To my dear sweet Godniece

Hello beautiful, there are some things I believe you should know. Number one I love you so much from the day you were born I have loved you. Even though I have never met your father and I've always liked your mother, I love both of your parents because they made you!

I think one of my first memories of you was babysitting you and your step sister M. And neither one of you ever wanted me to set you down. I remember my mom thinking you were hysterically crying because you wanted a teddybear. Then you yelling out no I want my tuttybear. Me, I have loved you from the minute we met and I think that love was mutual.

So, please forgive me if I go all lame adult on you. Because I can't believe this precious baby that I took to see fireworks, is now a teenager who has teenage issues. I will always be thrilled when you message me. And at least for the next year or so I will be weirded out when giving you boy advice. I'm allowed that I changed your diapers. Lol.

I am so proud that I had even a tiny part in watching you my beautiful girl growing up. I will always be here for you. I will always love you and miss you when you're miles away. So I wrote this to let you know how loved you are and what a blessing you have been to my life! Your Aunt Tutty will love you forever dear one!!!

Welcome Fall!!!!

Today is officially the first day of fall! You would think that being a summer person I would not be happy. However, I feel like  I have to have all the other seasons to enjoy summer as much as I do and lets face it being allergic to the sun life will be a bit easier in Autumn!

I will miss the summer but I am so looking forward to fall because I love the smell after the first rain! I love the smell of Halloween! I love Halloween! I love Thanksgiving. I love watching all the leaves turn. I love that I can bundle up in all my warm layers and not be looked at like I'm crazy. (cause I still bundle up in summer a lot) I love that I get to watch my Ducks splash around in puddles and my crazy Lab chase after them. I love that the cats stay indoors and snuggle more. I love that I can drink herbal tea without getting overly warm! I just love the fall!

One of the best things about living in Oregon is we have everything. We have very defined seasons. It gets pretty hot in the summer and fairly cold in the winter (although our winters are mild enough where I live that people are still horrible at driving in it because they rarely have to) I love that in Oregon we have mountains, beaches, forests, and deserts. It's just sort of awesome here! I'm sure by about November I will be missing sunshine again but for right now I'm enjoying the rain and overcast days! I like having an excuse to stay inside and read cause I'm lame like that! Happy first day of fall!

Pets and Priorities

AS anyone who knows me knows, I have a lot of animals. They are not all technically pets but on our farm we have 43 animals. Not counting the Dog and chickens that live at the other house on the farm. So it can be very hard to prioritize our lives. But I feel like it's so so important to not only keep our animals alive but also to keep them happy. I know that God gave us dominion over all other animals but I feel like if I were them I would want someone to make sure I enjoyed my life as opposed to just living it.

So when I get home from work and I'm exhausted. I still spend time outside feeding the ducks and talking to them. They love when you bend down and tell them that you love them. They wag their tails like crazy. I make sure at least a few times a week to go see our momma cows and the bull because they have grown very attached to me and if I don't go see them then they get upset and break fences to come to me. So I make sure to go and feed them some squash and pet them and just make sure they are all healthy and not acting funny. I also make sure to spend time each day petting each of our three cats because they all love to soak up the mommy attention. And our dogs each get hugs and kisses all the time they both know how much I depend on them to cheer me up when I'm sad so the least I can do is make sure they are happy. I take our chicks out every couple of days to let them run around and try to fly. It's hectic but it keeps them happy!

Some people own animals but make them more like a decoration then a family member. My animals no matter if they are technically pets or not all know I love them and all get special treats and attention all the time! It's hard being on a beef ranch obviously we have to butcher some cows once a year. Most people tell me not to name them or get too attached because I cry every time we have to butcher but I would much rather have a short period of grief and give them a good life while they are here then to just remain completely detached and cold. I want all my animals to know they are not only loved but appreciated and cherished and yes it takes a good chunk of time out of my life to do that but it's more rewarding then you could imagine! Hug your pets!

