Well, it has almost been a year since I have made a blog post. My life has been pretty busy this year, but I am making a commitment to get back on the blogging train because it’s something that makes my heart happy! We should all be doing things that make our hearts happy. Kicking off my updates with a recent picture of our family, whom do not often get together for a photo but somehow this was pulled off <3.
Saying Hello
So what has changed in the last year? Well you know we seem to continue to grow in size each year as a family, and since my last update we have not only added 2 kittens (Aurora and Willow) and a fish (Tiny)… we have added 8 hoofs! Not cows, not goats, but pigs. 2 mini Juliana pigs (Iris and Fern). You may be thinking, aww they probably have a cute little hut outside and roam around freely. Sigh.. But they are inside pigs. Much like dogs. This was not my first choice but my husband was adamant. So this was quite an adjustment and I’ll make a whole post about my tips for surviving the first couple of months and learning the pig ways. I also love to make the “Here’s what you should know when you are thinking of getting a ___” posts. Because adding family members can be a hard decision but as long as its informed, you can feel confident in your choice.
Saying Goodbye
As much as we love our additions, the reality of having animals is knowing one day you will mourn their loss. I have talked about Abby, our German Shepard a lot on my blog. She was our first success story with curing heart worms naturally, and was the reason for our homemade dog food post. She changed our lives in so many ways, and due to a beautiful long life, we had to lay Abby to rest this year. Since we rescued her as a full grown dog, we do not know exactly how old she was but we suspect she was 13 or 14. We were very lucky to have found the services of a house call vet on the Space Coast of Florida who comes to your home to help your lovies cross the rainbow bridge. This was one of the best experiences we have had and unfortunately we have had to let go of MANY family members in our years since we rescue so many. It was beautiful to be able to hold my girl in the comfort of her own home, and safe space and say goodbye. I will continue to share her success story in hopes that more will find an affordable safe solution to a common medical condition in their beloved pets.
Nursery Update
Our business (Propagate Happiness) is still up and running, we haven’t found a perfect location yet to turn this Backyard Nursery into a full blown plant experience – but we feel like every week/month we are closer and closer to making this dream a reality. We have found new suppliers to help us get a larger tree selection and even added succulents which have been in high demand – that was a pretty big step in our eyes. We also took the opportunity to launch Propagate Happiness merch by partnering with a military family owned small business Inky Fusion. You can check out and order our shirts at www.inkyfusion.com/propagate-happiness
My Personal Happiness
Another beautiful step that I have taken was planting my own personal flower garden. In the past I have focused on planting food, and how could that plant be useful to me in any way. This year I wanted something beautiful to give back to the birds, bees, and butterflies. I can’t wait to share with you what I have planted, and provide updates as it continues to fill in. Owning a nursery doesn’t mean we are great landscapers cause we definitely aren’t. We will continue to learn through experience and enjoy the beautiful benefits of having a peaceful little flower garden.
I can’t wait for what 2023 has to hold for our family. We are wishing you the absolute best as well!
-Traci
