Birthday girl, chicks, and baking day

Small update for March. We had to build a second fenced area for the chickens. They used to come out and free range all over the yard but the poop was just too much. We realized Naomi cannot even crawl around the backyard this spring unless we somehow get rid of the poop. So fence it was. We will figure out how to move this every so often or split it in two so that they can have a fresh area all the time.


The coop, run, and new fence.

Chicken bottoms. Don't try to take their picture when you just threw them a bunch of scratch. lol


Baking day. This is a no knead 5 minute artisan loaf. You can refridgerate it for up to 3 weeks and we get about 3 loaves in the batch. It says 6 but we make large loaves I guess. It takes about 5 minutes to mix and then you let it rise and then in the fridge it goes. I have also made Naan, rolls, and cinnamon rolls out of this dough. Yummy!

Pancakes for the freezer.

A busy baker making cookies.

The pancake flipper.

The painter

Nomy's first birthday. We had dinner and cake. Look mom I'm one! Really its look at this sugary slimy stuff, should I eat it?

Her first cake, carrot with cream cheese frosting.

The baby chickens getting out while I cleaned the brooder.

This is Michael playing the drum set he created the other day.

Happy Birthday Naomi

I cannot believe she is already one year old. This year has flown by! Her first year went so much quicker than any of the other kids it seems.

Naomi we thought you were a boy and I was so excited and surprised when you came out and your big sister announced you were a girl! You are so little (the smallest of all the kids we think) and have no fear. I am constantly finding you inside or on top of things. You can climb on and off the beds, the couch, and yesterday I found you in a stock pot in the kitchen. You say mama and dada but don't really have a need for other words. You sisters and brothers talk so much for you. You have gone from rolling, to crawling, to standing, to yesterday walking about 9 steps across the room. Soon you will be running wild and I will be exhausted from chasing you. I am so blessed that God gave you to us and cannot wait to see what year two brings us.

Happy Birthday Naomi (aka Nomy)

Minutes old

One week

March 08

April 08

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June 08

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Jan 09

Feb 09

March 09

Projects, Maddy shots, and Falling

So its not the end of Febuary and these are the last of the pictures I have to get on here. :)


Madeline loves to take pictures and here are some Maddy shots from this month:

This is our wall and I think that is hair.

This would be a sideways Marah

Maddy's eye

Okay back to Mommy shots here.

Marah did a project. It involved lots of glue. She is so proud of her work I had to take her picture!

It also involved her sisters head. A little in her ear... A little on the top...

Some on the forehead. Nomy thought it was great fun.

I have not taken any pictures in the last 2 weeks or so. It has been pretty hectic. Joe hurt himself while hiking with clients. He fell down 10 feet or so of hill and then off a 15 foot cliff. He broke his nose, sprained his ankle, got a concussion, and had a lot of cuts and bruises. He landed 3 feet from the lake and was hypothermic (or close to it, not remembering now) when rescue got to him. That was 2 weeks ago and yesterday he had surgery to fix his nose so he is in a lot of pain and enjoying some percocet. :) I thank God he is still here. A few more feet and he would have been in the lake. Even the firemen, paramedics, and doctors are surprised he is not hurt more. It has been a crazy few weeks and I am ready for it to be over. :)

Bread, Drawers, and Storage!!!

A rare moment when Michael asked me to take his picture!


Nomy loves to empty out the drawers and climb in them.


A new sandwich bread recipe. I really like it!


We bought a new van and I had to take a picture of the back after a Costco trip. We do one trip per month to Costco and buy a lot to freeze and store. Normally the back would be full, the front full, the sides full, and things in between the kids seats. Everything fit in the back nicely!


I have yet to take a picture of the actual van its a 2008 Town and Country.

Michael Counts to 1,000

Last night Michael announced he was going to count to 1,000. He started with spinning in the dining room and slowly moved around the house and he did make it to 1,000. Notice in each video he is in a different location and moving around as he counts. I am so glad he is able to learn in his own way and not have to sit still in a classroom. :)

The quality of the videos is messed up. I think someone around the age of 8 played with the settings when they took pictures earlier in the day. :)









You can hear him in this one saying he is going to count to 1,000,000 next. He started today while we were at Costco. lol Currently he is at 1,129 and asked me to remember that so he can start again later. :)

January 2009

We got baby chicks! 3 Barred Rocks and 2 Buff Orpingtons. They are straight run so a 10% to 20% chance they are roos.

In the brooder. They have grown so much in one week that we have all ready had to move them to a bigger brooder!

We made laundry detergent. For about $3.50 we made enought to fill 2 170 ounce containers and one 80 oz container!! It smells good too.

Marah upgraded from a swim diaper to a swim suit. She spent about 4 hours in it the day we bought it.

The climbing has begun. Nothing is safe!

We made a spider web. We all laid on the floor to look up at it and all the spiders we created.

Madeline made a teddy bear for Marah. This was her practice on some flannel. Her next one will be made with actual fake fur. She has pink, purple, and dark brown teddy bear fur to choose from.