Learning to Love the Smudges and Stains

She Was Unhappy

2011-11-10T15:00:00.000-08:00

This picture makes me chuckle every time I look at it. B is very rarely like this, which is what makes it so delightfully funny. She is usually the most cheerful, cheesiest-grinning, photo-pose-loving girl out there. (PLUS, she was wearing her Batgirl t-shirt, which typically ensures perma-grin.) But, boy, she wasn't gonna smile for me for NOTHIN'. So, I have this picture, and I'm the one smiling, instead.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! featuring M

2011-10-29T15:08:00.000-07:00

My sweet little M, as a Sweet Pea Pod :)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! featuring B

2011-10-29T14:55:00.000-07:00

My sweet, spunky B, as Rapunzel.

The inspiration for the costume is, of course, from Disney's Tangled. A great pick for B, as she, too, is sweet, determined, kind, fiesty, and fun. :)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! featuring T

2011-10-29T14:45:00.000-07:00

T, my lovely, elegant Angelica

This was an amazingly popular costume in T's size. Nearly impossible to find. I had to get a bit innovative to pull it together, but in the end, I think she was satisfied with it. :)

In case the costume doesn't ring any bells, she was dressed up as Penelope Cruz's character from the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

Fun times! She was greatly admired by all at the Trunk or Treat and chili cook-off. :)

Grandpa and Grandma Moments

2011-10-10T16:10:00.000-07:00

Baby Blessing

2011-10-09T15:58:00.000-07:00

This is about as good as it got for the special day. I guess M didn't enjoy all the attention. ;) He still looks handsome, though. My mom and dad were able to be here for the occasion, which made it even more special. Thanks for making the sacrifice to be here!!

The Reasons Why

2011-09-15T13:48:00.000-07:00

He's Here

2011-09-08T14:41:00.001-07:00

It's Sunday, August 28. I know I should sleep, because the next day will be a long one. I also know there will be several long days, as well as several long nights following. Just as I start to doze, cramps rip through my lower abdomen and back. Ok. I can handle this. It's not my first contraction. Deep breaths. It'll pass. It does.

Only to be followed, fifteen minutes later, by another. Then another. Then another. This continues hour after hour, with the bloody show making its appearance around 3 am. Around 4:30 I stop trying to sleep and get up to shower, then finish getting ready to head to the hospital as best I can through the contractions (which are now about 5 minutes apart).

My dear friends Carolyn and Phyllis show up at 7 to watch the girls and Sam and I head to the hospital. There, I'm put on the monitor and given my IV. (I have to give a shout out to the nurse who did my IV. I am NOT an easy stick. She got me in ONE shot. Never been done before. High fives to her.) My doctor shows up and is excited to hear that Baby Boy was gonna show up that day one way or another. Turns out I am 50% effaced and 3 centimeters dialated. The show has begun.

I'm wheeled into the OR just after 10. My CRNA is amazing, making me feel very comfortable. Unlike last time, my anesthesia is in within 5 minutes and we're ready to rock and roll.

At 10:56, a beautiful baby boy, 9 pounds, 15 ounces, 20 1/2 inches long is brought into the world of light and noise. He brings his own noise, shrieking like an angry cat. Tears fill my eyes. It's the most beautiful sound ever. He is here, and that is now all that matters.

Meet Miles Edwards Schwegler. My new pride and joy.

Awaiting the Big Day

2011-08-28T17:48:00.000-07:00

These girls are going to be such awesome sisters to this little guy! They have been such troopers during this pregnancy, dealing with Mom feeling so crummy so much of the time, helping out SO much, or just keeping themselves entertained while I lie on the couch and watch. :) They are such wonderful girls and I'm so proud to be their mother.

This "adventure" has been one that has stretched this entire family. Looking at Sam and the girls, it seems I'm the one who has come in last place in the "handling it with grace" department, but I'm grateful for the challenges, and the things I've learned, even if I could have or should have learned them faster. I'm grateful to have the opportunity for a third baby, and am so excited to meet this little man tomorrow morning! Check back soon for baby details!

Brand New View

2011-07-25T11:39:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to put this on here forever! A while back, T woke up with pink and goopey eyes so we took her to the optometrist. They had time for her to have a vision test while she was there, so we went for it. Turns out, she's got the crummy eyesight genetics promised. BUT, she got to pick out these sassy specs!! She's a doll, no? :)

July

2011-07-25T10:36:00.001-07:00

I can't believe July is nearly over! And I haven't been on to post once. This month started out with our annual 4th celebration of watching the Winnebago fireworks at the Johnsons' from our branch. They have an amazing view of the fireworks, and kindly open their yard and home for the viewing pleasure of the entire branch. Sam was working a 24, so the girls and I headed out on our own. We left our house just as dark was settling in, so the fireworks had already started. It was fun to see Byron's, Winnebago's, and Pecatonica's fireworks all at once on our drive over!

The next day brought about something I have been waiting years for: the U2 concert!! Sam and I have never been to a live concert before, and who better to break that trend than U2?! It was an amazing and memorable experience. It was crazy hot, I was having uterine pains, and we got lost afterwards, but the music!! It was so neat to experience it with my sweet hubby. The concert was originally scheduled for last year, but due to Bono requiring back surgery, it got rescheduled. It was crazy to see a packed stadium of people who had been waiting an entire year for that experience. It was really cool.

Sam and I kept talking for days about how impressive it is that they have such a strong recording history, so many hits, so much energy on stage, and just plain and simple how AMAZING the sound quality was! Bono's VOCALS! I have heard several live concerts recordings, and often the quality just isn't as good as what they concoct in a studio. Not so with U2. And Bono mixes up his pacing and melodies enough that you know there ain't no lip syncing going on. It was really, really cool. Yes, I realize that I'm lacking in appropriate vocabularly, but that's simply because I'm awed by such obvious talent. It was...well, kind of humbling to be invited into view such skill, such passion, such....bodacity. :)

The following week we got to enjoy Byronfest with the whole family. I love this little tradition we have. Our little town has a mini carnival with rides and food and games every year. I love it because it's on such a manageable scale. Fairs make me so nervous with the girls, so this is just the perfect size. I didn't get to ride any rides this year, being huge pregnant, so I got to relish in the pure delight of watching my girls have such a good time together. I love that they are such good friends. It makes life so much nicer, particularly this summer where they mainly just have each other for entertainment.

The girls have been troopers. July has been hot. Very hot. Like so hot that even getting into our unheated pool isn't enough to cool me down to stay outside for longer than five minutes without getting sick. Gratefully, the girls are excited about the room makeover we've been slowly working on, and that keeps them distracted most days. Plus, the novelty of having a bedroom full of mattresses (which is what B's room is right now as we work on transforming T's) hasn't quite worn off yet, thankfully.

We also got to have another ultrasound this month, which was fun. The entire family crowded into the room to see the little one. It seems he's not going to be quite so little :) but it was fun to see him. We didn't really get any good pictures of him (which has kind of been a frustration for me) but he's healthy and extremely strong, so we're happy. Last night, Sam and I were lying on the bed talking and he had his hand on my belly. Suddenly he gets this surprised look on his face and goes, "Woah! He's really moving around in there! Or am I just imagining it?" He wasn't imagining, but I had to laugh because this little boy moves around all the time and what Sam was feeling was little league. I was surprised it seemed like a lot of movement under Sam's hand because compared to what Little Bean is capable of, it was nothing. Sam watched my belly for a few more minutes and then said, "How do you sleep?!" :) It's always kind of nice when the husband gets a taste of what wifey has to go through.

Both the girls were active in utero, but nothing compared to their brother. He seems to get really frustrated with the confines of the womb sometimes and will stretch the entire length or width of my abdomen. The width feels weird and tight, but when he decides to stretch the length, it hurts! The little guy pushes for all he's worth! And he's got the Schwegler strength, no doubt about it. And he loves to roll. He will roll and roll and roll for minutes at a time. It's crazy watching my stomach when he does that. He's got personality, for sure. I can't wait to meet him.

We sit at five more weeks until Little Bean gets here. I have SO much to do, but having anemia, and still such fierce nausea, etc etc etc, there are days it feels like I'm never going to be ready. BUT we have the co-sleeper, car seat, diapers, going-home outfit....that should hold us for a few days, right? ;) Oye.

That brings us a little more current. Life is busy and as always has it's challenges, but it's sweet, too. I'm so grateful for all my many, many blessings.

So Handy!

2011-06-26T16:00:00.000-07:00

I found this system several years ago, and was instantly smitten. For all those of you who are frustrated with your canned food storage, or want to use your kitchen more efficiently, or just plain like cool organizational supplies, check out Pharoah's Storehouse.

Hopefully I'll have my pictures of my own system in the future! :)

Jitterbug!

2011-06-10T11:25:00.000-07:00

I have been having a blast sharing old movies and music with my girls lately, and loving how they have eaten up the treasures from my past. One of which, B and I really got into today. This was my favorite song as a little girl.

Choose Life! ;) (That's not the name of the song, just a reference to the video. teehee)

Oh, my goodness!! This is so glorious! You MUST watch it!! And I want comments from all you 80's babies! George Michael's eyebrows? Huh, huh? And his short shorts? Woo, baby!! LOL! I laughed through the whole thing. What absolute fun. Enjoy!!!

Turns Out....

2011-05-26T08:36:00.000-07:00

Remember "Norman the Lonely"?

Turns out, he is a SHE. Did you know that male Indian Runner ducks don't quack? Well, "Norman" does. She will henceforth be known as Nora, if we can kick the habit of calling her a he. ;)

It's the Little Things

2011-05-18T07:48:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Joy sent this to me via e-mail recently, and it touched my heart.

One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, 'Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd.'

I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on. As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him...

He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes.

My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye. As I handed him his glasses, I said, 'Those guys are jerks. They really should get lives.’

He looked at me and said, 'Hey thanks!' There was a big smile on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.

I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived. As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before. He said he had gone to private school before now. I would have never hung out with a private school kid before. We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books. He turned out to be a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends. He said yes. We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.

Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again.

I stopped him and said, 'Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books every day!’ He just laughed and handed me half the books.

Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends.

When we were seniors we began to think about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown and I was going to Duke. I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem.

He was going to be a doctor and I was going for business on a football scholarship.

Kyle was valedictorian of our class. I teased him all the time about being a nerd. He had to prepare a speech for graduation. I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak.

Graduation day, I saw Kyle.

