April disappeared in a whirl of frost and now we are 7 (!) days into May already….how does time go by so fast?

In April we were wondering if Spring would ever arrive in Michigan–we have certainly had a cooler and later spring than last year!  No 80 degree days in March for us this year. (which is really alright, because when it cooled back down to more normal temperatures in April last year the trees and flowers had a hard time coping!)

Also last month after a special Thursday Awana night at our church where the kids put on  a talent show and a Friday afternoon Band Festival (Jonathan and Dad play their horns with the Homeschool Band), Jonathan and I made a trip down to southern Tennessee to visit some special friends!

This is our first view of TN, from the top of the rest area trail

For about a week we enjoyed fabulous fellowship, fantastic food and frantic fun!  Staying at their newish farm allowed us to help out with a few projects and enjoy “roughing it” a little bit…though we really felt like we were living like kings!  After all what more could a man ask for–Godly friends (given to us by God!),  great food (especially those cookies–thanks again ladies! ;-), a few firearms (OK, so more than a few), big fires (gotta love burning brush!) and a farm to facilitate it all!  We have a lot of memories that we will cherish for a long time and are already looking for God to send us the opportunity to do it all over again!

We miss this place–but we miss the people more!

Another field in green, green TN!

We arrived back in Michigan with praise and thanks in our hearts to God for His goodness to us and dove, that is tried to dive, back into our daily schedules with a mix of renewed zest and sheer desperation…we had have a lot to do in only a few before some other friends come to visit us the middle of this week!

In the meantime God had an idea that I needed some more rest because I ended up with a flu bug of some sort and didn’t do much but sleep for three days….and I was expecting to be able to use that time to get ready for the baby pigs, lambs and chicks that were all due to start arriving the end of last week!  Thankfully the little ones held off and before they came I was back on my feet and able to get some different arraignments made to accommodate their arrivals.  Lord Willing I’ll post some pictures of the little cuties soon!

So far we have only had one ewe lamb and while one gilt did farrow yesterday afternoon we are still waiting for the sow and other gilt to decide they can’t possibly hold those little pigs in any longer…they almost look like they’re going to explode!

This old girl is due any day (minute?!?) now….

There are still several things that I need to do as quickly as possible–like get the sheep out on grass, but as God gives strength I know that everything will happen in good time.  His time and not mine!  How glad I am that He has a plan and all my concern needs to be is cooperating with Him!

The last few days have been warm and sunny-just what the grasses needed to use the rain of April and jump start their growth. The trees have finally gotten a good start towards leafing out and the mid-Spring flowers are starting to make their appearance.  It is not the green and warmth of Tennessee but we are thankful that the snow that was on the ground when we left did not stay and wait for our return!

We are starting to get a bit of green here.

If you drop by for a visit, you’d drive through the golden maples…

And come calling at ol PotterVilla

We have more to share, but finding the time to sit and write while outside projects are calling is difficult, so until the next time, whenever that may be we wish you God’s best!

May God be gracious to us and bless us, and make his face to shine upon us, so that your ways may be known on the earth and your saving power among all the nations.  Let the peoples praise you; O God,
let all the peoples praise you! (Ps 67)

Matthew