Spring in December?

This warm  December feels more like springtime,  but I think things are about to change come this weekend.

Our bunnies are agreeing, and this week has found us with litter after litter.  It is very strange for us to have litters this far into the season, and we are thankful!  Some of these cuties will be our spring show animals, and we NEVER have anything decent to show early in show season. Rabbits don't like breeding into fall/winter, since out in the wild, babies born in the cold will usually not survive, so when the sunlight decreases, they usually will shut down. Tristen is still waiting on 2 does, but so far as litters of 5, 6, 7, and 8. I'm REALLY hoping the pattern doesn't continue to go upwards. ;)
Jacob had 2 litters we are excited about. One is sired by his BOB ARBA National buck to a doe he bought from Julie Spier, who was Best Chocolate at Havana Nationals last year. Her name is Double Dip. =) She had 7 fat and sassy babies and seems to be an old pro at the parenting thing.  Should be a cute litter.
He's also had some disappointment and drama.  He's had a first time mom dump litters on the wire and not want anything to do with them after they were put into a box.   A first time Californian drop *11* babies in her box, and then lost them pretty fast for some unknown reason.  (Both these litters were born on day 29.)


After my last post, we were thankful and  blessed to find a hay source for our cows, right down the road.  It *should* last all winter, but we are still going to buy a few here and there as we find them, just in case.  I really thought we were going to to have to pack them up and take them to the sale barn, and it was breaking my heart. 

Tristen lost his 4-H steer this sometime this morning. Ugh.  He was happy and hungry at feeding time last night, and Jacob said he came over and ate this morning. My sister in law saw him down as she was heading back to work after her lunch break and Dan went right out there to check on him, but he had been gone for awhile.  We are not sure if it was bloat, or a fast acting pneumonia. The vet mentioned to a friend of ours it could have been this as they are seeing a lot of it because of the dryness of our area. 

Dad doesn't  know it yet, but I'm hoping to get to the farm this weekend to put lights up at mom and dads, and help decorate for Christmas.  My dad shocked me recently when he said he didn't think they were even going to put a tree up this year. =(  This guy used to shoot Christmas cheer from his behind when I was growing up. He WAS Santa.  His health and rapidly  failing eye sight seem to have put his Christmas light out, so I guess *I* will be the one shooting Christmas cheer..maybe it will light his back up. 

A PLUS to the holiday season: Peppermint Mocha coffee in the mornings. It's going to be a painful withdraw!

This morning I was remembering a Christmas years ago, when my uncle Andy was home. He had bought my Grandad a microwave, and he and my dad had schemed for days how they would pull off getting it over there to surprise him.   Late one night,  with my nose pressed to the window, watching,  they crept over with this little microwave and big red bow.  I had strict instructions to stay home and watch the windows upstairs, and to let them know if any lights came on. Looking back, I'm sure this was their way of making a very LOUD little girl feel like she was in on the surprise. I'll forever remember watching them creep over and how magical it felt, leaving a gift in the middle of the night.

This may be on of the most random posts I've ever done,but thats ok.  Forgive my lack of pictures too. Not only have I not been writing about our life, I haven't been taking pictures either. I even FORGOT to take it to Tristen's music program last week.

Bundle up this weekend!! Its suppose to be cold!