He looked great. He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school. He filled out and actually looked good in glasses. He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him. Boy, sometimes I was jealous! Today was one of those days.

I could see that he was nervous about his speech.

So, I smacked him on the back and said, 'Hey, big guy, you'll be great!'

He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled....' Thanks,' he said.

As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began ...'Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly your friends....I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them. I am going to tell you a story.'

I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the first day we met.

He had planned to kill himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home.

He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.

'Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable.'

I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment. I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile.
Not until that moment did I realize its depth.

Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture you can change a person's life. For better or for worse. God puts us all in each other’s lives to impact one another in some way. Look for God in others.

'Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.'

There is no beginning or end. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift.

I have a firm belief in this, that with a small gesture you can make all the difference. I have been told of my actions having this effect, but much more importantly to me, I have had others follow promptings to reach out to me, and through that, have changed my perspective on life and how I feel about myself.

Some of you may have heard this from me before, but it was pivotal to me so I will share it again. Last summer, during a point of confusion and great difficulty in my life, I received a phone call. I was in a bad place, so I probably let the call go to voice mail when it came through, but it came from a friend who, bless her heart, admittedly "didn't know why [she] was calling" and then went on to tell me that she had been thinking about needing to call me for a few days. Please note, we weren't that close at the time. I knew her, I respected her, and I believed she had positive feelings towards me, but the idea that she was receiving and listening to promptings on my behalf, especially where it had to feel so awkward to call....

She went on to let me know that she was there for me and a few other lovely sentiments. But what moved my heart so much was when she spoke, "I want you to know that I love you." The power of those words, spoken with such sincerity, by someone with no obligation to say them, buckled my knees and brought me to tears. I needed so badly at that very moment to hear that someone loved me.

This message remains to this day in my voice mailbox.

We are God's angels and agents. His work cannot go forward without us doing as He asks. And part of what He asks is that we ask whom we should help. Many times it will feel awkward, and we might wonder why, or if what we do might make someone else uncomfortable, but we have to do it. It's for our growth, but at the same time, you never really know what kind of an impact you can make. And we will be responsible for those missed opportunities.

I believe that Christ attained His level of perfection in deep correlation to His constant devoted service to others. We've all heard the saying, "God is Love." There is a reason for that. Every person on this planet has their own personal struggles, failings, and pain. But we are not designed to suffer them alone. And the beauty of reaching out with love is how it beautifies and edifies every person involved. There are no losers in the scenario. Even if you reach out and are rejected, you are free to receive the blessings waiting in store for you, and I firmly believe, that the positive energy you offered to someone else does not go to waste. It plants itself in the other person's heart, whether they know it or not.

I know I'm preaching to the choir here on loving service. But what I guess I feel like I'm trying to say, perhaps for myself more than any of you, is that no offering is too small, particularly if its an offering you know Father wants you to make. As in my example, it wasn't anything as devastating as turning the tides on a suicide. Regardless, I would say that one phone call did in fact change my life. You never know the far-reaching effect you may have. But He does. Each of His children have particular gifts designed to build up and create goodness. We can't see all the time how our gifts might help, or even what our gifts are. But He does, and can, and will, teach us what they are and how to use them.

Thank you for all the ways you reach out to me and offer support. I can't tell you how the most basic of unsolicited encouragement lifts my soul. You each have so much "wonderful" inside of you. Thank you so much for sharing it with me, and with the world around you. This world...it's a more beautiful place because of you.

Bringing the Crew Up to Speed

2011-05-06T11:27:00.000-07:00

2011. This year has been eventful so far. Particularly on the homestead. And...frankly...particularly in a negative way. We've had our share of successes, too, but *sighing and shaking head.* I LOVE Sam for his energy and focus and wanting to do this for our family, and what it has taught us all. But, what happened in the first few months of this year...well, they are exactly the reason why I didn't want to marry a farmer!

Growing up in a rural ag community, so much hangs on the crops. I remember from a very young age being on edge, worrying about the words "blight" and "drought" etc. coming up in conversations. I remember being so concerned about hard frosts and too much rain, or too little rain, or rain too early or too late in the season. I hated it. I wanted nothing to do with that kind of stress that was completely outside the scope of human control.

And, yet, here I am, back in the middle of it.

True, and thankfully, our livelihood does not depends upon it. But, I'm beginning to wonder if it is just as difficult on me emotionally! Okay, probably not, but still!

We had several does kid early this year. We had so many kids! It was awesome! Every time a new baby anything is born, it's a wonderful experience. I sort of felt, "Wow, we might come ahead in the game this time." We had several stillborns, at least one for each kidding, which was not fun, but as we only had one batch of doubles, it wasn't a big deal. Just one of those things. UNTIL the boys started dying.

It was concerning to me that all the stillborns were male, but when the other males started getting sick, it was a big deal to me. All these babies had the same sire and it was FREAKING me out. Was there some serious genetic defect he was passing on to his male babies??

One thing I've learned this year is that goats, as herd animals, won't manifest symptoms of illness unless extremely ill. I mean, there are symptoms, if you pay attention to your herd. You can tell if one of your animals is looking or acting "off," but if they are sick with something you haven't seen before, if you find them acting ill, like lethargic, lying on the ground, moaning, those types of things, your goat is already at death's door. To let on earlier is a sign of weakness reflecting on the entire herd, and the instinctive programming won't allow that. So, at death's door is how we kept finding our kids. It got so bad, I almost didn't want to enter the barn everyday, I was so concerned about what I would find. I got to the point that I didn't know if I could handle one more goat dying.

Every time, Sam and I would try to nurse them back to health. Sam's medical background is very helpful around the homestead, and it was nice to feel like we were helping a little. But, in the end, there was nothing we could do. Each time, we'd bring them in the house, tube feed them, give IV fluids, work to keep them warm. Every time they would improve, look like they were getting stronger and healing, and then....

It's rough raising animals that are "exotic" enough to the United States that vets don't know all that much about them, so we were doing a lot of trial and error and relying on the internet a lot. Finally, we were able to capture a stool sample and the vet did finally diagnose a parasite. So, we knew what to do with the rest of them, thankfully, but not before we lost three little boys.

And THEN...grrrr. In December we decided we needed a barn dog to fend off the possibility of the fox who decimated our chicken brood last year, including our rooster, returning. As it turned out, dogs are not the best guard animals for goats. One of our favorite kid girls was lost to this animal last month. Needless to say, we no longer have a barn dog.

Next adventure: ducks. Sam's been very concerned about our pest population, particularly the Japanese beetles that have been mentioned in previous posts. We don't want to use pesticides, so it takes getting a little creative, and looking into several different methods. One of them is DUCKS. Who knew? :) Not me. Apparently, they are great foragers. So, we invested in 20 Indian Runner eggs to incubate and add the results to our farm. UNFORTUNATELY, the egg turner got unplugged at some point, which left us with ONE surviving duck.

Dubbed "Norman the Lonely," :) he is something of a miracle. He should not have survived, and yet he did! We have our suspicions about his...um...soundness :) but he's kind of fun to have around, nonetheless.

Here he is, starting to lose his baby feathers, and his downy white is starting to come in. We don't even know if he's really a boy :) but he makes us laugh.

Norman loves to follow his people around. His favorite place to be is between our feet. LOL. This has resulted in more than one inadvertent kick that has sent Norman tumbling. Not enough to deter him, because he still walks there. Whatever makes him happy, I guess.

To make up for our losses with the Indian Runners, Sam ordered some Welsh Harlequin ducklings. We decided to not mess around with incubating eggs this time. (Hooray!) They arrived earlier in the week. Aren't they sweet?

We are also taking on the challenge of pigs again this year. I used to love pigs. Now, not so much. YUCK. But, it's difficult to argue with the striking argument the freezer full of delicious makes.

Sam's been fantastic, listening to all of my complaints and trying to rectify them. I didn't want the pigs rooting up the pasture land. I didn't want the huge holes in ground. I didn't want to deal with the smell if I could avoid it at all. I wanted the feeding and watering system improved. :) I really did not want to do pigs again. So, he did his homework, as he is so good at doing, and found solutions across the board. He continually impresses me.

I still don't like the pigs. Which is good, I guess, because they will be dinner someday. :) But, at least they aren't a "problem" anymore.

So, there you go, crew. :) That's what we've been doing around here, as far as the animals go. I still need to fill you in on all the work Sam's done in the garden, but that will be another post. Fun times! :) We love our little Serenity Farm!

We Have News...

2011-05-04T06:02:00.000-07:00

It seems come the end of August, we will have one very happy daddy.

We are having a BOY!

We are excited and trepidatious about this new adventure...two girls set you in a slightly different rhythm, but I grew up with four boys...so, it shouldn't feel too unfamiliar, right? ;)

Our Misadventure in Chana

2011-04-28T12:53:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back, we were out picking up goat feed. (Sometimes it smacks me in the face: "Woah. Our family really raises goats. Hm.) Sam found this local guy who mills his own feed that is supposedly superior to what you can find in the feed store and is similarly priced. So, off we went to Chana, about a half an hour away.

We've been trying to acclimate Sadie to riding in the car lately, so we brought her along. As Sam was leading her out, I noted she didn't have her harness on, and since Sam didn't seem concerned about it, I didn't grab it, or her leash. (Can you see where this is going?)

We arrive in Chana, and Sam gets out of the car, opens the back hatch, and goes to find the seller. I was doing something I'm sure very important in the front seat, and wasn't paying attention to Sadie. The girls, also occupied, weren't really paying attention, either, but they have the excuse of being young. :) Anyway, I feel the back of the car depress and turn to see Sadie has jumped into the back of the car. I have time to get out, "Sadie, NO!" before she's OUTTA THERE.

I'm out of the car and trying to chase her, calling to Sam to come out, screaming for Sadie to stop. I don't know how many of you are acquainted with how a Shar-pei moves, but these dogs are powerfully built and crazy fast. I run into the building to get Sam and by the time we get out behind it to find the dog, she is GONE. No sign of her whatsoever.

Now, I know the girl can move. But, we were staring out at very flat fields, that have yet to be planted. It was bizarre not seeing any trace. We stood there a few minutes, calling and trying to puzzle out where she could have gone, then walked around calling for another twenty minutes, trying to see if we could figure out even which direction she may have headed. I was fighting down my panic, which I don't do particularly well under normal circumstances. For my pregnant self, this was almost too much.

