Chicken Farmers

I call our farm a ranch, HA! After reading Kathy McCloy's blog and seeing her amazing pictures (she is the best) of her husband's "homestead" ranch, I have now decided that we are only chicken farmers, not ranchers. But very productive one's at that, almost 2 dozen today. My mom and dad have had chickens over the past few years. They even "dress" them (I don't participate!!) Anyway... we decided to try our luck with poultry. Last year we bought an old building from a neighbor and created a chicken/dog house. Most people would not put dogs and chickens together, but we are NOT most people! We needed something for the hunting dogs and I wanted some chickens to lay eggs, so Blake engineered a combo chicken/dog house. The chicken have half and the dogs have 3 kennels, it works great!!! Nothing trys to get the chickens because the hunting dogs are right there beside them. The dogs don't eat the chickens because there is a plywood wall between them. I thought the chickens would be a great responsibility for the girls. We are still working on that. My neighbors and family love the farm fresh eggs. The profits are going toward the B&B's education. (I'm glad they are young, we might be able to buy a book someday) We have learned that chicken will eat almost anything (like slopping hogs, we give any scraps to the chickens) and they don't lay many eggs when it is below 0. We love breakfast, noodles, and Easter... WE LOVE EGGS!

Favorites not favorties!!!

And I need to add spellcheck to my favorites list!

Favorties

These are a few of my favorite things...

1. my girls and their innocents
2. my husband, super dad that helped with the preschool sledding party
3. family, we can't choose them, only accept them
4. friends
5. riding horses
6. kindness (it matters)
7. country music
8. farm life
9. fresh air at recess
10. love
11. laughter and giggles
12. smiles
13. sunshine
14. America (the First Amendment)
15. Troy Church
16. Diet Mountain Dew
17. flannel sheets
18. Lonesome Dove (the movie)
19. texting
20. thank yous
21. Sunday lunches

... order is subject to change anytime!

Play date

Brett had a friend over for a few hours to play yesterday. She is a very sweet, polite, kind little girl. They all 3 played great for a while; dress-up, play dough, the Wii. And then, 3 is a crowd. Guess who the crowd was, Bri. She trys so hard to be BIG and play, but it just doesn't happen for very long. The funny thing is... I remember being in Brett's shoes. I had 2 little sisters that would CROWD me, ecspecially when my friends were around. Looking though my parenting eyes, changes alot of my views!

Secret Garden

What a great idea, let's paint the kitchen!!! I work best "on the cuff" or spur of the moment! Some of my best accomplishments have been under pressure. Last Thursday, I decided to paint our kitchen. So at 8:07 a.m. (before class started) I was on the Shermin Williams website picking out a color for my walls. I knew I wanted green, but what shade???? At 8:15, I had decided on Secret Garden or Oakmoss. Knowing Blake was running to Ottumwa that day, I give him a call, give him the color information, and ask him choose which one he likes and ask him to pick it up. By 8:25 a.m. (when the tardy bell rings) I had the paint order in and I was ready to teach. Blah, blah, blah, normal day. Around 6:15 I cleaned up supper, Blake headed to the cabin to play cards "with the guys" and oh yes I started painting. I cleaned up the paint at 7:55, (just before Gray's Anatomy starts) and will continue Friday night. Blah, blah, blah, another day. Friday at 4:10 p.m. I crack a refreshment, stir up the paint and by 9ish we (Adam, Lindsay, Blake, and I) were finished turning my nice white walls of 7 years into a "Secret Garden!" I must say it is about time for a little color in my life, and with a little time and a few refreshments anything is possible.

Before

During

AFTER

Bellwether???

Are you a bellwether? One of my co-workers introduced me to a new word today, bellwether. I can honestly say I have never heard this word before in my 31 years on this precious Earth. A bellwether is a trend-setter, someone who sets the pace and others follow. I believe my sister, Lindsay, is bellwether of fashion, with her cute trendy sweaters and hip shoes. Thank you Lindsay for "setting the bar" just above my reach!

One of my friends just let me know she is headed for Mexico, her toes will be in the water and her #@* will be in the sand tomorrow! Oh... wouldn't that be grand. We were able to travel with a group of friends to Las Vegas to watch the NFR in December. We were one hour from pulling an all-nighter, celebrated my birthday (maybe too much), and actually won a little money. What a weekend!!

Spaghetti Bake???

How many phones calls to Grandma Chuck does it take to make spaghetti bake for supper? On this ranch, 4. The first conversation was the procedure. The 2nd was how to make the white sauce, 3rd- how to layer the ingredients and finally #4 was to invite her to supper. Oh yes, Grandma Chuck is on speed dial. Presto, 30 minutes later we were eating spaghetti bake, green beans and french bread. Grandma Chuck decided to pass on supper and eat leftovers tomorrow.

Briley's quote for the day, " Mom get the hair out of the shower when you get out, we don't like floaters!" Mom's thoughts, there has been worse "floaters" in the tub.

Brett has mastered a backbend in dance class, she only needs someone to catch her if she falls. Mom's thought... don't we all!!!

Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Leslie's dream... I have a dream that all children will learn and be successful, that my girls will grow up to confident, caring, repectful people, and that we live each day like it is our last.

Earlier this month we traveled to Burlington to Fun City. We met 7 other families there for a weekend. All 13+ kids loved the fun. Briley even drove a go-kart alone. Thank goodness the they we tiny ones that did not move very fast. The dads enjoyed the late night laser tag.

Well... this is all new for me. I must say, I am not a professional typer or speller so I am sure anyone who reads this might find an error or 2 or 10, but I am going to try it anyway. I love to read other family's and friend's blogs, so here goes.

On Sunday our girls, Brett and Briley got baptized at the Troy United Methodist Church. They were not the only ones, 17 others also. If you know the Troy Church at all, that's amazing!!! It was a successful event and a wonderful meal. I think the church is growing!