Happy Birthday to my best friend Jenna! Can’t believe you are 4!!! So glad you escaped the dairy industry and let me learn to be a cow parent with you!

Pumpkin would like to remind everyone that Friday is her Quinceañera! Yes, this beautiful girl is turning 15 and of course she is having a party to celebrate. In lieu of gifts, she is hoping to have at least 15 new friends join our “Be One of the 100” campaign - where animal lovers can sign up to be monthly donors of any amount (even $5 or $10!) to help the sanctuary become better able to manage its ongoing expenses. If that sounds like you, visit lifewithpigs.com/100. Pumpkin would like to clarify that snacks do not count as gifts and those should continue to arrive as expected.)

Jenna loves to do this… and yet I can never remember what I did that day to make my neck hurt… Support Our Sanctuary at give-usa.keela.co/x-donation…

What is and what could be…

When you nap with a chicken…

In case it wasn’t obvious, Ryan was born to be a dad! He did a horrible job of hiding how much he loves the idea of having a baby again by constantly singing and reading to our animal family. It’s been almost 20 years since his daughter Rousseau was born and 22 since his son Christian was born and I can barely believe he waited this long with as excited as he is about Gwynevere (only 23 days away)! And I know one of the songs (that’s not a hard rock song) he’s most excited to sing to Gwynevere is Snuggle Puppy by @sandra_boynton !! And in honor of this excitement, here is him singing it to his really big baby Maisie ♥️ Support Our Sanctuary at give-usa.keela.co/x-donation…

Sherman has been keeping a watchful eye on Mallory’s belly. Sometimes he looks so interested that you’d swear he can hear Gwen in there and is already preparing for his role as big brother. Of course, knowing Sherman, an occasional peck may be part of his proposed sibling management strategy. We’ll be supervising that relationship closely. 😂❤️ Watching him watch Mallory makes me think about how lucky Gwen is to have him as a big sister. But even more so how lucky she is to have Mallory as her mom. I already see her motherly love in the way she comforts our animals, patiently navigates Huckleberry’s jealous demands for attention, and makes room for Sherman’s turkey cuddles in bed at night. This is the person who saw a little one-eyed toad in the road and couldn’t leave her without making sure she was safe. From the smallest rescued toad to the biggest cow, Mallory is filled with the ability to show unconditional love accompanied by patience and a desire to make sure everyone it happy and healthy. Gwen will grow up surrounded by that love, and I can’t wait to watch Mallory become the wonderful mom I already know she’ll be. ❤️. And I look forward to Gwen growing up sharing those amazing attributes. And just for the record, this was a few weeks ago and Mallory is much more pregnant now 🤰

Everyday she comes for us and we have no where to hide… no escape. Jenna will eventually get us…

The truth about running a sanctuary, is that so often it is hard and filled with heartbreak and sorrow. And often it takes a lot to keep our chins up and our minds focused on putting one foot in front of the other. And as our family members age, it seems one challenge follows the next or they join right in with each other. Sometimes, it feels like too much… We just lost our sweet Jackie, Fiona continues to be struggling with eating enough, weight-loss, and arthritis pain, and Bonnie clearly is seeing her mobility decline. And it’s moments like this the kind words and support of everyone out there means so much to us. Because it truly feels too much for just us to carry. Yet, there truly is this sense that we aren’t doing this alone and that having you here with us makes it feel a little easier to keep moving forward. We won’t give up! And we can’t thank you enough for having our back ♥️ Support Our Sanctuary at give-usa.keela.co/x-donation…

Jenna is always happiest when she is near her family and especially her dad. Watching Ryan and Jenna together is one of the things that made me fall in love with him. Gwen is one lucky kid to have him as her dad. And Jenna as her future babysitter.

Can you see the big sister excitement on her face?!? Jenna hopes you have a beautiful start to your day and to remind you that in only 22 days she will become the big sister to little Gwynevere Adeline. And we can’t wait to be able to introduce her to you ♥️ Though Jenna is a little suspicious that based on the size of mom’s belly, Gwynevere might be taking more than her fair share of the carrots.

