Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Some Photos Of My Munchkins

Here are some photos of my Munchkins. The color ones were from dinner tonight. The black and whites were from earlier today. natalie_dinner rachey_hands abigail_tongue abigail_talking_on_phone natalie_thinking rachel_thinking

Saturday, June 20, 2009

The Recital

You've been hearing all year about us going to dance. Last night was the recital. Oh, the girls were on cloud nine. Natalie wants to save her dance dress in plastic for posterity (like a wedding dress?). You know when things happen in your life where you just sense, there is no way I deserve this, God is just good to look out for us. This ballet studio is something like that. It's a Christian ballet studio where they teach classical dance. I knew "about" it for several years. But, I never knew how excellent their instruction was, nor how they teach the girls to give their hearts and minds and beings to serve Jesus. This school has a lower and a upper school. There were two different performances at the recital. I'm including pictures of both. 1a_tuesday_nat My Natalie 1a_tuesday_a This is from Natalie's Ballet 1A class. This little girl in the back plays soccer with Rachel. 1a_tuesday_e This is Natalie's little friend in Ballet 1A. I hope it works out for these girls to take the same class together next year. 3_ballet_girls_1a Here is Ballet 1A (Natalie's class) taking a bow. pre_ballet Here is Rachel's Pre-Ballet class doing some skips. Rachel is on the left. rachel's_pre-ballet_class This is Rachel's class coming out to take a bow. Rachel is on the left. 1a_tuesday_3_girls All Three Girls creative_cuties Aren't these little girls cute? pre_ballet_thursday ballet_1b upper_school_together temptation agony_and_hope_color at_the_cross_color redeemedT

Friday, June 19, 2009

Silliness

Rachel is the queen of silliness. She didn't get it from me. I've never been able to be so silly.

Silliness

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Friday, June 12, 2009

Our Week

Art Time

Here is what my kitchen table looks like during art time. My children love art and nature, did I ever mention that?

painting

Chicken For Meat

We decided to raise Cornish Cross chickens for meat this year. I figured we could raise them healthier than the chickens from the store. I'm not so sure anymore.

Sure, we give them organic feed for the last part of their life. We couldn't afford it for the whole time, that would make for some REALLY expensive chicken. Plus, you've got to give them medicated feed when they are little or they will likely die.

You know, beef is so much healthier if the animals are pasture fed. And beef can be fed exclusively pasture fed. The animals have much higher Omega 3 and lower cholesterol. Their fats are in balance - how nature (God) intended.

But, unlike our layers, these Cornish Cross won't free range. They are big and they don't stand up for more than about 10 steps. They look like they are going to have a heart attack. They just eat and eat and eat grain. You can't not feed a chicken grain - they need grain and they need a balanced diet - they have complicated feed needs. Anyhow, here is a picture of the Cornish Cross and then a picture of the (older by several weeks) Egg Layers. Notice the egg layers are constantly moving around - looking for something. Not the Cornish Cross. You open their "free range" pen and they don't even try to leave. Also, they aren't the most attractive creatures as I'm sure you will agree.

cornish_cross_sitting_down

cornish_cross_standing

egg_layers_2

egg_layers_1

My Little One

Finally, here is a picture of my little one. She hardly deserves to be in the same post as those Cornish Cross. I just can't help but constantly take her picture - she is so cute. Her sisters agree.

abigail_selective_color

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Birthday Pics

Here are some pics from Nat's Birthday:

toddler_laugh

Happy Toddler

bday_bw

Eight

white_chocolate_raspberry_cheesecake

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake. I hope I can't gain too much weight all in one day.

bday_wolf_1 

bday_wolf_2

bday_hey

Hey!

bday_laugh_2

Oh, man! (My sisters like to play tricks on me.)

bday_laugh

Ha. Ha. Ha.

toddler_tired

Tired Toddler

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Happy Birthday Natalie

Here are some pics from Nat's Birthday:

toddler_laugh

Happy Toddler

bday_bw

Eight

white_chocolate_raspberry_cheesecake

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake. I hope I can't gain too much weight all in one day.

bday_wolf_1 

bday_wolf_2

bday_hey

Hey!

bday_laugh_2

Oh, man! (My sisters like to play tricks on me.)

bday_laugh

Ha. Ha. Ha.

toddler_tired

Tired Toddler