E I E I O

Duncan's Birthday "He Ride"

Me & My Boy

Sweet Babies

So Gentle with Animals

Checking out the Quarry

Noah Chilling while the rest of us are working....

Laurel showing off the Ear Taggers

Chilling out after the Cow Round up

Building a New Chicken Coop

We've been getting "farmy" around here. Cousin Duncan had a birthday party and turned 2 and at his request we went on a "he ride" around their farm. It had rained a lot so we slide down one hill and almost freaked us all out but we survived. We got a tour of the Quarry which is always so cool to see.It's like being in a whole nother world!

Next, we  had "Operation Castration" at John & Rach's farm. The calves needing banding and ear tagging. This is always a much anticipated day and this year the kids helped out. We rounded the cows up with the horses and the gator and penned them in the fence. Then, they got a meal while we separated the mamas from the babies. Then the games began! We had to run them in the headgate one by one and band and ear tag them. We were pretty exhausted by the end of the day but nobody got hurt so were happy with ourselves!

Last week we took a trip to see my Grandmother on the family farm. My children have grown to love the peacocks (which used to terrify them)and I love showing them the things that made me happy as a child. Laurel loved watching the horses as usual.

This past weekend we decided our chickens needed a new coop. Ours was hastily built 12 years ago and was pretty gross. We needed some room to grow as we are down to 4 hens and would like to get more this spring. Noah "helped" Mike measure and cut but Laurel actually enjoyed it the most! It took about 6 hours but we are pretty happy with it. I love the old window we used in it.

The big news with Laurel is that she has actually been released from weekly hearing therapy!! We had her tested last week and she tested smack in the middle of "normal" range for "normal" hearing children. If you have followed this blog you know this is a miracle! She had never heard anything for her first 2 years of life. She didn't hear great the next 3 with her Auditory Neuropathy & hearing Aids. She got 1 Cochlear Implant at age 5 and saw HUGE improvement. At age 6 she got her 2nd implant and the rest is history! God has been so gracious to us with her and we are so grateful!