please don't get sick

So Presley had a playdate with a friend last night and her dad calls Greg today because she was at the doctor and has H1N1. I am praying she doesn't get sick!!! It just makes me so nervous I am such a worry wort as it is and I was dreading having this flu in our home.  So we will see in the next 5-7 days if she comes down with any symptoms. I will just make she she gets plenty of sleep and eats more healthy stuff. I hope we are spared the flu this year. If she does gets sick please let it be mild. I hate watching our lil' ones sick. There is nothing worse taking care of a sick one when you are sick too.....So everyone say a little prayer that Presley doesn't get sick!!!

Presley is 3 today

Happy birthday my big girl

The party was good. She got some great presents and she got her cake so she was a happy girl. We are all done with birthdays in this house for another year. I am so sick of eating cake and that is a huge statement for me I could eat cake everyday but I am finally sick of it for the moment. We ( more me...ok ALL me) bought Presley a new guinea pig for her birthday. He is a lil' peruvian. He is very sweet and laid back and loves to cuddle. I think she ended up naming him hamster. We'll see if that sticks we can call him hammie for short. I am so jealous Greg is going to the viking/packer game tonight and I'm not! I bet the crowd is going to be insane. My mom is coming over and we are going out to eat and do some shopping. Presley needs some winter things like boots and hats and a few more outfits. I sold some of her baby stuff the other day so I guess I'll turn around and get her some much needed items. The way the weather has been we should be getting snow any day now. I can't believe how the weather just turned overnight. went from 70's to 40-50's. Greg broke down and turned the heat on sat. I think I could have held out a little longer. This week I start week 3 of my run training. It looks a little more intense this week. run 90 seconds walk 90 seconds then run 3 minutes and walk 3 minutes and alternate. It shouldn't be too bad. 

wiped out

This last month has been so busy with birthdays and entertaining I am so ready for a weeks worth of sleep. The weather has took a dive and it has been rainy and cold for the last few days. We really need the rain but I wish it was a little warmer. Doing the "farm" chores in the cold rain is not as fun. I have to get the garage cleaned before I can move the buns in there. The 3 that got sick are now in there but I wish I would have moved baby Jane in there a few nights ago along with the other 2. I think the very chilly nights stressed her out and her nose has started running again even on antibiotics. She is in the garage now so hopefully she gets better real soon. I just don't know what else i could do. I hope she doesn't have a life long issue. I was suppose to clean today for Presley's birthday party on sunday but didn't get that far. I am spending the day tomorrow at another rabbit show so i guess I'll get up early and do everything sunday mornig...I do better under pressure anywho. Plus we are taking Lyla and Wyatt for a sleepover sat. night so I'm sure 3 toddlers are going to trash the place so I might as well wait cuz if i cleaned before I would be all stressed watching them tear up the joint. It is going to be interesting taking care of 3 -3 year olds!!! They are going to have a blast i just hope they all sleep ok cuz I hate those night wakeups. I think Greg will be on night duty! I have been doing great on my running today will be the last day of week 2 and then it looks like it starts getting a little more intense. Since I don't have a treadmill I'm at the mercy of the weather and it looks like I'm going to be running in the rain when Greg gets home. BRRRRR  running in 48 degree cold rain doesn't sound fun but it is just 30 mins. Suck it up I'm a minnesotan!!

football

Since favre is our new QB I am a little more excited to watch the Vikes this year. The last couple years have been so lame with losing all the time. Now we have another football fan in our home. Presley likes to sit and watch the games and loves yelling touchdown. We also taught her the viking song and she runs around singing. Well today I turned the tv on for her to watch cartoons and she said she wanted to watch football!!! We will have to get some tickets for a least one of the games this year so she can go and cheer them on in person. I might have to get a a jersey too. This is the first year she doesn't have an outfit to wear on football sunday. Her birthday falls on a monday night game when we play the packers. That should be a super fun game to watch since we have their Brett now! We better kick some cheesehead butt!!!! I love the Fall

a mellow weekend

Other than stressing over my sick buns it was a nice and relaxing weekend. After last week's birthday festivities it is nice to have nothing on the calendar. The 3 sick bunnies seem to be responding really well to the meds and no more runny noses. No one else is coming down with symptoms so hopefully I'll be able to go to the rabbit show next weekend with the healthy buns. Today was day 2 of my 5k training. It feels so good to be out and running again I can't wait to build up some stamina cuz right now I feel like a big ole elephant running thru the neighborhood with everything jiggling!!! I am so looking forward to BSF this week with Presley. I signed up last week and we are suppose to start wed. and she'll go into her lil' bible study class with the other toddlers. I am nervous to see how she is going to do this will be the first time she has been in a class without me. She is actually going to have to take instruction from a teacher and have to listen and do....I wish i was a fly on the wall during her first class. So when I am in my study group she'll be in hers. It is 2 hours so we'll see how she does!!! I miss being in a bible study it has been about 5 years since I was in BSF. I have to work on Presley's b-day invites for her party 2 weeks from today. I might be lazy this year and just send out an email!!! I need to catch up on my scrapbooking too.......maybe tonight I'll work on it after she goes to sleep. I just hate how dark it is getting so early I feel like being in bed by 8pm now!!!

couch potato to 5k

So my GF Sam and I are both starting the couch potato to 5k program. We are both going to sign up for our first 5k hopefully do the turkey trot. It is a 9 week program and says you'll be running 3 miles nonstop by then. So tonight was my first day and it was not bad other than I have a start of a cold so I was a little tired but the last half was much easier than the first half. I always hate the first 7-8 minutes of exercise and then once I get past that it always seems easier.  So 3 days a week doesn't seem too hard......and I like a set program that starts out fairly easy it seems much more doable than just hitting the pavement and burn out right away. You also are watching your watch so you forget you are even running. I have been eating birthday cake nonstop since saturday!!!! The scale is not my friend right now but man I love cake!~

on a stressful note 3 of my rabbits are sick. I noticed Kline had a runny nose and heard him sneeze so I moved him away from the rest of the herd and the next morning baby jane sneezed and I looked over and she had white snot from her nose so I freaked and called the vet and got them both on antibiotics. Then tonight I noticed Bety had a wet nose and crusty front paws so I gave her some of Kline's antibiotics right away and will have to get more next week. It is a rabbit owners worst nightmare when the "snuffles" hits. It can wipe out a whole herd in no time. Rabbits are very good about hiding an illness and they can look fine one day and be dead the next. Hopefully I caught it early enough and everyone gets better. The only thing is sometimes a rabbit can have a chronic problem and need antibiotics for the long term. I think most breeders will just remove the animal from their herd if that happens because it is sooo contagious. I am just beside myself dealing with this. I guess I will see what happens and hopefully no one else gets sick. I will also have to see if anyone has a chronic problem and deal with that situation when the time comes. I am so bonded with baby Jane she is such a lover and I really hope she doesn't continue to have any more problems. I am not sure how it happened. I think Kline got sick first. Most rabbits can carry it but sometimes when they get stressed it can attack. Not sure if the big 40th birthday bash with all the people here stressed him out?? Well whatever it was I hope I don't have to deal with this again. Poor bun buns. 

