baby boom

Where have all the hours gone? Today one of my riding students exclaimed "Time goes by so fast when I'm riding!". Amen. While I have been playing with horses and taking care of fun kids (mine and others) spring has melted into summer and I'm left wondering how it happened.

This is a good sign that life is full. Full of fun times and full of goodness. Little cares and troubles come and go but God's goodness endures. In the end what makes my life complete are those precious little moments where I remember to soak it all up. When I walk barefoot in the grass and revel in watching my kids run screaming through the sprinkler. When I snuggle with Amelia before bed as she clutches me with her bare, sweaty little arms, her head resting on my shoulder.

This spring (that is already past) brought us an abundance of babies. It feels so right to be surrounded with babies in the spring. Baby calves romping in the pastures, baby bluebirds in the tree cavity in our front yard. Baby chickens, guineas, and puppies. (Not to mention our own babies.)

The chickens and guineas are self-explanatory.... we've gone bird crazy. Some find guineas a little too over the top and obnoxious. I can understand. Their 5 a.m. alarm clock calls are not always appreciated. But their ridiculousness appeals to us, and I don't think I have picked up any ticks and chiggers (or "sugars" as Margaret refers to them) from our yard. We are also on our second attempt of adding silver laced wyandottes and speckled sussexes to our egg-laying flock of chickens. The speckled sussexes have proved extremely friendly and personable and the kids have a pronounced preference to hold the "brown chicks".

 

 The puppies, as I have mentioned previously, were on temporary loan from my parents as they were in the process of being advertised and sold. (The female - the one I would have been tempted to keep if our farm wasn't already brimming over with animal life - is still available, last I heard.) We loved playing with them while they resided down here.

 

       

Now summer has arrived. The first cutting of hay has already littered the roadside fields with beautiful round bales, and the hay barn is already full. Blueberry picking, sprinklers, freshly blended smoothies and popsicles are in high demand. What are your favorite summer activities?