Chickens And A Haircut

The chickens are doing well and adjusting to their new home nicely. Some of the small ones are even figuring the ladder out...quite the feat for a bird brain. ;) Here's Feathers giving the small ones her best evil glare. She is determined to place herself firmly at the top of the pecking order...

When you don't have t.v. chickens make for a great show...

In other news, this little lady got her first hair cut (in Nanno's kitchen). Sigh. I'm still trying to hold back tears over it. How is it possible to become so attached to hair? She's looking and acting very toddler-esque this days.

Chickens!

Thanks to some very sweet friends we now have chickens! Nine of them! Stephan finished this chicken tractor a couple of days ago, and we picked the chickens up yesterday evening. First thing this morning the kids were dying to check on them...

The chickens were camera shy, so most of the pictures I have of them are of their backsides running away. We have one larger but still juvenile hen who Levi has named "Feathers". The other eight are the size of the one in the pictures. Of those a few of them are roosters, and they are all thus far nameless. Well, unless you count that Levi has named whichever of the roosters we end up keeping, "Little Rooster".  More pictures to come once they get a little more used to us and their new surroundings!

The Party

We celebrated Lillian's birthday today...again. My sister came up, and we had a nice lunch at my parents' house. And, there was cake. Cake makes a party, right? Cake and a crown and party hats...we had those bases covered for sure.

I made her crown last night with Levi critiquing my every design decision. He was up waaaaaay past his bedtime. Although he did not initially agree with my color choices, he did in the end deem it to be pretty.

We were so happy to have Annie join us. Vet school is an all consuming endeavor, so we're thrilled these days when she can break away to spend time with us.

Lillian had no idea what we were doing with the candle and the cake. Of course, Levi was all too happy to help her learn to blow out her candle.

And, both kiddos were thrilled to teach her to unwrap her present.

Of course, it wouldn't be a day with Lillian without a few moments that left us giggling.

She puts a smile on our faces, and we're so glad she's ours!

Happy First Birthday, Sweet Lillian!

And, just like that she went from this

to this...

We celebrated with a quick batch of cupcakes this morning before Stephan headed off for work, but we'll have a proper family party this weekend.

Happy birthday to my beautiful and sweet one year old!

Her adventurous spirit and sweet personality unfold more and more with each passing day.
She can always be found right in the middle of the action.
And, she loves to explore and play.

She keeps us laughing and grinning, and she has her brother and sister wrapped tight around her pinkie finger. I wish they minded me as well as they do her. ;)

She thinks she's as big as they are and protests greatly when not allowed to follow them everywhere.

She is a bright light in our lives.

And, we love her so!

Last Year

At this time last year we were still waiting on sweet Lillian's arrival. I was 42 weeks pregnant, and beginning to think that she had decided never to come out. This is the last photo I have of my pregnant belly (other than from her birth day). I was 41 weeks.

When I think back to that time of waiting, I can't help but be reminded of the perfection of God's ways and his timing.  I am impatient by nature, and in those weeks it felt like Lillian would never arrive. I struggled with worry and fear, and finally, with God's help, I let go. At this point last year I was leaning heavily on Him and believing in His perfect timing.

As for God, his way is perfect:
    The Lord’s word is flawless;
    he shields all who take refuge in him.
~Psalm 18:30 


Wait for the Lord;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the Lord.
~Psalm 27:14

The wait wasn't much longer. After 42 weeks and 3 days of waiting she finally arrived. She was 100% worth every single second of it.

Happy Fourth!

Stephan took off part of today, so we all got to have lunch together with my parents. Lillian and I even managed a little nap...very much needed for both of us! In the late afternoon the kids and I wandered around a bit outside. I tried to get a cute group shot of them in their red, white, and blue. Ha!

I should have picked a better location. The blueberry bushes a few feet away were far too tempting for them to sit and smile for a photo.

The blueberries have just started turning blue, and these 3 head for them at every opportunity.

Of course, since the in progress chicken tractor is near the blueberries, they had to check on it...and maybe attempt to "borrow" daddy's tools.

This one has been a pitiful, sleepless, fussy, teething mess lately. No exception was made for the holiday. We will both be so very grateful when this current batch of teeth pop through.

Hope y'all had a beautiful Fourth of July!

"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love."
Galatians 5:13

Yesterday And Cake And Kites

Yesterday I....
Turned 32.
Took the kids to the library.
Discovered that the camera on my phone has gone kaput.
Wished I had pictures from the ultra adorable library storytime picnic.
Went on a lunch date with my husband.....and Lillian.
Came home to my sweet, big kids.
Ate leftover ice cream cake.
And flew a kite.

After the kids fell asleep, Stephan even let me pick the movie. Not a bad way to spend a birthday.

A Month Full Of Birthdays

July brings with it a birthday each week. I'm up first. I'll be 32 tomorrow. A week later Lillian turns 1. Another week later my mom has a birthday, and last but not least is Stephan's. Phew. If we have anymore babies in this family they'll need to find a new month. Toss in the fourth of July, and this one is booked.

My sister came up Sunday afternoon for an early birthday celebration. We ate supper and had a DQ ice cream cake...my childhood favorite! We ended the day picking peas from the garden and walking. The day was too beautiful not to spend some of it outside.

Tomorrow Stephan and I get a semi-date. My mom is keeping the two bigs while Lillian tags along with us. So, Happy Birthday to Me!