Gender Problems on the Farm

We are having gender issues on our farm. Bill, The duck has become a she, now known as Balina, Penny (my favorite chicken ever) started crowing about 10 days ago. It started out a terrible noise as she/he was learning the trade, (the neighbor thought we had a goat) but oh how he/she loved to practice starting about 6:30 A.M. Now, every night at 10:00 we go out and scoop him off his roast and take into the laundry room for the night. Are we the only people who have a crowing rooster in our laundry room?

If Bill had stayed Bill and Penny (now Henry or Rooster Cogburn as Mitch calls him) had just stayed as they were, life on the farm would be simpler.

They Came by Two's

A friend asked if we could keep her bunnies for the summer. How do you say no to a friend? Our farm is growing. I told the lamas up the street if they got bored to come on down, everyone is welcome until October, I don't enjoy chipping ice off water dishes 2 times a day. I am a fair weather farmer.

The Farewell and Farewell

Sunday wasn't so picturesque as far as weather goes, but after three months of praying for the wedding, i didn't complain. Cam gave a wonderful talk, he invited the spirit into the meeting and touched my soul. It's humbling to watch children grow from children to adults. It was a nice day, painless and perfect.

This Wednesday wasn't so painless. After gorging ourselves at PF Changs for Cam's 19th birthday, we enjoyed a fun 4th of July at Greg and Janica's with cousins and such on Monday we continued the food fest at the Cheesecake Factory on Tuesday. We trekked off the MTC to say goodbye on Wednesday. If you have seen the Indiana Jones Temple of Doom movie you remember when the guy reached into and pulled out the man's heart. Short, quick, but his heart was still missing nonetheless. The new procedure at the MTC is 1000x better than it used to be, but you still come home with a hole in your heart.

We heard from Cam yesterday. I was so grateful and relieved to read how happy and excited he sounded. We raise them for 19 years, give them back to the Lord and He returns them better than we could ever have thought possible. It is a pure program and one that i so grateful for! But it still hurts my mothers heart.

The Wedding

It came, itwent, it was beautiful! Months of organizing, making long lists, discussing, marathon shopping trips, great lunches, cupcake and croissant consuming, planning, preparing and praying, came to fruition. It was a beautiful event. Starting Thursday with Ashley receiving her endowment, followed by lunch with her family, Ashley's bridal shower that evening, Friday prep day, dinner with the Goulds - Saturday finally came and with it came fair weather and a day that dreams are made of. The beautiful bride, the handsome groom, throngs of happy well-wishers and supportive family and friends made the day perfect.

The ceremony was short and sweet, the pictures striking, sky blue, luncheon delicious, words of wisdom shared, memories recreated, the day flawless. The amount of work absolutely overwhelming but with the help of angels we were able to pull it all off and the receptions was gorgeous. We fell into bed about 1:00 AM totally spent but hit it hard early the next morning for Cam's farewell. We truly didn't lose a son we gained a beautiful new daughter.

Moab - 2011 Family Vacation

If you aren't used to Hawkins' family vacations you quickly learn that you need a vacation from our vacations. This year was no exception. In 4 days we rented mountain bikes for two different adventures, forged streams and mountains, hiked Double arch, Delicate Arch, Balanced Rock at midnight and sunset, we swam, shopped, rode ATV's and ate. The final day we rose early (again) and hiked the Fiery Furnace, what a fabulous finish to a fantastic adventure!

Our mountain bike rides included Bar M, EZ and Lazy (don't let the names fool you) and a somewhat technical ride through Canyon Lands. It was beautiful, challenging and a huge accomplishment for all 9 of us to finish strong! The perfect trip! The best part was just being together as a family before Cam heads off the the Philippines. I love all you wonderful people, thanks for putting up with your crazy parents!

A Duck Came to Stay

A year ago i read in Smithsonian (my favorite magazine) about donkeys in Morocco that know how to get to a country veterinarian by themselves. When this gentleman wake in the morning he finds a line up of donkeys, unaccompanied by owners outside his door. He can't figure out how the donkeys know the way, they just do.

While we don't have a line up of animals outside our door, (they all live inside) animals do tend to find their way here. The last in a long line is Bill. Bill was one week old when he came to stay. He quickly became the family favorite, especially of Cameron who has spent hours playing with the furry little feathered friend.

Bill had a great 3 weeks here, splashing happily in the fountains in the backyard, watching TV with Cam, playing with Mitch, sleeping on Toby's shoulder, and pooping on me, until we decided he was stinking up the house and needed to live outside. We thought we would see what the chickens thought of Bill.

The ladies didn't seem to notice the little addition to their coop except Georgia (named after curious George) who inspects everything, but she seemed harmless. For over an hour we watched to make sure their was no fowl play. Happily we went to bed. Bill had found a home with feathered friends.

Havoc struck in the morning. i think the girls upon waking for the day, were thrilled they had food. Unfortunately for Bill, he was breakfast. They pecked all the feathers off the back of his neck, leaving it raw and bare. Poor little Bill came back into the house to recuperate from his terrifying adventure.

Princess for the Day

We should all have the chance to be a princess for a day. Last Thursday Ashley got her chance (even though she wouldn't wear a tiara). Makeup at 12:30 at the Bare Minerals store in Fashion Place mall. The lady was a true artist, applied makeup for 45 minutes and yet kept it looking natural and beautiful. Next stop a little shopping, followed by a hair appointment for an up-do. On to the dress, shoes and photographer for an almost four hours photography session!

Everyone should feel like a princess for a day; admired, pampered, indulged, and beautiful. The results for Ashley showed on camera. Kudo's to my friend Kathleen, an amazing photographer for artistry and endurance : )

We are all extraordinary, exceptional, significant, and of great worth. If we could see ourselves with true eyes we would see that we are all indeed princesses. Thank you to the truly wonderful princesses in my life... I love you all!!