Hummingbird Garden

We celebrated Abigail’s 6th birthday this week. I’m amazed at how fast my children are growing right before my eyes.

My big girl

Pure excitement at the approaching cake

Abigail is an avid animal lover. She is very good with all of our farm animals and is always trying to catch wild animals to observe and try to care for. We considered getting her a small pet for her birthday, but decided instead to help her put in a hummingbird garden. Ever since she went over my mom’s house a few months ago and fed the hummingbirds out of a hand-feeder, she’s been fascinated with wanting to try that herself. It takes a great deal of patience to sit very still outside over a period of days, weeks or months to get a hummingbird to trust you enough to do that. However, the first step is putting up a feeder or planting a garden to see if there are even any hummingbirds in the area.

She was thrilled with the idea! We looked up the types of flowers that attract hummingbirds in her new hummingbird book and then went to the nursery to pick a few of them out.

We purchased a feeder for her to hang up, too.

She worked really hard to put all of her new plants in and then watered them like a good gardener would do. Since we couldn’t afford to purchase all of the different types of flowers this year, Abigail decided that early next spring she will start some of the other species indoors. Seeds are so much more affordable than full grown flowers and there will be no limit to the different kinds or the amount that she can grow herself!

 

 

The day after she planted the flowers and hung the feeder, she already had visitors to her little garden.

 

We’ve been enjoying their visits every day since. Hummingbirds are such fascinating creatures and so much fun to watch!

 

Hopefully, at some point Abigail will be successful at hand-feeding her hummingbirds just like Grandma!

Girl #3

It looks like girl #3 will be joining our family this fall!

Will you please pray for this little one? Last week during an ultrasound, the technician found a fluid-filled area in her abdomen. After examing it further, the doctor has basically ruled out a tumor (as it would be a solid mass, not fluid-filled) or a distended bowel. He believes that the most likely scenario is that she has an ovarian cyst. We have decided not to do an MRI or anything at this point. I’ll have another ultrasound in 2-3 weeks, and if the area has grown, we’ll consider an MRI at that point.

We know that our little girl is in God’s capable hands. Please pray that she will continue to grow properly and that Dan and I will be able to make wise decisions regarding this matter. Thank you!

Spring country days

It’s been such an eventful week. After Dan returned from a 4-day business trip, we enjoyed visiting with different family members and friends, eating lots of yummy food, going to various garage sales, and having people over. One of the highlights of the week was when the girls had the opportunity to hand-feed the hummingbirds that live near my mom’s house. I wish I had been able to get a picture of it!! The delight on their quiet, still faces (you have to sit still like a statue to feed them) was so great! Another highlight was getting to see my little sister in one of her very rare homecoming visits! After a busy week and weekend, we’re back to our regular home life. It’s such a comfort to be all together again at home.

Our life seems so full here on our little farm these days. I hate to say “we’re so busy”, because it’s not busy in a bad way. We’re not stressed out with all the things we’re doing, but we don’t really have time to sit around looking at each other either.

We became the (unanticipated) new owners of 5 one-week-old baby turkeys this past Sunday.

We’ve discussed the possibility of raising turkeys within the next year or so, but these ones were available and needed a home. It’s been a bit of a scramble to get them all set up in their new home. Thankfully, we still have all of our chick brooder stuff stored away, so we had to get it out and set it all up. The next step was pulling out the book on raising turkeys and figuring out what we’re supposed to be doing with them! These particular turkeys should be to full size by early fall – just in time for Thanksgiving. I think that will be so neat to raise our own Thanksgiving turkey!

In addition to learning about our new birds this week, we also have another big task – putting our garden in! It’s finally warm enough to put our poor plants out into the ground. They have grown so large in their indoor flats that they are drooping out everywhere. It’s as though they are saying, “let us out!” Dan is outside tilling a few areas of our big garden as I type and then the girls and I will get out there and transplant as much as we can until Jonathan wakes up from his nap. Somehow, I don’t think that an 18-month old boy and little baby plants would mix very well.

We’re also trying an herb/kitchen garden this year. Dan tilled up an area for me in front of the house so I can run outside and get something quickly if I need it for cooking. Here is a picture of it – empty so far:

Here are a few other pictures I took this week during our spring country days:

Country breakfast in the sunshine

 

Strawberry smile

 

 

 

 

Thank you for stopping by to visit with me today!

Sickness

Sickness.

I’m thankful for it.

Sometimes sickness forces me to stop – not pause – but come to a complete standstill.

Today I had to lie abed, pain throbbing, shivering, stuffy head, vocal chords defunct. All I could do was lie there and look around.

I saw today.

My eyes drank in baby brother snuggled close to big sister in the reading corner to hear the words of one board book, then another, and another. No one directing this activity, no one suggesting it.

I saw middle sister kneel at our prayer couch and call “time for prayers, Jonathan!” because Mommy was not able to utter a word.

I saw obedient little feet running when I clapped my hands or snapped my fingers to bring my voiceless command to their attention.

When I could no longer see for having to squeeze my eyes shut because of an excruciating headache…

…I heard.

