Well, Winter was determined to hang around for a long time. This is how it looked the day after Easter. Needless to say the Easter Bunny had to be very creative for ten grandchildren who came to visit.

We spent time coloring eggs!!

There were a couple of grandchildren that were having their first experience at this egg dying stuff. Check out the stickers that didn't end up on the eggs!

The whole crew!!!!

The Easter Bunny had to get very creative where she hid the eggs,

But don't you think she did a good job?
And isn't she just adorable?

"Our Girls"

The hens seemed to do just fine through the winter even with all the snow. We kept the heat inside the coop just up enough so the water didn't freeze. They spent a lot of time outside in the run even on the coldest of days. Neil changed the water and feed each morning and I was the pooper scooper. We use pine shavings inside the coop and after several experiments I came up with scoopers that would collect the poop and let the shavings fall through. Pretty slick! We get between five to seven eggs a day from eight hens. Our one hen, Queenie, lays the biggest jumbo egg you have ever seen.

MEET: "OL' DUSTY"

One day, in the middle of winter, a cat showed up on our covered back deck. It was a beautiful cat....But.....I did not want to take care of a cat!!!!

I refused to feed it for about ten days, hoping it would go away, but it was determined to stay and live under the plastic sheeting we had covering all our deck furniture for the winter. Well, you know how the rest of the story goes.....I gave in and started feeling sorry for it and so I started feeding it. It was such a sweet, nice cat I was sure it was not a wild feral cat but some domesticated cat that somehow, unbelievably, found it's way to our house through five feet of snow.

There was a problem! It just got fatter and fatter and we were convinced we had a pregnant cat on our hands and we were scheduled to go to Hawaii for a week and did not want to come back to kittens!
Well, we took the cat up to the humane shelter and told them our problem and said we were sorry but we just didn't want a bunch of cats on our hands. Later that night they called to tell us it was not a pregnant cat but a neutered male!!!

We had become pretty attached to this cat so we told them if they had not found a family for it when we got back we would come and get him. Well, we went to Hawaii and one week was not long enough. I think three months would have been even better! Yeh think?

Well the end of the story is we now have a sweet, kind, gentle, fun loving, outdoor cat named "Dusty" He plays as if he thinks he is a dog. He will even follow me like a little puppy on my walks in the morning to the barn. I noticed he kept killing too many birds so he now has a little bell around his neck...but he is a hunter. He can have all the mice he wants.

IT'S STILL WINTER BUT WE HAVE NEW CHICKENS!!!!!

Well it is still winter and there doesn't seem to be anything I can do about it. I have thrilled this year to watch Trumpeter Swans fly over my head as they land on the river. We still have the deer occationally come by when the snow isn't too deep. We have only seen the mother moose and her calf once...and yes she came back and attacked my little tree (not the one above) and has wiped out the middle of the tree.

I had someone call me and wanted to know if I wanted any of her year old laying hens. I decided that maybe that would be a good idea even thought I will miss raising chicks.

Below is our very first egg.

Considering what we have spent making this coop and buying all the stuff that is required to care for the chickens I think this egg would probably cost about $200.........
maybe more

We got seven Rhode Island Reds and one black Australope (spl). Neil thought it would be fun to name them. The black one was the head of the pecking order and was very agressive so we named it Michelle. And in case you don't get it.....just know Michelle May is not the Michelle we were thinking of.

But they are alot of fun. Because of my aching back Neil has had to take over most of the duties of watering and feeding them. I was determined to figure out a way to clean up the enormous amount of poop they produce each day. Today Neil and I went to the hardware store and just walked the isles and brainstormed. I bought a black, plastic dustpan, a handle, a 3/4 inch drill bit and went home and made my own pooper scooper using duct tape to tape on the handle. I will post a picture of it later. I think I could get a patent on it and sell them.

We get about two to three eggs each day

CHRISTMAS and SLEDDING

Christmas morning we woke to a beautiful, cold and
sunny day.