another year

wow 37!!! I am not a fan of odd numbers usually those years tend to be a little more "off" but hopefully 37 brings me lots of good times....how could it not with presley!! I had a great weekend I surprised greg with a 40th bash. He had no clue and I got him good. It happened to be my birthday weekend so i took advantage of the party too. Tonight family are coming over for a b-b-g and cake to celebrate my day. Greg's actual b-day is the 27th this month. Then Presley is a week later so a busy time for us. I love the fall it is my fave. The weather is a little warmer than usual but the nights get down to the 50's and I love it. I now I 3 chickens that are laying Penny popped a egg out sunday. She was squawking up a storm and a little later saw her in the corner and an egg under her. Now just 3 left to start laying and then I should be getting plenty of eggs a day so I won't have to buy anymore at the store. ok off to go do something.......

made my first goal

So my first goal was to lose 10 pounds by my birthday and I did it with 5 days to spare. Even with the family reunion and the state fair I managed to still lose in time. SOOO now my next goal is to lose 10 more by thanksgiving. That is a nice mellow goal for 11 weeks away. I might be able to do more but that is a good start I don't want to feel too deprived. I am just looking forward to getting my pre-presley body back. I never knew how hard it was to lose this dang baby weight. She was worth every ounce but man she is almost 3 and I am still fartin' around with getting serious about dealing with it. I figure by the end of this year I should be at "my ideal" weight.  Not sure if I'll ever see size 2 again but not really that important like it was when I was in my 20's. Just feeling good about myself and more energy is what I'm shootin' for. Now If I could just get more exercise in my routine I would be golden.....baby steps!

I made the right choice

for fun I was surfing the web and came across this......both Greg and Presley are libras and I'm the virgo...thought is was fun

Efficient and organized, Virgo is a sign that values order, logic and communication. In their romantic relationships, they favor a devoted partner who shares their love of structure, service to others and the finer things in life. Their loyal nature ensures they have a good chance of making any relationship work, but they will find the most bliss in the following unions:

Virgo and Libra

A partnership between these two signs can be quite harmonious, owing to their shared love of culture and beauty and their desire for security in a relationship. With similar goals and values, these two work well together because they are both working for the same thing.

Virgo and Libra both have a taste for the finer things in life, possessing a shared passion for art, collecting and the theatre. They both love a good conversation, and bring culture and beauty with them wherever they go. Both signs also have a reputation for snobbery, thanks to Virgo’s high expectations and Libra’s tendency to see themselves as intellectually superior to others.

Both signs also share a love of balance, and have a strong appreciation for the differences between them. Virgo admires the charming and diplomatic sides of Libra’s personality, and Libra values Virgo’s love of structure and order, as well as the benefits that come with it.

Many of this pair’s differences actually complement each other well. Virgo is a mutable sign, easygoing and adaptable, while Libra is a cardinal sign and prefers to take the lead. However, Libra is not dominating, but instead offers gentle guidance, to which Virgo responds well.

Cupcake and George

George

Cupcake

So here are 2 pics one of cupcake the mini rex I got and a new lionhead buck. I decided Lionel isn't going to cut it with being a herd buck. His mane stinks and Bety won't breed with him so I got a new buck. He is only 3 months old so he needs another 6-8 weeks or so before I can use him to breed. If Bety turns him down then I'm not sure what to do....guess she is a lot like me;). I need to build a nestbox for Vivien incase she is preggo. If she is she is due in about 10 days or so. We had a gorgeous weekend for weather. Yesterday we went to the arboretum and it was just beautiful. That place is stunning with all the gardens and landscaping. I didn't bring my big camera because I wanted to walk without lugging it around. Greg had his little P&S so we got some pics. My neck is still healing and I just can't have anything heavy around it for a little longer. Maybe I'll make an appt. for a massage next week for my birthday. I can't believe I'm going to be 37 already! My diet is going good I am down 9 pounds so it looks like I will hit my 10 pound goal for my birthday!~!! My next goal is to lose another 10 by thanksgiving. I think as long as I keep the goals simple and not to lose the weight to fast like I usually do I think I will keep it off. Before I would lose the weight in half the time but it always crept back on. I really need to start working out more that will help speed it up a little more and turn the mush to muscle. All I know is 9 pounds feels good and it is a great motivator to see more come off. 

bunny fun

I went to the owatonna rabbit show today. Laural got to my house at 6 am and I loaded 5 of my buns to take. Laural brought her tans she had about 20 she was showing. I was proud of Bety my lionhead she took BOB ( best of breed) and Jara my fuzzy lop took BOG (best of group) The judge said Baby Jane looked very promising but she got beat out because she was so young and not developed as much as the others in her class. She is still so young but i was curious to see what the judge that of her and chester. Chester also got good marks so in the spring when they are more mature I think they might do well on the table. Vivien my other fuzzy didn't do very well which I wasn't shocked she is long in the body and not a good head. I will breed her with Kline and see what kind of babies she throws and figure out from there. I bred her to kline 2 weeks ago but not sure if it took. I will but a nestbox in her cage in about 12 days and see is she starts making a nest and just wait. If she isn't pg I will try again. I know Bety isn't because she wasn't letting lionel "in".  I tried again today with laural here and still she wasn't in the mood. I think I will wait until I see if vivien is pg and try them both in a few weeks. A few people wanted to know if bety was for sale but no she is a keeper. I wish I would have had some lionhead buns to sell today cuz I would have done well. 

So yes I came home with another bun. I found a tri colored mini rex for 5 bucks and said sold. Greg loved the mini rex because they are so ultra plush. Greg named him cupcake. He is a sweet boy but too big to show and breed so he will just be a pet. He was born on new years day so he is 9 months old now. But now I am thinking about getting a pair of lynx mini rex to show and breed.....but will wait until spring even though convention is next year here in MN and it would be great to have some good stock to show and sell. It is in oct or nov next year so I would have 1 year to breed and get some wins and show prospects under my belt. I am just really excited to get a few litters out of mine. I am still on the fence about lionel he is lacking in the mane dept. but will give him a chance with one litter before I find a different herd buck.

