Two

Our dear big man Sam.  Our construction-lovin'- finicky-eater-always-running boy. 

Your favorite book is a 100 page full color pictures research book about giant dump trucks.  You could read it for hours. 

Your favorite song is the Jars of Clay rendition of "Drummer Boy".  You could dance to it in your Daddy's arms all day. 

Your favorite food is anything in the fruit family.  You could eat fruit until you explode, and sometimes that is exactly what happens. 

Your favorite phrases are, "Hey, Mom!  Watch this!" followed by some display of something I would prefer you didn't do, or "Thank you, Mom!" which is the sweetest thing, or "Love you too too Mom (or Dad)!" which is even sweeter.  

Your favorite thing to do it to copy your big bro and sis.  You follow the good, the bad and the hysterical.   

You love to be outside.  You STRONGLY dislike being told to come in. 

You can't get enough of our little cat "Dell".  Thankfully, he tolerates you carting him around - via arms or stroller. 

You call a slide a "Wee wee".  It's too cute to correct you. 

You sing "Jesus Loves Me" and "Happy Birthday" with gusto until someone notices you are singing, then you abruptly stop.

The other day as we sat down to dinner you said, "Me start" and you lead our family in our nightly prayer.  Your Daddy and I almost cried from cuteness.

We love you, Samuel. 

We love your snuggles and kisses as you greet Ella and Owen each morning with a loud, "Good morning!"

We love your kissable cheeks and wild curly hair. 

We love when you dance in your car seat with both fingers pointing up- rocking to the beat.

We just really love you. 

We know your strong opinions and determined personality will come in handy in the future.  So for now, we hope to not crush that spirit and to learn from you each day.

Happy Birthday to a big two-year-old.  

Cats Are Smart

We love our cats to the point that it is hard to imagine life without Sam walking around with his favorite cat in his arms.  Now we have a few more to carry around.
 

Although our goal in life is to not overpopulate the world with felines, we were hoping to have a litter of kittens prior to sending them off to the vet for a surgical procedure.  Our hope became a reality when Charlotte (our all black cat) had a litter of 4 all black kittens just over a week ago.  She had them at night and was walking around the farm the next morning - just looking a bit skinnier than usual.  What a quick rebound.  I sort of wish that we could have a 9 week gestation and be back to our pre-pregnant weight 2 minutes after birthing.  Oh well. 

Her sister, Peanut, (our sort of tabbyish cat...now I'm making up words) was looking round as well.  I had no idea when the kittens would arrive until I watched her get cozy in the same box that her sister (and 4 kittens) were residing.  At first I thought that her sister just needed a kitten sitter and wanted to get out of the garage.  But actually, Peanut was a genius.  She let those kittens nurse and stimulated the old oxytocin hormone.  Sure enough, her 3 kittens were born a few hours later, just 5 days after their cousins.  Charlotte stayed with her sister, cleaning off all the kittens and essentially acting as her doula.  Cats are so smart!  

Unfortunately, one of Peanuts kittens was born with multiple anomalies.  I knew it would not survive, but I am like Fern in Charlotte's Web - I could never sit by and watch a runt be killed and I am a horrible softy compared to my friends who are true farmers.  So, I kept an eye on this little one as it nursed like a champ.  Peanut would frequently be seen with her paw snuggling it, as I'm sure she knew that something wasn't right.  It lived for 2 days.  Poor little kitty. 

The biggest challenge?  Keeping the 6 kittens hidden from Samuel.   It will be the best day of his life when he realizes we have 6 more cats to play with.  They just need to be a bit sturdier than they are now....

These kittens are not picky. 

They'll nurse from either cat and be perfectly happy.  

One of Peanuts kittens - the only one that resembles her coloring. 

It is very hard to take pictures of kittens. 

They never stop moving and they never smile for the camera.

A Family, Part Deux

After a fun filled day in St. Louis, we headed north to Bears country.  Land of the White Sox, or Cubs if you roll that way.  The windy city - or windy, raining and FREEZING as our week turned out to be. 