Why I like my ducks more then most people

So since I have lived on a farm I have become quite the lover of ducks. Muscovy ducks in particular. They are pretty much perfect pets if you have the space for them. I'm pretty in love with having these adorable kiddos around our farm and here are a few reasons why I like my ducks more then I like most people:

• When I come home to my ducks they run up to me wagging their tails and hissing (they are quackless ducks so they can just do this cute little hissy sound) No human ever greets me like that. And if they did I probably wouldn't like it!
• When I have a headache no matter what my ducks are quiet and respectful of it! The worst thing they can do is make some bad smells and they are polite enough to keep that all outside. 
• If I can't finish my salad guess what? My ducks will and they will love me for sharing and not thing I'm weird for trying to give them a half eaten sandwich.
• They are wonderful protectors maybe even better then my cows because if I'm outside they are with me and if anything comes near me (even a tractor or a dog) They immediately go into protect mommy mode. Which since we have 12 of them just makes me feel like a V.I.P. with 12 security guards. Are any people showing up at my door to escort me to my car safely? No not even one. 
• When I'm in a sad mood all it takes to make me smile is a hose and my ducks. They will splash around in that super cold water all day and they always make sure to wag their tails at me to thank me for the bath.
• When I need to de-stress what is more calming then watching my ducks swim in the river? Nothing that's what. and guess what? I have watched a lot of humans and dogs and cows swim in the river...... Not calming. not one bit.  
• Nothing makes you feel more special then being at the head of a line of happy ducks. They follow me everywhere and I feel like I'm leading a happy parade! 
• They never ask me for anything but snuggles and food. Both of which we have plenty for them!

They are honestly the best pets and I know they are normally raised for meat and their red faces are ugly to some people but I look at them and see nothing but adoration and happiness. I highly recommend

taking the time to love a duck! The animal not the college sports team. I don't endorse that at all :p

Health Progress Report and Stamina

So it's been a while since I started my journey to getting healthier. I only have a few more pounds to loose before I'm ready for surgery. I also have to go and get my psych clearance and go to a support group meeting. So it's looking like it will probably be at least January before I have the surgery. I cannot wait. I know that sounds weird because it will be a hard journey after surgery. Like I won't be able to eat a vegetable for something like four months after the surgery. I'll be on a liquid diet for a few weeks. I'll most likely have some sickness afterwards but honestly that will all be worth it!

How do I know already that it will be worth it? Well I'm already noticing so much change in my energy and stamina. Last night I worked a full shift and then stayed an extra half an hour to help a co-worker with some of her stuff. Now 6 months ago after a night like that I would be in so much pain. I could barely walk and I wouldn't want to do anything the whole next day. But last night other then a sore back from sleeping wrong the night before I felt great! We even did some grocery shopping afterwards. Today I still feel great. I'm in a tiny bit of pain from a burst ovarian cyst but I'm still full of energy and feeling nice!

The other thing that is great is that normally before after a few days of work I would need my first day off to be a rest day. Like I would do some light cleaning and stuff around the house but no big farm things. and now I keep saying I'll need a rest day and then I decide I have too much energy and I want to go outside and do something on the farm. Or play with the ducks. I am just full of energy everyday! It's amazing and that is all with just a tiny bit of weight loss. Imagine how I'm going to be after the surgery. Like my joints feel better especially my feet and ankles! I just can't get over how much better I feel. I am so ready to be healthy again. and as I am normally quite hyper especially for someone in poor health I'm gonna be kind of obnoxious when I'm done with this journey. Sorry not sorry!

I know it's somewhat worrisome for my loved ones that I'm choosing to go through this surgery. However, it is going to lead to such amazing things. I just know that I will feel like I'm living a whole new life!

Dogs, Ducks, and the last days of Summer.

First off I need a waterproof camera so I'd have pictures from today. Moving on. Today was possibly one of the last warm days I have off and we had no plans. So, we decided the best way to spend today was to go enjoy the weather. Now most people would think that we would spend so many days like this because we live on a farm. However, little known fact, farms require A LOT of work. So, especially during summer if we're off work we are still working on the farm. But sometimes towards the end of summer we get wonderful days like this!

First thing we did was to go to where we have let our Ducks down to the river and make their path a little smoother so they can get up the hill. We fed them and spent some time watching them enjoy the river. Then we came home and decided why not take the dogs down to the river. So we got Sasha and Riley loaded up and took them down. It is part of being a responsible pet owner to make sure you keep your pets happy, which for Sasha means water. She is a Lab mix it's in her blood. So we get to the river and she goes nuts she swims all the way up and down that stretch she runs up and around and across the bridge (While continually looking like she was going to jump and terrifying her humans) Riley however doesn't have a love of water yet. He's working on it. He is a Puggle so half Pug half Beagle. Pugs have stubby noses which makes them less likely to enjoy the water as they have a much higher chance of drowning. But Riley also loves making us say Good BOY!! So he tried. He swam a little but only right by mommy. He mainly just walked around in the 2 inch deep part of the river. All in all we had tons of fun.

