Today

September morning 7.30 AM - I was going to work and the morning fog made everything beautiful.

 

First of all, THANK YOU everyone for all the comments and thoughts you have shared with me. I was surprised to find out how many people actually DO end up reading this blog. Thanks for the e-mails and honest sharing. We really do not know that much what happens in people's lives, do we? I feel honored that so many shared their thoughts in private mails with me after the last posts! Thanks for the comments here as well. :) They are equally valued.

And then a message to -J-
Jos tänne joskus uudelleen eksyt ja koska olet varmaankin se ihminen, jonka luulen sinun olevan, niin olisin todella ilahtunut, jos joskus kuulisin sinun elämäsi uutisia. Siitä on jo todella kauan, kun viimeksi kuulin sinusta mitään. Toivottavasti kaikki on hyvin ja olet onnellinen! Minut löytää täältä ja Facebookista ainakin. :)


Now, today's news.

I must admit that I count days and weeks. Full 24 weeks of pregnancy is behind just today. I feel like a medium size elephant and expect to grow into a full size blue whale. However, I have been doing really well and have been able to keep working. Until last week, that is. Twice there has been a day that I could not even stand, let alone walk, well without pain. Both times the previous day was a long day with lot of standing. Seems like my days at work are almost done for now. Today I have a day off, that is brilliant.

I wish I could tell about many things I have done lately. Maybe share a few deep thoughts I managed to dig out of my brain - but I can't. I am all about being a pregnant woman, thinking of the two babies growing inside. I find it a bit disturbing that all my thoughts linger around this one and only topic, all my worries have to do with how we'll manage our lives with the babies, how shall we run things and how will it be.

As there isn't much that I can think of saying. Let me show you some pictures of our life. Hope you see something you like!

Roope had a true dream holiday this summer. He had this... eh, is it a backhoe?... machine for two weeks and was able to dig holes, move dirt, and do, well, all kinds of things in our yard.

Thank you IKEA for making green cribs - I did not have to paint them. We bought these and some other stuff on our trip to Southern Finland this summer.

We bought the cribs for the babies - but the cats do not agree.

Just wanted to show you this. Iguana and cats speak the same language. Hissing sound and wobbling tail means the same for both. So there is mutual respect as they roam around. :)

And when the summer comes to its end, myriads of these flying ants come and fight each other for their lives. Why? Have no clue. Everything white is covered with them. Their wings together make it sound like it was raining.

This is our donkey, Pelle. We all take it easy here. :)

It has been a nice day today; we've had some friends visiting. First, Lasse Niskala, Roope's very good friend is staying with us for the weekend. He is a great photographer and he took some pics of our animals. The photos on this post are taken by him. (take a look at some of his phenomenal photos HERE )

Then Roope had his bass-student over and his mom came to have a chat and a cup of coffee in the meanwhile. They are our neighbours and have stables with 14 (I think that's correct number) Islandic Horses. She is really nice and it was fun having her over.

In the evening a whole family of friends joined us; Suvi and Jussi came over with they daughters Ronja and Meeri. Sauna, friends, and a good meal - can you think of a better way to spend your Friday evenings? :)

So, today has been "nothing much and quite a lot" at the same time.


Other than today... well... it has been work work work and some studies. I am getting my studies done in schedule, visited doctor's yesterday and am waiting for an operation for my right hand wrist. AND have only three more night sifts before my winter holiday! That is something to look forwards!


One more thing... Lotta will have puppies. On the March 8 th is the due date. So that is exciting!!

This time of the year

Peace and Good Will... Sure, that's what God had in mind when He gave His Only Son. We, humans just are so talented in making "good use" of God's great gifts and somehow things always get a bit twisted, a bit "not quite so". By now, most people are somewhat stressed by the fact that not all presents are bought, or they forgot to send someone a Christmas card, or they have not had the time to clean up the house nor decorate it, or that the money they thought to spend on Christmas has gone to pay the bills, etc. etc. We all know it - peace seems to hide from us and under stress Good Will sounds more like a movie title than a reality in our life.

However, it IS Christmas time, the favorite time of the year for many. I don't mind it either, as there are things that make it enjoyable.

I love Christmas decorations, and I just love the fact that it is my responsibility to decorate at work. By now I even have had the time to put up something to our own front door. Every time I come home at the dark, it shines a little bit of Christmas into my heart and mind...

Yesterday evening a little bit bigger piece of Christmas was given to me. Pelle, our donkey, had a role in a local Christmas celebration. He was the donkey (wow! Who could have guessed??) in the Christmas story presented to people of our "village". He did well and everyone just loved him. "Is it a REAL donkey?" was asked quite a few times. Pelle enjoyed all the pats and scratching, and even amused the folks by a couple of I-OOH's, the typical donkey hellos. Too bad I did not have a camera with me!