I heard “…then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee; How great Thou art, how great Thou art…” floating in from another room in the voice of an almost 4-year old

I heard the sweet words “poor Mommy” whispered close as they passed my way on their various destinations around the house.

I heard the soft snoring of stuffy little noses during naptime, when I myself was forced to be silent.

(I heard more silence today than I’ve heard in a long time. Could it be me? Could I be the one raising the noise level in the house with my constant direction?)

Today I felt.

Not just the strains that this illness was placing on my physical body…

I felt sweet, tiny movements all day long. Usually I’m running to and fro so much that I don’t feel many little flutters at this stage of pregnancy. However, today, each tiny kick was a sweet “hello”.

I felt little arms around me as one child after another paused to hug me to try and make me feel better.

I felt my children close as I, in turn, gave hugs of comfort to my little sickies. I felt their nearness more than I usually take the time to.

Although my sense of smell was absent, I was still able to taste things. Things that I need to taste – over and over with each illness I experience.

I tasted helplessness.

I tasted pain.

I tasted dependence.

Sickness has a way of bringing me to my knees. Frailty and weakness have their moments to shine. To care for my family when I feel so awful feels impossible without God strengthening me.

To taste pain gives the gift of empathy for others who suffer chronically.

To taste dependence is sometimes elusive for this over-achiever.

Today, for some reason that I am thankful for, I was given insight into the opportunities I had.

To see,

to hear,

to feel,

to taste…

…what wonderful blessings, indeed! 

Spring Walk

I can’t help but be drawn outside on the first warm spring days. I’d rather get up really early or stay up late after the sun has gone down to do my work than stay inside during the most beautiful part of the day. Remember our fall and winter walks together? How would you like to come outside and walk with me as I spend some time with the girls in the beautiful creation?

First we have to stop and visit my favorite tree in the front yard. It only blossoms this brightly for about 3 or 4 days, then the blossoms fade to a dull pink. We don’t visit for too long because the bees aren’t very friendly!

Iliana pauses to drink in the sweet fragrance

Abigail takes one of the thousands of dandelions that dot our yard and helps some seeds begin their journey.

The girls love a cozy corner, and I catch them peeking out at me from one.

Abigail shows me how her little sunflower plant is starting to pop out of the dirt.

As we come up through the front yard toward the goat barn, we walk nice and close to the lilacs…breathing in….breathing in…

 Stopping to rest in the shade, the girls play peek-a-boo

Abigail fills her lungs with the fresh air while Little Guy grazes.

Where will you find me at 7:00AM every morning?
In my cozy little milking corner in the barn

We walk past Rex who is enjoying the spring breeze

Abigail looks down into her bucket full of treasures…

…near some old abandoned birdhouses.

Time to walk Rex and check on the chickens…

It’s a bit of a walk down to the green door…

Abigail’s Chicken Report: “I think one of the hens has gone broody!”

Time to play under the apple trees for awhile.
Iliana loves to climb the ladder.

My girls are growing so big – I can’t believe it!

The apple trees are just about ready to burst into their white blooms…

Abigail wants to touch the sky!

On our way back, we let the chickens out to run around and scratch. Then we dash back to the house before the rooster decides to chase us!

Rarely can I start out for a walk around my backyard in a bad mood and return in the same spirit. Seeing the wonder and beauty in the creation around me always puts things into perspective. People often comment to me that “the country is such a great place to raise children“, but you know what? I think that living in the country is great for adults, too! Being close to the natural world teaches many lessons and brings much joy.

Thanks for joining us on our spring walk!

Just Like Daddy

I’m sure that all mothers of boys have witnessed this same thing I’m about to to talk about, but it’s the first time I’ve been able to witness it, so I’m going to talk about it.

I am fascinated at how Jonathan imitates everything that Dan does. Once in a while, my girls would try and do something that Dan did. Jonathan, however, wants to be just like Daddy. He copies Dan’s mannerisms, habits, and way of walking. He follows Dan around and attempts to do every chore or activity that Daddy does.

It’s amazing the detail of Dan’s mannerisms that Jonathan pays attention to. Sometimes I catch him doing something that I didn’t even realize that Dan was doing. I wonder to myself “why is Jonathan standing that way with his leg crossed?” and then look over to see Dan doing it, too. If Dan sits on the couch with one arm up over the pillow, you can bet that Jonathan is doing the same. He does it so nonchalantly, too, as though it were the most natural thing in the world for an 18 month old to sit on the couch with one arm stretched way up high on top of the pillow.

Dan is his favorite person. Every morning when he wakes up, he wants to know where Dan is. If I tell him that Dan is at work, Jonathan goes “vroom, vroom” (meaning that he left in his car) and he’s OK with that.  But as soon as Dan walks through the door in the evening, Jonathan is the first one who flies into the room yelling ”Daaaaaaaaaaa-dee!!!”

It’s sobering to Dan to realize how closely Jonathan watches him and gives him an even greater impetus to be a good example for him.

To me, though, it’s a source of joy and entertaiment all day!

