The Farm

So…we discovered that our Apache was heartworm positive back in March. We quickly got her on the “slow kill” method because we knew confinement would stress our fun-loving, outdoor, farm dog. Fast forward 6 months later and she is still heartworm positive. We decided to move forward with aggressively treating her. She is our baby, and the baby sitter of our other dogs. The only problem with aggressive treatment is…confinement.
We tried for two days. The result? A dog refusing to eat, a hole in a wall, and then a metal kennel torn to pieces. Clearly, we needed another solution. Our sweet Apache could not handle being kept inside, unable to run free as she’s use to. She was too anxious for strict confinement and thought she was in trouble. It hurt our hearts.
So we started brainstorming.
And here is the result. We have added a dog to our little RV for the next few months. She has been on a leash attached to Jeremy 24/7 and has even been going to work with him for the past few days. And loving it might I add. It’s clear that when the other dogs are barking she longs to go outside and chase rabbits, deer, and other critters off the property like normal. But this is what a happy dog feeling loved looks like.
Pray for us as we continue treatment with her. We love her dearly.

Well our garden has had a bit of a rough season. What the deer and hornworms haven’t gotten, the horses made a meal of when they got out of the pasture last week (that gate has since been fortified). But it is still producing and we are hopefully about to plant more. Which brings me to this afternoon. This afternoon we got to spend time on the property walking with a wonderful family who is dear to our hearts. We learned about their lives and shared with them how the Lord has blessed us. And at the end of the evening we still got to send them home with fresh produce and eggs, despite the garden challenges. This is what we are about. This is why we have this place. No matter what challenges we face, God always provides us with everything we need to do what He has called us to. I don’t know if anyone else needed that reminder today, but I know I did. He is so faithful.

-The Farm

Update about Ritchie’s sister! She is out of ICU! Praise the Lord! Thank you to everyone who has been so faithfully praying for her. Please continue to pray for her and her family. As you can imagine, a lengthy hospital stay is expensive. Here is a link that Ritchie shared to raise money for her family if you feel led to contribute as she continues to heal.

Help For The Triviso Family, organized by Krista Maher As many of you may know; My cousin, Paige Triviso (Paige Land), has been in the hospital for… Krista Maher needs your support for Help For The Triviso Family

So what do you do when you run out of materials 30 feet before the end of a project and everywhere is sold out because of a nationwide material shortage? Why you improvise of course!
The fence around pasture 1 is finished! It’s just that one section of it is made of tin and plywood. But hey, the horses don’t know the difference. They are just thrilled to have fresh grazing. It was so rewarding to see the horses get excited as they crossed into the newly completed pasture.
In other news, Ritchie has moved out and seems to be doing well, which is also wonderful! Thank you to everyone who has prayed for him and continue to do so. Regardless of whether or not we are a part of it, one of the most beautiful things to see is a life transformed by God’s grace.
Please also continue to pray for us as we examine ourselves and continue to strive to be in the center of God’s will. I hope you have a wonderful Sunday!

-The Farm

Grace: the desire and power to do God’s will
(I’ll add the proper credit for this definition as soon as I find it)

Sometimes life is just hard.
One day you’re just enjoying life in the country and the next you’re spending 2 hours picking maggots off of a chicken. Yes. You read that right.
I’m so tempted to type only how wonderful life is, and it is wonderful. But there are some days when it is also a little ugly. And I would be lying if I didn’t share the good and the bad.
This week has been challenging. We are having car troubles. But I can’t complain too much because apparently so is everybody else. Every shop I tried today is backed up at least a week. Many of you know I was laid off from my job about a month ago. We are still praying through what to do next but believe the path is being made clear. Ferris didn’t adjust as well as we had hoped here and so we had to say goodbye. I anguished and cried many tears over the decision, but ultimately we think it is what’s best for us, our ministry here, and for Ferris. And The Champion Farm was so gracious with us and welcomed him back until he can find his perfect family. And our puppy, Ripley, tried to play with the chickens while our backs were turned...it did not end well for anyone. She spent the night tied up next to the chicken coop, going from assailant to defender. And the chickens, they are all alive. Two escaped with minor wounds, but I missed one of the wounds....resulting in today’s disgusting lesson in chicken care....the dreaded fly strike. It’s something I hope to never EVER repeat. But as I sat there picking off the last of the maggots and drying my poor chicken off under a fan, I couldn’t help but lean back and think about who we’ve become. I love my animals. I love my people. I love them so much that I can deal with flystrike without hesitation and without so much as gagging. I’m not saying I’ll eat a full meal tonight, but I didn’t gag. We just do what has to be done for those in our keeping, animal and human. I look forward to a lifetime of sustaining others whether in our poverty or our abundance, ugly or not.

“Commit your works to the LORD And your plans will be established.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭16:3‬

-The Farm