It was freezing cold, drizzling, and the feed guy eventually came out, so I picked my way back through the mud to the car while Sam took care of things. He told the guy what had happened, and then we drove around a while, asking anyone we saw if they had seen a dog they didn't recognize wandering around. No one had. By this time, I couldn't hold the tears back anymore. You need to understand, I tend to fall in love pretty quickly with any living thing under my care (plants included) but this dog....this is "Sam's dog." And my heart was breaking for my poor husband. My mind was reeling with what I could do to ease the blow, who I needed to call, wracking my brain for breeders we had come across, determined to drive however far I needed to to find a replacement that very day, and that I was absolutely going to get the new dog microchipped!

Sam was holding it together really well, even using the awful circumstances to teach our girls why it's so important to stay by mom and dad in unknown places. :) "Look how upset Mom is, and that's just over Sadie! How do you think she'd feel if this was one of you??"

After I don't know how long, but to me it didn't seem long enough, Sam said, "I don't know what else we can do." I stared at him, aghast. "We're giving up?" He shrugged. "She's nowhere out here." The girls both started to whine and protest, close to tears themselves. I said, "We have to at least check in the other direction." So, Sam drove back the way we had come and THANK THE HEAVENS! Sadie had come back to the scene of her disappearance and the guy we bought the feed from was trying to lure her to him with a dog treat. :) It was pretty funny, watching, knowing her personality. She wasn't taking that treat from him for anything. She wasn't aggressive, but had her nose in the air, smelling for us, and had this look on her face, "I don't know you, so, no thanks." He had a leash in one hand, a treat in the other, and he had, bless his heart, followed her as she had gone across the street looking for us.

I was so grateful and so relieved. I was touched that this young man had taken the time to keep an eye out for our dog, and had tried to get her for us. It seems like such a basic thing to do, but unfortunately, the basics of human decency are becoming a lost art. I wanted to hop out and give this guy a big hug.

So, we got our darn dog back. :) I'm so glad. She really is a big part of our family, and even though I never thought I'd want a family dog, much less an indoor family dog, I love that wrinkly-faced sweetie pie.

And now, she never goes ANYWHERE without her harness and a leash. :)

Pure Genius

2011-04-20T16:49:00.000-07:00

I have fallen in love.

Adele - Cold Shoulder

Adele - Rolling in the Deep

She is utterly brilliant.

Hello, Spring!

2011-03-31T11:04:00.000-07:00

Today is a beautiful day, with perfect weather. The sun in shining and there is just a tiny chill in the air. Perfect day for working in the yard. Which is so what I want to do. But, I can't fight down the feeling of needing to puke. Maybe it's the migraine, or maybe it's the baby. :) I've had far too many days with this feeling during this pregnancy. :( Always so much to do, and feeling too much like crap to do it. UGH. I survived the first trimester with saltines and ginger altoids, hanging on, hopeful for the promised reprieve of the second trimester. Cue second trimester: two days of feeling NORMAL! It was awesome! ....then the yucky came back. And worse, the saltines and altoids don't cut it anymore. Sigh. All this is compounded because this is our busiest time of year: prepping the garden, getting new animals, mending fences and making other repairs the winter brought to our attention, seeing to a thousand things around the farm, not to mention trying to get the flowerbeds looking decent, and caring for the yard. The inside of the house normally gets a little neglected during this time anyway, but right now, I'm pretty much useless! It's driving me CRAZY!! BUT, it is gorgeous outside, and that makes me smile. I am grateful for the shining sun, and that feeling this badly means I have a little life growing inside me. I'm also grateful for an understanding husband, and kids who help me when I get into my "I WILL get up and work for 15 minutes even if I end up in the bathroom afterwards!!" My girls are fantastic. I'm so grateful for our friends who are sharing the garden with us this year, and ALL the work they have put in already. I'm so grateful for all the friends I have on standby ready to help with whatever, should I ask. I'm so grateful for the hard times in life, because it means the Lord has enough faith in me that I can get through it, and knowing that I will be stronger afterwards. I'm grateful for the beautiful birdsongs, and the bright, happy cardinals flitting around. I'm grateful for the amazing world we live in that refreshes and revives, no matter what happens to it. I'm grateful that my body is well enough to bring another baby into this world, that my blood pressure is perfect, and that the baby's heartbeat is strong! I'm very blessed. So, I guess if I can't be productive in this lovely spring weather, then at least I can use this time to enjoy it? :)

Ok, I Know I'm a Total Gleek ;)

2011-03-31T10:51:00.001-07:00

One of my absolute FAVORITES. AMAZING!! Thriller/Heads Will Roll (Tip: Make it full-screen, and enjoy!)

For Those Who Don't Know....

2011-03-31T10:47:00.000-07:00

Baby Names

Names

Pregnancy

2011-03-18T07:34:00.000-07:00

FANTASTIC SONG. And if you know the show at all, it'll bring on the tears and goosebumps. :D

Loser Like Me

A Good Freaking Laugh

2011-03-07T05:21:00.000-08:00

Oh, my lands!! I saw this on Facebook posted by a friend the other day and had to share. This CRACKED ME UP!! And it was even funnier the second time.

Grrr....I hate how the blog cuts off half of it. Click here.

Smudges and Stains - for Sherri

2011-03-02T05:56:00.000-08:00

A friend inspired me to blog in spite of not being "put together" today. She insisted how "unlikable and boring" it is to see only the good on people's blogs. While I have often used this blog to count my blessings, and to have something positive and fun to look back on, needing that exercise in gratitude, I'm deciding to brave the nasty today and just write, because it haunts me that I haven't been on here for so long. Plus, the idea that I might encourage someone else in their own battle...that holds great appeal for me.

And why have I been so long absent? Sherri nailed it. I haven't had anything pretty to say, or if I have, I haven't possessed the fortitude to say it. The reason for this? Somewhere in the summer last year, the world began to crack. In August, steam and sulfur began to rise from said crack and the first of the low tremors began to be felt. Not long after that, a gaping, seething fissure violently tore forth from that crack: a roiling, livid chasm, threatening to devour all who got too close. Trying to escape led to discovery of breach after breach in the ground I knew...rather, thought I knew.

The earth would quake for days, threatening to shake loose the very marrow of my bones. Then the deceitful quiet would creep in, during which I'd attempt to gather what hadn't been broken, or what seemed to not be broken, breathe, and move forward. Barely on my feet, I'd be knocked relentlessly to the pulsating ground again as the earth decided to show me yet again who was boss. No foothold, no sense, just constant battering. Jarring, aching, endless confusion and pain. Then the "quiet"....rinse and repeat. It took months of this routine before the planet decided to settle and find its new geography. The aftershocks of the raging earthquakes that tore the fabric of my existence can still be felt today. The continents are altered and still drifting, trying to find their new resting places, but at least they have not been swallowed up.

In spite of all this (and no, I won't go into details. I'm not that brave), I'm sitting here blogging. In my pajamas, with unwashed hair, unbrushed teeth, true, but still, feeling blessed. Feeling blessed that I can hear the cheerful chirps of my youngest playing contentedly in her room, smiling that she is happy, and for the moment, untroubled by the agitation of her recent past.

I've learned a lot over the past months. I've learned to forgive in a new way, and that includes myself. I've learned that I may NEVER get everything done. I'm still trying to come to terms with feeling alright with that one, and just be pleased that I am upright and mobile, given the catastrophe I lived through. Would I expect a survivor of a literal natural disaster to have a sparkling house and shiny children and perfect meals and the semblance of no dirty dishes, laundry, or toilets?? No! Would I expect this of functional, focused, and ordinary moms?? NO! So, why be so hard on myself?

Even as I type this, the fact that I have 1/4 sink of dirty dishes and a few baskets of dirty laundry and floors and bathrooms that need to be cleaned is bothering me. I smile to myself, realizing I talk all big about being gentle with myself, but I'm not. I guess the growth lies in that now I know it might be a little bit more okay if I were.

So, Sherri. Smudges and stains? You bet. Unmade beds? Check. Stinky sink syndrome? We've had that. Days in our jammies when we do nothing but movies and jigsaw puzzles? Absolutely. Is this acceptable? :) This is the part I struggle with. I yearn to be perfect. But it ain't neva gonna happen. Least not on this earth. :)

But, life does go on. We are stronger than we think. And the triumph lies in finding things that truly matter underneath the noise and clutter and nonsense the world calls "important."

If you come to my house, you will find mess. You just plain and simple will. It's a reality I'm coming to terms with, because it's more important to me that I clean out the rubble on the inside than the outside right now. As long as my kids are happy, fed, and mostly clean, I'm OKAY. From there, my responsibility comes in continuing to fight the battle that has been placed before me. And that battle, my friends, is bigger than poor housekeeping. We each have our own. We will each have times in our lives when everything just falls apart and gets shaken to bits. It's how we grow, I'm told. We all have tears and messes, pain and disappointments. Not only is this acceptable, it's essential. And we should maybe be a little kinder to ourselves during recovery.

So, you've been invited into the mess of me a bit more today. :) Thank you for the ways you have helped me clean up the messes of my life. I hope that when yours come up, you will let me know how I can help you with yours.

New Beginnings

2011-01-13T14:01:00.000-08:00

It has been a very long while since I posted. Happy 2011! The new year always brings about reflection on the past and hope for the future. I hope that your new year has dawned bright for each of you and your reflection spurs great hope in your hearts!!

For Updates on the Farm....

2010-09-09T13:11:00.000-07:00

To see what we are up to lately, check out our new website: rockchalkgoats.webs.com

B's First Day of Preschool

2010-09-09T13:04:00.001-07:00

Here's my cute B all ready for her

first day of school! She has had a great

time and we are so pleased that she's
done so well!

