Little Honey Homestead: Homestead and Birthday boy

The Berries are in: We got our big shipment of 5 new apple trees, 3 replacement nut trees, 12 blueberry bushes, and 10 grape vines from St. Lawrence Nursery a little over a week ago. I'm so glad mamma was able to come up for a visit to help prepare the areas we would be planting. It was such a life saver. Once they arrived, Nate and I worked and worked and worked and they are all finally in the ground, watered, mulched, and seem to be doing well. I have never been so exhausted. It was all day everyday for a solid week of wheelbarrows full of mulch, digging up grass and holes, spreading wood chips, etc. But now it's just maintenance so I'm really hoping everything lives and starts producing in a couple years!

Mamma tilling up the strawberry patch - it took us two whole days to prepare the strawberry bed and the strips where the raspberries and grapes will go

Blue berry bushes a week after planting - it looks like most of the berries and grapes are starting to come out of dormancy, but still no signs of awakening from the trees.

Blain was "camouflaging" into the rock, and then he fell asleep. The babies were all so good while I worked outside, playing together on the playground, sharing toys, and even helping a little bit here and there

32 chicks and counting: The chicks are here in their new home and seem to be doing good. They have already gotten so big and are working on feathering out, with most of them having lots of wing and tail feathers. Chloe and Blain have started naming a few of them but there are so many that look a like it may be hard to keep the names strait until they get their real feathers and we can see their personalities.

All three of them love looking at the chicks who are brooding in the coop this year. Nate made a little standing station for them so they can peek in and watch them. Avenlea is especially in love with them and takes my hand and says "chicks" whenever we go outside and then pulls me over to the gate so I can let her in and watch them. We have had one loss on day 3 from a chick that didn't start out very healthy. She wouldn't drink or eat on her own and eventually died after the 3rd night. I just hope we don't have any more get sick.

Popcorn popping: Ok not really, the apricot tree had no blossoms this year, but a lot of the other orchard trees did. The 3 peach trees all had a few blossoms, as well as the sweet cherry trees. The pear, apricot, and bali cherry trees are all too little still. The big apple trees are beautiful with all their blossoms open big now. I can't wait for all that juice, sauce, dried apples, jam, etc. Should be a good year! Also, the peas and cool weather veggies have finally sprouted! It took forever but we will at least get peas this year!

Blain in his knight getup in the apple tree in the front yard

This too shall pass: The kiddos are all over their coughs and colds that have been lingering for weeks. Avenlea finished up her antibiotics on Friday and she is like a whole new baby. I'm glad to not be whiping boogies all day anymore and they are all much happier too.

Avenlea has been taking really long naps -3 1/2 hours on days where Chloe doesn't have to be picked up for preschool

Blain looking handsome and healthy

Cutie Babies after a long day of playing outside. Notice Blain's "army" (armor) that he made himself out of a tie cord

Birthday Time: While Mamma was here we celebrated Em's Birthday at Los hermanos, complete with free specialty drinks from our Los Hermanos T-shirts. Then 2 days ago it was Nate's 34th Birthday. Em watched our kiddos while we snuck out to a matinee of The Avengers 2 (really good), then went out to J Dawgs with the family (Molly, Jonny, Em, Ted, Sam, Marie, Summer and our kiddos) followed by cheescake and icecream and some presents. We got Nate gun money for a .22 rifle, but I'm making him pick it out because I know nothing about them. Overall I think he had a good day and is happily 34 now! He also wants to do a League of Legends day with his brothers, but that is put on hold until the 30th because I work every Saturday until then.

Birthday Girl on April 15th

Avenlea and Summer outside while the boys worked on Marie and Summer's new swing set

After dinner the guys took a little break to help Theron set up the swing set

3 + 4 candles

Cutting the cake with the special birthday knife

Playtime with Daddy: Nate has gotten out his trumpet a couple times now to play for the babies and he lets them all try too. I was so shocked they could all get it to sound. I was marveling that even after almost 8 years of marriage this was the first time I had ever heard Nate play his trumpet. I was impressed. He was playing primary songs for them to guess. What a good daddy.