Helping

Days have been starting early at our house.  With Domingo out Kenton's day starts at 2:50 a.m. instead of 4:15. 

 He's been having the older kids help chore in the evenings.  They don't normally do this since this isn't a part of his regular routine.  He's usually working on equipment or doing field work over evening chores.  

Kaitlyn HATES to be left out.

 The kids have been helping feed calves.

Filling the bottles all the way to the top. 

  

Carrying bottles out to the calves.  I guess carrying them this way works but carrying them over your shoulder by the nipple is a good way to wind up with wet pants...as Megan found out.  

 Feeding a newborn. 

Washing up

Feeding hay

Playing in the grain cart.  Guess what she looks like when she gets home? 

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For Anne K, see I have flowers in winter, too.  :-)

January has been a pretty stressful month.  Normally it's a slower season.  Kenton looked forward to having lots of time to work on the new barn.  He starts at 2:50, comes in for an hour or two for breakfast ( sometimes), runs in for lunch and usually right back out, comes in for the evening between 5:30 and 6:00 and is ready for bed by 8:00 if not sooner.  We know it's just a season...but it's not much of a life.

Steel is Going Up

 The steel is going up on the parlor.  It sure makes it look like the project is starting to fly along.

The kids have been helping with chores since Kenton is short-handed.  Today they begged to go early so they could play in the parlor.  

We couldn't have ordered more perfect weather for this project...unless you object to mud!  The mild weather has been beautiful for outside work.

I think the "parlor" guys hope to start installation February 9 if everything is ready to go. 

Milk Dud Report:  Nick G. has been helping work on equipment.  Domingo is still out with a fractured hand.  My husband is exhausted...and sometimes crabby which is annoying because I prefer to reserve the role of crabby spouse/parent for myself.

We're Adding a Little Pink...

to our world

instead of blue...

 Surprise!  It's a girl!

We're getting Emily, not Alex.  She's in Gansu, China.  Emily was born June 10, 2010.

We received pre-approval today! 

For those wondering....we did not request a girl or a boy.  We said either.   The girls and Kenton wanted a girl.  The boys and I wanted a boy.  An even split.  Our old agency said that if we really didn't care she was matching us with a boy.

 Then we changed agencies.  A girl it is.  We're all pretty excited about going to China for another little one.  BUT Davis sobbed himself to sleep the first night...and insists on praying for Alex instead of Emily.  However, he's holding us to the promise that HE can be the first one of the kids to hold our new little one so in the long run he'll get over it.

Rafters are Going Up

These are mostly for the grandparents and Dennis.  I'm not sure how many others are all that terribly excited about watching rafters go up.  :)

I

 

If I caught it right, we might have steel by end of next week. 

Chaos

 Our kids have been wild lately.  After 5:30 p.m. it's bedlam around here.  Running, jumping, yelling, etc.  I'm ready to leave the house to the rebels and move somewhere else...Ireland still sounds nice.

The other night their ever patient and long suffering dad told them in that dangerously quiet voice to go run upstairs.  I love my house but sometimes it would be nice to have a basement...that's bigger than a root cellar and couldn't be confused with a dungeon.  Ours has hand-hewn beams, stone walls, and uninvited guests.  Ugh!

This morning they got out the play-dough.  Ministering angels must have appeared to polish their halos last night while they slept.  They played for about an hour without fighting (once they conceded that the household Official Ruiner of Playdough should be granted ONE can so she could play but couldn't mix colors), had a wonderful time, and cleaned up their mess, put it away without being told, and SWEPT THE FLOOR.

 They made their own family. 
 

 This is their playdough bathroom.  Don't ask!  I don't want those halos tarnishing too quickly.

Of course, the peaceful playdough  session was followed by a return to normalcy.  This is Little Red Riding Hood, Little Blue Riding Hood, and Little Plaid Riding Hood being chased by the Big, Bad Wolf. 

Guess how long Big, Bad Wolf was happy chasing around the Hoods?  Yep, we're back to normal.

Parlor Update

 Hey, hey, hey, taken just this evening...

And just because she's cute...

"Moo"ving Along

A little dated once again...but we've finally gotten a bug worked out of our computer program.  Maybe trying to upload pics won't be such a major hassle.