Late Winter Happenings

I'm finally making time to sit down and share some of the pictures and happenings of the past couple months. They've been busy months in lots of ways, and we've had some adventures and new experiences. We are grateful for the Lord's faithfulness through it all. He continues to gives us the strength we need for each day and provides for us in so many ways... 

 "Great is Thy faithfulness O Lord, great is Thy faithfulness!"

> The first baby animal on the farm arrived on the one sunny day in February... Nate wasn't supposed to have any calves 'til May, but some critters got out and he had an early one. Thanks to the fact that a neighbor spotted her while driving by they were able to get the calf in and warmed up and now she's growing. Has a fun face, doesn't she! 

>Mom fell on the ice and broke her right wrist in early February... Ouch! This is the first broken bone in our family... She had to have surgery to get the bone back where it belongs and now she has this little piece of hardware in her wrist....

It's been a long road- surgery, splints and wraps, and then a cast. She has been in a brace since mid-March and is working on getting her wrist flexibility back. Going to be a while longer before she can use it for normal activity again.

> Nate (and Matt) sold calves... We helped load them in trailers and he hauled them to the neighbor's farm. Then they got loaded on semi's and got to ride all the away to Sioux Falls, and then Nate (and others) watched the sale online.  Here are a few pictures from loading day...

One of Matt's calves

Loading them in the cattle trailers...

Then they went to the neighbors and got re-loaded into a semi for the trip to Sioux Falls

(Thanks to Matt for taking pictures of the semi for me!)

Watching the auction from the comfort of the living room.

>Our Great-Aunt Jane from Florida visited in March- we really enjoyed her visit... Grandma wanted a picture of us with her, so I got in on the fun and had her take one with my camera too... Thanks Aunt Jane for visiting and spending time with us!!

>The massive amounts of snow we received the last couple months are slowly melting... I think this winter set the record snowfall for some areas of the state. We had huge snowbanks and Nate put in lots of hours plowing the snow off the roads.

By the end of the winter this is what the snowbanks looked like around here!

> Maple Syrup- we have 150 taps out, and have made syrup 3 times last week! Glad for the good runs that are making lovely syrup... Looks like we'll have some extra to sell this year.  The snow was well over knee deep in the woods when we started. After all the wind we've had the past two days, we'll have to hope we can find the bags and get them back on the trees.


> Music: There has been quite a bit happening in this area over the past couple months. I'll share more about this in a future post.
However, I hosted the first of my two spring music parties on Sunday and one of my families brought me this.... I'm a spoiled teacher!

> And it won't be April without a good snow storm or two, right?? Well- area schools were closed yesterday due to nasty weather, we didn't end up with as much snow as they were predicting (and we're fine with that..) but it was pretty windy and blew the snow around.

Other than that? Daily farm life continues: cows to milk, animals to feed, eggs to collect, (anybody need eggs? Chickens are laying well, and our summer customers haven't arrived yet), wood to cut, tractors to fix, meals to make, just the rhythms of everyday life.  A rhythm for which we are grateful- one farm family working together, enjoying life and giving thanks to the Lord whose faithfulness is new every morning.

"The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;

His mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;

great is Your faithfulness.

'The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,

“therefore I will hope in Him.'"

 Lamentations 3:22-24