Birthday Boy, Again

     Well, we have wrapped up the last of the August birthdays.  It seems like I spend the month of August gearing up for the birthdays that are to come, surviving said birthdays, and then recovering from all of the fun.




     Gabriel turned 7 this year, and was super excited.  After having to spend his birthday last year on a party for his older brother Luc, he was glad that this time around it was "his" day.  He got to pick his breakfast (pancakes and bacon) and his dinner (Panda Express).  His brothers worked hard to make it a special day.  Nick spent his own money and bought him a 10 gallon tank and some fish--Gabriel finally has his own pets!  Not to be outdone, Sam, Joel, and Luc went out that night and got a few things as well. 


Sam got Gabriel candy

Hmmm.  What should I wish for?

I Got It!



He lost his first tooth just in time for his 7th birthday

Don't feed the Animals Part 2

Anyone who knows our family won't be surprised that Nick had A Plan to kill the predators killing our chickens.  He wanted to sleep outside with his gun and knife (And Anastasia, of course).  So, Friday night he and Joel set up outside to catch the critter(s).  Around midnight they came in, spitting mad, because we had forgotten to turn off the sprinklers.  Typical.

Luc

My oldest son turned 17.  17!  My sweet husband told me I don't look old enough to have a 17 year old.  I reminded him that we have a 19 year old as well ;-). 

I told him that he couldn't have a birthday party. So he had a "get together" instead. He thought maybe 15 or so people would come. 

Does this look like 15 people?  I will tell you there are more people in other rooms.  It was more like 30.  I think they had a really good time.  We had pizza and hot dogs that they could roast over the fire pit, and 72 sodas.  The sodas all went.  (Joel had 5 of them himself.  He didn't go to sleep until 3:30-4)  Also, watermelon and grapes and a giant cookie and chips.  Bags and bags of chips.  All of the junk food went, the fruit?  Not so much. 

Luc came to me and apologized profusely, saying he had No Idea so many people would come.  It was all good, and I am glad that he has friends that would come and love on him.



Such respect for his elders.

 

Birthday Boy

Samuel turned 9 this year.  He is such a handsome boy!

Don't Feed the Animals!

We are having a problem.  A predator kind of problem.  I'm not sure what kind of predator, but I have lost several (15) meat chickens, and both of the turkeys.  I lost a few laying hens as well, but those were eaten by the next door neighbors dog, when they wandered through the fence into his territory.  The yard is fenced in, with smaller gauge wire, and is 4 plus feet high in the back, and 5 feet in the front.  Can coyoties climb fences?  We are thinking maybe a racoon?  The thing is, some of them were taken over the fence and eaten, and some of them were left dead in the yard.  *Sigh*.  Trying to figure out how to solve this problem.

Photo Shoot

My sister came to visit and asked me to do her daughter's senior portraits.  So exciting!  I enjoyed myself very much, and they came out rather nicely, if I do say so myself (and I do.  Say so that is).

The picture with her sticking her tongue out is my favorite, and  so reminiscent of my father--he would have gotten such a kick out of seeing her do that.  He was in the process of teaching my youngest daughter to do that, and my oldest daughter would often stick out her tongue at him.  He just thought that was soooo funny. 

Anyway, congratulations to you, Priscilla, on graduating from high school!  I was honored to be entrusted with your senior portraits.  You have developed into a very beautiful young woman, and I so enjoyed having you up here.

Our New Cow

We got another cow--her name is Ellie May.  She is a little wild, but we finally have her hooked up to a rope so we can grab her when we need to, and we are working on having her get used to us.  I tried to touch her belly today, in preperation for milking, but she would have nothing to do with it and kicked at me.  So, we are still working at it.  Elsie is very happy to have a friend.  She has also established herself as the boss cow.  Could be the horns give her an advantadge.  I know I try to steer clear of them.
Ellie May is in the back.  This is when we first got her and she was especially nervous. 

Fortunately

Fortunately, I was wide awake this morning and able to go out and take care of the animals.

Unfortunately, the cow went though the fence and was eating the grapes and leaves. Last night she was on the garden eating the brusselsprouts. The chickens also were in eating the grapes.

Fortunately, I won't need to prune the grapes this year.  And fortunately for my kids, we won't be having brusselsprouts anytime soon. Fortunately, we have an abundance of grapes to harvest.

Unfortunately, we don't have that many grapes anymore. Goodbye to the visions of all those raisens that were dancing in my head.

Fortunately, I think we still have enough for fresh eating. also, I know what kind of fencing doesn't work for keeping the cow out.

Unfortunately, Regan is cranky and needy today. I think it is from her swollen gums where it appears her eye teeth are coming in.

Fortunately, she is super cute, and not normally so cranky. Although it might be th she is considering it seems she has been teething for forever. She didn't have teeth for the longest time, then she only had a few teeth for awhile.  It seems, however, that she has been getting teeth in for the last 4-5 months.

Fortunately we have water that flows to our house on a consistent basis.  Unfortunately, there seems to be a problem with that water flowing a little too freely from a pipe that leads out  of our house.

Fortunately, we have a plumber coming out to the house, and I know how to turn the water off to the house.

Unfortunately, he can't come until this evening, because they are sealing the road in front of our house.  Again. Tired of the unnecessary road work that goes on for our private, privately funded road.

Fortunately, he is coming tonight, cause the first time I called, they. Put me off til tomorrow.

Unfortunately, I am having problems with my hip today.  It is hard to walk, and carrying Regan, which she really wants, exacerbates it.  Fortunately, it doesn't happen nearly as often as it used too, and I have many older children that can run errands, get things, and help to hold/carry Regan.

Fortunately, tomorrow is a new day.