Coming home from anywhere,
~ after a fun and busy weekend is a welcomed-thing ~
{the Heavens to Betsy Hook In & Withes Gathering}
but
coming home to find that one of your 'babies' has passed on is never good...
after settling in a bit last evening,
Peter broke the news to me that he had found her in the barn
the morning that we left for the Hook In ~
but he didn't want to upset me before I began the long drive to NY state.
my dear sweet, gentle & beautiful Esther {aka 'Mommy'} ewe sheep
has crossed that Rainbow Bridge to the Summerlands ~
we aren't even sure how old she was when we brought her home,
perhaps 2 or 3 years young at the time,
and already had given birth to a couple of lambs before her life began here with us...
She was to be our very first ever sheep to love;
to have and to hold, till death do us part,
~ forever and ever.
her beautiful eyes told me how very kind she was.
she allowed me to love on her, and gave us many happy spring mornings
by sharing brand new baby lambs with us ~
while she lived here at the farm, she birthed a total of 2 sets of twins, and 2 sets of triplets!
{not all at once, silly...but over her 1st couple of years here}
after that much mommy-ing, that is exactly what I started calling her...
'Mommy' ~ and she was a good one.
one of her last lambs was born smaller and weaker
~ so we decided to keep him with her,
and we named him Bobby {'Baaaa-bee'}.
...and they were inseparable.
Mommy & Bobby would walk out to the big field together
many times during the day to graze in the hay ~ she always led the way...
I will miss looking out my old farmhouse windows
and seeing her - seeing them together in the sunshine, snow or rain...
walking one behind the other.
as Esther grew older,
she developed cancer, poor eyesight and slowed down on her daily trips to the big field,
but Bobby never left her side....
this morning as I went out to see Bobby,
he had such a lost look on his face that brought me to my knees....
all I could do was wap my arms around his neck and bury my face into his fleece and cry.
Esther/Mommy was so much inspiration for me
in my needlework and folk art designs ~
and a huge part of my heart is now gone.
Dear Esther,
Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your sweet life.
We hope you were happy here with us all, as we have loved you dearly.
I will take good care of your Bobby-baby, until you see him again...
Rest peacefully in those golden fields and warm sunshine ~
our lives are richer, our hearts are fuller
~ and we are more blessed because of you.
All our Love,
Mom & Dad & Hannah
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
