Preparing For Lambs- Crutching

It has been a long week and yet, it still seems to be getting longer. Remember that flu that I told you about? Well, my son woke up with a fever this morning. My poor boy got it! I thought we were all on the mend since it's been about 4 days since the rest of us recovered. Ahem...wrong!  The incubation period of this flu must be quite long. I'm still hopeful that Leah won't get it. Nothin' wrong with a little  hope. Or a lot.

Farm life never stops. Sickness may sweep through your house and yet the animals still need to eat (heck, we need to eat), gardens still need to be planted, and life goes on. We have almost completed our chicken coop and it is going to be great. Not one of those fancy shmancy coop's that you see on Pinterest like this one or this one.  My hubby and I plan on having a mobile coop someday...maybe you'll see this around someday.  Our coop-to-be  is lovely nonetheless and I am thankful to finally see it come to fruition. More on this later.

Where was I...

Lambs.

Currently, there are six ewes and one ram residing here at the Shepherd's farm. I am PRAYING that this number will increase in a few months. We need us some babies! Seriously, I like my sheep and all, but I like to have lamb for dinner too. Everything here serves a purpose and it all isn't  just here for enjoyment, even though we do get our fair share of the latter around this joint.

Wow, can I even type one sentence without going off on a rabbit trail?



There are many ways that we are preparing for lambs and one just so happens to have a unique name. Crutching. Aren't you so glad you can add this to your vocabulary? I know, your welcome.

Three out of our six ewes have a TON of wool and there was no way for us to see if they were bagging up, so I made a call to our shearer and had him come our way. He came out a few days ago and crutched our sheep. If your wondering what that means I'll do my best to explain. Crutching is when you have the belly, the front of the back legs, and the area around the sheep's bum shorn. The purpose is to make it easier to see if the ewe is bagging up, if she's going into labor, and it makes it MUCH easier for the new lamb to get to the teat. If you'd like a better explanation go here.

I love it when our shearer comes over. He is such a wealth of information and he's also pretty funny..and talkative. I always need to plan on an extra half hour of conversing once the real work's been done. We also go way back. I raised sheep growing up (read more about it here) and was actively involved in 4-H. Tim (our shearer) and his family were in 4-H too and so we've known each other for a long time. Nothin' like sheep to bring people together.



I loved getting to be in the barn. The smell of hay, lanolin, and dust permeated the air. It almost feels like a mini-vacation when I retreat to this coveted place. Lately, I've been too busy to come here let alone get outside. The dirt and hay covered floors with the years of age and spiders webs hanging from the beams are a delight to this country girl's senses.



Listen to the rhythmic sound of the shears, imagine the scent of lanolin, straw, and dust, and if you dream of living on a farm one day...you have this to look forward to.

That is, if you want to have sheep.

All You Ever Needed To Know About Chocolate

It is delicious.

The end.

Weary

I am weak and weary. This past week has been a doozy. A nasty flu has swept through my house and is still persistent in being an unwelcome guest. I had it last week and I haven't been THAT sick in years. Sinus pressure/burning, eye's literally hurt and they hurt to move, headache, neck pain, body aches, sneezing, ever persistent runny nose, fever, the feeling of your head about to explode, tired, weak, sore throat, coughing, dehydration, this flu was in a word...miserable. Everyone has had it, save Jude and Leah, and this mama is praying that Leah does not get it. Three days of a plugged nose and then some is not good when you are a nursing babe. Fact.

For apparent reasons, I had no desire to do much more than I needed to. However, chores still had to be done, food needed to be made, and children needed to be loved. I will confirm that there are no off days when your a mama. Or a dad for that matter.

This flu served it's purpose, I've been in a dry run spiritually speaking, and the Lord made my 'cup to runneth over'. He is truly so good. I have had a wonderful week basking in the goodness of the Lord. Those moments lying on the couch? Praying. Those moments of not being able to breath? Praying. Those moments of trying not to breathe on the kids? PRAYING. I think you get the point.

It is true of all of us that when times are tough, our spiritual lives tend to be great. In this highly convenient life, we find ourselves deceiving our own minds into thinking that we don't need God, or at least not yet. In REALity, we need Him every second. There is nothing that we can absolutely control, but there is One who can. One who has a plan for our lives that far surpasses what we think or desire. Praise be to God that I am one of His and have not been left to myself, for I know my heart all to well and the path it would choose.

