Darlin' and Fancy

January 2015 most of our ewes had babies. One of the lambs was being rejected by her mom, so we took her in the house and named her Darlin'. She would be considered a runt but I like to call her a premie. She was bottle fed and wore baby diapers. She just sort of became part of the family. Darlin' would walk up the driveway with us and the dogs to check the mail and play with the dogs in the yard...it was very entertaining. After about 2.5 months we decided it was time to put her outside to be with the herd. That was not an easy thing to do. The first night she cried...and cried...and cried. We just had to try to ignore it and tell ourselves it's the best thing for her. She needs to be with other sheep. Not only that, she kept eating all of my hubby's computer cables in his office. He had become her "mama" and she rarely left his side. My hubby is an animal whisperer. Seriously, it's weird. lol So, the second day Darlin' was outside she found her way through the fence into our yard and literally knocked on the front door. As funny as it was, it was also kind of sad and pathetic. My hubby picked her up and took her back to the other sheep. After a few weeks she got the hang of it and became part of the herd. She is still the one who will walk straight up to a person while the other sheep are trying to avoid people as much as possible. Ok, so there's the back story about our Darlin'... Fast forward to yesterday (3/15/16). Darlin' had a baby. This baby is precious and would really love to be with her mama but she was born with a bum leg. She tries to hobble along, but she just can't keep up. It was heart breaking to watch this so we took her to the vet to see if there is anything that could be done. The vet put her in a splint and we'll have to take her back for a follow-up in 2 weeks. We also had to put her in a pen with Darlin' so they'll bond. I'm not sure it's working. Darlin' is stubborn and when sheep have a difficult birth or a lot of pain during labor they will reject their babies. We have to hold Darlin' and force her to feed the lamb about every 4 hours. Actually, we have the lamb in a separate pen inside the big pen because Darlin' kept knocking her over. So, I would like to introduce you to Fancy...

I've also done a lot of stepping lately, so I've hit my step goal every day this week! I hope to keep that going! 244

Our little treasure...

Our nephew, Escher is a very special kid. Ok, I know what you're thinking...every kid is special, well, I agree! However, the reason Escher is so special is because the doctors say he wasn't supposed to even be born alive. After he was born, "Oh, he won't live more than a few weeks"...then, "Just be prepared, he probably won't live a few months". This went on for a little while, until they finally asked my brother how he would want his baby to die. Yes, seriously, that question was asked and my brother, being the sensitive person he is, was a bit freaked out. Escher was born with an under-developed colon, which is extremely rare and the doctors really didn't know what to do about it. They did know that he needed a transplant. Escher was put on the transplant waiting list for a donor and all we had to do was wait, which, as we all know, is sad because we were essentially waiting for a child to leave this world and become an angel (Well, that's the way I see it, anyway). So, right around his first birthday, there was a phone call...they found a possible donor!!! They took him in and it was a match! OMGoodness, our little nephew was going to get his operation. At a year old he had a multi-visceral transplant. Six organs were transplanted...large and small intestines, liver, stomach, pancreas, and spleen. He has an ostomy bag and a g-button, which is how he gets most of his meds. He is very private about it, but we're hoping and praying the bag can be removed one day. The doctors also told my brother that Escher could possibly be "slow" and/or have some brain damage. Well, that isn't the case at all! When he was 4 years old he tested on his vocabulary and was on a 4th-5th grade level. When he was 7 he scored the highest on a national second grade test his school had ever seen, and he had missed about half the year for medical reasons and hospitalization (he attends a private Catholic school). That's not even half of it, but y'all get the point. Who wants to hear me go on and on...I'll just give you highlights! He wants to be a doctor because he says he likes to help people. He knows more about the human body than any kid I've ever known, but he's spent a lot of time with nurses and doctors, so it's to be expected, I suppose. :-) He never ceases to amaze us! Well, the point of this blog is to say that he turned 10 today!!!! We had a family birthday party at my mom's house. We shot each other with Nerf guns and he got his first bat, glove, and ball, so we taught him to play baseball! I think he really enjoyed it and I got a great workout!!! I haven't played softball in years, so I was a bit rusty, but we had a lot of fun! He's such an amazing kid and lot of fun to be with. I realize that all children are precious and very special, I just wanted to share ours with y'all! Hope y'all had a wonderful day, too!

It's a sad day on the Nicholson farm...