And I AM dreaming of a white Christmas. The little snow we have already make a great big difference; it is not that dark as the snow reflects the light. However, the snow has come and gone and it is awfully slippery everywhere. There is no way we could ride or drive our hooflings at the present time. So, we are praying for snow, good 10-20 centimeters of it. At least. THAT would be something!

viimeinen kesälomapäivä

Freely

Pelle and Clara roaming freely all around our yard.
They stay close by even when they are allowed free, and happly go back inside the fenced area if the gate is open.

As Roope said: "it is only now that I really feel like we OWN a horse and a donkey."

A new day and sun is shining!

Above is Pelle, on his first morning at home. Shetland pony size fits fairly well... the chest is to big for him; you can see the rubberbands on the side... :)

As they say in Finland, "tired but happy". Or maybe I should say the other way around, "happy but tired".

Physically I am exhausted and just might go and take a nap soon. Mentally I have been drained - but have risen above the circumstances. There is no way I can made decisions for the others, so I just have to make sure that I keep trying to make the right ones for me. Spiritually - renewed day by day, through the grace of the One Who Knows All, even knows me better than I do know myself.

However, in the midst of it all, there are people whom I love and feel their love for me! Thanks for the phone calls, dear ones! You know who you (plural) are!! Heh, as hard as it is to say personally, here publicly it is easy to declare: I love you. You are dear to me.

Yesterday we got our horse and donkey home. For a moment things felt very sad - you should have seen her (Clara) as she pulled back (she is usually an easy traveller!) and went back to the fence, stood muzzle to muzzle with Hemppa (her horse-friend for the summer), as if saying goodbye... I felt like crying when I watched the friends part. But then she and Pelle got into the trailer and we started our journey home. Hemppa called after them and that was one of the saddest sounds I have heard... But we had to leave him there all by himself. Poor boy, he could have used a friend at that time.

But we got home and had a happy reunion. Even before we unloaded Pelle and Clara, our goat Yrjö was greeting them through the side door - and they were obviously happy to see each other. Strange, but you could really see that. And in just a little time, they were all happily grazing together in the new corral. There are no words to tell how I feel, even now, seeing the "hoof animals" from my window all the time, and being able to say hello to them whenever I want. Roope has been "chatting" with them all evening and first in the morning. This is how animals should be owned, kept right at your own yard!

Just before Roope had to leave (they are playing with VIP in a Christian event, Ruskagospel) tonight, we had a phonecall. About a mile away there had been a cat in a tree since yesterday morning. A friend thought it might be ours - and off we went to find out. It was Iitu, one of our first cats. We could have never gotten her down without the help of Veli, a local farmer, who had a "lift" (I do not know what it is called in Finnish, how could I know what it is in English??) and he helped Roope to get 6 m high... and then the cat was chased with the long ladder up to the very top of the tree. Then Roope bent the top branches so that they broke - and could just reach the cat and got her down. Little kitty purred all the way home, pressing herself to me. Poor girl, rough 24 hours - but happy ending!

... but now the nap and then back to yard work, fencing (the ordered materials came in yesterday! Fast delivery, thanks Börjes!!), and a nice stroll with the hooflings to see the surroundings...

Hard to keep on track!

On the above photo is Juolukka, the newest addition to our family. We got her in the beginning of September.

Have you ever had those times in life, when you think things go this way and suddenly, something unexpected happens and everything (or almost, at least) seems to flip over and turn upside down? How you think you are doing something very ordinary and that brings about something that will end up changing just about every plan you had? Well... this is how I feel now...

In just two days my life has gained new directions and thrown me into some deep waters. It all started when I called an old friend and heard that they had a small, transportable stable for sale for a really good price... so we took some 15 minutes to think about it and made a quick decision to buy it.

Things have evolved and we have to move our horse and donkey this coming Friday. So, on Monday we heard about the possibility, Friday we will move animals... and now in between we try to get everything ready and make preparations so that moving is possible. And in all this, there is also people-tangles involved...

And so that this would not be too simple, last few weeks have been ... ... interesting, to say at least. I am not in the mood to share details with all the world - but if you are a Christian who is reading, I could truly use your prayer support...

Hopefully things will even up here and I will eventually get back on track with all, including updating my blog.

I am alive - not that I shouldn't be. :)

Some people have asked where did I disappear - wondering if I am still alive. The answer is YES, I am still here.

Now that I look at my blog, I realize that my last thankyou-SAY5-posts have not been added and I cannot find them here... (wonder what happened??) I need to thank her... oh... one more thing to do!!

