Thursday, May 30, 2013

Life goes on...


This has been the longest week. With 2 birthdays, my oldest grand daughter Chloe turned 14 Monday and my husband turned 65 Tuesday. And then my step dad Gary passed away early Tuesday morning. Normally, people are taken to a funeral home, then a viewing, then service, then burial. But with cremation, there is none of that, unless there's a memorial service.We're having that the last of June for family to be able to come from Colorado and S. Ga. So it's been a little strange, just being at Mom's for the past several days.  But the neighbors and friends and family here have been great. Mom's neighbor Gary has mowed her lawn. His wife Windy came over a few nights ago and talked with mom. And brought a cake. My SIL Jason mowed the yard last week. And he and Abby finished up the deck and got it all set up again. And Heather has been with her a few days helping her as well. Mom's friends Allison and Pearl, from where she worked,  brought over some chicken casserole, pasta salad, deviled eggs and a cake. It was SO good! Thank you all so much. I know it means so much to my mom. People have called and come by. We miss Gary so much. It's just empty without him there. I always feel like something's not right, then realize he's not here any more.

And other things are going on around here too. I got home Sunday after being at the hospital, and Annabelle had a little ewe lamb. She so cute. Mostly Finn. Annabelle's mother, Lucinda, was full Fin and the ram is mostly Finn. So I had to dock her little tail a few days ago. I decided to name her Buttercup, since she was born in the pasture full of them. Annabelle did great and is such a good mother. Her 1st lamb too. And Abraham is a good daddy.




                                                             Annabelle, the new mom.




Last night, I went out and put another box on top of the hive. The bees were all hanging out at the entrance a few days ago. I asked the guy I got them from about it and he said they were probably getting crowded and to put on the other box. So I did. They looked happy today.

A friend who lives up on the mountain past us called my husband today and said he'd heard that bears had gotten into some hives up the road from me and tore them all up. These hives are about 5 miles from here. That's pretty scary. I hope they don't come down here for my one little hive.



And these pigs! We moved them last week up to the creek bed. (That's a whole other blog post! You just can't make a pig do what a pig does not want to do!) I am hoping they will do some damage control here. This is where the river starts that washes down to my garden when it rains a lot. I hope the pigs will be able to damn it up or something. Make a pond? They've got one started. I had their water in a bucket in that tire back there. And every time I'd go back out, there the bucket would be, outside the tire and empty. So I took this rubber trough out there today. I hope this will work. Aren't they growing bigger? But not big enough yet.


Here's Sandy and her triplets. They are getting bigger every day. And so cute! I love them.



Also Monday, my husband went to Home Depot and found this big ole mower. I hated it at first. But now I kind of like it. I bush hogged the pasture next door. Yesterday at noon. With shorts on. And no sunscreen on my legs. Like a big dummy. It's hurts! But it did great. And will save us a lot of money by not having to find someone else to do it. I can do it when I need to now. See how Abby's legs are all out front? And this was her test drive. Almost ran over her dad! See him trying to get out of the way? It was too funny!




 And here's the birthday girl, Chloe. 14 years old now! I am an OLD lady, y'all. OLD! I remember when she was born. 5 weeks early. Had to be in the hospital 9 days. Then on a heart monitor the 1st 6 months of her life. And she just graduated from middle school today! She's now officially a 9th grader going to high school! WHAT?

Here is her sister, Coryn, graduating from 5th grade. Can't hardly see her. She's getting her certificate in the white shirt. My zoom doesn't work any more. So she's now officially a 6th grader going to middle school! WHAT? I am SO old now. I really feel old. How does this happen?


So life goes on some how, despite a death of a loved one. New life happens all over. People graduate. Pigs grow. People have birthdays. That's how it should be. And to know that one day soon, we will see our loved ones again! That makes it better.

8 comments:

Betty Ann said...

Kris, I could hardly wait to check this blog and see how you are doing. I tell MY Kristin often that she is one of my heroes. We have spent the last two days trying to get things put back together after a week at the beach. Had 54 meat birds delivered today along with a new brooder to reduce mortality and also set up the new redneck swimming pool (last years' closeout from Walmart), as well as a whole lot of weeding, staking, and mulching in the veggie garden. And yet it all seems trivial compared to what you have dealt with so gracefully. Does the name Kristin spelled with an "I" bestow something special??

Sandra said...

Sounds busy!
What sweet new lamb :)
Take Care!!

Tombstone Livestock said...

Sounds like you have been extremely busy this month, Take care, it's good your mom has friends and family to step in and help her fill the void in her life.

Kristin said...

I'm so sorry for the loss of your step dad. Your poor mom.

I am still so jealous of those triplet girls! Love the pictures!

Kris said...

Betty Ann, sounds like y'all have been really busy too. I've been trying to get all my meat birds situated where I want them now. I still have 2 CC chicks I can't catch. But I will! And you are so sweet to say that. I would hope that all daughters would do this for their mothers. As I know your Kristin does all the time for you.

Kris said...

Sandra, she is the sweetest little lab. And very fast! I let all the sheep over in the other pasture last night and she kept up with all of them. And Annabelle is great with her.

Kris said...

Linda, it does seem like May was very busy. And also very strange. So much going on. My brother is caught in all the storms coming from Colorado and is not getting here til tomorrow afternoon now. We're all kind of worried about him on his motorcycle. But he'll be ok.

Kris said...

Kristin, those girls are adorable. And so far, Diana is the most vocal of them all. Their horn buds are growing too fast and will need to burned off soon.