what's happening around our house....

Madi is perfecting her internet skills...

trying to fill daddy's shoe's.....

We had a play date with Ana and Ellie...dress-up!!!

the girls had a dolly boutique complete with a cash register and pretend money!

they all had a really great time and I got to meet two new mom's from school...yeh!

I finished the front gardens....$1 plants from Wise Nurseries!

this isn't a pretty plant, but it's citronella...to keep the bugs away!  I hope it works!

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WELCOME TO THE HENHOUSE!

IT'S FINALLY DONE!  {well, almost}

these two birds had to check out the nesting box area...

and is damn stray cat tried it out before the chickens!

the girls in their new home.  i'm sad to see them in there, but they are safe.

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BUNK BEDS ARE HERE! 

Jacob and Sam's bunk beds arrived yesterday...purchased from Badcock Furniture...and they put them together!!!

what's going on at your house?

happy day!

sue

The Resurrection of Lulu

So, today I go down to the shed to give poor lonely Chloe some fresh water and feed and I hear her little low cluck and look up.  Well, guess who is sitting next to her?  LULU!!  She wasn't killed like we thought...she just snuck herself back into our shed and was hiding!  I was so happy to see her I picked her up and paraded her around the yard!  Thank God she's ok.  Just a few more tweaks to their new pen and it will be ready to go..I'll post pics tomorrow!!

sue

Husquavarna

Late this morning I heard the Lowe's delivery truck pulling into our drive....

....he unloaded the forklift from the back of the truck to lift off....

...our brand spanking new lawn mower!!

I must be getting countrified...I'm excited about a lawn mower!  Ha!  I actually just like the color and the fact that it wont break down after EVERY single mow!!  Hubby likes the cupholder...lol!

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Sadly enough, we lost another chicken yesterday...sometime yesterday afternoon Lulu disappeared without a trace.  No feathers (well a few stray ones, but nothing like a few days ago).  I searched the tree line with Molly but we didn't find her.  Now poor Chloe is left all alone.  I put her up in the shed right away and she'll stay there until her pen is finished TODAY.  I ordered five more chickens today online and they will be here in three weeks.  This means starting over with one day old chicks, but it was so much fun to raise them.  This time, we are ready with a house for them to keep them safe from whatever is lurking in that woods out there...

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Today has a long to do list attached to it....huband is at Lowe's again becauwe he got the wrong roofing.  I have to finish my grocery shopping as soon as queen Madi wakes  up.  Three haircuts are despertely needed and have to get to the furniture store by 5 to pick up bunk beds.  Whew!  Tomorrows list is just as full. Most important is the hen house...gotta keep them safe! 

happy weekend to you...hope everyone weathered Irene ok...we only got a nice breeze from her...

sue

lightening

A big old storm blew in on Monday night and zapped our router.  Bulloch tele came yesterday and were still unable to get us connected so hubby had to restore the computer to factory so I am now spending my morning getting everything on the desktop back to the way it was.  ugh.

on a super duper bright note though...today is the day!!  our proceed check should be coming today and then all the stuff we want to do can happen!  Bill payment is first on the list and then friday I will be meeting with Stan to order all the deck supplies.  A pool company called me back yesterday so that is also in the process.  Kids playard is also picked out....and lest we not forget..bunk beds for the boys!  What an exciting day! Despite feeling like we have handfuls of cash.(which we really don't lol) its best to be frugal and really think about our purchases..wants and needs ya know?

happy day to you as well!

sue

sad

Two of my poor little chickens have perished at the hands of some wild animal.  I was talking with my mom this morning and only Cloe came around the corner, which I didn't think was strange because she tends to get lost from the group.  After returning from the library and store I found again only Cloe and (I think its) Lulu huddled in the corner out front.  Upon walking around the side of the house there was a pile of scattered feathers but no chicken to be found.  Damn.  Hawk maybe?  Nothing along the tree line.  They were all present and accounted for at 6 am this morning.  Molly went venturing out along the other side of the yard and I saw a few feathers scattered about and there in the tree line lay Barbie.  She's the only one I could find.  So we'll bury her in the yard.  I cleaned up as best I could and searched around because I don't want the kids to find Matilda.  Poor things.  There coop is almost done.  I'll have to pen them in the shed tonight.  i'm so sad, but it's my own fault for not having them penned in. 

