Eleanor & Lucy are laying eggs!

Eleanor is getting broody. She's sitting on her nest right now. Last week she laid 4 eggs but left them. I think since it was her first time she wasn't interested in hatching them, but now she and Lucy have laid a bunch and she's sitting on them, all by herself, taking care of the eggs. The other chickens are out in the yard but she's staying in the coop. I think it is very sweet. I ate the first 4 eggs. They were yummy! But I think I might see if she can hatch these little guys. I like the idea of little yellow chicks running around.

We are collecting the eggs that Lucy leaves each day. She lays the brown ones and Eleanor lays the light beige ones.

Evan's Birthday

Evan is ONE YEAR OLD. I can't believe I have a one year old! My mom came down to visit for his birthday and to go to my sister-in-law's baby shower. We had a little family party for Evan. I baked a lamb shaped cake for him. For my first birthday, I had a little lamb cake. It's actually more of an Easter cake but I was feeling nostalgic and thought it would be neat to make him a cake like I had -- kind of a tradition.

This was my first stab at cake decorating. I should have taken a picture of it right after I finished it b/c by the time I snapped a photo, the icing was already melting off. It has been raining constantly and with the humidity, the icing just would not set. Scott said it looked like the lamb had mange...funny....but it was fun. I think I'll try my hand at it again sometime.

Evan's Nana bought him a little single serve cake at the store so he could have a cake to play with in the high chair without totally ruining the lamb since we wanted to eat the cake, too. He doesn't really like to eat cake yet. He smeared a good portion on his face but I don't think much of it made its way to his tummy.

He got lots of great gifts and seemed like he enjoyed the party experience.

I'm looking out the window and it's raining again. It's wild how much rain we're getting this year. The chickens love it b/c the worms come out and they get their pick of them as well as plenty of bugs and such. Chester, one of the roosters, kept chasing my mom, trying to peck at her every time she went outside. I don't know why he felt so threatened by her. It was pretty funny.

Rainbows in Texas

We get some pretty rainbows out here! I caught this one yesterday as I looked out in the backyard. If you look close, you can see what my "pot o' gold" at the end of the rainbow is....Cattle! My cows are my treasure. I think that's fitting.

Evan has been having fun in his kiddie pool lately--when it isn't raining. He is a little water baby!

Evan is upright

Evan has been walking around for the last week or so. No longer is he my little lizard, darting about. Now he's upwardly mobile--what a little man he's becoming. I'm still kind of getting used to it ( as is he). He is so cute toddling around. He walks a little bit like a penguin, shuffling around. I caught a precious picture of him sitting in the bookshelves after he pulled out all of the books. That's a great game for him. He saw the camera and got up and walked over to me. He literally DEVOURS literature! He is so smart.