Kids! (the goat kind)

Friday, Lili and Ripley decided they wanted to have their kids on the same day. Both girls were pawing the ground and visibly uncomfortable in the morning.

As 1pm neared, Lili laid down on the ground and next thing I know, she's giving birth to her first baby. This little boy didn't move much. He was very tiny and we didn't think he was going to make it. My husband went and got a heating lamp. After momma cleaned him up, baby #2 started coming. So, we took baby #1, dried him off as best we could and put him under the heating lamp just in time for Lili to start pushing on baby #2.

Shortly after Lili had baby #2, we milked her a little bit so we could get some food into baby #1's tummy with a small syringe we found. We knew we needed to keep the little guy warm and hydrated if he was going to survive.

We did not realize how little Lili's first baby was until baby #2 came out (or maybe it was the other way around!). Immediately after he was out, he was trying to stand and walk. This was a good indicator to us that baby #1 was definitely not doing very well. We were happy to see that baby #2 was another boy, active, and absolutely beautiful! This one will definitely be a wonderful addition to someone's Alpine breeding stock someday! His name is Eschelman and he is a cutie!

We were pleasantly surprised when Lili began pushing again (as we were expecting only 2). This next time, I realized that a baby was coming out but it was breach (legs first instead of head first). So, with a little bit of difficulty and some help from me, Lili birthed her 3rd baby. We were more than thrilled to see that it was a girl this time! She was also large and quick on her feet. She is definitely the most active and curious of all the babies so far and she's beautiful too! We're planning on keeping her for a future milking doe.

This is Lili's fourth freshening (pregnancy) and she has never dam raised before (nursed her kids herself). So, we weren't sure how she would do when her kids approached her to nurse. We were so happy to see her willingly stand for her babies as they fed from her! And the great news is that baby #1 is doing well! He is standing on his own and eating well from a bottle.

In the next blog, I will share Ripley's birth story, as they both had their babies on the same day, but both deliveries were very different. Lili was the text book delivery, which I was very thankful for since this was our first time ever seeing a kidding goat, and also since Ripley's was not so easy.

Preparing for Kids (baby goats)

We have been eagerly anticipating the arrival of Lilli's kids (Ripley is not due until March 6). She is due today and hasn't shown any obvious signs of labor yet. I have been going out to the pasture more regularly the last few days to check on her to see how she is doing, hoping for labor signs.

One thing I have been told, is that as the does get closer to kidding (getting ready to have their babies) they get very affectionate. So, yesterday while I was in the pasture, I watched Lilli go up to Dalai (our llama) eat some of the hair on his neck, then they nuzzled each other for a while. It was super cute...and so awesome to see. Dalai is such a great guard animal, and it was so cool to see the open affection between the two animals. Yes, it was definitely one of those few moments when I did not have my camera...and when I wished I had!

This last weekend, while we were preparing for the coming births, I noticed Lumpy, one of our chickens, had something hanging from her bottom. Since I was working in the garden, I had gloves on, so I picked her up, took off the clump of (I'm pretty sure it was poop), and as I flipped her over, I noticed all these bugs crawling all over her. It was one of the most disgusting things I've ever seen. After putting her down, I ran inside and googled what on earth those could be. Come to find out, poultry lice was what I found.

So, after reading that it is not contagious to humans (praise the Lord!) and what we needed to get to treat the nasty poultry lice, off to home depot and the feed store we went. We got some diatomaceous earth and cleaned out that coop as best we could. We dusted each chicken, since poultry lice will spread from chicken to chicken (it was very helpful that they all start roosting fairly early in the evening since it's winter) and hoped it would work quickly.

The next morning, I watched Lumpy to see how she was doing. Unfortunately, she seemed worse as she was limping now. Thankfully none of the other chickens noticed yet. After giving her a once over, I noticed a large piece of wood stuck in her foot that had gotten infected. This confirmed my concerns for Lumpy. It was a tough decision, but for the health and well-being of the flock and also because of the concern for the up-coming kids being born, we decided Lumpy needed to go. By far, the hardest part about learning animal husbandry has been seeing Lumpy suffering and knowing that she could not be helped.

