep them entertained during the day.

I try to pick them up every day so they get used to people, but sometimes they freak out and huddle in the corner under the heat lamp where it's hard to reach them. 

They'll be in the crate for another six week or so, till they have all their feathers, but they're growing fast. The littlest ones were only a few days old when we got them and were all fuzz, but now have feathers developed on their wings. The chick closest in the photo is about two weeks old now and has some tail feathers too. 

Chickens are strange and their feet weird me out, but they're just so adorable. 

And with that, a little #inspiremefriday love to Alicia, Eileen, Stacey, Julie, Megan, Sarah, Emily, Erika and Rachel. 

We are now the proud parents of eight Buckeye chicks. 

Guys. I have red headed chickens.

It's crazy how entertaining chicks are. We just watch them and laugh and then realize we've been staring at them for 10 minutes.

We drove four hours across the state on Saturday to pick them up and back again. There are only a few places in Montana that we've found so far that have Buckeyes and I really like this farm.

Getting them home was a challenge since they need to be kept warm, at about 95-99 degrees, and it was cold and snowing on Saturday.

We had a small cardboard box with paper shavings for bedding and wrapped the box in blankets to keep the heat in. For a bit we were sweating in the car, cranking the heat to get the temperature up.

Now they're home, in the much larger box, toasty warm and pecking away at the box, the shredded paper, their feed and grit. 

They're not too loud most of the time, and we're keeping them in the bathroom to make sure the dogs can't get to them when we're not around until everyone gets used to each other.

My favorite is the way they fall asleep. They'll stop moving, their eyes will close and their heads just flop to the floor. Or it leans back. That's a little weird, but hilarious all the same.

Expect many more chicken photos and videos as the adventures continue around here.

You may have also noticed it's been light on the blog lately. I'm rethinking some of my plans for this blog and working on some changes that are coming soon! 

But, it was a good week, so I may be off a day, but can't skip a Five Things.

1. Mini herb garden and baby greens are growing in the window. 

2. Finally put the Christmas tree and decorations away. Finally!

3. Finished our taxes. And the refunds cover the price of our awesome new oven/stove.

4. Read not one, but two books. 

5. Stopped adding pages worth of tasks to my to-do list and started checking off outstanding tasks. 

How's your week going?

February is halfway gone and I'm still not caught up on everything from January. Clearly, I'm no expert on being superwoman and doing all.the.things. Without fail, as I catch up and get things done, I discover at least 10 more things I want to see, do, read, think, go. 

A few weeks ago, I was feeling particularly overwhelmed and exhausted. The lovely Alicia was in a similar spot and had some wise words for banishing overwhelm. Erika is one smart cookie and suggested thinking smaller to make big changes.

As the new year was approaching, I was excited for all the big things we had planned. Then January happened and everything was a struggle. For the last few weeks, I've been thinking a lot about how to get a handle on everything  and beat this ridiculous feeling that I'm adrift with no anchor or real direction. 

What I've come up with is what I call The Truths I Know in Theory but Still Struggle to Execute.

+ Find Your Passions. There are loads of things that I have at least some interest in. My challenge is to focus the majority of my energies on the things I care most about. Take some time too think about the things you're most passionate about and direct as much time and energy accordingly.

+ Prioritize. There will always be infinite demands on your time and it's up to you to make the most of that time. A friend once said to me, when I was feeling overwhelmed, "Is it a today problem?" When I said no, she said, "Then it's a tomorrow problem. Handle the today problems first." I have used that system ever since to limit worrying about the things that don't really need to be done right away. 

+ Say No. I have a habit of always saying "Sure, I can help with that." When in reality, I don't have time. I'm slowly getting better at knowing when I am maxed out or when I have some time to pick up other quick, small tasks. I'm also getting more selective about social activities. Sometimes sleep, errands, house projects or just quiet time at home are more important being the social butterfly all the time.  The key is to not let little tasks, or things you don't really want to do, crowd out your passions.

