Chicama Run Family Farm

I was just outside looking at all the ewes to see who is ready to give birth..... about 10 should within the next 2 weeks - and at least 5 this week by the looks of it.

Came into the barn - and 2 new baby goats (both girls)..... born this afternoon - making the total 7 baby goats so far - with 1 still in the house :) Still 2 girls to give birth but I expect them to be a little later - but by the end of Febraury

Yes - he's living in the house - diaper clad and all so he would stop peeing on my floor! Man a goat pee's a lot!! So this is our new bottle baby of a goat who at this exact moment in time is asleep under the couch (don't ask me why - I don't know). We have 4 more babies out in the barn with their moms. One more might be brought in because a bottle baby will make an excellent show goat as they are easier to work with. Pug will be Alexis's..... and I have to figure out if we'll bring in another for Jacob.

I do have about 10 sheep about to give birth and have to watch for bottle babies there as well. WILD KINGDOM MOVES INTO MY HOUSE!

Boy is it a pain. I love looking at the trees covered in the ice - it is a real pretty site... until you turn around and see 5+ branches have broken off because of the weight of the ice and you don't EVEN want to go and look out at the fences to see if any of these heavy branches fell onto those cause that just means you have to tell your husband that fences are broken once again and need to be fixed.... and it's cold.

Just another day :)

I can't believe it - New Years Eve - I'm on my way out of the house to go to our neighbors house to sit back, relax, and say Happy New Year...... and a high pitched WAIL comes from the barn area. The wild wind shut a door and the goats were locked in where the hay is but couldn't get to the barn so OF COURSE someone decides to give birth.....

Shelly gave birth to triplet boys in the freezing windy weather. I get her and two of the kids in the barn. I didn't know/see the third one until it was almost dead. Got it brought it into my bathroom to warm up. An hour later, Joe brings in one of the other ones as it was frozen.

We lost the first boy I brought in. But the one Joe brought in is still in my house and doing well as a bottle baby. I never thought I would have a goat running around my house!

The third boy stayed with Shelly, his mom, the next day his back legs had frozen straight out over night - even being under a heat lamp. We thawed his legs out and now Sunday, 3 days later, he seems to be doing well just weak legs - but he's learning to use them just fine.

Today we also had another goat give birth. After church there was 1 out there and I will check again in the afternoon to see how many more she had (I think she will have 1 more).

Personally I feel like a new mom with the baby goat in the house! Last night I was up every couple of hours and he was driving me NUTS. It's time for my nap and to feed the baby.

Tomorrow is my birthday.... I'm turning (ack) 36. Right now I am sitting here and looking at a Christmas tree set up - and realizing it's the first time in my small history I have EVER put up a Christmas tree before my birthday - even though the kids big me every year to do it.

Here are some other odd thoughts that pass through my head as I think about the last 5 years. I chose 5 years because we have been here on the farm 3 year. So 2 years before that I was busy selling on eBay as my full-time job. Both kids were in school and I was ok with that. We lived in suburbia, I drove a fancy Land Cruiser *should have kept that*..... and life was good. If you had told me I would be farming, homeschooling, and even becoming Catholic in a few years I probably would have thought you were drunk or something - because that would NEVER happen in my little life.

Now - here I sit, in front of a lit tree noting that I am doing all those things and my life is actually better for it. We actually spend family time together and ENJOY it (though there are days where I say yeah right!)......we talk more..... we do more things together.... and amazingly - we listen more.

The whole farming thing - well shoot - that honestly blew up around us because of our wonderful customers. But I wouldn't change anything about it. Ok - some days I would - I mean - can't the chickens just feed themselves and let themselves out today - IT'S COLD!!!! Goofy stuff like that. But then you look out my window and you can't help but notice how blessed we have been.

Another year passes away...... and with a life like this - you can't WAIT to see what happens during the next year.