Then we came back and our Duckies that prefer to be house ducks were anxiously awaiting their daily bath! We set the hose to mist and they enjoy splashing around. We filled their water and talked to them to make them wag their tails because in case you have never seen in there are few things in this world cuter then a Muscovy duck happily hissing and wagging it's tail. Seriously it's amazing!

I think it's important to work hard but also just as important to take days like today and enjoy the world and what God has blessed us with. I think my husband and I could sit by the river all day with our dogs and our ducks or just with each other and be blissfully happy!

Dear Dollar Tree

Guess what? Just because you sell very inexpensive items does not mean you can treat your employees how ever you want. If anything you should treat them like Kings and Queens for all they have to put up with. I am not a Dollar Tree employee, however I have seen what these people put up with. like:

• Constantly scheduled on days they are unavailable.
• Always asked to find coverage for those shifts which is ridiculous when you messed up the schedule in the first place. YOU FIX YOUR MISTAKE!
• Managers acting like small children when the employees are ill. Guess what life happens and many large corporations figure out how to pull up their big girl/boy panties and say "Okay, feel better." and then we find someone to cover their shift or we work extra hard that day. I know baffling what you can accomplish when your attitude graduates high school!
• ON a daily basis they deal with possibly the dumbest customers on the planet asking repeatedly about each item how much it costs. and They don't snap at these customers that it's the Dollar Tree it's all a dollar grasp the concept or go home
• They put up with their bosses huffing like a 4 year old and hanging up on them when they are horrible ill and must miss a day.
• They put up with people not minding their children while they ransack the store. 
• They put up with having a day job that only ever gives them half shifts. 
• They put up with constantly being talked down to by management.
• They put up with all of the silly things you make them say or do for your fundraisers.
• They put up with an always growing list of responsibilities while fully knowing that it's damn near impossible to get a raise.

So Dollar Tree maybe your management needs classes on how to humanly treat other people, Or maybe they need to be fired and go back to primary school and learn manners, Whatever they need you should get on it before people start boycotting your store. Because as a customer I have heard a store manager gossiping about other employees and their health issues on the sales floor in front of everyone. Which I'm pretty sure violates Hipaa Privacy policies. But hey you know just a heads up that with the treatment these people are getting from your company I wouldn't be surprised if you start getting more lawsuits. Also hey my mom taught me this thing when I was like 3 that may help your management staff. It's called the golden rule because it's pretty important. Basically you treat others how you wish to be treated. It's not too complex maybe look into it. I've done pretty well in my life living by that rule. In conclusion be nice because if I keep seeing your employees mistreated I will do everything in my power to bring attention to all you are doing! Please just hire nice people or you know train the mean ones to at least have common human decency! Thanks Lambchop!

My love story

It's strange to me that so many people who know me and know my husband don't know how we met or even how he proposed. So since we just passed our five year wedding anniversary and we are coming up on our 8 year dating anniversary I thought what better time then the present.

To first figure us out you have to know a little of how we were before we met. Hammy (my husband) dated quite a bit and had even been engaged once before he met me but he had been single for a while before we met. I on the other hand had always sworn I would never marry and pretty much just figured I'd spend my life surrounded by my family and my many guy friends. I had plenty of opportunity to date and was pretty constantly teased about being "too picky" or "heartless" or "emotionally detached" and to tell you the truth I probably was at least a little bit. I didn't care what guy liked me unless they were Nick Carter I wasn't interested. Most of that however is because I have always been fiercely independent and I always wanted to fall in love with who I was before I felt I could truly love and be loved. 

So around 3 months before I met Hammy I had decided to dip my toe in the water of the dating pool. Well that resulted in a very misguided moment or two with one of my guy friends and then me meeting a guy who I was very attracted to physically but after about a month of dating I found out that he had a girlfriend. I wasn't heartbroken because I was never very attached to him. He broke up with his girlfriend and we dated off and on until I met my Hammy.  See the guy before my husband didn't treat me very well and to be honest I didn't treat him great either. we just weren't meant to be. But since he had initially met online and I had given him a chance, then on November 20th 2006. when my now husband messaged me online I was open to meeting him because he seemed sweet and really he couldn't be much worse then the last guy. 

