They make their way outdoors

Though this happened around two weeks ago, I still wanted to share with you the pictures of the girls and their first steps into the outside world. It was actually quite funny because the board that is their ramp in and out is actually quite slippery. So I watched one chicken after another step out onto the ramp, start sliding, and then somehow manage to half slide, half fly out into the wild. It gave me a few good laughs. I called Bill and said we had to fix this that evening otherwise I wasn't sure they were going to make it back into the coop. Here are the pictures of the girls finding their way out of the coop.


The ramp leading to the outside world....



One interested chicken....



Two interested chickens....



Several interested chickens....



One chicken successfully making the leap to the outside world....



Watch out, that first step is slippery....



All the girls are happy, enjoying the outdoors....

Tulip Time

In honor of Tulip Time, the world famous festival in Holland, Michigan I mention that I miss seeing the thousands of tulips each spring that grow around town. Now, thanks to family, I had some tulips growing in my yard this year and they were gorgeous. Also, recently when my parents and aunt were in town we were able to check out some pretty cool tulips growing across the street from Zingermans. It really made me want to check out for next year some really cool varieties of tulips to plant. I love tulips, I think they are my third favorite flower. They follow closely behind gerbera daisies and pansies. Anyhoo, mine are past their prime now, but I had some beauties growing. but I had to make a shout out to good ol' tulip time (and all the elephant ears I will never eat again!) Its amazing what creativity God put even into flowers. Its truly amazing when you start to think about it all!!

Gotta Love Family

Well, I know this post is seriously belated, but I wanted to write it anyway. A few weeks ago Dad and Mom Vincent came for the weekend and put in some serious hard work in the yard. Dad and Mom Marshall also joined in the fun. It was a lot of hard work and caused a lot of sore muscles but the following happened: chicken coop painted, nesting boxes in place, weeding and mulching of one side of our house, mowing, chicken coop fence put up, laying out of the garden area, and planting tons of transplants of flowers from Holland (and many other things I have probably already forgotten). Here are some pictures from the weekend. I must say I think our yard and planting areas look 100 times better than they did before we started. Thanks families!!!



This area used to be entirely full of weeds...












































Work on the coop!! Bill sweeping in order to put in the flooring next, dads painting, mom using her sewing skills to weave the two part of the fence together, and the nesting boxes before they were taken inside the coop