February 2018 Kiddos

Taking a break from loading wood

Oh, the cuteness!! When Ezra was 6-7 months old, we tried feeding him. He wanted nothing to do with it. However, when we game him food he could eat himself he started eating like a champ! He is quite possibly my best eater ever...so long as he can feed himself.

I bought the entire family (except Ruthie and Ezra) tickets to go see the Chinese Acrobats perform. I even got a babysitter for the littles! Stephen picked Maggie up, but was so exhausted after a long day at work that I ended up leaving him with the babies and taking Maggie with us! Sammy also invited his best buddy, Sebastian. An awful picture, but a fun evening!

"Take my picture, Mom!"

He still doesn't get that there is a dot on his forehead. The kids have been trying since he was 4 months old...

The tradition of giving Dad a heart attack on Valentine's Day continues! The kids also put hearts and candy on most of the other management professors' doors, making them the darlings of the day. 

Trevor has the best tooth-losing story of all: he lost a tooth by getting smacked in the face with a snow shovel!

In the snow-shovel-wielding person's defense, the tooth was barely hanging on. Sammy accidentally stepped on the show shovel (they were out playing in the snow) and the handle flipped up and whacked Trevor in the mouth. The tooth, sadly, was lost in the snow.

Trevor made a poster for our 4-H club's carnival booth

Lincoln did, too. Our theme was Decades: the Future. One of the club members made a catapult, and we catapulted rubber duckies into a rocket ship.

And then there were 2 gone! His second tooth was also barely hanging on, so he had me tie floss onto it and a door and slam the door. It was great fun!

Stephen, Mason, Ezra and I went to the temple. Stephen needed an answer as to whether or not we should move to Washington. We'll be moving this summer sometime.

Ezra started taking steps! He's not walking, just taking random steps every now and then.

Ruba-a-dub-dub, three babes in a tub

We all love our new wood stove

Ruthie is a nurturer, and she's better with throw up than Stephen!

February 2018 Sweet P Farm

February started out with my first official poultry processing job! Lincoln was a chicken grabber.

My set up. The birds go from left to right, kill cones, scalder, plucker, evisceration, chill tank. 

Elise was in charge of the evisceration table--she did 45 of the 51 birds processed.

The finished product!

Captain, before he hit his awful adolescent phase. Only 16.5 more months working with him until he becomes trustworthy! I think I can make it. I think I can. I think I can.

Chores involve a literal ton of moving feed in 50# bags. My kids are strong!

Pearl, Elise & Ruby getting in some morning loving. The does are due anytime in the next 4 weeks--can't wait for baby goat kids!

Chores also involve a lot of water. And with the well below freezing temps, they also involve a lot of hose draining.

Captain, again before his bratty stage, when the kids could still pet him without him being a juvenile delinquent.

A very cool picture. 

Baerli, in her favorite pot.

Schwanli

Heidi, the mama cat (obviously taken NOT in February)

"Tiny" the bantam araucana was having a tough day, so we brought her up to the house so she could warm up and rest.

Even with all the cold, there was clear space on the pond for all but a few days.

How we prep for dissection. I know, you want to join our school! Sorry, it's a private boarding school, and there's no way in the world you could afford it.

We took our 4 pigs in to be butchered and I brought home a set of lungs and a heart. We invited some other homeschooling friends over and had an amazing time seeing how everything worked. Amazing!!

Elise would like to wish you a very happy Valentine's Day!
The boys came up with all sorts of valentine cards that had to do with literal hearts--a vial of blood with "straight from the heart" on it; a piece of dried heart tissue in a card...

2018 Ballet Intensive Video Audition

Elise only applied to one ballet intensive this year, Orlando Ballet, which she was accepted into. However, she decided that she'd rather go back to Nepal for a 2-week cultural exchange. Here's her progress from the last year!

January 2018

Sammy, Mason & Thomas Crawford heading out for a (very coooooooold) winter campout

As the boys were headed to a campout, Elise and friends were headed to Nepal! (She'll have to do her own post about that adventure!)

Ezra is cute. That is all. 

Ruthie requires many things when she goes to nap--around 20 books, her ponies, stuffed animals, a sippy cup and a bowl (in case she needs to throw up), among other things

Sammy's favorite chicken, Tiny, the bantam araucana

Teaching the cockerel who is in charge

Stephen read this book out loud to the kids--this was our second time reading it together, but the first time was so long ago the younger kids didn't remember the story. A family favorite!

Changing her baby's diaper. She likes to help with Ezra, too...

<3 <3 <3

Ruthie & Tiny

Stephen & entourage

The pigs are getting bigger!

The true and proper way to handle toast

Sammy had a gymnastics meet in Colorado Springs--where my cousin, Heather, lives! We stayed overnight with her, which turned out to be a very, very good thing, because...

...the car broke down. About 10 minutes from her house and 15 minutes from the air force base where the meet was being held. Heather came and picked up the boys while I sat and waited for the car to be fixed (thankfully it stopped working right at the entrance to a fix-it-up shop). 

Ezra and I hung out in the car shop, totally and completely missing all of Sammy's events. :'( My friend kept me up to date by sending me videos and his scores, and whenever I'd get one, I'd announce it to my new bff's at the shop and we'd all cheer for him together. :)

Sammy, however, did wonderfully well! We actually didn't know the results until a few days later--the level 6's (which Sam is) were competing on Sunday, but Sammy got permission to compete with the level 5's on Saturday, so he wasn't there to get his medals.

What Sammy did when we got home from the meet

My "little" 6-month-old puppy, Captain

Ruthie visiting our neighbor's newest calf

Lincoln earned his Bobcat award!

Ruthie "helping" with Ezra

Happy 3rd birthday, Ruthie!!

Sometimes a rare unicorn will make an appearance at our house and give rides in lieu of our normal camel

Oldest & youngest snuggles

Quite possibly the most cool picture I've ever taken--our tom turkey, Brigham, at sunrise

Pearl giving me loves

It's been cold!

Making slime

Trying to get a cool scar like her brothers

Studying hard

Tuesday twinner day!