Mother's Day

Mother's day is a little more like Mother's Weekend, since we have to travel to see our mothers and we generally stay for the whole weekend and celebrate our mothers. Or at least try to spend some quality time with each of them.

So here's a little about my mom and a little about our weekend. The older I get, the more I appreciate my mom. Maybe when I was a teenager I cringed when people said that I did something 'just like my mother' but nowadays, I take it as a compliment.

My mom is incredible. She knows something about everything (in a good way). It amazes me to think of all the things that she's done in her life so far. As I learn things in life I realize that somehow, in some way, my mom prepared me for it. She has always been on top of it. She has always been an extraordinary example in faith, love, common sense, and almost every hobby I attempt.

She not only excels at the usual wife/mom/woman things like cooking, cleaning, paying bills, loving her kids, being nice to my brothers' girlfriends, loving on the elderly, listening like no one else can, putting up with me, etc. but she also tackles the hard outside stuff. I can remember waking up at noon (or later) during the summers growing up, and there was mom, coming in from her full morning of clearing the fence lines, herding the cows or Bush Hogging the field - by herself. (My dad does things too - I'm just impressed with the things my mom handles).

We always had cows growing up, but now my parents have added chickens, pigs, a horse and a mule and soon they'll have a new calf and add milking a cow to that. Which means that she'll be making some cheese, butter and probably sour cream. I'm pretty sure she can do anything, with or without electricity. She's a homesteading inspiration these days (a hobby I'd like to start)!

Here are some pictures of the animals, a.k.a. my mom's babies (or substitute grand-babies maybe). 

The old chickens - rulers of the roost.

The new chickens, still a little shy and scared to venture too far.
Remember them from this post... they've grown!

Not impressed. She has an attitude.

This one is a sweetie. Please excuse her for not getting up.
She's about to have a calf. Like, any. day. now.

Also not impressed.

Sally the Mule. She's sweet but nosy.

Curious horses are hard to photograph.

Pigs are also hard to photograph. Harder than toddlers
I'd wager. The second they hear you, they are in your FACE.

Shiner the pig.

Curly tails.

Miss Piggy is camera shy, but that's
the back of her head anyway.

An unintentional segue, but for lunch we decided to try Traegering some ribs from last year's pigs (honestly, it was unintentional). They were DELICIOUS! My mom feeds these guys healthier than many people eat, and I love knowing that when I eat this:

There's nothing like home grown pork.

Picked clean.

Momma and her boys.

Not great, but we're all in there. It was a quick shot, no retakes.

After our incredible meal of home grown, traegered pork ribs, we digested for a bit and then set out to start planting in the garden. Blake and I will be doing this next weekend, so I was glad to soak up yet a little more of my mom (and dad's) wisdom. Also.. I took some pictures.

Chives

Flowering rosemary

How to make a straight row - a line of string.

Corn sprouts

I seriously love their backyard. 

Bleeding hearts. We used to pick fist-fulls
of these for mom when we were little. 

I also seriously love their front walkway.

Additionally... I love these rocking chairs.

My momma.