Summer happenings on the farm

 This is PRICELESS!!!!What we have been waiting for for 8 years!!!

Is there anything cuter than a jersey calf? and then, 2 of them???

We really like our barn

It sure feels good to be able to write, ON THE FARM!!!

We are loving dairying again, altho it is a LOT OF HARD WORK, and we are tired every single night!

But, it is a good tired, and we will take TIRED, over not sleeping because we aren't doing enough with our days to get tired:)-BTDT!!!

Settling into a new home has proven to have lots of challenges with challenged children-as I should have been more prepared for,(and was too optimistic for my own good) but it is progressing well.

We would do anything to have a Grandma around the corner to help out with the littles during the day, and even tho we have tried help from some older girls at church, when you have children with attachment issues, suffice it to say, in-home help won't be continuing around here any time soon.

There is always plenty to do around here, but 2 big projects we accomplished this summer include a new set of canning shelves built by my Dad and Nick, and our Rainbow playset purchased on Craigslist which was dismantled, moved across the state, and re-erected in our yard by the help of 2 other families:)

We are slowly but surely getting the yard/house/barn put together the way we want it, altho there will be some projects that will be waiting for a long time.

Haying season has been here, amidst a very rainy April, May and June.

We curtailed a large garden this year, I just don't have the energy or stamina, or childcare, to do a big garden justice, altho we are getting flowerbeds in place, much to my enjoyment:)

The kiddos are loving their big yard, the sloping driveway gives Lili and Tyler lots of space to fly on their bikes, Isaiah is doing very well with pedaling his trikes, and wants desperately to ride a bigger bike-maybe next year-

Isaac is still a tiny turbo-terror on 2 short legs, and is gone in the blink of an eye, is into everything, and screams loudly whenever someone tries to stop him.

Nick and Kendell handle all the everning chores, as Dad is still working off the farm, and Rose smiles(most of the time) thru her dishes, laundry, and chasing Isaac. She is not fond of chickens, altho collecting eggs is on her job list too. She prefers to shovel poop or cornsilage, and likes to spend time on the swings too!

There is so much more to say, and I will really try to be more faithful in blogging-

Life has not been easy this spring and summer, and those in the older child adoption world will understand, it ain't all roses,in fact, really, we have been in CRISIS mode most of the summer, which is a step BELOW survival-- but that is for another day.

I will post a few pics of some of the happenings around here, hopefully enough to draw you back-I know I have a few faithful friends who keep checking, hoping for updates-thanks for the emails to encourage me and push me to do a brief update, I promise=there will be more!!

Blessings

Chris for all 9 of us!!!

SOOOO nice to have this in our own yard now

I so enjoyed watching them work together

what a great team they make

the finished product-good thing I don't need to can anything much this year:)

too cute-they heard the kids take off in the Gator, and were MAD they missed out

 can you say, "ARE YOU CRAZY?? 4 DOGS???"

just a super cute picture of Zaya-he is growing and really filling out

Little Isaac-he's not too sure about the calves, and they aren't too sure of him either-and rightfully so:)

Tyler-he loves tractors, gators, fast bikes, anything that MOVES!!!!

moving our chicken house home-finally!!!

 Good Bye Gross Valley Lane

 watching the chicken house come home

Happy Daddy's Day!!!