Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Progress

Remember the chickens? Well, we are down to a total of EIGHT. One rooster (yes, it did turn out that Drumstick is a rooster and he is the ONE that.... survived.... The rest were..... tasty.) Out of all those sweet, fluffy little chicks, SEVEN were hens. *sigh* The other day we finally got one egg per hen.


Aren't they pretty?? Now if they will keep up the good work!

Friday, March 20, 2009

New Additions

We've learned a few things in the last month:

Number one, bunnies that are still rather small CAN and WILL get pregnant. Oops.

Number two, male bunnies will eat little tiny baby bunnies. BIG oops. Maybe that lesson should have been in the "number one" section, and the "number one" lesson should be moved to "number two." I am not really sure, there, since both lessons happened simultaneously.

Those two lessons learned, we promptly examined the other bunnies in our possession and discovered a second pregnant female. We immediately removed her from the pen with the others and brought her inside, where she remained for a few weeks in her own private cage in the pantry. During those first two weeks, I began to second guess myself. Perhaps this beautiful gray bunny was not pregnant, just obese. It is possible for a bunny to get fat, isn't it? Day after day passed, and still no babies. Then one night, this beautiful gray bunny began to act so strange. She was losing her downy "under-fur" and every time we would peek in on her, she had strips of newspaper sticking out of both sides of her mouth. What on earth was she doing? Not only is she fat, but she's losing her mind, too? Great. A psychotic rabbit. Just what I need. The next morning we peeked in on her and discovered that this nest-like mound in the corner of her cage was... squirming... BABIES! I was so grateful... She was not fat, and she was not crazy.


The babies are now a couple weeks old and have made the move back outside. Batman revamped the pen, creating five little cubbyholes, one for each bunny, with the middle cubby housing mommy and babies.


This was their last morning indoors. They looked quite comfortable lounging on the love seat, and I was greatly tempted to go buy a litter box, pick my favorite baby, and keep it indoors. Batman swiftly told me NO. Spoilsport. Ah well.... The babies and "grownups" can be visited outside, I suppose.


Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Have you ever seen a grown man cry?

I've heard it said that every XBox 360 owner's greatest fear is to hear the words "Halo" and "canceled" in the same sentence. But the thing that will give them the worst nightmare of their life is to see this:



The Ring of Death.

What does the Ring of Death mean? It means that a grown 35 year old man and an almost eleven year old boy whine and cry. Literally. It means that this grown man and this sweet boy will be without their beloved XBox for at least two weeks while the XBox makes it way to Texas to undergo repairs. Both the man and the boy wondered what they would do for those two weeks. The mommy suggested that the man and the boy go outside to play.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

In the Quiet

J has just left for work, the littles are out with Aunt B for lunch. I was writting a "long lost cousin" about how we all grow up, get busy with life and lose contact. The thought of all that busyness made me pause and I took a moment to stop and listen... Quiet. There is a gentle rain pattering the roof, but other than that, there is no noise. It struck me: how often are our lives filled with so much noise that we don't have the time or we don't take the time to just stop and listen to the quiet? In the quiet, I found myself singing this song:

In the quiet, in the stillness
I know that You are God
In the secret of Your presence
I know there I am restored
When You call I won't refuse
Each new day again I'll choose

There is no one else for me
None but Jesus
Crucified to set me free
Now I live to bring Him praise

In the chaos and confusion
I know You're sovereign still
In the moment of my weakness
You give me grace to do Your will
When You call I won't delay
This my song through all my day

There is no one else for me
None but Jesus
Crucified to set me free
Now I live to bring Him praise

All my delight in You Lord
All of my hope
All of my strength
All my delight is in You Lord
Forevermore

(None But Jesus, Hillsong United)


Take the time to be quiet today, to find God in the stillness, to be refreshed and restored.