Chicken talk

 I am so happy we did it. Just going ahead and doing the backyard chicken thing has been so good for us.

{Tiffany-Black Cochin)

I told the kids we'd do it, ordered the coop kit, bought the Idiots Guide to Chickens...and then we just did it. We just went and got chickens! Crazy!

I tend too overplan for stuff like this. Research and plan, plan and research and then, maybe, maybe actually do something. This time I started in that same old mode, but the kids kept on pestering me and finally I just threw my hands up, cause sometimes you just have to jump in the pool and not ease in. I mean how hard could a few chickens be?

{Amy-Buff Brahma)

Turns out I was right-not hard at all. Really they are not much trouble at all and they are just the silliest things.

{Isabelle-Barred Rock}

Also, having chickens turned us into neighborhood celebrities. Well, we kind of already were what with the homeschooling and seven kids and all. Not to mention the small black dog who thinks he's a greyhound and continues to escape and chase the Fed Ex man all around the block despite both the regular fence and the invisible fence ... Yes, I would wager everyone in the subdivision knows us pretty much. I would guess we are more like notorious celebs than the idolized ones though.

And so we learned about the origins of the phrases 'hen-pecked', and  'pecking order'  and  what a 'broody hen' is like. We learned some about fertilization and where baby chicks come from and what a rooster is for. Heck MaryClare ran up to me breathless and wide-eyed and described, hands waving,how she just watched an egg come right out of Isabelle!

It's been amazing to be able to witness the cycle from chicken feed, table and garden scraps to the delicious little egg on your plate in the morning.

{dirt bath}

Did you know chickens love to bathe in the dirt? They will just roll in it like a dog and they fluff out their feathers and throw it all around, just luxuriating in it. Fascinating and hilarious to watch.

{Ryan and Nina making me smile}

Sadly we will be saying goodbye to our 3 sweet hens this weekend. And you know what? Now that I think about it it's kind of their fault! 

We have decided to try and sell this house (again) and move to a bit more rural place. I honestly don't know where or what we'll end up with, how far out of town or how large a homestead, but we do know we want to try for something. We have an itch and desire to do some more of this chicken stuff and maybe some other small farm-y things. There's more to it than just that of course, but having these three girls around has given us suburban folks a boost of confidence to jump. 

{PHFR}

{fun}

So we're back around to Lenten season again.  Last spring was kind of nuts for us because I ended up on bedrest at the hospital before Josephine was born. I spent much of Lent at the hospital, and Easter, and missed my Grandfather's funeral and also my Nana's 90th birthday celebration. It was such a crazy time for my family. Lee was very stressed and there was so much upheaval, but we made it through and after all of that uncertainty, Josephine was born healthy, teeny tiny, but healthy.

{more fun}

I am so thankful. Seriously, my heart is just more full than I ever imagined when I think where we were last year and then this year.

Anyway, Fat Tuesday I made a king cake. I make one every year, but it seems every year it turns out differently. That could be because I use different recipes! I just can't settle on one. They all are good! This year we almost didn't make it. The dough exploded during the rise and was all over the fridge. It was delicious though. We ended up having bacon and cake(and wine for Mom and Dad) for dinner. A very Fat Tuesday indeed!

{happy}

 My boys have been so close lately. Jake is looking so teenagery, getting pimples and growing so fast. He is not really acting teenagery just yet. I have been following Auntie Leila's advice about teenage boys... so far so good.....

Ryan (on the far right) is maturing quickly too. They are only 14 months apart so they are going through this puberty stuff together. Luke adores his big brothers and the three of them are still tight.



                                                                       

{pretty}

My sweet Nina is growing fast. Two new teeth poked through this week up on top. She is fantastic at army crawling and finding every small item of fuzz/dirt/leaf on the floor and trying to eat and choke on it. It drives me crazy and she has all of us on edge trying to keep her safe.  The legos are a nightmare!

{real}

                                                                                                                                                                                         
       


                                                                                                                                                       
My best friend gave me this cute sign! The kids line up their mugs and keep them there above the sink.

Yarn Along:5

I am in the middle of the biggest project I have attempted. I am making a blanket made of different 12x12 squares for my Dad. I got the original insiration from a picture of the Chain Reaction project.  


Some of the techniques used in that project were too advanced for me, so I didn't follow their guide, but I really loved the idea and so I began this. I really intended it as a Christmas gift, oh well! I was able to find lots of ideas from this book.

My Dad has pancreatic cancer.  I guess I thought the blanket was a way for me to offer comfort although he lives thousands of miles away. He's begun treatment and things seem positve right now, but pancreatic cancer is a very deadly diagnoses.  Nevertheless, we are hopeful. I'm going to see him in April with my sisterand I'm determined to finish this 'Christmas' gift before then!   I have 2 more blocks to make and then I have to finish putting them together and the edging so I'm getting close.

I just read Organized Simplicity on my kindle and was very inspired. There's nothing revolutionary in it, just the same idea that less=more, but it's presented well and has given me a good kick in the pants!