Eggs Up

I've mentioned before about getting chickens.  Now the fun has begun.  Our girls started laying while we were on vacation (of course!).  Thankfully we had a house sitter who checked on them and pulled the eggs.  We have 3 of our 6 laying eggs now and the other 3 should be laying soon.

We got our chicks at "Chick Days" in February at Tractor Supply.  We paid the extra $1 to ensure they were female because we didn't want a rooster.  They were super easy to raise and are pretty low maintenance.  

 Our girls are red sexlinks.  They are supposed to be good producers and tame.  I would say they are definitely a mild mannered chicken.  We planned to name them after flowers but are just now being able to tell them apart.  Like the one on the left has a white neck and one is completely solid.

We chose not to free range ours because of too many predators - 3 of the canine variety in the backyard, foxes, hawks, etc.  They have a pretty large area to roam in and they are free to go back and forth between their pen and their house.  This is less work for us too so we don't have to put them up at night.

 I caught this girl in her nest when I went out to feed them one morning.  They seem to be laying between 9 and 10 o'clock in the morning.  Since I am going back to work, checking for eggs will become an afternoon routine.  It's one of the highlights of my day - simple pleasures.

 A perfect brown egg for the picking!

 We are all excited about our fresh eggs!!

We are slowly getting rid of the store eggs and switching to backyard eggs.  Since I took this picture last week we are done with the store bought and are trying get a steady supply of eggs to meet our needs so we don't have to buy any.  We eat a lot of eggs in our house so we need all 6 to start producing to keep up with the demand.  I'll get back to you in a few weeks with a report of how they are doing!

Celebrate: Dakota Turns 5!

Dakota has grown so much over the years and one of my favorite things is how she has learned to overcome fears.  Just a few short years ago, she wouldn't even sit on a pony and this year she attended horse camp where she trotted and rode all by herself.  I was even told she was one of the most confident riders.  As a parent, this makes me proud because it shows growth and maturity and the willingness to put past fears behind.  In honor of her love of horse camp, she had an equestrian party at Showcase Equestrian Center located in the back of our neighborhood.  The kids were able to ride ponies or full size horses, play games and of course, enjoyed snacks.  We held the party on a Friday evening and the weather was amazing - which can be hit or miss in August.  Thanks to those who could come, Dakota had a blast and so did we.

Snacks were light but we stuck to the theme - oats, carrots, apples and corn (of the popped variety).  The oats are from this recipe that I found on Pinterest.

I ordered the big ribbon for Dakota as a keepsake and then each of the kids received a small ribbon after they rode the horses.  These ribbons are from an actual show ribbon shop so they were pretty authentic.  I thought they turned out cute. 

One of my friends started a cookie business so I had her make some horse treats as favors.  They turned out really cute.  If you need cute cookies, let me know and I can get you her contact.

I love seeing her so happy and excited about riding the horse.  Big difference from the face she made at Sutton's 3rd birthday! 



Corban wanted to ride the big horse.  He looked so tiny on it. 

Poky Little Puppies

Enjoy a few pages from one of our favorite books.  Starring sisters Josie (black) & Naphtali (white).  Born 2.22.11, adopted 4.21.11.  Treeing Walker Coonhounds.

So Long Sweet Siler - You Were Loved

April 8, 2011 will be a day forever etched in my memory as I found our sweet dog floating in the pond. My heart sunk and a sadness that my little family had never experienced came. While Jacob and I hiked the Appalachian Trail from Feb-July of 2004, we spent many days talking about how we wanted a puppy when we were done. Well, the day after we returned from this 5 month adventure, we decided to go to the Greenville Humane Society and "just look." He was the cutest little puppy and neither of us could leave without taking him "home" (although, we were actually homeless at this point in our marriage). He was a far stretch from the small, female dog we were planning on but he was irresistible. We adopted him on July 10, 2004 at 16 weeks of age. Over the past (almost) 7 years, we have experienced a sweet love that only comes from a dog. A love that is different than a child's, certainly not comparable, but special and unique in its own way. I'm thankful that we were able to give Siler a happy life, taking him on many adventures and treating him to lots of table scraps. The last year of his life was his happiest as he took to "country living" like a champ. There were plenty of creatures to chase from tree to tree and his nose stayed to the ground. Ultimately, this is what got him in trouble and took his life. We'll miss him but will treasure the special times we had with him in our family. So long buddy.