Feeding the Chickens

Remembering

Today we spent some time with Dane's extended family and his cousin and sister were pulling up some Elise pictures on their phones from what seems like so long ago.  There was the Itty-Bitty Elise...precious newborn.  Then there was Chunka-Munka Elise...jolly baby.  Then the Knee-Walking Elise...baby on the move.  I realized that there are a lot of pictures of Elise out there in the world that I don't even know about.  They're fun to discover.  Here is one that I especially liked.

North Carolina

This post is long overdue.  We got back from NC about a month ago.  Now that Dane has started back to work our "normal" routine is getting back into motion and I'm finally making myself sit down and do a blog post.  We had a great time as usual with a good mix of fun and work.  The pictures are mostly of all the fun and now that I look at them mostly featuring Elise's escapades.  We're missing a picture of Aunt Stephanie and pictures from our time visiting Great-Grandpa and Grandma Haas.  We also learned to make goat cheese and Dane learned some new carpentry skills to add to his repertoire. 

Elise with Grammy and Grampy

Blowing bubbles with Grammy

Fun in the sand with cousin Emmy

Emmy and Dylan

Trying to get Elise to give Uncle James a kiss

Tyler

All the cousins...and Uncle James

Spanish moss hanging in the trees

She loves sand

Girly cousins

Running down the dock

Playing with cousin Emmy

Watching the goats

Getting used to the water

We both liked the swing

Tractor time with Daddy

An NC introduction to corn on the cob.  She'd even eat it raw!

Splash Time!

I'm trying to do at least one water activity per week with Elise.  She wasn't too thrilled with our first visit of the year to a local ark with fountains, but the 8ft high columns of water and the fact that the water was cold may have had something to do with it.  (And maybe Mommy trying to force her to like it wasn't a good idea)  When I was holding her near the fountain she started crying and saying "more!"  When I asked her what she wanted more of she said "Dada!"  I decided then that maybe I was being a little too forceful and handed her over to Dane, who tends to be a bit more gentle:)

As the water has warmed up at the different water parks so has she warmed up to liking the water.  The pictures are one of our quick afternoon splash times in our neighbor's pool. 

Treehouse Construction is Complete!

Here it is!  There are still some small whimsical things to do with the tree house...add flower boxes, a mailbox, a chalkboard, decorations inside, etc.  But it can now be played in.  A stuffed animals birthday has already been celebrated inside the tree house:)

Treehouse Update!

This thing is going to be pretty amazing.  A friend was over the other day and said, "Wow, this isn't what I was expecting.  I was picturing something more like what the Little Rascals had!"  Someone stopped yesterday to ask Dane how much he would charge to build one for his kids.  Maybe he should quit teaching and build tree houses instead.  I'm tellin' ya, it's amazing.  I'm a very proud wife and not trying to hide it:)

Dane is working hard to get it done by the time our neighbors' kids get home from vacation tomorrow.  They are going to be so excited!  But that did mean Dane getting up at 5:30 this morning mowing and hammering and being that annoying neighbor:)

Yesterday and Today

Yesterday was a day of graduations.  Dane's school had their graduation featuring Michelle Obama as the speaker and then Dane's cousin, Anna, graduated yesterday evening.  Anna is the last one to graduate in that generation on Dane's side of the family.  Next up will be Elise!

I got a picture of Michelle Obama and Dane together!

I'm a bit giddy with excitement with all that's happening in the "homesteading" sense this spring.  I'll share of bit of it with you in pictures from today

Elise helping out with her wheelbarrow

The bees are busy.  We hope to get 2-3 boxes of honey this year 

 

 The backyard garden is growing with a few surprise squash and tomato plants that came from the compost used.  And we got the garden lot planted just before a slow steady rain on Friday.

 

 Dane is working on a tree house that will join our yard with our neighbors.  Kids and adults are excited about it!

 

 Strawberries picked and jam made, and more strawberries to come from the garden lot

 

Elise's roses are blooming

We went to the grand opening for Nashville's new convention center today.  Here is Elise enjoying some of the festivities

 

 Elise has an obsession with shoes right now.  She likes feet too and you'll often see her kissing her own feet.  Here she is examining her Daddy's holey socked feet and walking around in her Daddy's shoes.