The little man is getting big...

Crazy hair day!

... and to all a goodnight!

Our normal, abnormals...

The other day Eric came down the stairs at like 6:15 and said "I need to go measure the average height of a chicken, I'll be right back".  He said it like it was a totally normal morning activity. I asked him why he needed to know the average height of a chicken and he told me that he was going to put an electronic door in the little pink coop. Even though measuring the height of a chicken and having an electronic door on a chicken coop seem normal to us, I realize our day to day is VERY different then most of our friends and family. I'm sure many think we are crazy, but we love it.

Another normal, abnormal is how Eric likes to go outside and work before he leaves for work in the morning. Sometimes he will go do weed and feed or mow the lawn.

Other days you can hear the table saw going in our garage before breakfast. He has been working on the club house and cutting out lots of pieces in the garage before work. Today he came in for family prayer/ scripture study at 7:10 and sat down totally covered in saw dust.

None of the girls questioned his appearance. I just smiled and took a picture.

Keaton is 7 months old!

Keaton has just started sitting up by himself! He tells me stories (mumbles) the entire time he is nursing. He recognized his family members and gets really excited when his sister's get home from school. He is still waking up two times a night and takes 2-3 naps during the day. He is loves baby food and eats everything including peas! What baby eats peas? He is always happy and smiling. The second he starts to fuss I know he either needs his diaper changed or to go to sleep. We love our Keeter boy!

Happy birthday Reese!

Today we went to the birthday party for Reese. Although we are not related at all, she is my niece. 

Let me explain... 

When I was 9 I started babysitting for a little three year old girl named Stephanie. I worked for her parents (Chuck & Jeanne) for years. Every Summer from 9am to 6pm I was at their house. I often went on vacations with them. The last time I worked for them I went to Epcot with Stephanie and Jeanne, I think Stephanie was about 12 at the time.

Stephanie is now all grown up, married and Reese is her daughter. The amazing thing is that Stephanie and I now both live in Oregon and only 15 min away from each other. She really is like my little sister.

Reese, Ruby, Haley, Jeanne, Stephanie, Lucy and me at the birthday party

Here is Chuck and Keaton

Ruby is convinced that when Reese is older, Ruby will be her nanny like I was for Stephanie.

When we got home from the party the sun was going down and Eric ran outside to get the grass mowed quickly. When I looked out the window I had to take a photo of him and the girls. He is a great dad.

It must be Sunday...

Like father like son

An excused tarty

Today we had the most snow we have had since we moved here. Eric felt like it clearly justified missing some school to get sledding in before it melted. He was so wise because it was all gone by the time they got home from school.

The lights are on

... and the chicks are home!

The baby chicks have all been moved from the garage out to the little pink coop with a heat lamp to keep them warm. It looks so cute to drive in an see the chick house with the lights on. Love it!

Such a HAPPY baby!

You know what they say...

When you play with fire

 You get a free hair cut

 and eyebrow trim... and eye lash trim!

5 months!

My girls addiction

Within minutes after my girls get home from school these little dirty bowls appear on our counter. At first it didn't bother me, but after a while it started making me crazy. Finally I told them they could not microwave marshmallow anymore because they were not cleaning up after themselves and it was disgusting. Lucy said "but mom it's sooo good. Have you ever tried it?" I said no and that I didn't want to. She told me that I had to just try it once and I agreed.  I was shocked by how yummy they are! Now we all have one when they get home from school. Not the healthiest treat, but it makes everyone happy.

 You put 2 marshmallows in a small pyrex bowl and microwave them for 30-40 seconds (Lucy, Ruby and I like 40 sec, Haley likes 30 sec). They blow up huge in the bowl and as soon as you open the door they deflate fast.

You quickly wrap the melted marshmallow onto a spoon and... you have the most amazing crunchy, but gooey roasted marshmallow you have ever had (and your hair will not smell like a camp fire).

Valentines day

Ruby's class had a competition on who could make the most creative mailbox for their valentines. She decided that she wanted to with the one for best delivery and came up with a spinning lid with a duck on one side and a pig on the other. I thought it was brilliant. She came home beaming holding her award. Way to go Ruby!

Our little chick magnet

The chicks all love Keaton. They kept hopping all over him.  

Keaton loves all the chicks! He especially loves them walking on him and cracks up laughing.
Luckily he did not try to grab them and none of them tried to... leave their mark on him. It was all good.

Did I mention that his mom and three sisters were all hovering over him cracking up at him laughing so hard? It would have been a great video to have.

Our chicks have arrived

Fifteen new little chicks moved into our house today. 

10 Welsumer

3 Cuckoo Maran

2 Americanas

We can't wait for the chocolate brown eggs to start showing up. 

Rubys Minute to win it party

Ruby said that for her 11th birthday she wanted a Minute to win it party with balloons and a dairy queen ice cream cake. I love it when they know exactly what they want, and it's simple!

 Eric and the girls made homemade root beer... because Eric and I thought that sounded yummy. It was!

 We decorated with red and blue balloons and streemers and made a big score board with the games/ teams listed. When the girls arrived we divided them into two teams and sent them to the corresponding table that had a bag in the center with all the supplies needed for all 11 games including a t-shirt of the team color.

 All of the games had to be completed by all of the members of the team. Technically we did not time them for a minute, it was just the 1st team to finish. There were 11 prize bags on the mantel and whichever team won the game could pick a prize bag. (Top secret information shhhh... I placed haley on one team with the interactions to do what she needed to do to make sure both teams won close to the same number of games. Its not fun if one table won ten of the games and the other only won one. She did a great job and only had to "Mess up" a couple of times). The red team did end up winning but only by one game and everyone was happy.

Overall this was a really easy and cheep party to do and Ruby said it was the best party ever... so that's all that matters.

Our double rainbow!

Lucy and I were out stacking firewood in the wagon and it started sprinkling. It was so light we just kept working. Then it started pouring rain so we ducked under the little roof over the firewood trying not to get soaked. After just a few minutes the rain stopped and right in front of us was this very bright clear double rainbow (the photo doesn't do it justice). Our jaws dropped and lucy said "The end is right there!" and she took off running. After she got about 100 feet away she stopped and came back and said "I got sooo close to it but the closer I got the further it moved away". It was just magical for both of us. 

18 years ago today...

I made the best decision of my life!