With the Big House (Littlest Brother, Middle Brother, Oldest Brother, Mom and Papa) gone out West for a huge Scout event (CJ '13, if anyone's interested), David and I are running the farm and overseeing the entire herd. It means the structure of our day has changed remarkably and pretty much revolves around feeding some creature or another. Here's a sample:
7:00am - wake up, weigh alpaca babies, feed mosquitoes, feed alpacas, feed mosquitoes, feed the baby alpaca whose mama isn't making enough milk, let alpacas out to pasture if it's not currently pouring rain.
8:30am - retreat from the mosquito invasion, feed the dog, feed the fish, feed Husbandy, feed Wifey, field phone calls and pass messages along. Check in with the Big House and update them on any major happenings.
9:00/9:30am - Wifey takes her morning nap. Husbandy either goes to the other farm to help out with chores or does whatever it is Husbandy does.
11:30am/noon - Feed Wifey. Feed Husbandy if he wants. Feed baby alpaca whose mama doesn't have enough milk for her.
1:30pm - Miscellaneous household chores, ranging from fencing and pasture maintenance to grocery shopping and school work and everything in between.
4:00pm - Feed Wifey, bring alpacas in from pasture, sort them back into their correct paddocks, feed the alpacas, feed the mosquitoes, feed the baby alpaca who needs a bottle
5:00-7:00pm (timing is flexible) - make and consume dinner of some sort. (ie: Feed Husbandy, and feed Wifey)
8:00pm - feed the baby alpaca, feed the mosquitoes
9:00pm - fall into bed and repeat the next day
Now if we actually had a day that followed that schedule without added adventures, it would be wonderful! Really, the only thing that stays constant is that I'm feeding something or other all the time!
Monday, July 08, 2013
Friday, July 05, 2013
Five Minute Friday - Beautiful
A week ago today a friend introduce me to something called "Five-Minute-Friday". It's a blogging party put on by Lisa Jo. Every Friday she puts out a prompt and over a hundred people spend 5 minutes - no more, no less - writing on the prompt, pure, unedited, and unfiltered. This is my first time attempting it. This week's prompt is "Beautiful".
Go.
Beautiful. The hot summer sunset when the sky lights up purple and orange and red - like a campfire arching across the sky. My alpaca babies as they learn to run in the wind. Ghidora with her silky fawn fleece that sparkles and shines in the wind when she runs. So much of what G-d has made is beautiful. One of the most beautiful things I have encountered lately is hearing my baby's heartbeat - the quick rapid pulse of a tiny heart pumping a tiny amount of blood in my ever growing belly. I'm learning to see that belly as beautiful, as a reminder of the life growing in me.
Things unseen are beautiful too - forgiveness, grace, reconciliation. It's beautiful to see people coming together after a rift has festered for years, coming together and being united again. It's beautiful to stand in a large group of people and sing praises to G-d, to worship with abandon, with tears and arms raised, with laughing and dancing, with kneeling and praying. It's even more beautiful when it's done with people from many nations and languages all together in one place for one purpose.
Beauty is all around us if we only open our eyes to see it. It's in the trees and the sky and the grass and the flowers that bloom. It's the butterfly that Littlest Brother caught in the garage the other day and released back outside to the sunshine. It's the kittens that play in the barn.
Stop.
Go.
Beautiful. The hot summer sunset when the sky lights up purple and orange and red - like a campfire arching across the sky. My alpaca babies as they learn to run in the wind. Ghidora with her silky fawn fleece that sparkles and shines in the wind when she runs. So much of what G-d has made is beautiful. One of the most beautiful things I have encountered lately is hearing my baby's heartbeat - the quick rapid pulse of a tiny heart pumping a tiny amount of blood in my ever growing belly. I'm learning to see that belly as beautiful, as a reminder of the life growing in me.
Things unseen are beautiful too - forgiveness, grace, reconciliation. It's beautiful to see people coming together after a rift has festered for years, coming together and being united again. It's beautiful to stand in a large group of people and sing praises to G-d, to worship with abandon, with tears and arms raised, with laughing and dancing, with kneeling and praying. It's even more beautiful when it's done with people from many nations and languages all together in one place for one purpose.
Beauty is all around us if we only open our eyes to see it. It's in the trees and the sky and the grass and the flowers that bloom. It's the butterfly that Littlest Brother caught in the garage the other day and released back outside to the sunshine. It's the kittens that play in the barn.
Stop.
Ghidora, just figuring out her legs
Monday, June 03, 2013
Introducing: Bean
David and I are pleased to announce the pending arrival of our little bundle of joy: Bean.
Bean is expected to arrive in mid to late December and we are eager for Bean's arrival. In the meantime, here are some question and answers about Bean.
Is Bean a boy or a girl?
Bean is either a boy or a girl. We will find out in about 6 months, right after we see Bean's face.
Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?
We will both be happy as long as Bean is healthy, regardless of whether Bean is a boy or a girl.
Have you been sick?
Yes. But as long as I take my Diclectin I'm okay.
What about school? I heard that David was going back to Iowa...
Yes, David is going back to Iowa to finish off his BA at Central. Due to visa requirements, he has been unable to get work in Canada. Without an income, we can't afford to send him to school here. Additionally, it would take 2-3 years here for him to finish his degree whereas he can do it in one at Central, and earn an income at the same time.