I love my rabbits and going to shows is so much fun now that I actually have a few to bring and put on the table. I can't wait until Presley is old enough to do this with me too.

just a hen house

Well it is officially just a hen house now. I found pearl a home today since he started crowing a couple days ago. So no more roosters just hens living in the coop. Greg was bummed out Pearl turned out to be a boy he liked that white fuzzy guy. Petunia is now laying eggs too. So just 4 more girls are free loaders still and should be laying soon. It was a wonderful weekend and the weather couldn't be any more perfect. I am so excited the state fair is starting this week and we are going on friday. The rabbit show is friday morning so I will be there early and probably spend most the day there. I can't wait to check out the poultry too. I could spend the whole day at all the barns. The MN fair is the best!!! Presley was sick all weekend. She had a fever and was lethargic but that was all. I kept waiting for the puke/poop but nothing. It was actually kinda nice cuz she just laid around so we were able to do things around the house without her needing to be entertained. I still felt bad but enjoyed a calm Presley too.  

lazy saturday

Today was a great lazy day Greg had to run to do some work in the morning and was home around noon and we did a little yard work and played in the yard with Presley. Mark & Georgia came over with the twins and they all bounced on the tramp and ran around the yard naked!! They were running thru the sprinkler so 3 naked toddlers streaking the backyard was too funny. That is Presley favorite thing to be is naked. That girl is always pulling off her clothes and running around in the buff. I think when the temps turn -20 degrees around here she'll be singing another tune. I caught Porckchops my d'uccle chicken laying another egg today so that has been her! I made sure she got her props today and Greg thinks I'm a totally loony bird as I was praising her for being such a good chicken!!! Oh well I get a kick out of it.....

eggs for breakfast

Last night I was giving the chickens fresh water and noticed 2 little eggs in the corner!!! So exciting to have fresh eggs already. So this morning I couldn't wait to crack them open and see what they looked like and tasted like. They are very tiny still but as the chickens get older they will be a little bit bigger. So they were so tasty and the yolks were such a pretty orange color. Presley liked them too. I am so proud of my girls and so excited for fresh eggs from here on out!! No more buying grocery store eggs...... 

she also ate a fresh green apple from the neighbor's tree......living off the land;)

5 pounds

I stepped on the scale monday and am down 5 pounds for the first week......I was hoping to be down 20!!! lol

Last night was bad cuz we went to the dakota county fair and I ate some no-no's wasn't that bad but still not great but hey the fair is so hard to not eat at when everyone is stuffin' their faces on greasy and chocolate. I am back at it today and will continue the strict low carb until monday and access the progress. I haven't been doing any cardio which is slowing the process but it is HOT and I hate sweating and our air went out and it is close to 90 degrees!!! I am NOT a fan of the heat. I feel really bad for my bunnies they look miserable. I have been misting them down and put some frozen water bags in their cages. It looks like just 3 more days of this heat and then back down to high 70's  The only good about our air being out is our electric bill isn't going to be so high. Ewww I just took a sip of lemonade after brushing my teeth....yuck!!!! I have to work tonight and I hope my clients don't melt in my chair without our air working. It is a split level home so the basement feels about 10 degrees cooler so that is good. Greg is working on the unit so hopefully he can get it going before calling a "pro".  Oh the neighbor just came over and got it running!!! Yeah!!!!

Atkins

Yet another attempt to lose this fat!! I have tried it once before (maybe twice) and it worked well when I was on it I just only did it for a couple 2...3 weeks and then went back to full on carbs. What I love about atkins is it is stuff I love to eat, meat and cheese and eggs. I have been doing the atkins bars and shakes too they are easy and quick when I need to put something in my belly. The choc coconut bars are sooo good just like a candy bar.  I started monday and yesterday I hit a nasty wall of something?? I think it was sugar detox!!! I got so sick I felt like puking and so tired I had to sleep most the day then last night I was all better and today I have so much energy and it is a nice constant energy. I have been cleaning non stop all day. I think my problem was I always was carb chasing and I get so shaky and crabby if I don't eat all the time. I think with more protein I don't have to ups and downs and I really do feel content most the day not like I need to eat my arm off with most diets. So I am committing to this for 6 weeks and then see what to do at that point. If you think about this it is a healthy way to lose weight. Lean meats like fish and chicken and green veggies and olive oils...also don't forget about the great cheese and beef that this girl loves!!! I think I can do this....wait I know I can do this for 6 weeks!!! 6 weeks goes so fast!!!

attack of the ants

Saturday I spent weeding some more and I guess I was sitting on an ant hill and all of a sudden I felt bites all over me and realized I was being attacked by tiny ants. Man they hurt and now I have welts and they itch SO badly!!! I want to scrape my skin off. It even woke me up in the middle of the night and the more I scratch the more it itches. I had to get up and try putting different things on to make it stop so I could fall back to sleep.  I put a good dent in the weed situation but I don't think I will get it under control this summer...maybe next year Greg will help, he is boycotting the yard this year.  I had the house to myself yesterday and I laid in bed and watched old movies all day!!! I loved it and really miss those little luxuries. Greg took Presley to Red wing and they had a parade so she came home all sugared up again. I swear we are allowing her way too much sweets!!! And this is coming from a mom who said " I am not letting my kid eat any candy!" UMM yeah that seems to be her main staple lately. This kid doesn't need any sugar to fuel her energy either. At least she doesn't get any more candy for going potty since she is completely trained now. It has been a few weeks with no accidents she even stays dry all night and gets up and pees in the morning by herself.  All I have to do is wipe her butt after pooping. She will come out of the bathroom and say "presley pooped" and bends over with her butt in the air for me to wipe. It is funny though she will not use a porta-potty. Greg had to bring her to a store yesterday at the parade cuz she wouldn't use the nasty porta-potty....I don't blame her I hold it for as long as I can before I finally break down and have to use those stinky things. She sees the nasty poop sitting in them and refuses to use it. Man they are nasty!!! So I just realized I turn 37 in 6 weeks and I HAVE to try to get back on the weight loss/exercise kick. I need to be down 10 pounds by sept. 15th!! I don't want to be my weight on my birthday, I need to crack down and get serious!!!! Why can't I find self control lately?? I never had a problem with losing weight I would get on a diet and a few weeks later lose 10 pounds without that much effort. Since being preggo I just can't seem to get it together. So frustrating!!!

more of the same

Another monday that I spent cleaning and doing laundry. Tomorrow we are most likely going to the zoo as long as there is no rain. The only thing that is on my list to do this week is to weed which is totally out of control!!! In a way I am looking forward to snow just so everyone can't see all my weeds. There is just not enough presley-free hours in the day for me to spend 3-4 hours straight on weeding. I guess I could spend 2 hours in the beds while she is sleeping but I hate getting into a project to be interrupted when I'm in the groove. Presley still is having fun on the tramp but she doesn't like to bounce by herself so one of us bounces with her. Oh well I didn't plan on it being a babysitter but it would have been nice....zip her in there and come back out in a few hours......yeah that would be great!!!! 