+ Quiet Time. The mind needs quiet time to settle and actually think. Life is busy and frantic and overloaded with technology. Make time to sit quietly, go for a walk/run, road trip or write in your favorite spot.

+ Break Things Down. Along with prioritizing, break big projects into smaller tasks. I like to make list upon list of projects that have titles like "start nonprofit" or "chicken plans" or "garden" and then list out the smaller details that go into that big project. It helps accomplish the necessary tasks without the overwhelm of the big end goal. 

+ Organize. Straighten your desk, streamline the to-do list Post-It notes, enter contact info into your contacts and toss the random scraps of paper all over your desk and file away what you don't need now. Clear the clutter. Sometimes I go on cleaning streaks when I feel like I'm drowning in to-dos just because an uncluttered space helps unclutter my mind.

+ Take Action. Now that you've got your passions, your priorities, your breakdown list and your clean and organized desk, get to conquering those mountains and big dreams. You've got the plan, go make it all happen! 

I also have my happy place. Something on my desk that makes me smile. A photo, a book, a note, a stuffed animal, some token from a friend. But usually, it's this photo snapped by littlest sister one Christmas.

Because with a face like that to come home to, you can't help but be happy, here's Five Things I love about the last week.

1. Rink Event. The board approved my idea and I am now an unstoppable force of making it happen. So much to do, so little time, but it's going to be amazing. 

2. Stopped at the library and already finished Dan Brown's latest, Inferno. Had to get it in large print and the huge type may have given me headaches, but feels good to breeze through a book, especially one I'd been wanting to read. 

3. Got out for a run. Finally. The winter weather let up long enough to crank out three miles and my iPod was charged and ready to go this time. 

4. Sit spins. A few months ago, they were impossible for me to do. Now, a ton of squats later, plus ice time and sheer force of will, they're coming back, with less chance of face planting than the camel spin.

5. Good news. After a hard January, it's soul-lifting to have so much good news coming. There's a baby on the way and an engagement in the family (not me, everyone calm down). So much is going right, it feels like the tide is changing and I'll take it.

How do you handle the overwhelm and move the mountains you want to move? What are you happy about from the last week?

It’s highly unlikely that anyone would ever call me a mushy-gushy, lovey dovey romantic. 

Fancy chocolates and expensive flowers are not my thing. I’d rather grow my own flowers, or buy some at the farmers market to brighten up the house. 

Valentine’s Day is really not my thing. 

A single day is not enough for all the love in the world. There truly is a lot of love to go around and I just wish we all spent a little more time sharing that love, myself included. 

Even though it’s not even a top 5 holiday in my book, love deserves a mention. And since it’s been a year and one month since I moved to Montana to live with M, just over two years since we started dating again and it's Grover's 4th birthday, I suppose now is as good a time as any. 

 14 Things I Love

+ This verse. My aunt read it during my uncle’s wedding and I can’t say I truly understood all of it until Grover came into my life and then even deeper still when M reappeared in my life.

+ M. I am not especially patient, or always kind. Neither is he. But somehow we’ve formed a team that can handle house buying, garden planning, chicken raising, job changing, adventure seeking, renovating and more. A friend once wrote about marriage and advised to “never go to be angry.” I won’t say I’m always successful with that, but I never walk out the door or go to sleep without saying “I love you.” He often brings out the best in me, challenges me and at the end of every day, says "I love you."

+ Grover. It might sound silly but I honestly think this dog showed me my capacity to love. He infuriates me some times, but I feel like part of me is missing when I'm away from him for very long. I become nothing less than a sloppy mess of tears when he's hurt or when he decides it's a good idea to run away for awhile. He's my running buddy, my guard dog, my best bud and the sweetest bundle of love that I get to come home to every night.

+ Family. The people you fight with and can't wait to get away from when you're a kid and as soon as you move away, you can't wait to get back. We're spread all over the country, mostly thanks to military life, but we're never really far apart.

