my alpaca inspired truck

So, I decided I was annoyed at asking Aaron to use his truck for picking up fencing/chicken feed/alpaca related stuff. My van was up for inspection next month, and it would cost us (once again) nearly as much as it was worth to have it pass inspection. As lovely as it was to live car payment free, we decided to take the plunge and get a new (to us) truck for me. A quick "we're thinking about getting another truck" phone call to my brother resulted in an immediate trip to Maine auto to see this truck. I'm in mad truck love :)

lots o' work!

So we're busy preparing for the alpaca. . . which translates into LOTS of work. We finished the pen inside the bar, and got an excavator for the weekend, to grade the driveway around the barn (hey, a dry alpaca is a happy alpaca!) I am amazed at how much work Aaron and I are able to do together, when we're working with two boys tugging at our pants, asking us for things. ( not to mention chickens getting in the way!) I once saw a statistic about farmers having a lower divorce rate then non farmer couples. I'm sure it's because farmers have to learn how to work together :)

tee ball

In two weeks, Cooper starts tee ball, and he and I are both very excited. After a nice chat with his new coach, she told me that she still needed an assistant coach. So yeah, I took the job :)

Cooper's comment to me working with his team:

"Wait Mom, you're the assistant coach? But you are a girl"

"Even better Cooper, the coach is also a girl"

"Oh. Well, girls can be truck drivers, so I guess they can also be tee ball coaches"

Very PC of my son, eh?

the big O three

Tagg turned three today . He was SO proud to be such a big boy. . ."As big as Coopie" as he said, while puffing his little chest :)

we've decided

we are naming our farm Acorn Acres :)

slow and steady.

We're getting ready to bring the alpaca home, slow and steady. Now that the snow is gone (can I get a collective hooray!) and the ground is ready for digging, we're starting the process of building the pen inside the barn, and the paddock / field area. I've also started spinning alpaca roving (and even got my own wheel!) to prepare myself for all the fiber that is to come.

We are all quite excited to get "our boys" home. It's difficult having them at another farm, and not getting to see them as often as we'd like. But alpaca live to be quite old- so we'll have MANY years to come enjoying their company :)

I'm not sure Aaron has quite realized this - but since I've done all the planning on the size / construction of the pen / paddock / field for the pacas, I've made sure we have plenty of room for two more animals . . .so I'm sure there will be even more fiber in our future ;)

yes. I rock.

Nova is doing great, and getting all her "big girl feathers"

I'm happy to share my "chick healing knowledge" without anyone who's crazy enough to give a chick warm baths, syringe fed meds, and tummy massages.