Chicks

My husband had to fly back to Nebraska for a funeral. Right before he left, he said, "Rebecca, sometime next week, we are getting some baby chicks." What!? Well, he had this great idea to get some chicks, ducklings, and baby turkeys for our VBS. He got me somewhat set up with everything that I needed before he left. So Monday morning - Memorial Day - they came into our Post Office. I guess they hatched the day before - Sunday and they came from Webster City, Iowa. I am flabergasted how they got mailed to our house on a Sunday and then got to our P.O. on a holiday. But they did.
Now I have about 24 baby chicks in my garage. I am not for sure when the turkeys or ducks are coming. Sadly, one chick didn't live through the shipment, another died that day, and one more is clinging to life after being crushed with the watering can. I am not for sure how it happened, but it did and I feel terrible.
My kids love picking them up and holding them. Daughter never wants to leave them. Son #1 loves them and calls them his best friend. He named one yesterday - Joey. Son #2 just grabs them by whatever - a wing - a head - a foot- and he squeals.
The question that has yet to be answered by my husband - what are we going to be doing with these chicks when VBS is over in a few weeks? I will let you know how that one goes. So long for now from Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.

Garage Sale

Today I had a garage sale. I don't want to be a person who keeps too much stuff. I want to use what I have been given and then let someone else use it. But many of the things I sold on today's garage sale are treasures. Little shirts and shorts and shoes that my babies wore. Toys that my babies played with. Memories that I can't get back because like it or not my babies aren't so much babies anymore. And I could be wrong, but I think that many of the people today will not treasure my things like I did.

I remember when we were getting ready to move to California from Iowa. In Iowa I had collected many things and I had plenty of room to store them. Knowing that we were going to move to a small apartment in California, we had a garage sale. We sold a lot, but many of my treasures, didn't sell. It was hard for me to put some of those things up for sale, but I thought that if someone else could use them, I could be all right with that. It got hectic right before we moved and the garage sale items that didn't sell were going to be taken to the Salvation Army by a friend. Two days before the big day I found all my treasures in the dumpster. My first reaction? To jump in that dumpster and pull them all out. Before I could do that, I had to stop and pray. I knew in my head that all those things were God's things. I did my best to take care of them, but I had to let them go. I didn't have time to deal with them, there was still so much to do.

I would probably be ecstatic right now if we would have sold most of it, or I would have made a huge amount of money. But neither happened. So I am disappointed in the outcome and now I have to figure out what to do with the stack sitting in my garage. I thought more of the baby clothes would go. I had a bunch still practically new. I guess since they are not name brand - or maybe it is easier and nicer just to buy new baby clothes. Now I need to figure out which charity to give them to, but sometimes they are picky with what they will take as well. Won't that be just awful if I have to put my own stuff in the dumpster? Lets hope that it doesn't come to that.

After doing this capital campaign at church, I have been really moved to take care of what we do have and not to have so much. Isn't it easy to just accumulate more and more? My husband and I are coming up with ways that we can do that. I will talk more about that later.
I am going to leave with one last thought - isn't it sad that no matter what you have, it will all end up in the garbage someday? I am so glad that our Heavenly Father gives us the choice. Am I going to be trash or treasure? Jesus is the ONLY way to being treasure.

Mother's Day

I just had a nice Mother's Day. It isn't like it was spectacular, but I don't think that I ever have had a spectacular one. I still remember the Mother's Day when I was pregnant with our first child. One of the girls in the youth group asked my husband what he did for me and he said that I wasn't a mother yet. He said it to get a rise out of the girls - which he did. His problem is that he doesn't like having to do these days. He likes to make me feel special on the days he designates - he doesn't like to be "cut out of the cookie cutter". Besides, I think that he just plain forgets, and he makes some jerky response to cover for it. Then I think that the Mother's Days after I had children also were forgotten, although again, I think he said something to the effect that I wasn't his mother. Not that being the mother of his children wasn't enough, and sometimes I do feel like his mother. Washing his clothes, folding his clothes, putting his clothes away, fixing him meals, serving his meals, washing his dishes, picking up his shoes, etc. Not that I don't want to do those things, I just think that he doesn't realize the time and effort it takes for all those things to get done for him, me and 3 little ones. Like for instance, the times that it takes over an hour to make supper. I get the table set, dish it up on plates, and call everyone to come to the table. Then the kids don't like it. The baby can't sit still and is a mess. The 2 year old is playing with his utensils like they are trains. The 4 year old can't believe that I put onions in it and the husband is in his own little world - perhaps watching Sports Center or Fox News.

Well, I could go on, and I am ranting, so I will stop. I just wanted to say that my very fun, loving, wonderful-in-so-many-ways husband probably doesn't have a clue and he covers by making some jerky comment. I don't expect a lot for Mother's Day or any other day for that matter. I know that we don't have a ton of money, I just would liked to be recognized by the family. (By the way, I have some friends that send me cards and I love them. Girl friends are the best aren't they?) Besides, my own father fell short of recognizing my mother on certain important days as we were growing up. I do remember him making an effort as I got older.

So back to this past Mother's Day. My husband made lunch and supper that day. He spent a good part of Saturday figuring out what he was to make, going grocery shopping, preparing the marinades for it, and finally taking the time to fix it all on Sunday. I really had to do very little. Then afterwards he cleaned up the kitchen. I appreciated what he did and it all was very delicious. For lunch, he grilled Red Snapper, deep fat fried popcorn shrimp, and baked potatoes. For supper, he grilled a t-bone steak, steak kabobs with pineapple and strawberries, and had a twice-baked potato dish. For dessert, he had Strawberry Shortcake. It was really delicious. I hope that this will be a trend with Mother's Day. It beat going out and waiting in line at a restaurant. I hope you all had a nice time on Mother's Day, whether you are a mother or not, it is always fun celebrating people you love who are mothers or who mother you. By the way, I forgot to send my mother and mother-in-law a card - I guess a phone call and an e-card will have to do this year. But Helen and Pat - you both are great mothers and we are blessed to have you. We love you!

Lost Bunny

The other day we couldn't find our bunny. The cage's door was open and the bunny was missing. My daughter was upset, because she loved her bunny and didn't want to believe he was gone. After a few tears, we prayed for the bunny - that he would find a good home with some other bunnies. In my head, I figured he had been a good snack for some neighborhood cat - we have some big cats that walk our fence line. After we got done praying for the bunny, she wanted to drive around looking for him - I convinced her we couldn't, knowing it was a hopeless cause. The funny thing is, I was sad. I knew that she was sad, and it made me sad. All day I kept thinking and praying for that bunny, even though I knew he was a goner. Well, that evening I was looking out my window thinking about that bunny - and there he was. He had found a good hiding place and was keeping cool all day, but I guess hunger drove him out. My Daughter was so excited about the bunny. I am so glad we prayed about it. Even when I thought that bunny was gone and I felt foolish for praying, I glad we did. She had a positive praying experience. Some might think that God didn't answer our prayers, the bunny was safe all along - but we didn't know that. Besides, the bunny could have been a meal for some cat during the course of the day and he wasn't. Does God care about these kind of things? He has to, this day shaped who she is and her relationship with the heavenly Father. I hope that no matter what the situation is, that we will always go to Lord in prayer.