Spinning, chickens, and birthday fun....

First, before I share pictures of our life, I'd like to ask you all to pray for Michael and I as we have a big decision to make by this weekend, regarding a farm we're looking at over by Napoleon. Thanks!

Last week, Heather and Rachel C. came and spent a couple days with us. The three of us ladies went to visit a lady I know in Lamoure to learn all about wool and spinning.  MaryEllen was so helpful and even let us attempt to spin with her spinning wheel. :) 

 Heather did quite well as she's been spinning with a drop spindle quite a while and so already had the drafting technique down well.

 Rachel was as inexperienced as I...but enjoyed the experience, I think. :)

 The next day, we went to a tea party; Josephine L. came over and we went to town to go thrift-shopping and then I took everyone to the livestock salesbarn, as the C sisters had never been to an auction before.

 I've always enjoyed watching sales.....for a while anyway.

 Michael and I went to the ND Home School Convention on Saturday, then I decorated this cake and we went to a friend's birthday party on Sunday.

 Does anybody want to buy some hay??  We have tons of it, literally. This is all first cutting alfalfa, and we have a bunch of 2nd cutting alfalfa hay stored in the pole barns.  It's all for sale and it was all last year's crop.

 The chickens have really been enjoying the warm weather, as have we. Sunday was T-shirt weather, so we pruned apple trees and cleaned off the rest of the garden (never did get that done last fall with everything else that was going on).

 Our 5 lambs are really growing. Michael and I weighed them the other night and the heaviest one is now a little over 20lbs. This is what Michael built for feeding the little rascals. I hold one bottle, and have one hand free to supervise the rest.

 My parents/brothers had us over on Saturday for an early birthday party (for me). One of my gifts was:

A drop spindle!!  :)  I'm really enjoying learning how to spin, although it's not as easy as it looks.

 MaryEllen gave us some wool to experiment with. I dyed this yesterday with Kool-aid. 

 This is the very first yarn I've made (also dyed with Kool-aid). It's very uneven and kinky....but one has to start somewhere.

On Monday (my actual birthday), Michael took off of work early and came home to spend most of the day with me. :) :) :)  After lunch (HE did the dishes for me!!) and feeding the lambs, we went for a four-wheeler ride; decided which chickens and turkeys to order; and talked about the farm we're looking at......  Then he took me out to eat at Reuben's in Napoleon. :)  After chores, we watched old home videos of when I was little, as we ate chocolate cake and ice cream. It was a great day, and I don't even mind being 29 years old. 

God has blessed me beyond measure!  I'm so happy!