Easter Princess

Grandma Kathy, Megan wanted you to see her Easter dress since we were at different churches on Easter Sunday. Here is the cute dress she picked out. 

Spring Calves

We love waking up to see this every morning! 

Our Family is Growing!!

A few weeks ago, Matthew needed to go to Farm King. Anyone with kids know how much fun Farm King is (we often end up looking at saddles, even though we don't own a horse), but the fun is exponentially multiplied when they are having Chick and Bunny Days! The girls always want to look at the darling spring chicks and bunnies. So we piled in the van for Chick and Bunny Days.

We were planning to get a bunny this year for Emily's 4-H project. But we didn't have a hutch built yet. So, we were going to wait a few weeks. This trip to Farm King was strictly for scoping out the available nose-twitchers, not bringing one home.

We got to Farm King and Emily instantly fell in love with an adorable gray and white Mini Rex bunny. So, we purchased a hamster cage (completely furnished with a water bottle and food dish, tunnel and running wheel) and some rabbit food and bedding. We bought the little bunny and our "adoption" was complete. 

She (or he) is a very tame bunny. So far, Emily has been very responsible for it, feeding it and watering it twice a day and cleaning out it's cage every few days. She has even trimmed its nails!!!

We are looking forward to finishing it's hutch so it can live outside rather than in the basement. But, honestly, it hasn't been any trouble at all. It actually makes a great house pet!

Here it is!! I am looking forward to seeing how it does at the fair this summer!!

It Was Miss Scarlet . . .

Game Night this week was one of my old favorites -- Clue. I don't mean Clue, Jr. Nobody cares who stole a cake. I'm talking murder!! 

We didn't have this game growing up, but I loved playing at friends' houses. I love the thrill of logic and deduction and strategy. And Emily loves it too! She chose the game, and Matthew won it!!

Here are a few photos. Special thanks to Kathy for bringing the game over and for playing with us. Regrets that our good friend Anna was sick and couldn't join in the fun. : (

Haircut!! Haircut!!

Eli is not especially fond of getting his hair cut. He does NOT love the scissors. He does NOT love the feel of clippers on his head. But, he feels particularly accomplished once it is finished. He walks around chanting, "haircut" while I sit exhausted on the floor in a pile of freshly cut blond hair.

One afternoon he took his turn at yielding the scissors to give a play-doh dog a makeover! Although he hasn't mastered the one-handed cut yet, he managed to trim up the puppy's green locks.

And, it appears that he had a little taste too!!

Some Women Swear By Water Births!!

Some women swear by water births. I do not have an opinion on this subject, but we do have one cow that seems to prefer them. For the second year, she has had her calf in the ice-cold creek. And, for the second year we have had to fight to keep the calf alive.

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A few nights ago, Matthew went out just before 11 p.m. to check the cows before calling it a night. He walked through the pastures with a flashlight, checking for new calves and looking for suspicious behavior indicating that a cow was close to having her calf. He found a weak and cold calf in the creek.  

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I knew something was wrong when Matthew was gone for an hour. I was in bed, reading and praying that everything was ok.  I head a cow bawling in the pasture and could see Matthew's light glowing in the darkness of the night. I was thankful to be lying in our warm bed, in our quiet, comfortable home. But I was ready to turn out the light and slumber until morning as soon as Matthew returned to the house.

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At about midnight I heard the basement door and got up to see if everything was ok. Matthew was taking off his coveralls and my suspicions were confirmed when he pointed to the weak calf on the basement floor. Sweat was dripping from his head, proving to me that it had taken great effort to get the calf out of the creek and up to the house.

We got to work on the calf. Matthew grabbed towels (don't worry -- not our good bath towels. We have "calf" towels!!) and started to dry the wet and muddy calf. I got the blow dryer and worked quickly to dry and warm the ice-cold calf. The calf could barely lift its head and its eyes were rolling back into its head. Every once in a while, he kicked weakly, and threw his head back. The poor calf moaned, and seemed to strain to breath. I knew we might lose this calf. Despite all the work you put into saving a calf born on a bitter, cold night, sometimes you can't do enough.

For an hour and a half, we worked. We dried the calf. We put him on a soft blanket and covered it, blowing warm air into the blanket. We set up a space heater to warm the cool basement air. Matthew positioned and re-positioned the weak calf as it fell over. We propped it up against the deep freeze. And, finally, at 1:30 a.m. we said a prayer and came upstairs to get some rest. There was really no more we could do.

I never really sleep well when there is a calf in the basement, and I am sure Matthew doesn't either. Sometimes I can't sleep because they are too loud -- bawling to be with their mother. Sometimes I can't sleep because they are too quiet and I know they didn't make it. This calf was just right!! Every once in a while I would wake to hear it kick the freezer, or stumble into something. It wasn't an irritating sound that kept us awake, but just enough to reassure us that it was alive. 

So, when we got up four and a half hours later, the calf was stumbling around, but standing fairly steadily. The girls rushed down to admire the newborn before Matthew reunited him with his mother. 

Every saved calf is an answered prayer!!

Inching Closer to 40!!

Happy birthday to the best husband. You inspire me and encourage me. I am proud of you, and respect you for being such a hard worker and for your strong, quiet faith. You help me grow, and I love you!

Happy birthday to the best father. I know work takes you away from our children a lot, and we rarely have a lazy Saturday together. But when you are home, you are the BEST father. 

I love to watch you play with our three little ones, and they adore you.