RIP Matilda and Barbie

sue

Bags

Yesay I was bit by the sewing but...well, I've been dong little projects but I was reading an article on a fav blog of mine (Rhythm of the Home) and it talked about using up our supplies and not letting clutter get in the way of your crafting.  The stuff is there for you to craft with right...not collect!  I must say I am guilty of that...I can't possibly use that..I might need it for a bigger better project! 

I'm inlove with ruffles right now so I added some to these cute bags I made.  The bags are lined with coordinating fabric and the handles are braided muslin.

Now, I haven't perfected my sewing skills, but every project helps!  I'm a learn as you go kind of chick...but I love how these turned out.  I even added a pocket to the front onf the red and black one.  I have had that polka dotted fabric for so long and it was a heavy canvas so it's perfect for a bag.  The red and green one reminds me of apples!

What have you sewn today??

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Molly is finding her way into eveyone's hearts in the family.  She's really an extraordinarily sweet dog for what she's probably had to go through in her life.  I'm trying to have everyone take part in caring for her since she is the family dog...not just my responsibility. 

Molly is very tolerant of Madison who really likes to be "all up in her snout". 

Jacob knows he has to clean up after his doggie! 

Now if you recall last week I had to take a kitten to the shelter...remember?  Well if you look closely on the right side of this picture...you will see said kitty's sister.  Which Molly chased up the tree.  Honestly, these kittens just stroll right on in!  This one just walks right up to Molly like there's nothing to be afraid of.  Molly broke her collar yesterday in her haste to get the cat!

This would be Madison (left) trying to befriend said kitty (right) that I don't want on my porch!

Hmmmm....who else used to bring every stray home?

And here's the partially done chicken coop.....

I guess the girls were just trying it out!  Either that or they are telling their pop to get a move on and get it done!

happy day!

sue

Introducing Molly

I traveled about oh, ummm 1 and 1/2 hours yesterday (mostly because I got lost) to pick up a dog.  She is a rescue dog, now the owners take in rescue dogs and she was in a house with over 14 dogs!!  Her owner said he was only giving her away since the bigger dogs were too rough with her and he was afraid she would get hurt.  They said they were told she was about two.  Well I met the lady in Reidsville and there on her seat was this sweet looking, looking like she'd had a kind of hard life dog.  A little discussion about her vaccines and likes/dislikes and I was heading out of Reidsville with four tired out kids and one chubby doggie sitting on my lap.

Now, not until I got Molly home and my husband remarked that she looked a little older than 2 (ummmm....) did I really, really take a good look at her.  She appears to have maybe had a litter of pups at some point and we are guessing she is about 5- years old.  She was dirty, she smelled pretty "doggy" and she had a healing wounds on her ear and side from the bigger dogs.  Her left ear permanently droops down giving her a funny little questioning you appearance.  BUT, she is the sweetest, most well tempered dog!

So, we fed her as soon as we got in and hubby surveyed her and made fun of me for my choice.  (He'll warm up to her)  Next stop was out back to get a bath...well, I actually gave her two because boy did she stink!!
She still needs some doggie toothpaste, but we'll work on that today!

She is a terrier mix, we think with bulldog?  Not quite sure.  All the kids except Emma have warmed up to her.  One accident on the carpet last  night, but she's been doing her business outside.  Doesn't bother the chickens and wants to eat the cats.  For the time being the cats are residing in the laundry room and we will have to have a very, very slow introduction. 

She's already figured out that Madi's seat is the one to sit under because she drops the most food.  Last night we had to gently remind her that the couch and the beds are OFF LIMITS to her.  She has her own special blanket to sleep on (donated by Jacob) and she slept in our room next to my side of the bed last night.  Thankfully no accidents this morning when we got up and she went right outside. 

I'm still a little hesitant about her around the kids, not because she's done anything wrong, just me, being the mother hen!  I think we'll have to lock her in our br when I leave today to run some errands so if she has an accident it will be on the tile floor, not carpet.  It's been a long time since I've had a dog and ours were mainly outside.  I guess my biggest thing is I DO NOT want my house and clothes to smell "doggy" so she'll probably need a fore more freshenings!  We are planning a visit to the vet next week to get her all up to date and checked out.  Even if she is older and a little weathered, I think she ws a good choice for us.  She's calm, doesn't jump all over and she deserves a good home.  Even if she is an aged lady, she'll spend the rest of her poochy life surrounded by lots of love and attention.

happy day!

sue