So Sweet

"I Love You"--this is the best!

Serious Reading

 

AnnCarter really enjoys books.  The other week, we found her intensely (she has Marshall's serious look going on in this video) going through this book (at one time being "all done"--if you can decipher the words you hear). She has a little chair in our room, and she'll often pick out a book all on her own and sit down to read it.  Her dad and I both love literature, so hopefully this will continue to grow as a love hers also.

Playing the Dulcimer

Pictures from April

 

Hanging out at the farm on a beautiful spring day.

 

Love the sunglasses (notice the top teeth--she had four come down all at the same time about a month or so ago! Now she's working on molars).

 

Lousia and AnnCarter--Carter loves hanging out with Louisa and she's a great babysitter! Not to mention, we love hanging out with her too :-)

 

Jack and AC--Jack is awesome with AnnCarter. We love having him around too! Never a dull moment.

 

So the other day I was somewhat brainless (as is more and more the case lately). I let AC have one of those fruit pouches on the way home from the store not even thinking about what would probably happen if she was unsupervised with one.  Thankfully I gave it to her with very little left in the pouch, so this was certainly a minimal mess compared to what it could've been!

 

Rocking in my old kid rocking chair at my parent's house :-) She loved it!

Playing the dulcimer with Granddad--AC loves any and all stringed instruments!

 



 

On a walk at the park in Pennsylvania with my mom and sister.

Listening to music with her Uncle Will

Our Trip to Polyface Farm in Swope, VA 4/11/13

My Dad met us there and was able to go on the tour with us. (Then AnnCarter and I went home with him for a visit with the family.)

The eggmobile...houses 900 hens, produces over 500 eggs a day.  

 



 

Portable chicken pen (model we plan to use this summer--we're going to begin by raising 75 birds). Chickens get a fresh "salad bar" of grass every day.

 

Chicks and Cows

 

Joel Salatin talking about grass--his youthful energy and passion about all was certainly contagious. You can tell he derives life from what he does that in turn is so life giving.

 

It was certainly a gift to be a part of this tour (we bought the last 4 tickets available!) as we look into this direction/model more and more for our  lives here on Lookout Mountain. You could tell a distinct difference from this farm and the ones surrounding it. Even at just the beginning of spring, Polyface's grass had a lush appearance in contrast to the neighboring farm--certainly testament to the way they follow the natural design of the created order. On the drive out to their farm you pass several conventional farms along the way.  That was also a loud, black and white contrast to the difference between the two ways of farming (polyculture vs. conventional).  We passed a cow feed lot that looked SO barren and it smelled terrible! The desolate picture of that farm contrasted with the beauty, smell-free (even in the "pigerator") and life-giving environment of Polyface only perpetuated our convictions more in the area of land and animal stewardship.

Evening Walk

 

AnnCarter LOVES to go on walks now.  She's still a fan of the jogging stroller (thankfully), but she also loves to "take us" on walks.  She gets going and there's not much that will stop her or redirect her once she's chosen a destination.  It's pretty cute. I will try to turn her around sometimes, and she almost always will turn right back around and head the direction she's interested in going.  Last night we took a long walk to a playground to swing.  She walked the entire way (probably half a mile or so) and the entire way home!  Best night ever for her :-)