Oh they are wonderful aren’t they? All winter, diligently working every day to make sure they get kids.  . . The kids I mean. . . Oh the puns!  My children and I have even caught ourselves  wondering why we do what we do when it’s cold in January and there is 20 inches of snow to shovel a path thru just so the goats can get to the feeder! Not including the path to the goats!  Then one morning you peek outside and you see little bouncing fur balls!

It never ceases to amaze me how spry these little guys are! When we see them we all drop what we are doing and run up to the barn. (Even if it means burning my granola….) It’s truly what we have been waiting for, the joy of life after harsh winter.

We snuggle them, play with them and make sure they are latching on. When we have had our fix we go back inside, finish breakfast and then go back outside to do our chores.

Our chores change slightly, we add making sure the babies are latching the first day. We also add locking them in the barn at night with mommy and food and water so they are warm. We don’t interfere much but we make a point to snuggle those babies as much as possible and well, I suppose that’s not really a “chore”! Once the babies get good nursing and sleeping habits we scale back to just snuggles.

I love this time of year. I enjoy watching my kids learn from kids. They learn fragility and strength of life. They learn responsibility and the effect obedience and disobedience has on those we are responsible for. The learn the joy of life and all the winter work becomes worth it.

My friend, winter can be hard. However, it is always worth it. Life comes when we… rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. (Romans 5:2-5)

Amen