And the good news is...

    We found the perfect replacement for my mom's van. 
    I will admit that it is sometimes super easy to forget that God is taking care of you. I was feeling very dejected Friday after having failed at my first attempt at milking, going with Mom to clean out TaWanda (who I will still miss for a while. I get attached to inanimate objects, because I am weird.), test driving the only vehicle close to our price range (which was still over it a bit and would have "stretched us" as Mom puts it) that we did not like but were figuring we would have to settle for, and looking for something else to no avail. Everything was either out of our price range, or had a bazillion miles, was a bazillion years old, and/or didn't meet our needs. But then we went to a tiny little place known as Cousin's Auto Sales. It literally had maybe 10 vehicles on the lot, but amongst those ten was our perfect replacement. Our new van is a blue 2007 Chevrolet Uplander that has less miles, more room, and more features than TaWanda (a 2004 Caravan) did. He was and is in great condition, has plenty room, and isn't so different from TaWanda that we feel out of place like we did in the other vehicle. It was a leased car, so it received regular maintenance. The best part is that the price was below the price we were shooting for and mostly just figured we would be stuck with for something decent. Actually, he was advertising it as above our price range, but told us immediately the lesser amount. We didn't even have to ask. As soon as we test drove the new (to us) van, I told Mom, "This is the one." She wanted to wait until Dad could look at it to commit, but I could tell she wanted it, too. So after Dad got out of training at his new job, he went straight to the van and test drove it. He also approved immediately. His name is pending, by the way, but we definitely think he is indeed a male. All along this process I kept thinking, "Getting a new car is supposed to be exciting, but this just feels crappy." It finally got exciting when we found the blue van. 


    God takes care of His children.


-Rachel in Wonderland


P.S. - Just as a side note, I will never understand the urge people seem to have to buy brand new vehicles every four years. Why? They depreciate an incredible amount, for one. With regular maintenance, a vehicle can last for years and years. My 1997 Ford Ranger has 260,000+ miles on it, and still runs like a charm almost all of the time. Why do people want to make bad investments, and have a car note to pay every month? Why not get something you can pay off on the spot or at least shortly thereafter, and then drive it until it is literally no longer safe to drive or isn't meeting your needs? This idea that we need a brand spankin' new car every few years is just a great way to waste money.


I don't really ever want to sell my Ranger, Bloog. I do want a car one day, so that I can park more easily and carry more than one person comfortably, but for me to get around by myself to places with reasonably sized parking lots, Bloog is great. Plus, I was there when my dad bought it when I was just a kid, and it is the first vehicle I drove in by myself when I got my license. Bloog is a good truck. I think he can stick around. 

Bad News

    Thankfully, this isn't awful news, but it's just one of those things that makes life a little bit more difficult than you want it to be. 

    We received news on Friday that our van, which my mother and I hit a deer in about a week ago, had to be totaled. That means, in a nutshell, that the cost of repairs will be more than 75% of what TaWanda was worth (we name our vehicles). To me, the damage didn't seem that bad, but I am not a mechanic so I don't how these things work or how much they cost. Aside from being bummed that we don't get to have good old TaWanda back, this means that my parents now have to hunt for a new vehicle. The timing is pretty bad for this, because we will only be able to buy a vehicle that costs what the check we will get from the insurance costs. We drove around looking today, and we could only find vehicles that were $6,900 and up + taxes, and all but one of those had 100,000+ miles. 

    Poor TaWanda, I wish we could have just kept her! And so close to the holidays. Isn't that how it always goes? Well, if you happen to know of anyone who is selling a SUV or a minivan for $6,000 or less, please let me know so I can forward the information to my parents! A car or truck would not do, because we need seating for both us and my grandparents ideally, though we could make do with a SUV that seated four. We also carry my goats and things around in the van, and gas mileage would be too awful in a truck that would be big enough. 

    Until then, we will be up the road without a van! Hah!

    -Rachel in Wonderland

Sorry for the Delay...

    I know I said that a blog would be posted as soon as babies were born. Well, as it stands now...I lied. It has been a little less than two weeks since the first babies "hit the ground," so to speak, but I have just been so busy! I'm terribly sorry for the delay. So, here is the belated birth story of eight (yes, eight! That doubles my adult count, in case you were wondering!) adorable, bouncy, colorful little Nigerian babies. Oh, there is nothing in the world like it! 