I'm hoping to post soon how things go with Lilli's birth! I'm looking forward to meeting her baby (s). We're pretty sure she is having two, but maybe she will surprise us with just one. As we learn how to milk her and make different cheeses and ice creams, soaps and gels with her milk, I'm looking forward to sharing recipes, experiences, and lessons we're learning!

If When I die

If when I die all people can say about me is, "she loved Jesus", then I have accomplished my mission here on earth.

If when I die and no one remembers my name, but remembers Jesus, then I have lived well.

If when I die I have not a penny to my name, but have pointed everyone I met to Jesus, then I have accomplished my purpose.

My worth is not found in money or things, it's not found in people or places I've been. I find my worth through the blood of Jesus.

My hope is not in things of today, tomorrow or yesterday, nor does my hope rest in the comforts this world has to offer, it's Jesus.

If when I die and the only thing left behind is the handprint of God, then and only then I have truly lived.

Metanoia Community

I would like to announce that we have officially named our community! As we sat around our living room, Ryan (my husband) shared about a book he has been reading called The Theology of Dallas Willard: Discovering Protoevangelical Faith. Now, let me back-track a little bit.

My husband is a huge fan of Dallas Willard, I mean HUGE! Ryan's life has been eternally altered because of the ways Dr. Willard explains what it means to live in God's Kingdom today. I am so thankful. I know Ryan is thankful as well. 

Anyways, Ryan bought this book talking about Willardian Theology (how awesome to have a theology named after you?!?) and as he read it, a word came up that we have seen and heard before, but this time it was different. As Ryan read an excerpt out of The Theology of Dallas Willard: Discovering Protoevangelical Faith to us, we believed that the word metanioa defined exactly who we are:

"Willard's most popular work, The Divine Conspiracy, focuses on describing the existential condition and process of living in this convertive state. Willard also spends the majority of Renovation of the Heart discussing the reasons and hurdles that prevent persons from entering into the "easy yoke" of transformation with Jesus as a guide. Renovation pursues the roles anthropology, psychology, sociology, and epistemology play in the theological understandings of individuals and groups attempting to convert/transform their previous worldviews and enter into a relational interaction with the kingdom of God. This process is what Willard describes as the biblical understanding of metanioa or repentance, an important theme carried throughout his description of the apostle Paul's encouragement to become "transformed by the renewal of the mind." Willard defines repentance as "rethinking one's thinking" or "reconsidering one's considerations."

We are a group of people who have decided that the best way to live is to live in the Kingdom of God. This is what we believe we were created for: to live in community with God and each other; encouraging one another; lifting one another up; singing songs of praise and worship to our Maker; knowing that none of us is perfect, but striving to honor God in everything we do.

Now you know the story of how we became Metanoia Community. May you enjoy the blog-posts as they come, however often they are written, deleted or published. May you be blessed as we attempt to capture our journey in Kingdom and communal living, child-raising, animal care-taking, and gardening. 

Sour Crop

You learn very quickly when you see one of your chickens vomiting up stringy goo that that isn't normal behavior. After looking on various chicken websites, thanks to Google, I found out that Spidey has what's called sour crop.

A chicken has one stomach that is divided into 2 parts. The first part is called the "crop" and the second part of the stomach is called the "gizzard". When a chicken eats something like string, long grass, or sometimes bread, it can get lodged in the crop, causing it to swell and become spongy like a water balloon. If not treated properly, it can cause bloating, yeast build-up, and eventually death.

After reading different websites, I decided the first thing I needed to do is separate little Spidey from the rest of the flock so I can keep a better eye on her. Next, I took 1/2 cup of baking soda and mixed it with 1 pint of warm water. I took a needle-less syringe, filled it up and squirted some of it in her mouth, letting her drink it slowly.

Next, I tried putting her head down and began to massage her crop. Apparently, I didn't put her head down far enough, because next thing I knew I had nasty half-digested chicken feed all over my face, arms, and legs. Yuck.