Jenna has spent her entire life being my baby. ❤️🐮 She came into my life on November 6, 2018, when she was just three days old, after being taken from her mother at birth. Heartbreakingly, she almost didn’t get the chance to live beyond those first few days because the farm where she was born saw her as having no value because she was born infertile. Thankfully, the farmer’s daughter saw something very different and thought the little cow (yes, she was little once) deserved a chance to be loved. And that’s exactly what she’s been ever since. Loved beyond measure. But spending nearly every day of her life being both her parent and her best friend has had one rather hilarious consequence. Jenna absolutely cannot stand the idea of me leaving home without her. Especially if she sees me walking down the driveway! She’ll moo at the top of her lungs, sometimes for practically the entire time I’m gone, making sure everyone knows how terribly she’s been abandoned. 😂 I think Jenna sees herself a lot like Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings. I tell her, “I’m going for a walk alone.” And she replies, “I know. And I’m coming with you!” Eight years later, that little calf who was once considered worthless has become someone who can’t imagine a world where we aren’t together. And the truth is, I have a pretty hard time imagining one without her, too. ❤️

Sometimes, it feels like loving too deeply might actually break us. Our hearts are aching from losing our sweet Jackie, while every day we watch Fiona continue to struggle. And all around us, we see the animals we love growing older, quietly reminding us that youth is fleeting and that no amount of love can stop time. There are moments when the weight of loving so many beautiful souls feels almost unbearable. Because loving them means knowing that, one day, we will have to say goodbye. But then we find ourselves in the middle of a love fest with Annie and Huckleberry, surrounded by affection, joy, and the beautiful innocence of animals who love without reservation. And suddenly, we’re reminded why every bit of heartbreak is worth enduring. Because as much as loving them can hurt, a life without that love would be an even greater loss. And perhaps what breaks our hearts most is knowing that countless other animals will endure suffering far beyond anything we can imagine, without ever knowing the comfort of being loved. So we will keep loving. Even when it hurts. Even when it breaks us. Because they deserve nothing less. ❤️

💔🐸 Today our hearts are aching as we say goodbye to our beloved Jackie. Mallory first noticed Jackie in the road, where cars kept passing by, and she worried that shelittle would eventually be run over. There were also snakes nearby, and with Jackie having only one eye, we worried that surviving on her own would be especially difficult. While torn about the best thing for Jackie, we concluded that a safe home where she would have everything she needed and nothing to fear would be the best option. And so, this precious little girl came home to become part of our family. So often the hoping blurs on the road on a rainy night are overlooked. But to us, Jackie was family, and every bit of her life mattered. Jackie reminded us that love isn’t measured by size, or by how much affection an animal can show us (though she definitely showed more than we ever expected). And love doesn’t depend on how long we get to share our lives with them. Sometimes love is simply recognizing that another being’s life is every bit as important to them as ours is to us. We wish so desperately that loving someone could mean never having to say goodbye. That somehow, if we loved them enough, we could keep them safe forever. But we are constantly reminded this is not the case and that the next heartbreak on a sanctuary is usually not far ahead. Today, our little family feels like we lost a huge piece of the puzzle that made us feel complete, even if she could fit in the palm of our hands. We are so grateful that Mallory saw Jackie that day. That instead of becoming another little life lost and forgotten along the roadside, she became someone that was cherished and deeply loved. Jackie, your life mattered. Your happiness mattered. And you mattered. Thank you for being part of our family, sweet girl. We will forever be grateful that, in this enormous world, our lives crossed paths with yours. You were never just a toad. You were family and you always will be. 💔

