Serenity Hills Ranch

The animal kingdom never ceases to amaze me. I walked outside yesterday to look at our birch tree. I thought in my head the day before, we may have to trim some of it because a portion of it is dead.

I take a look at it as im outside, thinking of the proper way to trim it and I hear squeaking. Quite a bit of chatter from a squirrel. I looked up and couldn't see anything so I continued walking. This little guy pulled me back by squealing and chatting even louder. I found him looking for me and we sit and have a little conversation. He tells me to wait as he has to show me something, and runs across some branches and tucks himself into this hallow. I tell him how beautiful it is and thank him for showing me his home... until I realized its on the dead branch I was thinking about cutting.

You see- we're not at all separate from Nature.
We ARE Nature.
When we slow down enough to tune in, we begin to realize that the connection was never something we had to create.. or something that only 'some' people can understand.
It is, has and always will be, there.
We are animals.
We are earth.
We are energy.
We are nature experiencing itself.
We just need to take the time to listen.🐿

There's something about slow mornings. 🌅🐴

Something about standing outside, closing your eyes, breathing the fresh air, hearing the birds, surrounded by your animals, listening to them chew their food and lick their bowls, all while the sun comes up. Feeling the warmth of the sun on your face. Starting a brand new day. A moment that reminds you to slow down.

To breathe.

To be fully present.

To let your world be quiet for a little while.

Especially after losing an animal, healing doesn’t always look or feel like moving forward. Sometimes it feels numb. Sometimes it looks like simply standing in the ache, in morning light, feeling the emotions, and allowing yourself to be exactly where you are.

Animals don’t ask us to rush through grief. They just invite us back into the moment, and stand with us while we grieve.

And that’s part of the healing…
learning that we can miss the ones we’ve lost deeply, while still finding little pieces of peace in the process.

Some mornings, you don’t need to do anything.
You need to just, simply, be. 💜

🌼Tuesday's Ranch Resident, looks a little different today. It only seemed right to honor my sweet Angel Kitty, Calvin. 🐾👼

Going through these photos flooded my emotions so I don't have the strength to say everything I want to say but...

Say hello to my forever angel. Calvin was truly one of a kind. Always the first to greet visitors. Loved belly rubs and being picked up and cradled like a baby. LOVED attention. Would snuggle you all day if he could. Would always find him in the weirdest spots or bizarre positions. He would follow us wherever we went, was never... ever, far away. Sometimes too close where you'd trip over him, just so he could get your attention. The best escape artist. Nearly gave me a heart attack on several occasions, escaping and couldn't find him. I was a wreck. But, im sure he had a grand old time during his outings because when we did find him, just like a human, he looked at you like 'oh, s**t' and would roll over on his back to apologize. Gosh, I remember the HUGE sigh of relief and how warm my heart was, knowing he was back safe and sound.. and remembering how grateful I felt. He just loved to love. And to show his affection. Losing him was like losing a part of me.. but my heart finds peace in knowing he's on a forever (safe 😂) outdoor journey.. with endless belly rubs and cuddles from my mom.

Rest easy and fly high, my sweet Calvy. 🐈

I've been waiting to get the strength to share..

On Saturday night, we had to very unexpectedly say goodbye to our sweet, sweet boy, Calvin. 💔

And honestly… it’s completely soul wrenching. Andrea here- and this is one of those vulnerable, real posts- that isn't always sunshine and rainbows. My heart is shattered.

One of the hardest parts of loving our animals so deeply is knowing that, sometimes, even when it's impossible to fathom, loving them means making the most painful decision imaginable.. and knowing that decision will stick with you. And you will always question; did I make the right decision? What if I would have noticed something sooner? What if I could have done something to save them? THE GUILT. It's something that never really goes away, even if you know it was for the best.

And when we've had to say goodbye to more animals than we ever thought we would, in our short 3 years here, you start to question.. literally everything.

Are we doing the right thing?

Why do we keep having to go through this?

Why does this keep happening? What lessons do we still have to learn?

Why us?

What are we doing wrong? Is this really our calling? Is it a sign?

How much more can our hearts take?

The last few years since starting our little ranch, have brought challenges we never could have anticipated. There have been so many beautiful moments, and so much to be so extremely grateful for..but on the other side, there have also been losses, heartbreak, uncertainty, insurmountable vet bills, hard decisions, financial hardships, moments where we’ve wondered if we would find the strength to keep going.. or just give up.

But then, you look into the eyes of the animals who are still here.

And they still need us.

They still need a safe place.

They still need someone to show up.

They still need love.

They still need patience.

They still need us to keep believing in what this place can become.

So we keep going. Somehow, you wake up.. and just keep going. Through the heartache, through the tears, through the pain.

Not because it’s easy.

Not because we always know what we’re doing.. because goodness, sometimes we don't. We're still learning as we go.

But because somewhere along the way, these animals became part of our hearts.. part of our family —and this dream became bigger than us.
We know and understand that these moments are inevitable.. but gosh, why does it have to be so hard? Fighting for the light and seeing our dream from the other side, is the one thing that keeps us going.

Thank you for letting me be vulnerable.. and creating a safe place to share things like this. For allowing SHR to be more than pretty pictures and happy moments. Beacause the truth is, it's not always easy. Sometimes, its ugly. And hard. Healing isn’t always beautiful. Sometimes it looks like grief. Sometimes it looks like questioning everything. Sometimes it looks like uncontrollable crying, feeling numb, questioning your whole life and existence.. and then getting up the next morning because there are still animals waiting for you, and a mission on our hearts.

