Day #4 and #5

Well, I don't watch TV, so I can't really give a favorite television program.

But I do have favorite quotes! I think these are my top three favorites:

"Do not part with your dreams or aspirations. For when they are gone, you will still exist, but you will have ceased to live."

"The purpose of life is to grow. The nature of life is to change. The challenge of life is to overcome. The essence of life is to care. The opportunity of life is to serve. The secret of life is to dare. The beauty of life is to give. the joy of life is to love.

~William Ward~

"My dear friend, when will you learn that being normal is not always a virtue? It sometimes denotes a lack of courage."

The last one makes me laugh. ;D

~Caitlyn

Gone!

So there is something that I haven't mentioned on here.... Even thought it happened about a month ago.

My alpacas are gone! :-/

"What! Where did they go!?"

Let's go back to the very beginning...

I started out with two alpacas. Mia and Marina. That was really all I wanted, just a couple fiber animals. But Mia starting acting aggressive, so the former owners brought two more alpacas, Salinda and Altimira.

As you know, Sayla and Mira (plus baby Tumnus) went back, as we needed room for our dairy goats. And it happened all over again. Mia started being aggressive again.

I told myself to just "wait it out", hoping Mia would get over being without a herd, but no go. I gave her a month but she eventually became so aggressive that I couldn't even get into the barn to milk the goats! I remember one night, I needed to milk the goats, but Mia wouldn't let me in, so she and I stood glaring at each other (it's pretty impressive, seeing an alpaca glare) from across the fence.

Barn chores were a nightmare. Some people said just let her know who's boss and she'll calm down. Uh-huh. You try telling that to an animal that can spit 30 feet with deadly accuracy and then we'll talk.

Thankfully, the former owners were happy to take her and Marina back. So I am now once more without alpacas.... :-/

I like goats. Goats don't spit...

~Caitlyn

It's all coming together

I love watching how the Lord moves and works in our lives. It's so fun to watch how, when the timing is right, everything just falls into place. For example:

I've been spinning for almost four years now, and have always had an interest in learning to weave. But there was a problem: I didn't have a loom. If you've ever seen loom prices you know what I'm talking about when I say that they are expensive. So for three years I've been hunting around on Craigslist, hoping someone might have a cheap loom for sale.

Then the ball began to roll. Around the end of June, I found an ad that merely said: "16 heddle floor loom. Very large. If you can come and get it, you can have it for free."

After some phone calls, e-mails and some talking with dad, it was agreed. We would go and take a look at it.

As it turns out, the people lived almost two hours away, but it was worth it! It took us what seemed like forever to get it out of the house and into our van because it was so big and we almost had to leave it behind because we couldn't fit it into the van, despite the fact that it was dismantled! But it did eventually go in. :)

Since I was so new to weaving, I really had no idea if everything was there or not so I had a friend come out and give me her opinion on it. She loved it! Everything was there, there were extra pieces, it was in beautiful condition, and it was very well made. :D We did find one little piece that needed to be replaced but I found the needed piece online and will be ordering it soon.

So without further ado.... My loom.

Does it look like a jumbled mess of wood and wire? That's what I thought too, when I first got it. I wasn't sure at first how easy it would be to use it, as it has 18 peddles (16 harnesses, 18 peddles), a beginner's loom usually has a maximum of four peddles! But my friend assured me that this one will last me a lifetime.

So, I have the loom. But I'm learning that it's like buying a horse. The loom is only the beginning! But once again, the Lord is working all that out. At one of the antique stores we visited the other day, I found some weaving supplies that I needed. Brand new, I would've paid $60 to $80 for these items, I paid a total of $15 for them! :)

I've been given a lot of needed supplies, I've been offered lessons, and my list of needs is getting shorter. :)

Being the silly person I am, I gave my loom a name (although I learned that almost all weavers name their looms and say "she" when speaking about them ;D). She is now known as "Marguerite". ;)

~Caitlyn

Of cupcakes and antique shops

Most peculiar title, I know. Once again, for my birthday, my mom, my sisters, a close friend and I all went to some local antique stores to celebrate my birthday (even if we were a wee bit late)!

What they kept secret though, was that we were also going to visit an adorable cupcake shop while out and about.

"Sweetest Things Cupcakes" was the name of the shop. I had heard of this place, but had never been, so it was a lot of fun. :) It's a small bakery, and as you can guess, their specialty is doing cupcakes; and I mean GOOD cupcakes!! ;D

Our selection of the day...

Oh dear, Emily got a picture of me... :-/

The goody counter....

I loved the decorations! Blue and white with black curlicues. :)

~Caitlyn

Day #2 and #3

As my family tries not to be on the computer on Sunday, I thought I had better do Day # 2 and #3 today.

Day #2 Favorite Movie.

Hmmmm. I'm actually not much of a movie fan, I always prefer to read books. But I do enjoy 'Wizard of Oz'! ;D

I've always liked this movie, since I was little. Not sure why I like it so much though.... ;)

For those readers who know me and my family well, you are already acquainted with what we call "movie speak". For those who don't know us so well.... I learn best by hearing things, and many of my siblings are the same way. This trait can be really good, but it also means that we can see a movie once and be able to say quote after quote from it! :D Emily, dad and I once had a whole conversation while on the way to town, saying lines from different movies! It was hilarious.

