Christmas in Review

Good morning to everyone!

I'm finally posting on our Christmas in review.  It was an excellent Christmas, not one that stood out with anything exciting but just enjoyable being together with family.

Christmas eve we completed all the family traditions.  A little after 5 we all sat down to a candlelight dinner of cheeses, crackers, meats, fruit, and grape juice.  After eating for about 1/2 an hour we all headed out the door to a nearby church and attended the candlelight service.  Then we came back home, finished our wonderful meal, cleaned up, got ready for bed, and sat down to watch "Charlie Brown Christmas".  Then Dad surprised us by pulling out "Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates".  It was a wonderful evening.

Christmas morning we all slept in (woohoooo!!!) and woke up to a delicious breakfast dish with eggs, ham and sausage!  Yuuummmm!!  Then we cleaned up the house and got ready to head out to my aunt and uncle's house which is about 1 1/2 hours away.  We were able to go visit my grandma who had surgery for a few minuets and am glad to say she is doing quite well for her age (81).  Then we went to the Schreur party which is always exciting.  Nearly everyone in the family was there except for 2 grandchildren and their dad.  They were all sick.  :P   We got home from that party around 11:00 p.m. 

A pictures of all the grandkids (minus the two sick boys of course)!  The ages now range from like 26 - 4.

The day after Christmas we again slept in.  When we finally got up we did chores quickly and came back in to open presents.  In our family, we draw names so we buy presents for one sibling in the family.  We also hide 3 small gifts three days prior to Christmas and hope that "your person" doesn't find out who has them.  This year I had Josh, so I got him crayons, a stuffed bear and a toothbrush/toothpaste as little gifts.  Then the big gifts was a cap pistol and slippers.  Elizabeth had me and she got me hair gel for curly hair (yayyyy!), mints, and Reeses for my little gifts and for the big gifts, conditioner for blond hair (yayyy again!), and a gift card to a local farm store.  I went right out and bought a cool sweatshirt.  :D  From Mom and Dad I got a shelf for my room and a gift certificate to the bookstore.  I got the DVD "The Ultimate Gift".

Here are just a few pictures of the kids opening gifts.....

 Rebekah getting a "horsey" calendar.

 

 Ben and Jon both had each other, and they both got the same gifts for their person!  :D

 

 Josh opening his sweet pistol.

And last but not least, here is a project I worked on the last few days:

Enjoy!

~Bethany~

Go.....Share the News

Christmas is over, the crazy shopping is done.  We finally get some normality in the home and thankfully, since we are still on break.....we get to relax!  However the reason for the season is still present.  Jesus is always here with us and that never changes.  Question.  Do they people around you know that Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Light?  Do they know that Jesus lives?  Do they know about the real reason for the season?  On the eve of Jesus' birth, angels told the news of the birth of Christ to a few lowly shepherds.  They went and worshiped the baby King and "they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child" and "returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them." (Luke 2:17&20)  

Two points I want to make here.  
#1. The Shepherds spread the news of great joy to the people.  They didn't keep such wondrous news to themselves, they told others about it! They shared the gospel, on the very night the King was born.  Will you share the Good News?


#2.  After they had told others about Jesus' birth, they went back to their job.  The dirty, smelly, unimpressive job of shepherding.  Yet what did they do?  They "returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen".  Will you be able to do such a thing?  Will you be able to go back to work Monday morning or school a week from tomorrow praising God?  I pray that you may be able to!

I'm sharing the well known Carol "Go Tell it on the Mountain".  May you be blessed and go share the Good News with the world as well.

While shepherds kept their watching
Over silent flocks by night,
Behold throughout the heavens,
There shone a holy light:
Go, Tell It On The Mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

The shepherds feared and trembled
When lo! above the earth
Rang out the angel chorus
That hailed our Saviour's birth:
Go, Tell It On The Mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

Down in a lowly manger

Our humble Christ was born

And God sent us salvation,
That blessed Christmas morn:
Go, Tell It On The Mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

When I was a seeker,

I sought both night and day;

I asked the Lord to help me,

And He showed me the way:

Go, Tell It On The Mountain,

Over the hills and everywhere;

Go, Tell It On The Mountain

That Jesus Christ is born.

