"Come on it's......"

"........Lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you!" It certainly has been too! We figure we got around 8 to 10 inches total, yesterday and during the night. Not as much as some of you, but more that we've had in a long time! It was neat waking up to a totally transformed, white world! The dirty, barren ground was hidden beneath a beautiful layer of snow. That verse came to mind. "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be washed whiter than snow." There really isn't anything quite so white as snow. And that's what we are through Jesus, whiter than snow!Yesterday we made a big sled and Dad pulled us around with the tractor. We had a great time! Katie put together this short video from some footage she took yesterday.

-Morgan

Hannah Thompson's Big Day

Here's a quick movie that I put together about Hannah's birthday. Enjoy!
-Maddie

Fire!

Did that catch your attention?:) Well don't worry, it's out now. Earlier this evening we a chimney fire! Dad, Katie, Maddie and I were out and it was just Mom at home with Hannah on down. Mom heard this roaring sound and upon checking the chimney outside she saw a huge solid wall of fire coming out of our chimney! She got everyone out of the house and then called 911. I believe about eight different fire truck/ police cars ended up in front of our house! They even blocked off part of the road! Anyhow, it was mostly put out by the time they got here. (Thanks to Mom's quick thinking!) After about an hour of checking everything to make sure it was out, they left. Needless to say, that caused quite a fright! Sorry this is so short but I must get to bed as it's almost midnight!
-Morgan

In Which Another Week has Rolled By:)

Yet another week has rolled by in which I failed to post! Hey, it's not like I've been idle the whole time!:) I suppose I another week in review is called for.....

Last Friday we were able to "knock out" a great deal of the front of the big barn with the help of the Wright boys. Then on Saturday we had the pleasure of attending a friend's birthday party. We played a number of different fun outside games including Volleyball, (which many of us found we had grown quite rusty on over the winter!) Speed Volleyball, Swedish Kickball, Ultimate Frisbee and a Treasure Hunt! I haven't run like that in a long time!:) We had a great time! On Sunday, we met at the Heffingtons. On Monday, Mom and I worked on Buying Club orders and our email and website stopped working! Yikes! So Dad had to spend a great deal of time figuring out what was wrong. On Tuesday we had a new little heifer born to one of our cows, Marlee. The calf is still nameless, any suggestions would be welcome:) On Wednesday we did our monthly Buying Clubs and in the evening Dad, Mom and I went to the first of three FRESH showings that we're sponsoring through our local Buy Fresh Buy Local chapter. It went well, I think we had about 30 some folks in attendance. At the end of the program I was asked by a well meaning person where was I going to go to collage. I explained to him that I was going to continue my education at home after which he tried to convince me of my need to go to an institution to broaden my horizons. Quite a lively discussion followed that:) On Thursday it rained a great deal of the day so we were able to relax a little more inside. After morning chores, Katie, Maddie and I gathered in our room and did scrapbooking, knitting or just read for most of the morning, fun!:) That afternoon however we got down to business. I sat down to answer a bunch of emails that were delayed in coming because our server was down. They seemed to be full of questions.... "Morgan, when can I start my cowshare?" Morgan, when can we come out to the farm?" "I'm ready to start a cowshare group in my area, what else do I need to do?" etc, etc, etc. I playfully moaned out loud for the benefit of those in the next room. "Everyone is asking me questions and expecting me to answer them!!!!":) I do enjoy answering emails and phone calls. It's almost been a year now since my parents let me take over the "office manager" duties. I enjoy it very much and I'm grateful for the great learning opportunities it provides, some interesting, some challenging and some painful. Well I think that's about it as far as catching up goes....

During milking this evening, Katie and I were laughing about different funny or embarrassing "Farmers Bloopers" that had happened to us. Most of them involved customers coming up to the shop catching us unawares as we were being boisterous or in other words "horsing around" about some thing or another. One time we were out milking and Dad had just discovered that we could download movie soundtracks off of the Internet onto our little mp3 player. We just happened to be listening to "You've Got a Friend in Me" from Toy Story 2. Really loudly. Of course everyone else was in the other room when the customer walked in. So there I was listening to blaring music alone in the room! We have had many such occurrences, what can you do but chuckle and move on, while hopefully learning a lesson on not being so "wild" in the first place!:)
Well, it's late and I must be off to bed now. Hopefully another week won't go by 'til I write again.
Bye for now,
Morgan