+ Friends. The very best people. There for you at your worst and will celebrate your best. A girl's true treasures are her friends. Little bits of my heart are with friends all over the globe. They help you become you are. 

+ Travel. My view on life and the world is hugely influenced by my time spent abroad. It gives you a chance to explore other cultures, places and ways of life. It also lets you lose yourself and find yourself. You become stronger, smarter, bolder and yet more aware of yourself and you learn to get by come what may. Travel changes you, usually for the better.

+ Work. Finding a pursuit worthy of your passions and skills is no small feat and greater still when you can give back through your work. As a journalist, I get to meet amazing people, learn how government works, connect people and resources, welcome home heroes and learn something about everything. Plus, I get to have inside jokes with governors and generals and have a chat with an astronaut played by Tom Hanks in the movie. Journalism isn't a job, it's a way of life and I love it.

+ These songs. A small compilation of some of my favorites on going big and loving deeply. Plus, some of them get me dancing like a lunatic around the house.

+ Skating. There's something about gliding across ice at full speed, jumping, spinning and feeling incredibly free. The sport has changed during my years off the ice, but the feeling of lacing on the skates and stepping onto the ice is the same.

+ Blogging friends. It's amazing how the internet can bring some lovely people into your life. They inspire, motivate, encourage and make you think. They give you awesome playlists, recipes, organization tricks and just make the world feel like a nice place. A few of my favorites: Alicia, Eileen, Erika, Kate, Jamie, Melyssa, Megan, Sarah, Emily, Rachel, Jessica, Christina, Julie and Stacey. In just a month, I'll be #shufflin through an 8K with Alicia and Eileen and I am stoked. 

+ Peppermint. Without fail, peppermint anything (okay, almost anything) lifts my spirits and science says peppermint is a genuine mood booster.

+ Montana. This place is gorgeous. I will forever love my mighty, mighty Commonwealth (aka Virginia) but Montana, you really are something.

+ Our house. It's a work in progress, but most days I love the house that we are turning into a home. 

+ Books. I have too many really, but a good book goes a long way to improving my writing, my day and sometimes my world view. I finally made it into the local library and I love it.

Who/what do you love? Do you do anything special for Valentine's Day?

There are things I'm not good at doing. Like drawing and math. And I absolutely cannot whistle. 

But honestly, those aren't things I'm interested in doing so it works out.

For the things I do want, I sometimes struggle with a self imposed notion of "can't."

Once that notion is my head, it's hard to shake. Enter what I call my sheer force of will or mind over matter mode. My mom could tell you that there are plenty of things I have pulled off simply because I decided to.

During morning ice last week, I managed to clear my mind of can't.  

For a few weeks, I kept chickening out of my favorite jump and feeling this wildly intense and somewhat irrational fear of the jump. I'd done it plenty of times and I know I can do it, but all of a sudden, fear was winning out agin. I've also wiped out plenty of times. Enough to know it hurts, but probably won't kill me.

The trick is to say to yourself "I am going to do this" instead of "don't fall." All your mind hears is "fall" and just about every time, you'll fall or botch the landing or not jump at all. 

Jumping around on ice isn't the day to day challenge for everyone, but the takeaway is the same. The self satisfaction of landing the jump was huge, but the bigger satisfaction came from taking back control of my thoughts. 

Some of that comes from pushing your body just a little bit harder and feeling pretty proud of what your little legs can do on ice. It's a similar feeling that comes after running a half marathon, or a race longer than three miles. But in skating, I don't have to run so far, for so long.

And the trick works for other challenges too. A difficult work project, tackling a massive to-do list, driving on icy/snow roads in -20 temps. 

Of course there are times that safety is a real factor and I don't recommend clearing your mind of can't when it's truly reckless and dangerous. For example, "I can't pet a bear." No. You really can't. Or at least shouldn't.

Since it's somehow already Monday again, here's the latest edition of Five Things.

1. Finally got my Great Falls library card. Kind of stoked about it. 

2. Scheduled chicken pick-up. Having a hard and fast deadline always helps me get things done and I'm excited to have the fluffy chicks around the homestead. 

