Guest blogging, and Gramma and Grampa are here. But not the pigs any more.

Melissa, a friend of mine who owns "Honeybee Holistics", likes my blog and asked me if I would be interested in guest-blogging and reviewing her products for her. 'Oh, no, I can't possibly do this', I thought. 'I'm not good enough.'

But apparently, I am now her guest blogger, and her product reviewer to boot. She makes incredibly high quality body care products, all natural, all wild crafted, and I love them. You can read my first entry at Honey Bee Holistics here.  And the best thing: You can leave a comment on her blog to win the product I reviewed for her - her amazing Organic Coconut Citrus Scrub!  

You all should go to her website and shop for Christmas gifts in her online Etsy store. Do it right now!

No, wait. Finish reading this, and then go!

This week, we are blessed with Steve's parents' visit.  They will be here for two weeks, one of which Steve and I will be gone for.  I kind of didn't want to tell you about this, in case you got all jealous.  But here's the news: Steve and I will go to Mexico for a week, where Steve's brother has a time share at a fancy hotel.  I cannot believe we get to bask in the sun for a week, WITHOUT CHILDREN!!!  I can't write about it now, I get all jittery thinking about it!

We have a whole barrage of people lined up to help at home: Gramma and Grampa, neighbors, and friends.

In the meantime, the kids are already having fun with their grandparents.  They are getting a lot of attention, and we already took them on a tour of the farm.  Today, we showed them the pigs - and also said our last goodbyes.  The butcher is coming tomorrow morning.  I admit, I am kind of sad.  But this is what we raised these pigs for: bacon, pork chops, meat.  Yes, it's good.

Showing off the sauna the neighbors are building with wood and a stove we donated.

Gone are the days of walking out to pasture on frosty mornings, prying the feed lid open with frozen fingers, being attacked by pigs when I throw their feed in the trough... Hearing their squealing noises when they pig out on their breakfast... Schlepping water buckets from the standpipe to their pen, because the water hose is frozen...

The weather has been incredible. One day, Kai and I bicycled up the forest service road out of our back yard. When the mountain became too steep and gravely, we hiked. It was an incredible experience, full of macho endorphins, sunshine, and bonding with my oldest child. He is not a child anymore, really. Anyone who manages to kick my butt mountain biking is not a child.

These are the views we enjoyed that day: