A Day of New Experiences

Wow! Yesterday was a wild day in so many reasons.  I've been feeling led to start a blog but like my husband and kids asked what do you mean you've been led....well you know that little voice that sometimes speaks to you? You know, you are staring in the freezer and there's that tub of ice cream and that voice says "don't do it, you are working hard to make positive changes, don't fall in that trap" and of course the logically way to keep that voice away is to get rid of the ice cream but I have 4 kids who happen to like ice cream and a husband who REALLY likes ice cream so because I love them I have ice cream in my freezer and a little voice in my head warning me to stay away.  I also have this voice who keeps telling me to start a blog and share my message with all who will listen/read.  I swear I'm not clinically crazy.  But our church has started this new discussion on a book entitled "The Power of a Whisper Hearing God. Having the Guts to Respond" by Bill Hybels.  I've started reading the book (i've always been one of those people who when given 2 chapters to read for homework read 3 or more) and I'm hooked.  I'm thinking maybe this voice is onto something.  So, started a blog! That was a new experience.
New experience #2 yesterday, I'm getting in the mom-mobile to pick up B and K from school. K had quiz bowl and B had late basketball practice.  So, I walked out of my door and I stopped for some strange reason and listened. The sound I heard was the weirdest, eeriest sound I think I've ever heard.  I tried to describe it like a pig squealing, baby crying, twig scratching a metal building type sound. My husband looked at me like I was growing a second head right there on my neck but I was persistent that he should drop what he was doing right then and there and come outside and listen!  He did (he is a smart man) and informed me that's the sound a bobcat makes.  Bobcat??? Right across the road in the woods??? That's NOT good! What about my kids?  And by kids I mean my baby goats not my children, 2 of them were safe inside the house and 2 were at school which I was late picking them up because of this horrible creature lurking in the dark.  I immediately demanded for action to be taken to protect my kids.  Once again, I think I was sprouting that second head. Obviously this strange eery sound I was hearing isn't new! Ummmm hello, I hadn't heard it in the 5+ years I've lived out here in BFE why was I suddenly hearing it now?  I needed to protect my kids, they needed to be locked in the barn so the bobcat couldn't get them and I needed to go pick up my 2 precious human children.  I guess the husband has heard this sound frequently and follows this statement up by telling me to imagine sitting in a tree stand waiting for the sun to come up hearing that noise but not being able to see anything. Um, no thank you, I think I will do my hunting next year when the sun is already up!  I'm happy to report, all kids and moms were accounted for safe and sound and shots were fired in the vicinity of where the noise was coming from. Don't worry I don't think any animals were harmed but I sure hope that mean old bobcat thinks twice before he/she tries to get any of my animals!
New experience #3.......last Friday, we had to have the vet out to our house due to 2 moms who were showing signs of trouble.  Turns out goats are a lot like humans!  These 2 moms were suffering from edema. There poor feet and legs were swelling up from the babies they were carrying and that was making them not want to stand up or eat or drink because goats like to stand and eat not sit or lay and eat.  So our awesome vet wrapped their huge legs and gave them a little pain meds and they were up and eating in 15 minutes.  Well, one mom decided to have her baby Saturday night.  How do you spend your Saturday nights? I spend mine in the barn watching babies being born. I live wildly I know!  Well, after about 10 minutes of this little foot hanging out of the mom and the mom no longer pushing, I start panicking.  And as is always the case, the calming person in my life was at work. (my husband) so I text my goat guru and he informs me I need to pull this baby out.  By now, I'm not feeling very good about this baby being alive but K decides she is going to get this baby out.  So, she grabs the leg and another leg pops out, even better!  She starts pulling firmly but gently and mom starts pushing.  She gets the baby out! I was soooo proud of her! We start cleaning the baby up and it's ALIVE!!!  It's a miracle! We wanted to name him Lucky but we already have a goat named Lucky from last year, she almost died too so we decide on Luke because it's like Lucky and God was answering our prayers to give us strength and helps us get through this experience.  However, we couldn't get this baby to nurse from the mom.  We tried and tried and B&K finally got frustrated and went to bed and I kept trying.  I may have even yelled at the mom a couple times telling her she needed to take care of her baby!  Finally about 11pm after about 3 hours of way too much excitement I'm exhausted, I give up and go to bed.  Enter calming person, who came home from work about 12:45am and goes to barn to check on goats.  That silly mom had ANOTHER baby boy! I've never experienced that ever. Normally within 30 minutes they deliver that next one but not 3 hours later.  Oh I've left out the best part! First baby was 13 pounds!! The average weight for a newborn kid is 7-9 pounds. The second baby was 12 pounds! No wonder her feet were huge! The weird mom licked on the first born but wouldn't let him nurse, let the second born nurse but wouldn't clean him up! She's very weird.  So, we've been working hard trying to save both babies by bottle feeding the first one.  Well, yesterday, Luke was drinking from his mommy!  YAY! Prayers answered!!!!  The other mom the vet treated still hasn't kidded but she is eating and not as swollen and we are following vets orders.  I just pray for a safe delivery for her.  I did see her babies moving around in her yesterday so that makes me feel a bit better but I just wish she would have them. I'm sure she would feel a lot better and I know I would.  I believe God is teaching me patience.......I'm trying!
New experience #4.....last but not least, B has given me a hard time lately.  She's not making good decisions and going down a path that I really don't want her on.  She's not living her life in the christian way we are trying to lead her on.  I've stressed to my kids since they were old enough to hear my voice that we treat others the way we want to be treated.  Even if it goes against the "in crowd" to be the bigger person and treat everyone as though they matter.  I try to tell her to be the change she wants to see.  If everyone is making fun of someone else, don't join in!  When people are talking about you or trying to bring you down, don't be a crow and give them what they want, be an eagle and rise above it.  Every person has value, every person is a child of God.  Doing what is right won't always be easy but it will be pleasing to God.  So, without going into any details, I talked to her about some of the choices she was making. I kept it vague but she knew exactly what I was talking about and I told her if she wants to go down the wrong path, I will yank her hair and let her know she's on the wrong path she needs to get back on the right path.  She actually asked me to YANK HER HAIR!  She told me she needed it.  So, I did and I told her we would sit down when there is some time just she and I and we will talk about it.  She actually looks forward to it.  Talk about a new experience!  Praise the Lord!!!  Now I just need to listen to that little voice (God) leading me to help lead her.
So, that was my interesting day yesterday.  Last night we had some wicked storms come through which is weird for February so I would ask you all to say a prayer for the ones affected by the tornados that touched down.

