Hi it was pretty easy in the beginning. I kept the duck in a outside enclsure connected to the barn along with the chickens. After awhile we began leaving the door open to give them a chance to be in and out. Eventually the duck was so used to be with the chickens that she went with,. It helped that we put scratch grains outside the pen. I found that the duck if found water hated to go back early. Eventually though before dark it would head back. We eventually added more ducks and 3 geese to the group. Theya ll now go back before dark. The others taught the new guys. First thing in morning they go out and know there limits and than come back in at night or if its too hot. We have straw on barn floor and we had a old feeding trough that we left and made sure chickens could not get hurt added straw and than have 2 4 hole nest boxes. I did learn that we let them stay out as late as possible as we have pools they swim and drink out plus our waterer is out there. If left inside the ducks make a wet nasty mess. Winter though makes it tougher for me as they need water.I just make sure I sit it on one of those heated pans made for metal waters near the door so that the whole barn is not wet. saves me from having to change all the straw thru out. It also helps that I keep a heat lamp in the winter in that area high above so it does not get splashed and it helps dry out area a little, Hope that helps if not you can e-mail me. Patricia

Unity Candle ceremony: Personalized pillar candle and individual personalized tapers and gave each child a personalized taper. The ceremony was actually a Family Unity Ceremony. All children write a congratulation and thank you note to the bride and groom. Once the Unity Candle was lit, take turns lighting their tapers from the pillar and in unison, recited the following: "As I light my candle from the Unity Candle, I feel the warmth, love and excitement of my new, larger family. Thank you(BRIDE'S NAME or MOM or MOTHER) and (GROOM'S NAME or DAD or FATHER) for having given me an extended family to love and be loved by. Congratulations! I love you! Groom: "(childrens names), I want you to know that I dearly love your mother. We have become very good friends over the weeks and months and we have learned to love each other. As you have so graciously shared this wonderful woman with me, so will I share the love I feel for her with you. Together, we will learn much more about each other. I promise also to be fair and to be honest, to be available for you as I am for your mom, and in due time, to earn your love, respect and true friendship. I will not attempt to replace anyone, but to make a place in your hearts that is for me alone. I will be father and friend, and I will cherish my life with all of you. On this day when I marry your mom, I marry you, and I promise to love and support you as my own." Bride: "(childrenÂs names), I want you to know that I dearly love your father. We have become very good friends over the weeks and months and we have learned to love each other. As you have so graciously shared this wonderful man with me, so will I share the love I feel for him with both of you. Together, we will learn much more about each other. I promise also to be fair and to be honest, to be available for you as I am for your dad, and in due time, to earn your love, respect and true friendship. I will not attempt to replace anyone, but to make a place in your hearts that is for me alone. I will be mother and friend, and I will cherish my life with both of you. On this day when I marry your dad, I marry you, and I promise to love and support you as my own." The bride and groomÂs children then responded to the following vows when read by the pastor: (ChildrenÂs names), do you promise to love your mother and her new husband? Children respond: "I do." Do you promise to support their marriage and your new family? Children respond: "I do." Do you promise to accept the responsibility of being their children, and to encourage them, support them, and accept them just as our heavenly Father accepts us? Children respond: "I do." (Children names), do you promise to love your father and his new wife? Children respond: "I do." Do you promise to support their marriage and your new family? Children respond: "I do." Do you promise to accept the responsibility of being their children, and to encourage them, support them, and accept them just as our heavenly Father accepts us? Children respond: "I do." Today is the wedding Of more than just two. We're blending our families With love that is true. Today marks the birth Of a new family: One that is special For all here to see Today's a Day of Love Not Just for Us by Nicholas Gordon. Today's a day of love not just for us, But for all of those who brought us here. So please excuse us if we make a fuss Over you, the ones we hold most dear. In you we see the love we replicate By joining on this day our separate lives. Our choice was neither accident nor fate, But homage to good husbands and sweet wives. We hope to make a family just like yours, And be to our children parents much like you. You have been to us wide-open doors Onto a serene and peaceful view. We look to you with gratitude and pride. What joy this day to have you at our side!

I'd have to say that even with the problems I've had with my SM, growing up with a blended family situation itself has definitely helped me to be flexible as a person, and of course it's exposed me to multiple lifestyles and even cultures. My mom and her family and my SF and his family are all Jewish; she grew up in Pittsburgh, he grew up in Cleveland, and I grew up with them in Miami. My Dad is half Italian and half Scotch-Irish and grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania, very "Mayberry" or even "Norman Rockwell"-like. It still is literally like 1952 there, and I love that as much as I love the cosmopolitan modernity and excitement of Miami. SM grew up in Alabama. I now live in the South, and there are many things about it I embrace. (Conversely, there's several things about each place that I think are less-than-great.) I've learned to love and embrace ALL of it as literally parts of myself, and feel I have things in common with a wide variety of people. The travelling back-and-forth and adjustments have their down sides, as we've all discussed. But one thing I will say is that it can make a kid a bit more broad-minded, diverse and inclusive. Even without the culture or geographic differences. When this goes relatively well, this can be one of the ways a kid can "make lemonade out of lemons" and turn into a good experience. My experience with my SF has been all-around very good. I absolutely consider him a "bonus" to my life in every way, and very "parental" in a good way. I don't talk about him much on here b/c there's hardly anything to complain about! LOL...

I am a big believer in forgiveness. I try to forgive those whom I believe have caused me harm; I hope that others will forgive me if they feel I have in some way harmed them; and I try to forgive myself for not being perfect. I try to give others the benefit of the doubt...that if they have behaved in a way where I felt hurt, I trust their actions were not deliberate. I hope they extend the same to me. I know that I have never in my life set out to deliberately cause harm to another; I try to believe the same is true of others. So, I guess my resolutions would be twofold: one, to be generous in judging the motives of others; two, to learn to forgive others & myself --- again & again & again & again.....