Everyone on Critter Farm

Chester and the llamas hope you are enjoying your holiday:

Pete and Reggie hope you are happy and healthy:

They'd like to remind you to be sure to slow down and enjoy the moment:

It's ok to be silly once in a while:

If you can look cute while doing it, all the better:

Try not to worry about the stuff behind you:

And be sure to give lots of kisses to the ones you love:

If you have guests, enjoy them while they're here:

They'll be gone sooner than you know it:

And then you can take a well-deserved break!:


From all of us here on Critter Farm, Merry Christmas to you!

Wordless Wednesday: Christmas Eve morning on Critter Farm

My day yesterday: a short summary

- OR - How I spent the Winter Solstice (December 21st) in 10 simple photos

#1: I decorated a birthday table for my son. In our home, the birthday person receives their gifts the morning of their birthday:

#2: I watched my son and his best friend giggle like little boys over the giant candy necklaces I got them:

#3: I took (and was in) some silly photos around the Christmas tree:

#4: I sat by the fire and briefly felt sorry for myself that my babies are all grown up:

#5: I went out to the middle pasture and practiced "kiss for a treat" with Toni the llama. I'm getting really good at it:

#6: As it grew dark, I remembered I hadn't planted my garlic yet, so out I went:

I planted 3 varieties this year: Music (seed stock from my own garden), Chinese Pink (one of the earliest harvestable garlics), and Oregon Blue (I really like the name).

#7: See? It was almost dark. I hope my rows are straight:

#8: But since I tend to be a bit of a procrastinator, I'm used to these conditions. Some of my best work is done in the dark:

Wait. Did that sound naughty?

#9: When I came inside, I lit every candle on my dining table and went to work on my holiday cards:

Better late than not at all, right?

And this was pretty much my day. With a number of other things in between that I don't have photos of.

Wait, here's one more:

#10: Gratuitous photo of the birthday boy. Doesn't he have a wonderful smile?:

My Solstice baby turns 18

Forgive me while I interrupt this normally farm-centered blog to have a purely selfish moment of reminscence. You see, eighteen years ago today, I was deliverin' a baby.

Now - the poor little guy - as if coming into the world three days before Christmas wasn't hard enough, his mama insisted on dressing him like a zebra:

Picture proof to show that I was, indeed, the one to give him his first driving lesson:

He was a beauty, this baby:

And, for as long as I can remember, he has always done things his own way:

At an early age, he developed a strong love for pickles:

and animals:

He was, and continues to be, my boy with the impish grin:

He has experimented with many personal styles throughout the years.
(Those may or may not be my underwear he's wearing):



His hair has been an ongoing work of art:
This was the "blue" phase:

Followed by the "red" phase:

Somewhere in here was the bleached blonde phase (where IS that picture?!)
Followed by the extremely curly phase:

Then the extremely straight phase:

Followed by the still-straight-but-rather-matted phase:

Followed by the "afro" stage:

Followed by the "dreadlock" stage:

Are you keeping up?

Throughout the years, his love of animals has remained strong:




A child full of enthusiasm and self-confidence:

he is now a young man who loves to jump hurdles:

paddle dragon boats:

emcee school events:

volunteer for Habitat for Humanity:

and peform a lead role in the school play:


How fast the time went.
Is it wrong of me to be so incredibly proud of him, but desperately miss my little boy?

Happy Birthday, Aidan.
Thanks for still taking goofy pictures with your mama: