Fun with Grandpa & Grandma F.

Mom, when you were a girl...

Did you ever go to the post office and pick up baby chicks?  Did you ever have soaking wet baby chicks on your kitchen table warming up?   These questions this morning have me reflecting on how much I love it out here in the country.  I get questions like this all of the time. The thought of growing up in the "city" is foreign to them.  They can't imagine what it would be like.  It's so fun to have little country kids - running free, playing with the baby animals, gathering the eggs, milking the cows, knowing the difference between a combine and a planter, recognizing the difference between corn and beans growing out in the fields.  I don't know that I would have had the courage to pick up and dispose of chicks that didn't survive, nor would I have not even flinched when a chicken used my back to propel herself out of the chicken house while I was kneeling inside of the door in her way.  I assure them, quite honestly, that growing up in the city was not bad at all.  We could ride our bikes on SIDEWALKS, instead of gravel and grass... We could run up the street to the park to play... We had a cat... and a dog... and a yard...  Somehow they're not convinced.  And somehow, I'm pretty sure that now that I'm a country girl myself I'd have a pretty hard time moving back to the city.  The sounds are different - it's not that it's so quiet, it's just a different kind of noise - instead of traffic and airplanes and people, we hear distant freight trains... cows... chickens... frogs... coyotes...  We look out the window and see pasture and fields and animals instead of buildings and cars.  We look up at the sky at night and are amazed by God's creation.  I love going to town and seeing people we know and watching the farmers sitting around visiting while their wives shop. There is a certain wonder to the city.  The lights and buildings are beautiful and amazing in their own way.  The hustle and bustle is easy to get caught up in.  There are stores and stores and more stores and any restaurant imaginable. I'm glad there are people who enjoy living there - I used to be one of them. And I'm glad I can occasionally visit the city and enjoy the sights and sounds and busyness.  But I am so thankful to live in the country!!!

Yep, he's a boy!!

Kid Quotes:

Garrett had us all cracking up this evening as he exaggerated his hiccups, laughed and exclaimed "I Burped!!!"  And he thought it was funny over and over and over again.

Out in the pasture, he stomped on a "clod" and happily yelled "Cow Pie!!!"

At supper tonight he was getting ready to eat his meat and I told him "Hang on and I'll get you some ketchup."  He grabbed my arm as tight as he could and with a question on his face said "Hang on?"

Lincoln's tummy wasn't feeling very good yesterday.  When I asked him how he was feeling, he said - "I feel like I swallowed... a bug."

What another beautiful day today.  Someone from Todd's job offered us their trampoline, so the kids have been having a blast jumping and jumping and jumping.  We have debated several times whether or not to get one, and have always decided against it. Since the price was right on this one, we decided to go ahead and give it a try.  When Abigail broke her arm last fall, the nurse at the orthopedic office told us that trampolines and jungle gyms were about the worst for kid injuries.  So under strict orders to only jump one (she told us that most of the injuries occur when more than one kid is jumping at the same time) at a time and the threat that it can leave as easily as it got here, they are really enjoying it.

Our little farmer made this up while he was jumping - "Put on your hat, put on your boots, put on your coat and milk the cow."

Ahhhh Spring!!

A huge thunderstorm with hail and driving rain woke us up before 6:00 this morning.  Since it was raining and most of our projects for today were planned for outside, we had a nice leisurely morning with pancakes for breakfast.  By late morning, it had cleared up and the temperature kept climbing today so the kids ended up outside all day playing in the yard and splashing in the creek while Todd got the tractor running and mowing done.


We have several new lambs and some chicks ordered, always a fun part of springtime.  Our cows won't calve until sometime in the summer, but we're looking forward to the fresh milk again when they do.


The kids are close to being finished with most of their school books and we're all excited that it is getting near the end of the school year.  I have some projects I'm hoping to get done - mostly cleaning, de-cluttering, organizing and planning for next year, and they are looking forward to getting the pool out and having a little free time.  They have all had a pretty full year of studying, so it will be a well deserved break for them.


Kid quotes: 


Garrett: "My's wash my's hands" 


The other day we dropped off all of the girls for music lessons.  As the last one went into the teacher's house, Lincoln said "Now we're rid of those pesky sisters" - cute and funny, but not really very nice since those "pesky sisters" wait on him and Garrett hand and foot...