I have had certain topics flutter through my mind all week and one in particular has had extra weight. Abortion. This tears me up inside. I pray for those women who think they have a 'choice' and yet are in chains. I pray for those babies that may not ever see the light, let alone know a mama's love. I am so tender hearted when it comes to this subject, that I've found myself almost weeping, only to realize that my kids (who are MUCH too small to tell them about this) wonder why their mama is on the verge of tears. I pray often that God would end this 'choice'  in my country and so I wait, knowing that this specific prayer might not come to pass.

It is my hope that one day I may be used by God to help a woman who feels trapped, abandoned, and is in need of help. I hope to show her the love of Christ and if nothing else, help with the particulars of the pregnancy and at least offer the child a home and a family. Put in the right spot, I would fall to my knees and beg and plead in order to save that small life. May God give me the courage and grace to do so, given the opportunity. I hope it comes to pass...

Will you pray with me? Will you pray for these who have no voice? I hope you do...

GOPRO Thursday #5

Well folks, it's been cold here. Real cold.

For us anyway.

It's been getting down to 30 degrees here at night and I don't much care for it. It has been down to 17 a few times and it's been no bueno. It will get to about 60 during the day...I wish it would either be cold or warm, all this up and down business is gettin' me confused. Do I wear long sleeves or short? Pants or Capri's? Shoes or flip flops? Flip flops definitely.

All this to say, we've been trying to keep the chicks warm on these cold nights. It was pretty easy when they were still in the tank, but my Father-in-law made them a new space in our green house turned coup. Yes, we have chicks in our green house right now and not seedlings. I know...slackers. We are working on the coup however (next post) and it will be fantastic.  Back to what I was saying, since the chicks are in a bigger area it's harder to keep a really warm spot for them. I think we figured it out. We put the tank on it's side and then put a board on top and fixed the light to the board. The idea is that the warmth will get trapped in the tank and be held down by the board. It seems to be working for my gangly little chicks. They are so weird looking right now, it's almost pitiful. I still love them though, even though they're rather odd to the eye. If you know what I mean.

I did the GOPRO video last night cause I thought it would be cool to see them huddled under the light. I am really enjoying having chicks. Honest and true.



***Sorry for how dark it was, it wasn't THAT dark when I was videoing. Oops!

And since you are dying to know how are little Welsummer chicks are doing, I decided to get a video of those too. They are still in the tiny, cute, and fuzzy stage. These little things are FAST. Like lightning fast...kachow! Ok, sorry. I have a five year old boy who loves Cars. I couldn't help myself.

It is kind of tricky to catch the little speed balls, but I do cause I don't want crazy chickens. I have no use for crazy animals...I have my hands full with the sheep as it is. Ahem.



I hope you enjoyed this GOPRO Thursday. I'd love to hear about what you'd like to see. Give me some suggestions and I'll see what I can do!

Moving Day

It was Friday morning and I was tired, but anxious for the weekend. I got to spend the weekend with my man and I was very happy about it. This kind of event doesn't happen often. So when the situation presents itself, I jump on it.

We were helping some friends move to their new home. They get to start a new life off the coast of Northern CA and I have to say I'm a bit jealous. I don't really want to live there, but my favorite restaurant is only 20 minutes from them. My hubby and I love this restaurant so much that we'll actually drive the 4 hours just to eat there. Silly? No way.

Renata's Creperie is nothing short of fantastic. It's a delight to the taste buds and will leave you in dream land as you leave. Don't believe me? We'll here's one of their dessert crepes. Mmmm.





I'm drooling right now.

Not only did I get to spend time with my hubby and eat at my favorite restaurant, but I got to take some pics with my baby girl. Love her!





Isn't she just delicious? I smooch on her all day.

I have to apologize I didn't get very many 'moving pictures'. I was kind of busy, you know, moving and unpacking. I do have these however.



And when you get too tired to move any more boxes, you curl up on the couch and take a nap. Leah is sleeping under the blanket. Such a good daddy!



It was a great time with friends, but we were tired by the end of the trip. Not to mention that Seth had a terrible cold. I now have that cold too. Boo hoo.

