Another month has flown by!
It’s good to see the trees and pastures getting green again! It seems like they were white or brown for a very long time. The ducks are back on our pond, the wild turkeys are wandering around, and I’ve even seen a few deer. I am so thankful for the blessings and beauty of nature.
We have another new baby donkey! That brings our “donkey herd” size to nine. I’ve been asked where we got all the donkeys, and what we do with them. Some of them we own, and some belong to other people and are just visiting for now. We used the donkeys last year to protect the sheep, and this year to protect the baby calves; donkeys keep away coyotes that will kill sheep and calves. The donkeys will actually kill coyotes if they come too close. We also use the donkeys to train calves to show, if they’re too difficult for Tim and Cody and Morgan to train. A difficult-to-train calf is tied to a donkey (it does not hurt either animal) and the donkey will not let the calf buck, run, etc. After a few hours or days, the calf is tame enough for kids to lead.
We are busy getting ready for Cody’s graduation! He will graduate from Lakeview High School on May 16th. We approach this milestone with bittersweet feelings; we are so happy that he is excited about this next stage in his life (he will be attending Kansas State University in Manhattan, KS next year) but in a way sad that he will not be around our home as much come next fall. We know that kids growing up and leaving home is part of God’s plan, and we trust that He will continue to keep watch over Cody.
Morgan is excited to serve as Secretary for the Lakeview FBLA next year; she is also applying for Secretary of the FFA chapter. She’s looking forward to going to several national and regional cattle shows this summer.
Happy Mother’s Day! I am so thankful for my own mother, Mary Geil, who has taught me so much and has shown me love, encouragement, and support in everything I do. I love you mom! I’m also thankful for my mother-in-law Anne; I’m so glad you live so close and are always supportive and willing to help me and my family.
I pray for God’s comfort for mothers who face Mother’s Day without a child this year (due to death) and children of any age who face Mother’s Day without their mothers.
We also celebrate Memorial Day at the end of May. Please remember our servicemen and servicewomen and their families in your prayers, and thank them when you see them. Our country is so blessed to have men and women willing to protect our country.
I hope you enjoy this issue of the Nebraska Family Times! As always, my prayer is that you will find inspiration, encouragement, and motivation in the articles. I appreciate your comments and suggestions, so if there’s something you’d like to see in the paper, please let me know. You can reach me by email at shelly@shellyburke.net or by phone at (402) 993-2467.
May God bless your May!