Some Things I Love...About My Family

2010-08-27T05:37:00.000-07:00

I love my family. :) First, foremost, and perhaps very basic, but so very true that I must put it first on my list.
I love watching my husband from a distance. He's seriously adorable.
I love listening to B play. I love her imagination, her ability to go for hours with random, delightful stories, where no one dies or is mean or gets hurt....:) It's wonderful.
I love that my girls love me to sing to them before bed. I don't consider myself a "singer," but I love that they enjoy my voice enough that they don't like to go to bed without a song from me.
I love coloring with my girls. It's so soothing and relaxing (when there is no fighting over crayon colors. lol)
I love my girls' faces. Every mother feels this way about her children, no doubt. But I love how T's eyes are so expressive, so deep, so lovely. And B's smile! LOL! She has the most engaging smile. She changes the course of a person's day with one of them.
I love to cuddle with T. She is the best cuddler.
I love that T loves to clean her room. I mean, not to start with; she whines about it like any other kid. But once she gets going...that girl can CLEAN!!
I love how resourceful my husband is. He truly astonishes me sometimes.
I love how much my family can get accomplished in a short time when we all work together.
I love that people always comment on how affectionate my husband and I are with each other.
I love how people always comment on how amazing our daughters are. ;)
I love how my girls are usually the best behaved any given event or location. :D
I love how I can brag all I want here, because it's MY blog!!
I love B's spontaneous rock concerts. Girl's got skillz!
I love what a great big sister T is.
I love when B comes to T's defense.
I love how everyone runs to Daddy when he comes home.
I love that B is potty-trained!! (That joy won't be growing old any time soon.)
I love how my husband lets me warm my frigid feet on him.
I love how my husband will give me back/shoulder rubs (and this is no small feat, trust me; I need it deep) even when he's tired, because he knows it helps relieve my pain.
I love my husband for his generosity.
I love to watch my girls play with their daddy.
I love the laughter in my home. There is a lot of it! :)
I love that T understands a lot of why we make the choices we do, the importance of choosing the right, of taking care of our bodies, and being kind to others, etc.
I love that my girls are such wonderful helpers.
I love to hear T's excitement when someone calls her on the phone. It's sooooo cute.
I love listening to B talk about marrying a boy from her Sunbeam class in a blase manner.
I love that the entire family can fit on the couch together and share the same blanket.
I love that we do that. :)
I love that I can write a list like this, and all these things I love just spilled forth, without having to think about it. I love that I could go on and on. I love that I am so very blessed in my family that I have so many things to love about them.
I love that my family is made of up strong individuals who love and desire the best for one another. I love that people can feel the spirit when they are around my family. I love that we are different, and that we preach that different is special. I love that my family is guided by the goodness of the gospel, and we know we can weather any storm, if we link ourselves to our Father in Heaven.

I love y'all for reading this! :) I'm truly, truly blessed.

Review of a Discriminating Palate

2010-08-27T05:27:00.000-07:00

While at the store yesterday, surveying the yogurts, B announced, with no lack of conviction, "Don't get the chocolate kind. It is like poop."

There you go, folks. I take that as a firm two-thumbs-down on this product.

Consider yourselves warned.

(P.S. I'm still quietly laughing about this.)

Back to School

2010-08-23T08:13:00.000-07:00

Wow, is this year flying!! T headed back to school last Wednesday. It's been an exhausting experience for her. Bless her heart! She keeps saying, "Second grade is soooo much longer than first grade!" :( Poor baby. It will take some getting used to. But, at least she loves her teacher!! Yea!!

B starts school on the 30th. That's going to be an adventure. I can't wait to see how she loves it. :)

Just a quick update, to let you know a bit of the craziness we are up to lately. I hope you all are having a great end of summer!

Conversation with B

2010-06-18T07:08:00.000-07:00

B and I were cuddling in my bed this morning and she retold me a story.

"Last night, T came in my room when she woke up and she told me to sink [think] about good sings [things]. Not bad sings."

I said, "She did, huh? That was sweet of her."

She nodded solemnly. "But now, I want to draw bad sings."

I drew my eyebrows together, confused. "You want to draw bad things?"

She nodded again. "Yeah!" she chirped. "Monsters biting me and bugs biting me."

"How come?" I asked.

"Cuz I'm not scared! Now where are the crayons? And, Mom, I need lots and lots of pink paper."

Evidently the formula for curing 'fraidyness is a sisterly pep talk and lots of pink paper.

LOL. I love my kids.

Swagger Wagon

2010-05-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

My friend Suzie sent this to me. I thought it was so cute and funny and I love how it celebrates the familial condition. :) Enjoy.

(It cuts off some of it, so for a better view, click here.)

A Little Something for My Girls Out There

2010-05-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday I had the honor of teaching Relief Society. With the pending Mother's Day holiday, I felt impressed (after changing my topic many times) to share the ideas from Sheri Dew's "Are We Not All Mothers?" This is such a wonderful, empowering article, one I hope you will take the time to read.

I also wanted to share, in conjunction with Sister Dew's wisdom, some definitions of a mother. Keep in mind, these are not my definitions, but definitions from an online dicitonary.

A woman who raises (and by this I like to think "edifies, or lifts up") a child (or any person).
A woman who holds a position of authority or responsibility.
Used as a title for a woman respected for her wisdom and age.
A woman who creates, originates, or founds something.
A woman who nourishes, produces, watches over, or protects.

What strikes me, and is Sister Dew's point, is actually giving birth is not necessary to be a mother. What is essential? Being a woman. This power to create, this is ours, and always has been. The awe-inspiring ability to mother lies within each and every woman. So, next week, May 9th, rejoice in the wonder that is the feminine. We are blessed. We are treasured. We are mighty.

Happy Mother's Day, to each and every beautiful, talented, inspiring woman. You are not perfect, no. But no matter what, you are still destined for something great, capable of something uniquely special, just by virtue of being a girl. :) I love you and know you each effect your world for good.

Storms, Rainbows, and Flowers

2010-04-14T08:27:00.000-07:00

I hope you'll forgive me the coarseness of this post. My musings are very crude, and I doubt I'll be able to express this well, but I feel impressed to publish this, even in its unpolished form. I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about life's storms. We all have them. While sitting in the middle of the downpour with the lashing of the figurative wind in our faces, we may often wonder, "Why?"

Fair question, right? Isn't easier to bear something if you know the purpose behind it?

The other day, my B, after giving some flowers their drink, said contentedly, "There, Mommy. Now they are happy."

This perfect little moment, in my opinion, this is the answer to the "why."

Granted, being buffeted by our storms of life is not fun. But it is essential in order to reach that state of "happy." Sometimes there is no other way to get that life-giving "rain" we need in our lives. Sometimes there is no other way to strengthen our roots, to build up our character, to make us stronger vessels. These life storms, like the real days and days of rain we experience this time of year, help us, like all the breathtaking flowers bursting from the ground following all those gray and soggy days, GROW.

This is not always an easy perspective to keep. A goal I've been working toward is, when I'm stuck in the middle of the something hard, to remember that it's for my betterment and good. I work with each new storm to turn my face into the rain, not away from it, because that is the direction of heaven, and heaven is trying to teach and bless me with and through the storm.

And, it's only then, when looking up, that we see those tender mercies, or (following the storm analogy) rainbows, those awe-filled occurrences we get to help us through the storms, those beautiful reminders of good things while we are waiting for the flowers and the happy to arrive.

I've never known a person who doesn't pause, struck by the appearance of a rainbow. There is a beautiful correlation between the appearance of a rainbow in a stormy sky and the tender mercies in our lives. I have never had a dark moment in my life where, if I paused to look, I couldn't find something bright and beautiful in the midst of the bleak. Like T randomly writing me a note telling me how much she loves me, or B running up and hugging me tight and giving me a kiss out of the blue. These moments bolster our souls, make us pause and be grateful, and make the dark clouds fade to the background, even if just for a moment.

I know with certainty as strong as I've ever had it the heaven is aware of us. God loves us, Christ was born, lived, suffered, and died for us. His entire recorded existence He was our champion and provider. We are not alone here. Each life is precious beyond measure, and each life is marked for happiness.

I'm working to learn to dance in my rain and delight in my rainbows a little more everyday. Because I don't know about you, but I want my "happy."

30

2010-01-28T09:13:00.000-08:00

My sweet husband,

Today is your thirtieth birthday.

This milestone is an exciting one, and I'm so grateful I get to experience it with you. Your life hasn't been an easy one, and in spite of that, you willingly jump in where you feel you ought, following me often into the unknown, bringing along your delicious enthusiasm and energy. You have taught me so much about NOT standing outside the fire. It's so fitting that the idea you brought to me when you proposed is one that has followed us throughout our life together.

You are such a good daddy to our girls and husband to me. You are relied on so much by this little family; I don't think you could ever understand how much. Thank you for how you continue to push this family forward into good things.

I love you so much, sweetie.
Happy Birthday.

They Grow Up So Fast...

2010-01-15T18:22:00.000-08:00

My oldest daughter is really into asserting her independence these days. It's so wonderful. Basically this consists of telling me I'm wrong about pretty much everything. Additionally, I get the big bonus of her deliberately disobeying because she doesn't like the rules. Case in point:

The other day, T woke up, and dressed herself in a way too-short skirt. I told her,

6:45 a.m.
"Honey, you aren't wearing that to school today. Go put on some pants."
7:00 a.m.
"T, it's wintertime. That skirt is too short. You aren't wearing it to school. Go change."
7:15 a.m.
"T! Pants!"
7:30 a.m.
"No, it's not okay if you wear it with leggings. Your leggings are too short. No, it's not okay if you wear it with tights. The tights don't make the skirt any longer. Go change."
7:45 a.m.
"T! Are you kidding me that you haven't changed yet? Your pants are downstairs in the laundry basket. Go get them on now!"
7:50 a.m.
I walk into the laundry room. T, at last, is wearing pants, but she's looking sheepish and clutching at her sides funny. I stop her as she tries to sneak past me and pull out the skirt that she was poorly concealing under her shirt. "So, what was the plan? To take your pants off once you get to school?"

She nods.

Seven, folks.

I may just have a meltdown.

Is anyone else COLD?!?

2010-01-09T07:41:00.000-08:00

Wow! I know it's winter, and I know I'm an Idaho-born girl, but MAN! This cold snap....QQ!!! It's gotta break sometime, right? At our house, mornings and evenings look a lot like this:

I'm the short, squatty one in purple and pink. I hate to admit it, but going out to do chores right now is HARD! Poor goats, having to have my frigid fingers on their teats. :( I love that we have snow, and I do love the seasons, but thinking about going outside sometimes just flat-out makes me cringe. I know, I know, I'm opening this wide up for you all to call my pansy, but just in case anyone else is feeling this chill and trying to not cry about it for fear of the tears freezing to their face, I feel ya, and you are welcome to come over for hot chocolate any time.

Way Behind

2010-01-09T07:37:00.000-08:00

Alright, folks, back to reality and finally finding time to blog. Yes! Wow, just got on and realized I still had an autumnal background. Can we say slacker?!? Where my head has been these past two months....whew! But, I'm hoping to get caught up a bit and move smoothly into this new year. Excited for what will come in 2010!