He made me a watchman

Upon the city wall,

And if I am a Christian,

I am the least of all.

Go, Tell It On The Mountain,

Over the hills and everywhere;

Go, Tell It On The Mountain

That Jesus Christ is born.

 

~Bethany~

Merry CHRISTmas!

It was night a "Silent Night" in town as all the stories go.  Men, women, and children were rushing through the streets trying to find a place to stay the night.  Many  had been traveling some time and were really wishing for a decent bed.  Pushing and shoving,  they all headed to the few inns in that little town of Bethlehem.  It was the busiest many had ever seen their little town.  The inns filled up and they had to begin turning people away.  This is about when a largely pregnant young girl and her new husband came into the bustling town after traveling nearly one hundred miles.  The girl was tired, exhausted really and her husband anxious to get her somewhere to rest, lest he find her giving birth in the middle of the street.  He tried all the inns, but every last one of them were filled up to the brim.  Finally one inn keeper told him that they could try the stable.  "It's got straw and it'll be softer to lie on than the ground out under them stars.  Poor girl, looks exhausted.  Wish I could help you more."  Joseph thanked him and headed to the stable out back.  He'd never imagined that he'd put this girl through giving birth in a barn but it seemed as though that exact thing was about to happen. 

Joseph helped his young wife Mary to a soft corner where the hay was the thickest.  She leaned back, truly relaxing for the first time in over a week.  It wasn't exactly the quietest, most beautiful birth place she'd ever imagined but she knew God was with them and would help them as she herself was carrying His Son.  She watched the calf suckle it's mother and heard her soft lowing.  She heard the donkeys braying loudly, the goat calling it's young.  Not much more peaceful here than out on the streets, but all was well.  In Mary's soul, there was peace.  As night wore on, everything quieted down as all people and animals bedded down for the night, but Mary's time to deliver had come.  The most pain she had ever experienced was upon her and she labored long and hard.  Finally The Deliverer entered the world screaming his infant cries.  Mary looked at him fondly, holding him close.  Poor as they were, she wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in the best cradle around, the manger.  Then exhausted she slept, thanking and praising God for what He had given her. 

Out on the hills shepherds were settling down, greatly thankful they weren't in that busy town.  They could see the hustle and bustle from where they were it appeared to be quite crazy.  They called the sheep in as the night came upon them and settled down for the night.  Suddenly a bright light shown and they heard a voice telling them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."  Then they were amazed as the sky filled with Angels praising God for sending His Son to earth for the people.  They shepherds were amazed, not only because the promised Messiah had come but because THEY had been told about it, lowly shepherds.  They left their flocks and ran off to find the babe that they had been told about.  Finally finding them in the stable, they dropped to their knees worshiping the newborn King.

This day, Christmas day, we celebrate the coming of our Lord as He humbled Himself and came to our world as a baby born in a lowly stable.  We thank Him and praise Him for all that He has done for us and we exalt His name.  Thank you Lord Jesus for saving us! 

~Bethany~

Winter Excitement

Hello followers!  Here are just a few pictures that have been taken over the last few days.  I tried posting yesterday but I was too busy all day long.  Anyway, I wanted these photos posted because I need to remember what snow looks like.  :D  It's supposed to rain here today and tomorrow.  :P 

We got several inches of snow at the beginning of this week. Light and fluffy, it was picturesque. 

 

We went and picked out our Christmas tree.  There was a light snowfall which made it beautiful out!

Of course we found the perfect one!

 

Sorry it's kinda blurry.  It's a huge tree (we had to trim off some of the top because it couldn't fit under our 9' ceiling).

 This is my big news!  Yesterday I got a guitar!!!!!  I have wanted a guitar for such a long time!  It's an acoustic guitar but it came with an amp, 12 teaching DVDs and a bunch of extra little things (like picks, the case, etc, etc ,etc.  I think it's beautiful! 