Trampoline

Greg bought Presley a trampoline. I am calling it her very early b-day present! It is fun but man are they an eye-sore in the yard. We are running out of room in this yard we really need a few acres. We have been bouncing non-stop for the last couple days. It is such a great workout though. I put my heart rate monitor on to see and I was able to keep my HR up without too much bouncing. Just got those arms a-flappin' and that is all it took. So I was doing jumping jacks at 7:30am this morning while she was bouncing along. It is a good way to start the day it gets the adrenaline flowing. It also keeps the core engaged at all times and my core needs lots of help! I am so excited for the upcoming rabbit show this weekend!! It is only an hour away from me so I don't have to be up at 2:30am this time. I can sleep till 5:45. I am hoping to find a good looking doe for Opie. I am hoping she will be about 5 months old or if not at least she can be proven and a little older. Opie won't be ready to breed for another 5 months or so. Either way I will probably wait till the cold winter starts warming up. I think maybe about March unless I bring the lops in the garage too. I would really love to find a pair of american fuzzy lops but I think Greg would kill me if I went with 3 different breeds. They are all so cute....I need to relax!

too fast

wow this summer is going way too fast and I have so many plans in my head of things I want to do but time is slippin' thru my fingers. The weather has been so wonderful this year. It is a little on the cooler side which I prefer but still in the 80's. I just hate the high 80-90 degree days. My garden is growing well and so are the weeds. I need to dedicate a few nights weeding after P goes to sleep but that is when the skeets come out and I am already loaded with bug bites. The gnats have been bad and I have a ton of bites on my scalp. You know now that I'm thinking about things I have not seen one bug bite on Presley???...maybe she isn't sensitive to mosquitos?? Wouldn't that be great I do know some people who don't seem to be effected by them. We bought a wii fit the other day and it has been fun working out with it. We've had the wii for awhile and haven't used it much lately so it is nice to put it to use again. I actually was and still am sore from some of the yoga poses and strength training. The lunges always get me ....I love the burn. I can't believe how fast you lose your tolerance and get out of shape so quickly when the couch is your friend. Not much planned for the weekend I think Greg has to work and I work tomorrow so that is a bummer. I just have 2 clients so it won't be too long.  Presley has been a real good girl lately. She is talking so much more ...too the point that she never shuts her mouth. I am finally understanding most everything she says without making her repeat but others still need a translation. I think her fave time of the day is when daddy walks thru the doors she lights up and starts squealing and running around like a crazy person every time. It has to just make Greg's day to come home to that after a long work day.

slackin'

wow I didn't realize it has been so long since I updated the blog. We had a great weekend out of town for the fourth. I hired my neighbor to take care of my "farm" so we could leave for a few days. Everyone was still alive by the time we got back so that was great news. We took our annual trip to Gilbert to enjoy northern MN for the 4th of july. They have a wonderful torchlight parade for the kids with tons of candy. I bet Presley has a cavity in every tooth by now. I swore I wasn't going to let her eat candy as a little baby but I think she has consumed more than most kids by now. It is one battle I just don't care to fight.  We kept her up for the fireworks this year and she enjoyed them. This girl has no fear and I think the only think she is frightened of is bugs. The neighbors up north had a trampoline and now greg wants to get one for her....well him too! They make them so safe now with the netting around them so people can't fall off. I think we will wait until next year before we buy one. Greg bought one when we first moved out here to this house and we used it quite a bit but then he got bored with it and we sold it in a garage sale one year.  I just can't believe it is july already this summer  is flying by but it has been so great so far. I love summer.

hot hot hot

Lionel

Man the last 2 days have really been nasty sticky hot. The air has been running non stop and it still feels warm in the house. My poor bunnies are just panting. I brought Opie in the house a few times and let him cool off in the bathtub. The nice cool tub must have felt good on his belly. Lionel the Lionhead I dipped him in the kiddie pool a couple times and I think he enjoyed the cool down too. I think it is going to be better for the next few days. I guess it is summer now.  Not much else has been going on quite boring around here...no new critters

humid

I just can't handle the humidity as I have gotten older and carrying a little more body fat than I am used to. I caved and put the air on today. It isn't that it is going to be too hot but that humidity makes me crazy. When you are just sitting in the house and you are all clammy and sweaty your know it is time for the air. Presley also is like a little furnace so I think she will have a better nap today. The last couple days it is been hot in the house and her naps last about 1.5 hours compared to her 2.5 hours like usual. She is also cutting all 4 2 year molars so I am sure those are causing a little bit of a problem. We have a busy weekend. Tomorrow is our 12 year wedding anniversary and then father's day on sunday. Also our nephew's open house is tomorrow. I can't believe he is graduated from high school. I remember when I first started dating Greg he was just about 3-4 years old....not much older than Presley and now he is off to college. That just makes my head spin knowing it is just going to go so fast and I'll be sending Presley off to college someday...if she wants to go. For now I am going to cherish every moment even the bad ones cuz it really is going so fast already.

Kickin' my butt

I don't know what my problem is this week but I am soooo tired. The first thing I do is run to my coffee pot and brew the thickest black tar you ever drank and that doesn't even seem to help. I could have taken a nap today but I have to get up at 2:30am to leave for the rabbit show in the morning!!! I am going to be one tired lil' girl by tomorrow night. I am riding up with a lady I have never met, I just found her this week, she breeds french lops and is going to the show to show some of her rabbits. I was going to buy one from her but then I found out about the show and I want to check out some rabbits there first. She only has solids and I really love the brokens so I didn't want to settle until I check out all my options. I told Greg last night that I want to start showing and maybe breeding french lops....he didn't say much other than as long as it doesn't take up too much of my time. I think he just doesn't want to be stuck home with Presley on the weekends all the time. I said when she is old enough her and I'll be out of your hair and you can have some weekends to yourself. I guess I will see what happens this weekend and if it looks like something that would be fun I'll just play it by ear. So back to going up there with a complete stranger.....if you don't hear from me again you know what happened!

