A surprisingly nice day for a big family job...

Yesterday was a nice day compared to some that have been the case this long winter already.... The small ones headed out with grandma and Ruth... while the rest were taking up positions at preg checking, vacinating and treating with pour on - delousing the cattle.... The vet had two daughters along... one to record the numbers and the other to do vet work... as she is prevet... Quite a scene...

Mary took an excursion out to see the heifers - including the 3 that were "broke" for showing this summer... that is where she met and named Snowball and Banana...

I am a bit under the weather today... we all are coming down with something these days, so I am going to write minimally today and let the pictures talk about our family farm day... it is carrying over today to getting the heifers vacinated in a short while.

Mary leading the way to where the heifers are... the action has begun at the headgate area...so we go over there for a bit on our way.

Coming Mary!

"What you doing dad?" .... "Making sure there is a baby in their tummy, Mary."

"Hi, daddy.  Mary is going to show me Snowball..."  "Ok, Davey, see you later!"

"Look mommy, Mary is petting Snowball's nose!  She is super cool and brave!" 

"Let's see if we can slowly walk up to her too!  Don't worry Snowball we won't hurt you... we just want to look into your big brown eyes."

"Grandma are you coming too?"

"Davey, do you remember Snowball and Banana when they lived at our house this summer?  Haven't they gotten a lot bigger?"  "yeah, a whole lot bigger!"  Says little Davey inches away from the black and white animals that are towering over his head!

The two year olds hanging out with snuggley dog, Lilly as the loudness of preg checking is all around them!  The clang of the headgate, the bellow of the cow when Paul gives it two shots, and the Vet "sleeves it" to discover if there is a calf in her womb...

They don't seem to notice garndpa yelling to get the cows to go into the two alleys leading to the headgate...

Cute alert!

Mary is engrossed in all the activity and looks a bit overwhelmed by it all!

The noise level seems to have gotten to her... Some of the cows can really bellow loud and it is a bit scarey for the little ones to hear!

Mom is always a safe person to stand by... and Lilly is very comforting too!

Now Ruth is helping and needed to get them to move up the ally and into the headgate... with 100+ cows... you need to keep them moving up and it takes a while... Mary wants to hang out with her mother up there and watch the action..

Davey wants to be by mommy too, but now the cows are starting to act up by all the strange little kids around, and that is not very helpful...

Grandma needs to get the kids out of the way and a place where the cows don't see them...

Therese is interested to see what daddy and Uncle Paul are doing...

Daddy is done giving shots to this one.

That is a better spot for the two little ones to watch, but soon the snowpile is calling them, and it seems to be a better thing to have the kids out of the way in the midst of all the craziness!

I think that I am going to go and crawl into bed until I am needed for something around here... there seems to be bugs that are getting to most of the adults... soon the kids will follow.  Jesus, thank you for a good day, and family that makes it all work and interesting at the same time!  We need each other to make it all happen.  Jesus, we trust in you! Amen and Halleluia!

Bless-bless, Barb

"Another day somebody knocks on the door.  It's a man that we often meet and greet on the street.

"Hello sisters!  I came because I have something to tell you.  I am Rafael.  I am a Jew and I believe that Jesus is the Messiah.  You know, before you came here I was afraid to walk down the street;  I always carried a knife with me... But now, you know, it changed!  When I walk in the street, the people wave at me!  I am not afraid any more:  I can see the angels on the roof of your house: they watch over the neighborhood! I can feel Peace radiate from your house!  This house is a Light House!" Rafael did not know that the Little Monastery will be named "Lumen Christi" - the Light of Christ... From a Christmas letter that we received yesterday from the little Sisters in Kansas City, where they live in an old Belgian rectory in the poor part of town, and are half way through fundraising to build a "little monatery" on the land they are now living on... They will have a permanent residence in the center of our country and we are overjoyed - having our daughter, Susan/Hallel a member of their amazing community!  Thank you, Jesus!