Sadie Update

2009-11-20T04:14:00.000-08:00

I know. She's HUGE (comparatively speaking)! So cute, though, right?!?
Love her!

She Can Be Taught!

2009-11-10T18:07:00.000-08:00

I did it! I learned how to embed! Yes! So, if there was something I promised a video for, and I was lame and couldn't make it work, it should be there now! Have so much fun!

Prepare for Cuteness OVERLOAD! AKA Halloween at the Schwegler House

2009-11-10T16:25:00.000-08:00

Halloween. The crowning jewel of October. We were really excited for the Halloween festivies. T's school does classroom parties and a parade. Our church does a trunk-or-treat/chili cook-off. And of course, the real event.

Thursday before Halloween dawns. T wakes up, and tells me she feels too crummy to go to school.

Uh-oh.

Her school had been doing Red Ribbon Week (anti-drug awareness) all week at her school and that day was "Wear Red Day" and T had the cutest red dress to wear. She was sooo excited. So, to miss it...big deal. Poor baby had a fever, cough, stuffy nose...with all the horrible stuff going around I was worried we were looking at two weeks of illness.

Well, she had to miss "Wear Red Day," her classroom party, the Halloween parade, the trunk-or-treat...I was so sad for her. B got to go to the trunk-or-treat, though! Check out my cute Alexa (she's a princess from Barbie's Diamond Castle. She is missing the perfect crown I found to compliment the costume that somehow got misplaced because someone decided to play with it before Halloween...sigh. But, she still looks way cute.)

We got second place at the chili-cookoff, too! Way cool! Nice work, honey!

Thankfully, T's illness was not the horrible bug I was anticipating and her 103 fever was completely gone Saturday morning. So, she got to go trick-or-treating after all! Yea! Here's my super-cool, way gorgeous Hannah Montana, and Tinkerbell (because B wanted a change, and she can.) Brace yourself for possible cuteness overload. :)

Haunted Barn of Lena

2009-11-09T15:53:00.001-08:00

So, I don't have a single picture of this, but Sam and I decided that after a space of seven years, it was finally time to have a haunted house experience again. So, we rounded up some friends, got a babysitter, and headed off to what is the reputed BEST "haunted" experience in the area.

It was an hour drive both ways, and it wasn't that scary at all, but it was fun. It was great to get out, be with friends, stay up way too late for recreational purposes, and just do something adolescent. :) By the way, this thing had nothing on what they've got in Idaho. But, at least I didn't get grabbed this time. Followed, yes. Grabbed, no. :)

Man, I love October.

Random Fall Delights

2009-11-09T15:44:00.001-08:00

Pumpkin Patch

2009-11-09T15:18:00.001-08:00

I love fall. It is such a fun time of year. I especially love October, and pumpkins, changing leaves, pumpkins, the cooler weather, and pumpkins. And I love pumpkins, too. :) So, going to the pumpkin patch is a total must for me. We had fun going and picking some out with our good friends, petting the cute animals at the petting zoo, watching the kids romp on the hay maze, and eating some yummmmy pumpkin donuts! Good times. Here are some of the shots from the adventure.

I love, love, love this picture.

B was sooooo excited to pull the wagon. It was too, too cute.

T and her sweet buddy, F.

Our haul. Yeah, baby!

On top of the world!!

I also have this darling video of T talking about how pumpkins grow, but it's long, and I still don't know what I'm doing with that. Once I get it figured out, I will add it.

Thanks, C family, for coming with us! We really enjoyed ourselves!

UPDATE*UPDATE*UPDATE*UPDATE*UPDATE

HAHA! I think I've finally got it figured out!! Woot!

Love My Girls

2009-11-09T15:17:00.001-08:00

Half-Time Show

2009-11-09T10:31:00.000-08:00

So, here's the actual cheer clinic performance at the sophomore half-time show. If you knew how much better our sophomore team was than our varsity, you'd realize what an honor it was for these girls to get to perform here.

I love how T is so intent on watching her daddy film her that she's not really paying attention to what she's supposed to be doing. :) She's so stinking adorable. She recently announced that she plans to do this again next year! Yea!

Cheer Clinic

2009-10-26T06:39:00.000-07:00

These are just tiny, but it's something. T is in the row just behind the kneeling cheerleaders, in the brown shirt and pink leggings.

Monster Mash

2009-10-26T05:59:00.001-07:00

My brother-in-law (seen featured as the mad scientist) made us this cute Halloween JibJab and I wanted to share it here. It made me chuckle! Enjoy!

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Birthday Slideshow

2009-10-23T16:18:00.000-07:00

Fwog

2009-10-23T12:15:00.000-07:00

I'm posting these because it was one of those darling moments you just don't want to forget. Insignificant, really, but Just.So.Cute!!

One day, B and I were out picking beetles (yes, one of my favorite activities) and she spotted one of the many toads that live around here. "Mom! A fwog! Catch it!" So, I caught it for her, put it in her hand, it jumped and she yelped and dropped it. "Mom! My fwog! It got away!" So, I caught it for her again, put it back in her hand, and told her to hold it gently, but firmly. She held it for a while longer, then it squirmed away again. "Mom! My FWOG!" Well, you can see how this game could go on for a while. I said, "Baby, the frog needs to go home, I guess. Let him go home." "No, Mom! He's my fwog! Catch him for me!" I said, "You really want him, baby?" She said, "YES!" So, I said, "Well, go get him. Quick! Before he gets away!" You know what? She did!! So cute.

Here's B with her fwog.

Puddle Jumper!

2009-10-23T08:39:00.000-07:00

We get a lot of rain here, and as everyone knows, rain = PUDDLES! B wanted to have me get a video of her jumping, so here we go! She's such a silly bug!

Byron!...Tigers!...WE LIKE IT HOT!!

2009-10-23T08:07:00.000-07:00

Late August or early September (fog-brain. So sorry) a flyer came home from school with T about an upcoming cheer clinic. Well, as per usual, when I asked her if she wanted to participate, I got shut down. I've been trying to decide at this point how hard to push on things. She's so shy, and I want to help her break out more, but I don't want to traumatize her either. I discussed it later with Sam. He said, "Let me talk to her."

Well, he got her to do it!

She did so great and had a lot of fun! Mainly I was just proud of her for being willing to do it. She made lots of friends and has her first Byron Tigers T-shirt, so she's official now! T has this adorable way that she smiles HUGE when she's super-nervous, so sometimes you don't know if she's really enjoying herself, or just scared senseless. I'm pretty sure it was the latter when we came to watch her perform after the morning clinic. But, by the time they performed at half-time at the game a week later, I'm thinking the smile was the real thing!

I'm still working on how to get the video loaded on here (video longer than 15 seconds, that is), so that will follow.

There's something so amazing about watching your child tackle something that's hard for them. Even if they fall on their face (which she totally didn't), just facing that fear...it's a rush for a parent. Watching her in this complete act of bravery made me impossibly proud.

Love you, T! You rock my world! More than U2! :)

Start the Rewind...

2009-10-23T07:15:00.000-07:00

So, nearly a MONTH ago, my sweeties had their birthdays! Yes! It was really cute how T just wanted to have one sweet friend over. So, that's what we did. T had a friend and B had a friend and they just played for hours. Well, T and her friend played, and B and her friend kind of followed them around, but I think everyone really had a good time! :) Thanks, friends (sorry, leave the names out for privacy purposes) for coming to play, and for the great presents! So thoughtful and sweet of you, and we are so glad you are part of our family of friends!!

The next day, we were lucky to have Grandma Deedie come visit and that's when we opened presents!! It was so sweet of her to come and hang out with us for the day. We enjoyed her company very much. Thanks for making the effort! The girls (and Sam and I) loved having you for their special day!

We opened presents and ended up getting lost on our way to our special birthday dinner (Mom should always get a map!!), but it worked out great, because we found a new place that we love! Panino's treated us very well, and we all left with full tummies and plenty of leftovers. Then we went to get Daddy's special surprise (this is a tradition we do every year--the girls each get a gift just from Daddy): a super-yummy vanilla cake with butter-cream frosting for our Princesses! The girls loved that the decorations were rings!

As for the rest of you, thank you for your calls, cards, gifts, and general love and well wishes. It was a good couple of days for everyone. I can't believe my girls are growing up so fast! :*)

Okay, okay!

2009-10-23T06:30:00.001-07:00

So, I got a chiding for never having pics of me on here. So...here you go, sweetie. Hope you enjoy.

My Sexy Handy-Man

2009-10-12T08:22:00.000-07:00

Argh! I'm so behind on this thing!! I had two reasons why I dragged (drug? I done did know my Engrish once) my feet so long about creating a blog. 1) I'd have nothing to say or 2) I'd get so behind I'd want to tear my hair out, and the two people who faithfully follow it (love you, Mom and Dad) would want to tear my hair out, and it would take me two days of straight blogging to catch up!

Well, I don't have two straight days to commit to blogging, so I'm going to have to take it in bites.

But, for today, I just had to brag on my man.

Wow. :)

So, we've taken on some really big projects here at the Schwegler Homestead. For us, HUGE. All totally out of our element. All totally in the category of "learn as we go." All completely foreign with big possibility of failure. (None of these categories are my strong suit, at all.) But, Sam has just jumped right in and been totally amazing with everything. Seriously. He just dazzles me with how he's always planning and improving. Given his stress level and time constraints, the way he's moved and the things he's accomplished...it's nothing short of miraculous.

We've had to overhaul our barns to accommodate all our animals and the ones who will be joining us as our does finish kidding over the next few months. So, what does this mean? Tearing out leaking roofs and re-roofing, building more shelters and stalls, digging holes and running lines for fencing, enclosing our current stalls to protect the animals from the elements, and wiring for electricity for both light and heat. And doing this in October, in Illinois, when your time, light, and good weather are limited...well, that's a challenge, to say the least. (And, if you've ever seen me with a hammer, you know I've been about zero help, despite my best efforts.)

I've watched with swelling admiration as Sam has totally risen to the occasion. I know this may not be as impressive through the pictures (in fact, they don't do justice at all), but I have to record it for myself, and for posterity.

These fixtures? Not there before. And, he didn't just put up the fixtures like he did in our kitchen.

This was just a ceiling fan before. Now? Light! Woo! (Seriously? Who doesn't light their eating area?)

