"Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. How bless is the man whose quiver is full of them...."
This 12 passenger quiver is a miracle and a gift from an earthly and a heavenly father. Josh's parents created a vehicle purchase fund for the family when we outgrew our 8 seater Caravan, but it took months to find the right vehicle. With people purchasing "bugout" vehicles, and with new vehicles being limited by supply chain issues, we saw prices for 15 passenger vans skyrocket all over the US.
One unlikely afternoon, with four hours notice, we drove to Kamiah, the first of several people in line for The Quiver; Kyra responded first just 2 hours after its posting on Craigslist.
The retired couple expressed grief at letting go of their 2007 vehicle of 14 years that they had used to travel between Louisiana and Kamiah, ID each year. At 95k, the mileage was low for an '07. The price was right at $8,700, about half the comparables, especially with the tow package, and other extras. The couple had tried to sell it two years ago and found no interest at $10k, so they reluctantly marked it down this year, not aware of the strange van shortage. Wondering if they had underpriced (with so much interest so quickly), they told us they were glad to sell it to a family that needed it. We picked blackberries and visited while doing paperwork and reinstalling all the seats. What a blessing, and just in time. With XC season starting, and Josh's brother coming, we needed the seats.

Saturday morning around 9AM, a somewhat poorly coordinated picking cohort of some eight households arrived at the orchard. Doing something for the first time with eight households is not likely to be as efficient as it is fun. By 2PM, it was time to start processing. The Hightrees alone had over 150 pounds of peaches and 50 pounds of nectarines. We froze puree and cubes and canned 14 quarts by 6PM.

Kyra did it all, with kiddo support - design (Youtube assisted), Costco canopy amputation, chicken wire install, bottom boards, metal, etc. A canopy top was added, then suspended feeder and waterer. Josh said if chickens were to be done, Kyra would have to own it, and she did before chicks arrived!

As part of an arduous effort attaching the bottom plates to the concrete, a Diablo bit simplified setting anchors, but the 2" foam vertically set in the floor was a pain. Then framing took a few weeks, but to pull the diagonal braces, we added sheeting in the parlor. Then we ran the painted plywood soffit was added in preparation for metal. Scott sacrificed a few Saturdays - thanks a bunch!

Uncle Joe and Aunt Audra thrilled the four oldest with this 2011 rider. They purchased a new trailer and added a 3/4" painted plywood reinforcing layer. This combo brought poor Kellen (the inexperienced and under-resourced business mechanic) out of despair over two broken down riders.

This first of the Homestead Club harvest blew our minds. We made kraut with ours. It was interplanted with beets, which it choked mostly out. Behind the girls potatoes dominated. We had people drive slowly by on the road overlooking; it was astonishingly productive.

The milking facility floor pour went miraculously!
On Friday morning, June 11th, Abel, Chris, Eugene, Niko, Jamin, and myself poured a fairly complex slab like professionals. I ordered 9 yards ($128/yd from PreMix in Pullman), and we used 8.5 of it. Preparation was painfully slow, lasting a full week. Delays came primarily from the ground being too soft to compact until we added some 10 inches of 3/4minus everywhere. Jesse came to deliver a 30,000 pound load (~12.5 yards) Wednesday afternoon, allowing us enough gravel to get the entire 600sqft area graded and compacted late Wednesday with the Jumping Jack Compactor. Thursday morning early, the kiddos and I trenched 10 inches below the gravel surface to add vertical 2" foam board around conditioned spaces, and by noon, we knew we were cutting it close. Eugene and Paul came over to help. Eugene left at 8PM promising to come back early before the pour the next morning. We had all the foam set, and the perimeter formed, but still did not have enough rebar. A 4:30AM start for Kyra and I Friday was too little too late; we did not have enough rebar anyway, and I did not have needed skills to install the concrete forms for interior walls.
Jamin arrived around 7:40 with some rebar promising himself he would not take on the stress of a poorly managed project. Niko arrived soon after, then Abel, who had made a run to Pullman for rebar early. We had all the needed supplies and scrambled frantically to get it installed in time for the 8:30AM scheduled truck arrival. All appeared futile to me, Jamin, and Eugene, though we only conferred on the matter later. Somehow, by the time the truck arrived at 9AM, forms were done, rebar cut and set, and the crew seemed happy if not relaxed. It was a miracle - we thanked God unabashedly.
The power-trowel made easier work for Jamin to do finishing touches. The whole project, including transportation, rentals, and materials (excluding foam), was around $2500. It should be cured enough to set walls in a week!