My muscovy ducks are 2 weeks now so I have taken them outside a couple times this week to play. They are so dang cute waddling all around. They are still pretty nervous of us but will let us be by them. They say not to be too friendly with them cuz when the boys hit sexual maturity they can view us as an equal and can get aggressive if there are females he is trying to swoon. Well if I have a male and he is nasty he will just go bye-bye. They have sharp claws and we don't need any crazy males attacking us.  I still need to work on a duck house for them. I think by this time next week they can have free range of the backyard and they will need a place to go into at night from predators. 

Booboo is doing well since he has been back home. I have treated him twice with DE for his fleas and yesterday I couldn't find any live ones on him so hopefully they are all dead and we don't have a problem in the yard with any more fleas.  I think I contained it to just him in his cage but one never knows about those nasty bugs. In 12 years of owning animals I have never had to deal with any fleas so this is a first for me. I'm not worried about the chickens cuz they have DE in their bedding and the new rabbit I get I will put DE in his bedding as well. I should sprinkle some in the dog's bedding and maybe rub Louie down with some too just for preventive measures. You can never be too safe.  DE is diatomaceous Earth it is wonderful stuff for many things. You just have to make sure it is food grade cuz they have stuff that isn't and it is toxic. 

where's booboo?

IN MY GARDEN!!!

I took this pic out my bedroom window. Yes he is helping himself to my newly planted veggies. He won't touch the weeds that are growing ....no he wants the good stuff. Last night one of my clients brought me a live trap they have and I set it out with his fave , timothy hay. He sat in sniffed around the cage but won't go into it. I'll leave it for awhile and maybe he'll get use to it and feel comfortable and we can catch him. He is ruining my plants so hopefully we can get a fence around it  and maybe can catch him in there and then he can't get out. I just hope we can get him before the fox in the neighborhood does.

Since we are on the bunny subject the hutch is almost done!! I am heading to a rabbit show in grand rapids on saturday and hopefully will be coming home with a new french lop!!! I met a breeder and we are driving up together and I am going to be her assistant for the day. I think I might get into showing french lops!! I know I know I am one crazy woman. Now I can't just be called the crazy chicken lady now it will be the bonkers bunny lady, the dorky duck lady and the list continues. Hey one can never say I don't like trying new things. I know when Presley is old enough I will be getting her into 4-H and she can show rabbits and/or chickens. It can be a mother/daughter team. I will have to get her a smaller breed of rabbit to show cuz I don't think a 4-5 year old will be able to lug a big 15 pound bunny around very easily. She could do the holland lops or maybe if the lionhead becomes a recognized breed she can do that. I would have loved that as a child. I am just living my childhood now the way I want to. I don't want to be old and have regrets about not doing the things I wanted to. It is going to be pure torture to only come home with one bunny this weekend......

sproutin'

I planted a bunch of veggies from seeds last week and they are all sproutin' thru the ground. The carrots I don't see yet so hopefully they will be soon. Now I'm not sure when I start thinning them out cuz there are so many so close together. I have never had a veggie garden so I am just kinda winging it this year. I planted 17 tomato plants and I think a few are kinda close so I might have to rearrange things but I don't have a lot of room in the one spot I chose. I also think I will need to get some fencing around cuz we do have wild rabbits around. Actually booboo is one of them. He got out of the yard a few days ago and everyday I have been out there trying to catch him and he just runs from me. I was running around the neighborhood for over an hour last night with a fishing net trying to capture him. I almost got him a few times but was just cm's from getting him in the net. Maybe tonight greg will help after P goes to sleep and with both of us we can get him. So anyone looking for some free entertainment pull up a chair and watch the white's run the neighborhood and get out smarted by a lil bunny. Last night I was running thru pine trees after him and getting all scratched up and out ran 2 wild rabbits with him. So now I know why he doesn't want to come home....he is gettin' some lovin' from the wild rabbits. But yesterday I noticed a few of the giant sunflowers I planted from seed are now missing. They were just an inch above the soil and now today when I was watering they are gone!!! So I better put up fencing. I guess booboo needs to eat but he can eat the neighbor's stuff. Today P and I were heading out the front door and Louie almost knocks me over trying to get into the house and as I was putting P in her carseat I see an animal control van coming up the hill. I wonder if they were trying to get Louie??? Or if someone called about the stray bunny eatin' up their flowers??? I guess I'm the neighbor who's animals run amuck!!!! So louie is on house arrest today and he can go out tonight after mr animal control punches off the clock. There is just no way to keep Louie in the house. He usually stays close but I would be so upset if he went missing. I better put a phone number on his collar so at least if he gets thrown in the clink they will call me. I am suppose to be getting my new bunny at the end of the weekend. I have been waiting for a french lop for a few weeks to get weened and one of Greg's friends is suppose to bring him back from MO. I have been trying to find a french lop and they are so hard to find breeders. There are quite a few in TX but no one ships. I did talk to a lady from TX who breeds them and her DH was coming up to IA this summer and I could meet him and get the bunny  but hopefully this one from MO comes thru. I did find a woman in ND and is having a litter soon. So one way or another by the end of summer I should have my french lop. They are the huge bunnies that have the floppy ears. They can get around 15 pounds. Hey maybe I should go into breeding french lops since no one else around here does. We are going to work on building a bunny hutch this weekend. I want to do it myself but I need a little help with some of the saws I get a little nervous around them so Greg was going to give me some lessons. Maybe if I end up with a girl bunny booboo will want to come back home!!!

and then there was 12

today a lady came and bought priscilla. priscilla crowed last week so she was a he. i have the motto here "if you crow you gotta go" someday we will live where we can have roosters but for now i have to make nice with the neighbors. presley spent the whole weekend at my moms and she was a perfect angel.... i see many more sleepovers in her future. it was pure heaven to have tome to do what we wanted to do!!! thanks grandma jo you are the best!!!

so busy

I have been so busy out in the yard!! I bought some annuals finally to fill in some planters. We have these cool speaker planters on our patio that needed some attention. Last year I don't think I bought any annuals other than a few mums in the fall. I have got my mojo back finally and love being back in the yard. The one summer I spent pg and had no energy and the next summer I was dealing with sleep depravation and still had no energy. Last year I was chasing a crazy toddler around and finally this year I can work in the yard while she is around. We worked on the layout for my veggie garden and tomorrow I am going to pick up some compost and plants and get them in the ground. I am a few weeks behind but better late than never. The coop really took a lot of our time this spring but now that it is done we can work on other projects. It feels good to be "back"

back to normal

after 2 nasty hot days we are back to seasonal temps in the low 70's. I almost put my air on yesterday but glad I held off. I have pretty much done nothing today. I don't even care. I laid P down for a nap and I went and hung with my "peeps" in the coop. That is the best entertainment ever for me. Chickens are so fun to watch. I am really having my doubts about Pearl the white silkie, I think she is a he. I think I might be on the search for a new white silkie next year. Not much for plans this weekend. I might call a neighbor girl to come watch my "farm" so we can go to a friend's cabin for one night. I hope the weather is nice I want to plant my veggie garden this weekend!!!