And maybe that’s part of the healing, too. And what we need to experience and learn. If you've stayed this long, thank you. ❤️ Thank you for taking the time to read and being here. We're all human, and things aren't always perfect. But it's comforting knowing we have support and love- and those who understand the immense love we all have for our animals.

Calvin, thank you for being part of our story. We love you so much and we will miss you, every single day. I'll miss you always being the first one to greet me at the barn door in the morning with meows and jumping up and nuzzling your face in my leg.. and always wanting to cuddle and rolling over for belly rubs. He was definitely not your typical barn cat, he was my soul cat. My buddy. Who made the best biscuits. A purr that soothed your soul. Also that cat that made Tim like cats. They were best buddies and Calvin would always follow and lay at Tim's feet waiting to be picked up and loved on.

My heart is just completely broken and my soul just aches.. to say goodbye to my best friend so soon. Please send love and healing to his siblings- who dont understand why he was here one moment, and gone the next. My heart just breaks for them. The one thing that keeps me going is knowing my mom, Ollie and Daisy, were there to greet Calvin at Rainbow Bridge. We will carry him with us as we continue building this place with love. 🤍

Thank you for being here with us, through all of it.

When you find clues🔍 as to where our free roaming donkeys visited on their stroll last night.

Colonel Mustard in the backyard with a p**p pile.

Imagine... its 5am and you look out your bathroom window and see these mugs staring at you, just hanging out near the front door on the porch.. in the dark.

Tim ran into the room: "Get up, now. Just get up we gotta go outside!" 😂

Somehow these turkeys escaped their paddock at some point during the night. Their paddock gate was wide open. Jury is still out on how it happened... me, or them. 😬 Regardless, so much fun was had trying to wrangle them back down to their paddock. Sweat, heavy breathing, robe and muck boots running through fields.. in pitch black.. up around the house..around barn.. twice. Down to the field, around the back of the field.. up around barn.. then barn again. You get it.

Perhaps they came to remind us breakfast is soon. Although I highly doubt they just walked around innocently and didnt scarf down pasture grass. Counting our blessings that they didnt run out the front gate and were innocently waiting for us to wake up. Ayyy yiyi...Real life unedited farm stuff. Never a dull moment.🤦‍♀️

🌼TUESDAY'S RANCH RESIDENT🌼

Meet Bonnie 🐷

If you've ever spent some time around Bonnie, you know this girl's got personality for days.

🌟A few Fun Bonnie and pig facts:

Bonnie is an Idaho Pasture Pig and weighs about 250lbs. In the pig world, yes, she's considered a mini pig. 😅 Some pigs or hogs can reach 1000lbs!

Bonnie is considered a 🍁"maple pig". We didnt know such a thing existed until we noticed she always smelled like maple syrup. (Sounds weird, I know 😂) It's a very rare trait only found in a small percentage of pigs. Nobody truly knows why or how it happens.. but they smell like maple syrup or caramel. Next time you pet her around her head, smell your hand. (Gross, I know.. but its pretty cool 😂)

Bonnie loves to pick on her sister, Ruby. She will get in her space and push her around, or chase her for no reason. Or she will often do a drive by and push Ruby in the butt. Ruby screams like a toddler. It's quite entertaining.. and dramatic. 😂

🐷Pigs are incredibly intelligent — they’re considered one of the smartest domesticated animals!

🌿 They have an amazing sense of smell and use their noses to explore the world around them. Their eye sight isn't the greatest- they dont have great depth perception.. but if they hear your voice or a treat, they run!

💭 Pigs are naturally curious and love investigating anything new… especially if there’s a possibility of snacks involved. 😉

💦 Pigs cannot sweat so they can overheat easily. Which is why you notice so many pools and wallows for them in their pen. They use water and mud to cool them down and protect their skin from the sun. (But, on the contrary.. since they dont sweat, they don't smell. Truly. (I've sniffed them to test this theory- its true!) Pigs are one of the cleanest farm animals.

🤎 Pigs are also highly social animals and can form strong bonds with both other animals and humans. Bonnie loves to hang out with her donkey friend, Stella.

Captured these awhile back. There's nothing like the peace you will find on back country roads. Home 🩷

When you're 4 hours early to dinner.

🫏Fun fact🫏

Donkeys are desert animals, so they are used to sparce, limited, and fibrous forage. Since they are used to digging for roots, twigs and coarse bushes, they aren't meant to be fed all day long, like horses. Especially rich grass/hay. Their digestive systems are different from that of horses. Donkeys can gain weight extremely easily, which can cause a number of health issues. They get fat on air 😁😂. And once they are overweight, it can be very tough or near impossible to lose it. But, it's not to say they don't act like they are starving every second of every day. If you're wondering if my weakness kicked in and gave in to their sweet faces with a handful of hay... the answer is yes. 🤣

A little glimpse through your eyes. 🤍🌿

We’ve been so touched by the photos you all have sent us from our Open House. Seeing Serenity Hills Ranch through your eyes—capturing the animals, the little moments, the laughter, the stillness, and the connections—means more than you know. You captured moments, when we were a little too busy living our dream, to photograph. It sounds a little cheesy, but we are so grateful others were able to document these incredible moments, that we will remember forever.

These are the times that remind us why we’re building this place. Why we believe in slowing down, reconnecting, finding peace, and simply being present.
Thank you for showing up, for sharing in our dream, and for sending these beautiful pieces of the day back to us.

Here are a few moments from the Open House, captured by you. 🤍
Thank you for being part of our beginning. 🌿🐴