At the Park

I had the kid's pictures taken today!  It looks like everyone cooperated and made nice faces.  Hurray!  I can’t wait to see them.  Since everyone was so good we played in the park for an hour.  They had fun and it was nice to just sit in the sun.  

Hiking, again!

We took the kids hiking to Laurel Falls yesterday.  It was fun and a little more strenuous then we expected!  Nicholas ended up carrying Fiona most of the way and my carrier is not conducive to long hikes.  Nicholas and I decided on our hike that if we are going to do this regularly we need a good backpack for Nicholas, a good carrier for Declan, hiking poles and water backpacks for the kids.  We enjoy it, but we need better equipment!

Chicks Are Growing Up

 The chicks are getting so big!  We moved the chicks into a bigger box on our back porch. 

Our Spitzhauben aka Mohawk Chicken

Buff Polish

 But they quickly outgrew that too!  They are still too young to go with the adult chickens without protection and we have planned on enlarging the chicken run and put them in there first, but we have just not had time to get that done.  So we got the bright idea to put them in the rabbit pen.  After multiple dog attacks we but a fenced area for our rabbit hutches.  There is no coop, but we fashioned some little shelters for them and they have gotten most of their feather and between that and straw they will be warm enough at least for a few weeks.  It's a little ramshackle, but they seem to love it!  Those are some happy little chicks!

A little shelter

Hanging out under a rabbit cage

Claire with one of the Golden Campines

Happy little chicks

An outside view of our rabbit pen

And one of the big girls (and Blackbeard) for good measure! 

2 Months Old!

Can you believe this guy is already two months old? 

 

 

He is still a complete mama's boy and is eating and growing great.  The longest he has slept in one stretch has been 4 hours and it was only once.  I'm rather tired!  But this little face is worth it.  He completely has me wrapped around his little finger.  

I mean look at that smile!

 

Family Hiking Day!

The Nantahala Hiking Club sponsored a Family Hiking Day this weekend.  We hauled all 4 of the kids up the mountain and had a blast! 

Everyone getting ready

River

Daddy and Fiona were hiking buddies

They had a great activity at the river to find and identify bugs.

Beautiful

Searching for bugs

Fiona just wanted to go in the water.

Declan slept through the hike.

Daddy's Girl!

Picnic bench loveliness.

The leaves are just starting to change!

The kids with our awesome hike leaders!