Happy Birthday Ava, We share January as our Birth Month, Mine was the 24 and I like January. I happen to be born many years before you are your Mother and father were even thought of. LOL Just wanted to wish you “Happy Birthday” and many more Butterflies. Keep that sweet smile. you are Precious. Hugs Juanita farm sister #1020

I love your stories. You do such an awesome job. I admire someone who can put such feelings down on paper (or ??). I love babies, so have greatly enjoyed your keeping us all posted on your daughter’s growth. Awesome!!!!
much love and hugs

Happy birthday to the little one…I think its so beautiful to bring such joy into other peoples lives. Hope you make it more secure for her and cement it with your continued love. Love is beautiful when its more secure. She is do beautiful. Its how God meant it to be….wholesome and enjoyed to its fullness. Glad to see the fruit in of love.
Love the/first horse. Cute photo. Eva is so beautiful.

I love your Farmgirl stories, but this is the best. Your Ava is a lucky girl. Love and hugs to all of you, and Happy Birthday to your little one. May your year ahead be full of more firsts and more sleep!

lWell dern it! This made the little ole lady tear up! Alas, my oldest daughter, born 1/21, turned 40 (OMG!!!) this month. And yet your article brought back all the sweet memories and a few tears of those first years. And ya know, it doesn’t change as the years quickly fly by…you will still feel that incredible pride and joy in your child regardless of the age. Thank you for a lovely walk down memory lane and Happy Birthday all you January babies! Blessings in all of your endeavors!

If you get a fever this winter, soak some slices of unpeeled potatoes in a bowl of
apple cider vinegar for about 15 min.
Take them out, put them in your socks on the soles of your feet.
Within a few minutes your fever will drop to normal.
My husband tried this after otc meds wouldnt bring down my 103 fever, and I was talking out of my head.
The next morning, I was surprised to stand up with vinegar soaked potatoes in my socks but well. That remedy brought down my fever in 15 minutes.
It really works!
Wishing you and that sweet baby health and happiness…..Diana, Noel Mo.

I also prefer natural remedies, and self healing. Some things I’ve had luck with are as follows:
If the ears get involved, I soak two small cotton balls with onion juice, and place one in each ear. Incredibly it takes away the pain, and draws out infection.
For sinuses, crush a clove of garlic, and breathe deeply through your nose. I have also added crushed garlic to olive oil, and smeared it on my chest during a particularly horrible cold!
Also never underestimate the power of hot lemonade with honey and a shot of Jack Daniel’s! It makes you sleep and it makes you sweat out toxins. Plus for just a bit, the whiskey makes you feel less like you’re dying! But no more than twice a day, otherwise you’re just masking the symptoms, and might as well go ahead and use the cold medicine. (shudder)

What I have sounds nothing like what you have. I just have a common cold and on day 5, it’s following the typical pattern of going away on days 5 and 6 before I wave bye-bye for good. I have a barrage of herbal treatments that I do, which may do nothing, but it makes me feel like I am doing something. The absolutely most awesome thing I take is medicinal mushrooms. I’ve tried several brands and the hands-down winner is MycoFormulas Immune Defense. I’ve warded off many colds by taking this at the very first suspicions that I might be getting sick. Honey is a huge relief straight from the jar for sore throats and coughs. Of course, I take a bunch of other things….echinacea, goldenseal, elderberry, andrographis, and astragalus….and tons of Vitamin C. This time I added zinc at the urging of my boyfriend. Soups full of garlic, lemon, ginger, and shiitake mushrooms always make me feel better. And a hot steamy shower clears up the sinuses. When things get sticky at the end, the netti pot is a godsend. TerraFirm Botanicals “Root It Away” cough syrup works great for coughs….I get it from Mountain Rose Herbs. And I do admit that I take phenylephrine. It is non-drowsy and takes care of sniffles or stuffiness…and in the nose spray form, it works miracles. I do believe that getting sick now and then is really good for our immune systems, but there is a limit to how raw my nose can get before I reach for a little help from the medicine cabinet…and it really makes life tolerable. Stay warm, keep away from other people, and don’t push yourself at the end or you will relapse. And just think of how strong your immune system will be after this ordeal!!

We are faithful neti-ers at my house. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t ALWAYS take a peek to see what’s come out. Hope you feel better soon!

I love to make a steeping pot of wellness tea….fresh chopped ginger, garlic, lemon an cayenne and just a touch of honey….it works wonders!!

I use Homeopathics – any of the Hyland’s brands that pertain to what you have. I also use Young Living Essential Oils – Thieves Oil (Throat-in water or drop on tongue&Rub on Chest-use neat) , Lavender(chapped lips, inflammation, nausea, laryngitis, sleep aid-use neat or diluted), Frankincense (asthma,coughs-use diluted in an organic vegetable or coconut oil), Lemon Oil in water with local honey (whiskey too if you like it). You can check out on google. These oils are my 4 favorites when sick.

Happy Hugs From The Ozarks For This New Year!
Loved your thoughts and your pictures of your life with your family.
Your dog looks just like mine, his name is Noel. We found him a few days before Christmas 9 yrs ago, hit by a car in town as we walked down Main St. We took him home with expectations to have to have him put down after the weekend, but instead he improved so much so fast, that you would never know he was ever hurt!
What a joyful Christmas present he was for us then, and today!
Took Yoga many yrs ago in high school, never knowing how today it would help my rheumatoid arthritis fight today, 43 yrs. later!! Thanks for reminding me to stick with it!! Diana, Noel, Mo.

Just looked back on my journal and my “word” for 2014 was organize. I did good in January, then must have forgotten about my word because no more organizing was done all year. No need to pick a new word this year..I’ll continue on with organize and hope to do better. Love your blogs..i live in west central Minnesota

Dear Alex, I loved your New Years post. And I really loved all the sweet pictures. Here’s looking forward to longer days, huh?! 🙂 – Dori, the Ranch Farmgirl –

Dear Alex, So I HAVE been doing Yoga and I didn’t even know it! Max and I are down on the floor together at least once a day! Ha! I’m with you…more cuddles, more kisses, more laughter, more fun, less worry…more daily JOYS! My word for last year was soar. I did some soaring, some gliding, some flying and some flapping. There may have been a few rough landings in there too… Oh, well… we are only human after all! Warmest wishes for a Happy New Year! Deb ( the Beach Farmgirl )

I loved this review of resolutions! And how true they are – so many made, so many fall by the wayside. But these are easy to follow or to use to germinate new resolutions (such as, “I will draw more”, “I will read at least one best seller that is not a seed catalog”) Thank you for such a lovely bit of a read. Wishing you a wonderful new year full of blessings, art, fun and just a little bit of whimsy! P.S. I am a knitter! And we love to knit for wee heads like your daughter has!

Love, N