You never know.....

Someone recently told me that they looked me up on Google and found my blog....funny thing is my life has been so crazy that I haven't posted anything on the blog since 2010.
So I decided maybe I need to update a few things and fill in several areas of the farm journey. I really don't know where to start and instead of sounding winded, I will try to condense the last 4 years into something readable and highlight the important and significant parts to bring this up to date.

Since 2010.....I have become a grandma...two beautiful grandchildren that fill my up my time.
I have expanded my chicken operation immensely.....adding coops, chickens and meat birds. All has been very successful. My husband and I have also become empty nesters. It doesn't mean we are any less busy, just differently busy.
My mother passed away just over a year ago, and that has made a big impact in my life in so many ways.
One of the most significant  impacts was the fact that I have an older brother I did not know about. Long story short, mom had gotten pregnant in the 50's and had given the baby up for adoption but had never mentioned it to anyone outside of her immediate family, parents/siblings and my dad who was her steady at the time. He did know either until he returned from his tour in the service. It was what you did in those days..... fast forward to her death bed and her delirium and things were said and noted and the search began for my brother. Some great detective work from my younger brother and he was found, living on the other side of town. Contact was made, and we sat patiently waiting for a response....it finally came in February of this year and we have had the pleasure of meeting him and sharing time and stories with him.You would never know he had not been part of the clan for 57 years, it was like he lived in another state and had come home.
 The funny thing is when he went to look us up on the internet, he couldn't find anything except me and my chicken blog!!
The whole thing is amazing, I cannot stop looking at him...he looks so much like mom. I wish she could have met him, but I think there was a reason it was meant to be this way....we never know what are destiny is and where life takes us. I truly believe divine intervention also led us to him.
We also have to realize that you never know what someones back story is, so don't judge, don't make assumptions...give everyone and everything the benefit of the doubt.
As for chicken and cow stories.... We now have a cow that is 18 years old, and she is still producing calves despite her age.  She is also a great pet and grass cutter.  
I have updated all my coops. We have expanded them and made the larger. We have laid concrete flooring and added electric and lights.The electric comes in handy to keep the waterers from freezing and the light make it nice to do chores in the dark. The concrete flooring makes it marvelous when it comes to cleaning the coops!!
I have added meat bird production into the mix and have filled my freezers with tasty meat birds. I have 100 layers and I am harvesting 5/6 dozen eggs a day despite the cold and lack of daylight. I have turned my neighbor onto raising chickens and she raised Banty's and Fancies this year, and I am sharing coops space and information with her. She is my backup when  I am late doing chores or coming home. She is a great friend and neighbor!  So that is all for now, I will try to be better about updating the blog, not only for you  but for myself, it is a great way for me to journal my life and stories!