hot

Ok we went from cold to hot no in between. Yesterday it got to 97 degrees and it was way to hot!! My chickens and bunny were panting. We have stayed up late the last couple nights working on the coop. It is done enough for them with just a few tweaks left to do but they can be done with them living in it. Presley has been a nightmare the last few days. She is cutting her first 2 year old molar ans she is a bear. She is fighting sleep, won't eat and is whiny and poopy butt galore!!! Last night I had to stand by her bedroom door and hold it shut as she sat on the other side screaming and trying to pry the door open. It didn't help with Greg yelling in my other ear "just let her out" "she can stay up a little later" "she isn't going to stop crying" I am not going to listen to her cry just open the door" !!!! I was about ready to go postal on someone!! I stuck to my guns and she only put up a fight for about 5-8 minutes ( felt like an hour). Greg did say "wow i can't believe that worked" Ummm yeah momma knows best sometimes. I think the almost 100 degree temps wasn't helping the situation. We went to como zoo yesterday with sam and her boyz and I couldn't believe how many people were there. I was like doesn't anyone work anymore around here?? Presley was horrible with her lack of sleep and whiny self. I finally bought some happiness in a form of sugar. She got her big rainbow sucker and some ice cream. I ate most of the ice cream ....thanks Presley. My diet is doing pretty good. I lost 4 pounds last week but this week isn't going as great so far. I am trying to behave but not as anal as I was last week but still ok. If I lose a pound or two by monday I'll be happy. The heat makes me less hungry but when I want to eat is is sugar stuff. I think the lack of sleep for me causes me to crave sweets too. I am going to be in bed by 9pm tonight!!!

sick

I started with a cough about a week ago and it has gotten worse and my chest felt weird so i went to the clinic today and I have bronchitis. I have never had it in my life. I think it was from all the chicken dust from their feathers. I will not brood them in the house ever again that long. Maybe the first week and then they are going out in the garage. The amount of dust they created was crazy and I would sit right by their brooder for long periods of time just playing with them. Oh well I did a breathing treatment at the clinic and felt a little bit better and she sent me home with an inhaler, predisone, and zithromax. My throat feels better right now I can swallow my own saliva without cringing. I am just exhausted and have been taking naps when P sleeps to make it thru the week. I am sure the meds will be kickin' in quickly and should feel better by sunday. Not that we have anything fun planned for the weekend. Greg has to work the whole weekend again :( We did go to the zoo today for a quick little trip. They are having an african safari exhibit starting on the 23th but the giraffes and the ostriches were already there. Man ostriches are so cool. Their feathers look so fluffy and soft i wonder what one feels like? My one chick that was acting sick is acting sick again. She was fine all week and then I picked her up and was petting her and she got all funky again?? So maybe she is allergic to me? I don't know what to do. I gave her some sugar water but i might run to the store and pick up some vitamins for their water and she if she just needs an extra boost?? It stresses me out not knowing what is wrong with her. 

can I do it??

well anyone who knows me knows I start a new diet every week and within a day I am off again. So monday I started yet another attempt to drop a few pounds ....20 to be exact!!! I just haven't been able to get this extra "presley" weight off me and she is now 2.5 years old. I have all these clothes sitting in my closet and can't get them over my hips and I refuse to go out and buy a new wardrobe cuz I keep thinking I will lose this weight. Therefore I wear the same 3 pair of pants all the time. I also have no shirts so when I do things and people take pics I notice I have the same damn shirts on every time!!! So today is wednesday and so far so good I think I am going to be able to do it this time. Spring is much more motivating and I can get out and be more active than being locked up inside all winter. I was going to go to the club this week but have been dealing with a bad chest cold and been coughing up a lung for the last 4 days. Maybe I'll be over it by friday?? The cold has been to my favor cuz I am not as hungry with it. Last night at about 9pm I so wanted to drive to Mcdonalds and get a filet-o-fish but I drank a big glass of water and stayed strong. So everyone wish me luck this time around!!! 20 pounds is a lot but I need my old sheila body back!! I can't be going into my 40's being all frumpy mom looking!! I am on a mission.

Louie's new girlfriend

I forgot to mention that louie brought home a new girlfriend. Yes my cat isn't fixed and the other day I found this cat lurking around and batting her lashes at Louie. She also sat outside of our window at 2am the other night making deep moaning sounds wanting Louie to come out and "service" her!!! Well the last 2 nights I haven't heard her so we will see if there is a "free kittens" sign in the neighborhood in a couple months. Louie already says he isn't paying child support. 

a good mother's day

Even though Greg "pooped" the bed on even getting me a card I still had a good day. I guess he just set the tone for father's day....

I was able to get things done around the house. We worked on the coop and I cleaned the porch because we moved the chicks out to the garage. I just couldn't handle all the feather dust everywhere!!! If I do baby chicks again I will only keep them in the house for a week or 2 and then they can go to the garage. I posted 2 of the chicks on craigslist and a girl came and bought them today. I also sold 2 more to her while she was here. So now my chick count is down to 14. I was sad to see the 2 that I didn't plan on selling go but I know I have way too many already. Not sure what gender the 4 were but that is ok. My faves are still here but I was a little sad to see the others go. She sent a pic of them at their new house and I know they will be treated good. 

Of course I ran around crazy again today trying to get my class assignment done for tonight. It was 24 pics of a pen he gave us and boy it was hard trying to get creative with that!! Actually none of the ones I took I think are very creative but oh well it is my last assignment and it is done. I will be glad school is done now because the last few weeks have been hard to go because it is so nice outside. 

waving the white flag

I surrender!!!! Presley is wearing me out!!! I am too old for this crapolla. She just never stops I swear she is doing everything right now just to get under my skin. She is pushing the limits on everything. She could care less about the word no. I am about ready to try corporal punishment!!! Or either I start drinking hard liquor at 9am to make it thru the day!!!! I really think I need just a couple days away to recharge my batteries. I think I need to figure out a little preschool type thing for her to go to a couple days a week so she gets out and can run off some energy and I can get stuff done around the house. I need to get my fat butt back to lifetime and toss her into the daycare while I release some happy endorphins.  Ok that is my goal for next week 3 days at the club and I bet life will start looking prettier for me. I am meeting a client on wed for a spin class so that should be fun. An hour of intense cardio.....heaven help me now!!

break time yet?

