The piggies settle into the farm.

Pigsy Hollow

Melvin and Sherman have already started to settle in and get comfortable at the farm. We spent all of the day after we got the boys building their new pig pen, Pigsy Hollow. One of the first things we added was a pig pool. Pig fact: pigs can't sweat so they need cool water or mud to roll in.

One hoof at a time

"Come on in, the water's great!"

Melvin seems very happy about his pig pool. Sherman however hasn't been able to get in the pool because Melvin has been hogging the pool, pun intended!

Piggy snack time!
In order to get our piggies comfortable with us we have been offering them pig safe snacks. So far we know they love cucumbers and popcorn. These pigs can put down some popcorn!

"Popcorn, where have you been all my life?"

"Thanks for the popcorn, I love my new people!"

With an oink oink here: New pigs on the farm.

Everyday on the farm is exciting in some way but when new animals arrive it is exciting in a special way. Everyone is alert. Chickens crowed around the fence, and the alpacas stand on high alert to find out what's up. 

Please let me introduce you to the latest members on the farm. Drum roll please......

"Where are we?" " I don't know, looks like a nice place."

Please meet Sherman (small black pig) and Melvin (big pig with spots). These two cuddly little oinkers are potbelly pigs that moved to the Yankee Belle Farm today. 

This seems pretty cozy

They even got a comfy ride in the new minivan. 

"Cheese!"

Melvin settled in with a little rooting and a nice nap. 

" Just a little deeper."

Sherman stuck with rooting for quite a while. 

We are so excited to have our new pig friends here and can't wait to see what sort of pig adventures Sherman and Melvin will have together. 

"Batman's" Bible Box

You might remember back around Easter I posted our resurrection eggs that we were using to learn about the true meaning of Easter. Well, these eggs were still being used after Easter had come and gone. " Batman" and "Strawberry Shortcake" LOVED the eggs. I took the Easter themed trinkets out of the eggs and put in other things that would tie into some of my favorite bible stories. So we continued to go on egg hunts everyday and do our devotion based on our eggs. Eventually I felt like the eggs needed to go and we needed a more permanent solution to continue this new tradition that we started. This is where our prayer box came from. "Batman" sometimes calls it his Bible box because we always read a Bible story after we open the box. No matter what the name of the box, it is an awesome way to fit in a devotion with little ones.

Materials: 
Decorating materials such as:
Paint
Glitter
Stickers
A small wooden box
A favorite bible verse to include on the inside

We spent time decorating our box and "Batman" put his finishing touches on his box.

Each morning I put something into the box that ties into a Bible story. I hide the box so "Batman and Strawberry Shortcake" can find the box like we are still hunting for eggs ( they love this part ). After "Batman" finds the box we all read our story together.

I hope this can give some inspiration on how to fit in a small devotion with your little one.

Attention Moms: Use that Mommy intuition!

I recently had a head on encounter with good old mom intuition. That little feeling way down deep that creeps up when for no distinct reason you, the mom, sense something is wrong. This mom intuition lead my little man to get his first pair of glasses.

He never not even once told me that he couldn't see. He didn't give me any indication that he couldn't see. He watched T.V. just fine, played the ipad, played sports no problem. The one thing he didn't want to do was anything with paper and pencil. He doesn't like to color, he will not write, he has trouble cutting, he even has trouble tracing letters. At first glance lots of people and even I thought he might have trouble with his fine motor skills. Luckily I have an Occupational Therapist for an Aunt who said his fine motor skills were great. Hmmm now what!? He even passed the eye exam they give at the pediatrician's office at their 4 year old visit. This is where the mom intuition comes in.  

I decided that I would take him in for an eye exam before he started preschool just to make sure everything was a-OK, I thought something might be off with his vision. It's a good thing I took him in because he left with a whopping prescription for a 4 year old. My little man is extremely farsighted. No wonder he didn't want to color, write, trace, or cut... he couldn't see any of it! Now he is happy to look just like Dad and see everything through new eyes.

