Although I love seeing my family up north, it is always good to get home. Our trips need to be well-planned and usually short, unless we have someone tending the animals. It is easier if we don't have any milking responsibilities...that is why I seldom bottle-feed and let the kids/calves share the milk with us. That way I can let the little one stay with the momma while we are gone. I have read that this is not the best way to manage dairy animals, but we have not had any problems "using" the babe to "fill in" for us for our milking chores...and they never complain!
As we drive down the half-mile, bumpy, gravel driveway approaching the house I find myself doing a visual assessment of the farm...I do a mental "head-count" as different pastures come into view. Once home, we immediatley feed & water everone and thank the Lord that all is well!
Our home is a log cabin, only 4 years old, but in the Dennis Bessette style, it is made to look much older! We built it ourselves...it is quite comfy. Not fancy, but sturdy and solid! Wonder if the kind of house you live in can be descriptive of what type of person you are...I do think sturdy, solid and not quite fancy accurately describes the Bessette family!
Before this house was built, we had lived on 5 different properties since we were married. We actually have lived in 7 different "situations" on these properties, as Dennis rennovated historic homes and sometimes the original homes were not inhabitable! Although I went kicking and screaming, we have lived in a construction trailer for 2 years, and even an unfinished basement with no utilities for 3 months. Our kids have learned that home is not a structure, but the place where we gather together. Some of our fondest memories are of that tiny trailer. All 3 kids shared a room, each having a sleeping loft and cubbies for toys underneath. They comforted each other when bad dreams woke them...Our room was so small that I had to crawl over Dennis to get to my side of the bed!! It sounds crazy to me now, but I'm grateful for those experiences. Often, when I turn on the faucet, I praise the Lord that we live during a time where we can enjoy hot running water!
One of our "best-friend" families just announced the engagement of their oldest son, Daniel. It makes me think of what a miracle it is that 2 people from different backgrounds can marry and somehow create a new, unique home. Almost always different from what each grew up with. New traditions, new favorite meals, new priorities. Having visited my family, I realize how different my life is from my sister's life. We do not have neighborhood children knocking at our door to come out and play...our dogs just run loose, on the 25+ acres that we call "home"...we pick our cow milk up at a local farm instead of the local store...our cars are much dirtier than suburban-cars! Yet, despite all these differences, we each have nuances of our original "Zylka" home...the foods we like, the things that make us laugh...my kids say that each family we are close to has it's own "smell". They can identify a lost item of clothing just by the "family scent"!! Amazing.
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