Abby's Rabbit

Nearly a year ago Abby, then just turned 13 years old, ran an Indiegogo campaign with the intention of buying an Angora rabbit.

Much to her surprise and delight she raised $225.00 with much of the thanks to many of you, my readers.

She spent the next three months looking for an angora bunny within a two hour drive and came up frustrated and longing for a bunny.  When a neighbor offered her a small mixed breed, she said yes.  Abby had spent those months building a two story cage herself, buying and making toys, reading and joining online rabbit communities.

(She says that she just may still get an Angora someday.)

Just this past Wednesday she used the rest of the start-up money to get Storm fixed ($125.00).  She researched and decided that this was in his best interest because it generally increases his life span and makes him less messy and aggressive.

She has a rabbit youtube channel.

And also during this time she started a crafting youtube channel.

Between the two, she now receives a payment from google each month of $200 - $300, just from doing what she enjoys!

With a recent birthday, now at 14 years old, Abby is truly becoming a young woman with her own style and interests (so different than mine but so wonderful just the same).  

These Days

: : Overwhelmed (at times) because our Vermont Branch Company wedding business is keeping us so busy

that I barely have time to think of much else while at the same time filled with gratitude that it continues to support our family financially

: : Loving the gorgeous weather - this may just be the most amazing June in the 9 years that we have

lived in Vermont

: : Lugging lots of water to the gardens

: :  Doing lots of knitting because I need my creative time

: : Feeling sad because the wild duckling died

: : Reading Cold Antler Farm by Jenna Woginrich and loving it

: :  Researching  what state we could move to that would offer both affordable land (we have just a little over three acres here and over half is wet lands), some like-minded community, and the luxury of home learning in freedom (any suggestions?)

: : Talking about what market crops we would grow on the land  (Mike and I both enjoy growing garlic and onions so that would be a start.)

: : Contemplating how much more stuff we can live without so that when/if we do move - 

it will be a somewhat simple process

: :  Wondering if our house will even sell anyway  (Anyone want to buy our humble homestead?)

A Wild Duckling

Wednesday late morning I looked out our window to the pond and noticed two moving small little somethings.   As I went out and looked more closely I realized they were little ducklings with no more than 

3 - 4 " showing above the water but moving at an amazing speed for their size.

They disappeared as soon as they sensed my presence.  Later that evening we saw just one swimming and felt concerned that the other may have lost its life to a predator and if there was anyway that we could capture this one, perhaps we would be saving its life especially since there was no mother in sight.

Abby, Sarah and Mike managed, somehow to corner the little duckling in some reeds and Mike scooped him up.  At first he was quite scared of us and but already he snuggles close when being held.

I do think that ducklings are just about the cutest things - but as Emmy reminded me, 

"Not as cute as Emmy, Mom!"

So Green

These beautiful days are amazing.   I don't know if I am enjoying them more than ever because of the hard winter we had or because I am getting older - either or both - I am glad.

Chicks

We now have four very healthy chicks that are being well taken care of by their adopted mom that is getting up off the nest now to show them how to scratch, eat and drink.

Pure entertainment watching them follow her around.

We had one more egg hatch this morning but I am afraid the little chick probably won't make it.  It is inside under a lamp but may have either been left alone too long or had been born with some sort of abnormality.

Now There Are Three

Yes, Sarah set this photo up - usually the mom pushes them back under her - but they sure are cute.

Nolan and Rachel

Friday night - the rehearsal and dinner for about 30 people.

I made four lasagnas, three salads and Sarah made cookie bars.

The wedding and reception were held at the New Hope Bible Church which is a fairly new building with one large room that serves as both the sanctuary and multi-purpose room.

So we had 220 chairs set up for the ceremony and then after moved 120 of them to the tables and lined the walls with the remaining to make room for a dance floor.

Emmy was so excited to wear her "fancy dress and fancy shoes".

I bought both at an online consignment shop thredup.com, the dress was $7.00 and the shoes about the same.

The big day.

Thomas was Nolan's best man and here he is with his girlfriend, Sam.  Sam was an amazing help on both Friday and Saturday with all of the preparations and then helping to serve at the wedding.

Mike made the arbor and birch "trees".

Abraham was the ring bearer.

Here comes the bride.

They may only be 18, but they can grow up together and be each other's one and only love for the rest of their lives.  

Our already large family is expanding even more!  

All went so beautifully beginning with perfect weather - blue sky with big puffy clouds and about 73 degrees.

It was in a modern church sanctuary but the decorations all came together with a rustic, elegant, simple theme of wood, lace and pink.

It was truly a  wonderful time filled with love.  I know it sounds trite, but the atmosphere was amazing - supportive, loving and happy - filled with family and friends.  Nolan and Rachel wrote their own wedding vows which brought the tears.  Thomas gave a toast that brought tears once again, and I danced the mother/son dance with Nolan to What a Wonderful World, the same song my Dad and I danced too on my wedding day.

Nolan and Rachel changed and left by the early evening on their way to their honeymoon in northern New Hampshire for a few days in their car decorated with window crayons, cans and filled in the inside with balloons.

That night we had my family over and we played, gave the city folk a crash course in country living, and had smores by the camp fire.  

All is good.

Hatched

Just had to stop in here quickly and share what we found this morning.

One little chick under its adopted mom.

About four week's ago we put our rooster with a broody chicken (buff orpington) and three other hens into a separate pen and left all of the eggs under her.

One week ago we took the rooster out of the pen and then the other hens.

She had 14 eggs under  her all together, now 13 - it will be fun to see how many  more hatch!

(The wedding went fantastic - thanks for all the well wishes, thoughts and prayers - I will be making a blog post sharing the pictures later this afternoon from the library.)

First Visit to the Bridge

I haven't  written much lately - not really a lot to say as life right now seems to be full with the ordinary things that make up our life with the only real noticeable differences reflecting the changing seasons.

Even with Nolan's wedding (our second oldest son) on Saturday, I feel at peace.  As long as I keep the house picked up and organized, I feel I can take on the extra tasks that need to be completed each day this week.

(I have noticed that the times when everything seems to overwhelm me is when I have let the house go too far.  I simply cannot function well among chaos.)

So today I will hot glue lace and ribbon to mason jars, bake bread, plant more in the garden, read books to the children, check in on our business, pick up messes, make meals, and wash dishes.