Old Macdonald had a farm

Usually once a week in the summer we go on a little " day cation" as we like to call it as a family , either to pick strawberries or a picnic by the lake . Basically just spend the day together enjoying the outside .
 This past week we decided to go to Shelburne farms . Check it out at  http://www.shelburnefarms.org/
   Its a great family place they have a variety of farm animals , its hands on so the kids can milk a cow, collect eggs from some very friendly chickens , groom sheep, see baby pigs,etc.

 
   My kids especially loved being able to hold and pet the chickens and milk the cow .

The farm is huge , The scenery is really beautiful . My two youngest boys are really into tractors so we took a tractor ride and the kids sang " Old MacDonald had a farm " on the way .

The whole family really enjoyed themselves !

Stepping stones

When I was around the age of nine my parents bought a ranch style house with a great yard for us kids.We created some wonderful memories in that house . The previous owners must have also made some great memories ,On moving day I watched the dad chiselle away at a block of concrete in the sidewalk that led to our new  basement , His daughter had left her footprints in the cement when it was still wet and he couldnt bear to leave them behind . This memory has stuck with me , Recently I was scanning through gardening blogs and pinterest searching for fun inexpensive  projects to do , I came across the idea of making stepping stones out of poured concrete , pressing a large leaf in it before it dries to make an imprint . So I decided to do this same idea but with my childrens handprints .I figured I would put some vegetable oil on thier hands and press thier hands into the cement , making some adorable stepping stones for my garden .

         I had my husband stop at the local hardware store and purchase a container of anchoring cement , It cost me $12.99. I love doing projects but im very impatient and never read directions , Im usually too excited and jump in head first , Sometimes it works out ok and sometimes it doesnt .With a little "help" from the kids , I mixed the cement according to the dirctions , the first batch was way too hard and crumbly  the second was just right , pouring out easily and making a nice round shape when I poured it out onto a piece of plastic . It was really messy but I think they turned out really nice ! Im now waiting for them to dry I'll post more photos after I get them in the garden!

Lily gives us a look at how our veggie garden has grown . Its doing great!!

                                         

T

Today we enjoyed the beautiful weather and went strawberry picking at a local farm , There were some sweet animals there including a cow that Lily fell in love with . The cow kept rubbing up against her and Lily fed her grass and called her " My sweet baby girl" When we were leaving Lily asked me if when we get a bigger house with more land if i promise we can get a cow as sweet as this one . I have to admit I do daydream about owning a small farm , living off of the land and enjoying the simple things . we'll see.....

Life has been very busy this week with work , playing with kids , visiting with family and gardening .  
     The gardens are really looking nice this year and even though they are very full I can't help bringing home new plants every week . I get butterflies in my stomach choosing which plants to bring home . This week it was Mona lisa lilies , lavender , mini roses , and foxglove .
     We have eaten fresh lettuce , green beans and cucumbers from the garden and we are anxiously awaiting the peppers, tomatoes, and cabbage that are growing so well . It feels so rewarding and exciting to be feeding the family healthy food we grew ourselves!

 Next projects are building a sandbox for the kids and a wattle fence for the gardens . I had never heard of wattle fencing but I often get inspired looking at photos on pinterest and that's where I discovered it .I can't wait , I love summer !!!

Having 4 kids can be really draining . especially when you've worked a long day and your trying to get dinner ready and they all want a piece of you . I try to remind myself that these crazy days wont last forever and I know that when they are over and they've moved out and gotten on with thier lives  my heart will be broken . Being a mom is what Ive waited forever for .

     Today I was lucky to have the day off from work , my husband was chaperoning a field trip for our daughter to a Zoo . My oldest son was at school all day and I was home with our two youngest ages 3 and 2 . This evening I threw myself down on the couch exhausted after my long day . My 3 year old curled up next to me and said " Thank you mommy , for playing outside with me today " Its the  Little things like that is what makes my entire day :)

We're lucky to live in such a beautiful state . The other day we went to one our favorite swimming places and had a BBQ with family and friends . My husband and I also got married there . http://www.vtstateparks.com/htm/killkare.htm