9

Today Jessie turned 9. Such an easy baby, actually easy pregnancy, easy delivery, easy everything. She slept through the night at 7 weeks, smiled and laughed her way through her first year.

She loves her family, her friends, her animals, school, her teachers and tries (sometimes too hard) to please everyone and make them happy. But she is not afraid to go her own way if she doesn't agree with something. And so far, she doesn't give a fig what other people think. If she likes it, she is happy and to heck with everyone else.


She is accident prone, graceless, and clumsy, yet she never quits trying or believing that she can do it. She cannot walk and chew gum at the same time (seriously) and has been known to trip over thin air, but she is always up for a game of chase through the mud. She would be involved with every possible after school activity that she could. She loves to cheer and she loves to dance.

No, that is not wine in her glass, it's KoolAid!

The chickens terrify her, but she thinks nothing of walking in the pen with the bull and the older cows. Her steer calf for next years 4-H project has been dubbed "psycho" but she is 100% optimistic that it will be halter broke by the time fair rolls around.

Happy Birthday Jessie!!
Love,
Mom

Darned Chickens

Our chicken coop is not exactly weather resistent. Rough cut boards from our Amish neighbor do tend to dry up and shrink over time. So we've had a heat lamp on a timer out there - comes on at 3:30 in the afternoon, goes off about 5:00 a.m. We aren't sure how much good it is doing heat wise, but the 1 BIG benefit - we are up to 5 or 6 eggs a day.


However, there is a lazy chicken who lays her eggs in the late evening, on the wood floor under the nest boxes, and ontop of the timer and extension cords, which means the lamp gets unplugged a couple times a night. I switched the timer last night to shut off at 11:00 p.m. - if she's going to be dumb, they can all be cold.




Then tonight, I go out there to check for eggs - and I find this one:






Somehow this brings new meaning to the word "baby egg."

Kris

The Answer

Well, here's the correct answer:

A party dress! The fabric was a pain in the &*%(#)&% to sew - it frayed all over creation. I didn't get the cute little sash with the bow on it - that will be for December 21st and the Church play she is in.

And the winner is:

Gina and

Michaela

(I had to pick 2 - or rather, Jessie picked 1 name and Tyler had to pick a name!). And we picked these out of everyone that answered clothing. I'd love to do something for everyone, but....it's Christmas you know.

So email me your address (tkjtbair at verizon dot net), and I'll get something out to you in the mail this week.

The party was a success - lots of good food, good friends and family. A smaller gathering perhaps in years past as 2 sets of very good friends couldn't make it due to other conflicts and ill parents but.....she had a good time.

And today was back to work for both Todd and I. I think I got less done last week being off than I get done in a normal week. Although part of that may be due to having slept/lazed around on and off due to not feeling well.

Todd shot a doe here in Ohio last Friday. It's been highs of low 20's, and he's been sitting out in his tree stand every day. She's hanging now, and we'll cut her up this week and what a welcome change it will be.

Now I'm off to clean up the house and do some sewing!!!!

Kris

Keep Guessing

C'mon people, I cannot hardly draw a name out of 3 people who are "in the ballpark." Keep guessing!!!

Here's another hint!

And think fun for a 9 year old recently turned girly girl.....

What is this???

The birthday to be girl will draw a name and someone will get a prize!

Mom - no guessing - she should know what this is.

Hint - I started this at 10:00 last night - it needs to be finished by 4:00 today. And hopefully it will turn out like I envision it!!!

Today we are having Jessie's family birthday party. Hard to believe on Thursday she will be 9.

I'll be back later with the correct answer and pictures from the party!
Kris

Edited to add at 1:00 p.m.: At this point, 1 more seam around the bottom. Of course, sizing is an issue and we'll have to do something about part of it another time. But that is not gettting fixed today.

Keep guessing!

An Impromptu Dance

Here is part of Jessie and Avery's impromptu dance routine from Thanksgiving. For the record - I do not know where in the world Jessie learned to dance like this.....I'm thinking she get's it from Todd's side of the family, as Avery is also Todd's niece by blood!!!

I cannot wait to see what these 2 come up with when Avery is a little older (she just turned 2 the beginning of October).

Kris

Creation of Santa (my version anyhow):)

First, the body:

Then the robe:

Then the wig and beard:

And you have a life sized Santa in your house! My MIL thought this one up - must have been 15 years ago. And when we first got married (Oct. 28, 1995 to be exact) - her and I made this one for our house. He can stand anywhere from 5 foot tall to 5'6", but I like his robe to hit the floor so.....5 foot to 5'2" ish he is. I still have to decorate around him but....Santa is up.

And my other 2 "big" santas:

A sweeper santa (he is made to go over the handle of a sweeper) - for years....well....until kids.....I used him as the excuse that I couldn't vacum for the entire month of December....but with kids, I pretty much have to vacum every day or so.....he now resides on a tomato cage.

And a stick santa. Which I just finished last year, and at some point I need to re-do his hair. The mice got into the garbage bag he was in - at least they ate the hair off the back of his head, and not his wonderful beard!!!

1 more container to unload, and my inside decorations are up. Hopefully the weather will get nice the end of this week and I can put up the outside lights. It's 30 some degrees out there and snowing and blowing right now - I'm not up for standing on the ladder to hang lights on the house:)

Have a good evening!
Kris