My Rookie Stripe

So, here it is...my very first blog post.  I've been considering starting a blog for a while and this afternoon I decided to just take the plunge and get right to it.  I will tweak it over the next few days so stay tuned.
Allow me to introduce myself.  My name is Kathy. I grew up in Virginia, minutes from the beach and it's my "happy place" and now I find myself living in Kansas a days drive away from the beach. Crazy right??? It gets better!  I'm the mother of 3+1 kids.  3+1???  Didn't they teach me anything in school???  Well you see, 14+ years ago, I met a man who happened to have a 1 year old daughter.  We married and lived happily ever after....well not quite, no marriage is a fairytale.  However, we are still married and though it's been crazy the +1 now lives with us AGAIN. She's 15, I'll refer to her as B and I love her just like she's my own. But she's a challenge and frustrates me and I'm sure you will hear more about her in blog posts to come so stay tuned......I'm determined to be the mother figure she needs and help mold her into the beautiful, responsible young lady I know she can be.  I've never given up on her and I never will.  She's amazing!
Now onto the 3........first we have Mini-me AKA K.  She is 11, in middle school so on top of high school girl drama I have middle school girl drama to deal with as well.  She has a heart of gold but can't seem to get along with her brother, she's also proof that mother's curse works and she's our first miracle.  You will learn more about her as well.  Next we were blessed with our only boy, T-man who is 8.  He is energetic, always has a smile on his face except when he's begging me for a little brother to play with.  He's passionate about sports, reading and God. Yes, I said God. I will also be speaking about Him in my blog because He is #1 in my life.  But back to T-man, he loves to read and his favorite book to read in the car on our many trips all over God's green earth is his kids bible.  He firmly believes in the power of prayer and can't seem to understand just yet why God hasn't answered his prayer for a brother....might have something to do with my prayer asking God NOT to answer his prayer.  Lastly we were surprised and challenged with Mae. She is 5 and she's been challenging us since conception.  I won't go into details but if she'd been born first, I doubt we would have any other children running around our house.  But.....she's such an amazing child.  She always has a smile on her face even though she has some struggles and she just lights up a room just by being in it.  She's the biggest tomboy around yet she will be in the barn in a frilly dress and mud boots if I don't keep an eye on her.
Barn???  Yes you read correctly!  We own almost 90 acres and we raise kids......yes kids! As in goats and they are soooooooo fun.  We are right in the middle of kidding season around here and although it's stressful it's also rewarding.  I love sitting in the barn watching the miracle of life happen.  I will be posting the experiences of farm life as well.
So, welcome to my crazy life.  Feel free to follow me, I will try to post as often as I can. :) Have a blessed day!