It is absolutely beautiful off the northern coast of California. The mountains are lush with trees, vines, and ferns. And the air is heavy and yet fresh at the same time. I love being at the coast. Such a great display of God's creation.

Here's our view from the door to our hotel room. Pretty awesome isn't it?





So, on the way home I decided to play a bit with my camera. I had a lot of fun and be thankful I'm not showing you even a third of what I took.



I love this one. It's pretty cool seeing the trees perfectly silhouetted on the window.



Beautiful day. And yes, I was taking pictures through the window. Sorry.





Wow.

He's handsome alright.

I always think my hubby is good lookin', but there are those times where I step back and think, "I have me a smokin' hot man!"

Heartstrings

For a while now I have had a few things that lay heavily on my heart. May I share them with you?

I have always had a soft spot in my heart for the persecuted church. When I read of the tragedies that occur and the horror that these martyrs have gone through I find myself in awe of the power of God to sustain His people is such extreme trials. If you feel the same way, may I suggest you get acquainted with Voice of the Martyrs.



“The Voice of the Martyrs is a non-profit, inter-denominational Christian organization dedicated to assisting the persecuted church worldwide.”

“We help Christians who are or have been, persecuted for their involvement in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. We provide medical assistance, food, clothing, and other forms of aid. We support Christians who are willing to invite their fellow men, even their persecutors, to Jesus Christ through faithful deeds of love in a hostile environment. We supply Bibles, literature, radios, and other evangelistic tools. We encourage persecuted Christians by giving their testimony a voice, informing Christians in the USA to know how to help. We believe that the lives and the testimony of persecuted Christians is a vital part of the fellowship of all believers and will challenge and strengthen the faith of Christians everywhere.”

Ready to check them out? Go HERE.

 

My children. My Love’s. My heart. I can’t imagine anything happening to them, which is why human trafficking is such an important thing to talk about, pray about, and write about. I have been granted the opportunity to to write for The Exodus Road.  They are a wonderful group of people dedicated to freeing men, women, and children from traffickers.



“We’re a non-profit organization that fights modern day slavery through covert investigations. Our coalition of operatives work together to gather evidence and conduct rescues for those trapped in sexual slavery.”

Ready to learn more? Go HERE.

 



“Wellspring International was established in 2004 by Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). A humanitarian arm of the organization, Wellspring International is an extension of the central focus of RZIM, where we live out what we preach and defend. Through a process of due diligence, the vision of Wellspring is to identify and financially equip existing organizations aiding women and children at risk, as well as to provide individual scholarships to support education, healthcare, and basic living needs.”

Need I say more? Want to HELP?

 

Human trafficking is so rampant. Can you believe it happens in America too? Check it out.



If you are shocked at this please check out Abolition International to learn more.

I have hopes of one day helping more than just writing about these causes, but for now that is what I can do.

I pray for the people that are caught in trafficking, for the people who are risking their lives for their faith in Christ, and for those who barely have enough to survive.

I hope you have learned a few things and that you’ll take time from your day to pray. Pray for those who are lost, hurting, and need the love of Christ.

That is what is most important after all.

GOPRO Thursday #4

Well, what do ya know? I'm actually getting my GOPRO Thursday video up on the correct day.

Yay for me! Ok, sorry, that was juvenile.

Today's video is all about the chicks...again. We got 5 new ones today and they are sooo cute. You'll see.

The chicks arrived at the feed store from the hatchery today and I got to go get'em. And I'm in love with their cuteness. These are Welsummers and they lay a dark truffle brown egg. I can't wait until they do.



Aren't they beautiful? If you didn't know better you'd think they were chocolate eggs. I'm sure you'd figure it out real fast when you got yolk on your face instead of chocolate after your first bite...

Anyhoo, moving on.

If your wondering, here is a hen and a rooster. Pretty aren't they?

                

We're not gonna have a rooster though. I don't want to deal with one. Yet.

Enough pictures here's the video of the new chicks and you'll also see our other ones. They're growing so fast!



***And I apologize for my voice. It irritates me to no end that I sound like I'm 5. Maybe I'll just not talk on the next one. Ugh!

No Greater Love...

I'm gonna tell you straight...

...I have the best husband.



