Wanted to let you see a cute video (there are more, including a birthing video, on you tube).  Here my hubby cuddles with Toby.  The baby boys are so sweet, but getting bigger all the time!

We are selling the herd as we have had some health issues and need to cut down on responsibilities.  See our page Alpacas for Sale on our website.

What a fun trip to Arizona for my annual book tour!  This year my granddaughter, Paige, went along.  Always special to have such wonderful company.

We visited shops from Tortilla Flat to Tombstone and Cave Creek to Flagstaff.  It always enchants me to see the scenery change so dramatically in relatively short distances.  Driving Arizona is a treat for the eyes, whether it is the red rocks of Sedona or Route 66 in snowy Flagstaff,  the old mining town of Jerome set on the edge of the mountain between Prescott and Cottonwood or the sahuaro-studded desert around Tucson and Phoenix, the mountain lakes and Superstition Mountains outside Apache Junction or the cliff dwellings in Verde Valley.

I love visiting the shops that sell my children's book.  My problem is buying too much.  Got some nice, hand-painted tiles this time.  Paige got an Arizona hoodie and a little cactus. 

Well, as I said, it was a great trip.

Was noticing that my posts are all in the winter -- guess I have more time then.

We are busy with farmer's market and other sales outlets for our produce.  Blackberries!  Wonderful!  I'm freezing what doesn't sell, and those will go to the Co-op.

We have two new alpacas -- girls, this time.  Hopefully, we'll be successful at breeding and get a little extra income that way.

Our remodel is still a "work-in-progress" after a year!  Living with boxes everywhere and furniture shoved in every corner is wearing on the soul.  The addition to the house is up, but the inside requires much work.  Chuck finished the laundry room, but still need electric to the dryer; so I carry the damp clothes to the workshop where the dryer is set up on the porch.  Have been washing and drying on the workshop porch for a year -- through snow and 105 degree days. 

Have you ever watched the movie "The Egg and I" with Claudette Colbert???  Well, you should!  Sometimes I feel I'm living that movie, sans chickens, however.  I did reach my limit on critters, so chickens will come at another time.  We did have chickens when we lived in North Street, Michigan (how small do you think that place is?).  Loved our chickens, also had children at the time to do feeding, cleaning, watering.  One time Chuck shoveled a path through the snow to the chicken coop for the girls to use, but it drifted over in nothing flat, so the path was no more.

Got to run -- Lilli (another cat) is climbing all over me and the keyboard.  She likes to sit on my shoulder, which can be very distracting!  I'm also freezing blackberries --

Push on, all, don't let it get ahead of you!

November weather has been wonderful so far.  We had the MOST ENORMOUS lettuce you have EVER seen.  Sold it at the Co-op.  People can’t get it in the refrig!  We can’t grow a decent carrot, but lettuce –
incredible!

 This is Collection Week for Operation Christmas Child,
so our Upstate Team is really busy.  What a blessing this ministry is to us – we are praying for 100,000  shoeboxes.  Hope you are packing your OCC shoeboxes!  What a wonderful way to impact a hurting child and an entire  family!

I was thrilled to receive a children’s book award this month for my first book, The Legend of Painted Pony and the Western Wind.   It is a gold Moonbeam Children’s Book Award – SO exciting!

On top of everything else, we are remodeling the ranch-style house that is here on the farm property.   It was built in 1967.  We’ve been without any kitchen since July – arghhhhh. TODAY, the 15th, we finally have a kitchen sink again!!!!!!  Tomorrow the cooktop should be installed.  One little step at a time.

Just so you know, Peanut has been doing well.  All the horses got their teeth floated.  Sure am glad I don’t have to get my teeth FILED DOWN!  Tucker also had a “wolf tooth” pulled – no novacaine – just “elevated” out.


Well – I’m going to the Operation Christmas Child
processing center in Charlotte at the end of the month. 
Hubby is going and also our oldest grandchild, who is now 13 and old enough to go.  We’re all looking forward to a fun, blessed, and exciting couple of days – oh, yes, exhausting  too!

Be strong, work hard, live in joy …..

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This month I'll be going to Honduras with Operation Christmas.  What a blessing to be invited to go on this distribution trip.  We will hand out shoeboxes to children in the poorest areas and orphanages.  This is my first mission trip opportunity, and I'm so excited to be going with OCC.  I've volunteered both in Georgia and South Carolina over the past 14-15 years, so this will be a chance to be part of the final step in the process.

I'm still searching for the pages from my old blog, but it's not looking good.  Just hate to lose stuff, don't you?