April 9, 2008
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When Did She Grow Up?
After the fire and when the decision was made that we could not finance another barn, Doug sold the rest of our remaining herd. When Mary-Kate heard that she burst into tears and begged her father to let her keep the few calves that had been born since the fire. Her dad being a father through and through (this is a phrase that here means soft in the middle) gave it no thought and said “of course we will keep the calves that have been born since the fire and how about the nurse cow too!!!!” This had the desired affect and immediately dried her tears and made Mary-Kate happy. Now my daughter is not completely spoiled and I have to say that she has cared for these animals like they were her children since.
She feeds and waters them daily and cleans out their pens (now that her doctor will let her). When it came time to dehorn the calves she asked her brother to obtain the most humane method possible and she did the deed herself. She fretted all night and day last weekend when one of her bull calves wandered off and couldn’t be found. And the father of the prodigal was no more pleased than Mary-Kate when her calf wandered back into it’s yard the next evening.
She talks to them and they will follow her around the pasture and they come when called at feeding time. And as you can see from these pictures, this one heifer will even eat grain from her hand. Each animal has a name and, God forbid, one of us should use the wrong name for the wrong animal.
Last Saturday she attended her first ever dance. No she did not have a date. The school that she goes to is a private Catholic school and dating and steady company keeping is not allowed there so that was not that kind of dance. The kids were required to come single and the boys were required to dance with all the girls throughout the evening. The chaperones checked to make sure there was a proper distance between couples at all times.
A couple of her brothers were not sure they approved of this dance but she went anyway. Her friend Grace came over and did her hair and make-up. That’s right, big brother, make-up. Just a bit and very discreetly done. You can trust Grace.
Before the dance all the girls had to bring their dresses to school to have them approved for modesty. Mary-Kate designed and made hers. She looked lovely.
Here she is with her friend Colette. Mary-Kate put straps on Colette’s dress so that it would pass inspection. You can’t see them but their are butterflys all over MK’s dress and in her hair. She was beautiful and so grown-up. When did that happen? Today she has me picking out pictures for her yearbook page and for her graduation poster. It seems that she was just my baby.
Comments (4)
Oh my goodness, your daughter is SO precious!!! What a sweetheart!
I think that’s great the rules the school has and enforces as well.
We were sorely disappointed last year, our Michelle attended a homeschool formal with her girl friend Marcie just to get out and dressup and have a nice banquet dinner. We were promised the music would be nice music, more big band era etc.the dress code was strict, and would be enforced. We were told that couples if there were to be any, which shouldn’t have been in the first place in my opinion, would be arms length. None of the rules were kept. Dh was so upset, he wrote the board a letter and we never heard a word back. Needless to say, we chose another area group to do homeschool graduation with for Michelle this graduation year.
It’s good the school has a safe environment for the kids. That is a blessing. We are having to seperate ourselves more and more these days. Oh well, what’s new under the sun eh? : )
Thanks for sharing thoughts and family, very precious indeed. I would have felt the same way about the calves and their mommy. : ) What a sweet hubby you have.
And Mary-Kate looks so sweet and pretty in her dress too. I think it’s especially wonderful that she sewed it herself!
Hugs! ~Amelia
Oh I forgot, I so know how you feel, “just yesterday she was my baby.” It reminds me of the song…Sunrise Sunset. Well, I guess we’ll just have to have cyber coffee a bit more often I guess. : )
I have, of course, every confidence in Grace’s good sense. As, also of course, I have in yours and MK’s and Mrs. Ellens, should she choose to get involved. Forgive my typical masculine ignornce but I have yet to understand this make-up thing. “Very discreet and subtle,” in my mind means “I or any other guy would never notice it in a million years,” which more or less boils down to, “unnoticeable.” Unnoticeable then leads me to ask, “What is the point of wearing it at all if it is so ‘subtle and discreet’ that no one will see it?” However, I was pleased to note the dress she chose. If it was a disco dance she would be completely camouflaged.
Seriously, she’s a young woman. It’s rough, but that’s how it works sometimes. She’s a cool sort of sister.
boy does she look gown up and would you tell her that she looks very beutiful in that dress.
Lupus