Baby Chicks!

I still haven't caught up to the present with my blog, so this post takes place in the past...When Grapevine Farms got baby chicks, I knew my kids would be excited to see them. I picked the kids up from school that day and started driving toward the farm. This isn't the way we go home, so one of them asked where we were going? I said it was a surprise!

They were beyond excited to see the baby chicks! 

 Seven looks like he is concentrating so hard on the chick.

Finn was so gentle, I think he was afraid he was going to hurt the chick. But then again, he is really gentle with our Siberian Husky and cat.

Baby chicks...There were 26 new ones that day!

After the kids were done holding the chicks, they wanted to see if there were any eggs to collect. Anytime they get to collect eggs, they are so excited to do so!

I stood on the ground and took a picture of the kids and Jeremy on the second floor of the barn.

Then Piper and I switched places. She took the picture from the ground as I was on the second floor of the barn. She did a good job, huh?

The kids love the farm so much! I think they would live out there if they could!

For the Love of Music!

I'm probably going to sound like a broken record, but Rilian LOVES music! He was playing with Jeremy's dad's keyboard and was making songs. Once the song played, he just couldn't help himself and just HAD to move!

I love his facial expressions! All my boys, when they were younger, couldn't help but move to the beat. I think Rilian has kept the "need to move" longer than Finn and Seven did.

Doesn't he have the best dance moves?

Ring Bell for Service

This sign hangs at Granny's house and can be seen from the table where we eat meals.

One day, Piper was eating and asked, "Granny, did your house used to be a church?" Granny replied kind of confused, "No, why?" Piper said, "Well, it says 'Ring Bell for Service.' " Haha! I guess it's not a bad thing that the only thing she thinks of when she thinks of "service" is a church service!

Field Trip to Fire Station

When Rilian's preschool class was learning about community helpers, they took a field trip to the fire station that was close to their school. We got to tour the fire station and learn about what it is like to be a fire fighter and live in the fire station. We saw where they sleep, where they eat, and where they work out. After touring the inside, we went out to the "garage" where the fire trucks are kept. One of the fire fighters was telling us about the different trucks.

Then he asked for a parent volunteer. It seemed like forever before one dad spoke up. I was just about to volunteer since no one else was, but this dad saved me! We learned that when the bell rings for the fire fighters to leave to go fight a fire, they have 45 seconds to put on their uniform. This dad got to see what it was like to do that!

There happened to be a rookie on shift the day we went for the field trip. The other fire fighters said they like to give him a hard time, all in fun and games, of course. They let him show us how he can put on his uniform in 45 seconds...or not...he sure tried, but it took him a little over a minute to actually put it all the way on. I videoed it, but to save you some possible boredom, I won't put it on my blog.

The kids got the chance to get in a fire truck. The fire fighter is helping Rilian climb out.

 Standing beside the fire truck...

 Rilian's class with their teachers in front of one of the fire trucks...

 Silly faces!

And me and Rilian in front of a fire truck...

Since I only have one more picture for Rilian's community helpers week, I will go ahead and tag it onto this blog post...

Note: No animals were harmed before or after this picture was taken...Tymbre in the background looks a little concerned, but Rilian is actually a human doctor, not a veterinarian. He does kind of look creepy, but he is smiling behind his mask.

Collecting Eggs

Jeremy is going to be managing Grapevine Farms soon. The farm is still in the process of getting things up and fully running. But right now they have lots of free range chickens, a couple of turkeys, and 2 baby goats. The kids love going to the farm and spending time there! They get so excited when they get to collect eggs!

Rilian was petting the chicken before he checked to see if she was sitting on any eggs.

Then he very carefully reached under her to check for eggs. I think he was kind of scared that she might peck at him :)

I think Piper gets the most excited out of all my kids to collect the eggs!

Stay tuned for more farm adventures...

New Glasses

Piper got glasses last year. I let her pick out the kind she wanted. Sometime this summer she lost them. If you've seen the condition of her room, it wouldn't surprise you that she couldn't find them! She didn't necessarily need to wear them all the time, so I didn't rush to the eye doctor and get her another pair. (I know, I'm a bad parent ;)) Plus, I knew her yearly check-up would be coming soon anyway. 

This is the pair she picked this year. She wanted ones that had "leopard print." This was the closest she could find. 

Here is another picture, when we weren't in the car. You can kind of see the turquoise color that is on the inside of the frame. 

Jeremy was the first to notice how much our niece, Kalan, and Piper look alike! If you didn't know any better, you would think it was the same person only 14 years older or younger, however you want to look at it! Very similar glasses frames, too!

Officer Rilian

Rilian's preschool class learned about community helpers. If you don't know what a community helper is, they are fire fighters, nurses, bakers, police officers, etc. Rilian came home as a police officer one day during that week. 

Piper's Bridging Ceremony

Piper started her third year of Girl Scouts this year. She started out as a Brownie. I am actually surprised that she stuck with it this long! I think it helps that she has made some really good friends in her troop. 

All the brownies lined up to receive their patches that they had earned. Not all of them were bridging to a Junior. But all of them were receiving patches. Piper is in the middle. 

You can click here if you don't know about the different levels in Girl Scouts. Piper started Girl Scouts in 2nd grade as a Brownie. She started 4th grade this year and bridged to a Junior. She crossed the bridge...

Yeah! Now she is a Junior and is shaking hands with her new leader, who is congratulating her.

My Cub Scouts

Seven started Cub Scouts this year. He is classified as a Tiger. This is Finn's third year as a Cub Scout. He is classified as a Bear. Look at my two handsome Cub Scouts showing some brotherly love!

How Do You Eat Your Dinner?

Most Fridays we eat dinner at Jeremy's parent's house. As we were eating dinner one Friday evening, I looked over and saw Seven doing this!

Haha! I love that kid! He is hilarious!

Make Yourself At Home

You never know where you will find Piper...that's just who she is!

If you can't tell, she is sitting on a desk that is built into the wall, tucked into the corner of a bedroom.

Silliness

Rilian was having fun mocking Jeremy...

Have you ever seen anything as cute as that?

West Texas Fair

What happens after the West Texas Fair and Rodeo Parade? We go to the fair, of course! This watermelon was one of the exhibits we saw...131 lbs...that's HUGE!

The kids rode some of the rides...Seven and Rilian rode the boats together...

In line for the bumper cars...

Finn was jammin' while he waited on the bumper cars to start!

(Sorry, I guess I was standing with the sun behind me) Rilian was too short to ride the bumper cars by himself, so Jeremy rode with him.

Seven trying to get his bumper car to go...only to find out this one didn't work, so he got in a car with Finn because all the other cars were already taken.

 Piper in her bumper car. (Sun in a bad spot again.)

The kids rode more rides, but I didn't take pictures at all of them. We also went to the rodeo for a little while before going to the petting zoo. At the petting zoo, you can also feed the animals...

 I caught the horse's tongue out!

 I thought it was funny to see all the goats standing like this "begging" to be fed! 

After the petting zoo, we took our four tired and worn out kids home and put them to bed!