First Baseball Practice

Carson is playing baseball for the first time this year. He is on People's Bank team (blue) and Seth's Daddy (Mr. Dennis) is the head coach. Brad is going to help out as one of the assistant coaches so that will be fun for him to be involved. They had a great time their first practice. We only have 2 more practices left until Baseball Day the weekly games begin for 8 wks. When it was Carson's turn to have batting practice, Steven was the catcher, and Carson hit several good balls. On the last ball he hit...it went out past 2nd base and Carson just took off running the bases...it was funny. Several parents got tickled at him in the stands b/c he was acting like he was in the major leagues...but I guess it is the major leagues to this boy!

Toby, Gage, and I hung out on the side of the field. Toby was being a clown and saying "Boooooooyyyyyeeeee" (boy) really drawn out to me.

Church Egg Hunt

(includes lots of pictures)

Our church put on the best egg hunt for the kids this year. We were waiting for everyone to arrive and all the kids were playing...not Toby! He found a couple of eggs, sat down by our baskets, and proceeded to start opening and eating!

all the kids ready to hunt some eggs...
It didn't take long for Toby to get then hang of "egg hunting."

Gage and Ayden getting ready for the group picture.

Brad helping Gage hunt for some eggs...

Toby found lots of eggs!

I held his basket and he ran around and grabbed eggs and threw them in the basket.

Daddy and Gage ~ my egg hunters!

I had to run around and find Carson...he was with Seth!

Wow...this boy is an experienced egg hunter...he found lots with no help from us!

Then they got to get their faces painted. This was a first for them. The next morning Carson noticed that his football and rabbit were gone off his face and wanted me to paint them back on.

One side was not enough for Carson...he also wanted a blue rabbit to go along with his red football. Our friends (the Ammanns~Seth's family) would love Carson's color choice!

I just had to document that I was there too!

"new" bike

Since we have been riding more frequently down to the Strong River Bridge I noticed that Carson really needed a larger bike. We have an 18 inch but needed a 20 inch. I decided to start looking at garage sales and tell my friends to be on the lookout for a good deal. I was getting my hair cut on Main Street this past week and looked across the street...and there it was! It looked larger than the one we had at home so I was praying it was a 20 inch for a steal of a deal. After my hair cut I went to check it out. It was my day! 20 inch bike for $20.00! I said "please load it up!" Carson was so happy about "his" new bike. Most important thing on it was the kick stand b/c he has never had a bike with a kick stand...love that he loves it!

Seth is a big buddy of ours...the boys had a great afternoon playing on the farm before church.

Carson's First Bike Ride

I love to exercise (outside especially)...when I have time (I have to make it), when it is NOT feel like a chore, love to do it with my boys. Bike riding is my thing...because it doesn't hurt my knees! So over Spring Break the weather was decent and longer hours in the evenings are finally. Carson is pretty athletic and loves to ride his bike but I did not know if he could make it on my bike ride. I asked him if he would like to ride down to the Strong River Bridge and he immediately replied "YES!" So I took off with low expectations because there are some pretty big hills but they are mainly on our way back home (2 really big ones.)

Here are some pictures from our adventure. We rode down Ponder Mason Road to Everett Church Road and then down to the Strong River Bridge. We walked down to the Strong River and checked out the beach area. Won't go back though. Not taken care of at all. We will throw rocks from the top of the bridge down into the river...boys like to do that too!

He asks every afternoon to go riding! I love it! We took Gage and Toby yesterday. I have a 2 seater wagon that I can pull with my bike that has 2 wheels and supports 100lbs. Gage and Toby are a total of 80lbs. So I get a really good work out. Carson reminds me constantly when he is ahead of me..."Mama, I'm beating you...I'm gonna be the winner!" I just reply..."yep big boy you are definitely the winner, but you are now my favorite riding buddy!" Love the idea that my kids are starting to get of age to exercise with me!

Meet Rocky!

Brad came home from his parents after switching golfcarts. I was finishing up bathing the boys. He said "well, I was over at mom and dad's and I heard a distress sound coming from the pine trees. I went over there and saw this baby squirrel on the ground crying and curled up. I picked him up and put him as high up in the tree as I could. He crawled up a little bit and then back down a little bit more. I left him there. If you want to go see if he's ok you can. You can decide what you want to do about it." Well I immediately went over there with gloves and a flashlight. I searched everywhere on the 4 pine trees and saw the nest way up in the tree. Then I started shining the light on the ground...there he was...tiny, curled up, shivering, tail wrapped around him for security. Well if you know me just a little you know exactly what I did!

Meet Rocky!

I took him in to show my in-laws. Slick said "oh you got Rocky." So the name just stuck. Guess he was thinking about the cartoon "Rocky and Bullwinkle." Fine with me because who knows what my boys would have come up with!

He sleeps all the time right now. He is in the laundry room in the cage next to the 2 boxes/cages of 40+ baby chicks. Ummmm...I do love living on this farm. What cool things my boys are getting to experience...and you know it is all about experiences that have lots to do with who we are...so I think! The boys love Rocky and they are constantly wanting to help me with him. I am cautious though. I wear a glove with the hand I hold him with. I got a baby bottle to feed him with and pet milk that I mix up and feed him about 4 times a day. No plan to keep him forever as a pet. But it will be fun to raise him until he is able to take care of himself on our land.

I'll keep you updated...

we have chickens...

This is an incubator that we borrowed from a good friend...it holds over 100 eggs.

This past weekend they started hatching.
This was the size of the smallest chicks. They were tiny!

I think they are BB Reds and Yellow Duck Wings...guess we will see!

We have to keep them inside for a few weeks on a heat lamp before moving them outside in the bigger cage with the heat lamp. My boys love to watch the baby chickens.

First Turkey of the Season

Warning...contains pictures of Brad debreasting a turkey.

Brad has been very persistent. Hunting every morning. The turkeys have not been cooperating. But finally Brad got one on our land during spring break. Gage was the boy up at the time so he got to enjoy a little photo session with the bird.

Brad debreasting the turkey. Gage was watching every move he made. He kept saying "Daddy we don't eat it like that right?" Brad would reply "no man, we will cook him them eat him...it tastes like chicken...we love turkey!"
Brad showing Gage how you can pull on the tendons and make the turkey toes move.

Gage thought it was way too cool!

Then it was time to dish out the 2 legs to the 2 dogs that had been waiting so patiently for their part in this dead bird. They were pumped to have turkey leg for breakfast!

Bday Party with Meme and Papa

We didn't figure that Meme and Papa would realsly get "into" the Pump It Up Party so we headed to Chick Fil A afterwards and had supper with them. It was perfect.

The gave the boys a new pair of cowboy boots each and they were so excited!
I think it is so cool that my kids have great-grandparents! I had one until I was 26!

Pump It Up (4 of 4...last one!)

Brad and I went down the big slide together...fun!

Ahhhh...the coolest party room ever. The birthday boys got to sit on the big thrown chair and open their presents. It was so much fun!
GG made the best Scooby Doo cake...shaped like a bone.

Mac, Uncle Sam, and YaYa

Toby walking the isles...taking it all in!

Carson watching the boys open their presents.

Whitney did everything...cake, presents, presents list. I just enjoyed!

It was wild and fun chaos!

Eating the rest of the chex mix...

Sucessful party!