Next thing I did was continue to massage her crop. Did you know that chickens can burp? I did not either! Now, mind you, these aren't your little polite burps either...little Spidey can rival the burps of your middle-school aged boy who just won the burping championship!

So, I guess we'll just keep her off of food for 24 hours and take her water away for 12 hours and see what happens. I will massage her crop again this evening (making sure I hold her upside down correctly this time) to see if any other liquids come out of her, repeating this for the next few days until she seems better.

It's funny, I never thought I would say this, but we're all praying for Spidey. She just happens to be the favorite family chicken and we are trusting that she will pull through.

Lessons From a New Chicken Owner

A lot has happened since I wrote my last post! Our family has officially grown from 6 to 10. We have a 13 week old puppy, we have 6 non-laying chickens (we're getting 6 more this Friday, that are supposed to be laying), and within the week we should be getting our two goats (Ripley and Liliana) and a llama (who we will be re-naming Dahli the llama). Ripley and Liliana (Lili for short) are both pregnant and will both be due in March. So, as you can see, we are growing!

From front to back: Lyla, Nogs, Spidy, Lumpy,
Chicken the Chicken & Scratchy

So far I have learned a lot about chickens, like it could take up to 6 weeks for them to lay eggs after being moved from one home to another. Also, they need 14-16 hours of light (this could be our main problem)! They stress easily, so little kids chasing them around, catching them, shaking them, poking them, pulling out their feathers, bending their necks so they can look inside their mouths and play with their tongues does NOT help them with their egg-producing and egg laying skills.

I also have experienced the true animalistic meaning of what "pecking order" is. Wow! Chickens can be brutal when you are introducing new chickens into the mix! I couldn't believe it when Chicken the Chicken (yes, we're letting our kids name the animals) went after and attacked little Scratchy (the smallest of the 6) when we first introduced her to the flock. There was more pecking, squawking, and chasing than I cared to see. They seem to have settled down now that Chicken the Chicken has made sure her dominance has been asserted and respected by all 4 of the smaller newbies.

September 2013

A lot has happened this last month. We found a house with an acre, which we're really excited about! We moved in, got a puppy, we were given couple of chickens (we're definitely going to get more!), and now we're on to getting some goats. Yep. Goats. I want goats.

I think most normal moms want jewelry, massages, or clothes for their birthdays. Not me. This year, it seems like the country air has brought my inner cowgirl out. This year I want goats for my birthday. After scouring the internet, researching for just the right breed, then stalking craigslist for just the right ones, I have found our first two goats. We will be getting two does, one full-blooded Nubian and one full-blooded Alpine.

You see, goats are good for two things: weeding and milk. We have LOTS of weeds in the pasture area by our barn, so these goats will be wonderful little weed-eaters. Another bonus is that these goats will be expecting babies around February of next year, so we will be able to get some goat milk sometime next spring once the babies are weened. Am I excited? Yes! I am VERY excited!

Not only are we getting all these animals and becoming small country farmers (which is something we have been wanting to do for the last few years), but we will begin to experiment with what it truly means to be living in community with another family that is moving with us in a couple of weeks. This is called intentional community.

We live in a culture that is saturated with the view that one can and must do life on their own. Our world-view explicitly tells us that what is mine is mine and what is yours is yours. This individualistic way of living has created a new wave of selfishness and greediness that is so contrary to what Jesus teaches us how to live. Jesus said we must give to the poor and needy; He taught that we must become like children in order to come to Him; He said we must deny ourselves and take up our crosses and follow Him. All of these things are the complete opposite of being selfish, greedy or individualistic!

No, I'm not saying we all must come together and try to experiment with intentional communities, this is something that the Lord has specifically placed on our hearts and also the hearts of the family that will be moving in with us. We are excited to see what the Lord does this year in all of our lives. We are looking forward to seeing how we grow in Christ-likeness, how we learn together how to work through conflict in a Godly, Jesus-pleasing way, and we are looking forward to seeing where the Lord leads us through this adventure.

I'm looking forward to sharing our journey with you!