We have had plenty happening around our place in the past few weeks, and there seems not to have been much posted on our blog.  I think the most notable and the most important news is what I chose to write about in this post. This truly is some news worth sharing.

Last Sunday, Sarah publicly demonstrated her desire to serve the Lord and be completely dedicated to Him by being baptised.

The baptism took place in a lake at a local Christian camp.  It was really nice weather and a really nice location.  Many thanks to the photographers who graciously allowed us to use their pictures on our blog.

Romans 6:3-6 “so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”

Last Saturday we had the opportunity of visiting Grandma and Grandpa at their home.  We were really excited when, after finishing a few things around their house (turning their garden, cutting up branches, weed-eating, etc.), Grandpa went to the old charcoal barbecue and lit it.  Grandpa’s barbecuing is famous among all his grandchildren.

Once it was running nicely, he put the sausages on.

Everyone stood around to watch the barbecue.  Well, I guess it really didn’t take that many people, but we had a great time talking and listening to Grandpa tell stories about when our father was a child.  Meanwhile, Mommy and Grandma were inside doing the other preparations.  

Before long, the sausages were done and we took them inside to eat.

We had a great time around the supper table and afterwards we talked in the living room while a few of us did the cleanup.  It is always a privilege to go to our grandparents’ place and enjoy their company and hear stories from past years.  

Proverbs 16:31 “The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.”

   Excitement had been gradually mounting around the Frazer home as our newest addition to the animal “family” neared her calving date. Mocha’s nine months of pregnancy were really showing.

   So far she had been an excellent cow – very gentle and laid back. One day, Evelyn took Amy along to do the chores.

   At the beginning of April, Evelyn and I cleaned out the stall in the barn in preparation for the calf’s arrival.

   Finally, the big day came. Around noon, I noticed Mocha was acting agitated, but it wasn’t until late in the afternoon that I realised that what I was seeing was the result of her being in labour. When we realised that, we all became excited. A number of us wanted to see the whole procedure. Things didn’t seem to be progressing any too quickly, however, so around 7:00 p.m., we all headed inside for an early family time of listening to John MacArthur so that we could be back out in time to see the action. Well, Mocha had other ideas! Though we were gone not much more than half an hour, our return to the barn revealed that to be plenty of time for Mocha to calve! It had obvious just occurred.

   Notice the cell phone in the above picture – we immediately got on the phone with some dairy farming friends who walked us through what to do. Thank you T______ family! We would not be doing this without you!

   After helping to dry the calf a little, we carried it off to a prepared stall on the other side of the barn. The next step was to get something for it to eat which of course meant milking Mocha.  Mocha is turning out to be a really excellent cow.  Despite a huge influx of people in the barn on top of just going through the trauma of her first calving, she was amazingly quiet and gentle.

   Feeding the calf was both fun and interesting. A number of us tried our hand at it.

   For the moment we seem only to have pictures of the girls with the cow and calf, the boys too have been involved. David helped feed the calf its first meal and he and Stephen did the milking this morning.

   There has been some discussion about what to call the calf. A number of suggestions have come up: Beef, Hamburger, Milkshake, Smoked Ham (that was vetoed). As can probably be devined by the edible, mostly meaty, nature of the suggestions, this bull calf is destined either to be turned into food for us or to be sold and turned into food for someone else. So, readers, don’t get too attached to the pictures of the cute guy! The most interesting suggestion came from David who said we should call the calf, Caffeine. Then, since Mocha is now de-calfed, she should be called Cocoa. We have not yet settled on a name for it, though. 

   The calf, though wobbly last night is energetic today – jumping around in the little stall we have for him. Though we left him loose for the first night, he is now learning all about tethers and managing quite well. He doesn’t seem to mind photographers…

   “Every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.” Psalm 50:10-11

   OK, I know several people are looking for a post on Mocha and her calf. That post should be coming soon, however, there is another event I want to mention that takes precedence. (I love my brother far more than the cow! ) As many of you know, David is a real estate broker. One of his first clients was someone selling their house in Sherbrooke. Last week, that house sold! We are all thrilled for him! This morning he and I went out there to put up the “Sold” sign. It really didn’t take two people, but I wanted to get some pictures.

   First we went by his office in Sherbrooke to pick up the sign.

   After that, we went out to the house to put up the sign. The man selling the house was happy to see it, saying that it felt more official with a sold sign up.

   Congratulations, David! May the Lord continue to direct you as you walk the path He has laid before you.

   Yesterday was a day work in the basement. The step at hand was plastering. With a whole team of us on the job, work progressed quite rapidly. Nevertheless, it took all day to complete almost all of the first coat due to the fact that most of us are not very experienced plasterers. There was some question about whether the walls or the plasterers were more thoroughly covered at the end of the day!

   With so many of us plastering at once, it took a full-time plaster mixer and another full-time bucket cleaner. Jonathan and Stephen made a good team. Thank you, guys! You did a great job of keeping us supplied.

   I have only done plastering once before and my efforts then were hardly worth seeing. (It looked all right after Nathanael fixed it!) I was, therefore, a little hesitant to put my “signature” on the apartment walls. So, I requested the task of working in the closets where my work would not be seen. The photographer saw me, though.

   Spring, in all its simple joys, arrived early in the Eastern Townships. My heart sings as I listen to the gentle breeze whispering among the trees, watch the unfolding beauty of buds springing to life, thrill at the sight of birds darting about, and relish the new life manifesting itself all around me.  Words are insufficient to describe the wonder of this joy-filled season.  Pictures do not do it justice either, however, they do capture a glimpse of it.

   This year the birds especially have come under the scrutiny of the camera lens…

Some birds do not like sharing the feeder very much…

   Some of the birds we have seen have so far eluded the camera. The dark-eyed juncos, white-throated sparrows, and several others have yet to be photographed.  Perhaps I can improve my photography skills (or lack of them).

   “He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11