Our youngest Farmstead visitor: Meet Aoife.

This past weekend my best friend from college was able to come visit The Farmstead with her beautiful, 6 month old daughter, Aoife. Aoife's name is pronounced E-fah. It means Radiant, Beautiful in Ireland, where Erin is also a dual citizen.

Erin and I met at the Air Force Academy where we were both English majors. You might think a lot of people go to such a prestigious engineering institution to major in English, but that’s not quite the case. Of the 800+ in my graduating class just twelve other kindred souls shared my passion for poetry and literature (but not grammar, and not always spelling).

Erin is now back at the Academy teaching English which means, Spring Break! So instead of hopping a plane to the tropics Erin packed her rain boots and came to our farm during one of our most temperamental times of year.

The last time Erin was here we had our first batch of baby chicks living inside with us and Erin was pregnant with Aoife! Poor Erin listened to them peep peep peep all night and never once complained. This time the chicks were gone but we added three more cats. It’s funny how you never really notice your noises until you put other people in them...either way, despite the midnight antics of our feline posse my dear best friend never complained.

It was fun to see the farm through Erin’s eyes again, to look back at all we have accomplished since her last visit. It’s so easy for us to get caught up in what still needs to be done that sometimes we forget to look around and see the beauty we’re a part of everyday. (Side Note: Erin's mom made Aoife's Easter dress...isn't it beautiful?)

Perhaps there is no better reminder than watching Erin discover a freshly laid egg. It was warm, and a little sticky, but absolutely perfect. Watching her pick it up in such wonder and amazement you would have thought that it was made of gold. And in a way, I guess it is. But this is the gold that nourishes us both physically and emotionally…

Thank you Erin for bringing Aoife to the farm, it wasn’t technically the first time and it won’t be the last time…Love, Auntie Rachael and Uncle Nick