Hope all is well with you and your household! 

In Christ,
~Bethany~

Pray for Hope!!!

Hope's mother (from Hope's Cancer Diary) wrote that she is in the hospital due to an infection.  Pray that has the strength to fight if off!

Let's lift our sister in prayer together!  Also, stop by her blog HERE and leave her a note of encouragement.

~Bethany~

Winter Farm Tour

 A dear friend of mine has requested photos from our farm and I am glad to post them!  While this is our slow time of the year and we are waiting on lots of babies, there are still a few new additions and cuties on the farm.  :)

 

 Little Millie is on the top.  She brightens everyone's day.  Adorable little baby!

 

 Wooohooo!  Look at all those babies coming! (a kid from this year 'Tea) Due early Feb.

 

 And more babies! (this is Missy) Due in March.

 

 Another baby hidden away. :)  Vi is due in late April.

 

 Abigail's steer for 2010 fair - Charlie

 

 All of our 2009 kids!  Growing up!

 

 My gilt!  She is due Feb. 14!  She's huge, probably at least 350#.

 

 My steer for the fair - Aiden

 

 The hog barn at school (pretty sweet, huh?)

 

 My hog for the Green and White show in Jan.  Really looking forward to showing him.  The first Duroc I've ever shown.  He's a little stinker though....

Hope you've enjoyed seeing all these pictures!  We are so looking forward to babies coming in just a few months!  Wooohooo!  Can't wait!

Have a wonderful day!

~Bethany~

Winter fun!

Yesterday afternoon we all bundled up and headed out to the snow for some fun filled activities.  We hook up the sleds behind the tractor and go down the roads, in fields, in ditches, etc.  It's a blast!  Abigail and I made a sled out of a piece of foam that we use to float down the river or swim with.  It worked perfectly and was awesome because you couldn't steer it.  If it wanted to go down a ditch, it went down! 

 Getting ready for take off!

Going down the road!

Abigail and I with our homemade sled  :)

Abigail and I after a spill down that steep bank.  It was hilarious!

We also got our Christmas tree, but those pictures are still coming!

Have a blessed day!

~Bethany~

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

Christmas is this weekend.  Wow!  Amazing how fast the season has come upon us.  Scrambling through stores, finding the perfect gift for someone in your family, rushing here, running there.  Maybe it's crazy for you and you are stressed out.  Just stop one moment and go back two thousand years ago to when the Lord Jesus humbled Himself and came down to earth only to be born in a manger, mocked by many, killed by His own.  He is the reason for the season, and let us not forget that.

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

Hark the herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled"
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim:
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Christ by highest heav'n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a Virgin's womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris'n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Glory to His name forever and ever!

~Bethany~

Field Trip

Yesterday Mom, Abigail, Elizabeth and Ben went on a field trip to a nearby museum.  It was a free day, so they had made the decision to go the night before.  They found out....it was a pretty cool place and playing with stuff one played with when they were 3 or 4 is still fun to do every once in a while.  :D  There were several different stations where they could dress up and be different things....as the following pictures will show you.

 "Dr." Elizabeth giving this little dog a check up.

 

"Gone Fishin'"

 Eating lunch in Japan.

 

Something about blond hair and blue eyes just don't fit an Indian.

 

 Ben shopping.

 

 Always fun when Mom is the cashier!

 

 Ben (cute, huh?)

 

 This just doesn't fit sweet Elizabeth does it?

 

 Wooohooo!  Go Abigail! :D

 

And last but not least....who is this stranger?  Can anyone tell? 

Hope these pictures brought a smile to your face!

~Bethany~

As a Little Child.....

