This will be our 9th year.

Definitely praying!!!

I will try to get pics up on my blog, then post a link for those who want to see them. I can describe them for now though. :001_smile: I put a lot of thought into them and am very happy with them, even the ones that are not as pretty as the rest. The back of my neck has a symbol for servant. It is only visible when my hair is pulled up. On my right shoulder blade I have a celtic symbol for the Trinity, on my left shoulder a tribal cross done in a more Celtic influenced design. On my right arm I have a Trogderette(Strongbad) baking cookies and "Genesis 2:18". Brian has Trogdor, this is my nod at a matching design. It is silly looking, and meaningful and my family likes it. I knew most people wouldn't get it, I got it for me and mine. :tongue_smilie: On my right forearm I have a silhouette of a fairy with stars behind her. Each star is a birthstone for the kids. The sparks coming off her wand are Brian's birthstone.Over her is "Psalm 128". On my left arm...the whole arm is done.Full sleeve in a traditional Asian style. There are two swans, pink paper lanterns, wind bars, water,purple and pink swirls, a phoenix, fire, rocks, a small village, a boat. It took 22 hours spread out over 2 years. There is also a symbol for "promise" on my wrist, now incorporated into the scene, but it was there first. On my back along the left side is a dogwood tree. I got a poem about the dogwood bearing the crown as a child and loved it ever since. I have a tribal banner under that. On my right thigh I have my first tattoo, a cross entwined with roses. It was done professionally and poorly, but it stands as meaningful anyhow. And no one except Brian or my midwife ever sees it :lol: . On my left calf I have a cross with "Jesus" written through it and a double strand of thorns. On my right calf I have a baby in the womb, with technology trying to break through, protected by nature. Probably need to see it, but it speaks volumes about stewardship to me. Finally my feet. I walk in the Word. On my left foot I have "Romans 3:23" and an ugly duckling. On my right foot I have "2 Corinthians 5:17" and a swan princess. Sorry so long. I sometimes struggle with these threads because in some eyes I am "less than" for my tattoos(in real life too). I have had so many important conversations as a result of my tattoos that I see them as extremely worth it though.

I have 14 and will undoubtedly get more in the future.

How exciting! I am in OK and we are starting prep to move back to MI as well. :) Not far from Macomb either(Bay City).

I just took mine out last month, after having them for 1.5 years. I am going to redo them later this year.

:grouphug: I am going to do hive inspection next week. I will try to not to think about a bee getting in my boot!:glare: I do hope the itching isn't too terrible for you.:(

Another sorter here, and I absolutely avoid clerks who do not bag well. :)

Grown birds: 1 Rhode Island Red roo named Valentine...he is very sweet actually. 14 hens including rhode island reds(all named Red), araucanas(named Hawk), black stars(named Star), pearl white leghorns(all named Snowie), a rose comb brown(Rosie),barred rocks(Darling), and a bantam buff brahma(Delilah) 2 male guineas.No names, just noise. Chicks from this year:2 red frizzle bantams, 1 porcelain bantam,1 mottled cochin bantam, 1 Mille Fleur bantam, 1 quail antwerp belgian bantam, 20 pearl white leghorn roos, 1 delaware hen, 1 white giant hen, 1 lakenvelder hen, 25 pearl white leghorn hens. We order from Murray McMurray every other year. The eggs help feed our pigs(and friends and us), and this is the first year we purposely ordered roos for eating.

What a beautiful post to read! Huge congrats!!!

That looks amazing!

7 weeks(also due the 27th) with number 8. :D

Congrats!!!

:party: Congrats!

It is beautiful!

Thanks for the link. :)

Thank you!

Congratulations! I am going to agree about getting as much done during the pregnancy as you can. Use the natural planning/nesting energy to get school set up/planned for next year. Homeschooling a crew is really alot of fun!

It is a risk. :lol: Ours usually go when we open the cage, so we wait a minute before picking them up. There have only been a couple accidents and they were really no biggie. I am not sure which mess you are referring to. When they are in their cage ours tend to toss their bedding around while nesting. I sweep under the cages twice a day.It is dry mess and does not smell. I clean the cages twice a week. Again, no smell. We used to use a different bedding and they did smell then, but the recycled cardboard pellets are wonderful. When our rats are on us they climb. I have long hair and our older female especially will not go on my shoulder without climbing to the top of my head. I do not let them sit on my shoulders anymore lol, but hold them in my lap. It is disconcerting to have a rodent on my head!:D

We have 3 pet/breeding rats. They are sweet, do not smell, and have been wonderful pets. We love to put empty boxes or peanut butter jars that are almost empty in their cages and watch them explore. It is a bit like enrichment days at the zoo lol. I can't compare them to guinea pigs but I would recommend rats to anyone.

We have a top bar hive with observation windows and have absolutely been enthralled and love it! There are a ton of youtube videos to watch that have helped me learn faster, but one book we have that I found very helpful was ABC and XYZ of Bee Culture. It reads like an encyclopedia and the pics are black and white and grainy :P but I like it anyhow. Good luck, we really enjoy the bees!

We have a ball python and a red tail boa. They are wonderful pets(although not my choice I have come to like them)! Cage care is very easy(Copper, our ball python is an escape artist though. By artist I mean this snake gets out of seemingly impossible set ups!). Zelda eats dead and Copper will only eat live. We breed our own food. That has turned out to be quite an amazing process! There is a lot of genetics learned by seeing something as simple as what color patterns emerge in what generation, which rats have the bigger babies or larger litters,etc. If I were starting again I definitely would have gone with corn or milk snakes and would definitely recommend them as the perfect starter snake! :)

We are definitely getting a lot of school done. :lol: I love the snow,too. I do hope the state is learning how to handle this better. It is a lot better than the ice storm for sure, but I still can't give a passing grade. We have snow chains so we have been able to be out and about. The roads are terrible and cars are wrecked everywhere.

I made this for breakfast and it is as good as it looks!(Even with my not gourmet chocolate chips).

He is beautiful. We have two, and they truly are escape artists, no matter how escape proof the enclosure.Still worth it though. :)