Emily and I noticed the horses acting funny this morning.  They were acting spooked and looking toward the barn.  I went out to make sure everything was okay with Brad and the goats, and when I got there, only two goats came to greet me.  I looked around and saw Banjo on the ground, kind of half way under the big hay feeder.  He was all twisted around, shivering, and occasionally twitching his leg.  It wasn’t like he was frantic – more like he was dying.  I ran in and as soon as I touched him he kind of rolled over and looked to be ok.  The problem was his front paw was sort of twisted back behind him and wedged in around the leg of the feeder.  He was completely stuck.  It took me a little while to free him because he was struggling and I was afraid his leg might be broken so I was being very careful.  I finally got him out and he stood right up and seemed ok except for a limp.  I carried him into the garage so he could warm up and relax without the other goats around, and gave him so hay and water.  I went out and fed the horses and Brad and when I came back he seemed fine and his limp was much better.  I don’t think his leg is injured – I think it was just sore from being stuck like that or maybe it was numb.

I put him back with the others, and Moon immediately charged him and head butted him in the side.  He ran away and hid for a bit and then came out to eat.  A little while later Moon did it again, and again he hid.  I’ve been noticing since I got back that he seems a little timid.  The other two run out and jump up on the door when I come to visit them, but Banjo kind of stays back.  Maybe that’s just the social order they’ve developed.  The problem is Moon has horns so I’m afraid he might hurt Banjo.  For now I’m just keeping an eye on them.

Henry has become a great video game player!  I got Lego Star Wars for him, and he’s been playing it a lot.  It’s a fun game that we can play together cooperatively, or he can play it by himself.  At first he just ran around and hit stuff with his light saber, but now he really understands all the problem solving and puzzles.  In the game, you can select several different characters, all with different skills.  Some have light sabers, some shoot, some can jump high, some can fly, you need to use a certain one to open certain doors, etc.  He gets all of it.  He’ll switch over to Jar Jar to jump on a high ledge, and then he’ll see an R2-D2 switch and switch to R2-D2 for that.  Right now he’s pushing boxes into the places they belong.  I never taught him to do that; he just figured it out by watching me.  I just taught him a button combination that requires three different button presses and pretty precise timing, and he got it on his first try!  This morning he got up pretty early so I dozed on the couch while he played, and he completed three levels of it all by himself.  It’s so amazing watching him not only learn the mechanics of it (how to move the guy on the screen, what certain buttons do), but to see him thinking about how to solve these puzzles.

Wow – he just successfully navigated a really tricky platform and bridge section!  He tried once and fell off at the very end.  He asked me to do it for him and I told him to try one more time and I’d help him if he couldn’t get it.  He tried it again and made it all the way!

I am proud of my dad. He was a man who confronted challenges without hesitation, and who always put others before himself. He nearly left us almost four years ago, but with guts and determination, he rejected the limits that doctors set for him and not only survived, but got back to living the life he wanted to. In that time, he saw his granddaughter Delia grow from a toddler to a young lady, and the arrival of his grandson Henry. I’m grateful to him for that time.

Even when confronted with cancer, his first thought was about my mom and me, and not himself. In the car on the way home from the doctor after we’d received the diagnosis, he eloquently told us a story about how soldiers in the civil war who marched off to battle knowing they might not come back were lauded for their bravery, but that he always felt the loved ones at home were the brave ones because they could do nothing but wait and feel sorrow. That was the last it was spoken of, and then he bravely got on with it. Never a tear for himself – only concern for those around him, and a noble defiance.

From as far back as I can remember, my dad taught me how to work with my hands. Anyone who knew him knew that he was always a teacher. Even when he wasn’t teaching, he was teaching. My fondest memories of him were the times we spent together building, fixing, or even demolishing things. Every time I fix something around the house or use a tool that he gave me, I think of him and feel his influence. He had an uncanny ability to provide me with knowledge and tools that I’d end up needing in the near future. On Christmas morning, I’d open a present from him only to find a tool that I’d never encountered before and didn’t understand. He’d explain to me what it was and say it might come in handy. Almost always, within the next year or so, it would be exactly what I’d need to complete a project. I loved going and working with him, and again, more often than not what we’d do on those days and what he’d teach me would always come to serve me well later. I’d sometimes wonder why he so thoroughly explained to me what he was doing and had me practice what seemed to be a trivial “when will I ever need to know this” type of task. Later when I’d come to need the exact thing he taught me, it made sense. This was something he did for many other people as well. If someone was in need, he’d make it his project to help them, but also set them up so they wouldn’t need help in the future. His wisdom and thoughtfulness were something to behold.

I’ll always remember the funny things he’d say about whatever project we were working on. “I keep cutting and cutting and it’s still too short.” “I think we need a bigger hammer.” “Violence always works.” and after we’d pondered the best course of action for too long, he’d say “Well, if you’re going to make a mistake, make a big one.”

I’m so proud of how he lived his life; always helping other people, and, to paraphrase a quote from Lincoln that he loved, plucking thistles and planting flowers. The best way I know to honor his memory is to try to follow his example.

And I will always “measure twice and cut once.”

Henry just finished a whole memory puzzle on my iPhone.  I guess it’s not that big of a deal, but I’m very proud of him and he’s very proud of himself.  Now he moved on to a different game.  I love watching him operate my phone.  Emily told me that he even taught his cousin Isabel how to view the pictures on the phone.  ”Me show you.  You push this, and then push the flower, and then you go joop joop joop to look at the pictures.”

