The first day of spring break was 45 degrees and sunny, and was looking like it was going to be the ONLY nice day of the week. We grabbed some snacks, gloves and the kids’ Easter bubbles and headed to a local hiking path.
I’m so thankful I get to share these memories with them :)
We had a fun walk out, and then on the way back Cassidy was done. She collapsed on a bench and exclaimed that her legs were broken!
After a bit of marching, songs and dance we got up and moving again. We checked out this little creek before heading back to the car. The kids were tossing sticks and rocks in and Ben actually fell in! He was fine ;-) There were a bit of tears and then some giggles and we headed back to change his clothes (always have extra in the car).
We got to see these beauties before heading home. I’m surprised they stuck around with all our noise and crashing through the woods. Stealthy we are not :)
We hid the kids’ baskets before heading to church Easter morning. Their favorite gifts were the walkie-talkie/flashlight/radios Andy picked out for them.
We hosted :) It was so much fun to have everyone gathered at the new house. I’m figuring out how the space works best for meals and entertaining. Company came over mid-afternoon and visited for a bit before we ate our meal.
I was desperately needing a bit of bright, bubbly spring…so I went with the gaudy Easter Egg table decoration :)
A not often seen side of the house! Becky planned an egg hunt for the kids after dinner, it was super cute. Each kid had their own color to look for (older kids eggs hidden a bit more than the little kid ones).
We had dessert and everyone went through their eggs to find more goodies.
Cassidy’s friend from school got baby chicks last week! They invited us over to meet them, 15 in all. The group included Welsumer (will lay dark brown eggs), Brown Leghorn (white eggs) and Olive Eggers (olive green eggs). Miranda and her mom showed Cassidy how to hold the chicks and that they like to snuggle up to feel warm and safe. The girls and “the girls” were just the cutest!
Miranda’s brother Garrett was playing mother hen. Ben had a full day of school so he didn’t get to meet them until we popped over a week later.
So sweet!
I have lofty plans for chicks next year (after all, why else would you buy a house in the country?) I really want to get the garden up this year and deal with some other projects before jumping into chickens though. Looking forward to learning more about them!
We were lucky enough to have a few warm days over winter break. Ben, Cassidy and I threw on our boots and headed to Boughton Park for an adventure.
Cassidy and I went on a really neat field trip with her preschool class. Wildlife Defenders is a program of Bridges for Brain Injury. They provide services and support for individuals with traumatic brain injuries. Before we left school that morning, the kids met at circle time to discuss where we were going, what we’d see and how some of the people working there might act or sound a little different…but we all have the same hearts. It was a really sweet, teachable moment!
Cassidy with her friend Miranda, working on a project before we left.
The first critter we met was this guy! He has enough toxin in him to kill a 120lb animal if it tried to eat him.
A day program participant telling us about some of their other animals. A lot of the animals they help care for can’t be rehabilitated back into the wild, so they enjoy a life of “stardom” doing shows and events.
We met an opossum too! I learned that in the wild, they’re most likely missing their ears due to frostbite! They’re also resistant to rabies because their body temperature is lower than most mammals.
He’s kinda cute! And they eat a ton of ticks too!
Cassidy really liked this guy!
Next up, Cassidy wasn’t such a fan of!
Smile!
Did you know King Julian likes graham crackers? :)
After meeting all the animals inside, we went outside to see a few more. The coyote was beautiful, but they still give me the creeps. We hear them howling and yipping in the fields around our house at night.
A lynx!
A dingo!
And a fox, oh my!
Over winter break we visited my friend Heidi, along with Triton and Tux the horses and Chiffon and Paisley the mini donkeys! (And her dogs Missy and Scooby Doo!) All the critters were just the sweetest :) The kids weren’t quite sure what to think about the donkeys at first but were soon smiling and giggling at their silliness.
Meet Paisley.
And Chiffon.
The horses loved getting some attention and treats too!
Heidi gave us a tour of the barn and stalls too!
Then we took a little hike around her property. Even in muddy February it was beautiful and SO nice to be outside.
So. Much. Mud. The kids had a blast, I was really proud of Cassidy for being brave and wading through on her own. She did get a piggy ride towards the end though.
Heidi helping Ben get unstuck :)
We followed animal footprints, found fox holes and mice tunnels, discovered all different kinds of poop and had such a nice time playing outside. Thanks for giving up your morning to spend with us Heidi :) I think I even had more fun than the kids!