I wrote this post to let all of you moms out there know that your mom intuition, gut feeling, or whatever else you call it means something. Just because your doctor tells you something is fine or you don't see the "right" signs for a problem don't ignore your instinct. Thankfully "Batman's" eyesight was a very fixable problem with an easy solution. Give yourself a pat on the back moms, we have pretty important jobs.

We're feeling hot hot hot!

Summer is in full swing here at Yankee Belle Farm and it is HOT. Humans and animals alike are trying to spend the day keeping cool.

Alpacas:
On a hot day you can find the alpacas getting their tan on in the sun. It seems silly that these furry guys wouldn't lay in the sun when it's hot, but they do! They kind of look dead when they lay like this but have no fear they are just soaking up the sun.

If the are not soaking up the sun they are waiting to be sprayed off with a cool hose.

Pacas enjoying the cool water

Ducks:
The ducks of the farm like to spend their time in the water when they are hot. They like it when I fill up a tub with fresh cold water for them.

3 ducks in one bin

Chickens:
Chickens on the farm can be found trying to drink out of the duck's water bin or dust bathing on a hot day. Chickens roll around in the dirt to keep themselves cool and clean.

Elvira pecking at the door on a hot day, maybe she wants lemonade!

Everyone gathering around the bin for a cool drink of water

Just trying to stay cool

Humans:
Last but not least you can find us humans of the farm sipping on a cool drink or trying to stay cool in the pool. Sometimes the chickens even sneak inside the fence for the pool. Luckily they haven't tried to take a dip yet.

Strawberry Shortcake is ready for the pool!

Batman is part fish I think

Well whether it's animal or human we spend our summer days staying cool and having fun. What do you do to beat the heat?

Little Monty turns 2!!!

We had our first alpaca birthday on the farm today, Monty turned 2! Naturally we had to celebrate in full Yankee Belle Farm style so we celebrated with Monty throughout the day.

The guys came right over to the fence in the morning ready to start the day of celebrating Monty.

I even got a few birthday kisses from the birthday paca. He had a great day with some extra grain and fresh leaves. Oh and of course the people celebrated too....

Special cupcakes for the paca's people.

Batman wanted to admire the cupcake before he ate it.

Strawberry Shortcake didn't waste any time diving in.

Happy Birthday Little Monty!

Spit Happens

Who me?

Well we've had the alpacas for a couple months now and we L O V E them! I can't even remember not having the boys in our backyard. At this point all of my friends know about the alpacas and several of them have met the guys. Most new people that I meet also know about the alpacas because it always somehow comes in conversation because, well, how could it not. I get three really common questions when I mention alpacas....

1. What is an alpaca?

2. Are you the alpaca farm on 64? ( a huge new farm on a big main road near us )

3. Do they spit on you?

Most people focus on #3... do they spit. Everyone has an opinion on alpaca spit. Even the people who ask what an alpaca is have an opinion on alpaca spit. My answer, yes alpacas spit. No the do not spit on me per say. 

Why alpacas spit:

Alpacas use spit as a defense mechanism. They have no top teeth so they can't bite, they have toe nails so their kick can't do too much damage, so they spit. Now I know you might be thinking, what could spit possible do? Well let me tell you the smell of alpaca spit will knock you over. This spit comes from the bottom of their gut and could clear a room, or barnyard. 

They typically don't spit ON people, well at least mine don't. They spit at each other and if you happen to be between two perturbed alpacas then you are out of luck. Mine usually spit over food or when they are playing, which looks more like fighting. 

I thought we were spit free because for the first 2 weeks there was no spit! Our lovely blue barn was in mint condition and they seemed to be getting along great. Then one day I noticed they had started spitting. 

See all that greenish hay looking stuff... spit. Let me give you a closer look.

It looks more like hay spatter to me. Bottom line, alpacas spit but it doesn't matter much to me. I just wipe it off, and go right on about my day because, well, spit happens.