In the barn? He did it all! He pulled the wire and the casings and drilled the holes (and I'm totally unable to use correct terminology) and NOW! Woo! The entire front pasture is lit! It's so awesome! He has no previous electrical experience! None! He's taken this

and several conversations with the very helpful staff at Rockford Home Depot (shameless plug) and Wow! My baby's an electrician!

I'm not gonna lie; I find that extremely hot! (Yes, folks, my husband's handiwork turns me on. Get over it.)

And isn't this cute? Yeah, he built that without plans from scraps in an evening.

And these! I'm so proud of these!! These are the kidding pen, or "birthing suite," if you're fancy, which we're not

and the kid pen (where the babies live after they are born). You can see cute Dexter peeking out there.

They are so cozy and sound! I just love going in here, knowing what it used to be, and seeing how Sam has completely altered it to fit our needs. It's awesome and I'm totally proud.

I love how my husband has taken some aged, under-utilized goats and some worn-down barns, and turned this into something on it's way to being amazing. I never thought I'd ever be a part of anything like this. But watching my husband go, and seeing him succeed in following through with his goals, even though he never saw himself here either....well, that just makes me overwhelmingly proud to be a part of the Rock Chalk Enterprise.

B, Turning Three

2009-09-29T18:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, my funny little B!

What a blessing and cherished addition you are to the Schwegler family!

How fun to have you share your birthday with your big sister. I didn't want it this way. I was really against it. Really. But, so far, you two have been really great with it. You are lucky that your big sis adores you, even though you can be a little pill sometimes. :)

B, you have magic in you. The way you laugh changes people's hearts. Your smile...it's like nothing else. You radiate. You have such a power, surprisingly strong for one so young. You will impact many people in your life through just being you. You already do.

I love seeing how smart you are. You so readily learn, and jump right into the middle of everything like you were born to be there. You have such a mind of your own, which I'm grateful for, even on days when it works against me, because I know it will serve you well. I love how you love to make people laugh, how you love to have fun, how you love to just love life! You are always up for anything and it makes life that much brighter.

I am grateful for you, B. I'm grateful for all the ways you challenge me to be a better mother. I love that you won't accept sub-par attention and care from your parents. You demand what you deserve, and I love that. I hope you never stop expecting people to listen to and respect you. You are a daughter of God, and as such deserve this respect. I love that you make known how you feel, and keep everyone on track. You are a hard-task master, and our family is better because of it.

Thank you for joining our family three years ago, and bringing your light to share. Thank you for the sweet, funny, sparkly girl you are. You light up my days. I love you. I'm grateful for you. And I can't wait to see what comes next.

For T, on Her Seventh Birthday

2009-09-29T17:46:00.000-07:00

Dear T,

You know the story of the day you came into the world. This day, seven years ago, I was lying in a hospital bed, after far too many weeks of being on my back, getting more swollen by the day. I'd been poked, prodded, stuck, examined, questioned, drugged...I'd had better days. Then my doctor came in and told me the pitocin wasn't working, that your heart rate was low, and they needed to get you out. Now.

You were 28 weeks gestation. That's 12 weeks away from the time you should have been born.

Never before have I been grateful for the way my mind freezes in a crisis.

Thankfully, we were in a choice hospital with competent staff. You came out, strong, vibrant, beautiful...and oh, so tiny.

But, I knew, even then, that you would make it, that everything would be fine, because you were a fighter.

My doctor told me how you came out like no other newborn she'd ever seen: with eyes wide open to the world, like you just couldn't wait to take it all in.

You still are like that. You drink in life. I love that so much about you. Your eyes are always so wide open, like you are afraid you might miss something wonderful if you blink. I love the light in those beautiful eyes of yours. I love the happiness and hope I see shining out of your face. And I love the strength I see. You are still a fighter, even if you don't fully realize it yet.

I love the way you waft and dance through my days. You are our nymph, our pixie, our ethereal sprite. You teach me of beauty, and delicacy, and sweetness. You teach me of forgiveness, and love, and loyalty. You teach me of goodness. You, my darling T, are the essence of good. Never lose that.

I'm so grateful for whatever choice or chance let you become my daughter, graced me with the honor to be your mother. I remember holding you as a baby, and having it wash over me that you were a cherished sister in heaven. I had yet to win you, to seal you to me forever. It was a humbling and beautiful moment. I hope I can live worthy to win you, because I cannot imagine my life without you in it.

Happy seventh, my sweetheart. I love you so much, and need you to know on this day with a certainty, that no matter where you go or what you do in life, I love you forever, everyday.

Goodbye, Whitman (This is a sad story. Even if you don't like cats.)

2009-09-07T21:43:00.000-07:00

Whitman officially became a Schwegler as a kitten. He was a surprise for Sam. Though we had our own well on her way (I was pregnant with T at the time), Whitman and Curie (our other kitty I brought home that day) quickly became our babies. We were seriously the people who would talk about our cats to people like they were members of our family. Which, of course, they were. From day one.

He was such a funny little guy. His first day in our home, Whitman sat in the box all day, yowling, because he didn't want to be in the box anymore, but was too scared to come out. If you tried to remove him, he'd hiss like crazy. I cut a little "door" in the side of the box so he could easily come out whenever he was ready. I can still see his gorgeous little face, as he stood there, right in that hole, and cried. It was so sad and crazy-adorable all at the same time.

He's such a sweet-tempered boy. As a kitten, Curie would whip his butt all the time, because she was simply fiercer in nature. But that never stopped him from trying. He would prowl up and jump her from behind, only to be snatched in her front legs while she pummelled him with her back legs. Every time. After she'd beat him good (not really hurting him, of course), he'd finally wiggle away and run into some random hiding place. A little while later, we'd get a replay. He never seemed to get sick of being beat up by a girl. So funny.

Whitman survived moves from Boise to Rigby to Kansas to Michigan (where he lived with Grandma Deedie for three years while we were in school) to Illinois where he rejoined us once we settled in a house again. This was a huge adjustment for him, being around kids again. And this time, we had two instead of just one. And B...let's just say she loves hard. Whitman spent a lot of his day sleeping under the entertainment armoire, where he could be near the family, but no one could really get at him.

As soon as the kids went to bed, I'd take a book out to the couch where he could see me, but wouldn't feel threatened. A few minutes later, he'd join me and we'd have cuddle time. It worked well for us. I mean, really, he's a senior cat, and he'd sleep almost all day anyway, kids or no kids. He'd come out at night and do his romping and snuggling...it was a good system.

And then came Sadie.

She never hurt him. Not once. At times I thought he was getting used to her. And he maybe would have. But she just kept getting bigger. And, the more interesting this ever-growing-canine-giant found the feline of the household, the less we saw of Whitman. He's always been good at hiding.

Well, I'd go in and talk to him, brush him, feed him, take care of his needs. Except one. He wouldn't hang out with the family for more than a few minutes, and he could never relax while he was with us. So, most days, I'd just leave him to hang out on his perch on top of our boxes in the storage room. He seemed content there, and as long as I could see him and knew he was okay, I had to be happy with it. Well, not happy, maybe, but what could I do?

Then Grandma Deedie came for a visit. Seeing Whitman on his perch was very unsettling to her. She told us about her dog Bridgette who was misbehaving in ways she never had before. The catalyst? It seemed Bridgette missed Whitman.

Sigh.

She wanted to take him home with her.

I didn't want to let him go. T didn't want to let him go. B didn't want to let him go. But how do you contend with the possibility of making happy two discontented animals? It just didn't make sense to keep him here.

So, we said goodbye to Whitman.

Right before Whitman had to leave, we shut ourselves up with him, sans Sadie, to give the girls some good cuddle time with kitty. Whether this was beneficial or not, I'm not exactly sure, because once he was in the carrier, T's tears started. And didn't stop. For about an hour and a half. After which she continued to talk about him for the rest of the day. Oh, how that girl knows how to bleed my heart...

When Whitman and his things were all packed up in Grandma's car, we sat in the driveway and pet him one last time. T and I sobbed, as B hollered "Whitman can't go!" over and over. (Man, I felt like a piece-of-crap mom.) I choked out to T through my tears again why we were doing this. She nodded. Of course she understood. She's such a good-hearted, reasonable person. (But, how much does that matter when you are breaking your kid's heart?) She turned her swimming eyes on Grandma and got out, "C-c-can we come visiiiit him soon?" Grandma said, "Of course!" which made T feel a little better. Then we got up, moved out of the way, and watched Grandma drive off with our kitty.

Then we promptly fell on the grass and cried some more. Several minutes, lots more tears, many, many hugs and kisses later, we finally decided we needed some McDonald's. (I'm a terrible mother, soothing my children with fast food, but I'd just gotten rid of a beloved pet. You're a stronger woman than me if you could have said no.)

We're doing okay now, though we miss our Whitman. Take good care of him, Grandma. We'll come and see him soon.

Do Animals Go to Heaven?

2009-09-06T10:04:00.000-07:00

This is a hard day for us.

This morning, when Sam went out to check the animals, he found Georgie laying on his side, rigid and frothing at the mouth.

We went right to work, trying to figure out what could be wrong. But, George was already giving up. We finally concluded he was in the final stages of tetanus, and there was nothing more we could do.

We brought the girls out to say goodbye, as he lay there, struggling to remember to breathe. Taylor asked me if animals go to heaven. This is yet another day, yet another way in which I am grateful for the knowledge of a benevolent Creator who is mindful of all He has made.

We will miss you, Georgie baby.

QQ

2009-08-20T09:56:00.000-07:00

I will not cry. I absolutely refuse to be reduced to tears by a stupid insect.

But, over the MILLIONS that are raping and pillaging my orchard right now, I might just have a breakdown.

Do you see this? THIS is what has been happening in our orchard. When we arrived, Sam and I didn't know a thing about Japanese beetles. I was worried about it (not worried enough to do some research, though. Stupid, stupid, stupid!!), but we didn't have our apple trees yet and didn't know what these disgusting little suckers could do.

Not so sure I'm happy about earning this kind of education.

When we were planting our trees, I freaked out because there were tons of grubs. Sam assured me it would be fine (that man has GOT to stop making statements just to calm me down), and we planted anyway. (Not sure what else we could have done at that point anyway.) Well, now we know that the particular grubs we have turn into these awful, horrible, no-good, very BAD beetles, that are sucking the life out of our trees.