Lincoln: "Mommy I need some water" Me: "Why" Lincoln: "To get the snake to come out of its hole" Me: "I don't want you playing with snakes" Lincoln: "It wrapped around me and it didn't kill me" Off he goes and I overhear this ... Lincoln: " We're not allowed to" Heidi "Why did you tell her???"  I was glad to find out later that the "snake" was actually an earthworm...

Mommy to Garrett "Are you my baby?" Garrett "No" Mommy "Are you my big boy?" Garrett "No - I a man..." - This reminds me of something he likes to do when I rock him. He lays down so I am cradling him and says "I a baby" - then he gets an impish grin on his face - sits straight up and says "No I a boy" - and then back down to be a baby again and up to be a boy...  It's hard to believe that he has grown so quickly out of that "baby" stage and really is a little boy now.  It is so funny to watch him imitate Lincoln in everything - from the way he plays to the way he gets in trouble.  You can see him working on screwing up his face to copy the way Lincoln looks when he gets mad.  We have to keep ourselves from laughing at him when he does that.

Brothers and Best Friends (usually)

This was such a brilliant rainbow - across the road from us

Lincoln learning to read

Visiting Grandma B in the nursing home

Grandpa and Grandma F went on a field trip with us to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago

The end of our day at the  Museum of Science and Industry 

Our new mantel - a board from Greg and Sara M polished up  by Bruce

Another picture of the mantel

New Year's Eve Pictures - Thanks Talisha!!!

A serious game of Chinese Checkers

Ummmm..... I think we were all getting a little tired

A bouquet of flowers... 

Happy New Year!!!

Banging in the New Year!!!

The kids keep asking if I have updated the blog lately, so guess I had better get to it. Last week we enjoyed having Bruce, Nathan and Alijah here working on a little project.

It got done quickly, so they, Todd and the kids spent some time cutting down a tree and splitting it up for firewood. We've been basking the fruit of their labor this week - it has made some great fires in the fireplace.

They wore each other out!

Monday around noon the older girls and I went out to "batten down the hatches" against the storm the weatherman had been promising. We got the firewood stacked on the porch and covered, filled the water tanks for the cows and sheep, and other odds and ends of things we knew we wouldn't want to do during the storm. By the time we were finished, we were covered in the slush coming down from the sky. It rained and sleeted and snowed and blew for a couple of days. When the sun came out again, everything was covered in ice. It was a gorgeous, sparkling, winter wonderland. We were lucky and only lost power for a couple of hours. Others in the area were without electricity for a few days. Today the kids went out to sled down the hill - their sleds really flew fast on the ice. From the pictures we've seen of the blizzards in other areas this past week, we were really fortunate!

He kept smiling through it all!

Random pictures from January 2011

It's so fun to have big sisters!

Best Buddies - I should note that Lincoln read his 1st sentence this week! He is officially "in school" now.

Laura's little helper

This week flew by. Todd's 41st birthday was on Tuesday. Abby made some cheesecake tarts and we had a roast with mashed potatoes and gravy for his birthday supper. We were busy with school all week, and then Friday evening Quinn and Kendra T and their family came over for the weekend. What a fun time!! There wasn't a dull moment the whole weekend, and there was a lot of disappointment when they had to go home tonight.

There was just enough snow on the hill for the kids to go sledding on Saturday.

Making pizza for lunch.

Putting on a play

Watching intently!

The younger kids' turn to entertain us.

Snippets of the week

Lincoln & Heidi being silly

Garrett

Lincoln

Garrett singing "Was it for me" for his sister (He turned 2 in November)

Heidi & Lincoln putting on a show

Fellowship, Food and Fun

Our meeting and the Effingham meeting met together for union meeting at our house today. We had a wonderful time of fellowship. It is always so helpful to share in what others have read and meditated on during the week. It seemed like, because of it being the beginning of a new year, there was a spirit of fresh purpose in the meeting. Lincoln wanted to sing the hymn "Was it for me, for me alone, the Saviour left his glorious throne..." It was an excellent hymn to begin the first meeting of the year.

After meeting, everyone stayed for a potluck and visit. Marty, Mary and Sara stayed for a while after everyone else left and played Farkle with us.

Laura made pizza for supper and now Todd and the kids are playing Settlers of Catan while I am getting lesson plans together for this week. I'm taking a break to write a little bit on here and get Garrett settled down for the night.

Here is the scene I found just now as I was walking down the hallway.