We live on 7 acres that are separated into 3 sections. We have about 3 acres in front, about the same in the back, and our home is in the middle of the property sitting on approximately 1 acre. We make sure to count our sheep/goat every day, but last night when I went to close the gate, thinking they were all in front in their shelter, I didn't count them. I guess I just assumed all 35 were in there. I mean, the shelter was packed (it was raining) and Casper (the Great Pyrenees) was in there with them. Apparently, Serafina and her baby, Stephie were still in the back grazing. Something kept telling me to check to make sure I got all of them, but unfortunately I didn't. Now Casper is a wonderful guard dog, but there are only so many things one dog can do. He was watching over the majority of the herd. I don't blame him at all. He does patrol every night, and he scares off anything that might trespass (except the deer, he leaves them alone, I think). Anyway, this morning my hubby was only counting 33 so we just had to figure out who was missing. It didn't take long. My brother found Serafina lying in a little shed in the back, eyes wide open. Well, she was super skinny and we figured she just couldn't handle the cold rain and possibly passed away from being too cold. Well, she was #34, but we were still missing one...her baby. I counted again...and again, then realized she was the one missing. So many of them look alike I had to make sure she was the one I had to find. Well, my brother, hubby, and I walked toward the back fence and saw a tail, then some hair. And yes, it was Stephie's. Whatever attacked her must have taken the rest of her because the tail and bits of hair was all we found. I'm extremely sad about Serafina, but it probably hurts more just knowing what Stephie probably went through. That poor little lamb. She was only 3 months old and we lost her brother Stevie last month from pneumonia. My husband has learned that sometimes sheep will die of shock. They're always so skittish anyway, but if something was happening to Serafina's baby and she watched it happen, she might have literally been scared to death. That just breaks my heart!! I know that it is all a part of life, but it doesn't make it any easier. With all the walking I did around the property I'm halfway to my step goal for the day and it's only 1pm. So I guess that's good. RIP Serafina, Stevie, and Stephie... [

My awesome summer with my amazing family...

The summer started out really great with a visit from a tiny person we call "Halle". Yep, my cousin came back to hang out with her favorite cousin...ME!! She was here for an entire month!! I couldn't believe she wanted to stay that long, but it was her choice...and she loved every minute of it, as did we! She arrived mid-June and we did some of the same things we did the summer she was here when she was 14. We went to Six Flags, Dealey Plaza, downtown Fort Worth and the Water Gardens, etc. This summer was a bit different because she has started looking at colleges. She had researched a few campuses in or near the area and wanted to tour them, so we toured TCU and Baylor. Ok, first I need to say that her parents decided to also take a trip to Texas, but they weren't here quite as long. Tracey, her mom, was here for about 8 days and Dave, her dad, was here less than a week. While they were here my mom and I thought we'd show them a bit of Texas history, so we took them to see the Alamo. So, Halle, Tracey, Dave, Mom, and I made that 5 hour trip to San Antonio. (Will wanted to go but had to work) Since it was on our way we stopped in Waco to check out Baylor University...and boy, are we glad we did. Halle and her parents fell in love with that college! Just being on campus gave each of us that warm, fuzzy feeling. :) Anyway, after our tour we headed south to San Antonio and stayed in The Crockett Hotel, which is named for Davy Crockett, of course. I'd never stayed there but I loved that it is unique and only in San Antonio. The prices weren't outrageous, especially for being very close to the Riverwalk, so it was perfect. We saw the Alamo and walked the Riverwalk, which is fun no matter how many times you've done it, in my opinion. I think they all enjoyed our little trip and would probably do it again. Woohoo! They loved it...mission accomplished! Okay, when we got back to the Fort Worth area we took Halle to see TCU. We took a morning tour so the weather was nice, which was good because it was a walking tour...have y'all seen that campus? It isn't tiny...lol. We got some exercise, though...ha! Halle was not impressed with it at first, but after she thought about it she didn't hate it. I'll admit the warm fuzzies weren't there and it seemed a bit more "snooty" than Baylor. I think she just has it in her head that Baylor is her school. Tracey and Dave would like her to keep her options open, but honestly they really love Baylor, too, so they do understand. When Halle visited us for the first time a few years ago she knew Texas is where she wants to be. That apparently hasn't changed, which is awesome! Enough about colleges... I'll back track a bit. Halle was here for two weeks before her parents arrived, so Will, Clark, and I took her on a little road trip to Missouri to see Shawn and Katelyn. We had an amazing boating weekend! It is an 8-9 hour drive so Halle kept busy by watching movies in our Yukon. That DVD player comes in handy on a road trip. lol We introduced her to a few awesome 80's movies!!!! She watched Footloose (yes, the original), Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, National Lampoon's Vacation, and European Vacation. She enjoyed all of them, which doesn't surprise me at all. That is the BEST decade for movies! I think most would agree. Last, but certainly not least, was our 4th of July celebration!! Halle says she really enjoys the way we do it here. I like it, but I guess I'm a bit biased. Heehee Now, back to when Tracey was still here and after Dave had gone home...we took Tracey to the Concert in the Garden with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. If you live in or near Fort Worth and you haven't done this, I highly recommend it. Tracey and Halle absolutely loved it and were saying Dave would be sorry he missed it. He and Tracey are musicians and enjoy live music. Maybe next year!!! Well, that's about it! There has been talk about Halle and her parents returning this summer! Tracey has mentioned wanting Halle to tour a few more colleges in the area. I think she is looking at SMU and UNT, which I'd be happy to show her. Maybe they'll stay longer so we can show them more of this great state, too!!! Actually, if that happens I'm thinking another trip to Missouri and maybe one to Houston (to see my Uncle Mikeaboy and Aunt Marjanna)should be on the itinerary!