Well, we've gotten to work. We've ordered nematodes, we're finding a supplier for milky spore, and we've had to use insecticide, which we were NOT going to do. Thankfully, we weren't going to be able to use the fruit from this year anyway, but still...IT SUCKS! Plus we have traps (which we have to change almost daily--understand, each trap is a BAG, and when we change them they are FULL of these things!!) and I have the pleasure of going down to the orchard several times a day and plucking the darn things off the plants. You should see the amount of beetles we've collected by hand. It is insane. We have a huge bucket full of soapy water and it gets a little more full of beetles everyday. I kid you not, people, it is crazy.

A word of caution: do not take beetles lightly. Just sayin'.

T's First Day

2009-08-18T06:35:00.000-07:00

Back to school. Back to school. Gotta prove to my child that I'm not a fool. She's got her backpack packed, her shoes tied tight. Please bless her, Lord, to not get in a fight. And don't let me cry, or blubber, or wail. Let me escape the school before my heart can fail.

OH, back to school....

So, my baby is in first grade. (Isn't she gorgeous?) Today, she leaves me for her first whole day. I woke up with a sick heart. Just this awful weight following me around. But, after getting an e-mail from a friend urging me to put things in perspective, and realizing that my scowl couldn't have been helping my girl, I decided to pretend as much excitement as T wouldn't suspect as fake.

It helped. I got her to her school room dry-eyed (both of us) and smiling (both of us). Her teacher seems great, which really helped my heart. I hope T holds to my words about how wonderful she is and how great she'll do and that it's easy to make friends if you act like a friend...

Six more hours to go.

You know, I didn't even cry. And then, in the car, I hear this choked sob come from B in the back. Oh, man.

I'll survive this day. If T can, I can.

Right?

Disease-FREE!!

2009-08-13T14:50:00.000-07:00

Big day for Rock Chalk Goats, folks. Big day. We just found out that our herd is disease-free!!! Whew! We can move forward with life on our little farm as normal. Yes! :)

Being the Goat Lady of Illinois...

2009-08-11T23:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know this picture doesn't include goats. And, I am also aware that I am far from being The Goat Lady of Illinois. So none y'all goat women out there who are so much more advanced and talented than myself get bent out of shape. (I bow to your wisdom. :) This is merely a title bestowed on me by a dear friend.) I just had to share it, because I think it is SO great, and I can't sleep, despite being booooone tired. So, here you go.

Don't they look ecstatic? Ahhhh. I just smile every time I see it. :)

Little Kindness

2009-08-09T14:31:00.000-07:00

My six-year-old made my bed. All by herself. With no one asking. This is not an expectation we have of her or one of her usual chores. She just took it upon herself to do it.

Baby B woke up with a nasty case of the whinies. Oh, my. Every time I turned around it was something. Getting ready for church is...let's just say "challenging" enough for me when the kids are cooperating. Cooperation level for B today: negative 50 might be a kind estimate.

When we were at about T-25 minutes to church and I was still running around with wet hair trying to manage B, T said quietly as I ran past, "I'm sorry you are having such a hard time." Bless her heart. I gave her a quick squeeze and thank you and then ran back into the bathroom to finish B's hair. After a few minutes, I hear the sound of fabric rustling on my bed. I figured someone had just hopped up there and was laying or playing around.

When I came out, there was this beautifully made bed, nearly perfect. You wouldn't believe the mad bed-making skills of this girl! We're talking throw pillows and everything. It looked so nice. I gave her a big hug and told her, "You didn't have to do that, sweetie. Thank you." She said, "I know. I just wanted to do something nice for you."

Man, I love that girl.

OH, WHAT FUN!!! (lame title, but it totally was.)

2009-08-07T08:07:00.000-07:00

I've been getting asked a lot, "How are things at the farm?" Totally natural question, and I appreciate the interest. To answer in one word: BUSY. We're learning a lot, which is fun, but also has us running a lot as we have to do or redo some new thing or get supplies or buy food or groom or treat or test someone...you get the idea. It keeps us hopping. Well, Sam had this week off. It was scheduled before he started working, as we were supposed to vacation in Tennessee this week, but it didn't end up working out for us. So, we had to do SOMETHING vacation-like, but we couldn't really leave town because of the animals, so we took our first "real" break yesterday and went here:

It was crazy fun to watch the kids squeal and laugh and splutter and splash and relax. It was such a fantastic day. It was a relief to not have to do anything but just have fun. My girls love the water like their mama, so it was just too much fun to experience this with them. B braved the "big" slides, which never got old for me, watching her splash to the bottom. T even went on the BIG slides with daddy! That girl! She surprises me with her guts sometimes. She's a lot tougher than she lets on.

Sadly, these are not pictures of my own children, just promotional ones for the resort, because I'm understandably banned from taking the camera to waterparks. Truthfully, I probably would have been too busy to take many pictures. But, this kind of gives you an idea.

See the blue one in the back? That's the one B went down over and over. Pretty impressive, right? By herself!! I wish I had one to show you of what T went down. It was BIG. *Sigh.* My girls are cool.

Fun day. Need more of those.

Some of My Talented Peeps...

2009-08-02T20:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, y'all, just wanted to take a minute and brag on some of the cool people I know. My friend Lora is a genius jewelry maker, not to mention one darn cool chick. Check out her website!! (Oh, and if you haven't yet discovered Etsy, you are very welcome.)

betru2u.etsy.com

(And if anyone wants to buy me a present, I'm in love with "Namaste." Just sayin'. ;D)

Oh! And check out her older site, that still has some really cute, cute stuff, too!

LoraCornellMcKelvey.etsy.com

Simply Silver, Peace on a Ribbon, and the Letter Pendants--Love!

If you haven't noticed Cassidy's blog link to the side, check it out! It's updated everyday, and he often has cool t-shirt and hat designs. Pretty awesome. I got one of these for Sam for Father's Day, which, of course, he loved. They are limited edition, and genius! Get clickin'!

thejcw.blogspot.com

Anna the fabulous just opened up her art shop--way cute! I don't need to say anymore. Just go. Click. Now!

eyecandy4kids.blogspot.com

Christine also has a fun shop, with all cute things baby! Way cute, reasonably priced, handmade, and $1 from each purchase goes to support cancer research.

www.totrags.com

totrags.etsy.com

Marne just rocks my socks! She is the saving guru and amazes me with all her thrifty know-how. Check her out!

wantitall4free.blogspot.com

If anyone has any other fantastic sites, wants to brag on a friend, or even herself/himself, lay it on me!

Have so much fun basking in the bodacity of my acquaintance. :)

Picker-Upper

2009-07-21T12:23:00.000-07:00

Okay. I've kind of been in a stinky mood today and I'm sick of it, so I thought I'd take a minute and blog about some things that make me happy. Of course, the most important and Happiest things aren't things. For starters: my darling, adorable, fantastic, albeit challenging sweetlings. And my handsome husband, whom I wish would hurry home from work so I could kiss his sweet face.

The way Sadie looks when she sleeps. And her snore. Oh, it just warms the cockles of my heart.

Puppy Kisses. Need I say more?

The fact that my cat and puppy can co-exist happily enough to nap together. Sort of. :)

And sorry, I guess I am a material girl, because I have some things that makes me really smile. I've always wanted a steamer trunk, but they are so. stinking. expensive. Hundreds to thousands of dollars, and then shipping...yikes. Hooray for Craigslist!! I found this beauty there and scored it for thiry.five.dollars. WOOT WOOT!!!

(And I know you are all super-jealous of our amazing carpet and killer paneling. Remember, thou shalt not covet, y'all.)

Also, my cellerciser. This thing ROCKS!! I love it. It's the Rolls-Royce of mini-trampolines and I am so happy I have it.

I'm a pretty lucky girl. I'm surrounded by beautiful people and live in a beautiful place. My life is very comfortable, and I have so many things that bring me contentment and joy, so many that this blog post could be much, much longer. But, right now, I'm gonna go play with my kiddos while we wait for daddy to get home.

Goodbye, grouchy. Don't come back now, y'hear?

What's Up, Mom?

2009-07-17T12:24:00.000-07:00

Straying well into the realm of "Mom-Should-Have-Known-Better," I let my youngest have ice cream today, unsupervised. Did it matter that she was at the kitchen table? Nope. (Well, okay. It did a little. I would have been a lot sadder had this happened on my pretty carpet.) Did it matter that her sister was sitting right next to her? Yes, in fact. It makes the story much richer. After watching B spread a lovely chocolate mural all over the table, on the wall, her chair, and dribbling it down her clothes, T finally decided she'd had enough of edible art for the day and came to claim me from my cleaning frenzy (which is what spurred the unsupervised insanity in the first place).

Coming into the kitchen, I find what I should have anticipated. Grabbing a damp rag, I head over to B to begin clean up. The little sweetness looks up at me and says, "What's up, Mom?" "What's up? I'm cleaning up your huge mess, sweetie. What's up with you?" She looks over her work, somewhat chagrined and says, "I'm dirrrrrty."

How do you not laugh at that? These kinds of moments are gifts from God, when your kids make it easy to laugh through the mess.

For My Dad

2009-07-05T19:24:00.001-07:00

Long-Awaited Arrival

2009-07-05T17:36:00.000-07:00

For years, Sam has wanted a Shar Pei puppy. He had one briefly as a teenager, and he's been intent on having one for his family forever. Well, the time has finally come!! We were so lucky to find a family about twenty minutes away who was selling a litter. Yesterday, we brought our angel home. This is Sadie. We love her already. She is so sweet and fun. It's impossible to not laugh out loud at her when she's at play, or stare in awe at how adorable she is when she's asleep. She's a perfect fit.

Pineapple Prize

2009-07-03T12:51:00.001-07:00

Last Friday (June 26) our went to our first branch activity. It was a Luau theme, and the branch members were encouraged to dress up. Don't my girls look darling?

It was fun to get out and get to know a few more members' names and have fun. The girls had a blast. The surprise of the evening was when we as a family got third place in the costume contest. This lovely Certified Organic Pineapple was our prize. Fun, huh?

Meet Herman

2009-07-03T12:20:00.000-07:00

This is Herman.

Herman the Turtle. Herman was kindly left behind by the previous owners. He graces our flower beds...or, well, at least he used to. Now he pretty much ends up wherever B leaves him, after she drags him around for a while. Herman has become B's special outdoor friend. She loves him. And so, because of this, I love Herman, too.