I came around the corner the other night before the children’s bedtime and here’s how I found Jonathan. He had grabbed Dan’s work lunch backpack and put on a pair of Dan’s work shoes. He was going to work, like every responsible man should do:

Goodbye Mommy!

See you tonight!

“Umm…I could use a little help with this door…”

Quiet

I’ve been so quiet here at my blog.

There’s usually one reason why this happens. It’s because I’m feeling overwhelmed in my real life. And that has been the case here with me in the past month or so. Things that had been going well just aren’t all of the sudden. Our daily schedule, which was working great, all of the sudden deteriorated. The obedience of my children was going pretty well, and lately alot of the work has become undone. I’ve found myself staying up later and later just so I have time to feel like a sane person while there’s peace and quiet in the house, which is not good since I need my rest now more than ever.

I’m not sure why things have deteriorated so. I think part of it has to do with my being so sick through the first trimester of the pregnancy. Discipline and structure kind of fell by wayside while I tried to just survive – doing the basic necessities like feeding and dressing the children. Another part of it has to do with Jonathan getting older and how he fits in with the family dynamics. Up until now, he has been a very laid back, calm baby. Then all of the sudden, he wants to do things his way, and he does not want anyone – his sisters least of all (!!) telling him what to do. He has become what I like to call a “screamie- meemie”. In addition to the additude problems, he has become much more agile and is coming up with the most amazing ways of getting into mischief.

If you know my other children personally, add a screaming little troublemaker to the mix of my already hyperactive middle girl and my “I’m-the-second-mother” older girl, and you’ve got stressful days just waiting to happen come every sunup.

With the addition of the extra outdoor chores, my routine has become even more packed and I, in turn, have become more stressed out. I’ve been used to doing things the same way for the 6 years that I’ve been a mother. Some of these ways don’t really work very well with more than one child in the house. Instead of re-thinking new ways of doing things, however, I’ve just continued to struggle to fit my life into the same old pattern/schedule/way. And every day I’ve felt like I’ve been butting my head up against a wall.

Finally, last night, I had a breakdown when Dan asked me what was wrong. “You look a little stressed out”, he said. “A little?!?!?!?!?!?!” When he finally got me to tell him what was wrong and it all came tumbling out, he listened patiently. Then he made some practical suggestions as to how I could restructure our day differently. These weren’t life-shattering ideas, but ones that I hadn’t thought of before. (You mean I don’t always come up with the perfectly grand ideas myself?!?!)

While we were talking, I started to come to a realization:

I’ve had this idea in my head of how things should be (in my perfect little schedule or scenario) that doesn’t coincide with how things really are.

Dan reminded me that I have to work within the realm of reality - where my children are actually at right now. I don’t have three older school-aged children who know how to do most things themselves. I have a toddler who needs some extra training right now. I have a child who has some handicaps that I’m still learning to work with and around.  He reminded me what the top priorities are with the children and how I can let other things go.

I guess that sometimes it takes someone else to give you a different perspective on things. I’m so thankful that I have a partner in this parenting journey who can give me encouragement and fresh ideas when I need them. Dan asked me one more thing. “Is anything too hard for God?” 

Am I relying on my own strength to make things work around my home? Although I know (academically) that I should be relying on God to help me with the daily struggles, I do have the tendency to lean on my own aptitude to get things done. After all, I’ve never had a problem getting things done before! I was a straight-A student all through school, earned a music degree that entailed all sorts of rigorous examinations and performances, ran my own piano studio business, etc, etc. So why shouldn’t this part of my life be easy, as well?

Raising three unique, precious individual children is definitely the most intense challenge that I’ve yet to face in my life. I really can’t do it (successfully) on my own. After all, isn’t that what the verse says that the children and I are memorizing for this week?

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

John 15:1, 5

Guess what? Today, with the help of Dan’s practical ideas and the Lord guiding my actions, I am full of hope that things can get better around here.

And then maybe it won’t be so quiet around here anymore.

New baby and spring photographs

Gabby gave birth to one little buck last Thursday and things have since changed a bit around here. Adding the chores of milking Gabby and bottle feeding the baby to my morning and evening routine has proved to be a bit challenging. It’s kind of like adding a new baby to the family. We’re going through a period of adjustment as we work to settle our new routine. As I sat there milking Gabby on the 2nd or 3rd day, I thought to myself “What have I gotten myself into? I now have to do this every single day, morning and night, without fail -  for who knows how long!”

I know that I will get into the routine and it won’t seem like a big deal after awhile. I just have to think about the healthy milk that we will be drinking soon!

If you’ve never been around a baby goat, you are missing some of the best “cuteness” in the whole creation. They are so entertaining. Right from the first day, they love to run around and play. Little Guy (that’s what we call the buck, for now) will be standing still and then just spontaneously start practicing his jumps. Watch him chase the girls around:

We’re having lots of fun with him!

Here are a few pictures that I took over the past week on our little homestead:

 Goat meets Cat

 Feeding the baby

 Jonathan’s first tractor ride

 Clearing the back pasture

A real big helper!