We had cake!

We finally got to eat Zona's birthday cake over a week after I made it. And still, not all of our family was here for it. We were planning on everyone being here for a quick dinner and blowing out candles, but then Nathan got called out to an EMT call, so he wasn't here. Jo had to go help build a float at 6:00, so we had to do it while he was gone. Luckily, Zona doesn't mind that it's been so long. She's enjoyed celebrating her birthday all week.

Zoey and her cake.

And another one with a better shot of Pinkie Pie.

This was the best one of all of the kids. I love them and think they're adorable, but they're not so photogenic.And singing Happy Birthday.

Blowing out the candles.

Today, started out with a meeting for the Heritage Committee to start planning Heritage Day (yikes!! It's that time already!!) and talk about putting up signs along that greenbelt that talk about our Heritage. Then I was supposed to cut two ladies hair, but Owen is still sick, so I called them and they decided to reschedule.

So, I was able to do a project I've been needing to do all week. When Jo was baptized, Nathan's sister made her a scripture case. She loves it!! So, when my niece got baptized, I decided to see if I could make one. I'm not the best seamstress, but I got step by step directions from Nathan's sister and finally had time to do it today. I got it done in about 2 hours. I even put her name on it with my nifty sewing machine.We also went to the summer movie this afternoon. I told the kids we'd try to go earlier in the week, but everyone kept getting sick, so I kept having to put it off. Owen was still sick today, but said he felt well enough to go. I was horribly needing to get out of the house, so I took a chance and went. We tried to sit far away from everyone and we all enjoyed getting out and laughing together.

When I got home, I went to check on the chicks and one of them was laying there cheeping loudly. At first I thought it was just trying to get warm under the mom, but then I saw that the other babies were stepping all over it and it wasn't doing anything. I took a small shovel and moved the mom out of the way so I could get to it and picked it up. I mixed up some electrolytes and fed it with a dropper. It drank a few drops, stretched it's neck back, straightened out it's legs, and died in my hand.

I do hate it when that happens, but I also know that I did everything I could to help it. I really think that something was wrong with it, maybe even from the beginning. It was one of the chicks that we bought, so hopefully it is genetic and not something that it brought into my coop.

So, today has been a day of ups and downs. But I can still find things to be grateful for.

1. I am grateful for a husband that catches a fire hazard in the lamp before it turns into a really bad situation. I am also grateful that he can fix it.

2. I am grateful that I still have 7 baby chicks that seem healthy and happy.

3. I am grateful to live in a community where I can volunteer and feel needed.

4. I am grateful that we all felt well enough to go to the movie and to have birthday cake. I'm grateful that I can take down my streamers and balloons before they wilt enough to all hit Nathan on the head.

5. I am grateful that the weather was nice so my kids could go outside and play after the movie. I imagined all of the sick germs flying off of their bodies as they ran around in the sunshine.

6. I am grateful for an understanding sister (and hopefully niece) that understood when I couldn't get the present I promised her there by Sunday.

7. I'm grateful for how my kids can pull together when I need them. They are like any siblings. They go through stages of fighting and getting along, some more than others. But when I brought the baby chick in the house, they pulled together and were huge helps. Josie took the chick from me and with minimal coaching was able to cuddle it close to try and keep it warm. Owen went upstairs to get some marbles to put in a bowl of electrolytes for when (if) the chick recovered. Zoey took over stirring the electrolyte solution. It's amazing to see how a hard situation can bring out the best in people including kids.

Today I felt God's hand in my life while talking to my neighbor. I took her in to town to get some tests yesterday, but they weren't able to do the tests and told us we were going to have to come back today. It takes about 25 minutes to get to town and costs about $8 each time I go in. Not a horribly big deal, but kind of frustrating when it was for nothing. I tried to be willing to work it in, but I didn't see how to do it with my schedule today. While coming home from my meeting this morning, she called to tell me that she had talked to the receptionist at her doctor and they were going to work things so she didn't have to come back into town today to get her tests. It was a big relief. A little tender mercy.