Barn boots and bliss

Today after I brought Mad to dance I drove in the driveway to see

chickens pecking all over the yard cleaning out every last bug and slug they can find,

Duck who thinks she is chicken scurrying all over the yard and

Dottie with her calves laying in the backyard.

I came inside our home which was empty.

I sat down with a cup of coffee for a little quiet time before making dinner.

I hear the back door open and Jameson burst in out of breath.

He just rode his bike back from Papa and Grandma Moos where he had been showing the goats to our friend and her kiddos.

He quickly gets his clothes changed and his boots on and yells "I'm going back to the farm to help daddy feed and move the bull!" the door slams and he is off again on his bike.

As I watched him peddle his little heart out down our long driveway tears well up in my eyes.

I can't believe this is our life.

We are living our dream.

A dream where our kids can run outside, climb trees and get dirty.

They get to tromp through the woods on adventures.

They get to lay under our giant maple tree while gazing at the sky.
They can run from the stable to the barn with their pseudo business set up selling goat harnesses they have made from baling twine.

They wake up to birds singing and are lulled to sleep by the frogs evening song.

They get to see the tender quietness as babies enter the world inside Papa's barn.
They get to eat dinner in the fields during hay season.

 Lessons are learned daily
 Like  how to get a goat to nurse a baby that wasn't born to her
 How the placenta attaches to the mother and holds the baby
How to care for sick animals and the work it takes when a momma dies.

the work it takes digging post holes and running wire for fence,
getting cows to go from one place to another on the road while cars wait.

Lessons about where our food comes from and how it should be raised.

We have only  lived here just over two years, but I feel like I have been here my entire life.

This place is where Mad learned to ride a bike
 where Jameson found his confidence
and where The Farmer and I had our toughest year in marriage.
We have had numerous celebrations here.
Growth has occurred here.
The stretching of our faith has happened here.

Love lives here.

Today I was asked if I ever imagined that I would be a farm girl.
The answer is no.
I don't think The Farmer imagined it either.
Now I can't imagine living anywhere else.
I can help birth, vaccinate and castrate a goat.
I can preg check cows
and butcher chickens
all while, wearing earrings, full make up and Zella leggings
because let's face it a girl has to look good.

When I step into our barn it feels like love.
I can imagine the work that Johnny and Jean did inside those walls.
They loved this place.
They put their heart and soul into every inch of what is now ours.
I think they would be happy with what we have done and are doing.

When we have children over who have never held a chicken or gone to find eggs in a coop it warms my heart to see their eyes light up.
When a little girl squeals in delight that a cow just licked her face it makes me giggle.
The kids are always excited to share about their barn boots.
I'm told Johnny and Jean loved having kids at the farm too.

Someday our barn will be filled with life and the smell of fresh cut hay.
Someday we might even be real farmers
Someday our grandkids will be the ones riding their bikes to our house to help Papa.




I wish every kid could mix up a bottle and feed a bummer calf or see a baby be born while sitting on a hay bale.
I wish all kids could sit and hold a chicken or be licked by a cow.
If you ask me there is no better life.

Tonight as my kids are tucked snug in their beds and my hubs watches his daily dose of news
I am overflowing with gratefulness.
I hope we never take for granted the gifts that have been given to us.

Blessed is me...