All our Kids :)

I apologize in advance for all the pictures in this post -

 it's just that I'm so proud of ALL our kids and how they are growing  :)

When they first came to our house in the spring, we bottle fed them 2-3 times a day.  5 baby goats = A LOT of bottles.  We got the milk from their mommies down the road.  Why bottle feed them?  Why go to all the work?  Because it bonds them to you like nothing else can.  And it's been great for the little people around here to care for and nurture these little goats.  I love when our kids (the human ones) talk about the personalities of the goats....and how they know them and love them.  

We have 2 little girls and 3 boys - the girls will be providing milk for us within a year (and more little sweet baby goats!) and the little boys will grow into big, beautiful packing goats for another fun family activity that Dan and I have planned for hopefully next summer and beyond.  :)  

{The girls:  Candy and Blossom}

{Leo}

{Casey and Tommy feeding the kids}

{Caelan bottle feeding Zeus}

{Casey giving some grain to the boys}

{Casey with baby Zeus}

{Two happy little farm boys}

{The stinking cutest little goat:  baby Blue}

{My favorite (don't tell the others) ZEUS!}

Here is the crew just this past week - they no longer bottle feed two times a day, but they still think I'm their mommy.  The sweet fat one in the front is Zeus.  Oh how I love that goat {sigh}.  He is so big, strong and beautiful. He is sweet and doesn't know his own strength.  

I was pretty nervous that he was going to knock me down when he got over to me.  Ever tried to photograph a goat that wants to lick your face??  Not easy!

The others caught up and joined in the fun.

{Blossom - sweet little girl - loves to jump}

{Little Blue} 

{Leo with the girls, Candy and Blossom}

{Sweet little face}

The kids have their own play equipment.  You should see them jump up on this thing - they love to nap in the shade underneath.  Makes me glad they are behind a fence and not jumping on the hood of our SUV for fun.

{Candy and Blossom}

{Sweet little faces}

{Zeus with the girls}

{Saying Goodbye at the gate}

{Sure love our kids!}

So I'm new to this....

It's Memorial Day weekend - which means working on projects and getting spring officially going. Dan and I drove around and did errands this morning with Hailee and Caelan in tow.....ended up buying a bike with training wheels for Caelan. He is so cute on his Diego bike. And so proud of himself. It's a joy to watch him putt around the driveway on that thing.

We also made our way out to Shelley to see the progress on the house. I'm amazed at how it looks - and so excited that we get to live there someday... hopefully before Christmas. While Dan looked for some stuff he packed away in the barn and since Caelan was asleep in the back of the car, Hailee and I ventured off down the pasture in search of an old tree house that the neighbors have on their edge of the property. We found it - and it's everything a tree house ought to be! It sits just beyond our property line in a grove of old trees.

I hope the neighbors will give us permission for the kids to play there.

It would be pure fun.

It was a really beautiful evening - no wind at all - Dan walked down and met us as the end of the pasture and we just enjoyed walking slowly back to the car.

We found some gopher holes - guess we won't be alone in our farm paradise.

I can't believe how lucky I am to be here and to be doing this. We are so blessed.

Who would have thought that I would like the idea of moving sprinkler pipe and gardening?

(I guarantee NOT my parents.)

But that's the life I want for our kids. That's the life we are trying to make.

My how life is strange.

Strange and absolutely wonderful.