These are the Days!

The Beilers and the neighbor amish family built a pond out past our steer pasture several years ago and our kids just love swimming in it during the hot summer days. It's nice because Arlan will take his lunch break out there too and play with them while he cools off.

Some times I think I'm such a homebody. The kids and I don't go out very often and I feel that I'm not giving my kids a full range of experiences. But as I leaf through my pictures I realize what a blessing I have just living on the farm. It's amazing all the things they see and experience right here in their own backyard.

This morning we woke up to find our cow had a baby calf. The kids just loved watching this calf wobble around looking for it's mommy. Breanne and Trey are seeing more and learning more then I realize.

Ahoy Matie!

The Stumpf family invited our family down to the bay house for the day and it was fabulous. The weather was perfect for swimming and boating and relaxing. This was the first boat ride for Trey and Bre and they loved it. Trey was smiling from ear to ear but Bre fell asleep within five minutes of going out.

Who knew they made life jackets so small!

Here's my nephew Brady, my dad, Trey, my nephew Parker, Me and Breanne getting ready for round two.

They had a nice swimming area next to the docks for the kids to build sand castles and jump the tiny waves made from the boat going in and out. They loved it!

Home Sweet Home

These are the newest editions to our "home". Arlan bought 15 goats to keep the pastures down. These goats are so tame and are completely drawn to the kids. I think they just like nibbling on their clothes.

I had a great time planting flowers for the first time on the farm. They are enormous now and I'm training Bre not to pick every bloom, just the dead ones.

Here's our farmhouse. Still needs lots of love and care.

Cuties

Our kids would eat, sleep and play outside if they could. Here's some photos of them playing in their favoite spots.

Trey loves to read books so much he even brings them outside. He's great at looking at the pictures and making up the stories, even repeating them the way mommy or daddy read them.

What an absolutely adorable little girl.

Unfortunately our "darling" princess discovered a new hobby. Picking her nose. The more we scold her for it the funnier she thinks it is. Sometimes she will walk around for 5 minute with her finger just stuck up there...smiling the whole time. She's a hoot!

Yard Work

We are in the middle of a major landscape project here on the farm. Our whole back yard is getting ready to be torn up and new beds and shrubs planted. I can't wait for the weed jungles to be gone for good.

Trey and Breanne loved helping us out. By the end of the night they were caked in dirt!

Big Blue Eyed Girl!

Breanne is now 1-1/2 years old and into everything. She follows Trey around like a little puppy and has to do everything he does. We will find her climbing up the tractors and turning on all the knobs, the volume buttons and the lights. There's nothing like turning the key and having music blarring at you while all the lights are blinking and buzzing noises filling the cab.

Breanne loves animals and insects of all kinds. She's chased our steers, run after the toads and our barn cats are never safe from her clutches. Nothing is too big or too slimy, she reaches for them all.

She is our darling blue eyed beauty with a bunch of sass. I'd like to say that I don't know where the sassy personality came from but we all have and idea of who she favors!

Trey's a Trip!

Trey is now 3-1/2 years old and curiosity runs his life. He knows every inch of the farm by now, the make and model of all our tractors and the purpose and use of all the farm equipment. Arlan often lets Trey steer the equipment and he actually does a great job.

Besides the farm Trey is ADDICTED....I mean addicted with a capital "A" to anything trains!! He knows were all the tracks are in Lancaster county and how to get to them. His aunt Dawnie lives right next to the Historic Strasburg Railroad so he begs to visit her house all the time.

All in all Trey is a fun and energtic kid. We love hearing what's going to come out of his mouth next because it's usually cute or pretty funny.

Summer Days

This picture will always remind me of warm summer days on the farm. Breanne and Trey both love to run around in the backyard from sun up until sun down during the summer. Every once and a while they will stop to take a peek over the fence at our newly purchased steers with much enjoyment. The steers, however, keep a sharp eye on the kids since Breanne chased after them a few days after they arrived.

The farm has brought so much excitement and adventure to our kids lives since we arrived and I can't imagine a better place for them to grow up at. Daddy's always only a barn or two away and with all the action going on the kids are never bored!

It's been a lot of work and stress and hardship for Arlan and I in settling in the farmhouse and stepping into full time farm work but we have made this place our home and are happy in it!

Whats Up!!!

Well, for most of you it's been a LONG time since we've kept in touch and even longer since I've shown you how big our kids are getting! So I created this sight for anyone to check up on at your convenience.
Enjoy!!!