Still here

Yesterday was the two year anniversary of my Diagnosis with cancer.  I spent a lot of the day reflecting on how blessed I am to be alive and well today.  The rest of the day I spent loafing around feeling sick from a terrible head coldish type thing that has taken over my family.  I really can’t believe how far I’ve come, and what I’ve been through in the last two years.  I’m just very thankful for all the people that have been there for me.  And like the saying goes, “what doesn’t kill us only makes us stronger”

I started hatching again, and here’s one of my little hatchies:  It’s a little orpington chick.  I haven’t hatched anything for several months, but I got the itch and figured why not?  By late summer they will be laying, well that is if I manage to hatch any pullets.  I’m gifted with the ability to only hatch cockerels.  I’ve been working on a project.  I’m building a cabinet incubator!  I’ve been using a hovabator 1583 which I really like, but clearly hatching 42 eggs is not enough.  My incubator should be able to hold at least a hundred.  I mean if you are going to do something you might as well do it in a big way right?  I priced cabinet incubators and they were in the 500+ range.  I don’t necassarily think that is too much, but don’t have that kind of money lieing around right now.  I used as many recylced items as possible, but did order the electrical components new.  I believe when it’s all said and done this incubator will cost my under 75.00.  It’s mostly done, except for the final drawer which I’m still debating the style in my head.  I’ve plugged it in and it holds temperature well, so I’m just about ready to give it a trial run!  Here’s what I have so far, although I have some ideas to pretty it up, after all it’s a girl’s incubator!   My goal’s for this year are to really work with my birds with the hope that by late in the year I have something worthy of showing.  I wasn’t sure I wanted to go that route, but I used to so love showing my sheep, that I think I’ll give it a try.  Speaking of sheep…  Yesterday I rode with my husband to pick up a part that he needed.  As I was sitting in the car waiting for him I had nothing to do but stare at the sheep there.  Oh how I miss my sheep.  I think I definately need to get some again.  Brent will be 8 this summer so that means    4-H is right around the corner.  Certianly he needs sheep for a project right?  Or at least it seems like a good excuse.

We have had a bunch of snow/ice storms.  I hate winter weather, but the rest of my family seems to enjoy it, so I figured I’d post a few pictures of them out enjoying it.

 

 

In other news, one of the girls I used to “babysit” (They weren’t babies) is getting married!  How weird is that?  How could I possibly be that old?  It just doesn’t seem right.  I got the save the date card in the mail, I’m excited, but it’s just weird.