Montana Spring and baby animals.

Well, I'm sorry I wasn't able to keep my promise of posting once a week. God had other plans for our family. We've been back and forth to Salt Lake City, UT several times since my last post. Currently Cortney's health is improved and she's been weaned off her high dose anti-seizure medicine, thanks be to God. She will be undergoing MRI's every two months to watch the remaining, inoperable portion of the tumor. We did speak to an Oncologist team in UT a week ago and they said her only option for treatment is Radiation. Well we've also been doing a lot of research into alternative treatments and have been putting some things into play already. Radiation really is not an option for her, you see with her genetic disease, Neurofibromatosis 1 or NF1 her chances increase from a normal person receiving radiation therapy risk of a secondary cancer at 30% her chances increase to 80% for a secondary cancer.  That is why we say we are researching natural ways to help the body heal itself and there is a lot of testimony out there to support this too!  For those of you praying for her and our family, thank you and please continue to do so, it is of great comfort to us all.

Now onto Montana Spring and Spring babies. Montana Spring is truly unpredictable, leaving us with weeks in March and early April with temperatures into the high 70's to low 80's F and now the end of April we've had a week of some much needed moisture, which is a blessing indeed.  This is what my husband terms as "time released moisture" otherwise known as snow! Here is a picture from yesterday

The pastures are emerald green and when the sun and warmth arrives first part f next week, you'll surely be able to stand and watch everything grow. I was worried about our fruit trees, because all are in full bloom, but their is no evidence or damage. Now all we need is warmth and bees to pollinate it all. In the garden we did get our potatoes planted before this moisture and thinned the asparagus as well. We've been enjoying asparagus, rhubarb, chives, green onions and some volunteer lettuce. The plan is to get radishes, spinach, beans and a few other seeds planted when things dry out enough to plant. We hope to get our cabbage and broccoli plants in as well, but have covers available just in case. The tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and some herbs will go into the greenhouse.

Spring babies started arriving for us in early March and we still have a turkey hen setting her nest with hatching due any day. Our goats blessed us again this year. We were a bit concerned with two first time mamas but they did great. We ended up with an even split, three doelings and 3 bucklings. Our one first time mama had triplets but the first two were born dead and the third came our screaming and is doing well. Here are a few pictures of them at a day old and some taken a week or so ago.

 Maggie, our registered Nubian doe, had triplets( 1 female and 2 males) this picture above is one of her bucklings and the picture below is the doeling and other buckling, warming up by the wood cookstove.

 This is Isabelle, she is almost three years old and daughter of Maggie. She had triplets( bucklings) as well, with two being stillborn  :(

 Sadie is also almost three yrs old and blessed us with twin doelings, and lots of color!

They are Alpine Nubian cross.

 Maggie and one buckling( Jasper) and the doeling ( Cinnamon)

 Isabelle's buckling( Panda Bear)

 Sadie and one doeling( Hazel)

 Sadie's other doeling ( Sally)

 Hazel showing off on the big tire!

 This is Maggie's other buckling ( BB, short for bottle baby)

 BB enjoying the warmth of the sun on the tractor tire, after a morning of romping with the other kids

 Nice picture of Jasper

and Cinnamon !

Not a lot new going on right now with our wet weather, but our busy time will soon be hear, so trying to enjoy the last of our slower time. 

Blessings to each of you, as well as good health and productivity on your homesteads.  :)