Still Alive

Random posting.  I wish I was more consistent these days but life happens, ya know?  :)

We are settling into the new house and by that I mean we have acquired another bunny, two kittens and four goats but we are still not unpacked.  ha ha ha!  One day I will be unpacked but there’s plenty of time for that, right?

I also took another photography workshop and had a great time and I got to shadow a portrait photographer doing a family session recently.  I am a “watch and learn” person to the nth degree.  Hearing?  Nope.  Reading?  Definitely not.  So I jump at the chance to observe someone in action.

We’ve also just been super busy.  Rob is gone a lot these days with both his civilian job and the Navy.  We did get a chance to go away for our 10th anniversary a couple of weeks ago (I’ll post pics, I PROMISE, we stayed at the greatest place) and today we went to the 50th anniversary party of my aunt and uncle.

I had no idea how hard it was going to be to be with that side of the family without my mom there.  It was the first time since she passed it and just hit me hard.  I had a great time visiting with three of my uncles at the end.  So much so that saying “goodbye” took two hours.  LOL

Three of the kids were in my oldest niece’s wedding in June.  It was supposed to be two of them, Zion was a “feather girl” (she tossed feathers instead of flower petals) and Gideon was to carry the ring pillow (with no rings).  At the last minute Gideon decided he didn’t want to do it so we tossed Elias in.  Elias walked part of the way down the aisle and handed the pillow off to a random woman sitting on the bride’s side and walked back out.  So Rob gave the pillow back to Gideon who finished walking it down the aisle.  It was a very casual and fun wedding, amazing really, and I’m so happy for my niece and new nephew.

Elias is the fasted growing boy ever.  A new haircut magically transformed him from baby to boy as those darn haircuts are prone to doing.  He also had a language explosion and has so many new things to say that are actually real words.  Check out my BABY! 

I do have the hardest time not calling him The Baby.  He’ll probably be stuck with that his whole life.  Could be worse, I guess.

I have been a bit nervous about how Gideon will do in preschool in the Fall.  He does not do well in group environments and typically says “No thank you.” to instructions to participate in class activities. 

At least he’s polite about it.

So I got a copy of the class’s daily schedule and set up some “school” days with some friends with similar aged boys.  The first day of school I discovered he had a fever right when the first student showed up.  So Gideon watched TV while we painted with liquid chalk outside.  Zion joined us and they, at least, had a good time. 

The chalk was super easy to make, corn starch and water in a 1:1 ratio and food coloring.  That’s it.  Just mix and go paint!  They decorated our patio and it rained the next day so then they got to decorate it again.

Two of our goats:

The one in front is Rhett, Gabe’s goat, and the one in back is Rita, Zion’s goat.  They have joined a local 4-H group and will get to show their goats (if we can ever find a show we’re not out of town for – gah!). They are even cuter in person, especially when you see how TINY they are!

I also got two goats in a pretty snazzy trade.  I’m knitting a blanket in exchange for two female pygoras. They are absolutely the softest things EVER! 

I named them Cinnamon and Sugar and they will grow a super soft, cashmere like fiber that someday I hope to be able to knit myself something with.  When they are old enough I may have them bred and then we’ll have fresh goat’s milk.  And if you think goat’s milk is gross it’s only because you haven’t had it fresh.  I bought some at the store and nearly wretched at the first sip.  Then I tried some at someone’s house which was fresh from the morning before and it was SO good.  Goat’s milk is like that, it has to absolutely fresh or it tastes like your licking a buck and I don’t know anybody who wants to do that.

So I should call it quite as it’s three minutes to midnight and I’m prone to getting silly when I’m up late.