3. Emailing the reporter who took over your old job and her responding to say she knows exactly you who are because you have such a great reputation around town, still, four years after you left the state. That's an incredibly good feeling.

4. A general came to town who was at the base where I was said reporter. He was there six or seven years ago and wasn't a general then, but he remembered me. Kind of cool.

5. Pitching the rink event idea to people outside skating circles and they get excited about it and volunteer to help. More to do this week, but I'm feeling good about it!

What are you excited about this week? Are there any situations where you can clear your mind of can't?

In less than two weeks, we'll be roadtripping to Heritage Organics Farm to pick up our very first batch of chickens. The plan is to get 8-9, in case a few turn out to be roosters, since we really only want hens for now.

We're creating a brooder box and have to figure out where to put it so the chicks stay warm and safe. We'll puppy proof them for awhile until the dogs get used to the chickens and no shenanigans ensue when we're not home. It's still ridiculously cold, so the baby chicks will be inside for the first 8 weeks or so.

This will be our first go round with chickens and the mostly city girl that I am is a bit nervous. I am by no means an expert and regularly pester my favorite chicken bloggers with questions (you'll find them mentioned below). But, here's a few things I've learned so far in the prep and planning stages. This will all be a work in progress. Get excited, you'll have a front row seat here on the blog.

1. Is it legal? Chickens are legal in many, many places, but not all. Like Great Falls, Montana. But, we live in the county, where chickens are legals. Before you get too excited about raising chickens, make sure it's legal!

2. Do you have space? If you live in a high-rise, fancy pants apartment complex, like I did for awhile in D.C., chickens probably won't work out. But, if you got even a small backyard, it's probably doable. Kate at Farmhouse38 can show you how it's done in the city. We have about 26 acres, so we have room to grow our flock if it goes well this year. Do some research on how much space you need for the number of chickens you want and how much space you need for other projects. For us, we'll have a large garden and possibly more animals later on. I really want an alpaca and/or a goat and M thinks we should get mini cows. Yeah, mini cows are a thing.

3. The environment. Is it cold, hot, windy, snowy? What kind of predators are in the area? For us, it's cold and windy into May and sometimes June. Then it can get cold again starting in October, so we're going with a cold weather breed chicken, the Buckeye. We also have bald eagles flying around. It's pretty cool to see, but they could eat our chickens so we have to build an outdoor area for the chickens with a covered top. There's also coyotes and snakes, so we're planning a large, secure coop with the protected outdoor area. Plus, the chickens will be a great help in tearing up the garden in the winter and helping to prep the soil for the next growing season.

4. Do you have time? This is a hard one for me, I'm already busy, but I think the chickens will help give me a routine that's outside of my wants and needs. And much like Grover did, animals have a way of becoming a top priority in your home. But, if you work 60+ hours a week and don't have someone at home to share chicken raising responsibility, maybe it's not a good idea. M and I are both working full-time, but we are both around for morning and evening chores generally and can come home during the day when needed. 

5. What is their purpose? Will your chickens be just for eggs, for poultry, both? Or pets? For us, they're dual purpose. Buckeye chickens lay eggs for 5-6 years. After that, they'll likely become dinner. I imagine I'll get attached to a few and possibly have a tough time with that aspect of raising chickens, but knowing that at the outset is helpful. If we end up with roosters, they'll go back to the farm during the summer for processing. I feel a little heartless saying that, but it's just a fact of mini farm life. At some point, we might be able to keep a rooster, but for now, it's just too much.

6. What to feed them? Apparently there's organic chickens and there's chickens on medicated feed. We're planning to eat the eggs and eventually the chickens, so we think we'll use non-medicated feed, just in case. But, we haven't quite figured out what kind of feed we'll use. Turns out, there's lots of choices. The chicks will need starter feed, but also grit and diatomaceous earth and other such things. I need to do a bit more research on the feed, but we'll be using the starter feed for awhile, so I'll start with that.

