Grandma to the Rescue!

God bless Grandma who came to the rescue today and helped me clean and entertained the kids!!  And Grandpa, too, who even washed a window for the cause!  We might just be ready for the party next week.  

CORRECTION: For the record, Grandma washed 95% of the windows and Grandpa washed about 2 inches.  Both are appreciated.  

Walmart and Cabellas

We went to Walmart in WV to get some things for Joy's party.  Then we visited Cabellas.  We had a very kind food service worker who carried all our food to our table for us.  Joy cooperatively sat in the high chair the whole time.  They were both very good.  Joy did try to eat the ketchup packets, and I had to keep catching her snack bowl before she launched it off the table.  But, overall, they did as well as could be expected.  There was plenty of cool stuff to look at to keep them occupied.  Joy loved all the animals and the fish and of course Paul did too, as always!

Ants on a Log

Paul's new favorite snack.

12th Anniversary

We enjoyed a lovely dinner at Angelo's for our 12th Anniversary.  Thanks to Grandma Ely and Maddie and Rachael for babysitting.  Joy enjoyed some of Shawn's leftovers of scallops, veggies and pasta the next day. 

Roman Christen Queen at 1 week old: With no eyes open, with one eye open, and with both eyes open!

Everybody is having fun in the new car seat!

Joy's New Chair

I like reading in my new chair!

Timber!

I usually don't post videos, but this one is too great not to post.  This is the tree above the septic tank going down.  Awesome!  I've watched it about 25 times today.  Also, Paul was quite enamored with "Landscaper Harry" and his team.  Tonight, he got out his chainsaw and did some work himself.

Alien Icing

We watched a cooking show where AB made green icing out of avocados (and a pound of sugar). Paul thought it looked cool. We made it today. It was cool and fun and a huge mess! We enjoyed our green alien icing sandwiches with graham crackers.

Sous Chef

Paul is a great helper in the kitchen. He has now learned to peel potatoes. For real!

Joy's First Steps

This is obviously not Joy walking, but it's the only picture I took of her on the day she took her first steps. She took two steps from her high chair to me and then later from Shawn to me.

Taking Up the Whole Bed

Very Serious About Something

Farmer Daddy

Shawn used the tractor to haul the Husquavarna to the scrap pile. He tried valiantly to fix it, but no luck. Paul enjoyed the ride.

Visit with Lauren, Bryce, Charlotte and Michelle

We had a wonderful visit with Lauren, Bryce, Charlotte and Michelle. It was great to see Michelle and catch up. The kids were well behaved and had a lot of fun.

Fun Riding in the Wagon

Spring House Day Part II: Cheese Making

I bought a cheese making kit in 2006 or 2007 from "The Cheese Lady" and made cheese a few times. It was fun and tasty. That was around the time I was trying to get pregnant. I hoped and prayed that someday I'd be able to make cheese with my children. Paul and I bought some milk at the Spring House and came home and made mozzarella. It was tons of fun! Paul loved it and we both ate so much cheese! Even Joy enjoyed some too. I was very happy that all the ingredients still worked after 5 years of sitting in my pantry/freezer.

Field Trip to the Spring House

Paul's long awaited school field trip to the Spring House was last Friday. Unfortunately, he was in a very strange mood from the minute he woke up. He was extremely shy/timid during the tour. You wouldn't have picked him to be the kid who had cows at home. He wanted no part of touching the calves or milking a cow and he was terrified of the milking machinery. However, by the time we got to the restaurant, he was ready for some fun. He enjoyed his ice cream cone and had a wonderful time playing in the play area.