Greg has been working so many hours and that means I am with Presley so many extra hours. I need a break!!!!! Greg does for that matter too. She is just exhausting right now with all her energy and she can't seem to entertain herself for 2 minutes. She follows me from room to room and wants BIG hugs all the time. I love that she is so affectionate but I swear she asks for bigs hugs 100 times a day. The other day at the grocery store i had to give her about 10 big hugs from the cart. I feel like hiding in the closet for 10-15 minutes just to have a moment for myself! Last night I had class so I was able to get out of the house and that was nice. I had a test and I think I did ok I didn't know a few of the answers so I just guessed. We just have one assignment left. He passed out new pens to all of us and we have to take 24 different shots using the pen. It doesn't have to always be the main subject it just has to be in the shot somewhere. So I am trying to think of some creative shots....24 is a lot of pens shots. I figure if I do about 3-4 a day I will be set for monday. I can't let it all go till sunday night running around with my pen. Is it nap time yet???? SOOOO tired!!!!

huge relief

My dad's surgery went well and they were able to do it the easy way instead of slicing him up completely. He had his gallbladder removed and there was a stone lodged in his bile duct. They weren't able to get all the stones out so they will probably have to go back in and try again but not sure if it can be done at a later time or sooner??? He is horrible about asking questions and when they do tell him something he can't remember what they said!!! I need to talk to the dr to get the lowdown. Not sure when he is getting out....I'll have to call in a little while to see how he is doing. If he doesn't get out we might make a trip down there. Presley does ok down there but it is always short and sweet with candy involved to keep her happy. My dad is like a cat he has 9 lives! I hope I get his luck when it comes to dodging the big health bullets. Yesterday greg worked on the last wall for my coop. He framed in the door and ran electrical for the lights and an outlet in there for a heated waterer for the winter. Can't have frozen water for them. I am not looking forward to chicken maintenance come january here in MN!!!!

So I just took a real good look at my dogs the other day and I can't believe how FAT they all are!!! Even Carly the one that is usually so skinny is fat. They have stole so much food out of Presley's hands and eat every crumb that hits the floor. I guess when you only weight 7 pounds gaining a pound or 2 is huge. They all need to be on a diet. I know once the weather stays warm they will be outside running around more but I have been giving them tiny handfuls at feeding time cuz they keep eating so much table food from Presley. Tori was getting so fat her collar was getting so tight and it was choking her. I noticed she started having with weird raspy cough and I realized her collar was way too tight cuz her big fat neck!!! She looks like a barrel on 4 little peg legs.....

stressful

It has been a stressful last few days around here. My dad is back in the hospital he has been having some severe stomach pain and became very jaundice. When Greg and I picked him up to bring him into the hospital he looked like an uumpa lumpa!!! They think it might be his gallbladder so they were going to do surgery to remove it but then his heart rate was at 145 and they put him on the cardiac floor to get his heart back to normal. Yesterday they were able to get his heart rate to normal and are doing surgery on monday. Surgery is so risky for him so I hope everything goes well on monday!!! Presley and I are going to go visit him today. Wish me luck....hyper 2 yo in a boring hospital room = disaster. I should stop and get her a toy of some sort and when she starts getting squirrelly I can bring it out and get a few more minutes. Snacks always work too. 

Yesterday we went to pick up my 2 call ducks. It was a 3 hour round trip but Presley did very well. We watched Bee movie 2.5 times so that was a life saver. I couldn't imagine taking long car rides without it!!! The ducks are settling in good. I had them in their own little brooder yesterday but the one lighter one sat and peeped all day so last night I put them both in with the chickens and they seemed so much happier. The chickens seem good with them just a little pecking on some of their butt fuzz. I am excited for them to get a little bigger and watch them in the pond and waddle around the yard. Hopefully they aren't too noisy or else my neighbors won't be happy. If it doesn't work out I can always find them a home. Call ducks are harder to find and people are always looking for them. They are a great duck because they are small in size so eat less and do less damage to the yard. I want to keep them in with the chickens in the coop but not sure if they will be too messy?? I will let them out during the day in the pond so they will do all the messy water stuff outside and not in the coop. Greg didn't say too much about my new additions. I had been preparing him that I was getting some so I think he was expecting them sooner or later. I think they will be a fun addition to the backyard flock. They are very entertaining to watch just usually not as cuddly as chickens. They don't like to be held much but I am still forcing mu love on them!! I am all done buying birds for the year......unless all my chickens turn out to be roosters!!! Wouldn't that just be horrible luck!!!

Flat iron

I wanted to see Presley's hair straight so I had her sit and I went thru her hair with a flat iron. She sat really well and enjoyed it. She loves all things girly. She is always getting into my makeup and wanted to sit in my salon chair and says hair hair. She sits well for getting her toes painted too. She is such a lil' princess. I wonder if greg will notice her hair???

cool and rainy

so we are stuck inside watching movies and doing laundry. Speaking of laundry we went looking at new front loader machines yesterday and I am so smitten with them!!! Our machines are 10 years old and are starting to make lots of weird new noises. I think we will hold off a little bit longer but are researching all the different brands to figure out what we will end up choosing so anyone who has some front loaders tell me what they are and what you like/dislike about them. I would love to cut my loads down with the higher capacity machines and save in water and gas!! I am hoping mine go "out" real soon so I don't feel so guilty buying new machines when mine work so everyone put a curse on my machines!! The ones we were looking at were by samsumg and the guy said they had a great rep....

My duck lady called and the ducks hatched and she said i could come and pick them up this weekend. Now I just need to be on my best behavior and cater to Greg all week so he lets me have 3 ducklings. They will be great for the pond on keeping the algae clean but ducks do poop a fair amount so I would have to be on poop patrol. They are small call ducks so they aren't as messy as the bigger breeds. Speaking of the pond we are having problems with a leak and have been narrowing down the cause. The leak isn't in the pond because water level remained the same when the falls were turned off. So greg spend 2 days pulling all the rocks out of our 20 foot waterfall and no holes. SOOO the leak is either in the waterfall holing area or the pipe that circulates the water. If it is in the pipe that circulates the water that is going to be a horrible job to figure out. The pipe is buried 2 feet under the ground and has to be 30 feet long so to dig it all up would be quite the job. Greg is so stressed over it and I feel so bad. He wants to get rid of the pond but it is my favorite thing in our yard and I would be so sad to not have it anymore. The sounds of the rushing water is so relaxing and I love watching the fish. I guess we will figure it out but it is just so much labor. We still have quite a bit to do on the coop and the run. The chicks will be ready to go outside in about 2-3 weeks so we need to kick it into high gear. I think wed. I'll ask my mom over and we can work on it. 

I totally called it!!