I know this down to my core. My man loves me, and not only does he love me, but he is sweet, gentle, and kind. He is a man and therefore fulfills what I need in a husband and a father to our children.

He's not afraid to tell me no, but he's not afraid to tell me yes. He leads me in the Lord and gives our children a strong sense of security and love. He's not afraid to be wrestling one minute with our son and in the next minute helping our daughter put a pretty pink dress on her doll...and then play dolls with her too. He's not afraid to change a diaper and then continue to play with a chubby naked baby because come on, who doesn't love a chubby baby?

He is a man's man. You don't get much manlier than my man. (How many more times could I squeeze 'man' into this post? Let's see...)



Bear Grylls, he's what I'd call a manly man. Just to give you perspective, my husband could beat him. I'm sure of it!

My hubby grew up in Wyoming and hunted in the grizzly bear infested mountains. He's roughed it in the wilderness and is an amazing shot! I love to go shooting with my hubby. If you've never seen Wyoming mountains then you should, they are pretty darn treacherous. Not to mention the weather...

All this to say, I thought I'd take today to get on my soapbox and tell the world about my awesome man.

Speaking of a soapbox, even with how great my hubby is and with how much I know he loves me, there is something better.

MUCH better.

There is no greater love than the love that comes from Jesus Christ. He trumps all!

Jesus loves unconditionally, freely, and His love is like no other.

I am in awe daily of His great mercies in my life and with the love that He poured out on the cross. Such love as His cannot go unnoticed! Do you know my Savior? I hope you do and if you don't, let's talk.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.                                                                                                                                                                                    John 3:16

...but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.               Romans 5:8

Amen.

***If you want to know more about my Faith go HERE.

A Sunset Walk

My family went on a walk last night and it was so very, very lovely. I've missed getting some 'fun' time with my kids and husband. We seem to always be busy with a project, building something, or just plain getting caught up with life.

 This is the water shed that we're converting into our chicken coup. Can't wait till this eyesore is no more.

 I have learned over the past few weeks that if an effort is not made to communicate, then as time passes, assumptions are made and arguments ensue. (Please don't worry that we are having marital struggles. Actually far from it.) Like I said previously, we've been busy. There are so many things happening on the farm right now that we can hardly keep up with it all. I am not complaining mind you, and I am incredibly thankful that we are able to do all the fencing, organizing, and remodeling that we need to. It's quite a blessing from the Lord.

It is very easy though to get so busy that I forget to talk to the one who has my heart...my husband. The other night, we got in a little spat over a fence. I know, silly right? Ahem. Silly as it may be, we still had to work out a few 'assumptions', and then had to come to a point where we had to state what our thoughts were on the subject, and then come to an agreement. Wow, that was a mouthful.  Thankfully, my hubby and I are always able to come to an agreeable decision. This is the Lord's doing. If it were up to just us, well, I'm afraid we'd be a wreck. I'm terribly stubborn and hot tempered.

I had such a nice time walking in the pasture behind our house with my kids, hubby, and camera in tow. Jude was busy 'hunting' and Ella just did what she does best, she sang while she kept up. My girl loves to sing and it makes my heart happy to hear her pretty songs. Ella just melts me.

Seth and I spent the walk talking, holding hands, and dreaming about all that we wanted to do with this gorgeous place that God has given us. We always come back to the fact that we are blessed FAR beyond what we deserve. God is so good!



The sunset was breathtaking. I love how God puts His artwork on display every night. Nothing compares to His artistry and He is truly the only original.













The night ended with us getting to eat a delicious roasted chicken with vegetables and salad. One of my favorite dinners (the added bonus was that my in-laws are in town, so I didn't have to cook. Yay!). We sang a few hymns before bed and it was glorious. I mean it. My father-in-law and I sang the melody, while my hubby and his mama sang the harmony, the kids sang too and it was a lovely time of worship. I love to sing praises to God with my family. Such a wonderful way to end a beautiful sunset walk.



Amen.

GOPRO Thursday #3

Yesterday morning started like any other. Wake up, nurse baby, make breakfast, and so on. It all was pretty routine until my Father-in-law came in to say, "Arlo's sheep had a lamb."

And that is when the excitement started.

