A new apprentice has arrived!  Daniel from Arkansas has joined the team.  We've also had a couple start working here at the dairy.  Natalie in the shop and Kent landscaping.  They are so inspiring...they've been backpacking since last May and have been woofing and traveling all over.  I love the idea of traveling and going job to job venturing while gaining so much from life experiences.

We've been doing a lot of preparation/training for the babies coming.  Eva has gone over before birth, during/right after, and colostrum.  She's also talked about castration.  I'm really excited but gosh I'm nervous.  And the most nerve wracking thing is that either way these babies are coming...whether your ready or not.  I guess I kind of have a little idea of how mamas feel.  I think the thing that'll take the most getting used to is the feeding plan and keeping track of who eats what and what day they're on.  O well, I'm sure I'll get the hang of it : ) It helps to have a boss that's very involved as well.

Not a whole lot going on at the farm besides preparing for the kiddos.  I finally got my chance to hand milk the herd Sunday evening.  Daniel is quite the trooper and hand milked with me on his second day of work.  And we were pretty quick!  It makes me laugh thinking of when I first got here and hand milking into the strip cup was a challenge.  I really enjoy hand milking...I think it's relaxing.  Yes, you get your jumpy goats who just don't want to be touched and that can be difficult but there's something satisfying about milking the goats yourself.  Imagine farms with bigger herds pre-milk machine!!  Yikes.

I've decided on St. Joseph as my church away from home and it's nice to have a church buddy, Nalani, to go with.  I absolutely love her.  When I leave Maui it'll be so hard to say goodbye to the dogs, goats, and people.  I can imagine it would be difficult as an employee getting attached to interns/apprentices since they come and go.  This last sunday Daniel came with us to church and Nalani wanted us to stand up when they asked if there were any visitors.  Us and one other woman (from Alaska!) were there and they put a beautiful sea shell lei around our necks to welcome us with some aloha spirit.  Afterwards Nalani treated us to some La Provence, a french restaurant/bakery, for breakfast.  SO yummy.  I only wish we had more time so we could've sat down and ate...the views of the island upcountry are so amazing.

Wednesday was another great morning of volunteering.  We went to the Maui adult day care and spent a bit of time walking around and visiting with the dogs.  I had Wilbur this week who's like the Ghiradelli of the Haku Baldwin Center.  He was very anxious the whole time because he wanted to be with the other dogs but the people loved him.  I just love spending time with a couple people and listening to them talk and recall memories from their past.  I especially loved visiting with a couple there who told me all about their family and the dog they used to have.  Shannon also trained me on how to care for Thumper, one of our bunnies that has vertigo or "rye neck" that can be caused by a bacteria or parasite.  Poor thing only feels oriented and comfortable laying upside down/on his side.  Shannon had me wrap him up in a towel and give him water with a syringe and then feed him with a little bottle.  Hopefully he recovers! 

As usual time has flown, which I think makes it easier for me to easily miss a week of blogging!!  I've been going to the beach a lot which never gets old.  Nothings more relaxing on your day off than hearing the waves and taking a nap in the sun and sand.  Teo took me to a nice little beach near Paia called Ho'okipa.  It's a good place to go when it's super windy from the trade winds.  It's also a surfer beach.  I think my favorite part of the beach besides the view looking down at the top of the hill was the surfer's little kids hanging out and trying to throw popsicle sticks down on us tourists.  Little did they know Teo was watching them and just looked asleep because she had sunglasses on.  Little brats..they were so cute though haha.  I gave them the "I'm watching you" signal and they just giggled.  Rachel said they call them groms here.  Surfer lingo I guess.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!  As I sit here and blog while the sun sets watching the goats graze in their pasture I get overwhelming feelings of being thankful I've been given the opportunity to be here and learn.  I'm also thankful for the center and alaska and all the amazing people I've met along the way of my adventure.  And of course I'm thankful for my friends and family back at home who give me more strength and encouragement than they know.  I woke up this morning really sad and homesick.  I would have given anything to snap my fingers and be with Andrew, Jill, Aaron, Danilyn, Meghan, the kiddos, and Kevin with Dad at Grandma Huff's.  I always enjoy the drive to/from Charlotte and feeling the holiday spirit, especially afterwards when I know I have the "after thanksgiving" excuse to start listening to christmas music haha.  I even miss that all familiar feeling of only having a few weeks before finals and knowing the semester is about to wrap up at school.  And I especially miss the cold weather.  But then I thought to myself I have years and years of the holidays with family ahead of me and this year I have a new farmily on Maui to spend it with.  We were closed to the public however Alicia, Teo, and Cody still had to work.  After all we still have to pasteurize cheese and milk/feed the goats.  This morning I sat down with Eva, Alicia, and Teo and we drew pictures and ideas for how to paint our new white wall behind kennel.  I thought it'd be cool to paint out surfing goat dairy with each letter made up of something that represents the farm and maui.  I'll keep you all posted on what we decide.  I also got to help cut Amelia's cast off with Alicia and her leg looks great!!  Still healing well and she's using it.  It was priceless to see her lift her new free leg up and try and walk on it like "woah! what's this?!"  she's totally not used to having her cast off and walking funny.  It was adorable.

Well I'm off to eat a turkey dinner at Thomas and Eva's!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY AMAZING AND BEAUTIFUL BEST FRIEND EMILY FORTIN!!  You are truly an inspiration and wonderful young woman.  I'm so freakin proud of you for getting into medical school and all that you do.  And I would just love to be home to celebrate your birthday and accomplishments : ) LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!  You have and always will be such a big part of my life and I'm so blessed to have you as my best friend <3