Bawk-bawk-bawk-bawk-bawk!

My three hens...Henny Penny, Chicken Little and Emily Dickenson (there is a story behind this name)...continue to delight us and provide us with 2 to 3 eggs a day.  I have never had a "pet" that I enjoyed more than I do these three chicks! They run to me when I  holler "Bawk-bawk-bawk". They will eat out of my hand, especially bread, and love vegetable and fruit peelings/rinds/cores/etc. They are content to stay in their coop while we are at work but LOVE to get out each evening and strut and scratch around the yard. Most hilarious is to watch them when a worm is found! When the sun goes down they wander back into their coop, jump up on their perch and we simply close the coop door. How easy is that!!! As a bonus, their droppings fertilize the lawn. Becoming a Chicken Farmer has been very rewarding.
The story of Emily Dickenson....Early in the year, after we had received our Christmas gift of a custom built, brand-new chicken coop, 3-year-old Marshall asked his parents if they could bring him over to see "Bom-bom's" (that is his name for me) DICKENS. Confused, his parent asked him to repeat the request. They finally figured out that he was talking about my chickens. Such a cute mispronunciation thus the name Emily DICKENson!!!!

Jared gets his Masters Degree

It was a proud day for all of us to attend Jared's graduation with his Masters of Business Administration in Management and Strategy. With Heidi support he managed to finish his course work and projects right in the middle of Chace's illness and hospital stay. Way to go Bubba!!

San Francisco

 After 3+ years of paperwork and effort, Frank was granted his Italian citizenship which required a trip to San Francisco. It was fun to see the Italian flag flying outside the Consulate building. He is now officially fingerprinted and the proud possessor of an Italian pass-a-porta!!

We also enjoyed spending time in Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf and North Beach (the Italian section of the city). It was a quick trip but there is no place we would rather be than sharing adventures together.

After a year's hiatus....We are back!

There is no good excuse...or reason...or justification for why our blog has been dormant for a year. But to our kind blog followers, we promise to repent and do better. With that said, we will go back to the past and try to add some entries.

Funny, funny Quinn

Asher got a real kick out of watching his sister, Quinn, do a funny dance. There is nothing as sweet as a baby belly laugh. Turn up the volume so you can hear his giggles!

South Dakota - Great Vacation!

Knowing that I have always wanted to visit Mt. Rushmore, Keith and Candice invited me to tag along on their Road Trip to South Dakota. I jumped at the chance and what a treat it was! The little ones were terrific travelers, Keith was a fun driver who stopped at lots of interesting sights along the way, and Candice was kind to share her birthday trip with her mother-in-law! Here are a few of the highlights of our trip:

 Wandering around and through Fort Bridger, Wyoming was a good way to get the wiggles out.

 We happened upon an "interactive" Train Museum in Douglas, Wyoming. What fun we had visiting a real dining car and a sleeper car. By the way, Douglas is the home of the "Jackalope".

 Little Miss Lily was so good on the long drive. Isn't that the cutest wrinkle-nose smile you ever did see?!!!

Candice was surprised with a birthday dinner the night we arrived!

 Candice's dad, C.A. and his wife, Chris, showed us a great time at Mount Rushmore & Crazy Horse. We also had great fun with Grandparents Charlie and Sharon riding the 1880's train and dinner with Grandma Mary. What fun it was to spend time them!

 This was the fabulous view out my window at Charlie and Sharon's place. They were so kind to share their lovely home with me.

C.A. and Chris live in the mountains in a charming cabin. We enjoyed a breathtaking thunderstorm one evening after turning out all the lights and letting Mother Nature give us a fireworks show!

 Lunch at Dinosaur Park in Rapid City gave us a panoramic view of this terrific city.

 We also discovered Ayres Natural Bridge in Wyoming....an oasis in the barren landscape.

 Storybook Island is a free park...and kid haven! It is sponsored by the Rapid City Rotary Club. Of coarse, the boys had to ride the train.

On the way home we made a stop at Independence Rock and Martin's Cove. That's Devil's Gate in the back ground...one of the pioneers landmarks along the famous Oregon and Mormon Trail. Over 500,000 pioneers made their way through that gate on their way to the west in search of gold or open-spaces or religious freedom. What a wonderfully perfect vacation this was with good times spent with family and new friends, lovely landscapes, beautiful forrests and famous landmarks. Thanks to the kids for including me and to Frank for keeping the home fires burning while I was gone.

Father's Day 2013

Brenna and Mike's girls, Bridget (4) and Quinn (15 months)

 AJ and Cami's kids, Dallin (14), Ty (5), Ethan (8), Mia (10)

 Jared and Heidi's son, Chace (15)

Keith and Candice's crew, Remi (5), Marshall (3), Lily (11 months)

It was a great day for Grandpa Frank's huggs, kisses and M&Ms.