So he picked me up at my house and took me to a movie. It was a James Bond movie and I'm not really a 007 kind of girl but it was fun none the less. Then after the movie we grabbed a meal at Wendys and chatted. To be honest he was super shy really quiet and hard to get to open up. Then when he finally did start talking it was all about how many times he had been in car accidents. Not the best topic for the girl who he still has to drive home and who had been in 5 accidents in 3 years all of which I was a passenger. Oy it appeared to not be going well. But he took me home as I was leaving for my job in Salem that night he asked for a hug and  my number and that was that. I thought well not the best but not the worst date ever.

First adorable thing he did was to call me from the bottom of our hill just to make sure I hadn't given him a fake number. Then within the next couple of days he went to the Beavers/Ducks Civil War game. Which is huge in my world as I am and always will be a lifelong beavers fan. I was so jealous that he had tickets. But I stayed home and watched the game. That was an amazing game. Super close and if I remember correctly it was ended by a blocked field goal attempt right at the end. Now at the time I lived in Corvallis which is Beaver Nation. So the fans rushed the field and I said wow Luke is so lucky to be there right now. then 2 seconds later the phone rang and it was him just calling me while rushing the field to make sure i had seen it. That was the second point in his favor. It was so sweet that at such an amazing time he thought of me and wished I could have been there to see it!

Then for a while he went down to his mothers house which was about a 2-3 hour drive away. We talked on the phone or online everyday. and he was so sweet. So when he came back we went on our second date. This was the clincher for both of us. It was a great date. We saw another movie and then we took a nice long walk around town talking. We eventually came upon some carolers and it was snowing so we stopped to dance. I couldn't quit looking at his amazing blue eyes. He was already so sweet and treated me like a queen. We both think that's the day we started to fall for each other.

So after a little while of dating and hearing all of the stories about how scared he was to introduce me to his mom because she hadn't been a fan of any of his exes. It was time to meet his mom. I was so nervous which I think is normal but it didn't help that he kept saying oh I hope she likes you and it would do a lot for my mom and my relationship if you to got along. (Thanks for the pressure Luke) But we had dinner with her and she was and is still to this day one of the most amazing people I've ever met. She's one of those super humans who is amazing at everything and not at all boastful about it. Then that night she called him to tell him how much she liked me! I kept thinking everything is so perfect how can it be going so well for me. I mean this was my first try at a real relationship. Nobody knocks it out of the park on the first try.

But he just kept getting more wonderful. We started a tradition where once a week we got Dutch Bros coffee and went to bible study together. Which was important for me because I wanted God to be a part of our relationship. We spent new years together. Everything was great. I eventually met the rest of his family. and  we were an item. Then one day while holding hands he kept playing with my ring finger on my left hand and I asked what he was doing. He said just thinking about the day that I get to put a ring there. Now mind you I have a horrible fear of commitment and we had been dating 3 months. I said yeah but I'm a tad freaked out by commitment. He said Okay I'll just ask you everyday until the answer becomes a yes! and that he did. For 9 months until our one year dating anniversary he said at least once a day< "hey will you marry me?" and the answer slowly morphed from maybe someday, to yeah probably eventually, to yes someday I will. So on our one year anniversary he said you keep saying yes eventually well doesn't that mean yes? I said yeah I guess it does. So exactly one year after we met we got engaged.

His main hurdles were. my Mom, My brothers and My Gramps. He passed those tests with flying colors. He's a bit of a geek so my older brother likes him. He likes to put in a hard days work so my little brother likes him and my mom just loved the way he treats me and his beautiful eyes and lips. When I finally took him to Salem to meet my Gramps I was super nervous about if Gramps would like him. Then not long after we left I got a call from my aunt saying that Gramps wouldn't quit talking about how much he liked him and that he looked at me like I was the most valuable thing on earth. So he passed the Gramps test too! My aunts and cousins were quick to adjust. They're main comment has been that he just feels like one of the family.

