We lost the chickens!

For the past few months we have been eagerly preparing for our rapidly approaching wedding. Upon spotting us in a crowd, in Walmart, in a family gathering, or wherever we may be we have been asked two simple questions: How's the wedding coming? and So, when are you two having kids? Now the latter has been phrased in several different ways, such as, don't you want someone to teach to play baseball?, What will you do with all your free time?, What do you mean your dog is your child?, Don't you want little Tanners running around? We are not even married and already we are being bombarded with these questions that no newly wed should have to deal with, let alone an engaged couple! Yet, I know we are not alone in this. It appears to a part of the gauntlet. So for those out here like us here is an encouraging example of how you can prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are not ready for "little Tanners."

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"Do you want to grab the food or the water?" Tanner asked.

"Well...um where are the chickens? We might need those first!"

"What? What do you mean they're not there?!"

It was our first trip to feed the chickens while our dear friends were away on vacation. The task was simple. Food and water. Eight chickens. Now we had three. All were hens and all the roosters were gone. There was no blood in sight and hardly any feathers. It had appeared as if there was no struggle, but there were also no roosters. Anywhere in the general proximity of our friends property.

"They couldn't have just flown away!" Tanner explained in a sense of panic as he reflected back on his limited knowledge of chicken and his promise to look after them,

"I think they did. They aren't anywhere near here." Brianna pointed out as we watched one of the remaining hens hop onto the fence and climb out on the other side. The hen glared at us as she called for her men. She slowly lurked her way down the fence through an act of defiance and desperation. She knew she had to escape and find her fellow chickens. Tanner slowly followed her, cornered her, and much to her dismay deposited her back into the coup.  

And then she climbed the fence. Again. 

As we headed back to our car ready to call it a day we both wondered how we could fail so simple a task. It was our first time coming to feed them and already we had lost over half of them. We knew this would be our next answer when asked that unsettling question. If we cannot watch over chickens we clearly are not ready for children.