Spring Events

     Everybody participated in the spring clean-up, brush clearing, garden plotting, leaf raking chores during the first pretty days promising the warmer weather.  We had to get the pre-emergent fertilizer out before we hit 80 degrees to kill the stickers that plagued everything from socks and baby blankets to bare feet last year.  Somebody would be walking along in the house and suddenly fall out in the floor in convulsions of pain, then limp along screaming "Sticker, sticker!"  We'd have to hold 'em still and pull it out, always leaving an itchy red bump behind.  Those things are horrible!

    This year, we're trying to grow a 20x30 garden by the greenhouse, instead of our traditional plot in the pasture.  There are now officially too many animals in the pasture to expect to keep them all out of a thriving garden, fence or no fence.  We brought in the compost again, and Curtis tilled it all in. 

     We had planned to buy a horse last year when Milly turned 13, but in the search for one that was kid friendly, and dead broke, we found much more to consider when buying a horse.  We also wanted to make sure that Milly was well prepared to care for this new pet on her own.  Though she'd have plenty of help, she would be the one to take full responsibility for his health, and the safety of the younger ones when around him.   She attended a horse clinic on a ranch near our home, and learned some vital basics, but the search dragged on as we learned of the vaccines they'd need, the farrier visits we'd need to have scheduled, and the varied diets to which each horse was accustomed.  Finally, this spring, we went to see two horses for sale.  The first was a Tennessee Walker, some 17 hands high.  He was enormous!  And beautiful.  But, he was spunky, a little too spunky for a beginning rider (and her younger siblings).  She rode him well enough, but he threw his head about as if prancing for a king.  Though he minded her every command, he seemed like a lot of work to handle.  Not a good match for our young riders.
    Then, we went to see Tzar (Registered name: Winestone Tzar Ku), a handsome red Arabian only 14 hands high, and super gentle.  His owner crawled up under his belly, snapped her fingers and called him to walk beside her in perfect step, and backed him up just by holding up her hand in front of him.  He was great!  He nuzzled Milly just meeting her, and the two seemed a team even before she climbed on his back.  He was delivered to our place two days later.  He's now figured out that she keeps treats in her pocket when she comes to see him.  He's actually dug into her pocket and retrieved the trophy even before she offers it!  I'm amazed at the personalities of these animals!  So much fun to watch!
    Our neighbors behind us built a state-of-the-art equestrian arena (often pictured in the background of our photos) that the local trainers frequently use.  The kids are employed to keep their horses and and handle several barn/pasture chores when they're out of town.  In becoming good friends with them, and serving on the water board alongside the husband, they've entrusted Milly to ride in their arena with Tzar.  What a treat!  We'd have to pay a small fortune to have personal access to such luxuries at any one of the local equestrian centers.  God is good to my children, and they know He is!

     The Spring Cotillion at Joy Academy in Decatur became an annual event when Madison was invited to go some four years ago.  Now the kids plan for it, and bring along our Hannah, who got to attend when she visited us during her spring break the first year.  It's as much of a mainstay for her as it is for us, though none of them actually attend Joy Academy!  This year, the kids ran into our former neighbors from Greenwood, and everybody experienced a gleeful "old home week".  They couldn't believe how the kids had grown, and thought that Maggie was Madison, at first!  And their son, now 15, had morphed into this little man, almost big man.  Has it really been seven years since then?

Christian and Milly got to go for the first time.  I do believe this is his first suit ever.

 

     Maggie turned 17, and is working on her driver's license.  She had a bizarre idea for a birthday party:  pirate themed.  Okay?  So, I let her plan the whole thing, and it turned out to be a blast!  The Martinets came, along with Phillip, the Puckett's, and a friend she had met through football in the fall.  The weather was perfect, the food incredible (she cooked), and the decorations adorable.  We had a costume contest, and most of them took it very seriously.  Curtis and I rented a pirate bounce house for the younger ones, and Maggie graciously included Cyrus' birthday celebration with her own, since all of his friends are the younger siblings of her own :)  He turned 6 a week later.

 I don't know what she was pouting about, can't remember, but this pic was too hilarious to leave out.

She does wear her feelings just about as well as she's wearing that bandana.

 

 Sunset swinging.

 Tzar and Milly

 We've had three broody hens, and one had chicks hatch from our long lost Black Australorp rooster.  A red fox got him one fateful night, despite Annie's attempts to stop him.  We knew what had happened by the plethora of black feathers on the bridle path, and the portion of the fox's tail in Annie's massive beard.  She tried, I'll give her that.

These babies have been hatching at the rate of 3-5 a week, totaling 17 baby chicks now.  Mercy is our little mother hen, checking faithfully two or three times a day to see if more have hatched, and bringing them in underneath the heat lamp until they're big enough for the brooder pen. She cuddles them during our devotions, and feeds them with the syringe dropper until they can peck at the bowls.

Two more baby Nigerian Dwarf's were born a couple of weeks ago!

They are soooooo cute!  One male and one female, both brown babies this time.

Back to bottle feeding and milking.

 At the end of the day, really any day, our crew is just plum tuckered out.

Ruby has grown to a 40 pound lap dog.  She has no concept of personal space, or that others might want to share the chair with her.  She barrels into your lap, whether you see her coming or not.  She has been more fun than I bargained for!  I'm so glad we jumped when the opportunity arose.

She's smart, obedient, good-natured, and hilariously funny.

 My big one with my little one, again.

 

 Daddy's turn to put her down.  We had to capture these little folded hands.

I'll have to make a post of the photos they've taken of her.

Meredith is adored around here, and the cameras tell of that adoration.

 Move over, Duck Dynasty.  I've got my own bearded wonder :)