This Old House

Here are a few shots of our "old kitchen"- a work forever in progress, it seems! Dave and my stepdad Gary have been working many hours on this room. It has come quite far from the lath and plaster mess it once was. We tore down a supporting wall and had some guys come and install a beam the length of the room. I think it turned out very nicely. Now, Dave and Gary are working on installing insulation in the ceiling. They got it finished last weekend, plus the firring strips to attach the drywall to. It was a lot of work and they spent practically the whole day Saturday on it! This weekend, they are taking a break, but will get the needed insulation for the walls next. We also need a new front door in the kitchen since the old one has so many layers of peeling, nasty paint and is in such disrepair it isn't worth it to, well, repair it. So, we have to add "new door" to our already long shopping list.

We also ordered our cabinets and they should be arriving the first week of July. We are excited to get this room DONE! We figure it will be done by the fall, then we can open up the "old kitchen" and our living room. Right now, there is a makeshift closet in the living room and the doorway that goes from there to the "old kitchen" is blocked off by styrofoam. Classy, I know...


My biggest problem sometimes is continuing to be patient! I know Dave has a lot on his plate right now (including our secretive research/progress!), so I have to just step back and see the whole picture and not get overwhelmed by all the things that need to be done. Especially with this evergrowing belly, I have to learn to sit down and rest once in a while and not be a Super Mom... :)

We Three Boys

I just love this series of photos of the boys, especially the progression on Timothy's face from great concern to great delight. :)

Xtreme Roosters

No, this isn't the new entertainment in northeastern PA... We actually had no clue that our roosters would do this when we decided to let them out of their box. These are two that are destined for the Crock Pot, I might add. They are two of the most miserable animals I have ever seen in my life. It was a bit unnerving to see them attack each other this way, especially with my three little guys right there. The Buff rooster was acting as a sort of referee to the whole ordeal. He would walk around the other two, crowing and making all sorts of funny noises. Needless to say, they went back in the box after a short while. Whew!

Huge Egg!

When I saw this egg, I thought to myself that the hen who laid it must have felt like I did when I had Timothy (9 lbs. 14 oz.)... It turned out to have two yolks! :D

Belated Birthday Celebration

We decided to put off Stephen's birthday party until Saturday, due to the flu hitting our whole family on Easter Sunday. We were still not up to par on Saturday by any means, but managed to stuff ourselves with cake, ice cream, and pizza. My mom and stepdad came over to join in on the fun, too. Here are some photos of the cake. I dyed marzipan and made all sorts of little critters to top the cake, plus vines, leaves, and his name. I was going to make "Happy Birthday" also, but there wasn't enough room! He thought it was very fun, and it was a good way to perk up everyone's spirits after being locked up in the house all week.

My mom and stepdad got him some books and a small calculator, since we all know that Stephen is obsessed with numbers and letters. He tapped away on that the rest of the evening! It sure was a hit. :)

Who Needs a Cat?

This is the conclusion I have come to. Cats were my favorite animal. We had a "terror cat" named Gizmo when we were first at Fort Meade back in 2001. To put it mildly, he wasn't a "people person". When Matthew was born and Gizmo scratched Matthew's eye right by the tear duct, we started thinking about seeing if he'd want to go live somewhere else. We gave him to my father in law and his family, and they were going to take him all the way to Alaska when they moved. Needless to say, they also decided he wasn't that friendly and he ended up being a freebie in their house sale down in VA. :(

When we moved here to the country, I mourned the fact that Dave didn't want a cat in the house. I knew cats also live out of doors, but I grew up with one in the house and felt that since we didn't have a proper place for the cat to hide from inclement weather that it wasn't a good idea...

Enter our interest in chickens. These animals are some of the funniest creatures God has made! They are a riot and a half, and keep the boys occupied for hours. They have a "herd instinct" or whatever you want to call it, and they like to move around in a group. When we go out to feed them, I clink the feed containers together and they come running, chirping and peeping all the way. You also can't beat the fact that, unlike dogs or cats, they also give you a tangible return on your investment (eggs and/or meat)!

The boys will spend their time outside playing with the chickens. Of course, to mama, it looks a lot like terrorizing them, but Matthew swears that the chickens like to take rides in 5-gallon buckets. They LOVE to stay inside his makeshift houses. :)

So, this is my endorsement for chickens. If you have the room for a couple, go ahead and try it. They are really no more bother to take care of than a cat or dog, they are usually quite friendly, and they give you treasures to put on your table. How fun is that?

Stephen and his treasure

Stephen chasing chickens...

Matthew chasing chickens...

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies

That is a favorite line of my boys' from a Dick and Jane book. It certainly was true today as our table quickly became decorated with a bunch of sugar cookies baked fresh for Easter. The boys and I rolled and baked them yesterday, then frosted them today. I didn't have the energy to do it all at once, and it spread the joy over two miserably and unseasonably cold April days. There is a method to my madness! ;)

Stephen found the best way to frost the cookies was by hand...

Matthew helping out

Why Am I So Happy? Read Below!