New Year's Eve and a long week.

Well this year New Year's Eve brought some incredibly frigid weather!  We have been in the single digits and significantly below zero for over a week now.  The share holders of Shamrock Farms ( ie the childers) have taken on the job of hand raising seven Nubian kids for a friend.  They are getting bottles four times a day and since they are on whole cows milk we are constantly running to the dairy it seems.  However, it is a good lesson to learn that no reward comes without work and/or sacrifice.  The boys have been trying to get the other goats to play after midday feedings when it is 'warmer'?  The Farm is also hosting three little female goats who are spending quality time with our buck, Thor. 

Those two boys are the most entertaining goat herders I do believe!

It was time to make holiday thank you cards and we wanted to do something a bit different...so the kids posed for these pictures.  Then the kids put them in cards and sent them off to the AZ relatives. 

They took some together but these were my favorites.

I love these kids and miss their brother like crazy!

On New Year's Eve the family headed over to the Neal's for a delicious dinner and an evening of fun.  We ate way too many cinnamon rolls and cookies and cake and you get the idea.  The little boys played like crazy in the Neal's school room and Tabitha and I had a great visit.  We did not last until midnight but that is ok with me!  New Year's Day was quiet and of course included some sledding in single digit weather!  Our hill has been so ice encrusted that Moira has been having to use chains to get the van up it.  And the truck decided to warrant major front end work so life has been a bit of a challenge, however I am  not complaining.  I know exactly how blessed my little family is. 

Last Friday (1-4-13)  Brenton's Aunt Maxine passed away, she was a very sweet lady and will be sorely missed.  She has been suffering physically for some time and has been in a lot of pain the past few years especially.   I have the nicest memories of Maxine but I am still happy that she has been released from physical suffering and reunited with her Dad and baby sister.

As always there is more to write, more pictures to show, and experiences to share but this will have to do for tonight.  We think of our dear missionary all the time.