I made him wait a long time to get married. Not because of doubts but more because I had never thought of my own wedding before and I needed a lot of help planning from those who had (My Mom, Aunts, and Best Friend!) But we made it!! We had a beautiful beach wedding over 5 years ago. It's so strange because some days it feels like we haven't been

married that long and others it feels like it's been forever. IN a good way of course like I just can't imagine my life without him. So that it the quicky version of my love story. I hope I didn't leave anything out! BYE!

But we're where the chick and the duck live.

Big points if you know where I got the title of this blog from. So because I'm spoiled (can't help it blame my family) My husband got me chicks and ducks. So here's how it all started. I saw an ad on craigslist for 2 adult male Muscovy ducks. In case you don't know that is my favorite breed of duck because they are so sweet they are super quiet because they don't quack they mostly just hiss and wag their tails. Anyway the lady who had them wanted a home for them where they wouldn't be eaten. (Muscovy's are typically raised for meat) So I of course don't eat duck and love them as friends not food. So we began corresponding and making plans. Then she said she had a friend with an adult female Muscovy duck who needed a home. I said sure of course we have 400 acres a river and tons of streams it's like ducky paradise out here. Then she asked if I wanted ducklings and I said sure I'll take a couple of babies. and it spiraled. We now have 9 babies and 3 adults. (I have a very patient husband.) So we brought them home introduced them to the dogs and cats who are all miraculously in love with them. The cats continue to hunt everything else while protecting the ducks! Sasha our lab mix is madly in love with ducks! So we successfully have many little feathered friends.

Now as most people know we are cattle farmers so unfortunately we frequent feed stores. Me being the princess that I am I have very little interest in feed stores. My husband tries desperately to get me to buy some boots and camo. Silly boy. So he always makes me go with because he is holding out hope that some day I'll become less princess and more cowgirl. (Not gonna happen) So we went in to get cattle wormer and there right by the door were six containers of little tiny chicks. OMG. Now another thing you should know is I have a huge fear of chickens. I have never been a bird person unless they are aquatic birds. But really who hates chicks? I mean they are living cotton balls. So I fell in love but they only had meat chicks which we were told run the risk of getting so big they break their own legs if kept longer then 8 weeks. So it looked like I would yet again admire but not be able to leave with a chick. Just when all hope was almost lost the lady said but I'm getting in a bunch of Layers tomorrow. So if you want chickens for eggs come back tomorrow. My poor husband he can't say no to me and he loves farm fresh eggs so what could he do?

So we agreed we would get 4 female chicks the following day. So we went in and he walked to the back to use the restroom and I just stood there falling in love and pondering which ones to get. Oh the options. So I told the lady I would take 2 Banded Rock chicks and 2 Rhode Island Reds. that was that I grabbed my 50lb bag of feed and I was ready to go as soon as hubby came out of the bathroom. But then I had to wait too long and four just didn't feel like the right number and I have O.C.D. so I'm weird about numbers. I mean who gets four chicks? You get three or five not four. and I certainly wasn't putting one back I mean imagine the life story of that chick. I was on my way to Chicken and Duck paradise but then this heartless women decided she didn't want me because four wasn't a magical enough number. I can't play the villain in any chickens story. So we had to get one more and the Jersey Giants are so cute and their card said nothing but good things about them so........ Oh crap here comes hubby ummmm think think think. So the pouty lip came out I gave him a big hug like he had been at war instead of in the mens room. and in my sweetest voice I said Hammy..... I got 2 Rhody's and 2 Banded Rocks but the Jersey Giants are so cute. My husband hadn't caught on yet and said so switch some out. Oh silly boy he hadn't thought through the poor chicken life story. So I said but can't I get just one of the Jersey's? He said how many chickens do I have to buy before we leave here? I said just five! and grinned and ran to pick out my newest feathered friend.

So that is how, "Hey honey, can I have 2 ducks again" turned into, "Thanks so much for my 17 feathered friends!" They truly are a blessing and the chicks remind me everyday of God's glory watching their instincts tell them how to survive and groom and knock on their giant aquarium in between chirps to try to tell me to hold them. It's so amazing how they just know how to be their perfect little selves! I wish we were all so lucky! So prepare to be bombarded with adorable pics and stories! and if you have time pray and thank God for all the little creatures in life and then maybe throw in a prayer for my husband's sanity! <3