3 Girls, 1 Guy and a Zoo!: May 2016

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Failed again...

The girls had their lunch with Grandma Benedict to celebrate their birthday, and I failed, yet again, in the picture department. They picked McDonalds as usual.
I'm pretty sure that is a carved in stone tradition.

Madalyn got a happy meal, but Marissa decided that she was too big for a happy meal this year. :( When did that happen???

My baby is getting big!!!

One of these days I need to figure out how to stop her from growing up...

I'm also going to get better at picking up my camera and using it.

It seems like lately here I've been really bad at taking pictures.

Regardless, the girls had a blast and it was nice to get out and do something out of the ordinary.

I'm so very thankful to each and every person who helped us celebrate our girls this year!

Monday, May 30, 2016

More time at Grandma's

By the time we got back from our walk, the dogs were beat!

The girls settled in to do some art projects while Grayson napped.

After saying goodbye to Grayson and his Mommy, we headed outside. My dad was in Georgia while we were there, hence the no reference to him, so Madalyn asked Grandma if she could get out the bubble law mower. She did a pretty decent job copying how an actual lawn mower would do the job.

Marissa hard at work making bubbles as well...

Out of "gas"

Swinging

Pictures with Grandma...

Chloe wanted to go hunting...I told her she needed to stay and so she planted it right there. Such a good girl.

I love my Mommy :)

Digging in the dirt

I snapped this picture of Molly and I LOVE it!!!

Can't wait to see Mom and Dad soon!!!

Friday, May 27, 2016

A special friend...

While we were visiting Mom and Grayson, we took a walk and look who we found...

Did you find him? He is beautiful isn't he?

I think that is the first time I have seen a woodpecker that close. He really didn't mind that we were there and we even had the dogs with us. Super cool!

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Play date with Grayson...

I have been meaning to go up and spend the day with my mom for a while now. When a day came up where we were finished with school and didn't have any extra kiddos, we took the opportunity. Boy am I glad we did. We had such a great day. He is such an awesome little boy. He loved us and we loved having the day with him. Of course it was nice to spend the day with Mom too. We didn't get to have chats like I look forward to, but it was fun to watch the kids play together.

Look at that face!

Hammin' it up ;)

He LOVES to read!

While Madalyn and Grayson were fishing for dinner, Marissa was getting the house ready.

Sooo sweet

He tried so hard to get up in that chair on his own, just like Marissa did.

I have never seen a kid copy so closely what he sees. He spent all day vacuuming the house. He lifted carpets, shoes...you can tell he has watched Mom vacuum.

I'm hoping we can do this again soon!

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!