What about you? Are you going with him?
No. I will be staying here. Because of medical costs it is not feasible for me to be in the US during pregnancy and delivery. It would cost a lot of money that we don't have. Here it is covered by the government, so financially it is better for me to stay here. I will be continuing my schooling at Tyndale, taking online courses.
Won't that be ridiculously hard?
Yes. There will be nothing easy about it, but it is something that has to happen at this point. Thankfully we have Skype and e-mail and Facebook... we'll be able to stay in touch. It won't be the same as being together, but it will help.
Will David be back before Bean is born?
Hopefully. It all depends on when he writes his exams and when Bean decides to show up. It is our prayer that Bean will wait until David is home before he/she comes, but Bean will come when Bean is ready to come.
What is the plan after Bean is born?
We will work on getting Bean a passport as soon as possible, ideally before it is time for David's graduation in May. David does intend on coming back to Canada at this point and pursuing a Master's degree. The college he has looked at would allow him to work off campus and thus be able to continue providing income for us, making it a lot easier for him to live in Canada and us to be together as a happy family.
How can I help out?
At this point not a whole lot of help is needed, but once David leaves to go back to school in August, and especially after Bean is born, there will be more ways to help. In the meantime, the best support can be given through prayer - both for my health and for Bean's health. I am planning on setting up a Facebook group where I can post specific prayer requests for Bean and I throughout the pregnancy. If you would like to be part of it, let me know and I will be sure to add you.
Bean is expected to arrive in mid to late December and we are eager for Bean's arrival. In the meantime, here are some question and answers about Bean.
Is Bean a boy or a girl?
Bean is either a boy or a girl. We will find out in about 6 months, right after we see Bean's face.
Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?
We will both be happy as long as Bean is healthy, regardless of whether Bean is a boy or a girl.
Have you been sick?
Yes. But as long as I take my Diclectin I'm okay.
What about school? I heard that David was going back to Iowa...
Yes, David is going back to Iowa to finish off his BA at Central. Due to visa requirements, he has been unable to get work in Canada. Without an income, we can't afford to send him to school here. Additionally, it would take 2-3 years here for him to finish his degree whereas he can do it in one at Central, and earn an income at the same time.
What about you? Are you going with him?
No. I will be staying here. Because of medical costs it is not feasible for me to be in the US during pregnancy and delivery. It would cost a lot of money that we don't have. Here it is covered by the government, so financially it is better for me to stay here. I will be continuing my schooling at Tyndale, taking online courses.
Won't that be ridiculously hard?
Yes. There will be nothing easy about it, but it is something that has to happen at this point. Thankfully we have Skype and e-mail and Facebook... we'll be able to stay in touch. It won't be the same as being together, but it will help.
Will David be back before Bean is born?
Hopefully. It all depends on when he writes his exams and when Bean decides to show up. It is our prayer that Bean will wait until David is home before he/she comes, but Bean will come when Bean is ready to come.
What is the plan after Bean is born?
We will work on getting Bean a passport as soon as possible, ideally before it is time for David's graduation in May. David does intend on coming back to Canada at this point and pursuing a Master's degree. The college he has looked at would allow him to work off campus and thus be able to continue providing income for us, making it a lot easier for him to live in Canada and us to be together as a happy family.
How can I help out?
At this point not a whole lot of help is needed, but once David leaves to go back to school in August, and especially after Bean is born, there will be more ways to help. In the meantime, the best support can be given through prayer - both for my health and for Bean's health. I am planning on setting up a Facebook group where I can post specific prayer requests for Bean and I throughout the pregnancy. If you would like to be part of it, let me know and I will be sure to add you.
Introducing Phantom
On May 26 our first cria of the year was born.
She was born at 9:30am on Sunday morning
She weighed 14.5 lbs
David carried her down to a sunnier paddock so she could dry off and warm up
By mid afternoon she was alert and running. She's a beautiful black girl.
Saturday, June 01, 2013
May Photo Recap
And here come the photos from May:
Our alpacas enjoyed the sun - both before they were shorn...
..and after they were shorn.
They enjoyed the weather so much that they made Mommy a mother's day card!
(I can't figure out how to turn the pictures so they are right way up)
Thursday, May 30, 2013
ARGH!!
So I realized that I haven't posted since April...welcome to spring on an alpaca farm. I wonder if anyone missed me. Anyhow, here come some pictures to catch you all up.
Candy the cat decided that David's hair needed washed (poor quality picture, sorry. I only had my phone with me)
We worked at check-in at the Alpaca Ontario Show
David and Announcement competed in the obstacle course
David also very cleverly entertained some children as he show was wrapping...the best part: The children didn't even speak English!
That wraps up the month of April, at least, that's all I have photos of for April. Stay tuned for May photos. :)
Monday, April 01, 2013
Fun and Games
I got David a "game cube" for his birthday. And then promptly beat him at Parcheesi. (He later beat me at Chinese Checkers.)
David's "fried egg". Completely lacking any chicken byproducts. ;)
Playing trains with Lukie.
Of course, the guinea pig and cat had to play trains with us too...
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