The Maren Get-up.

Maren has been wanting to wear this princess dress every day this week. She starts stripping down and wants to get into right away. She wears it with a headband and Teagan's Cinderella blinking shoes, she even comes down the wood stairs wearing them - yikes!

Oh, and for the record, Maren *loves* the chickens. She checks in on them several times a day and wants to hold them. The ladies are so fun to watch too, they love to come out of the dog cage and run around in the laundry room. Maren will sit down with a towel on her lap so she can 'hold' one... turns out the country life might be for her after all!

You might be a red neck....

if you have chickens living in your laundry room, and you enjoy it!

Okay, finally...

I never did find the USB cable to my big camera, but I've taken several pictures with the little camera I keep in my purse. While I was at scrap camp a few weeks ago, I was on the hunt for little plastic floss boxes to make treats for the kids for Valentine's Day. I found them at Walmart at the last possible moment and then stayed up until 11:00 the night before making these for the kids. I got the idea from Jana Eubank. I think they turned out soooo cute!

The girls each got a ZhuZhu pet and Declan got a cap gun.

We made Declan's Valentine's for his class and they turned out cute, but they are on the other camera. I'll post them as soon as I find the cable.... =)

The *big* news around here is that we got 4 CHICKENS!!! "The Girl's" are 4 week old pullets. 'Opal' and 'Pearl' are French Black Copper Marans (black) and 'Ethyl' and 'Myrtle' are Welsummers (brown). Both will lay brown eggs. We will be working on sprucing up the coop over the next few weekends as they are too little to go out in the coop yet. Right now they are in a dog cage in our laundry room.

Teagan and Maren played outside yesterday afternoon, and 'the girl's' came out on the back deck to enjoy some sunshine and fresh air.

I found a really neat website for backyard chickens, where I've found out all kinds of useful info. Next we will work on the fencing and get goats! Maybe a sheep too?

In the meantime, here are some pictures of the work we've done outside around the house. We had some very spring-like weather last week and we were outside as much as possible. Greg cut down a large shrub/tree that was blocking the view from the kitchen nook window. Next we took out the bushes that were along the back deck and sidewalk.

I started working on the planters out front. There was nasty landscape paper that all the weeds were growing on, so that has to come out. There are also some rather pathetic rose bushes, haven't decided if they will stay or go yet. I won't have to worry about right now though, as we are going to be getting rain again this week.

Thanks for looking, and I'll continue to look for the USB cable....

If you were my camera's USB cable....

where would you be?

Adding pictures.

Here is Declan loaded into the ambulance, en route to Mercy San Juan. Just like last time, all I keep thinking to myself is that this does not look like a kid that needs to be going to the hospital in an ambulance. I drove in my car so that I had transportation after he was admitted. I ended up following the ambulance the entire way there. Declan saw me and we waved to each other at every red light.

I didn't take any pictures of him all hooked up to the half dozen things hanging off him. I guess I was in worried Mom mode and the thought to take pictures escaped me. After he was off oxygen I remembered. Maybe it's my own way of blocking anything less than perfect out. Who knows. At least this time I did get the ambulance ride. Last time I was in the ambulance with him.

I brought his little tub of Legos to the hospital and picked up a new set for him on the way one night. He had a great time talking to all the nurses and respiratory therapists. He rang the nurses button several times without me knowing, and when they came in he asked for Popsicles. Little turkey!

Even though he wouldn't admit it, I think he missed the girls like crazy. Here he is talking to Teagan on the phone. They talked for about 5 minutes! It was pretty cute.

I brought my Cricut in and we made Valentines to decorate the house with. He loved that. I was trying to think of things for him to do while sitting in a hospital bed.

Allergy testing and adding some pictures.

Because you asked Amy, here are the other pictures I took of the inside of the house. We all agreed it was a strange house, but it worked perfectly for our retreat! I took this picture as we were packing up. I sat with my back to the door at the left (you can see *all* of my stuff still sitting out...).

This is the view into the family room from the foyer. Janice, Erin, Tanny and I stayed downstairs.

Here I took the picture from where I sat towards the kitchen.


Now onto the allergy testing. Declan had an appointment yesterday with the allergy/asthma specialist. Turns out he is allergic to several things. Mostly trees, including California Live Oak, which is all over our 10 acres and eucalyptus, which we had been burning in the wood stove. Remember when we bought the first cord of wood? Yep, eucalyptus. Among other things like various grass and molds, turns out he is *very* allergic to cats. He was sad to find out that he was allergic to "Pat" the feral cat that lives on our property.

He will be going for weekly allergy shots for 6 months, then we will re-evaluate. He is also on an inhaled steroid and Singulair. Bless this kids heart. I think he's been through enough for awhile, don't you?

Scrap Camp 2010...

Was a blast. I can't believe it's already over.... *cry*

It's so nice to talk to grown ups!

Sorry to keep you hanging!

The doctor released us late Friday night, because I begged! I think he would have liked us to stay through the night and go home Saturday. I took Declan into the play room for a few hours during the day on Friday where he played, colored and whistled. There was my clue.

We spent the weekend cleaning up the down branches around the back 40, and hefting the 350 lb double vanity up into the master bedroom. Good times!

I've got pictures of D in the hosptial to load, but I've got to get packing for scrap camp. I'll be gone for 4 days, and haven't spent but a few hours getting ready. May the force be with you Greg!