🐷❤️ 10 DAYS. 15 MONTHLY DONORS. ONE BIG BIRTHDAY WISH! 🎂 Pumpkin turns 15 in just 10 days! We’re planning a special birthday bash filled with her favorite treats, lots of love, and plenty of piggy fun! But there’s one birthday wish we’re hoping to make come true first! We still need 15 more monthly donors to get us closer to our Be One of the 100 goal by her birthday! ❤️ With the rising costs of food, veterinary care, and keeping everyone safe and comfortable, monthly support has never been more important. Any amount helps us give Pumpkin and all her rescued friends the beautiful lives they deserve. Could you be one of Pumpkin’s 15 birthday heroes? Let’s make her 15th birthday extra special! Become One of 100 at: Lifewithpigs.Com/100

🎶🐮 That’s Life… according to Jenna! ❤️ For today’s Tunetastic Tuesday, I decided to serenade our beautiful Jenna with Frank Sinatra’s That’s Life! Sinatra has always been one of my vegan brother Sam’s favorite artists, and this particular song has become extra special to me because it’s also one of the songs I sneak into my nightly singing sessions with little Gwynevere through Mallory’s belly. Of course, Jenna needed to look fabulous for her performance! We decorated her horns for Halloween, but apparently the little ghost wasn’t up to her fashion standards, because she promptly shook it off! 👻😂 So we switched to some sparkly purple tinsel, and Jenna seemed quite pleased with her glamorous new look. There’s something so wonderful about sharing music with the ones you love, whether they have two legs, four legs, or are still waiting to make their grand entrance into the world. And if anyone knows how to live life on her own terms, it’s Jenna. #jennathecalfwholived #tunetastictuesday #thatslife #franksinatra

This was Sherman at a few weeks old. Our sweet turkey wasn’t going to let anyone tell him we wasn’t big enough to flex. But he also never let anyone tell him that he was too big for hugs. So remember, size doesn’t matter. It’s what’s in your heart that matters ♥️

Apparently, someone is having a little trouble accepting that he’s getting a baby sister! 🤣 With just 30 DAYS until Gwynevere arrives, Huckleberry seems to be experiencing a little sibling jealousy! Our sweet Huck has decided that the best way to remind Mallory that HE was here first is with a few playful rams! 🤣❤️ We’re trying to explain to him that love isn’t something you have to compete for. Gwen joining our family doesn’t mean anyone gets loved any less. It just means our family has one more little someone to love! But Huck isn’t entirely convinced. He’s been Mallory’s baby for a long time, and apparently, he’s not quite ready to share his mama! 30 days until Gwen joins our wonderfully chaotic, furry, feathered, and very loved family!

🚨❄️ WINTER IS COMING, AND WE NEED YOUR HELP BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE! ❄️🚨 Last winter caught us completely off guard. Nobody expected everything to be covered in a sheet of ice or wind chills to plunge below zero. Suddenly, protecting the animals we love became an enormous challenge in dangerously cold conditions. We NEVER want to be caught unprepared like that again. ❤️ That’s why we’re urgently raising funds to improve the sleeping area for our big cows, Jenna and Maisie. These upgrades will allow us to quickly winterize their space when severe weather threatens, rather than scrambling to create solutions in the middle of a storm. This isn’t about convenience. It’s about protecting lives that depend entirely on us. 🐮❤️ We need to make these improvements BEFORE winter arrives, and we can’t do it without your help. ❤️ YOU CAN HELP IN TWO WAYS! ❄️ Make a donation toward our winter preparations. Every dollar helps us create a safer, more weather-ready home for our cows. 🐷 BE ONE OF THE 100! We’re also hoping to welcome 15 MORE MONTHLY DONORS before Pumpkin’s 15th birthday on October 30th! 🎂 Even $5, $10, or $25 a month helps provide the stability our rescued family needs all year long. Our animals can’t prepare for storms, build shelters, or ask for help. They trust us to keep them safe. And we’re asking you to help us keep that promise. Please donate, become a monthly supporter, or share our appeal. ❤️ Let’s make sure we’re ready BEFORE the next storm hits. 🐮❄️ Support Our Sanctuary at give-usa.keela.co/x-donation…