Hello out there everybody!Wow, I guess I've taken a dive from blogging. I'm sure this is a busy time for all of you friends and family. Gardening, lawn mowing and outdoor recreation added to our to-do lists. The same is true for us. This time of year for our family also marks the end of the school year and the crunch to get the home-school portfolio in order in preparation for annual evaluations. I started on that project yesterday, and think I may set a record for getting done early. Things are much easier with one kiddo to log, especially since the one who left for college this past fall was the one with questionable filing practices. Most of Sara's things are happily tucked in their assigned binders with a few possible exceptions.
The start of the equine sport season also adds a new dimension to life on the farm here. There's riding lessons for Sara, training for the naughty horse, repairs long overdue, vet visits, farrier visits and happy days riding in the sunshine! Barry's enjoyed a few trail rides already this year, the fruit of his labor. We plan to head to our first horse show sometime in June. Sara has been jumping Ricky the pony and will hopefully give the little squirt a chance to show his stuff (if he doesn't freak-out when he sees a jump.)
Barry planted the vegetable garden below the horse barn over the holiday weekend, boy did he go hogwild! He's got a LOT of tomatoes, and did I mention he doesn't eat tomatoes! Anyway, he seems to be making up for lost time. He wasn't able to get a descent garden in with moving and getting settled into the place the past two years. Yep, we've been in our new home for 2 years now, hard to believe. Barry's been hugely blessed to borrow a bobcat for the past month or so and has the nickname "bobcat Barry," quite deservedly. He's done the garden, clearing land for new, "future" pasture and general farm cleanup. As you seen above we've gotten a replacement for our riding mower, since it continues in disrepair (just have to put in a part.) We let our horses out one or two at a time to enjoy the best grass on the farm...our lawn. They love it, and NO they don't run off, just back to the barn if they get frightened.
"Our" bunnies have now gone on permanent vacation to our good friends the Hartles. Their arrival brought great big smiles to the kids, it's good. A small step in downsizing for manageability. Now, if we can sell a few horses that would be good. In God's time.
Matthew returned late last night from New Attitude, a conference held in Louisville, KY for singles and young married folk, featuring some great bible teachers. He hasn't come down the stairs yet, so I haven't gotten the full report yet. I got a very sketchy one at midnight. I'm sure that God challenged and refreshed him. Matthew will be heading out to look for a summer job the remainder of the week. Starting with some companies that hire elec. engineers, and moving on. He'll be visiting and helping out the boy scouts over the summer and will have his Eagle ceremony in July.
Sara's Ghecko died this past weekend, which has been very traumatic for her. He's appeared sick for awhile, not eating his plump, delicious meal worms and declining. She waited and saved a long time for him, and had worked diligently to tame him, so it is sad. He's in the family critter graveyard after a short ceremony. God will use this in her life.
The new kitties are getting big and running everywhere, almost ready to find new homes. I'd like to keep one, but we'll see. We have too many already, but if you know me, I just can't resist.I even brought a half-dead chicken home once when I was a girl and kept it in our basement briefly...boy was I blessed with patient parents!
Counting the many blessings of family, farm and the great God who brought the springtime and new life to our old (dead) hearts, love to all.