Lambs! We've been waiting so long for this, even though these sheep aren't ours (thankfully). Up until a few weeks ago we didn't even think Arlo's sheep were bred. And last year they weren't bred because the ram got sick, so this day was a long time coming.

Anyhoo, farm-kid Noël was resurrected. How you say? Well, growing up I was known for absolutely not caring what I looked like. To a fault I'm afraid. You could always find me during Winter time dressed in an over-sized flannel, jeans, and irrigation boots. Yesterday was no exception. Except I was in my husband's Carhart jacket (which is huge on me), yoga pants (green to be exact), old tennis shoes, and to top it all off, I had the GOPRO attached to my head. Oh yes, I was a sight alright and probably not in a good way.

Thankfully, there's no photographic proof of my wardrobe. I'm afraid you'd stop reading my blog out of shock and that would make me so sad. So, let's just say, I'll keep my 'farm fashion' behind the camera.







 

Aren't they just precious? (The lambs I mean, the mama's not so much, you learn why later) The whole ordeal was rather frustrating and so I decided it best not to take a bunch of pictures right away. Mama's and babies needed some alone time. The lambs were cold from being born outside (it was pretty chilly plus we had a cold breeze) and the mama's were a little stressed from the process due to their lack of brains.

I am SO glad these sheep aren't mine. I know everyone thinks all sheep are stupid, these take the cake. All of it.

I grew up raising sheep and never encountered the likes of these. Normally, you'd pick up the lamb and the mama would follow you just about anywhere just to stay with her baby. Not these sheep, oh NO! One ran to the other sheep to eat and the other decided it best to run into the fence. Let's just say when all this was happening I had not so nice thoughts running through my mind. Mind you, I was covered in afterbirth the whole time.  The sheep I raise now (scottish blackface) are actually very clever, so in dealing with these to num-nuts, I got slightly irritated.

The first mama and baby I got into the barn were the easiest set. We had a slightly difficult time initially getting Cry Baby (what I call her because she baa's incessantly) to follow her lamb, but eventually she bought a clue and I got her in the barn. The other mama was not so easy. I had to cut the video off before we were through, and you should be glad I did. She never followed her baby, continued to repeatedly run into the fence to get with the other sheep, and I had to chase/herd her for a while before we could get her back with her baby. Now, I'm sure things could have been done better, but there's one thing I know about mama's and their babies, they should be together. So, that is what we did.

Enough with all this talking here's the surprise video I was talking about. Wahoo!



It is slightly on the long side. Sorry, I was busy.

I hope you enjoy this and Lord willing, there will be more exciting video's to come! We still have 6 sheep to lamb in March. I'm hoping they do anyway, we have a young ram in with them, so it will be a waiting game to see if he was man enough for the job. Let's just say if the ewe's aren't bred I'll be surprised, he was a busy boy in November. Just sayin'.

And don't forget about the chicks! They are already a week old and growin' like weeds. Can I just say that I'm loving them? I never knew chicks would be so much fun.

I hope you enjoy this video and I'd love to hear from you. What would you like to see a video on?

***Well, I may have to make it GOPRO Friday since this week as last week I was unable to get this darn post up till Friday morning.

Sorry, my computer has a tough time uploading these videos to You Tube.  Ugh!

A Birthday, Pumpkin Muffins, and Frosting, Oh My!

The title says it all. Post over.

Just kidding, I won't leave you hanging. After all the muffins were soooo good.

My girlie pants (a.k.a Ella) had a birthday last week, her 3rd to be exact. It was fun even though it border lined on the chaotic side. When you have a teeny house like mine (not complaining, just stating fact) and try to fit 31 people in it, it can get crazy and LOUD. I'm serious, we all had to slightly yell in order to hear one another. It was so fun though and my little lovey had a wonderful party. After all, she was and is a princess.

Isn't she pretty? I think so too.

Here's another.

Oh, yes. Princess got a scooter.

You can find her scootin' around outside like the wild girl she is. I just love her.

And I love pumpkin muffins.

I made these for Ella's birthday party and they were fabulous. If you've been lookin' for the perfect grain free muffin recipe, here ya go.