 

Whoever becomes like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  

Matthew 18:4

 

When our two foster boys came to live in our home they had absolutely no knowledge of God or Jesus.  When they found out that God created the world, they were fascinated.  They also enjoyed the story of the Angle of Death.  I remember, it was just a few weeks after they had come and Dad read to them the story of Moses.  Johnny(6) came upstairs the next morning "The Angel of Death is gonna eat me" to which his brother(9) replied "naw, he's just gonna kill ya."  They have just soaked up everything about God.  

One thing they love to do is pray.  We encouraged them to start praying when they first came and often prayed with them when tucking them in for bed.  Now they do it all the time.  They won't sleep unless someone has prayed with them.  They love to pray at meal times, and while not eloquent prayers in the least, they have got to be some of the most beautiful God has ever heard.  

One thing I want to point out here really quick....these mere babes didn't question if God was real, try to figure out the logic in His love, or argue if the world was made in 6 days.  They understood the truth and believed.  It is again, that simple child-like faith that God loves to see.  

 

Do you believe with that precious faith?

 

A sister in Christ,

~Bethany~ 

Oh Little Town of Bethlehem

The small town of Bethlehem was settled in the hill country of Judea about 6 miles southwest of Jerusalem.  Never an exciting place, no one expected the long-awaited Messiah to come to this world, humbled as a baby born in a stable in this tiny town.  They were all wrong.......

Oh Little Town of Bethlehem

O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight

For Christ is born of Mary
And gathered all above
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love
O morning stars together
Proclaim the holy birth
And praises sing to God the King
And Peace to men on earth

How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven.
No ear may his His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him still,
The dear Christ enters in.

O holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to us, we pray
Cast out our sin and enter in
Be born to us today
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell
O come to us, abide with us
Our Lord Emmanuel  

 

~Bethany~

Taged & Awarded!

 I've been awarded by Jenna and tagged by Ashley!  Thank you to both you girls! 

Six Names you go By:
Bethany
Bethy
Beth
Abigail (My sister next in line)
ABethany (our names together)

Three things you are wearing today:
Jeans
Camo shirt
Long Jons

Three things you want very badly Right now:
My sore throat to go away
To know everything for my extemp speech
to have my paper done for school

Three things you did Last Night/Yesterday:
Baked cookes
went to school
went Christmas caroling

Two things you ate today: (I haven't eaten anything yet this morning....so I'll do last night)
Pizza!!!!
Fudge

Two People you last Talked to on the Phone:
Dad
Abigail

Two Things you are going to do Today/Tomorrow:
Christmas Party (2)
Split wood

Your Three Favorite Beverages:
Water
lemonade
Sprite/Mountain Dew

Now Tag 8 People
I Tag: Everyone who has blonde hair that reads this!  :D

Thank you for this award Jenna! 

 I will give this award to two people!

Bethany & Adam

These are both two Christian young people's blogs I have more recently begun to follow and very much love!  It's always wonderful and inspiring to find more blogs written by teen Christians.

Oh, and just for a little news update....our homeschool group went Christmas caroling last night!  We stopped by and sang at 10 different homes.  It's always so wonderful to be able to cheer up a family.  :)  Then of course we all came back home and had pizza...I guess this is our 6th year of doing this.  Getting to be a pretty neat tradition!

My God be glorified!

~Bethany~

Giveaway @ A Warrior's Heart!

Joshua over at A Warrior's Heart is giving away a book titled Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper.  Here is what he has on his blog about the book. 

This book is a well-known book written by John Piper that urges young people and adults to stop living a life of mediocrity and start living a radical, sold-out life fully committed and devoted to Jesus Christ. This book is a passionate call to make your life count for eternity in the midst of a godless culture. Everything the world throws at you is junk. The treasures that will last is what you do on this earth in obedience to God. Crucify the junk, and start living and dying for the one, who gave his all for you. I could not recommend this book any higher. Five stars with an extra star added on. It's convicting, but ultimately God-glorifying. If you have the book, you can always give this book as a post Christmas gift to someone, or if you don't have the book, read it and get ready to be convicted by it. 


I've never read it before....so I'm most certainly entering!  :)


Get over there soon before it's too late!  You only have 'till Christmas Eve!



