The great thing about new babies on the farm – they always attract guests! The winter tends to be pretty mellow around here. We’re typically juggling a barrage of mini projects between cold snaps. If we’re lucky, things generally keep running smoothly. But, when there is snow on the ground and below zero chills in the air – we really don’t get the same social buzz as we see during the warmer days of summer.
If you just happen to have 12 new baby goats hanging out in the barn though – it’s a magnet for friends and family that are looking for fun in their own boring, chilly winter days.
That may have been the case on Sunday when my mom, Tawnya, Zoey, Sage, my dad and Gena all popped in for goat snuggles and some time roaming the backyard. I absolutely loved seeing so many smiling faces chasing, hugging and celebrating the arrival of our teeny goat family.
These are the moments that I also love seeing how our kids are coming into their own personalities and understanding of the farm. Isai gets ample opportunity to follow us around and participate in the chores and work. Genuinely, he’s been feeding the dogs and collecting eggs since he was about 18 months old.
At 2 and a half, Aaron has taught him how to check all of the water buckets and even refill water for the chicks from the rain barrel. He knows where all of the grain is. He knows where we feed the animals. He knows how to spread the hay around. It’s incredible to watch. Isai is so confident around the animals. And while we are still teaching him how to hold and carry the babies gently, he has zero concerns about approaching them, walking through a pen full of critters larger than himself or jumping right into the chores anytime he’s outside.
I was so amused to watch Isai follow his cousins and explore what they were exploring. Where Sage was holding cats and petting dogs, Isai was at their feet doing the same. When Zoey was snatching up snuggly baby goats, Isai was patting them on the head in her hands. He grabbed Nana Jeanne by the hand and confidently led her up the hill to the goat pen without any prompt at all. “Baby goats,” he insisted. He wouldn’t let her leave without meeting them.
I love that our family loves these animals and this place as much as we do. It continues to be one of the best parts of the farm – the pop-ins, visits and impromptu “hey, we have some extra hands” chores. This day in the sunshine with our family will keep our souls filled until the next warm day. And, then the next. And, then the next. Until, fingers crossed, we arrive at spring and another busy summer.