The big news of 2009 is that we added quite a few farm animals to our already-animal-filled life. In May we adopted a small pony named Cowboy. A few weeks after that we got three baby goats and named them Banjo, Moon and Cosmo. Sancho, the big pony, was acquired in June. In August we found the final touch to the backyard farm: Brad Pitt the llama. Our first winter with farm animals has started out OK. It is always an adventure finding and moving hay to where you need it. Now I understand much better why many people move their animals to the grass instead of the other way around. I also have a greater appreciation for the simplicity of our flock of laying hens. That is, at least, when they are laying…

Henry turned two in May and the big hit of his birthday was a battery operated four-wheeler. He rides that thing ALL over the place, and has become a bit of a trick rider. As a two year old, he specializes in mayhem and general destruction. What’s special about him is his incredibly sweet nature and physical affection — if you want a great hug, it’s worth waiting around until he’s ready to give you one. Ryan and I are lucky enough to be hugged and kissed by him all day every day (pretty much).

Delia turned six this year. (I know. We can’t believe it either.) She continues to learn from everything she does, only this year we are calling it homeschooling. Around her birthday in October, she started swimming and loves to be in the water even more now that she has experienced displacement in a calm manner (aka FLOATING). Although she didn’t finish last year’s class, she’s trying ice skating again with her eye on the goal of performing in the show. All that pesky practicing between now and then sure is boring, though.

Ryan’s dad, John, is fighting lung cancer so the last few months have seen extra traveling, worry, and uproar. We are so appreciative of the help from many of you, and the well wishes too. We look forward to 2010 with hopes for good health, great memories, and prosperity for all.

He says “I know” when he has an idea. Example: “I know – I’ll wear my boots!”

I cut open a round bale yesterday.   Gave a little to the goats, and now it’s for Brad and the horses.  We’ll see how long it lasts.

Got 56 square alfalfa bales today, for $4 each, from a guy in Wright.  I weighed one and it was 33 lbs.  Started feeding it to the goats today.  We’ve also been giving them some alfalfa pellets.  I think we bought the bag on about 11/23.

I’m up with Henry in the middle of the night because he HAD to go to sleep at 6 PM today, and slept until 2 AM and now… well, we’ll see what happens next.  The transition away from a nap is an adventure for sure!  The good news is I thought to write a post to try to document some of what’s been going on around here.

Henry is: SWEET.  Completely, totally, utterly sweet.  He kisses us, all the animals, gives hugs and says “awwwww” when the cats are curled up together.  When I say he hugs and kisses, I mean pretty much constantly.  Every time I walk into his field of view, or he walks into mine, he wants to greet me with a hug and a kiss.  It’s so, well, sweet.

He wants to invite TV characters over to play, he stuffs things under his shirt and says “Ho, ho, ho!” to be Santa.  He is into playing on the computers and writes all over himself with marker every chance he gets.  He loves to give high fives and ask for “up high” then “down low” and pull his hand away and say “too slow!”  He tells a few different “knock knock” jokes.  All this with most of his works beginning with D…  I translate for him quite a bit! 

Delia turned six and received some money so we’ve started her on a spending 50% and saving 50% plan and it’s been really neat to watch her spend her money in wise ways.  She invested in some beads and is working on making some bracelets to sell and give as gifts.  We are wearing some to test for durability.  A few days ago she and I went to Target.  I was discouraging her from spending $5 on a box of foam stickers, thinking they wouldn’t be much fun.  The past two days she has spent probably 10 hours coming up with incredibly creative ways to use those stickers!  I have beautiful decorations on my computer, my cell phone, a bouquet of foam flowers in a tiny vase, and lots of other neat things.  I told her earlier today that I was SO WRONG about the foam stickers not being worth the money!

For Delia’s sixth birthday we went to a hotel that has a waterpark.  We all had fun, and Delia made a breakthrough with her swimming skills.  She started practicing going completely under water.  For the next few weeks, we went swimming several times and Delia made breakthrough after breakthrough.  First she was dog-paddling 6-8 feet at a time.  Then she got the confidence to keep her feet up longer and could paddle for 15-20 feet.  Then she started swimming underwater!  The last time we went to the pool, she floated on her back, and would swim for 3+ hours if she could but her brother is not up for that!

At the waterpark in Duluth they have a giant bucket that fills with water and then tips over and pours a huge splash of water over everything.  It’s pretty scary and it can almost knock you over.  We always wait until it tips to go near there so we don’t get splashed.  One time we waited too long and it poured out on us.  I was holding Henry and I put my hand around the back of his head and held him close to shield him from the water.  When it was over, he was a little scared so I laughed and said “I saved you!” to kind of cheer him up.

A little while later the bucket poured out again (though we weren’t very close to it and not really in danger of getting splashed).  Henry saw it going and put his hand on my head.  ”Me save you,” he said.

Tomorrow my little girl turns six.

As I write this, we’re in Duluth at the Edgewater Hotel and waterpark for Delia’s birthday celebration (we had the waterpark almost to ourselves since it’s Monday!) Six years ago at this time we were at the hospital in Ely, about to have out first child.

I can hardly believe that she’s six already, but today she was swimming on her own, and even lost her third tooth.  She continues to amaze us with her curiosity, creativity, intelligence, and humor.  She’s quite a almost-six-year-old girl, and we love her so much.