7. What kind of chicken coop will you build? This will depend partly on how many chickens you plan to have and how much space you have. You could get a store bought coop, but to me, that's not much fun. You could build a walk-in coop with lots of room, or a squat coop with no room for a person that has exterior access to the nesting boxes. We are planning a coop + greenhouse combo structure. We've pretty much decided on this as a base design. 

8. How many chickens? Our chickens average 150-200 eggs per year, each. We use eggs, but that's a lot of eggs, so I'll be doing a lot more baking and we'll be sharing with friends. I crowd sourced to Kate at Farmhouse38, Lisa at Fresh Eggs Daily and Jennifer at 1840 Farm to figure out a good number to start with. They suggested 4-5 and that's what we're shooting for. Several people suggested to get double that number in chicks since about half could be roosters. So that's what we're doing. One chicken will be my co-worker's, but it will live at our house since she'd in the city limits. We'll see how we do this first year and we may get more next year, if we find something to do with all those eggs.

9. What kinds of supplies do you need? I've been glued to Tilly's Nest for research and developing a supply list. We still need a heat lamp, brooder box, pine shavings and food. We bought a feeder and waterer for chicks, we'll need more when they grow out of those. When you factor in a coop and run, the supply list goes up. We're still working on our supplies and construction plans, but we've mapped out most of the big stuff and need the snow to let up so we can get to work!

Do you have chickens? Any tips for those of us just getting started? City dwellers, would you have chickens if you could? Or a goat? Because I want a goat next. Or an alpaca.

Now that we're finished with January, it's time to map out some goals for February with Melyssa at The Nectar Collective. 

I joined in her Weekly Wishes around Christmas and the weekly exercise has honestly been a great way to focus all my energies into specific tasks each week that build up to bigger goals. For the new year, she changed it up a bit with the first week of wishes being monthly goals to help drive those weekly goals. Plus, telling all of you lovely readers a handful of my weekly goals each week helps me stick to them!

But first, a recap of last week's wishes: getting some veggies started indoors, make a chicken supply list and calm the heck down. 

Turns out, we didn't quite need to start the onions yet, but we did make a spreadsheet of our seeds and planting information + a planting calendar. My mini herb garden is finally in pots this week and we'll see how they turn out. I'm planning a more robust herb garden outdoors once it warms up. 

Chicken planning included picking out the inspiration for our coop/greenhouse but I still need to gather up supplies. Chick pick-up will be the end of this month or early March so it's time to buckle down and get ready.

As for calming the heck down, I'd say I did alright with room for improvement. This week feels more calm, though it's early yet. 

Now for February's wishes.

+ Get the skating event squared away. Time to be no nonsense and knock it out. I'm running short on time, but have no doubt I can pull it off. 

+ Finish my travel freelance project and look for more freelance work.

+ Run as much as the weather allows. So far, that hasn't been much, so indoor workouts are getting folded into the mix. 

+ Work on the mudroom renovation. That project has been sidelined with everything else that's been going on, but I really do want to get a move on. I don't see a lot of sleep in my near future.

+ Chat with some other Montana bloggers to pull together some ideas and plans. I've got ideas kicking around, now to make them real. 

+ Map out the garden for warmer weather. We've got the seed plan, now we need a soil test and to figure out where to put everything. The garden is expanding over last year's attempt so that likely means we'll have to work more soil, come up with a watering/drainage system and a pest control method. Deer and rabbits are just waiting to feast on my veggies!

+ Road trip to pick up the baby chicks and manage to keep them alive. We've decided to up our chick count in case some of them are roosters. We've also got to get serious about designing and building the chicken coop and greenhouse. It's hard to do when it's so cold, but we can do the prep work now to be ready. Especially now that I've finally picked out the design concept I want. Things are getting real! 

What's in store for your February?

Here's to a new week, a new month and getting up early.

I'm starting the week off with a dose of wisdom that Kate shared from Inspired by Charm.