    The first doe to kid was Sandy, who gave birth to triplets early last Monday morning with no warning. Her milk did take a few hours to come in, and she was a bit slow to cotton on to being a good mother, but instinct finally kicked in. It isn't unusual for a first time mother to not really "get" what's going on. Sandy gave us two doe kids and one little buckling. One of the does will be available at weaning, and the boy will be available as a whether. Overall, Sandy's was the most stressful of the three births; not for anything during the birth, which I actually missed, but for how long it took for things to get going post-birth. It all worked out in the end, though.

    The second doe to kid was Brownie, who had twin boys. Her birth went smoothly, just as it did last year (and just as I expected). I missed the kids actually being born, but I know it took less than an hour because that is how long I left her for when I came back to find the twins. Brownie is a great mother, as always. Both of her boys will be available, as whethers or bucks. They are a bit less friendly than the other kids, because of Brownie's protective and shy nature. I am working with them, though, so they shouldn't be too skittish. The third

    The third and final doe to kid was Clara, and she also gave birth to triplets. This time I got two boys and one girl. Her girl is being retained, as is one of her boys. The reason I am keeping a male from her, though I had not originally intended to, is because he is being bottle fed and I have gotten too attached. He was the runt and he just would not nurse his mom, despite all of our efforts. He is doing well on the bottle, though. I would like to sell her other male intact, because he looks very nice so far (though you obviously can't tell too much at this age), but also because of the great genetics behind him. I would be willing to sell him as a whether, though. He should be friendly. The available boy is the first pictured. Sorry this goofy thing turns my pictures sideways; I don't know how to fix it. 

    Well, there is your promised baby-blog! I just want to add a little bit more, just to get it out I suppose, because it doesn't have any real reason. I am apprehensive about selling the ones that I have to sell. This will be the first time I sell any, as last year the first - and at that time, only - baby born was kept. I want, so so much, for them to all go to wonderful homes where they are treated excellently and nothing bad ever happens to them. Now, I feel that God will help me find them the right homes, with folks that will treat them humanely, but the fact of the matter is that there is no guarantee. No matter how careful I am, or how much I pray, some may end up in a less than desirable home, or something tragic - albeit accidental - might happen (that could just as easily happen to them here, and trust me, I lose sleep over that possibility, too. Literally.). My main reason for raising my own farm animals is to have a humane source of food. I want to know that what I and my family are eating is not only better for us, but that it comes from animals who were well treated and loved. And, oh, do I love these guys! However, in order to have a supply of milk, babies have to be born, and those babies have to be sold, because I can't keep them all and they aren't meant to be eaten (as opposed to chickens, for example, which I could keep a completely closed flock of if I desired and never have to sell any at all). I totally want to be able to help other people achieve their goals of homesteading or having a small farm, just like people have helped me by selling me their animals and giving me support, but it is just stressing me right now. I know it will get easier after I sell the first ones, and I am thankful that God has blessed me with a compassionate heart, but sometimes compassion can make life a bit harder. I want to have faith that every goat I place will be loved and treated humanely, but in the end I can't be guaranteed that. I'm also afraid that it will be hard on me to see them go when the time comes, after caring for them for three months at minimum. Right now, I am trying to let go of the worry that I will place them in horrible homes by accident. I am also trying to remember that purebred goats are a somewhat costly investment, and anyone who invests a good chunk of money is more likely to care for what they purchased (which is why you should never give animals away "free to a good home!"). Also, I am hoping that like-minded people will be the ones drawn to Nigies, who are, in my opinion, the perfect goat breed for a small homestead. 

    I really feel that what I am doing is right, and I know that God will honor that. It's just a matter of me being able to let my anxiety go. Lets face it, I am an anxious person in general, so that is not an easy task for me. Feel free to pray that I master my anxiety. ;) I, personally, shall be praying for that as well as discernment.

    Ah! I almost forgot. I will be able to start milking my does next week! I am very excited about that. The first thing I plan to make is Cajeta. Mmm. After that, I will make Mozzarella, then Cream cheese and Cottage cheese, which will lead me into the hard cheeses such as Cheddar, which shall be followed by Brie - a white mold-developed cheese that is very delicate, hard to make, and takes 3 months to age. I think I'm getting ahead of myself. ;)

  God bless! 

     -Rachel in Wonderland