Our new spring babies!

These are our new spring babies :)  Names are yet to be given, but they will be forthcoming!

Piglets were born in January -

The 2 mostly white calves are 3 weeks old and the mostly black calf was born last week.

This is them in the trailer just after we got home from buying them.

They are exploring their new digs and meeting Fred, our other cow (born last June) and three of children.

Looks like Fred is really into his new barn-buddies!

We'll figure out names, hopefully over the next week - they say you shouldn't name your food, but we do anyway - we play with our food while growing it, too! *grin*

Tigger spring!

Well, if the start to spring over here isn't busy and packed full of busy, I don't know what is!

To start, TJ is back at work - but no longer in the missile field (thank you, Lord!!!!  that's a long awaited answer to many prayers!)  his new job is literally a new job - they are creating it as they go, to meet a need that has been a problem for a while, but that's both positive and not so positive, as those things go - positive, though, in that they have a group of Master Sergeants (TJ's rank, and the same for the other men in the job) who know their jobs and can productively and knowledgeably create the position and get things rolling smoothly - and not as positive because with trial comes occasional error - it's inevitable, a simple fact of life, but can also be a stressor.  Anyway, for all the good and the other, he has a new job (yeah!!!!)

With the new job comes a new schedule for me, since he can't drive until his foot is healed (pretty hard to drive without a right foot - especially with a stick shift in the truck, haha) so I'm juggling 2 hours of drive time into my daily schedule on the days he works - that makes our little 3 ring circus into a 4 ring circus and juggling act.  I've never been very good at actual juggling, so here's hoping I can get schedule juggling down to a fine art and make this work! *grin*

Spring brings the close of the school year all the closer - we anticipate finishing up the school year in early May, Lord willing and if the sky doesn't fall in first, haha - our oldest will be graduating with her high school diploma, probably in May, but I still need to work out the details and she still has curriculum to finish - should be good, though - there's over a month left to complete it!  AND she has her 17th birthday next week!  Exciting and breath taking all at once - how did she get so old so soon is what I'm asking?!??? 

Finally, spring brings the addition to our farm babies - baby chicks, baby pigs, baby calves...  and a new horse!  Pictures will be forthcoming in another post - I'll try to get to it this weekend!  Chicks were purchased and brought home 2 weeks ago, bringing our total of chickens to 20 (I think that's enough).  Piglets (five of them) were purchased and brought home today, and the plan is to get the bottle calves tomorrow.  George, our older cow, went to the butcher earlier this week - our first home grown cow!  I'm really looking forward to getting that meat in the almost empty freezer - and making a nice steak dinner in celebration, once we get the meat back from the butcher that is! :)  Once we get the calves, we'll have upped our hobby farm population to 2 horses, 20 chickens (ok, 1 rooster and 19 chickens!), 5 piglets, 1 dog, and 4 cows (Fred gets to live until September or October most likely!)

So, there you have it!  I'll share pictures of our new babies once they are all in place (namely the calves) and I have a few extra moments to load them to the computer and get them on here!

Hope you're all doing well and having a lovely start to spring!  I hear the northeastern folks - or some of them anyway - are suing Phil the groundhog, but you know, out here it actually is starting to feel like spring!  We're in the mid 50s all week with only one day in the upcoming forecast to be down into the 40s with rain.  It's nice to be so warm and not always need a coat to go outside again!  and ooooh that sun feels so nice!!

Nearly midnight here, so I'm off to bed.  Tomorrow promises to be action packed and busy!  If only I had the spring of a Tigger!! :) 

Moments that make my Mama heart smile...

Happy thoughts - little things, really, that just make my heart smile...

Sweet baby hands cupping my face in his hands as he studies my face when I pick him up...

those same sweet baby hands that reach up during a nursey and touch my cheek while his other hand rests gently on my breast from which he feeds...

soft baby babbles as he explores the sounds he can make, squeals of joy and hiccups and other baby noises that you can't help but smile at.

the sloppy, slurpy kisses of a happy but still tiny two year old -

the same sweet girl with her butterfly wings bouncing and she dances round and round to the music of our favorite Celtic or country "bouncy music"

that small voice sweetly singing good morning songs most mornings - and sometimes even in the afternoon after a good nap -

the rambunctious, running, body slamming, arms wrapping around my legs and nearly knocking me down hugs of a bouncy and happy four year old snuggle bug - my tractor boy, little buckaroo cowboy, 4 year old heart stopper.

the sneaky little boy, creeping up the stairs "one last time" to give extra good night hugs or kisses...  slurpy kisses and big bear, chubby armed, all encompassing hugs that leave your heart tingling and singing long after the hug has been given

those sparkly smiley eyes that say "I'm your hunky boy!" or confidently shouts "me!" when asked who is as handsome as Daddy?

the joyful, inquisitive, sparkly eyes of my 6 year old as she explores and learns about the world around her...

the "wizzaby bear" hugs she so freely and so often loves to give.

her happy singing as she tries to remember all the words to so many favorites of songs - even the false vibrato that she occasionally tries to imitate from grown up singers - the pleasure and peaceful expressions that come from her joy of pretty music

the whoops and excited hollers of a 7 year old son exploring the sand box, running beside the dog who loves to play catch and tag and fetch and chase...

his love of animals and joy in feeding the baby calves, running his finger along the plexiglass of the chick brooder, and his giggles as the baby chicks chase that same finger back and forth across their little boxed world

"eskinose" kisses he offers each night at bedtime...