Introducing...Starla Moon

Ok, I am going to back track just a bit. Do you remember that kitten I wrote about in my previous post? Well, on August 27, 2008, my beautiful fluffy cat, Calliope, passed away from cancer. She was only 12. It took me a long time to accept the fact that she was actually gone. It is still a bit difficult at times, but life does go on and I know she had a very happy life with me. Anyway, about two years after her death I was ready to start looking for a new cat. I called a friend who works at the Humane Society in Fort Worth and asked her to keep a look out for a female kitten, the fluffier the better. She told me she would let me know if/when they had kittens fitting the description of what I wanted. I hadn't talked to her in almost 8 months when I left her a message on FB asking her if she'd received any kittens lately. She said there had been a mama cat with a new litter that had been dropped off a few days before. The kittens were only a couple of months old and when I saw a the picture she sent me, I just had this feeling. It was about 3:30p.m. when she text that photo to me, so I forwarded it to Wilson and told him that I would like to see the kitten in person. The Humane Society of Fort Worth was closing at 5:00p.m. and I had to hurry to get to Fort Worth before they closed and back to Dallas no later than 7:00p.m.to pick up Will from the office. I honestly didn't know if I would be adopting a kitten that day or just meeting her. Well, my question was answered as soon as I held her. At that moment I knew she was coming home with me and would be the newest member of our little family. After I adopted her I drove straight to Will's office. We drove her to her new home and introduced her to the dogs. That was interesting. Cowboy and Clark were OK with her, but Cheyenne thought she was a fuzzy snack. The HS had chosen the name "Friday". That was going to change...quickly. Will and I went to lunch the day after we brought her home, and that is when we named her. I knew I wanted something unique. Will thought her name should be something that has to do with Texas, which I thought was a great idea. He also thought her middle name should sort of match my name, so that was it...our new fur-baby's name became Starla Moon. Starla is for the Lone Star State and my name is Sunshine--in case you didn't catch that. She was 2 months old when I picked her up and only weighed about 2.5 lbs. We just knew she would be a perfect addition to our family! Will told me later that it only took him about half a second after seeing her photo to know she was the "one" for us. Isn't that just the cutest thing EVER? And she has been wonderful! She is almost 18 mos. old and is our giant fuzzy cat...or Jabba the cat, as we call her sometimes ! She is bigger than Clark Kent Superdog and is extremely squishy. Will says picking her up is equivalent to picking up a water balloon. haha She is into EVERYTHING and thinks she is a dog, but the funniest thing about her is that she is the most co-dependent cat I've ever known. She loves to be around people, especially Will. He is definitely her "person" and doesn't ever let me forget it. I've never seen such an obsession from a cat to a person. Definitely a snuggly fuzzball. We couldn't have chosen a more perfect cat!!! The pictures I chose are two of my favorites! The photo of Starla and me was taken the day I adopted her. I suppose we should have known she'd be a big cat due to the size of her hands. Did you notice that?? holy crap! Heeheehee The other photo is very common. She loves to hug her daddy (I told ya she's big!!!) :) Oh, and yes, Cheyenne still wants to eat her...

Part 3...

