Dirt, dirt beautiful beautiful dirt!

Wesstin sitting in the goat pen

Sweet wesstin in the pasture waiting for a turn on the bike

For all of us here in Idaho you know it has been wonderful weather. Especially yesterday. I love when you touch a car and you feel warmth flowing from it, finding little buds on trees and tulips ready to bloom. The birds have been singing their cozy little morning songs which adds life to the sunrise itself. I just love the waking up feeling of spring. Stevan spent the day rototilling up the garden for the second time and will probably do it once more before we plant. The dirt ,or as Brendon very correctly told us the soil, ( which to me sounds so much more life giving and rich ) looks wonderful. Deep dark wonderful life provoking soil. Wesstin and I spent quite a bit of time out there dipping our bare feet in it. The warmth was soaking in there too. It was a reassuring day that spring and summer fun is upon us. Just love it! It's fun to look at the blank slate of fresh tilled dirt and know that it will provide our home with fresh luscious vegetables and fruits all summer long. Into winter to if I can and freeze. It's my little patch of heaven. I love all the family time we spend out there in our little rectangle. The boys learn so much and have so much fun planting and watching creation bloom before their eyes. Stevan and I feel so blessed to able to give them the type of life they have. Their fortunate boys. Watching them ride their dirt bikes in the pasture, play soccer in the yard, watch goats be born or learn how to milk gives a parent a solid good feeling knowing your giving your children something. Something they will be able to carry with them their entire lives and I know it will help them all along the way. The small lessons I probably have no clue their even getting just from getting to grow up on a little, tiny farm. (Of course Brendon informed his friend who asked "do you like living on a farm?" " We don't live on a farm, it's just a house with barns that looks like a farm." ) I pray their roots run deep and their foundation always be sturdy. I get excited to hear what things they'll really remember later in life.

Our new puppy Gunner (above) Missy our other farm dog (below)

the new cow cannon

Speaking of our little farm we have had some new arrivals and departures. Starting with the cow. We raise our own beef. March was the month to take Frank in and bring Cannon home. Little did we know Cannon would fire out of the trailer and keep going for 3 pastures. Thank goodness for our neighbor who ropes!! Her boyfriend came and roped our cow drug him back home and got him in a pen. WOW it was a stressful afternoon. The boys loved it though they said it was the best rodeo ever because it was free and at thier house. So cute! We all on the other hand were so glad when it was over and we could drink a beer. (= a much, much needed one by then. My goats had their babies. We have an iodine defeciancy going on this year. IT's a sad sad thing. My first babies just had swollen glands under the chin which cleared up. My next goat went into labor and I'm so thankful my mom was here. We could see something was going on little funky but weren't sure what to do, well it became clear we were going to have to help. I've helped kinda just pull along with the mama when babies coming out but this very very different. I'm not sure I could've done it. My mom had to reach in and grap the little foot which was all we could see. It looked really big she had to pull really hard and nothing was happening. It's getting really scary and stresssful at this point. You just feel helpless. She then reached up and found the head which was very large so we thougt. We both finally started pulling and got the baby out. It had immense iodion deficiancy. It's neck glands were so swollen it basically had three heads and that is why the poor mom could not get it out. I'm so glad we were at least here. The poor baby never got one breath it was to swollen to do so. SO sad. It's days like that you promise your done and never want to do this again. I was so proud and amazed by my mom. I couldn't believe how she stayed so calm and just did what had to be done. I on the other hand cried a little and then went and dug a hole for the baby. You start to feel a little better the next day and after talking with my wonderful friend Vicotria whom I got my goats from. She has A lot of goats and has seen a lot of different things she's always their to hand out advice and words of encourgment and comfort. Grand total for this breeding season is a doe and buck. Wesstin just loves them.

speaking of wesstin that stinker can open the door now. Life's always interesting!

My goofball