cockadoodle doooooo

First let me explain that we do not have a rooster.....hens only and so no worries needed for our neighbors as the hens are actually quieter than our dogs!! 

David has long wanted chickens and I have been reluctant to agree.  Call me CRAZY, but the notion of living in a subdivision and having chickens just seemed to be bit beverly hillbilly......I have a phobia of anything outside of "normal" and "the rules" but know that we are actually not breaking any rules or codes, and actually having urban farms is quite the norm now.  We mostly buy organic at our house since Hayden came home.  Dairy is a biggie for me(milk especially) if you have not read much about organic dairy farms(or lack thereof of regulation) I highly suggest you spend some time here then if you search at the top under "reports" you can look at the dairy report and you will be shocked that so many of the popular "organic" milks at your local grocery are just overpriced milk that is not any better for you.  Anyway, we have been buying milk, eggs, a lot of fruits and veggies that are organic and getting chickens would allow us to have true organic fresh eggs and allow us to share with our friends.  We also think it is important for Hayden to understand food sources and how we need to be aware of where our food comes from and how we take care of our food source.  Hayden LOVES animals so much it seemed a win win for everyone. 

So over the weekend after David had spent more than a week working on his prized coop(which seems to be the fort knox of coops) we headed to a town about an hour away equipped with a large dog crate and ready to celebrate "chickenpolooza"  We came home with 4 full grown chickens, and Hayden has named them Smunch, Rosa, Judy Moody and we have yet to hear the 4th and final name.  We have already gathered 5 eggs, and Hayden has officially spent more time in the coop with her chickens than she has spent in the house!!!  OBSESSED is what she is at this point.  She loves sitting there and feeding them bread as well as petting them.  They seem to not mind a bit!!! 

I must say they are quiet, it seems pretty easy at this point, and had I not gone with them to get the chickens.......they would have come home with the week old baby goat with blue eyes(NO I AM NOT KIDDING)  So if I tell you we have a goat in the future don't say I didn't warn you:) 

Who would have thought we would have a chicken coop in our backyard that has real live chickens??  BTW you can't even believe how different and good a fresh egg taste!!! We picked our chickens based on them being good layers.  We should get 3-4 eggs 6 days a week!!  so nearly 2 dozen a week(not too bad)

still needs to be painted the color of our house siding:)  But I think he did an amazing job!!!

first two eggs we got after just 12 hours of the chickens being home!!

Hayden in her jammies and cowgirl boots feeding smunch bread in nesting area of the coop!

Be my Valentine

Hayden loved Valentines Day.  She loved helping me make her valentines.  We basically did two because I am room mother and in her group at school they like to keep the parties to a bare min as to not disrupt the day and schedule too much(doesn't work well with my ridiculous over the top party planning mind) so we did fortune cookie valentines and then then did a cute shovel with m&m's and a I dig you valentine tag.  The greatest part of this holiday is Hayden was asking me about Valentines and I explained it is just another holiday that we celebrate each and every year......just like Easter, 4th of July, Halloween, and Christmas.  All of a sudden her expression changed and her eyes got really big and she said "wait mommy, you mean we have Christmas every single year"?  Yes ma'am we have it EVERY December.  She just about shook with excitement and EXCLAIMED "oh my goodness mommy that is SO exciting"  about an hour later David came home and she ran to tell him the news!!!  It is so easy to forget that while she has had 3 Christmas's she probably mainly remembers this last one.  We take that for granted.  So just know if you see Hayden she will,probably tell you  her new found news of holidays happening EVERY single year. 

There are a few shots with her BFF Ronan....I should explain she says Ronan is her school BFF because she has others too, but they don't go to my school.  She and Ronan have a blast together, they play so silly, and play REALLY hard together.  Ronan is perfect for H as she loves pretend play, she loves to play house and dolls and is fine with Hayden bringing her crew of imaginary friends when they play together.  Ronan is also now in H's gymnastics class.....that makes Hayden a VERY happy little girl. 

I added a few shots of the masquerade charity gala that David and I attended.  We didn't really take any good ones of us....but you know the second Hayden saw that mask she deemed it would be hers as soon as we got home, and just know that she she greeted us at the door!!  LOL

valentine outfit

Ronan, Hannah and Hayden

Hannah and Ronan enjoying their party!                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Presleigh and Hayden at the minimalist party:)

Gangsta rappers??

Ronan you silly girl!

BFF's

Valentines

Super fun charity event!!

ahhhhh there's my mask....she finally came home with it:)

Soul sisters

We have long talked about how many great friends that we have been blessed by through adoption.  Many of these friends are such an important part of our lives and they feel like family.  We have friends that live in our big state that we are fortunate to get to see fairly regularly and that makes us SUPER happy.  We were thrilled to have Debbie and Ellie P come visit us just a few weeks ago for the weekend and all I can say is the girls are soul sisters....total love for one another and play so well together.  Tears were flowing from the little girls as they pulled out of the drive to go back home!  Hayden asks at least once a week when are we going to visit them:) 

Anyway, enjoy the cuties in action.  They had 2 speeds....fast and faster.  2 volumes loud and louder!! 
We enjoyed the food trucks(super yummy food) and the stock show and then celebrated Lunar New Year with Chinese food and the girls wore their silks.  It was a GREAT weekend although it was too short!!!  thank you girls for coming to see us!!

Ellie Brushing the cow

Hayden getting full contact and as close as she could to the cow!!

They held hands pretty much the whole weekend!! 

Look at the full belly laugh on Ellie's face!!  

Two peas in a pod

STUNNING Ellie P

                                                                                   Hayden posing in her silks

Jumping for Joy

moment sponsored by YLK Photography

A night to remember.......daddy daughter dance

Waiting not so patiently for 2 weeks Hayden and her daddy attended their first daddy daughter dance together and all I can say is they had a blast!!!  I volunteered in the craft room at the dance......while I wanted it to be "their night" I couldn't resist helping out so that I could catch a few glimpses and take a few pictures. 

I have to say the dance was amazing!!!  It was a pink and black zebra theme and the decorations were amazing.  There was a candy bar, great food and cute drinks, photographers to take their pictures, a photo booth, a huge craft room with 6 stations for crafting and a DJ who spun the tunes all night long. 

It was fun to see so many dads there with their daughters.  It was held on two nights and the night they went there must have been 125 couples there and the girls ranged in age from 2-16 I would guess.  There is NOTHING better than seeing a daddy with his daughter and the love in their eyes!! 

Hayden and her bestie Ronan shared the evening with their daddies and I think they had the time of their lives.  Hayden kept telling Ronan that there would be another dance next year!!! 
I think the daddies had a pretty good time too")

David giving Hayden her wristlet!

look at my two loves!

"the belly dance" I have NO idea!! LOL

Hayden making a frame....she wanted NO help!!

Ronan and her daddy making a heart craft together.

quick stop at the candy bar

nothing better than crafting with a girlfriend:)

there was even a conga line

girls getting their groove on

I think David was preventing H from lifting her dress....Hayden barked "Daddy I was just pulling up my tights"  LOL

this is the BEST picture!!!  captured quite a moment with Ronan and her daddy!!

you notice that once H had her candy cup she never let go of it!!!

Hayden hugging Ronan....these girls LOVE each other!!

such silly friends!!!

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER