Dear Friends,
This morning we woke to a beautiful day.
The sun was shining with the kind of gentleness that comes with this time of year, sitting low in the winter sky.
I had planned to write about the in-between quiet of this season - this waiting and anticipation of new life - when, in true ranch fashion, Sarah called from the barn: “Alsace is in labor.”
That was not what I wanted to hear, especially on the heels of Ekko losing her twins.
Alsace wasn’t due until mid-March…or so we thought.
One of the young buck kids born last spring matured faster than expected, and today we welcomed a full-term buckling into the world!
It wasn’t an easy birth. The baby was stuck.
We loaded Alsace up and headed to the vet.
Dr. Burt attempted to pull him, but he wouldn’t come, and we made the decision to proceed with a C-section.
Dr. Burt successfully delivered a beautiful dark brown baby boy!
As of this evening, both mama and baby are doing well.
Every goat here has a name, thoughtfully chosen.
Alsace was born during the time Rachel was spending a university semester in Alsace, France, where she formed deep connections and found a second family.
If this baby had been a girl, her name would have been Yvonne, after Rachel’s “adopted” French grandmother.
But since he’s a boy, his name is Vosges, after the mountain range that runs through Alsace. It’s pronounced Voj, with a long “o.”
Our next mama, Rose, is due in two weeks…unless we’re surprised again.
The buck kids born this year will definitely be weaned earlier than last year.
Life on the ranch has a way of reminding us that no matter how carefully we plan, we are always meeting each day as it comes.
There is beauty in that surrender, in showing up, doing the hard things with care, and celebrating the small miracles when they arrive.
Thank you for walking alongside us through the quiet mornings, the uncertain moments, and the joy that follows.
We’re grateful to share this season of life with you.
Angela