Today one of our projects was to clip the wings of our new layers. Maddie, Will, Lucy, Sammy and I were assigned to the task. I think we started out with about 250 or something but that number has dwindled somewhat due to foxes and other various acts of nature:) Anyways, so out we go to the field, armed with a pair of scissors. Will, Lucy and Sam took turns catching the birds. I sat on my five-gallon bucket and did the honors, somehow managing to keep all of my fingers amidst the struggling that entailed as each chicken was tossed into my lap! Maddie's job was to take the clipped birds to the holding pen, She trotted back and forth between the two pens in her flip flops. (She would insist on wearing them at the first hint of warm weather! Upper 40's is warm enough for flip flops?) Well, she changed her tune once it was her turn to catch the birds inside the pen! But with a few good natured grumbles she did it anyways. (By the way, lest you think I'm telling all of the stories on Maddie, she's leaning over my shoulder as I write this, giving me tidbits to write!:) There was a great deal of good natured laughing at each other and hollering over the noise the chickens made. Before we were half through the big bell rang, signaling lunch time. We trooped inside and enjoyed the delicious lunch Mom had prepared for us. (Katie wants me to tell you that while we were outside, she was cleaning the whole house and mopping while telling Hannah to stop playing with Bess:) After lunch our team headed back outside to finish up. After we had clipped the last bird we dragged the hoop house full of pullets to the hen pen so we could integrate the two flocks. After that we spread out a layer of mulch and old hay on the floor of the hens permanent winter spot. Tomorrow the Wright boys are coming over for a work day. I think the main focus tomorrow is tackling the front of the Big Barn *shudder* :) Well, that's all I have to write tonight, the beginning of the week wasn't enough to mention, not so much as others have I'm sure:) Bye for now!
-Morgan

I'm Still Here!

Hello Everyone! Yes, I'm still here:) I took a little blogging break for a week, I like to every now and then. I have been working on a longer post this afternoon, but I 'm waiting until I can use the other computer to load some pictures. (This computer doesn't have the right ones.) Currently, the laptop is being used to watch Andy Griffith re-runs on the Internet. Well, I just wanted to let you know I am still here and a longer post will hopefully be coming soon!
Your blogging friend,
Morgan

Howdy Strangers!

There. I tried to title it with something a little more interesting then a simple, "I'm back". I took a little blogging break for a week, I like to every now and then to kind of restore my focus:) I missed everyone! Happy New Years! It sure has been cold for the past week! We've been piling on the layers to brave the Arctic temperatures! (Okay, maybe not Arctic:) Anyways here's an update on what we've been about this past week.....

On New Years Eve some of us stayed up until midnight. We basically watched Andy Griffith re-runs on the Internet until 12pm, toasted with sparkling apple cider and them fell into our beds! Here are some pictures Maddie took of our feeble attempts to stay awake:)

We toasted as a family before the little ones went to bed. (We used sparkling cider:)

The night seemed to drag a little......

Last Saturday, Dad, Katie, Maddie, Hannah and Will went over to the Solomons house to help prepare it to put on the market again. On Sunday, Church was at the Heffingtons. (Joanna and Rachel, I immensely enjoyed our "therapy session" upstairs in the girls room!:) then on Monday we started back up with our normal routine, regular chores and work. After our "holiday" of several weeks in December I was more than ready to get back to our normal busyness! On Wednesday, Justin, Tim and Ben came over for a work day. We did a huge farm clean-up, we positively scoured the place! That's pretty much what we did that day, apart from chasing two runaway calves, and preparing some of the hoops for the winter. Thursday morning, Mom and I met Mrs. Heffington and Rachel for breakfast, we had a great time visiting! I think Rachel and I got a little carried away with our laughter because we had to be shushed by the moms:) (Good thing that coffee cup wasn't full Rachel:)

It has been so cold lately that the hoses have stayed frozen sometimes all day, but a little 'ol frozen hose doesn't stop us! We have our methods.......:)

Last winter we made a sled out of an old pallet and a couple of four by fours, it works well to haul a large quantity of water with.

And then this past Thursday was our little Gabe's 4th birthday!

We all laughed so while watching Gabe open his birthday presents! He tore through the wrapping paper like a crazy man, presents flying everywhere! After having opened every last one of them he thanked everyone, admired the paper and then began to examine his presents! He was so funny!

I am excited to see what God has for us this new year! I'm also looking forward to the usual farm planning that takes place this month. I enjoy being a part of the planning and seeing the year laid out before us on the big calender! Of course we can't know everything that will take place. Only our Sovereign Lord knows that, but I love having a vision and goals to accomplish! Some of my personal goals include; getting my permit/drivers licence, (I will be 19 in April, it's kind of embarrassing that I still don't have it yet! It would be very useful to have, it's just hard making myself study the boring drivers manual!:) anyways..... and finish up with a few important homemaking skills. I also have a big reading list:) I received several new book for my graduation as well as gift cards for Christmas, so I've been stocking up on books! I've been keeping Vision Forum in business:) I was able to take advantage of the great after Christmas sale they had so I really got my gift card's worth!

Well, that should pretty much catch you all up. Enough of my ramblings for now! Have a great weekend!

-Morgan