Dad is Visiting

I'm skipping around, but this is exciting news! Dad arrived on the 10th for a two week visit! We're having a bit of car trouble, and Michael doesn't want to have all our weight in the car...and I don't want to drive it on the freeway. Michael went and picked dad up. He and the Eagle River Gherkins who work in Anchorage met up for lunch.

The excitement at home built. Then this happened. Benny Bear met his great grandpa. 

Benny, Arielle and Dad 

Dad commented, "Oh, your Mom would have loved this."  It's true. In the midst of having a great time with Dad, we are newly aware that Mom is not with him. From the time they were in college, they ministered together.

Arielle Benny and Dad

We've moved a lot. Each home feels truly like "HOME," once the adult kids and Mom and Dad visit.  The realization hit tonight that Mom will never see this home.  It's a sad ache, in the middle of the fun and joy having Dad here.

I know he was thinking the same thing. We've shared comments about Mom and it's good....and we all miss her terribly, but we are so very thankful she is safe with Jesus and not experiencing any more horrendous cancer pain.

Dad, Nolan, Alex, Michael and Stacia

We missed her when we played Farkle. Grandpa promised to whoop Alex.....Alex won both games. 

We look forward to visiting with grandpa, the kids connecting with him again, him getting to spend time with the great grands, showing him a bit of this great state and playing many games of Farkle together in the next 2 weeks.

Dad is a much better visitor than the moose - though we'd like them to put in an appearance for him while he is here.

Note - there will be videos uploaded when I have time to edit.

Pets or Livestock

During our discussions about how to be as sustainable as possible....meat chickens and rabbits were mentioned. I KNOW I cannot kill them. I'm not even sure how I'll do slamming salmon. I have son in laws  and sons who said they could handle that part. I'm not 100% sure raising meat is in our future.  But rabbits were an animal I'd like to add - for the pet value....

Cory was offered a deal. He could buy 7 rabbits and cages for a steal. This is perfect. We have the joy of having rabbits on the place....and we don't have to do the work or pay to winter them. We can observe how much care they take and we can see if they actually become a meat source or sale item.  Being nutritarian (vegan) I will never eat one...I'm not sure the others will be able to either. 

Stacia's wanted bunnies for a long time

 This is Sunny. He's used to running with the chickens - so we may let him give that a try when we get a bigger run built. He's the father of the other 6. The other six are from the same kit. The plan is for 4 to become breeders and the other 3 to be sold or...... ugh.

I had seen a gal on YouTube who raises rabbits in a colony. That appealed to me....Cory got right to work and built a nice hutch for the rabbits. They'll be much safer than they were in the cages that came with them.

Here is the clip of them coming home.

Of course, we keep singing, "The Bunny, the bunny...I ate the bunny...." ala Veggie Tales.