Garrett's Good Night Song: Mommy loves you, Mommy loves you. Daddy too, Daddy too. You're our little baby. You're our little baby. We love you, We love you.

Happy 2011!!!

My Resolution for the new year: Write on my blog

So, I'm getting it taken care of on the first day.

It's not hard to imagine that this will be a wonderful year with a sunny blue sky, cold enough outside to enjoy a warm fire inside, kids all healthy and happy (as I look out the window and see three of them, barefoot without coats, bringing in wood - sigh).

We saw 2010 out and 2011 in with a lively houseful. Don and Talisha, Jacob, Joel and Jadon, Bruce, Jeff, Nathan & Alijah came over for supper and a game filled evening. (Skipbo, Chess, Chinese Checkers, Bible Charades, Bible Pictionary, oh and did I mention Rook?) Everyone, from Bruce to Garrett managed to stay awake the whole time. Garrett was buzzing around helping himself to everyone's sodie (as it is called in this area) - "bpop" (as it is called by Garrett), M&Ms and whatever other sugar he could find. I managed to forget to get out the camera, but maybe Talisha will use her amazing clairvoyant skills and e-mail a few pictures from the evening. The kids all went out and banged pots and pans shouted and screamed the new year in - just the way a new year should be welcomed.

This morning started out with the kids snacking on the sugar laden leftovers from last night's snacks before breakfast. Todd headed out for Brownstown after breakfast. The kids and I are having a quiet day playing, reading and getting a little school done. We have union meeting and potluck at our house tomorrow, so we're looking forward to another day filled with friends, fellowship and good times.

I hope you all have a wonderful year full of blessing and good things.

(Whew, got that resolution under my belt now)

Critter update

Sheep and Lambs:

Ruby had a twins (girl (Onyx) and boy(Jett)) March 31

Daphne twin boys April 6

Gabby - boy (Andrew) April 9

Harriett - twins (girl and boy) April 11

Fern - ? - April 12

Abigail - girl (Addy) - April 13

Cheerio - twins (girl (Charm) and boy (Lucky) - April 22

Cupcake - girl - April 22

Sapphire - boy - ?

Frosting - ? - ?

They were all fathered by Sweet William

Cattle

Peyton - Female Miniature Jersey

Heather - Female Miniature Jersey - Not Polled - Had a heifer calf which we sold)

Lilac - Female Jersey -

Buttercup - Female Jersey - Born December 15, 2009 to Lilac

Rosie - Female Hereford - DIED

Blossom - Female Hereford - Born to Rosie in July or August of 2007

Stormy - Female Hereford/Black Angus Cross - Born to Blossom on May 13, 2009

Independence - Female Hereford - Born to Rosie in July or August of 2008

Ferdinand - Male Hereford cross - Born to Independence April 26, 2010 (had to have vet pull him - we'll have to get that story on the blog one of these days!)

Rodeo - Female Dexter/Red Polled Cross - Born April 2008

Strut - Male Miniature Belted Galloway - Not Polled but dehorned - About 4 Years Old

Oreo - Female Miniature Belted Galloway - Polled -About 2 Years Old - SOLD

Spikey - Male Dexter - With Horns - Born about July 2008

Horned Mama- Female Dexter - Not Polled - About 14 Years Old

Cocoa - Female- born to Horned Mama Early December 2009

Jemimah - Female Dexter/Miniature Belted Cross - Polled - About 3 Years Old - SOLD

Ribeye - Male Dexter/Miniature Belted/? Cross - Born to Jemimah about May 13, 2009

April - Female Miniature Belted Galloway - SOLD

Cornish Cross Chicks - bought April 16, 2010 - scheduled for processing June 2

Rabbits - Bought in mid April - 4 California White

We still have Blueberry the donkey, a guinea, Autumn the dog and about 5 cats - oh and I forgot to mention the box turtle and toad... :)

We've been so busy that mom hasn't had time to post, so I (Laura) decided to do it this time.

Last Saturday we had a funeral for Great-Grandpa, who died April 20, 2010. Then we got to have union meeting at our house for all the family on Sunday. We had a potluck afterwards and we kids chased lambs and milked the cow into paper cups.

We have had several additions to our farm, 14 new lambs, a calf, chicks, 4 rabbits, a turtle, and a toad. We are also expecting kittens one of these days!

Bye for now!

Laura