Time Away

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We love what we do.  On any given day, you may find us lugging buckets of dining hall leftovers up the hill to feed the pigs, chasing after a loose chick that found its way to the promised land (the garden), milking a goat, or a working on a project like building an aviary, prepping the ground for a new season, or modifying a coop (I could go on and on).  Even though it’s a lot of hard work that brings sweat in the summer and mildly frozen hands in the winter, we enjoy every bit of it.  Okay, maybe not every bit, because, if I’m being honest, there are those certain duties I can’t stand and may just get my blood boiling.  As with anything, there are positives and negatives that come with the territory, but at the end of the day it’s always worth it.  Sometimes I think back about the things that aggravated me that day or week and it makes me smile because, as much as it may have been a pain at the time, I am so blessed to be doing this work.

When we got our first livestock, the goats, we knew we were letting go of the freedom of going away whenever we wanted.  We are fine with that because we’ve made our little farmstead into a place that promotes fulfillment and relaxation on a daily basis.  We are called to rest, right?  Once in a while we need a break from all the chores though.  There are many places, friends, and family we want to visit and since we live at the conference center that we serve at, we like to get away a couple times a year to reset.  We feel it’s important as a couple and for our mental and physical health.  However, if we leave, someone has to care for our animals.

Enter, Mom and Dad.

I always knew I could count on my parents for anything and they’d be there to support me.  But farming?  It’s not something I envisioned my parents doing.  However, with each animal and project we brought in, they showed a lot of interest and offered support and encouragement.  Who knew that one day my dad would be milking goats and feeding pigs?  Or mom would be collecting eggs and giving worms to our chickens?  They have taken a liking to it and actually enjoy caring for our plants and animals when we are away.  They call it “watching their grand-goats”.  Kris and I are incredibly thankful for them and the time and care they put into our farmstead during the times we’re away.  We do have other friends and family that help out once in a while (shout out to Jeannie, The Weeks, and The Gundersen’s), but my parents usually take the bulk of the responsibility.  We’re thankful for all of them and know that we could not take time away without them.  So thank you, Mom & Dad, for giving us peace of mind when we’re away and for your willingness to put in the hard work of caring for our animals.  We love you and greatly appreciate you!

Happy Birthday, Dad!