My name is Sunshine

My name is Sunshine

Hi! My name is Sunshine, but most everyone calls me Sunny.  Here we have a variety of animals, a goat, a donkey, a calf, a few cats, a rooster, a flock of chickens, and a small herd of sheep.  This really was supposed to only be a sheep and chicken farm, but over the past year we have rescued several animals in need. You will learn more about them later.

In fact, you will learn a lot more about me, our animals, my friends, and our neighborhood over time.  I will tell you all about our adventures and you will get to know all of us pretty well!

For now, let me just tell you a little bit about me and my family.  I am 10 years old, I do not have any brothers or sisters, which sometimes makes me sad, but all the animals on the farm are my good friends.   I love my mom and dad very much, their names are Paul and Marie, and, as I said, they run a sheep farm.  We have around fifty sheep, but I don't know the exact number.  

Want to know about how we use the sheep to make sweaters?  Once a year the wool gets cut from the sheep's back, this is called shearing.  It is carefully cut into one large piece, so it looks like the sheep took of their coats. They go from looking like fluffy cotton candy to looking like an unfrosted cake!   The shearing is done quickly and does not hurt the sheep, but sometimes it does scare them.  I am sure they are happy it only takes about three minutes, and I think they feel better when all that heavy wool has been shaved off.  

The wool, which we also call fleece, gets cleaned and combed by machines so it can be nice and smooth.  The wool is then put onto this thing called a spinning wheel where the wool is turned into yarn.  Then the yarn is put into stainless-steel pots and dyed different colors.  My favorite is a shade purple that reminds me of grape jelly!  Then it gets woven on another neat machine called a loom or a knitting machine, where my mom makes all sorts of things like sweaters, socks, scarfs, blankets, hats, and even stuffed toy sheep!  Whew!  That's a lot of work!  

 My dad also plants, harvests, and sells a hay called Timothy, oats, and corn.  And my mom uses the peaches, plums, apples, and cherries from our trees to make all sorts of yummy things like pies, preserves, or puts them in glass jars.

My parents run a little store at the farm where they sell the stuff made from the wool as well as mom's fruity items.  We even sometimes sell things from other people to help them make some money too, like art projects and toys made from wood, paint and even our own wool.  Our shop is busy year-round, but I love it most at Christmas when all sorts of people ask us to sell their homemade items and baked goods.  And Pastor Mel asks us to sell his super wonderfully smelling homemade Christmas wreaths! 

There is a lot to do on the farm, and of course, my parents cannot do it all on their own. We have a lot of helpers with the crops, the sheep, processing the wool, and running the store.  I love to help whenever I can; my favorite time is spent in the kitchen and taking care of the animals!  

That's just the way God likes it!  He wants all of us to help each other because none of us can do it all on their own!  That is why my parents named our place God's Country Farm.  They want everyone to know that all we own truly belongs to God, and we are His helpers. We will do our best to not only work our farm so our goods can help meet other people's needs, but also so we can take good care of the land and of the animals, and especially of each other! 

Well, I guess that's all I have to tell you today, but I can't wait to tell you even more later!  Bye for now!