Ella is 9!

Today Ella turned 9! She was such a sweet and easy going baby, actually the easiest of all. She is still the sweetest girl we know - kind of heart, empathic and gentle.

Her cake of choice is similar to most years. Ella loves her chocolate. Cocoa whipped cream and pink and brown sprinkles decorate the top. The little white ones are bones which were requested months ago. She loves dogs almost as much as they love her!

Happy Birthday! We love you Ella Bella!

Raspberry Time

Thus far it has been an exceptional raspberry year. I'd like to thank the Yellow House Apiary Girls for all of their hard work. I believe they are the reason for this year's success.

Everyone loves raspberries at our house. Our modest patch is providing good snacking for everyone - not just the early bird (i.e. Max). We will be picking some more from a local patch because I have many recipes in need of cups and cups.....stay tuned!

Holly's Chickens

This is Peeps. My "oldest" and amazing friend Holly hatched her and hand raised her. She is the nicest chicken you could ever meet. She has quite a personality and knows exactly how fabulous she is. After falling in love with Peeps they decided they needed more chickens and added Penelope, Henrietta and Buttercup to the mix.

Sometimes we get to chicken-sit, a job we all love dearly. It's fun to interact with them, feed them watermelon and hunt for eggs. Of course, the best part is the eggs. There is nothing quite like a farm fresh egg.

Someday I'd like to have chickens of my own but for now, chicken sitting is great practice!

Henry Works

Henry loves to work. One day I noticed him in the midst of a big project. Apparently, all of the child-sized chairs needed to be in the fort. As you can see, it was quite an undertaking and one he took on alone.
In talking with friends, we all seem to wonder how to instill a good work ethic in our children. We wonder if leading by example will really work in the long run. Hopefully, Henry's will to work and desire to accomplish a task will continue and lead him into a successful life. I think it will and I am so proud.

The Dog Days of Summer

The third day of summer and it was oppressively hot. Too hot to do much of anything but sit on the porch and eat popsicles.

Henry decided to go with an orange "popsible". Everyone needed a popsicle...

...even Furry Murray. These are the dog days of summer - aren't they?

The Yellow House In Summer

In May 1998 our house was featured in Better Homes and Gardens, in an article called "Putting on a Fresh Face". The concept was how much an addition, or in this case a porch, can change the look of a home. We didn't own the house then but we like to think the house looks better having morphed into our home.

While home ownership is an never ending, uphill battle our years in the yellow house have been worth it. I plan to snap a picture on the first day of each season, just to document how it changes and remind me to appreciate the yellow house that is our home.

The Lawn Crew

This was the veiw through the screen door yesterday. Henry loves to mow the lawn with his Daddy and very seldom does Doug ever mow alone.

It's never too early to hone the skills of the young to take over the job. The bonus is hanging out with one of your biggest fans!

Happy Father's Day!