The Kids

          The Family. It has to be more than just Mark and me, so let me introduce you to the rest of the members of the monkey show. 
          In age order: Nathaniel, Ian, Jason, Jacob, Zachary, Aaron. 
          Nathaniel just turned 29.  He is my son, the oldest of my five.  He has had an interesting life so far, and maybe he'll blog it someday himself.  He was married young, and has two beautiful, smart, funny, talented children.  Cameron is 8 and Rebecca, who I call Reba, is 6.  They live full-time with their mother and blended family, and stay with us alternate weekends, and for weeks during the summer.  Nathaniel moved home in March of last year, and he has integrated well back into the family. 
          Ian is my stepson and he is 26.  He is a great kid, very personable, and has a great future ahead of him.  Ian has lived with us during the last three winters.  This spring begins his fourth summer season tending bar up on Mackinac Island, and he has met some really interesting characters.  But his real passion is the screen.  He spent two years out in southern California, and has worked on the set of a nationally syndicated TV show.  This summer he will be directing a movie in northern Michigan, which will hopefully lead to more cinematographic work in the future. 
          Jason is my second son.  He is almost 21 and working to save money for college.  He is a prolific writer in his own right, and you should look for blogs from him as soon as I put the idea into his head.  He loves anime, plays Magic and YuGiOh with friends, and aspires to be a master swordsman.  He hates his shop job, which I totally understand, but it gives him a reason to save and get out of there. He is funny and talented, and doesn't know his own value yet. 
          Jacob, my third, is 19.  He will finish high school in 8 days, and has aspirations to produce indie movies someday.  He draws beautiful black and white original artwork. His immediate future is up in the air and will be interesting to explore.
          Zachary is 17.  He is brilliant when it comes to math, smart when it comes to science, hopeless when it comes to writing, and altogether entertaining.  Zachary is (very) high functioning ASD, and he is sometimes aware of how the condition affects him, and sometimes not.  His story would be interesting to hear from his perspective.  He is a high school junior.
          Aaron is 15 and a high school sophomore.  He cannot wait to drive, graduate, get a job, move out, become a professional athelete, grow up.  He has had a girlfriend, lost in love, found love, tossed love aside, and believes himself to be independent of all that.  Aaron is a typical teenager, at once my child and an exasperating adult wanna-be.  He is the youngest of the bunch, and always feels he has to fight for his place.  That may have been true when he was little, but he has come into his own, and has the potential to be truly empathetic and superior, if he can be humble long enough. 
          Buddy is a ten year old labrador mix.  He was rescued seven years ago when we adopted him.  He has run away, been found, been hit by a car (twice), recovered, gotten incredibly overweight, suffered a stroke, recovered.  Through it all he is a sweet, loving pup.  He is deaf now, and wanders the farm aimlessly, content.  He still tries to jump for his food, which is amusing beyond belief.  He still thinks he is a puppy.  He will sleep on the couch only if he thinks no one is looking, even though no one yells at him for getting on the furniture. 
          This is the cast of characters.  My personal children still have not forgiven me for moving them out of the family home during the divorce, and the move out to the country adds insult to injury.  No one is very excited about farming, even going so far as to tell me they're not " working on my stupid farm".  We shall see. 

Introduction

          So this is the first blog I've written, and I'm not sure how committed I am to this particular blog, but I want to create several linked pages to Croteau's Corners, our home and family hobby farm in Dryden, Michigan.  The family is a blended family.  My husband brings his two stepchildren and two children, and I bring my five kids.  Not all of them live with us, but the majority do, and life is very full around our house. 
          Mark and I met less than two months after my divorce was finalized in 2009, and although we hit it off, we both affirmed to each other that neither was interested in a long-term, committed relationship (read marriage).  Mark had been widowed for 10 years, and was done with flaky women.  I was coming off an eighteen year off and on marriage.  We were both looking for someone to have a drink with, play a little Buzztime trivia, and share a few laughs. 
          Fast forward to summer of 2011, when Mark and I, on a quick camping trip to a nearby park, decided that we really should spend the rest of our lives together.  Being the traditional souls that we are, that meant...you guessed it...marriage.  So in August of 2011, surrounded by loving friends and family, we were wed in a singularly spectacular outdoor wedding in Mark's sister's front yard.  Spectacular for us, anyway.  Stunningly simple and country-inspired, we began our new life together as husband and wife with Mason jar wineglasses, sunflower centerpieces, and a potluck buffet. 
          In the summer of 2012 we started house hunting, and found our dream home - a country-style ranch with a walkout on 4 1/2 rolling acres in rural Lapeer County, Michigan.  Over the winter we have planned our "farm" and began decorating the house.  The rest is our story.