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I was in the kitchen cleaning up after breakfast this morning when Isaiah came in and said he had a question for me. It was one of those times that I got the feeling that I needed to stop and listen. He asked, "What is a sinner?" I answered and he listened. It's just wonderful to see God working on his heart. |
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The last 1 ½ hours has been torture for Garrett (and us). He was eating his cereal when he realized his tooth was hanging by a thread. Poor child, he takes after his momma; he gets weak at the sight of his own blood, teeth falling out, etc. After resolving never to eat again, he decided to let me numb it and pull it. It was so loose he didn’t even realize when it came out. But the best part was he immediately turned from a pitiful, dying-of-pain child to the smiling, joyful child I know. Only 10 or so more teeth to go.
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Today started off the normal way… wake up, go to the bathroom, get my bible, read, feed everyone breakfast, clean up from breakfast, figure out which of 25,000 items on my to do list I’m going checkoff today, get me and the kids ready, send them out to buckle up in the car as I gather everything that needs to go, watch as a creature passes by my kitchen window, WHAT!?! Now my heart's racing, because I only saw the backside of the animal and it was as large as a calf and where there’s a calf, a mama cow might be and my kids were outside, alone!!! I dashed outside yelling, “There’s a wild animal, get in the car and close the door!” (It was the fastest thing I could think of to say and luckily Virginia and Isaiah were already in the car, only Garrett was still out, because he was feeding the dogs. I was wondering a little later why there was water spilled all over the garage.) Then, suddenly the wild animal turns the corner of the garage and it’s a, drum roll please….goat! It’s a nanny goat, no kids and an udder VERY full of milk! You’ve got to be kidding!? (No pun intended.) She came right up to me and was very happy to let me pet her. I let the kids get out of the car and we just stood there petting her in complete amazement. Where’s the Candid Camera? She had a tag on her ear, but after checking with a vet, then a friend, then Animal Control, it appears that this tag doesn’t mean much. I told Animal Control we’d keep her if no one claims her, to which I believe they were grateful to allow me to do. One less animal for them to figure out what to do with. A friend was teaching me what she knew about various farm animals and helping me to learn from her mistakes. One of the things that really sunk in was her saying that she regretted getting any animal before she had everything set up (fencing, shelter, food, etc.). I had been reading books and internet material, sorting things out in my head, but hadn’t started preparing for the first animal. Actually, the kids were in the car because we were planning on getting chickens first and we were going out to buy materials to make a chicken coop. Oh how fast plans can change!!! |
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Isaiah just came to me with 2 'chocolate sticks' in hand asking if he and Virginia could have them to eat. I told him he could, but that he had to let me take a bite. No problem, he gladly gave me one, I took a bite and handed it back to him. He looked at it and quickly stated, "That's Virginia's". |
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I have many thoughts about possible additions to our upcoming farm, like a few turkeys, ducks, even maybe a sheep or two, (we'll try our hand at the spinning wheel), but another dog?! Well, the more I read, the more I see the necessity for a Great Pyrenees to be added into the list of farm requirements. I had no idea there was a dog that would protect a herd of goats and chickens and whatever else you want to throw at it. And they are quite beautiful dogs, so I guess we'll be looking into them, too. It's really kinda cool to learn how animals function together to make a farm work. Soooo much to learn. |
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Yesterday Virginia painted a beautiful picture of flowers for me. She proudly held it up and showed me her beautiful 'Tulihoops'!
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YAY!! I finally got up the nerve to propose the farming idea to David and he said yes! Well, there's still a LOT of reading to do and preparing before we can have much of anything. There's a chicken tractor to be built and fencing and shelter for the goats...Oh, and did I mention a cow? Yeah, we want one of those, too. That will come later. Right now, we are going to get the goats and chickens started and get adjusted to their schedules. Besides, we have to have pasture for a cow and though Daddy said Granny (my great grandmother) had a cow tied in her yard, I don't think I'm ready for backyard cow patty bingo. Here's the biggest shocker...David said a lady at one of the jobsites he was working on last week asked him what he would like to do if he wasn't working with computers, and he told her farming! So what does our architect have to do with it? Seven years ago, when we were drawing up plans for our house, he labeled it 'a modern farmhouse'. In my head, I laughed! I didn't think it looked anything like a farmhouse? But, it's only a name, so I didn't care what he called it. We'll it may not look like the stereotypical, old-fashioned farmhouse, but it IS going to be a farmhouse after all.
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I don't know who was more excited, me or the kids! Poor guys, they had been coming up to me every day and asking, 'Have you talked to him yet?' and I kept having to say 'no, not yet'. I had done so much reading to learn about goats and chickens and the more I read, the more excited I became. Wow! Did I just say I was EXCITED about goats and chickens???!!! Who am I?! 
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I've been thinking over MANY things the kids have done in the past that I would like to record. But one stands out above others. It's a story about Garrett when he was about 2 months shy of turning 4 and Virginia was only a week old... Every year, mom and some of her 'girlfriends from the old days' get together for a week-long adult pajama party, usually somewhere in Virginia. The year our daughter Virginia was born, the pj party was set to be about a week after her birth. Garrett was used to seeing his grandma on a regular basis and either didn't realize she was gone or had forgotten about her leaving. While I was sitting on the sofa with the *very new* Miss Virginia in my arms, Garrett came and sat down beside me and asked if he could see Grandma Sharpe. I simply stated that Grandma was in Virginia right now. Garrett's eyes grew SO big and the look on his face was one of terror. |
I was confused only for a second, until he exclaimed ever so seriously, "Get her out!!" as he starred down at Virginia. Having been pregnant with Virginia only a week prior, I laughed until I cried as I realized what his little mind must be thinking! |
While playing in some drawers, Isaiah ran across one of Garrett's old ties. He asked me to put in on him, then with a huge smile and beaming with pride, he told me, "Now I look like daddy!" (Okay, daddy doesn't wear onesies that snap between the legs for easy diaper access, but you get the point.) |