Part three brings us to the summer of 2011. My cousin Halle, also known as my mini-me was supposed to come to Texas again, but couldn't make it due to the knee surgery she had in April that year. She popped out her knee cap while dancing. Did I mention she's my mini-me?? ;-) Since she wasn't able to make it back to this great state I decided to go to Cali to visit her and the other cousins. My mom said she wanted to join me so we made plans for our trip to California. Well, about a week or two after we booked our flight my husband came home with a "a weight has been lifted" look on his face, so I asked him what was going on. He proceeded to tell me the company that he was working for couldn't afford him anymore. Boy, I didn't take that well, but after a few minutes I calmed down and accepted it. After all, he never really enjoyed working for that particular company and honestly, he wouldn't have gone far with them. It was a small company and not really any room for advancement. In my opinion, my Wilson deserves better than that. I think what pissed me off the most was that he'd never been "let-go" from a job. I also believe he was treated unfairly but I found out later the owner talks trash about anyone who is no longer with the company, whether they were let go or quit. Will really did look relieved and said that he thought it was a blessing in disguise. He started working from home as a VFX Artist/Producer/Screenwriter. The freelance world welcomed him once again, and has been very good to us. We're doing better financially than we were with that other company and my hubby is so much happier. Working from home has been wonderful. A lot of couples ask us how we can stand spending that much time together, but honestly, it's easy. We get along very well. We're best friends and I couldn't think of anyone else I would want to be with 24/7, which is the way a marriage should be, in my opinion. :) Ok, so back to my trip...by the time I left for Cali we had no money coming in and we really weren't sure what we were going to do but my flight was non-refundable. I probably needed the vacation, but my mind was going crazy with worry. I honestly should listen to Wilson when he tells me not to worry about things. He always comes through for us...always. I seriously never have doubts that everything will work out if he has anything to say about it, but it's in my nature to worry, I suppose. My Great Grandmother always used to say, "Don't worry, just pray". Maybe I should do that. She was a smart woman, after all. Well, we got to Cali and had a blast! That got my mind off our financial issues, at least for a while. We saw Alcatraz,Calaveras Big Trees, and Yosemite!!! San Francisco was awesome, as always, but I had never been to Alcatraz, so I bought Halle and me tickets (before we had no income) for a tour of the Rock. It was one of the coolest things I've ever seen!!! Definitely an experience. The other cool thing we did in SF was a bus tour. We sat on the top of the bus, which made for an awesome view of the city! Of course the Golden Gate Bridge was hidden by fog, but that's normal. We had a funny bus driver name RRRRRRRRamone (as Halle likes to say it) and he would talk about the "city of lub" (love, in case you didn't catch that). HAA! So, that is now extremely funny when we get together! (again...Mini-Me) I look forward to going back...and taking Will!! On our way to Yosemite, we stayed at a motel in Mariposa, CA. The afternoon we arrived we took the most amusing tour of the Mariposa County Jail. Wow, was that hilarious. There was a funny tour guide who got his kicks out of trying to scare the tourists with silly stories about how prisoners were thrown out of the second story window with barbed wire around their necks. The funniest thing was when he would tell the stories he had a maniacal laugh. SO FUNNY! Oh, and there was an American Flag hanging in the front of the jail that had 50 stars and he kept trying to convince us that it was the original flag from when the jail was built...in 1852!!!!! Poor guy. I think he might have actually believe that. So, that tour was entertaining, to say the least! We went to Yosemite the day after we arrived in Mariposa. After our day at the national park we learned about three young adults who fell off a cliff into a waterfall and were swept away on the day we were there. Apparently, they didn't read the signs that said, "Do not cross this fence". Duh. Ok, yes, it is sad that they died, but seriously...the signs apply to everyone. Again...duh. The next day we went to Calaveras Big Trees, which was amazing. The trees really are HUGE, but I hear they're not the largest out there. I'm fascinated by nature. God sure did make an amazing world...don't ya think? It was a great trip and a fun summer. The best part was that there was a record high in Texas of continuous days over 100 degrees and they all happened while we were in Cali. Poor Will, the dogs, and our new kitten (I'll talk more about her later). We actually stayed longer than we originally planned because Tracey and Halle wanted us to see a few things (ie: Yosemite, Calaveras, etc...). Our trip was only booked for 10 days but we extended it to about three weeks, I think. We had such a good time and I look forward to making that scrapbook, which I hope to do with Halle while she is here this summer (more on that in the next blog). And just so you know, my knees really hurt that summer, but I toughed it out and walked around that giant national park without hurting myself too badly. I think I was in awe of everything I was seeing that it didn't phase me that my knees might be in pain. ;-)

Part 2...in 3,2...and, go...

Okay, so February comes along and my younger brother, Shawn, finally got hitched! Yes, I said Shawn! He married an adorable girl named Katelyn. I must say, she is the exact image of the girl we all figured he'd marry! They had a pretty wedding at my mom's church in Fort Worth and the reception was held at The Elk's Lodge. I think my brother might be their youngest member. So, my brother is now married , I'm walking again, and all is right with the world. Well, except the fact that I was still in pain after my surgery. My therapy sessions were coming to an end and I was still in pain. My hubby would ask if it hurt more or less than before. I never knew how to answer that since it was a different kind of pain. I still couldn't walk up/down stairs or a curb (yep, it was that bad). I decided to go back to the doctor to ask him if there was something else wrong with me. After my check-up he noticed that my pelvis was out of alignment. Well, that's just great, right?? Apparently, that happens with knee surgery patients because one knee will be healing more quickly than the other and people tend to lean on the better knee while the other is trying to heal. He told me I was probably limping for a while without realizing it. He then sent me to a specialist who popped my pelvis back into place (literally) and gave me a list of exercises to do to help keep my body aligned. Yoga is now my friend. Seriously. Awesome! Again...all is right with the world (or as much as it could be)...This brings me to the summer of 2011 and the California trip with my mom. Please proceed to part 3 of the story...