A Full House

Yesterday morning Brett bought our Christmas tree.  We set it up and waited for Camille to come up today with her friend, Kelly.

Camille pulled into the driveway a bit after noon.  I was sitting at the breakfast nook table eating some sourdough bread and cheese looking out the window and watching her park.  The back door of her car opened and out popped Kyle.  He had finished his finals and driven to his dad's last night.  He hitched a ride up here with his sister and will spend the entire weekend with us. 

Camille and Kelly got to work decorating the tree and the interior of the house.  Kyle took the rest of the lights and went outside.  We saw him measuring and then looping the lights across the front railing and the pool fence.  You can tell he's an engineering major.

Meanwhile, I baked cookies and apricot bread, a tradition in my family.

I made tacos for dinner.  There wasn't a scrap left for the chickens.  A fire is dancing in the wood stove.  I'm a happy mama.

Remember Bella?

Those of you who have been reading my blog for awhile know all about Bella, our little jumping goat.  If you scroll to the "cloud" of subject labels underneath my posts and click on Bella, you can read all about her.  In a nutshell, Bella was the sweetest and friendliest goat ever.  So friendly, she would jump out of the goat pen to be with people.  That would have been fine if she had stuck to visiting us but she started following people out on walks, going to the neighbors and looking in the windows - or walking in open doors, and visiting with workers on the road.  We were scared to death she would get hit by a car, or lost, or eaten.  The fence was high, she shouldn't have been able to jump it but she could and did.  Every day.  All day.  She was in, she was out, she was home, she was gone.  We were a worried wreck.

Fortunately, the breeder from who we bought her contacted me and offered to take her back.  We were sorry to see Bella go but happy that she would be safe.  She was far too special to meet a violent death.

Today, I received an email from the breeder.  Bella is living the good life in Northern California where she lives with a young girl who shows her in 4H.  She has done quite well.  The breeder sent me two pictures.  One is of Bella checking out the progress of the goat barn being built at her new home (with her owner in the background).  The picture is so Bella -- she routinely inspected our barn as well.

Watching Brett work in our barn.

Hanging out in her new barn.

 And, the big news is that Bella had triplets last night.  She had an easy delivery and is an excellent mama.  The babies are just too cute.  I commented that the one on the far right is very cute and was told he has the same spunky attitude as his mother.  ...so he probably jumps too.  :)

I'm so happy she found a good home.  She looks like she is thriving and I'm sure her new owner loves her to death.  How could she not?