Thursday, December 16, 2010

James Bundle

"He's handsome, clever and amazing. We call him Bundle. James Bundle. " That was yesterday's catch phrase for Madigan. Who knows what this day will reveal!

Highlights (and lowlights) from this week:

One of the dogs barked unexpectedly, and Madigan immediately responded with an "uh-uh do(g)".

As we were preparing to leave the barn, I said, "Okay everybody (referring to the famous Scottish Terriers and Crazy White Dog who manage our lives for us) let's go." Madigan quickly gave his input with a "Do(g) go!"

Today, after finishing up the chores, we trundled into the house. I took off Madigan's jacket and gloves and he threw his arms around my neck and gave me the biggest hug in the history of the human race. He followed it up with a "kiss". I rapidly melted into a puddle on the kitchen floor.

The war on dog food has begun: somebody has a certain obsessive fetish with dog food (no, it's actually not George - guess again). You may not know, but it's delicious, nutritious, crunchy and most of all naughty. The fact that it's naughty to eat dog food makes it miserably tempting (yes, our boy is undeniably human). We've been careful to "choose our battles" with this little tiger, but alas, this is one of the chosen battles and we are thus far barely the victors. Bundle is definitely challenging our resolve on the matter most diligently.

Saturday, December 04, 2010

Friday, December 03, 2010

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Bundle Crockett

Auntie Shelly brought Bundle a hat from her trip to Germany. It is a bit big on him, but I couldn't resist... he's just too much in it! The last photo is a more accurate representation of his mood this evening. :-)

 

 

 

 
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Thursday, November 18, 2010

You know it's cold when...

You get frost bite on your toes as you climb out of bed in the morning.
The butter is hard as a rock in the butter dish on the kitchen counter.
You don't have to refrigerate your food because it actually stays colder if you leave it out.
The whole family dons snow suits and scarfs indoors to stay comfortable.
You take a drive in your car just as an excuse to sit in front of a heater.
Hot tea has to be consumed briskly before it turns into iced tea.
You start baking all sorts of unncessary items just to feel the comforting presence of the oven.
The whole family has runny noses.

Our heaters and hot water heater decided to collaborate and quit working at the same time. They picked the perfect week, too... the coldest week so far this fall. Awesome. Here are some photos of Bundle all "bundled up" in his winter getup.

Here's to warm showers, warm toes and warm noses!

 

 

 

 
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Sunday, November 07, 2010

Random

Two exciting, totally non-related things have been happening over the past couple days. First, we've been preparing everything at the barn for winter (planting the fields in wheat and rye for next year, cleaning pens, refreshing the shavings, making fence/barn/stall repairs, etc.). One item I'm particularly excited about is that we got my trailer under the barn overhang. Yippee! This will greatly extend the life of my trailer from rust, as it won't be subjected to the elements. I wasn't sure it would fit, but there it is!

Second, I've been practicing the piano for almost an hour each day and though it's helped my playing improve, the greater reward is that Bundle has started to show a keen interest in it! He frequently walks over and starts tapping the keys with a big smile on his face. When I'm playing, he often asks to climb into my lap and we play a "duet" of sorts. :-) So much fun to watch his interest and fascination with how it works.





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Friday, November 05, 2010

Gloomy

When the weather is this gloomy it is sorely tempting to allow my mood to follow suit. But, I woke up this morning with a determination to not absorb any of the gloom outside and to stay focused on the things in my life that bring sunshine. So, I'm working on my goat business website, making bread, stocking my barn full of hay, making soup, winterizing my horse trailer, playing with Bundle and rubbing my hands all over my soft, fuzzy horse. And speaking of sunshine, here are some photos of two of the people who bring a great deal of sunshine to my life (Bundle and Susan, the clown).











Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Madigan Stop!



I woke up yesterday and found out we were going to have a baby - you. I woke up today and you were smiling at me with your devilish dimples, wobbling on your two legs all too close to taking off and walking on your own. I'm afraid of waking up tomorrow and finding you all grown up. If there was a pause button on this moment I would press it... good thing there isn't one. I know I'd miss all those wonderful moments yet to be lived out. You're little but you take such a big place in my heart... I never knew there was that much room.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Sunday, October 17, 2010

I spent my morning reviewing history - my history - in a photo tour through the chapters in my life. So many things changed in each new chapter but there were some recurring themes in each:
family was most important, reliable, always an active ingredient in my life even if from a distance
pain, loss, usually followed by growth, but all too often followed by self-pity and stagnation
immeasurable joy
countless opportunities and adventures, some ignored and some experienced to the fullest
a thread of His faithfulness that has never broken, even in the "disasters" that sometimes shadow a season
a hope in what lies ahead in the chapters that are yet to be lived out

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Bundle Boy

 

 

 

 
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Mama Horse - 4 months along!

 

 

 
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Fall photos, as promised

These were all taken at our barn.

 

 

 

 
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