This was my present from my husband. There are real
foxes on our property that we see very seldom so he thought
it would be nice to have this picture, painted by Dave Wade,
for us to look at every day.


Jett loved his helicopter

Katie got a look alike doll.

Ben tried to figure out his new Mac Queen tent......

After opening presents and eating a yummy casserole that

I only make on Christmas morning we decided it was time

to get outside for some snow fun. Some went downhill under

their own power and some.....

got a little help.....

This is Katie

The day after Christmas the rest of the crew arrived.

That four hour drive can be grueling but these guys

don't look any worse for the wear.

Grandma will venture outside if she can keep warm.

I try to walk every day but if it gets too cold that

just doesn't happen.

Little boys are such tough nuts.

They have fun no matter what.

And then there is the two year

old montra......"I can do it myself!"

All of us that take pictures have come to the conclusion

that you get one gem for every fifty pictures you take.

The one above was our sledding gem. Can't you just

hear and feel the fun these two are having?

The teenage cousins were so nice and helpful

to all the little kids. Can't you see the admiration

in Jett's eyes?

The girls weren't the least bit afraid to try the hill.

And it never hurts to have a little help from dads.

Tait the brave !!

I know this was Garrett and Anders but don't ask me

which was which. I just think they look a little Alien!!!

Neeless to say everyone had a fun time!!

I tried to takedown some hot chocolate so they would want

to stay out longer. I mean, weren't some of your fondest

memories as a kid of being outside in the snow?

This is a repeat and because I don't know how

to do much with this blog I didn't know how to

erase this picture...but aren't they cute anyway?

Ben, Hans, Jett.

These little guys have to be pulled around because they

are so bundled up they can barely move.!!

Little Lila is just going to snuggle up and take

a nap and forget all about what is going on outside

All this Chirstmas fun will take it out

of the best of them!!

We sure had alot of fun with our family this year. I have to admit it is alot of work but the pleasures and the joys of family will always outweigh the negative. My only wish is that I could just wiggle my nose and the meal would be steaming hot on the table and then we could all just snap our fingers and the dishes would be done.....but then again it is the process that binds us all together from hauling firewood to unloading the dishwasher.

Merry Christmas to you all and a Blessed and Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CHRISTMAS EVE MAGIC

Keri, our gourmet cook, wanted to kick the
Christmas Eve meal up a bit.....

We worked on a puzzel until we realized we had
started putting it together on too small of a table.
Needless to say between that and two - two year
olds we gave up.

Lila and Mikan decided to dress like twins for the day.


DO YOU "BELIEVE" IN THE MAGIC?????


PEEK A BOO TO YOU TOO!!!!!! Little Lila Lou!!!! YAWN!!!!!

The table is always so fun to decorate. HAPPYY HOLIDAYS!!!!!!

We are so blessed to have our wonderful family

with us to celebrate the birth of our Savior.

We sang and read our usual Christmas Eve program

but only sang one verse of every song because

of the 'two year old attention span'. As you can see.......

.....What is that song? You better not pout, you better not cry? I don't think these two get it yet. The no crying and pouting thing.

We also did our traditional thing and went outside

to sing "Silent Night" around the fire. We make this fire

before the first snow falls and cover it with a tarp so it will

be ready for Christmas Eve.

Silent Night, Holy Night, all is calm all is bright

And there must be HOT CHOCOLATE!!!!!

Sleep in heavenly peace!!!!!!!!!

Once again we did not see the stars this evening.

After tub time and opening that Chrismas Eve package

and getting those new jammas it is time for a few

treats and a little singing.

Ben, Jett, Katie, Lila
SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOOOOWNNNNN!!!!

Ben is our candy-cane addict!!!!!!

Ben loves, loves, loves them. He wanted them

for breakfast too.

The stockings were all hung by the chimney

with care.........

In hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be here!!!!

My kids know me well.....don't try to spin me!!!