This winter has been exceptionally warm. Much like this June was exceptionally wet.  Yesterday we took advantage of the 70 degree weather and foraged for winter decorations in tee-shirts.  Typically I complete this task all bundled up.  

We try to decorate as much of our house with natural, fresh winter decorations. I love the smell of pine in the house at Christmas time!

Our 2015 lambing season has started out strong. Four ewes have birthed 6 healthy lambs, two singles and two sets of twins. I stepped out into the barn the other day to TRY and get some pictures to share. 

This is our first lamb born this year. A healthy ram lamb born to Mini Mumps, her first time lambing.  She had the lamb all by herself.  He is a VERY big lamb and loves jumping on his mom's back. 

Last night the thermometer was reading -16 F. This little guy got too cold to nurse and had to be brought back into the house, warmed up and fed. When it is this cold lambs use a large amount of energy to stay warm and need to feed often to keep that energy up. This 5 hour old lamb needed a little assistance to get a good start. Before bed he was able to go back to his mother and twin brother.  He was doing great this morning despite the bitter cold temperatures. 

Lambing season 2015 has begun and it is going to be a cold one. 

It is totally normal to have a lamb in your guest room, right?

The farm life and having a toddler doesn't allow me and the husband many "date nights". But what we do get are farm dates, during the baby's afternoon nap we head out to the barn and work the sheep. 

This past weekend marks the beginning of the 6 week countdown until we start lambing.  There is a lot to get done before our barn will be ready for bouncing lambs.  The first item is the gather the ewes, check their health, hooves, weight gain and give them their yearly vaccinations.  The vaccinations help prevent a number of diseases including tetanus, and giving the shots now allows antibodies to build up in the colostrum to be passed to the lambs during their first feeding shortly after birth.     

This past Sunday the weather warmed from below 0 to the mid-40s, giving us a peep at spring, and little break from frozen winter chores. 

Ok winter you've had your run, now scram!

 It has been cold, very cold, for a very long time. I know most of the country is dealing with this, so I won’t spend to long complaining. But it is COLD!

We cannot wait for spring, flowers, lambs, and not having to break up water troughs every day.