parties & chores

This weekend we got to head up to NE Iowa and visit dear friends.  My goddaughter had her 3rd birthday party and it was a blast!  We had an old fashioned tea party and all of the ladies dressed up and played the part.  It was a short trip up and back for us, we always wish we could stay longer.  Truth is, I’ve got a huge party to prepare for this coming weekend to celebrate the birth of my niece.  If you know me well, you know I’ve been planning this party for a long time, though she was only born 6 weeks ago.  My house is not in shape so this week we’ll be spending time cleaning up and preparing for guests.  I can’t wait, she’s got the cutest outfit to wear!

In the meantime we’re doing chores.

Chores, chores and more chores.

During the week my husband always has plenty of groups of pigs to visit, assess, assist in changing environments in the commercial buildings etc.  That is his full time job and the commercial barns we own are in that mix in the late hours of the day when all of our customers are taken care of.  The kids and I are usually running around doing ‘kid stuff’ like preschool etc. when he is doing that.  However, as I’ve mentioned before, we also have a growing group of ‘hobby pigs’ that we raise for breeding purposes and for showing for the kids.  My husband was very active in showing hogs growing up and both of the kids have taken a liking to being around them.

The breeds we currently have are Duroc and Yorkshire.  We also have quite a few crossbred pigs too.  They provide consistent learning experiences for my kids and I’m thankful to have this little project.  Some people have horses, dogs, swimming pools or boats… we just have more pigs.  Different pigs, but they are still the same as our commercial hogs in the fact that at the end of their useful life or if they are not the breeding piece we’ll use, they are taken to market and processed at the butcher.  Again, these lessons our children are privy to.  Not all of these lessons come easy or are cheerful but the overall appreciation for livestock and hard work makes the tough lessons easier to bear.  Somewhat.  (Okay maybe not, but I am SOFT and WEAK in my older years!)

One little boy is becoming more comfortable in showing his pigs around… (note to self, buy more $7 show whips from Hawkeye Tack)

The pigs tolerate him quite well.

Future farmer.

This weekend we stopped by the barns where we have some pigs that may end up being shown at the Iowa State Fair.  Some of my most fond memories were helping my friends show their pigs at the Fair.  (Thank you AJC for letting me help you.)

She looks like her mother. (Cinnamon)

Her mouth can open so wide!  It kinda freaks me out!  (It is amazing how interested they can be in a shop towel stuck inside the tip of a broom handle.)  I love the little Yorks in the background and their little ears.  :)

Thinking about it.

We also spent a fair portion of the weekend thinking of the people who lost their life fighting to protect our freedoms.  For this, our daughter could stand before her classmates and hold the flag at her preschool graduation last Friday.  How thankful I am to those individuals and their families.