Fun with Chickens

Hello, y’all.  After a four-day weekend at a flea market and a water park (it’s a weird combination, I know) we are home again and getting back to our routine.  School continues to run smoothly for us this year, and we are right on schedule in our 9th week.  Wow! Has it really been nine weeks already?  I feel like the year is flying by.

But no boring talk about schoolwork today.  Nope, today I have nothing but the cutest pictures of Tacy Mae to share with y’all.  Last week, Tacy turned the big “2,” so I decided to get out my camera and take a few pictures of the birthday girl. 

With the cool, fall temperatures we’ve been having lately (if you can call 85 degrees “cool”) the monkeys have been spending lots of time outdoors, riding scooters, wandering in the woods, and playing with the dogs.  Tacy’s favorite thing to do outside is to follow our chickens around and feed them their favorite treat of dried worms.

This is the first year we’ve had any white chickens – Leghorns, to be exact.  Honestly, they are not my favorite.  They look a little too “commercial” for my taste.  Not to mention they are pretty flighty and they lay boring, white eggs.  But at least they lay, right?

I know this next picture is not the greatest, but I love the way Tacy’s hair is flying about.  It sort of looks like a chicken comb in this picture.  Tacy has the softest, most wispy hair.  I’m trying my hardest to let her bangs grow out, but it’s killing me!  I can’t stand to see her hair down in her eyes, and she refuses to leave a barrette in for any length of time.  I keep threatening to pull out my scissors and start whacking.

When she’s not chasing chickens, Tacy loves to swing.  And for goodness sakes, don’t put her in a baby swing!  Big girl swings only, please!

Recently, Tacy has begun posing for the camera.  Check out her cheesy grin.

Sometimes the best pictures are the ones they aren’t aware you’re taking.

To keep Tacy from dumping out an entire bag of chicken treats (those things are expensive, by the way) I gave Tacy a bucket with just a few worms.

Tacy is getting to be quite the little boss.  You can see below how she’s got that finger pointed, trying to tell the chickens what to do.  I’ve heard that Tacy rules the roost in the church nursery too (pun intended).

Happy birthday, you little mischievous monkey!  Mama loves you.

Lindsey

Three Little Monkeys

It’s only four months late, but I finally got around to taking “Easter” portraits of the monkeys.  Gimme a break!  It was raining on Easter Sunday.  Not that last Sunday’s weather was any more pleasant at an oppressive 103 degrees.  But I figured my time was running out, so I drug the monkeys outside after church and snapped a few pics.

Picture day with the monkeys was, as always, a chore.  Honestly, these pictures are not the best the monkeys have ever taken.  None of the three of them was in a picture taking mood – heat or no heat.  And no one was quite as dressed up as on actual Easter Sunday.  Shirt…untucked.  Tie…AWOL.  Hair…finger combed. 

And Tacy’s choice of jewelry?  Colorful to say the least.  Did I mentioned she decorated herself with a red ink pen just before picture time??

Of the 48 pictures we took, I only got one decent picture of the three monkeys together.  But one is all you really need, right?

As a reward, we let the monkeys do a “funny face” picture at the end of the shoot.  I think Ty’s face perfectly expressed the overall mood of the day.   Disgust. 

Now I have my sights set on a fall photo shoot.  I already have newly sewn dresses waiting in the closet for Tacy and Lucy to wear, and I’m hopeful that everyone’s attitude will be a bit more positive when things cool down, say 30 degrees or so.

Lindsey

Easter Family Picture

 

Every Easter Sunday, while we’re still wearing our fancy frocks, I like to take a picture of our family all together.  It’s a pretty big deal to me, because I’m fairly certain it’s the only time each year that we all make it into the same picture.

Thankfully, the weather was gorgeous this year.  It seems as though every Easter the temperatures drop, and it threatens rain, but not this year.  Warm and sunny!

As you can see, not only did all the human members of our family make it into the picture, but the canine members made the cut as well.  This was mostly Ty’s doings.  I have never seen a kid who was more smitten with his puppies than Ty is.  He treats them better than he treats his sisters.

Looking at these pictures made me think about how the Tool Man and I have multiplied over the years.  With the addition of Tacy Mae, we are officially outnumbered.  Three amazingly beautiful, healthy, intelligent children.  How God has blessed us these past 14 years! 

After Ty ran off to play with his beloved puppies, I had a few pics made with the girls.  Aren’t these little ladies the prettiest?

Hope y’all had a great Easter too.  Now get out there and enjoy the rest of this lovely spring.  In my opinion, it’s the best time of year.

Lindsey

Biedenharn Portraits–Part II

As promised, I’m back today with the second half of our annual spring photo shoot.  I think I told y’all last time that we had some company with us this year.  My brother’s baby, Caroline, joined in the fun.

It was quite a challenge to have all four monkeys smiling not crying and looking in the general direction of the camera at the same time, but we managed.

It didn’t help matters that Ty, the one kid who was old enough to know better, was constantly crossing his eyes and sticking out his tongue.  I wanted to wring his neck!

Despite all of the whining and complaining she did this day, I managed to get tons of good pictures of Lucy.

Take a look at this handsome young man!  It’s been 6 years since I first took Ty to the Biedenharn gardens.  He was just shy of 4 years old then.  My, how he’s changed! Scroll down to see for yourself.

Wasn’t he a cutie patootie?

I definitely use the nickel Coke machine to bribe the monkeys to smile.  Lucy chose Diet Coke, you know, “Just for the taste of it.”

Clink, clink, clink!  Here’s to another year of beautiful portraits.

Cheers!

Lindsey

Biedenharn Portraits–Part I

 

Ahhh… Spring!

I’ve sort of a tradition going on in the spring.  When the temperatures rise and the flowers begin to bloom, I try to take my monkeys to the beautiful gardens at the Biedenharn Coca-Cola museum.  If you’ve never been, you should go – tulips, azaleas, hydrangeas, pansies – they are stunning!  (Although, seeing the gorgeous grounds always make my own yard seem like some kind of abandoned wilderness.)

Of course, this was Tacy Mae’s first trip to the gardens.  Unfortunately, our photo session coincided with her nap time.  To put it mildly, she was a bit grumpy, but que sera sera, right?  We dealt with it.  Consequently, I have very few pictures of Tacy smiling.

No need for a lot of words today.  I’ll let my adorable monkeys do the talking…

I have a few more pictures to share with y’all including cousin Caroline, so be sure to check back soon.

Lindsey

Fun Photos

A few weeks before Tacy was born I decided to have the Tool Man take a few pictures of me and my pregnant belly.  I was a little uncomfortable being the center of attention.  I’m not that into having my picture taken, especially when I’m packing a few extra pounds.  But I really did want to capture that special time of carrying my precious baby girl.

These pictures were made just in the nick of time.  Tacy was born two weeks after this shoot.

You didn’t think we’d take any pictures around here without including the monkeys, did you?

After getting a couple of serious pictures, the monkeys were dying to, well, for lack of a better word, act like monkeys.

Our mad faces…

Our pirate faces…

Holding our bellies…

No photo shoot would be complete without a ballerina pose.

I admit I’m not usually one to goof off, but it was fun letting loose with the monkeys.

Lindsey