On Saturday (yesterday) Heather and Peter left the boys with us and we went exploring in the back pasture............oh the wonders you might see..dead skunks and goats on the run....oh the fun of exploring old wagons.... ..where chickens used to live, goats were crammed in the back and there are old dead wasp nests............oh, you never know what could have happened long ago in those wagons!  I rode in the wagon pulled behind our little lawn tractor, so that Daniel could get a ride behind Paca and Jonathan.  There is nothing so fun as exploring.............even if it's just the back acre of our pasture.  I imagine there will be many more adventures in the days to come.............wouldn't you like to come along?  I know you would, especially if you're three years old, or almost one year old!

      Going on a walk this morning I decided to take a picture of some of the wildflowers we saw.  I don't have a very good camera, but here you can definitely see the red Indian Paintbrush growing out of the dry ground.  It's always so amazing to me that anything can grow and be so beautiful when there isn't much moisture.  We noticed when we were walking that the air looked like there was a fire nearby.  We couldn't see very far off in the distance, the mountains that are usually so crisp and beautiful, were completely covered up with the smoke/dust.  It was altogether rather an ugly day here, the wind never stopped howling, and the dust was so thick you could "cut it with a knife."  It was a good day to stay in and clean out my bookshelves.  I only got half way done with the living room bookshelves, hopefully I'll finish up tomorrow.  Sorting through our books made Doyle and I just want to sit and read all day!  Books are such lovely things.............so many adventures just waiting to happen.!

Saturday the boys came to play.  Daniel stayed inside with me and he was able to play with any toy he wanted...........pure bliss............no big brother to fight with!  Meanwhile, Jonathan............who has advised everyone that ummmm.........his name is "Johnny" now, and Paca spent the afternoon outside exploring and "fixing fence."  They added a new one...........Jonathan decided to ride the horse.........."his name is Stoney, Nalli, NOT Twig!"  Did I ever mention that Jonathan is most decidedly a "firstborn?"  I mean, really, where did he get the idea that his name is now "Johnny?"  We don't even know anyone by that name!  Incidentally, Heather told me that his Daddy, Peter told him, "I named you Jonathan, and that's what I'm going to call you!"  Umm...........does that sound familiar to any of you? 

  Some days you just open the garage door and  all  you see are  feet...........

Other days you hear the wind howl and you know it's going to be freezing even though the calendar says it's April.

And then you see this........    You gotta love April!!!!
...

  We woke up to snow this morning, very wet snow, absolutely beautiful and surprising to see.  The green grass in the back yard was in stark contrast to the cold white snow.  The snow didn't last long, but it was beautiful while it lasted.....

   Sunday afternoon was spent with my first grandson, Jonathan.  We spent most of the afternoon in the back yard at our pond.  That was after Jonathan and his "Paca" went "fixing the fence", and found a skunk skull (picture above).  Skunk skulls and three year old boys seem to go "hand in hand."  But so do dead fishes and a piece of plant matter that we decided was a bear.  That "bear" was caught with the net over and over and thrown back over and over.  It gave both of us a lot of fun talking about the "bear."  Jonathan has a great little imagination, something I think is vital to have to grow up normally, and I love to see it grow as he grows. 

The day was beautiful and it truly was a special one for both of us.  One of the things I've dreamed about for years was a day just like our lovely Sunday afternoon.  There isn't anything much nicer than "fishing" for bears and dead fish (with its guts hanging out!) with my little grandson.....

Beth and Robert came by or a visit today and to meet the new babies.  I've said it many times, there's not much cuter than baby goats running and playing.  They don't like to be caught, but once they are picked up they like to snuggle in and sleep.  Our horse Stoney and Papa goat like to get in on the action too.  They are very sweet animals and like company.

  Cleaning out the study, I came across an article I had saved from the magazine Entrepreneur a few years ago.  I thought it was good, so I went on-line to find it and post it on Facebook.  Unless a person is married to an entrepreneur, you can't really understand what its like.  I was talking to Brent Heddin at church yesterday about how unusual/strange our family is because everyone of us, my husband, myself and our three adult kids all have their own businesses, even if for some of us it's part-time.  It can put a lot of stress on all of us, but it's also an amazing way to live, if you can manage it.  It is not a very "secure" way to live, if what you want is an office job, a 9-5 job, with a set amount of money coming in each month, but it is never boring!  I believe it calls for a huge amount of support from both the husband and the wife to make the marriage work.  It calls for a belief in your spouse, and a faith in God that  puts your "money where your mouth is", or rather...........you realize more fully maybe than another person, that  you truly depend on God for your daily bread, you have no one to blame but yourself, if you don't do the work to get the job done.  From the very beginning of our marriage I was married to an entrepreneur, only I didn't know it.  Doyle  was involved in a ministry where he started and ran a backpacking ministry.  He was solely in charge of recruiting backpackers and making sure all the supplies were on hand and he would take kids (mostly Jr. Hi and High Schoolers)  backpacking out in the wilderness.  Over the years he has done a lot of other things, working for other companies and working for the local community college, but he has always been involved in a side job or two.  Never, has he ever had only one job.........and many times he was working for himself.  Fast forward to today, where he has three businesses of his own, and until recently I had my own business.  I guess it's no wonder then, that our adults kids want and enjoy their own businesses.  I also know that it's not always easy encouraging our spouse or adult kids to "follow their dream" even when things don't look so rosy.  I also know how as a wife and mom I have to always be encouraging, be prayerful and balance that with reality.  As a wife, I know that being negative can destroy Doyle's confidence and make him feel worthless.  My husband needs my support and encouragement more than anything.  This article here then is very interesting to me:  http://www.entrepreneur.com/magazine/entrepreneur/2005/april/76688.html.  Sometimes I feel a bit sorry for my two daughter-in-laws and my son-in-law that they have fallen in love with their own entrepreneur, but mostly I know they are mature enough to handle it and I know that when all is said and done, they will have the "ride of their life" and they will truly never be bored married to an entrepreneur!  So...here's to them and the future....

This is for my son and his wife who just found out they will be having a baby girl in August, Lord willing.  It will be their first child for them and we are so happy for them.  So, for Megan and Christopher.....

.........My heart is filled with happiness,
My arms are waiting here
That I might take my baby girl
And hold her very near,
To whisper in a tender way
And watch to see her smile,
To kiss awake those sleepy eyes
And love her all the while...........

excerpt from a poem, Baby Girl by Garnett Ann Schultz
printed in a 1955  Ideals magazine

  There were Easter goodies everywhere, a Superman hero cape made for Jonathan by his Auntie Erin, eggs to hunt with a little friend, a big yellow egg to wear on my head.  Fun times for all!