3 Girls, 1 Guy and a Zoo!: September 2014

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Bald Mountain

Doug was in Maine last week with his boss and they had so many farms to cover they weren't suppose to be back until Saturday evening. God was good and allowed things to go smoothly and he was actually home Friday night around 11:30! We woke up Saturday morning after getting to sleep in a bit...we haven't done that in FOREVER...and Doug really wanted to go hike a mountain. So we got ready and headed to Old Forge to climb Bald Mountain. It was peak weekend so EVERYONE was there, we were never climbing by ourselves. There were so many dogs and kids and babies, even tiny ones in packs and wraps I was really surprised. But it wasn't bad, everyone was kind and the dogs were all well behaved. So here is what we got to see...

I'm not sure what Marissa is doing in these pictures LOL She is sitting like I forced her there!

This was our view at the top

We walked past the opening and planned on keeping going...the trail was only about a mile up. Molly started to follow and then found this wet muddy area and there she laid. We didn't want to push it and end up having to carry her back down! So we let her rest and then turned around.

And we were able to get a family picture :)

We stayed on the trail pretty good on the way up, but on the way down Madalyn tried to find every other "path" she could :) One path had this cool branch so she had to climb it...

Marissa's turn!

Even Chloe climbed it ;)

Heading back down, or trying to decide the best way to do so

We had an awesome day and I can't wait to go back again!

Monday, September 29, 2014

How to weigh a great dane...

Granted Doug actually could weigh her on the scale still seeing as he can still pick her up, but I can't any more. This is way more fun!!! Just pick me up and then pick her up....I still have her by a little bit :)

I can't believe in 2 months she will be 1!

Friday, September 26, 2014

One of those weeks...

It's funny to me how some weeks fly by and others you feel like you have to drag the days with you so that they are finishing. This is one of those weeks. I'm sure it isn't moving as slowly as I think it is, but man! It feels like it should be Saturday at the rate this weeks is going. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Doug is gone and the countdown for his arrival home is on ;) I miss him a lot!

We have been busy this week with babysitting and school. We have a pretty full schedule this year, but we really enjoy it! Tuesday we have our first field trip! I'm excited to go on it as much as the kids. I'll have more details on it later :)

I'm just rambling I guess...not a ton to say.

I can't wait for Saturday!!!

All right, I'm stopping now...

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Fall Fun

You know how crafts always look easier then they actually are? I don't know why that is always my case, but it is ;) A good friend of mine and I decided to get the girls together for a homeschool art project! The idea was to dip regular pretzels in orange chocolate and then add a green M&M at the top for the stem. Pumpkins! Only we never got smooth thin chocolate! Oh well, the kids had fun anyhow!

Eva didn't do any dipping but she helped taste test to make sure it was safe for everyone else. I just missed the picture of her on top of the table helping herself to the M&M's! Too cute :)

Regardless as to how they looked, they tasted yummy and the girls loved them!

It was a great excuse to get the girls together and do something fun!

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

10th Annual Cream Cheese Festival :)

This is our third year attending and the kids still love it just as much as the first time :) One of their favorite parts is writing their name with colored cream cheese on the wall.

Marissa told Preacher she was going to write his name for him...

There was a HUGE line for the cheese cake reveal and sample, so we skipped that this year. There were more important things to do, like ride some horses ;)

Marissa got to ride the paint just like she wanted

And oddly enough Madalyn didn't pick the same as her sister so she got to ride the Appy just like she wanted!

Marissa wanted to climb the rock wall

She made it half way and then took after her mother and said that is high enough!

Madalyn rode the bull while Marissa was climbing.

It is one of her go to rides :)

This year they had a "wipe out" zone! It was so much fun to watch and I think all of us adults wanted in!

I'm not sure how she did it, but Madalyn killed this one! I think size has something to do with the success of this one.

Marissa did awesome as well, but when she hit the next ball it tended to throw her off. Like I said I think size played a factor in this game :) She never gave up though and just kept trying!

I love this one!

Boot camp...racing their way through!!!

Madalyn decided to give the wall a try...

Marissa waiting and watching

Love this!

She made it just shy of the top and then said enough. Only problem was she wasn't heavy enough to get the hydraulics to let her down. She was trying hard to keep it together...

But when she reached Daddy she lost it :/ It was a sweet moment though at the same time. Isn't very often they need Daddy or Mommy anymore!

Marissa helped! She is so caring!

It was awesome to be able to spend the day up there with my parents. We all had a great time! Thanks again Mom and Dad for coming up and spending some much needed time together!

If you were to ask me where I would see myself in 10 years, I never would have guessed that I would be here. However, I couldn't be happier! I'm very happily married to the love of my life and have two girls. We have begun our journey towards adoption and I'm excited to see what the Lord has in store for us over the next couple of years. I'm a stay at home mom who home-schools. I enjoy researching and finding things out for myself. This blog allows me to share with others my passions and keep in touch with family that I wouldn't normally be able to keep in such close touch with.