I'll admit to hitting the snooze button this morning, but still managing to toss off the covers and tackling Monday.

There are certainly times when I enjoy sitting and thinking about all my dreams, but going after them always feels so much more satisfying. 

But before jumping headfirst into February and a new week, a quick look at Five Things.

1. Garden planning...check. We've got a planting calendar, spreadsheet of seed + planting information and we're on it. I'll be putting a few herbs in small indoor pots tonight too.

2. Catching up, if only barely, on blogging, skating projects, SPJ work. Never underestimate the value of small, but consistent progress.

3. Hanging up a giant pile of clothes and cleaning up the bedroom. 

4. A relaxing, quiet weekend at home with M. We skipped Super Bowl parties and other outings in favor of us time. It also involved watching Pacific Rim and me shouting "What?! It has wings? It can fly? It's a bat? Oh, that's just rude!" and M saying "You sound like a little kid."

5. Finishing an issue of Afar just in time for the next one to arrive and reading an entire issue of Time. Now to dive into a new book. 

The new year rang in full of promise and potential. Then January dropped like a ton of bricks. 

January wasn't bad necessarily, but it was heavy. 

The first month of the year has long been my least favorite month. Maybe because it's cold and dreary, though in Montana, skies stay blue more days than not. Maybe it's coming down from the holiday high or realizing just how much you have to accomplish in the coming year. 

This January solidified its place in my month rankings.

Fresh off the holidays, lots of bad news started coming out of the Air Force base I report on. It hasn't stopped. 

What makes it harder, is my beat has been thrust into the national spotlight and I'm legitimately competing with the Pentagon press corps. It's a pace I'm used to after living in D.C., but it's still a bizarre feeling to have the national attention turn to the place you write about every day.

+ The whole situation has reminded me how hard work matters, how knowing the subject you write about and treating those people with respect all the time pays huge dividends when things go sideways. 

Winter itself is constant struggle for me. I finally ordered snow boots and have somewhat adjusted to the cold, but driving through the snow and sheets of ice that covered our roads the last week sends me into high stress mode. I've walked into the house actually sharing from the stress and fear that I'm going to slide off the road into a ditch or frozen river and lose my wits. As much as I want to go home at the end of what have been long and exhausting work days, I get to the car and dread the 15 or so miles of road.

+ Be patient with yourself. I am not, by any means, an awesome winter driver, but I've improved over the last year. M tells me not to worry, it's all fine, but I have come to a place where I can recognize my fear, accept it and determine whether it's the kind of fear to power through or the kind of fear to take seriously and make M pick me up (something I have not yet had to do, but I'm not above it). I have always been the girl to mind over matter my way through things, even when it might have been a tad reckless, in retrospect, but winter in Montana is teaching me that nature always wins. Just accept it.

And there was loss. My uncle and a dear friend. That's life I suppose and though I cried more than I care to admit these last few weeks, those kinds of losses always remind you just how precious life is and to cherish those you love. 

Though January is still my least favorite month and was so heavy, there were great moments too. 

Projects are in motion, I was asked out of the blue to do a freelance assignment for my favorite travel magazine, chickens are coming soon, seed starting and garden prep is underway and the closet purge has begun in earnest. I started running again and working out focused on strengthening my skating legs and prepping for a jog through Chi-town with Alicia and Eileen.

+ Even when life is heavy, keep going. Excellence is a habit that can be cultivated during the good times and the mediocre times to get you through the hard times. This month was hard for me, but in all honestly, I have a great life and was dealt a card no harder than a stranger I might pass on the street. Accept the bad things, allow yourself a good cry and steer yourself back toward all the good things in life. 

Knowing that January is never my favorite helps me get through since I already know it always gets better. The month was blow after blow, but I'm still here and it's February now. When all else fails, laugh whenever possible and just breathe. 

I always love hearing from you and though I'm behind on responding to comments, your kind words, encouragement and support these past few weeks meant more than I can say. 

Do you suffer the winter blues? How do you beat them?