dreams are a wish your heart makes

Ever since I can remember I have always had a singular dream that never waivered - okay a few dreams like wanting to be a wife and mother - but one non-family related dream and that was, buh-buh-buh-dah! Milking a cow!  Yes, I know, it's pretty nerdy.  But it's who I am and I've always embraced nerdy.  I went to a county fair in Bellingham when I was in college and actually asked one of the farmer guys that was showing his cows (probably bulls as far I as I knew...) and asked HIM if I could come to his farm and milk his cows...he laughed in my face and said something like 'We don't get near these cows for milking - all done by machines now!'  Whatever...I'm a pioneer woman - I'm totally all for old-school milking....just had to find someone else who was.
Then fast-forward to Joel and I's courtship.  We would chat back and forth on Yahoo! Messenger pretty much every free moment we had and I'll admit a lot of time was spent on me saying, 'Joel!  You have a way better chance of knowing some one with cows I can milk!'  In fact, once upon a time I was considered moving to Italy.  At the time I didn't realize how important I'd become in Joel's life (we still hadn't met in person at the point) and he promised me that if I didn't move to Italy he would find me a cow to milk.  I held him to that promise.  And now fast forward six years - he came through on his promise.  And I love him so much.

A wonderful family in our ward woke up last Sunday to a surprise calf!  They hadn't had the cow that long and didn't even know she was prego.  So here they have this sweet little bull.  We got to do lots of things today:  milk a cow (even Sarah tried!), bottle-fed a calf, fed (and almost got eaten/attacked) by the world's largest pigs, fed chickens, held chickens, and collected eggs from said chickens.  Oh, it was so much fun.  Maybe the silliest part of why I liked it so much was that I was FREEZING cold and the cow was really warm and let's face it, my hands were toasty warm while milking.  Too much creepy information?  I don't care, my blog, my dream, my creepies.  :D  Here's some photos I know you guys are craving!

I think I am a total natural.  And bless my friend's heart she made me feel like I was a professional already.  But that's just her way - she's amazing.  I am so grateful for loving and patient and generous friends.  And thankful for my husband who made this possible.