Summer has gone by too quickly. Work has been the main theme, building another. Roope had his 30th birhtday and we had a "party" for him; a bunch of friends came to help with the building project. He had no clue beforehands.

Also, a stable is being built (= remodeling an old cowshed). I try to help in as I can - but my friend Anne and her family are taking the main responsibility... as it is THEIR stable. We will have our hoof-animals there over the winter as well.


As you, who read my blog, know, we bought a clydesdale mare, a male donkey and a male goat... and we will add one more member to our animal-family; a female goat is coming to live with us, and to be friend to Yrjö, as soon as we have time to pick her up.

My summer holiday is getting nearer - the month of September. A bit late, yes, and it has been a long summer at work, but now I am happy the holiday is not gone yet. I feel I really NEED it...

BTW, today is our sixth anniversary. Roope is sleeping late into the day - he came home at 10 AM after having been playing with his band last night (www.vipmetal.net)...

So, yes, I am alive. And busy. And very, very tired. And not getting things done. But fairly happy, anyway. And thanking the Lord for taking care of us through it all.

If you feel that I have neglected you - do not think you are the only one. Sad, but true, I have not been up to my best lately. So, alive, yes, living it to the fullest... not necessarily... So, sorry, if I have disappointed you.

Let the life continue!

Some photos from last few days...

First of all, there is no reason why one could not use a mercedes for transporting hay...













Yes, donkeys DO have a cross on therir backs - most do, anyway... Päve's friend Saila had heard a Bible lesson about that cross (as Jesus rode a donkey, you see...) and wondered if it was true. Now she has seen some photo-evidence. :)








On May 24. we had a group of people helping and we managed to put up the electric fencing for the hoof- animals. :) Now there is 24/7 green pasture for them to use. After the Mid Sumer, we will expand the pasture even more - however, they seem quite content already.




Midges have arrived...













There aren't too many as silky and lovely things in this world as is a doneky muzzle. If you have never kissed one, you should do all you can to be able to do so!







It has been fairly late when we have been going home most evenings... and last two evenings I have not been going home at all but, rather, I have gone to work...






Roope is feeling ok. Eating grass with other animals (one of the above pics!)made him look a bit more like a rabbit, but I guess that's ok. :D

Update on our animalistic life

It has been a BUSY month. Wonderful, but busy. As I have already mentioned, in the beginning of the month we brought our new animals home. Since that, so much has happened! I do not know where to start from...

First of all, we did not only find lovely new pets, we also made new friends - and that is already a miracle! The former owner and her future (getting married in August) husband are now planning to move to the same city where we live. That's a real "WOW" - as their plans have radically changed.

It seems like the best things come unexpected. :)

I got the new saddle for Clara on Monday, when my husband and I tried both the horse and the saddle. I had ridden my girl only once before - as her hoofs were trimmed just a while ago - and then only with the halter. Today I went out with a friend and her horse - and Clara behaved very nicely and seemed to enjoy our little trip.

Pelle, the donkey, has won everyone's affection and love is being poured on him. Amanda takes good care of him - and they are still in the battle of wills... Pelle has won a few rounds, as one can see from the photo - however, Amanda seems to be winning the war. :) She is one tough chick! After Pelle had got her off the "saddle" (he has no saddle...) about six times, she came up with the idea to put a stir-up-leather around him - and now she holds onto that and Pelle just cannot figure out why she does not fall off anymore.

Yrjö, the goat, has moved to our not-yet-finished house. Not INTO it, he lives in the cage built for our dogs and sleeps gladly in the dog-house. It is heartbreaking to hear him calling after us as we leave for home. One more reason why we want to be able to move SOON.

About moving, then... my dad came over to help with the building. Ari (my father-in-law) was there as well, as was my hubby, Roope. Little by little the house seems more like a home and we are hoping more and more that we will be able to move in sometime this summer. THAT would be one long-term dream come true!

So, buzy-buzy-bees, that's what we are. Life is all about work, building, animals and sleep - not much more. But it is the life we have chosen, and I do not regret at all. We are living in a dream come true.

Perheen lisäystä /Growing family

Perheemme on lisääntynyt kolmella jäsenellä. Pelle-aasi, clydesdale-tamma Klaara, ja vuohipoika Yrjö muuttivat meille 31.4.08. Amanda Pellen selässä on pojan virallinen hoitaja ja ystäväni tyttö.

Our family has now three more members. Donkey called Pelle (clown), clydesdale mare Klaara and a goat named Yrjö moved "in" on April 31. The rider in the photo is Amanda, my friend's daughter and official groom for Pelle :) .