Pumpkin Muffins (grain free)- makes about 18 muffins

• 6 Tbsp butter, at room temperature


• 1/2-2/3 cup honey (depending on how sweet you like it)


• 2 cups of pumpkin puree*


• 3 large eggs


• 1/2 cup kefir or milk (I like the kefir the best)


• 1 cup almond flour


• 1/2 cup coconut flour 


• 2 teaspoons baking powder


• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 


• 1 teaspoon ground ginger** (or you could do fresh, I'd do 1/2 tsp if you do fresh) 


• 1/2 tsp salt 


• 3/4 cup walnuts (optional) 

Preheat the oven to 350F, place your muffin cups in your muffin pan and then grease them. Don't miss this step, this batter likes to stick, a lot.

Using your mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and honey until creamy. Next add the pumpkin and eggs and mix until smooth. Add the kefir and mix only until everything has been combined. (If you decide to use fresh grated ginger, you may want to add it to the wet mixture)

In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients. You will then want to add the dry mixture to the wet. Make sure you mix it enough that everything is combined, but don't over do it. Easier said than done, I know.

To finish up, scoop the batter evenly into your muffin cups. Bake for about 30 minutes then check with a toothpick. If toothpick doesn't come out clean then cook for another 5 minutes and then check. You'll want to do this until the toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely on a cooling rack, slather with homemade frosting and viola, you have some darn good (and healthy) muffins!

Just a note, these muffins have a wonderful soft almost custard texture so be careful to not over bake them. These are truly some of the best muffins!

*You can replace the pumpkin with 3-4 bananas and make banana muffins instead. Yum!

**If you don't like ginger, you can omit it completely. I however, adore it.

Oh, you want the recipe for the frosting too?  Sure thing.

Cream Cheese Frosting- (you will probably have extra)

• 16 oz cream cheese (room temp)


• 1/4 cup butter (room temp)


• maple syrup

In your mixer, mix the cream cheese and the butter until thoroughly combined. Next add about 3-4 tablespoons of maple syrup and mix completely. Taste and see if it is how sweet you like it. I don't like mine to be terribly sweet, but if you do, then go for it and add some more. ***Just a note, since you are adding maple syrup and not powdered sugar, it will slightly affect the consistency of the frosting, so you probably don't want to add too much at a time. Slow and steady will be best.

That is the beauty of frosting, it can be made to suit anyone's sweet tooth. This frosting recipe can be made for anything. I especially like to add a bit of lemon zest to it if I'm making a lemon cake or cupcakes. Mmmmm.

The Reality of Farm Life

Or should I say...the reality of life?

There's no easy way to put this. So here it goes.

We lost a chick.

I'm so bummed, but after some time and thought I have had to come to the fact that this is reality. This is true whether or not you live on a farm, right? Big picture here...we are born, we live, and then we die. It happens to everyone and everything.

Sometimes faster than we think though.

I went out to check on the chicks Saturday night and found one separated from the rest and not doing well. As I picked up the poor chick I thought maybe it just got too cold and so I held it in my hand for a while under the light, hoping that the warmth was all that was needed to pick the little thing up. I also dipped it's beak in water, but it was not interested. Thoughts came flooding to mind as I kneeled down on the ground and hovered over the edge of the trough holding the helpless chick under the light.

I thought about life and death. I thought about the order of things here on earth and why it is that everything that has life follows the same cycle.  I also prayed for the little chick, but it wasn't to be that it would make it. In fact, the helpless creature died in my hand. Hindsight is 20/20 and that's a fact. When I first got the chicks and was in the process of putting them in the brooder, I noticed that one was trampled a bit. I didn't think much of it because there were quite a few chicks in the box and it seemed to be doing fine once it's beak was dipped into the water. The next morning I thought it was funny that the chick was so tired that it slept in the main area of traffic and hence, got ran over a few times. I moved it and it 'seemed' to be doing fine. During the day, I checked on the chicks often to make sure that the temperature was what it's supposed to be and yet again it seemed to be okay. Nevertheless, that night as you know, the poor chicky turned for the worse.

I'm sure if I separated it, it may have had a better chance but it never was really thriving to start with. I am a novice and as such, I am learning lessons. Albeit, the hard way.

