The Unexpected Fun of Chickens

Since I had never spent any significant amount of time around free-range chickens and certainly not at our own home, I had a view of chickens that was far from glamorous.  Now we have our own chickens that roam around our 3-acres, even frolicking in our backyard.  The worst thing they do is scratch a bit of the mulch out of the garden, but that can be put back in again.  Eventually (in about a month probably) they will provide us with eggs, which we go through about a dozen a day of the ones we buy.  The chickens are doing a great job of keeping the bug population down.

The thing that has been most surprising to me is how entertaining and relaxing they are to watch.  Even while eating breakfast, we have the "feline and fowl show" to entertain us with kittens playing with each other and their mom as well as chickens slowing going through the backyard looking for bugs or our black Bantum rooster trying to get as high as he can to crow, or our other Bantum rooster, "Long Shanks",  getting annoyed with a swallow that dive-bombs him in the backyard.  The third rooster that we get a kick out of is "Fighting Chicken", an exotic white and multi-colored bird.  (Note: since I didn't grow up anywhere around chickens and we just got our 4 months ago, I still don't know any technical chicken terms, so forgive me if I insert my naive, city-girl-turned-country-girl words), who lets us pet him and follows especially Max around when Max is outside.  When Max is not around he follows me, clucking along.

Building and painting the chicken coop and chicken run has been another adventure.  Also, lets not forget the four ducks - swimming in the pool with the kids, bursting out in loud quacking, which to me sounds like hilarious laughing, and just being fun to watch sometimes like the chickens. I suppose someday they may provide us with huge duck eggs to eat or ducklings, not to eat.  The one black duck has been slow in figuring out how to get out of the chicken coop when Max lets them out in the morning and used to pathetically quack after the other ones from the coop as they went off to explore.  I wonder if the ducks resent us calling the coop the "chicken" coop.  I suppose we could compromise and call is a "chuck coop", "dicken coop" probably wouldn't work...

Order of Blog Posts

If you would like to start with the beginning of our wedding weekend, go down to the first wedding post and work your way up.

Party Time! Reception

The introduction of the ring bearer and the flower girl!  This is the best picture I could get because they came in so quickly, I was entertaining Evie, and their were tables of people between us and where they walked in.  Still cute.

I love their expressions as they approached the "groom's family" table after their introduction into the room.  They look so happy.

Dance of bride and groom.

Benaiah playing "Toddler Lock" on Max's phone.

Evelyn playing "Toddler Lock" on my phone.  It helps to have something with which to entertain the "toddlers" so we don't all go crazy. :0)

Gloria and Evelyn were, I think, the first ones on the dance floor.

Such a good big sister...

I got some exercise dancing with Benaiah in my arms.  Look at JB on the left busting a move!  He and Gloria were quite the dancers.  I especially didn't know that JB had the moves.

Luke, Jonathan, and Max. Brothers.  John Love is missing.  I think this might have been before or after a pipe breakaway, Jonathan and Max's gift to Luke.  It caused Luke to miss the call for the cutting of the wedding cake...good going guys!:0)

Having awesome hor'devoures in lower flour of Nyack Seaport before the reception in the upper part.  As you can tell, the kids were hungry!  Max seems to be taking his "Daddy tax".  The kids are used to it.

Gloria being silly.  Or maybe it's a new eye treatment to keep her from getting bags under her eyes...naa, she's just silly.

Benaiah's all out of wine...and full of "whine".  I don't blame him, he was an extremely good sport during the wedding and the whole trip and only had this one episode.  Not really sure what he was upset about.

Gloria...almost always smiley.

Gloria has a Shirley Temple and the boys, a Roy Roger, both fancy (for the kids), but non-alcohol drinks.  They deserved a treat.

The Showalter sisters (we should have tried to get a pic with Irina and Sarah too!).  I have my arm off to the side letting Evelyn play with my phone (a really cool app called "Toddler Lock" where they can virtually "draw" on the phone without messing it up) to keep her happy.  She did pretty good too considering the overall lack of sleep for everyone.  So worth it though to see my brother and Sarah marry!

During Ceremony and After Ceremony

Most of what Max did during the ceremony when he had the camera on was video, not pics, so that's why I don't have many pics of the ceremony.  I'm sure their photographer got some good pics of the ceremony though.  I love this picture of my Dad (who "officiated" the wedding, the pastor), Luke (the groom) and Jonathan (best man).

 

Beautiful Gloria and Irina, Jonathan's wife, my sister-in-law (now I have two!), bridesmaid

Gloria and JB got to ride in the limos to the reception, which was 20 minutes away at the Nyack Seaport.

Gloria was the flower girl, as you can see.  When she came down the aisle spreading the petals on the ground, it was as though she was born to be a flower girl.  Let's just say it seemed to come natural to her.

Benaiah's cute, snarky look.

Benaiah wasn't in the wedding, but we dressed JB and him the same because it was just too cute.

Bride and her dad.  Gloria standing with bridesmaids.  I think Gloria had the time of her life.

Pre-Wedding Ceremony at the Church

A perfect photo opp in front of a bull dozer at the church.  I'm sure they left it there for picture taking at the wedding.

Sisters and Mom of the Showalter Family.

A decked-out Benaiah sniffing a lily.

The handsome boys hanging out before the wedding.

The Day Before Luke and Sarah's Wedding

Relaxing in the hotel room before the rehearsal dinner.  The boys had just gone swimming in the pool and were pretty wiped out I think.  Also, none of us got much sleep on this trip because of the odd hours traveling and staying up late, but it was definitely worth it!

Brothers at the rehearsal.  Luke is on the left and Jonathan on the right.  My two little bros...I love 'em and it was so good to see them.  Jonathan was best man.

Love birds at the rehearsal dinner.

This wedding in New Jersey was the first time all of siblings had been together I think since our wedding, which was 12 years ago.  In past weddings/reunions, it seems there was always someone missing.  Such a great time seeing all of my siblings and other family!

Our Time in DC (three weeks ago)

Evelyn posing on the bed in the DC hotel room.

Lounging on the bed in the DC hotel room...loving life as a temporary only child...

Out to eat with Evie

Max and his two commanders (current and former), both supported him (squadron paid for it) in ELDP for the past year.

Dressed up for the graduation at the Arlington Westin hotel.

Evelyn talk

Evlelyn says "yes" to curly hair and
"no thank you" to going in the pool.  She's afraid of water at this point in her life.  This was in a hotel room in DC when Max and I and Evie were there for Max's graduation from ELDP.

12th Anniversary pictures

Max broke his arm the day before our anniversary, so this is the next weekend when Gramma Shell was around to watch the kids.  Thanks Gramma Shell!