Daddy is such a blessing to me. We met in college and became best friends. About one and a half years after we met we were dating. The rest is history. Together we have grown in the Lord and learned many lessons even in our few years together. Things haven't always been smooth, but together and with the Lord's help we can accomplish anything. He is the love of my life and my true soul mate. He is 100% committed to his family and the Lord. He is currently working for Dairy One in Ithaca. He loves to ski, ride dirt bikes, tinker on things, mow the lawn :) and spend time with his girls.

Marissa is our oldest. She was born in May 2005. She is 100% Daddy's girl. She is a home body and usually isn't away from home for long and she is asking to go back to our house. She always claims a job and sticks with it till its done. She is very quick and catches on fast. You have to be careful what you show her, because before you know it she is going to be attempting it herself. Madalyn is her best friend. She loves church and loves learning and singing about Jesus. Marissa is now is school and she is doing great. She loves to read and do projects. She LOVES animals and has decided that she wants to be a Veterinarian when she grows up!

Madalyn is our youngest. She is 100% Mommy's girl (nice of them that they split us up so that one isn't quite so overwhelmed isn't it?). Madalyn knows what she wants and goes for it. She has no fear and is usually the leader of my two even though she is younger. She does love to shadow her older sister though. She is my girly girl, but also my one that is always getting messy. She loves her hair done, to get dressed up, and shoes! We are in trouble with this one! She loves school and is super smart. She has decided she wants to be a "snow plow driver" when she grows up. She is also going to build a house RIGHT next to us and live there so she can still see us every day ;)

Case was actually our "oldest child". Sadly we said goodbye to him on October 29th, 2013. He was a black lab/ red-tick coonhound. He loved to roam the fields, swim, play ball, catch frisbees, go hiking and spend time at the barn. He also very much enjoyed those black and white cats that roam in the dark and have stripes down their backs...or he must have because he kept getting sprayed! He hated to be abandoned by his family and preferred us to all be in the house by 9pm or he started pacing. His biggest dislike was winter. He hated the cold and would rather hold his potty all day long than to go out and pee. Even when he did go out he barely makes it out the door and he was starting to go! Haha He was our "little boy in a doggie suit" as my aunt says. We love him and miss him like crazy.

Cali is our first cat together as a married couple. Sadly we said goodbye to her on October 8th, 2014. We got her from the barn shortly after we moved. She had to be one of the softest cats you had ever felt and of course one of the best looking calicos. LOL She was a great mouser and spent alot of her time in the basement hunting. She had a funny quirk. When she got ready to settle down and sleep, she parted the hair on her tail so only a few hairs were sticking up and then she proceeded to suck on those hairs.

Beaker is a litter mate to Cali. She is a great mouser. She loves to sneak outside when she gets the chance but if you say her name she quickly darts back in. She is VERY attached to Doug and is always coming up to him purring just as loud as can be begging to be picked up. Beaker of course never does this to me. She doesn't like change and isn't fond of strange dogs, although she has gotten much better with the dogs. She will still swat at Molly but it's not angry, it's almost like she is playing.

Sid was our Marshall Ferret. We said goodbye to him in 2012. He was amazing! Great with kids and other animals, but a total goofball. He definitely lived up to the typical ferret personality and a total thief! Sid's favorite thing to steal was pacifiers. He would take them right out of a baby's mouth if given the opportunity and then take off running! He always hid everything in the same place, so at least we knew where to find them, but of course they were always ruined. Anything rubber was in danger of ending up in the said spot. We definitely miss having him around.

Chloe is Cairn Terrier. She is a blast to have around and I'm definitely sold on the terrier family! She is great with the kids and loves spending time outside. She is a great woodchuck hunter and will sit at an occupied hole all day till she catches one. Even in the winter time she will spend forever out there and come back looking like a snowman. She loves to swim and will swim in any temperature water. She loves to mother other animals. Whether it be kittens from the barn, Case, or her own litter of puppies, she is a great mother! We have since fixed her. Although I'm sad there won't be another litter, it's for the best with the probability of us moving and having to find a new vet.

Meet Molly, our newest dog addition :) After taking some time to heal after losing Case, we decided that our household wasn't the same without a big dog around and we were missing something. So we took the plunge and went full out this time. Molly is a purebred, mis-marked mantle, Great Dane :) She has grown into one good looking pup! I'm still in love with this old picture though, so I'm not changing it! She stands about 31 inches at the shoulder and weighs over 100lbs (although honestly I'm not sure how much over because I can't lift her anymore!) She is great with the kids and loves to cuddle. She shares our bed and is the biggest baby ever. She is very protective and does not like when anyone is pinned down. She is right there to break up the "fight" LOL We love her to pieces!

When Doug's sister and her husband started breeding rabbits, I had a feeling deep down that it was only a matter of time....Here she is! Peterette started out as "Peter". When Madalyn realized "he" was actually a "she", she settled with Peterette. :) Peterette is a flemish giant, which according to what I have read is the Great Dane breed in the bunny world! Figures right? She is super sweet, very laid back and loves to be cuddled and pet. She'll stick her nose out of her cage when you enter the room just so you will scratch it!