Mom once challenged us to see how long we could go without saying a single movie line. I'm sorry to say we got about 10 seconds out, when a certain sibling mischievously quoted: "It's not that it shouldn't be done; it can't be done!" (Quote from 'National treasure). If I remember correctly, that got us all going like a flock of seagulls.... It's in the genes, what can I say? ;D

Day #3 Favorite book. Okay, I draw the line at answering this one! I have far too many favorites. I am a huge bookworm who thinks it terribly cruel of the public library to make 25 the maximum number of books you can check out. I will admit that I have ripped three heavy duty book bags from too many books (one was made of duckcloth too!), and for my birthday, my family gave my one of those plastic crates on wheels that you would find at 'Staples'! I love rolling that thing around in the library!

Alas, for our poor librarians.... They see us coming and they immediately go and get our stacks of books that we have put on hold. When new librarians come, they are told by the more experienced librarians that if anyone with the last name of M**** (Our last name), comes to the desk, to give them ALL of the books that belong to that family. They watch incredulously as we dump our books into the bin and fill it completely.... Very patiently check out the huge stacks that we pile on their desk to check out.... And still love being our librarians! Someone should give them a medal or something.... ;)

~Caitlyn

Day # 1

A favorite song:

This one is actually super hard for me to answer! I am almost always singing something. Either out loud, in my head or perhaps humming a few lines. I like to joke that I have a song for every occasion. :)

But if I really had to choose just one song.... hmmmm.... I think I would probably end up having to choose two songs. A hymn titled: I'll Fly Away (Emily and I sing it as a duet while doing dishes!)

And then a different song called 'Ballad of the Fox hunters'. :)

Milking time is my favorite time to sing, as I can sing without bothering any family members; and the goats don't mind it either! :)

Emily and I love singing together. While doing dishes, while outside, while doing chores, while in the bedroom.... Pretty much anywhere. Hymns tend to be the main choice of songs, but we also enjoy singing celtic folk songs.

~Caitlyn

Because ya'll aren't snoring enough....

A found this list on a friend's blog and thought it might be kind of fun to do too! I figured that if nothing else, if might give ya'll a good excuse for some zzzz's. ;D

Day 1: A favorite song.

Day 2: A favorite movie.

Day 3: A favorite book.

Day 4: A favorite television program.

Day 5: A favorite quote.

Day 6: A moment you wish you could relive.

Day 7: Five things you couldn't possibly live without.

Day 8: A thank you letter to someone who has changed your life.

Day 9: A photo you took.

Day 10: A photo of you taken over ten years ago.

Day 11: A photo of you taken recently.

Day 12: A song that you want played at your wedding(or was played).

Day 13: A guilty pleasure.

Day 14: A vacation you would like to take.

Day 15: A person you admire.

Day 16: A song that makes you cry.

Day 17: An art piece.

Day 18: A time when you felt passionate and alive.

Day 19: A talent of yours.

Day 20: A hobby of yours.

Day 21: Something you know you do differently than most people.

Day 22: A website.

Day 23: A way in which you want to be remembered.

Day 24: A movie no one would expect you to love.

Day 25: A recipe.

Day 26: A childhood memory.

Day 27: A physical feature you love.

Day 28: A scar you have and it's story.

Day 29: Hopes, dreams and plans you have for the next 365 days.

Day 30: A motto or philosophy.

More pictures, as promised!

~Caitlyn

A "Big Grownup"

A few days ago, a little friend of mine came dancing up to me and jubilantly held up four fingers as he said: "Guess what! I'm a grownup now, because I'm this old!" (holding up the four fingers). ;D

Trying valiantly to hide my grin, I asked him if he thought I was a grownup too. When I told him my age (now 18), his eyes grew as round as saucers and his mouth dropped open as he breathed: "Yes, you're a BIG grownup!!" ;D

A BIG grownup, huh? I sure like little kids.... ;)

~Caitlyn

The Bestest Birthday

When you live in a family that has little kids, the word "bestest" really does exist.

Today is my 18th birthday. I feel so blessed to get to be a part of the family that I live in, to live where I do, to have the friends that I have, and to get to share with you a special gift that came today....

This morning, at 6:30 a.m, my new little sister, Audrey Katherine, came into the world!! :D :D

Sorry about the poor picture, the hospital room was quite dim, so Emily was unable to get a good shot of this little girlie. :) But, she is coming home tomorrow, so prepare yourself for a lot of good pictures! :)

I am tickled pink to have another sister! Even more so to get to share birthdays with her! :D

I am blessed...

~Caitlyn

Friends and Flowers, Year # 2

Sunday afternoon shone bright and fair ( if not a wee bit hot) as my dad, a sister, two friends and I, went to the annual Lavender Festival of Oregon! :)

This was actually my third year to go, but it's only the second time that I've blogged about it.

If I could only have one flower in life, I would choose lavender....

Dear Emily is not in this pic, as she was the one behind the camera! From left to right: A friend of Emily's (as well as one of my friends :D) , my friend from Garden of Glory and me. :)

We had perhaps a leeetle too much fun out there.... (although, I have to admit that this is one of my favorite pictures!)

Daddy trying very hard to capture some pictures of the busy honey bees. (he got some bee-yew-tee-ful ones!)

Did I mention that we were having too much fun? ;D Friends amongst flowers....

I LOVE this picture!

All in all I think we had a great time together; and I even bought a bundle of fresh lavender for mom.... :)

~Caitlyn

Of Silence...

Not sure why I haven't been blogging lately.... I guess I could fall back on the old standby and say "I've been busy", (which I have) but somehow, that just doesn't seem to justify such a long silence...

To be honest, I've been feeling rather quiet lately. Not sure why. Can't explain it. Goodness knows the Lord has blessed me beyond belief lately! So why the pale, shy, shade of azure I've been feeling? :-/ Haven't figured that one out yet....

Mayhaps tomorrow I'll feel perkier and give y'all a humongous post on what's been going on. ;)

~Caitlyn