Navy Pier was high priced, but a highly entertaining way to spend the afternoon - which turned out to be the only afternoon that it wasn't raining.  It was really beautiful.   

Who doesn't love rides and popcorn and a toddler dancing on the boardwalk?  And by toddler I'm referring to our toddler, who danced like crazy to the piped in music and made people laugh.  But then I tripped him accidentally and he fell on the concrete.  Why does the fun always have to end?   I digress....

There was true joy visible in our children on this outing.  No, we don't need to do anything extravagant or expensive to see that joy.  We see it everyday as they discover new things and play together.  But taking in the Chicago skyline while having cheese popcorn covered fingers always helps. 

About to enter the tourist zone.....

Riding the Ferris wheel

Once again, not afraid of heights like his Mom.

Riding the wheel and looking sweet.

Ella (in pink) gleefully riding the swings

that make me want to puke just watching....

 I think this one is my favorite. 

Owen runs away when I try to take his picture,

but not after playing 18 holes of mini golf with Daddy. 

BEST DAY EVER!!!!

 This wasn't even posed. 

 Adorable.....watching a water fountain.

Meet Ken

Amaya joined the crew of moms on our farm when she welcomed a 10 pound buck yesterday morning.  His birth story goes like this:

Jason came in the house at 6 a.m. from doing chores and announced, "We have a new little goat!"


That was it.  We missed the whole thing - which made it pretty easy for us.  That sweet goat was all dried off and baaaing away.   I didn't even have time to get all worked up this time around. 


Owen lovingly named him "Ken" after the Ken doll in Toy Story 3.  Owen never pipes up about what he thinks the animals should be named, but announced, "It's an adorable name for a goat!"  It was a very sweet moment. 


Ken came inside for his weight check and to visit with the kids - who were just stumbling out of bed.....

A Family, Part One

This family of 5 doesn't get out much.  An attempt is always made to have family dinners and work on projects together over the weekends.  But with Jason's busy job and 1 hour commute, there can be a lack of time for good old family fun.  

The first two days of our trip to Chicago were all about us.  We saw the sites.  We went up really high in the sky.  We got a parking ticket.  That part stunk, but I'm over it.  We frolicked in the grass.  We pushed our comfort level.  It was all really great, except that parking ticket part.  And the part where thousands of people playing soccer took all the hotel rooms in the area kind of stunk too.  I felt like Mary and Joseph without the with-child thing and the donkey and the ending was different.  After needing to stop for ice cream to drowned our woes, we found a hotel room.  It all worked out for the greater good.  

Our first stop was The St. Louis Gateway Arch.  A national monument was a great place to start.  We learned all kind of facts like how tall it is (630 feet) and how long it took to build (2.5 years) and that it can sway 1 inch in 20 mph wind.  I had to google that information because I had forgotten the details and my encyclopedia of a daughter is already in bed.  Why does she remember these things and I don't?  I'm old.  

Two fun Sam memories stick out from that day: calling a stuffed buffalo in the Arch museum a "buffamo" over and over; then as we ate dinner at Union Station, he watched a woman who worked in the food court sweep under his high chair and he promptly said, "Thank you!".  This dear woman was shocked and told him that he made her day.  Classic toddler talk is always endearing.  

I am so thankful that my children haven't inherited, or yet developed, my fear of heights.  Thankfully, the camera is in my hands and I had something much more wonderful to view, those little cherubs. Here are some photo highlights from St. Louis:

Owen took this one while standing directly under the Arch.  Yup, we're going up there.

You want me to ride it what to get to the top?  They made me get in this tiny little pod and ride for 4 minutes.  They MADE me do it.  Those kids are so mean.  Don't they look mean? 

 Sam looking out the view windows from the top - watching the barges on the Mississippi. 

The backsides of my children as they lay on the viewing area looking down 643 feet.

Owen thinks it's pretty cool. 

A crazy shadow on the Mississippi. 

 Ella and the monument.  Both are very dramatic. 

Because I like lying on the ground in public places.....

If Ella wasn't smiling, this may look like something out of COPS.

"I promise kids!  I won't make you do that again!  Now can I please have some ice cream?"