~Bethany~

COLD!!!

Good morning to all of my fellow blogging friends!

Greetings from chilly Michigan.  I looked at the online weather page and it is saying that our town is at 13* with a wind chill of -5*.  For some reason.....I don't feel like going out to do chores.  :D  From what I can see out the window, it looks like we have about 4-5 inches of snow though it's hard to tell because of the high winds.  Yesterday was pretty nasty, the rain turning the snow that had fallen the evening before into slush which later as it got colder, turned into ice.  The roads were not a pretty place to be yesterday.  Lots of black ice and and wind (which I guess were around 40-50 mph winds) .  When I got home, we braved the cold and I cleaned out my gilt's pen, Abigail cleaned out her steer's pen and we bedded down the calves.  Hopefully they held up okay in the cold.  We moved the youngest ones into the barn and I think the older ones will be fine. 

I'm going to leave you with a little bit of Shakespear:

Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind

(from "as you like it" and I cut out a little of it)

Blow, blow, thou winter wind,
Thou art not so unkind
As man's ingratitude;
Thy tooth is not so keen,
Because thou art not seen,
Although thy breath be rude.

Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky,
That dost not bite so nigh
As benefits forgot:
Though thou the waters warp,
Thy sting is not to sharp,
As friend remember'd not.

For those of you who are in these cold states....keep warm!  And those in the warm states....enjoy the warmth!  :)

In Christ,
~Bethany~

Do Hard Things

Do Hard Things

by Alex and Brett Harris!

On December 14, we will start reading and discussing Do Hard Things, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday @ Beyond The Cover. You are more than welcome to read and discuss each chapter with us! We would love for you to participate, so get the book soon from either your library or book store!! If you decide to do this study with us, please let us know in a comment:) Also, we would love to get the word out about this blog and study. Would you consider posting about it on your blog?

:::

Below is the book description:

:::

Written when they were 18 years old, Do Hard Things is the Harris twins' revolutionary message in its purest and most compelling form, giving readers a tangible glimpse of what is possible for teens who actively resist cultural lies that limit their potential.

:::

Combating the idea of adolescence as a vacation from responsibility, the authors weave together biblical insights, history, and modern examples to redefine the teen years as the launching pad of life and map a clear trajectory for long-term fulfillment and eternal impact.

:::

Written by teens for teens, Do Hard Things is packed with humorous personal anecdotes, practical examples, and stories of real-life rebelutionaries in action. This rallying cry from the heart of revolution already in progress challenges the next generation to lay claim to a brighter future, starting today.

:::

We look forward to reading DHT, and hope that you will join us as we learn, encourage and challenge one another!

In Christ,

~Bethany~

Sixty-Eight years ago.....

Sixty-eight years ago on a beautiful Sunday morning in Hawaii the sky erupted with the sound of aircraft flying overhead.  The Attack on Pearl Harbor had begun.  The attack sank four U.S. Navy battleships (two of which were raised and returned to service later in the war) and damaged four more. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, and one minelayer, destroyed 188 aircraft, and caused personnel losses of 2,402 killed, and 1,282 wounded.

Our freedom is not free, and all those killed were a bit of that price paid to remain this way.  Let us show our gratitude to all of our service men and women, thanking them for their price that they pay to keep our country free.

In Christ,
~Bethany~

Joy to the World!

Every Sunday through this month I am going to post a Christmas song here on my blog.  Yesterday all of us girls went and caroled in our Civil War era dresses at a Civil War Christmas house tour.  It was pretty cool, and started getting us all in the Christmas "mood" as I call it. 

The carol I am posting today is Joy to the World.  Probably one of the most well known Christmas carols and written by Isaac Watts in 1719, Joy to the World is a beautiful song announcing the birth of our Lord.  It calls all men to come and rejoice that our Savior has come and humbled himself as a child to save all mankind.  Isn't His love awesome?

 Joy to the World

Joy to the World , the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

My God show you the Joy of the season this Christmas!

