Another Addition

 

Hannah has been working and saving for the last 9 months to buy a puppy.  She's been very specific in what she's looking for.  She wanted a border collie/Australian shepherd cross.  And she wanted a female.  After months of searching and saving and waiting, we came across a puppy that we thought would be a good fit.  The only problem?  He's a "he"....not a "she".  Hannah decided that she'd take a male, and I'm not sure who's more taken.... the puppy with Hannah, or Hannah with the puppy. 

 

 

Meet Bandit.  He came to us at 6 1/2 weeks, because his mama had died a few weeks prior.  Poor little guy....

 

 Bandit LOVES Hannah.  LOVES her.  He wants to sit at her feet, and be with her at all times.  It's really quite sweet...

 

The other day, Hannah wasn't feeling well, and was laying on the couch.  That little guy wouldn't sit still until he was laying beside her, his nose buried into her hair.  He didn't want me...or Art.... just Hannah.  Frankly, I think it's a match made in heaven.

 

 

Of course, all The Girls want in on the puppy action, and they've all been "helping" to care for this little guy, but you can tell already where his loyalty lies.... and it's all good.

 

 

Adullam Decorating

We've had such amazing weather 'round these parts for the last couple of weeks.  Ah. Mazing!  The Girls have been spending loads of time outside, and are anxiously waiting for me to bring out their bikes.  Problem is, I know that we will still have snow at some point... maybe Sunday, even.  And every year, I wash all of their winter outerwear, and then it ends up snowing, again, and I have to do it all over.  Not this year.... I hope! 

 

Ellie Mae was outside the other day, doing some decorating of the yard.  When I saw what she had done, I'm not gonna lie, I had a bit of a lump in my throat.  There are many times that I'm brought to tears as I think about, and am thankful for our life on the farm.

Adullam, which is Hebrew for place of refuge, is what we named our ranch years ago, when it was just a hope, a wish and a dream.  It's been exciting to see how The Girls have taken the name 'Adullam', and run with it.  We'll often find our brand or name of the ranch in different places, and they use it in their play also.  I love it!

The Going-Ons of Girls

The Girls (usually) love to help.  Some of them love to help with inside chores, they all love to help with outside chores, and they especially love to do things to surprise me....

 

We've been using our fireplaces all winter long.  They've been lovely and warm and cozy, and the girls love to cozy up on the couch in front of a fire and read.  It hasn't necessarily been the Girls' job to stack wood, but they know that if there's wood accessible, and it's extra cold outside, I'm more likely to light a fire.  Many warm(ish) afternoons this winter, the girls could be found hauling wood from the shed to the front door by using their sleds, and then stacking it neatly so that we could easily go and get it to start a fire.  We've almost used up our wood that we cut this fall - this is the last bit of it which the girls' stacked last week.   

 

 

See?  Told ya.... Sitting on the couch in front of the fire.... I have been trying to read books aloud, many days after lunch for a short time.  We've been reading through the Little Britches series, which every one of us has enjoyed.  I am so happy that the girls love to read!

 

On Family Day, we took the Girls' on a little adventure to the Reynolds Museum.  We took them there several years ago for our first Goerzen Family Adventure, and it was fun to go back and visit.  They remembered a few things from the first time, but it's been a few years, so it was fun to go back and for them to see it again, being a bit older.

 

I've said for many years that Molly is my mini-me.  In real life.  She has the same hair, same inappropriate-almost-crossing-the-line humor, same skinny legs that I most definitely had a child.  She is also my "dump buddy".  Every time I have to go to the dump, she wants to come along (even though we no longer get ice cream, since the nearest ice-cream store is half an hour away!).  Last weekend, I was heading out to the dump, and she comes out of her room to come with me....dressed exactly like me.  It wasn't planned, but she sure is cute!

 

 

Here is one thing about Farm Life that I don't love...a child bringing a dead animal into the house, with its' guts hanging out, excited to show me because "it's SO cool!".  Really, I'm happy to look at it outside, will cut it open so we can examine it's insides, but when it comes into my domain, and my second daughter is exclaiming, "Ah!  The guts are stuck on my gloves!", it's just a little too much.  Abby found this weasel, dead, out by the chicken house the other day.  It was just a wee one, but I was glad it was dead - those stinkers will go for my chickens, come spring!  She said she had to fight off the cats and dogs to bring it to me....how nice of her!!

 

The sun.  The trees.  The blue, blue sky.... I don't know that I'll ever tire of this....

 

Art's been working on finishing up some more projects around the house.... God bless that man!  He made up an open shelf for me with barn wood we dug out of one of our outbuildings.  It adds a bit of visual interest in the kitchen, and I'm super happy with it.  Good job, honey! 

Another Birthday to Celebrate

At the end of February, we were able to celebrate another birthday of one of the Girls.  It's hard to believe that Elizabeth has turned 8!  She is growing up right before our eyes...  Here are a few things to remember about our baby....

 

1.  She LOVES camo.  Seriously.  Loves camo!  She loves to go out and hunt coyotes with Art, and for that, she feels the need to be "suited up".  We bought her this buff for Christmas, to match everything else, and she wears it all the time....often even to bed!  And no, Elizabeth doesn't need glasses - they are simply an accessory these days.  If you look closely, you'll see that these glasses don't even have lenses.  She just likes the look of them.

 

 

2.  Elizabeth still loves to ride.  This was taken one day at the barn, and there are often times that after she's ridden, Ellie Mae will remind us that she needs to "practice her tricks".  She REALLY wants to be a trick rider.  She asked for a trick riding saddle for her birthday, but that didn't happen...

 

3.  The girl loves owls.  LOVES.  She talks about them regularly, sleeps with 2 of them, and is always looking out for our resident owl.  She actually knows lots of facts about them as well, and can be found reading more in our bird book.  We got her an owl watch for her birthday, which I don't think she has taken off since then.

4.  Ellie Mae is a cutie.  Bright eyed, always willing to help, laughs inappropriately (what can I say, she's her mothers' daughter!) and excessively.... This girl wakes up in the morning with a big smile, and goes to sleep with a big smile.  She works hard to keep up with her sisters, and loves to cuddle.  She's a keeper, this wee one... Happy Birthday, little lady!