This is the reality of farm life. Life and death happen, whether we like it or not. If your uncomfortable with this, then I'm sorry because this is life. If your really uncomfortable with this, then may I suggest you don't farm? Not meaning anything by this statement, just stating the truth. As a farmer I raise animals for food and plant gardens for food. Both have life and death cycles. My husband and I have decided to raise sheep so we can have meat to eat and to sell. Therefore, this Spring when we have lambs (Lord willing), if there are a few nice ewe lambs we will probably keep those for breeding, but everything else is destined for butcher. That's why we have them...so we can eat. We also plan on having a garden so we can have delicious, nutritious produce in which to eat, sell, and possible preserve for later consumption. We also are raising two cows, but I don't think I need to continue to explain the cycle, you probably get the picture. This is why we farm.  We farm so we can eat. Simple.

I love this life and this reality. Surprised? As a believer in Jesus Christ, I am not afraid of death because I know where I'm going. Sure I don't want to die right now because I want to grow old with my hubby and raise our children. However, I know that where I am going is infinitely better than life on earth, and so I have peace. I love that being granted to raise my kids on a farm has enabled me to show my children how to care for creation, how to care for themselves, and I get to watch them learn and see for themselves the order of life. Amazing!

All in all a chick was lost, but perspective was gained and played it's part in the big picture.

If your wondering, the rest of the chicks are doing GREAT! I'm serious, they are so fun to watch and the kids keep thanking me for getting them chicks. I will admit, I've had a little issue of their #2 sticking to their soft down feathers so I took it upon myself to rectify the situation. Instead of cleaning each bottom as it became messy, I decided to put a little vaseline on their hiney's so the said #2 couldn't stick. They were NOT happy when I did this, but they'll thank me later when I'm not wiping their booties with a warm cloth and clipping what won't come off with scissors. Is this to much info? I hope not because I even took pictures.

Oh yes...I did.

And, your welcome.

After the whole rear cleaning and slathering, my son Jude and I cleaned the brooder box, err trough. It actually wasn't that dirty, but rain is coming so I'd rather be cleaning it out on a sunny day than a rainy one. As you can see, my boy LOVES these chicks. Such a fun way to spend time with my lovey.

Looks better doesn't it? And sorry, the pictures should be swapped.

Reality can be hard to handle and reality can be joyous. I'm thankful that right now, my reality is a blessed one.

Chick Days

WE GOT OUR CHICKS TODAY!

Can you tell I'm excited? I hope so.

Let's rewind a year, shall we? Last winter Seth and I were planning on getting chicks. I was so excited I could hardly stand the suspense of coup building and chick ordering. Alas, we got terribly busy and realized that it really wasn't a wise thing to do, so we put them off for another year. I was disappointed to say the least, but I knew that it was the best decision.

This year we are still really busy, but feel like we are in a better position to add a new species of animal to our livestock. I am so very excited to raise chickens. I've never been a fan of birds, but I have a feeling that is all going to change now. Don't get me wrong, I will not be cuddling with a chicken, nor will I be kissing one. I do not consider livestock to be 'pets'. I thoroughly enjoy them, but out of pure enjoyment is not why my hubby and I have animals. They serve a purpose and that is...food. Yes, you heard me right.

I wholeheartedly believe that as the stewards of what has been given to us by God, we have a responsibility to raise, care for, and handle animals properly. Are they fed well and have water? Yes. Do they have shelter? Yes. Are they cared for when they get sick? Yes. Are they treated like my children and hugged, kissed, and fawned over? No.

Sorry, but you won't ever hear me refer to my animals as my 'four legged children'. Won't happen.

You will see me thoroughly enjoying, caring for, and sometimes laughing at the farm bums antics. You may even get a few names uttered under my breath when the jerk-faces, err sheep get out.

My point is, and yes I've got off on a tangent (sorry, probably won't be the last), that I want to convey that while I enjoy my animals, they aren't equal in my affections for my kids, hubby, family, and so on.

Alright now that we have that taken care of. What were we talking about? Oh, yes. Chicks!

I had my wonderful man video me surprising the kids with the baby chicks. Their reactions were so sweet and animated. Mainly my son Jude. He should be a professional storyteller.

We also took a bunch of pictures. Here's a brief look at our afternoon. It was lovely and sooo much fun!

Have you not had enough chick goodness? Well, here's a video of me surprising the munchkins.