Not always a little piece of heaven

Sometimes I imagine our blog makes life on Fruit Farm Lane seem a bit idyllic.  All that is true, and more, but we have our moments and the things that we really would be happy to live without. Namely TICKS.  And it seems that they are flourishing this year.  We have yet to find any redeeming quality to them.  In short, Jason starting antibiotics yesterday morning for lyme disease after having a fever and feeling achy with chills for about 24 hours.  He noted that it felt strikingly similar to how he felt during our engagement when he last had lyme disease.  We are both grateful for antibiotics and for ibuprofen which made the aches and pains manageable, but we are also seriously contemplating guineas or getting to the point where we can free range some chickens sooner rather than later.  My mom has instilled in me the desire to always look for the positive in any situation so here is what I've come up with this time:  I've discovered once again how very much Jason and I made an excellent team here on Fruit Farm Lane and how difficult it is to do it alone!  As I went around last evening with Alida in the jogger getting water for the chickens and ducks, picking peas, collecting hatching eggs, putting the chickens in before dark, etc... I felt grateful I could do it, glad to help, more in touch with that part of our life here AND very glad that hopefully this would not have to become part of my daily routine. As I type, Jason is out doing chicken chores and feeling better than he has for two days and I'm very grateful!

Now in closing, here is a little taste of one of the sweeter parts of our lives right now.  So is she cuter in an apron, a swimsuit or figuring out how to sit all by herself on her potty?  I'll let you choose for yourself and also hope she'll forgive us for posting a bathroom video of her in a dozen or so years from now!

I do need to note that I stopped the video about 10 seconds to short because she did in fact pee about a second after she got herself situated properly. :)  And, finally, note that Alida picked out her own outfit yesterday (actually twice as Jason couldn't resist when she brought him a new outfit to put on).  She loves clothes!