2 posts back I said she was going to try to steal a swipe of the birthday cake and I was right!!!! Mer caught her sticking her finger it in while she was trying to put the candles on it. Presley is such a cake freak she loves the frosting. This was an ice cream cake and that is one of her faves!!! I worked at DQ so many years that I just don't like it as much as most people I think I got burnt out......I still ate it though. The party was great and she came home and slept for over 3 hours so Greg and I got a ton of work in the yard done. I cleaned up all the flower beds and cut back all the perennials and loaded 9 huge yard waste bags. I was sore this morning but the yard looks so much better. Now after a few more days of rain we will get a little more green around here. I am so excited to see how much everything has grown again this year. 

love the weekends

AWWWW Greg got up with Presley this morning at 5:38 am!!! I played dead in bed and got to sleep in. They left the house at 7am in search of new parks. The weather is finally warm enough to be outside....even though the next couple days are going to be rainy and cool. Greg loves driving around in search of new and different neighborhood parks. We live in an area of soooo many little parks. I swear every mile they is a cute little park tucked back in a neighborhood. He gets so excited when finds a real cool one. He called and said Presley has learned how to swing on the big girl swings all by herself. She is so tall for a 2 yo that she can do so many things because of it. She is as tall as some smaller 4 yo's. I should measure her and see what she is up to. I'm not sure if she will end up real tall or if she is just an early sprout'r. I am just 5'7" and Greg is 5'9" on a good day but closer to 5'8" I think. We both have some tall family members so one just never knows about genetics. We are off to a birthday party so I better get in gear....have a wonderful weekend everyone!!!

made it the first night

Well the 6 new fuzz butts made it their first night home. They seem to hold their own pretty good with the bigger ones but do get stepped on quite a bit. I told Greg to come home with a new big cardboard box from work today. They are in a 55 gallon tub but it does seem more cramped in there now with the 6 extra ones and the older bunch is just growing so fast. I think they will like a little more room. I also want to put in some branches so they can roost on them. I have one in there but it keeps falling down and I don't want the new guys to get crushed under it so I will try to secure it better in the new brooder box. The older bunch is getting much more used to my hand. I have been feeding them oatmeal out of my hand and now when I stick my hand in there they all come running like oh yeah mommy has treats let's go see. There is nothing cuter than chicks peeking your hand and their lil feet crawling all over you!!! I am just in heaven over here with my chicks. Last night Greg worked on the coop till almost 11pm again. He got all the insulation in and the interior walls up and 2 roosts mounted. So today I need to pick up some paintable caulk and caulk all the seams and paint the interior walls. He is putting the can lights in tonight and finish the ceiling....I guess I should wait till he gets that done and paint after. Then the only thing left is the back wall where the door is going to be then the coop is done and we can work on the run. He is such a great guy working on this for me. He did score with a new power tool that he "had" to have to work on this coop so he came out ahead as well. Tomorrow we have Jaxon's 2nd bday party so presley is so excited for the birthday cake. Hopefully the cake is hidden for the first half of the party or else she will be standing right at it trying to steal swipes of frosting!! 

I have been informed

I posted picks of the chicks I thought might be easter eggers and I was told they are silver seabrights so i looked them up and man they are very pretty!! Here is a pic of one of them I really hope one of the 3 is a hen!!! Everday is like christmas right now waiting to see what they all are going to look like the next day!!!  I know I am weird

ok no more chickens!!!

I went to Tractor supply and came home with 6 more baby chicks!!!! I have a sickness. Ok that is it I'm done. I can only have 4 chickens where I live and now I have 18 chicks!!! Granted at least half if not more will be roos so they have to go bye-bye right away when we figure them out. I will craigslist the roos. Then say that leaves about 7 that might be hens and of those I will pick the sweetest and prettiest of the bunch and craigslist the rest.  We still might have one or 2 that might not live cuz chick mortality rate is fairly high sometimes. I am not positive what I picked out but I think 3 are d'uccle and 2 of those might be a porcelain color which would be very pretty and the other 3 I think might be easter eggers?? if so they lay blue/green eggs and I really wanted one of those so we will see.  All six are lighter in color and that's why I picked them because the ones I have now many are darker in color so I wanted a nice variety. In about 5 weeks i should know who is who and what i will be keeping and then figure out names. Greg I think is so done with me!!! He refers to me as the CCL meaning the crazy chicken Lady. I mean really what are a few more chicks??? When everything is said and done I will end up with 4 beautiful hens and sell the rest and break even and I got to enjoy watching them grow up. Everyone seems to be getting along well so that is good. There is just about 7 -8days between the new and old ones but they are so tiny. It really is crazy how fast they grow and change. Every morning I look at them they are getting new feathers and grew like weeds over night!!! I have found a new love I think I might have to move onto a chicken farm!!!!

1 week old

one day old

one week old

wow that week flew right by!!!! My chicks are now a week old and they have grown so much. They are getting their wing feathers and a few tail feathers. All of them are going really well. I keep hoping that they will all make it which I think they should they didn't have much stress coming here like some that are shipped do. I found a lady about 1 and 1/2 hours away that raises call ducks and I think I am going to get 3-4 ducklings next week from her. They will keep our pond clean from all the string algae that grows on it. Greg  doesn't know about my ducklings yet so I better say something verses just come home with them. I have mentioned getting some ducks and he wasn't too keen on it but I think if I use the keep the pond cleaner aspect he will be on board.

Happy Easter

It was a beautiful day for a Easter egg hunt. We had family at our house to celebrate the day. I had the typical ham dinner with all the fixin's....nothing special but it turned out good. I just wanted it to be mellow and not get too worked up over the preparations. Presley spent the whole day all jacked up on sugar and chocolate. She was just crawling out of her skin cuz she was so wired.  She was stuffing so much candy in her mouth she couldn't chew it and spit it all out in grandma's hand! I figure it is one holiday that is all about the candy so let her at it. That is what I remember about being a child was stuffing myself all day on Easter with candy. Grandma Dorothy loved getting us baskets full of all kinds of candy. My favorite was the big huge chocolate bunnies.  They would take a few days to eat the whole thing but I never let any candy go to waste. We hid her basket behind the couch and got video of her finding it and she was so excited. I love these moments in time!!!! I did buy her a big chocolate bunny too

looking good

we got a couple days to work on the coop and it is getting closer to being done. The exterior is just about done we need to work on the back wall. The interior still needs a lot of work but I wanted to get the wood painted and protected from rain that is due in a day or so. I got my barn red color!!! Greg wasn't too keen on the color he wanted a nice neutral tan but chickens  love the color red so I want them to be the happiest chicks in town. I think just a few more full days and the coop should be done.