Dear Dana....

Hello stranger!

The last few days have been spent playing catch up here. With the bug that was flowing through the house we decided to take the week off school. Now that everyone is feeling back to normal, having that extra time was nice to take care of the loose ends that didn't get done earlier in the week. We were able to complete some much needed cleaning projects, but also play extra games, and rest too. Paige completed knitting a sweet blankie bunny for baby, we have both finished our quilts, and are now each working on a blankie bunny. I'll have photos of the bunnies up soon, and hope to have the quilt pictures up tomorrow. I made the weeks worth of wheat bread today, as well as granola. Both of the dogs got brushed out (it's sticker season here....yuck), and Bri, Leia, and Nathan cleaned sticks out of the yard. I weeded the flower bed, and helped Duane rip some boards that he plans on using to make our upstairs bathroom cabinets (yay!). Paige and I tied up more of our growing tomato plants, then ran to the farm to get milk. Ahhhhh......a LOL! While I was helping Duane Nathan was standing at our campfire chairs, playing and watching. The next thing I know, he's not moving. He had fallen asleep standing at the chair, with his head in his hands on the seat. I thought about getting the camera, but as he was standing there his legs would start to relax and he would then jerk to lock them straight again. LOL! I couldn't bear to leave him in that position any longer and carried him to the house. And, speaking of Nathan.....he's slept through the last two nights. YIPPEE! Actually, none of the kids have had nightmares, and everyone has slept really well. Praise the Lord!

Oh...I have to tell you about the big excitement for the day! Paige was out hanging clothes on the line when she heard some rustling in the chicken yard, then the dogs started barking. She went over and found a fawn trapped inside the fence! She tried to herd it towards the gate, but it was scared, confused, and kept going the wrong way and crashing into the fence. Poor little thing. I heard the commotion and peeked out the window to see her pulling the fence back to give it more open space to escape, but it again ran into the fence. I grabbed the camera and headed out the door to help, and then I see her walking towards the opening, carrying the fawn! It was making this sad bleating noise, but was surprisingly calm as she carried it out into the clearing near the woods where she put it down and it was finally able to run into the woods.

Once she turned around I saw that there was a rip down the whole front of her skirt. Apparently the fawns hoof somehow caught on it as she was putting it down. Her comment, "Well, good thing I was wearing a barn skirt!" LOLOL! As you can see in the photo, she had been out hanging clothes bare-footed. You can also see that the inside of the chicken area is VERY overgrown. She came out of there with thorn scrapes on her legs and feet, and was covered in welts from walking through the stinging nettle. I've been wondering, would *I* have done that, or would I have went into the house to get shoes first, knowing all of the thorns and nettle was there? OR, would I have went to get Duane, since he was home. Well, not her. She didn't even think twice. I love that girl....and she sure loves the country life!

I had more to say, as well as responding to some of your post and answering your questions, but I better run for now. Duane started a campfire outside so we're going to have dinner over the fire! Brats, beans, and sauerkraut. Yum!

Talk to you soon-
Cathy