First Fruits

We just picked the first few nice cucumbers off our vine.  They tasted great!  Can't wait for the rest of them to ripen, so we can make pickles!  To see what else we're growing, click here.

Let It Snow!

This picture is to give you an idea of the kind of weather we've been having.  It has been a great spring so far.  Some days even got up to 80.  Here is Lydia on March 8th, drawing on the back patio with her new sidewalk chalk.  Well, the forecast last night told us that snow was coming our way.  I did not believe it!

Shortly after we woke up this morning, it started up.  I still thought it wouldn't stick!  It didn't let up until this evening!
The kids, of course, were loving it!  It was perfect for making snowballs and snowmen.  (I think this was only the second snow we got this year/season.)
They were really into eating it, too.
Lydia got tired of picking it up to eat it, so I guess she just figured she'd lap it up like a dog.
We have to improvise when it comes to adding features to our snowmen.  :-)
Lydia got worn out and thought she should lay down in the snow.  We think she even fell asleep for a minute.  Don't worry, we were watching her the whole time!

Field Trip

We got to go visit KJM Stables last Thursday (3/25).  We met Moose...

...and many others.  Here is Lydia in front of Moose.  She loved the horses, but didn't love getting her picture taken.  :-)

Ty got to pet horses, feed one a snack, and help haul hay for them.

We learned about safety around horses and even got to see one get a new pair of shoes.

This one was my favorite.

Spring is Here!

The weather has been great lately!  I realized that I haven't posted in a while because there just hasn't been many photo opportunities.  

Lydia went out the other evening and began by smelling dandelions.  She ended by playing in the dirt, though.  She is into dirt more than any other child I've ever known!  She loves it!  When I went out for this picture she told me she was grinding wheat.  I guess that's a good thing!  :)

By the end of the evening, she was tossing dirt into the air and running through the dust cloud!  She was covered head to toe.  Sorry, I didn't get a pic of that.  :)

Ty got a new skateboard and has diligently been practicing his tricks!

Aren't They Beautiful?

Good Books

We love to read!

We just started The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame and I have to say, "It is wonderful!" I just love the classic books, they are far superior to our modern ones.

I read a chapter book to the kids most days during lunch. I was wanting to read The Wind in the Willows, but hadn't requested it from the library. So Monday rolled around and we didn't have a book lined up. I went to Ty's shelf and grabbed The School Mouse to read instead. I bought it because it is by the same author as The Waterhorse and Babe, and we enjoyed both those  movies. We read the first chapter on Monday. It is about mice that live in a schoolhouse and one in particular that wants to learn.

Well, we stopped in at the library on Tuesday and so I checked the shelf to see if they had The Wind in the Willows in and they did. So I checked it out.

I decided today, I would rather set The School Mouse aside and read The Wind in the Willows. We can read The School Mouse anytime, since we own it.

Well, The Wind in the Willows is so superior from the very first paragraph! There was not anything wrong with The School Mouse, it was cute and I'm sure it's an enjoyable story, but there is just something to be said for the classics--the fabulous descriptions, lovable characters, the emotions expressed and the expansive vocabulary!

We had this same experience when we read Winnie the Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner, both by A. A. Milne. These originals are not just for kids, they are very entertaining, even for adults! I found myself laughing out loud while I read these to the kids. I highly recommend reading these to your little ones (or even if you don't have little ones)!

Tonight's Showing

The Princess Bride

We enjoy a tradition of family movie night, every Sunday night, complete with popcorn and treats.  Tonight's feature is a favorite, The Princess Bride.