March 26 and 27: Always Closer to Completion

Bianca started showing signs of mastitis about a week ago. That was my issue with her a few years back: she would get a low level mastitis and it just would not leave. Since we're dumping her milk anyway, Phil figured he could introduce the calf back.

Problem: she refused to let her calf nurse. But Charity, who is milking about a gallon a day, was happy to let the baby eat.

Hmm. Maybe we will not be flush with milk anymore.

Farming is always complex to figure out.

We got another IKEA order yesterday. God bless those delivery guys who tracked through our mud. The boys were ecstatic to have some beautiful new tempera paints: Joe, Abraham, and Isaiah all enjoyed those.

The older boys tried to put together the rocking chair.

That was a bit rough, but with Phil's help, they managed in the end.

I had thought it could go in the playroom, but I think it makes it too crowded. I had thought it could also possibly go in the reading nook, but the aesthetics were all wrong. But by the boy's window: perfect! Now I can read to them in the evenings in comfort.

Isaiah put together a bench for the table. No one will need to sit on a bucket for a chair anymore!

I had realized about a month ago that, though I ordered a bookcase for the bedroom, I probably didn't need it. With the built-ins, I have adequate storage space. But we had the bookcase, and it was heavy and inside, and I didn't speak up well enough. I guess I figured it would be okay.

But it is a cheap piece of functional furniture, now sitting unused in my bedroom. And my bedroom had a week there of such loveliness. I have a ridiculous amount of angst every time I walk in. I catch my breath in horror. I don't think it will grow on me. We'll move it out when the ground isn't quite so muddy. If I need it someday, we have it here, but until we need it, it doesn't need to live in my bedroom.

Phil put together a tall cabinet for the bathroom, with a full-length mirror! I can see my whole self! (It was a bit rough trying to support it, since the wall it's on has a pocket door and, thus, no studs, but Phil, problem solver extraordinaire, figured it out.)

Phil has been working on the bathroom vanity and medicine cabinet today. Again, nothing is ever easy. He had to get creative in how to support the vanity. I'm not sure what he'll do about the medicine cabinet.

But we were blessed! I had a fun visitor come in the morning and Phil had a fun visitor come in the afternoon. And then we had fun fellowship at Bible study in the night, and one of the new attendees just got saved on Sunday. She was glowing! Feel the joy of the angels rejoicing! Thanks be to God.