Reggae Ro-taan.

Although your child hearing is developed in utero well before five months of gestation, it isn't until the reach the five month marker that they can really hear outside the womb.


Our pregnancy hit the five month marker in January, when we happened to be vacationing in Roatan, Honduras.   As I have posted before its a tiny island off the coast of Honduras.....its paradise.

While there, you hear a constant stream of reggae music- no complaints here. (pun intended). I kept remarking that our daughter Reveille's first sounds are that of the reggae beat.  We did some dancing there as well so I know our girl has GOT to have some rhythm.

Well the past couple of times that our sweet girl has been having trouble falling asleep I put on the reggae music station. Thinking that possibly she would be rocked to sweet with the Roatan summer sound and snooze away. Would it be familiar to her? By a slim chance could it be better than a lullaby?


It worked.

Not only once either.

As I type she is sleeping in her swing (I rested quite a bit in a hammock while on the island...hmmm.) and the reggae station is playing its tunes.


Love our girl:)

Hot Chicks!

.....on a hot sumer day.




Made you look though didn't I?




shame on you;)

The Peeps Turn One Week Old.

Here is Momma out with her brood!  

Its been neat to see how good she has been to them. watching her teach them 'thy chicken ways," has been a learning experience for me too. Its all about the chicks first then her. The chicks eat, drink and get comfy before Momma does.... good lesson:)

Anniversary Ash

Its been a little over a year since Ash has become a part of our farm and hearts. July fourth week marks the time he showed up just shy of being a kit.

We haven't seen him much on the past few weeks but we know he shows up nightly for his supper. Maybe he hasn't shown face because of the past time when David treated his wound with bactine spray. (Hey he was just trying to eat- why was this guy spraying him with stuff? And why does it numb my tongue when I lick it?)  But last night he showed up
Small as we've known him....but with mange again.

We were waiting for this to happen.
Foxes aren't immune to it even if treated. We've had another mangy fox run thru the yard on occasion so I've been suspecting to see some on Ash in the falltime.  But it came a bit early this year.

Today David went out and got his medicine. Its another nine week treatment that will also kill any ring, round, or tapeworm he might have. Not only will it treat worm and mange, but mites as well.

I will try and score a pic of him tonight so we can watch his progress. Call us crazy but our little buddy is very much loved!

Other things I'm learning being a Mommy.

Your baby is unique.

Your Motherhood is unique.

Google is the devil.

Trust your newly developed Motherhood instinct.

Trust that you now have one.

Yes- you- can comfort the little one.

All other Moms have opinions. Some are real useful, some are not. The useful ones only come from your Mom, your Step Mom and your Mother in Law.

The Moms who say they lost all their baby weight by two weeks post partum are the moms who craft, and enjoy angel food cake on a summer evening.  They also are freaks of nature.

You can now bend over!

You cannot do most things while carrying your sweet pea.

You don't really want to put your sweet pea down.

You can fall asleep standing.

You now laugh hartily (on the inside) for anyone who says "they didn't sleep well last night. and or "are tired."

You end up smelling like your baby. And its the best smell in the world.

You will find spit up in your hair....hours later.....

You can bend over?!

People do put you into another category. First your single. Then you get married, making you a double, but now your a triple. Its a whole new club.

Being in the triples club has a secret language.

A baby thats up for 5 hours straight and is cranky is not a colicky baby. She's just having a bad day. Yes babies have bad days, and thats ok. You have bad days too, and thats ok.

When your baby sleeps for three hours and you have finished all you wanted to do around the house...you find yourself hoping she will wake up cause you miss her.

Walks outside for fresh air is the best. For you and for her.

The whole "sleep when the baby sleep," is a load of crap. Its more like "brush your teeth and eat something when the baby sleeps."

Its not important how your baby is fed. Whether its bottle or Mommy pillows, as long as her belly is full and she knows she is loved then your doing right. Not being able to breast feed or having to supplement on top of breast feeding does not make you a failure. But most other Moms will tend to make you feel like one anyway. You don't need that.

You still love your dogs. Alot.

Trying new things each day is rewarding when they work. Like putting your sweetness into a swing, or having her sleep on her tummy.

Your job may be hard, but your baby's job is even harder. Everything requires so much work on their part and the only way they can communicate is thru crying. Thats tough stuff.

Seeing her with Daddy melts your heart.

You finally realize just how much your parents love you.



Her smile makes the world brighter....

Things I'm learning While Being a Mommy.

You will never need an alarm clock. Unless you have somewhere to go in the afternoon.
Going somewhere, even three miles down the street will need AT LEAST four hours of prep work.
A shower is something to be valued, even if its five minutes long.
Cleaning has become prioritized.
The amount of "things," you can do in a hour nap is stunning.
Waiting for "Mom arms," is something you need patience for.
Talking about poop has never been better or more fun.
Talking about your boobs has never been so open and everyone else's business!
"The cows are rarely in the barn."  (get it?)
There is no good daytime TV.
When you eat is when baby wakes up.
Pregnancy brain does not go away. Embrace your stupidity, and revel in it.
Makeup can be applied one handed.




Seeing that gummy grin when a sleepy baby first wakes up and see you- there's nothing better.

Momma and her Peeps!

Introducing.......




Lachan, Butter, Uno, Sparrow, and The Fifth Element!


Starting this past Saturday we've had five chick hatch! 


They are the sweetest things I have ever seen (aside from our daughter and pups and fox;) )


Momma is doing well and still sitting on some eggs that are "expected," to hatch sometime today or tomorrow.  The chicks are alert, and eating well.  They are a curious bunch and each have a personality. Butter likes to hide under Momma, while Lachan, is a food hog. Uno is curious along side Sparrow, and The Fifth Element is the newest addition so still very quite and sleepy.


I'm loving checkin on them and hearing their little chirps.  

ITS MY HONEY AND I WANT IT NOW!!!

Some left over honey that had oozed out of the frames I was working.  Here are the bees taking it back:)

The Honey Harvest.

The raw honey, strained, with comb.

Despite the heat wave last week me and my sisters went into the hives for the honey harvest!

Excited knowing that one hive had about a hundred pounds I was licking my chops to get at it.  On top of that I was going to give that hive a new queen since the old one was gone.  

With queen in hand I started to lift the frames of honey out.

One by one as I shook the bees off and my sister smoked them....I noticed that the honey was ....ALREADY GETTING EATEN!!!

I was miffed.  

So as I looked closer at the empty middle of the frames to see how much they had actually eaten, I was shocked...

Lo and behold there were eggs.

 Everywhere.

No larvae.

No capped brood.

But eggs.

Tons.

That means there was a queen who had just started laying within the past three days. And lay she did!  Neat, tidy, and ALOT.  Whoohoo a new queen who was a good worker!

But what to do with the other queen?

Split the hive!

So, I may not have gotten 8 thousand pounds of honey this year- but I got another hive!  Something I was hoping for! Thank you God;)

I will be checking on the new queen this week. Also the hive spilt will get a check.  They had gotten robbed last night, which to me was no big deal because there is no honey in there for the robber honey bees to take.  Only a little sugar syrup.  Even though it was the worst robbery attempt I've seen it was interesting to watch. Any other beekeeper reading this would probably want to slap me upside the head for "allowing," a weaker hive to get "robbed," but remember I said that beekeepers are weirdos and typically highly opinionated.  Whatever way they do things is ALWAYS the right way.  My motto this year is "natures way is the right way." SO take that weirdo beekeepers.

Watching them this morning I noticed a few bees getting kicked out but a good number of others heading in, and happily buzzing.  Our yard is full of clover, and its keeping all four hives happy and busy.