~Bethany~

Sarah Palin!!!!

Sarah Palin's Book Tour!  I was unable to go :( :( as I had school, but Abigail and Dad headed down into IN to go see her!  When they got there and realized that there were a couple thousand people ahead of them....they turned back.  They did get some pretty neat pictures though, so that's kinda cool.  Probably a good thing I wasn't there or I would have wanted to stay and still get to see her.  :D   

 

 The Sarah Palin bus from the Highway.

 

 People in line. 

And just a few of the broadcasters there....

 

 NEWS 13!!!

 

 National Broadcasting!

NBC!!!

So that was just a little excitement.  I thought it was pretty cool that they were even so close to her.  :D  I know, I'm kinda a fanatic, I know.  I think she is one awesome lady.  Conservative, strong, outdoorsy, I mean what can get better?  Anyway...

Hope my stories aren't driving anyone crazy.  This was one of my last.  Still have the dog kennels to show you all.  They are pretty cool, but I still need some more pictures of the finished product.

One really quick last note....we finished up I Kissed Dating Goodbye at our blog Beyond the Cover.    On Monday, the 14th we will be starting the book Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris.  Come and check it out!  Do Hard Things is a great book!

In Christ,

~Bethany~

Birthday Girls!

Happy Birthday to Elizabeth and Rachel!  

Yesterday was Elizabeth's 8th birthday.  I can't believe it's been so long since she was born!  It's gone so fast.  Elizabeth is growing up into a beautiful, hard working young lady.  I love you girl! 

Rachel's birthday is today.  She is now 14 years old and has lived in our home for 9+ years.  We are so glad to have her in our home.  Just as a bit of news....she was named Student of the Month at her school in November.  We were all so proud of her!  Love you Rachel!

 

~Bethany~

Millie's Trip to the Vet

Today's earthshattering story..... Millie's trip to the vet. :D  Ok, so this was like 4 weeks ago.....but when I went out to the barn on a beautiful, crisp, sunny, Sunday morning I found poor little Millie in pitiful shape.  She was very hypothermic (like 97* and they should be at least 102*) so you know what we do....load 'em up and stick them in the bathtub.  Thankfully she was just a little one and nice and clean.  :D  We got her temp up a some (to around 99*), called the vet, and thankfully he was in so we were able to take her right to the vet office.  We wrapped her up in towels and stuck her in a garbage bag to keep all the heat in. 

Abigail held her on the way to the vet.  Thank goodness it was just a little Jersey heifer calf!

 Soon as we got there he shaved her neck so he could get an IV in.

  I don't remember exactly what he said he put in there, but it was probably sugars and a little medicine.  They gave her 3 in one morning. 

 She stayed at the vet office for 3 days/2 nights.  When we left her, she was in this condition. 

 

And I don't have any of her since she came home.  She did come home though in excellent shape.  She's doing great now and growing so fast.  They sure don't stay little for long. 

Since we're on the topic of cattle here...I'm going to give you an update on all of our cows for those that are interested.

We have Vi who's bred plus 2 bred heifers all due right around late April/ early May.  There are 5 heifers that were born between early March and now all not bred.  We'll start breeding them around May.  Dad bought a beef heifer to raise for beef and Abigail got her fair steer.  Charlie is pretty wild yet.  :D  Oh, and can't forget Blink.  He's the only living steer from those 3 we bought this spring and he's getting huge.  Both him and Ellie (both born in March) are just as big as our bred heifers.  Sure they are bigger breeds, but they are still huge.  Ellie is such a sweetheart.  I just had to go say hi to her yesterday since we had moved her to a pasture at our place.  I called her and she came running and just wanted a whole bunch of lovin', which I gladly gave her.  She's more like a dog.  The thing was so spoiled rotten this spring.  :P  And last but not least, my fair steer Aiden is coming along beautifully.  He wasn't feeling so good the other day, but seems to getting better now.

 Well, I think that wraps it up.  Have a wonderful day my friends!

~Bethany~