Clean Coop

I cleaned out our chicken coop last week. I found a great blog about chickens. And the lady on the blog suggested sand in the chicken coop! Genius! I wish I would have done it all along! Ever since we switched to sand instead of muddy hard dirt my chickens coop has been soooo much cleaner! I know they are happier! It has been a week later and the coop still looks clean...which is amazing! If any of you out there have chickens...switch to sand.

Benefits: keeps feet clean and nails trim, never freezes so they can dust bathe in the winter, acts like kitty litter so you can scoop and throw...cleaner coop, drains and dries out fast and easy, provides natural grit for them.

My Pictures

These are some cute pictures that I took of the kids.

 Sam has discovered his toes. He is fascinated with them and also thinks they taste delicious!

 If you don't buckle Sam into things he very quickly kicks himself out. This picture makes me laugh!

 At Art-in-the-Park Sam also got his face painted.

I just love this little guy!

Concerned Claire

Last week when we had a bunch of rain, Claire was concerned about Cody because his head was getting wet. This was her solution to the problem. I thought it was pretty cute and creative!

Dallin's Pictures

Dallin snapped these pictures of the kids one day.

My Picture

...and I took these ones!

Claire's Pictures

The Friend magazine is requesting pictures of blessings that Heavenly Father has sent us. These are the pictures that Claire took all by herself. I thought they turned out pretty good!

Soccer...Again

 Claire is starting another year of soccer. She was so excited to go! She got these awesome new shoes that she picked out herself. It came with a bag and she loved packing it with her ball and water bottle to head on down to the soccer field. I am not coaching this year. I promptly replied, "No" when they asked me. I even promptly replied, "H*ll, no" when they asked me to ref. I am getting really good at this saying no thing. There is a little part of me that feels guilty and obligated and selfish for doing it, but I think that I am genetically programmed to feel that way. Not enough to change my mind though. Doesn't she just look so cute? The above picture is her "tough girl, don't mess with me" look. I am glad she picked soccer and I hope that she will stick with it because I think it is one of the coolest sports out there.

Girl next door look

Our Funny Friends

 Man, we sure do have a lot of fun with the Oliverson's. This is Kate and her only friend, Izzy.

 Sam in his cute puppy dog jacket that his Aunt Lori gave him.

 Sidney and Sam a month apart...exactly.

Cowgirl Camp

Also for Claire's birthday she wanted to go to "cowgirl camp" or in other words Bar J Wranglers. She loves them! Let's just say that this weekend made me vow to never travel again with an infant! It was a horrible weekend for me, Dallin and Sam. This was the vacation to end all vacations! Sam was starting to get sick, I think, and he got sunburned, and he might be teething. Which I have been thinking now for about a month but no tooth eruption as of yet. He has just been cranky, cranky, cranky! The saying should be: If baby ain't happy, nobody is happy! By the end of Bar J Wranglers we had had it! We left a little early and vowed in the finally silence of the car that lulled everyone to sleep that we were never going to go anywhere again as long as someone in our family is less than 1 year old! My brother, Brad informed me that traveling with a baby is easier than toddlers, but I beg to differ. At least you can threaten toddlers if they are loud and obnoxious, you can't do that to a baby. Brad does have one up on me though...he does have twins! That might just take the cake.

Kids rockin' the cowgirl camp wagon in their birthday skirts that Grandma Connie made them

Colten, Claire, Kenna, and Melissa

Chance, Sophie, and Halley

Sam with Grandpa and Grandma Judy

This mule was a very popular attraction with the kids

My brother-in-law, Steve and Kyler

 

This is the look I get a lot from Dallin when he knows I am taking his picture. This is the look I get now when I think about traveling again. At least I think that Claire and Kate had fun.

Claire's 5th Birthday Party

My first born child is now 5 years old! She will be starting kindergarten this fall, which means she will be gone 4 out of the 7 days of the week for a full half day, which means I won't get to see her as much, which means she is only 1 year away from being gone 4 out of the 7 days of the week for a full day, which means I will only get to see her for about 4 hours a day...and it will only get worse! Once one child enters school then pretty soon the next child will follow...and then the next...and pretty soon I will be all alone at home during the days...then they will all move out of the house one right after the other...then I will be an "empty nester!" Then I will be "old!" (no offense Mom) Where is my life going! How can I make time slow down? I need some medication! My anxiety! I can't take it! AAAHHH!

Claire blowing out her candles

Claire talking to friends at her very cold and very windy birthday party at the park

Her dear friend, Cameron Clausse

left to right: Aiden Oliverson, Claire, Cameron, Megan Barton, Miley Thorkelson

Claire and her big kid backpack. All ready for kindygarten

Claire with umbrella

She didn't do this on her birthday, but very close to her birthday Kate and Claire thought it would be great fun to sleep in the teepee

Claire after Kate opened Rise of the Guardians. Claire loves that movie. I think she might be kind of in love with the Easter Bunny in that movie. I told her that the reason she liked him so much was his Australian accent.

I let Claire color her birthday cake with food markers. Turned out pretty cute!