Days And Days And Days...

Have gone by since I've posted. Moments upon moments, upon moments have passed, and I haven't had a minute to write them all down as I should.

Ten days ago, I drug my butt out of bed at an unholy hour, woke my children, and the Daddy drove us to the airport where we boarded a plane for the Pacific Northwest, to visit my Mom. An eight-to-eleven-hour day of travel became a nearly fifteen-hour day of travel and I was up for nearly twenty.

Ugh.

But seeing my Mom and step-Dad has been wonderful. I'm so grateful for this time. They have a farm that they've put together and are still putting together, down in a narrow valley... It's covered in lush greenery, tall pines, and sweet grass fields peeking between the trees. In the mornings, the mist creeps back up the peaks from where it'd snuck down in the night, and the afternoons are sunny and dazzling. I can see why my Mom is in love with this place, these mountains and hills, the air and this land... It's glorious. And definitely good for her, and I am glad for it.

It has also been absolutely crazy!

The sun comes up at 5:00 A. M., goes down at 9:00 P. M., we're up by 6:30-ish, and by noon I've done and am done. Up, then coffee, then getting the girls get dressed to go feed the chickies, then breakfast, then taking the three sweet little goats, two sweet little girls, and a dog or two for a long walk, then back for a snack and straightening up, then outside again - all of us girls chatting all the time - and by then it's already noon and it's naptime. Whew!

There is so much to tell, and so much going on, I can't even begin to write it all! The girls are in heaven on earth - they play outside all day long and are happier and tireder and grubbier than I've ever seen at days end.

I fell off a horse yesterday. It's a long story.

I chased the dog down the road, last week. It's a longer story.

I fed the chickies and held one of them three days ago. It's a short story.

I had a little goat crawl up into my lap like a baby this afternoon. Fritz, the goat, does that often now. It's a sweet story.

I'm sore and tired, and haven't lived like this in ages. But they're mostly good aches, and it's the tired of days well-spent. I miss the Daddy and wish he was here to understand and see... He would enjoy this!

It's just after sunset, 9:22 - and it's time for bed. I'll write more tomorrow, hopefully, if I don't pass out before I have the chance.

Good night, friends...