First Big Snow

Thought you all might like to see a little bit of what our last few days have looked like here up on our hill. 

 It's hard to see the snow piled up on the bee hives,

but it's quite thick!

 This is our good friend and neighbor, Mr. Holborn, coming to plow our hill on one of the first snowy days.  It always helps to stay on top of the plowing, before it gets compacted to ice!

 The boys were making a fort down below at Wyatt's house.

This picture was taken from long distance from our road, as I didn't feel like stepping off into the deep snow to get closer!

 Ted, Kyle, Lydia and others worked hard to make this igloo.  They started with the JD tractor, making a huge pile and compacting it.  Then the digging out!

End of October Already!

Joseph Turns 5!!!!

 Still praising our Lord for the two amazing miracles 5 years ago!

Joe's meal choices . . .

Dutch Babies with strawberry sauce for breakfast

and meatloaf for dinner!

(Notice the John Deere cup and green jello with pineapple ;-)

A few of his gifts pictured here . . .

Giving his little cowboy brother some competition!

Lydia made this farm/John Deere cake for him!

One super happy five year old!

Cutest Cowboy Ever . . .

Lookin' pretty intimidating from the back . . .

Ah, don't let the little grin fool you!

"So punk, do you feel lucky?

Go ahead . . . make my day!"

 

Lydia's Newest Adventure!

The day is finally here!

We went and picked up Lydia's new pets!

Honey bees!

Lydia has been dreaming about

and researching honey bees for a long time now.

She has wanted them primarily to help pollinate her vegetable garden,

but she would also like to one day harvest some honey!

She ordered her boxes and bees through a local supplier,

and fellow homeschooling family.
Today is the day Lydia has waited for a long time to get here!
She has truly put her all into this project,
even financing it with her own funds!
HOME!

First step was spraying the bees with sugar water.

This helps calm them down : -) !

Next, Lydia removed the bee food in a can,

for their exit to their new home.

In the next photo, Lydia is holding the cage that the queen was shipped in

(that is also covered with worker bees).

She places the queen in the box, then shakes everyone else out,

and puts all the pieces of the box back together again.

But before putting the queen in,

she removed the cork stopper that holds the queen in her cage,

and replaces it with a marshmellow!

The worker bees will eat the marshmellow to free her from the cage.

(If she was released immediately, she might fly away!)

Last steps on the second box, and Lydia is an official bee keeper!

(Did you notice how in the last few photos she put her bee hat and gloves on? : -)

Egg Hunt!

It was a beautiful sunshiney day!

Nothing like finding eggs hidden all over Papa Bob's JD tractor!

Uh oh . . .can he do it?

He may need a ladder for this one!

(Or maybe just his big brother!)

We were so happy to have Aunt Kelley spend the day with us!

Didn't she do a good job on the egg hunt? ;-)