Thanks, Herman, for making my little girl so happy whenever she's around you.

Our Petting Zoo

2009-07-02T12:52:00.000-07:00

Today, I want to introduce to you our barnyard family.

Meet Daisy. She's was the first lovely rabbit addition to our Illinois family. She delivered her first litter of bunnies on Monday. She's a sassy lady, and a great mom. She had ELEVEN gorgeous babies, and is fiercely protective of each one.

Liana also kindled Monday, just a few hours after Daisy. She struggled quite a bit. We kept finding her babies in various places throughout the day. Three survived, but we decided they would do better being fostered. On a side note: Liana really can't stand me. She has this funny quirk where she'll stamp her back foot every time I get near her. She actually seemed to get over it, though, while I was helping her with her babies. We'll see if it lasts.

Charlotte. Isn't she gorgeous? She kindled yesterday. Seven pink little babies. She and Daisy are sharing the responsibility of Liana's survivors. She is also a very protective mom, which we love to see. We'd rather get nipped at than having babies not making it any day.

This is B.J. Cute, huh? I call him the Slinky Rabbit, because he can shrink or expand himself at will. He's really not this small; just camera-shy. He's still really young, so he hasn't come into his "buck" own yet, but we've got our fingers crossed.

Moving to the residents of the western side of the barn...

Our goats.

I never expected I'd have a goat. Never really cared for goats much. Sure, I got a kick out of my kids chasing them around at the petting zoo, but I never felt any sort of pull to take one home. Not even close. And now....

It started as needing a companion animal for our cow. Sam brought it up several times, but I vetoed. I really didn't want a goat. They've always bugged me, and as it wouldn't be a real asset to the farm (we tried goat's milk from Wild Oats--Taylor loved it, but everyone else...pretty put off), I wanted to find another option. We went back and forth on the subject for a while. After weighing our options, we decided it was the best way to go. We found a very nice woman selling Nigerian Dwarf goats on craigslist for reasonable price, so we went to go take a look.

First let me say, my girls were on cloud nine at this place! Dogs, ponies, goats, horses, bunnies, kitties, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys--the ultimate hobby farm. (Thanks, Chris, for your kindness in getting us started!) We tried her milk while we were there and seriously, it was awesome! Could tell no difference between it and cow's milk, except goat's milk is a bit sweeter and richer. We still don't know why it was so different, but it sold us. So, we brought home two: Tina and Angel.

Tina is a funny goat. She's a sassy old broad who doesn't take crap from anyone. She is one of the Original Three of the herd. She loves dandelions, head-butting Angel, and pooping wherever and whenever she pleases, thank you very much.

Angel is exceptionally deserving of her name. She is wonderfully patient and sweet. She loves being petted and brushed. She has this darling face she gets, where she'll cock her head to the side and look at you like she'd do anything for you. I love this Angel Face.

After that, things somehow starting getting out of hand. I found myself milking these goats, everyday, and liking it. Then Sam decided we needed to have more so that we could always have milk, and then we needed to get our own buck, so we could keep our does pregnant, and then we had to get certain ones, because we needed to get the herd registered, and then we had to take more because one couldn't be without the other, and then we had to take the last two, because they were the last two....

And now we have ten.

This darling girl is Zoe. She is Angel's mama, and shares her sweet temperament. Except when she wants oats, attention, or some lovin' from the buck. She makes me laugh, because her outburst of "ornery" are always so unexpected. She is another of the Original Three.

Meet CoCo. She's our Grande Dame of the herd, the oldest of the bunch, the leader from the Original Three. I wish she'd let me love on her, but she doesn't trust me quite yet. We'll see if we get there.

Anora. CoCo's daughter. Gorgeous. Still trying to gain her trust, too, but I think T is really helping that along. Anora's our best milker.

Snow: Anora's sister, CoCo's first born daughter. We believe the leadership torch has been passed down the line. She seems to be the second in command to CoCo. Sam thinks Snow is now the Alpha. I think CoCo's still got it. :)

Pepper. Tina's daughter. Ornery like her mama. We think she's pregnant, fingers crossed!

Jasmine. GORGEOUS! Jazzy is our hope for a beautiful and sweet herd in the future. She is so fun and darling. We all love her.

George. What a funny kid he is. He can be so irritating (because he is unbelievably loud), but he's so cute and lovable, you can't resist him. He and Jazzy were a package deal. They are so fun, like gangly puppies.

And finally....

Wash. Our buck. Check out those blue eyes! And, you gotta love the Superman curl. (I know, right?!?) In spite of all this, Wash is one of the most disgusting creatures I've ever encountered. But, he makes cute babies!

So, I would imagine you've gathered that I'm enjoying myself. I can't help it! They really are fun. And, it's actually pretty darn cool that I don't have to run to the store for milk every other day. Why is that again? Oh, yes. Because I milked that bottle full of fresh milk with my own two hands. Uh-huh. :)

Stand in the Place Where You Live

2009-06-24T15:38:00.000-07:00

Growing up, my home was couched amidst mountains and fields. I was the happy product of "village" living, my home "town" not even boasting a gas station. It was, and remains, beautiful. I didn't grow up on a farm per se, but loved being surrounded by the crops grown by my grandfather, father, and the many other farmers in the area. I even loved working in harvest every year. Truly, my time spent in the fields of my youth are cherished memories.

But, I swore I'd never marry a farmer.

I don't remember distinctly why; I think it was primarily due to the dependence on the weather and the stress I remember feeling year after year as words like "drought" and "blight" seemed to be on the tongues of every one around. It was something I never wanted to have to deal with once I grew up.

And, I did not marry a farmer.

However, as my husband and I have developed our idea of what we want, and what we feel the Lord wants from us as a couple to provide for our family, we have found ourselves in some increasingly interesting situations. Rarely have we made the obvious choice. Frequently we have chosen something "less" than what we could have gotten. But, we've always been rewarded. Well rewarded. Always. And that is why, instead, as everyone expected, of going back to this:

We are enjoying this:

We are still unaware of all the reasons we were directed here, but we are grateful for one: FIVE ACRES. What?!? Yes. All these years later, I've come to the realization that, in spite of being at the mercy of the elements, one facet of true independence comes from working your own land. So, here we are in a place we never imagined ourselves, preparing to join the Modern Homesteading Movement. It's overwhelming some days, but we are really excited. We got here too late in the year to plant summer produce, but we'll be able to do fall, and we're eager to get that going. We have the beginnings of our orchard ready to be planted this weekend, and next spring, hopefully we'll begin our garden full force, as well as our grain crop.

In addition to the fruits and veggies we look forward to nurturing, and having nourish us in return, we are raising animals. Lots of them. What started on a small scale has become...quite a project. I'll have to post on that later, because right now I have to go muck out the barn. Hahahaha.....I know how that sounds. But, you know, I'm really okay with it. Bizarre, huh?

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T19:28:00.001-07:00

Look at my cute husband and kids. Wouldn't you think I have everything? I sure am a lucky woman. I'm so grateful for my darling husband. The two of us have been through a lot. A Lot. And I feel so blessed that I can feel, literally sense, our bond growing, our sealing becoming stronger, our partnership twining into something deeper as the years move on.

He is such a great support to me. He has taught me so many things about who I am, good and bad. He had strengthened and encouraged me to develop the good things, and helped me work to overcome the bad. His laughter, his common sense, his happy smile, his generosity, his ability to work hard and keep cool in stressful times...all these and so many more make it easy to love him.

As for being a daddy...my girls are so lucky. He is such a good "girl dad." I love that he's always been willing to take the promptings from me when the girls need to hear from their daddy that they look nice or some other "girl" need that maybe a man wouldn't see right off. I love how he is the best coach ever. If something needs to be taught, he is by far the best at it, because he has unlimited patience and can explain things in many different ways. And, he doesn't let you give up. With him cheering you on, you don't want to. He blesses our family in so many ways.

I'm grateful for this day in which we can celebrate the wonderful men in our lives. It's hard to be a man. It's hard to be a daddy. I'm so grateful to all those righteous men out there who have chosen to take this path, who take it seriously, and truly raise up their children and families. These are the men who will move mountains. These are the men who will change the world. Thank you for your efforts. I promise they do not go unnoticed.

Things I Enjoy About My New Home

2009-06-19T19:45:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share a few things around here that make me smile.

The Local Water Tower

Gorgeous Flowers from Our New Yard

A Few Garage Sale Scores:

Taylor's "Rock Star Boots" that She Got for Free

This Darling, Purring Lion: $1

"Magical Unicorn, Rainbow-Colored with Glowing Horn" (I didn't make that up, it sings that. Over and over.): $4

(ECSTATIC CHILDREN: priceless)

I've Earned the T-Shirt

2009-06-18T13:05:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited and relieved for as well as proud of my hubby today! He's officially earned the right to don this: Or this:

Because he's totally, completely legally certified to do this:

Which pretty much equates to this:

HaHa! Just kidding. It's much less painful than that. But, as of today, my husband is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. So, be nice to him. He may just put you under one day. :)

This has been a long road, and we are so happy to be at the end of it and starting down a new one. Thanks to all of you who offered continual love and support through this process of schooling. We are looking forward to what comes next!

Choosing Your Path

2009-06-15T20:02:00.000-07:00

One night when I was in college, I was walking home from work. It was late, dark, and snow blanketed the ground. As I passed through a virtually empty parking lot, my footsteps were the first to mar the pure white. For some reason, I was thinking about how tiny changes can completely alter where one ends up. I looked up ahead of me, trying to paint a firm picture in my mind of where I needed to go to get home. Then I closed my eyes. I walked for several paces, then took a look at where I was compared to where I ought to be. I was very far from my designated path. I hadn't been walking long, and there was nothing interfering with my finding a familiar way, except my eyes were closed.

Being where we are in life right now...let's just say, we wouldn't have brought ourselves here. But, recognizing that in the Larger Scheme of Things, our human eyes are pretty much closed already, we decided it would be best to be guided by the eyes that see all: those of our Father in Heaven. And, you know, even though I would have never, ever figured on being here, making plans for the kind of life my dear husband and I are planning to build, I feel so at home. I still have boxes to unpack. I still have flowerbeds to tame, old bills to pay, and mail to have forwarded, but I feel complete here. I know our family is where we are supposed to be right now. And that brings me comfort every day.

Thank you for being here as we start this new adventure. We are so excited to share with you our triumphs and toils. We love you all.

Let the games begin!