The made up recipes and expressive pictures drawn by my 9 year old daughter who aspires to anything creative when she's "all grown up some day" -

the smiles and tenderly expressive eyes that are like a book of emotions, regardless of how she feels from moment to moment, so clearly read and expressed in her eyes... 

Her instantaneous smiles and bunches of hugs and snuggles that she shares with any and all around her.

The pre-adolescant shyness alternated with outgoing jest for life of an 11 year old.

the twirly dancing and joyful singing that erupt every time any music turns on in her presence ~

the happy giggles and thoughtful sighs as she delves into the newest novel within her reach, becoming one with the characters and immersing herself in the story lines.

The bedtime kisses of a teenager finally comfortable with expressing feelings after a years' long struggle with bi-polar disorder.  The gentle looks where for so long hard stares were the norm, genuine smiles and laughter because she can sometimes take joy in life now that her medications are levelled and working.

creative stories and poems, silly rhymes and amazing artistry that stem from her amazing brain and heart -

the rare occasion of the clean bedroom that came unprompted and without many reminders - just because she got tired of living in a messy bedroom...

tender smiles given in secret to her baby brother when she thinks no one is looking, because she's really not quite so rough and tough as she likes to pretend to be all the time

The shy, blossoming heart of an oldest daughter, safely snugged in at home and gently reaching out to explore the world beyond her day to day experiences -

her tender heart that cries at the pain of others, and the servant's heart who seeks out ways to bless people without expectation of something in return...

the joyful pride she takes in showing her newest creation of her multi-talented handiwork - the pleasure she takes in trying new crafts, many of which are almost lost in time to her generation (and often even to mine!), seeking to create the beauty for the world that is already inside of her heart and usually gentle spirit.

The special truth that children are a blessing of the Lord - and despite all of my shortcomings and unworthiness, the gifts the Lord has so graciously blessed me with in giving these nine children to me for a time, filling my hands and overflowing my heart.

I am blessed.  I am thankful.  My heart is full and smiling.

Thank you, Lord.

dear mom...

I got this from another site, and love the message it conveys!  doesn't matter if it's an iphone, facebook, chat rooms, or anything else - the message really applies across the board.  Really good food for thought in our day of technology.

I got this from here. in case you are wondering :)  I haven't explored the site at all, other than reading the one post, so I can't vouch for anything else on there. just a little disclaimer ;)

Here it is:


"Dear mom on the iPhone,

I see you over there on the bench, messing on your iPhone. It feels good to relax a little while your kids have fun in the sunshine, doesn't it? You are doing a great job with your kids: You work hard, you teach them manners, have them do their chores.

But Momma, let me tell you what you don't see right now ...

Your little girl is spinning round and round, making her dress twirl. She is such a little beauty queen already, the sun shining behind her long hair. She keeps glancing your way to see if you are watching her.

You aren't.

Your little boy keeps shouting, "Mom, MOM watch this!" I see you acknowledge him, barely glancing his way.

He sees that too. His shoulders slump, but only for a moment, as he finds the next cool thing to do.

Now you are pushing your baby in the swing. She loves it! Cooing and smiling with every push. You don't see her though, do you? Your head is bent, your eyes on your phone as you absently push her swing.

Talk to her. Tell her about the clouds, Mommy. The Creator who made them. Tickle her tummy when she comes near you, and enjoy that baby belly laugh that leaves far too quickly.

Put your eyes back on your prize: your kids.

Show them that they are the priority. Wherever you are, be ALL there. I am not saying it's not OK to check in on your phone, but it's a time-sucker: User beware!

Play time at the park will be over before you know it.

The childhood of your children will be gone before you know it.

They won't always want to come to the park with you, Mommy. They won't always spin and twirl to make their new dress swish. They won't always call out, "WATCH ME!"

There will come a point when they stop trying, stop calling your name, stop bothering to interrupt your phone time.

Because they know ...

You've shown them, all these moments, that the phone is more important than they are. They see you looking at it at while waiting to pick up brother from school, during playtime, at the dinner table, at bedtime.

I know that's not true, Mommy.

I know your heart says differently.

But your kids can't hear your words, Mommy. Your actions are screaming way too loudly.

May our eyes rest upon those we love, first and foremost, and may everything else fall away in the wonderful, noisy, sticky-fingered glory of it all."