Henry Hen House

It may be a bit overboard, but it could be a cool clubhouse if we ever decide to not do chickens...



The front, it sits up on the hill a little.
The window is a leftover from a mix-up when ordering
windows for the house, on hinges to prop open.
We still need to build the run enclosure, isn't the little door cute? :)



Easy access to the nesting boxes for egg collecting!

Human Entrance
Frankie's butt is too cute in the background :O



Inside left, we used cheap roll of linoleum from Home Depot for floor.
Intend to sweep out, but also the deeper the shavings in the winter
the warmer it will be and some poo collection between the layers will add warmth.



Nesting Boxes, still need to put in some perches. Something across
the front of the boxes and then some across the back with a ramp.



Houston we have lift off...

We picked up Gracyn's Plagiochephaly helmet Monday.

The first thing Asa said was "OH COOL!" Gracyn's Helmet! Then he said he looked like Buzz and he wanted a helmet too...

I made some Gluten Free Cupcakes over the weekend. You have to lick all the frosting off first don't you know!

And our chickens are getting huge! Out to the Coop they go this weekend...

Back to school this week, Asa really missed going to school. He would ask everyday last week, "school?" He didn't want a vacation...

Ready for April to be over and start fresh in May.

Wordless Wednesday - SMILE!

Bloom: by Kelle Hampton

I have followed Kelle's blog (she is down in my blog list - Enjoying the Small Things) since I stumbled upon Nella's birth story 2 years ago, shortly after Nella was born. Kelle has the gusto every parent of a child with Down syndrome wishes they could muster, let me rephrase, I wish I could!... She has advocated, she has donated and she has thrived, spreading the word about our beautiful children to the world. Now she has done something that I could only dream of, she's wrote a book, a memoir, Bloom: Finding Beauty in the Unexpected. A must for anyone who is a Momma or knows someone who is a Momma of  Perfection Made with Forty-Seven Chromosomes...

Love me. Love me. I'm not what you expected, but oh, please love me. That was the most defining moment of my life. That was the beginning of my story.

From the outside looking in, Kelle Hampton had the perfect life: a beautiful two-year-old daughter, a loving husband, a thriving photography career, and great friends. When she learned she was pregnant with her second child, she and her husband, Brett, were ecstatic. Her pregnancy went smoothly and the ultrasounds showed a beautiful, healthy, high-kicking baby girl.

But when her new daughter was placed in her arms in the delivery room, Kelle knew instantly that something was wrong. Nella looked different than her two-year-old sister, Lainey, had at birth. As she watched friends and family celebrate with champagne toasts and endless photographs, a terrified Kelle was certain that Nella had Down syndrome—a fear her pediatrician soon confirmed. Yet gradually Kelle's fear and pain were vanquished by joy, as she embraced the realization that she had been chosen to experience an extraordinary and special gift.

With lyrical prose and gorgeous full-color photography, Bloom takes readers on a wondrous journey through Nella's first year of life—a gripping, hilarious, and intensely poignant trip of transformation in which a mother learns that perfection comes in all different shapes. It is a story about embracing life and really living it, of being fearless and accepting difference, of going beyond constricting definitions of beauty, and of the awesome power of perspective. As Kelle writes, "There is us. Our Family. We will embrace this beauty and make something of it. We will hold our precious gift and know that we are lucky."

Thank You Easter Bunny!

Even this morning Asa opened the slider and yelled "Thank you Easter Bunny!". This is all due to the fact that all his Easter candy, baskets and toys are still sitting on the dining room table right where the Easter Bunny left them. He took inventory again this morning and claimed Gracyn's stuffed Easter Bunny as his own, picking him up and turning him over saying, "ooh, pretty". I broke the news that was Gracyn's Bunny and he prominently said, "No mine". I told him he had a gazillion Easter Bunnie's in his toy room and he could go and pick any one of them to play with.

The day was cool and breezy here in New Hampshire and Vermont, hunting for eggs with gloves on was more of a necessity but the kids still had fun. There was a total of 5 missing eggs, a repeat of last year - Grampy has no idea where he hid them. Better Luck next year Dad, when maybe you'll finally remember to write it down... :)

Not too thrilled to pose

but got oh so excited when he did find an egg!

Miss Ashleigh

Where is it? It was in a old post hole, you could barely see it. Maybe there are a couple more down there and we didn't realize?

temporary pink, our little retro girl

Handsome Big Boy, where does the time go?

at least Grampy remembered where one was... Deep in ground cover - LOL

"Are there any of those stinkers over here?"

Cut out Derrick cause he WASN'T smiling

Much better...

MONEY!!!

Henry hairline...

Brotherly Love, see Asa to the right. Gracyn LOVES his big brother...



Ribbet...



Hope everyone had a joyous Easter!

Update on Gracyn - Feeling much better, we didn't have to battle Hand Foot and Mouth in the mouth or on the feet! His face cleared up within a day and funny he got it on his elbows too... He's back to daycare and hopefully he can ward off anything else that comes his way! We also went for the head cast for his Plagiochephaly Helmet - I'm just going to tell people it's a helmet to straighten out his flat spots. Because really that's all that it is... Or rather, his flat and round spots - LOL His head is rounded on the left side when it should be flat. If all goes well he'll only have to where it for 2 months, just in time to enjoy the beach for the 1st time! We pick it up in a couple weeks.

If it's not one thing it's another...

I thought with Spring in the air we might be through all the viruses and sickness. NOPE! Gracyn has caught everything he possible could at his new daycare. INCLUDING Hand, Foot and Mouth! My poor guy is blistered... I noticed tiny spots on his toes this morning but so far it's his hands and face - it seems they haven't gone into his mouth - yet...We are on day number 3, hopefully the worst is over.

Chickens!

Our chickens arrived late Monday afternoon at 3 days old. The central post office for our area called Brian at 4:00 to come and pick-up our shipment. We apparently were not the only ones waiting, there was a women picking up her order at the same time. The chicks hatched on Saturday, shipped the same day and 26 arrived to us happy and "upright" Monday. We were the ones to give them their first drink of water and first granule of feed. They ship the chicks the same day they hatch because they can live off the nutrients from their yolk for up to 3 days. 25 of the 26 are Plymouth Rocks and we received 1 exotic which we are guessing is a Golden Laced Wyandotte because of her markings, I think I'll call her Wynonna :)

Golden Laced Wyandotte

Plymouth Rock

Reflections

This mirror is one of the most favored toys in our house. Asa still plays with it, and Gracyn who is now sitting up on his own (thanks to his new daycare) is loving it too! Too bad it is so loved it has numerous scratches and now some new drool...