Coming Soon #2

Josh and Theresa aren't the only ones expecting...   Our sweet Sadie Rose is due with puppies just one week after Theresa is due with the baby! :) 

(the monkey in the photo is Sadie's current "baby".  She tends to fixate all her love on certain stuffed animals, and the new one is "Baby Chee-Chee")

Sadie is 1/2 Australian Shepherd, 1/2 Labrador Retriever, and we have bred her to a very beautiful laid back Australian Shepherd named Wagner.  

So the puppies will be 75% Aussie, and we are planning on selling all of them.  Though it is kind of hard to tell in the photos, Sadie is quite.. well "large".  She is normally a very trim dog, and she has a big belly now. :)  

She is officially due on July 19th, so we made a welping box inside on our landing for her to sleep in and get comfortable with before the puppies come. (she is a mainly outdoor dog)

Sadie wasn't so sure about her box.  She kept running down-stairs, up-stairs, and we kept on returning her. :)

Finally we found a compromise.  She has decided to lay down "next" to her box... :D

Silly Girl.

So if anyone is interested in puppies... we will have some available in a couple months, and they'll be pretty cute!

~Chs

Fireworks!!

The celebrations continued into Saturday, when there was to be fireworks over Lake Lapeer (the best show around!!).  So we had a low key gathering before hand with hot dogs and 4th leftovers. :)

Mr. Reiche, Josh and Theresa all joined us for dinner, and hung around playing games and helping us water the garden while we waited for the time for the fireworks to arrive.

We were informed of this perfect spot to watch the show, oh, probably 4 years ago or so.  It's a little lawn in-between houses, and directly across from where they launch the fireworks.  The owners kindly allow anyone to camp out there to watch!

The performance was truly brilliant as always!  (and loud, Faith wore ear plugs during the entire duration. :) )

There was some creative ones that landed on the water and then exploded (don't ask me how) as well as the normal big colorful, booming ones, and smaller sparkly ones.

We even had a couple dollar signs, a star, and a smiley face (though it was hard to see, since it was smiling upwards....)

(had fun with my camera, playing around with what the fireworks looked like at different focus levels..)

The grand finale was indeed "grand", and we all cheered and then packed up and headed home. Another 4th celebration completely and officially concluded.

~Chs

Faith and the Fourth: a Celebration

Here at our house we celebrate 2 important things on the 4th of July.  Our country's Independence, and Faith's birthday.  This makes everything twice as fun, but also a bit complicated fitting everything in.  

So here is a glimpse at our fourth.

In the morning some of us went down town to look about and see a bit of the parade.

Sadie looking all patriotic!

The town's population exploded once again.  Amazing how many people come out for the fourth!!

The parade is definitely a small town deal, with lots of tractors, classic cars, and a few horses.

This horse was a little unusual looking. :)

The highlight of the parade - California Or Bust...

I truly think we win for having the most tractors in a parade!

Some pretty cars. (anyone spot the one that doesn't quite fit?)

We even had a petting zoo this year!  We had family due to be at our house around 12:30 so we just watched a bit of the parade, and then headed back home.

It was a truly lovely day, perfect for a picnic under the willow tree.

Always so much yummy food. :)

Happy Birthday Faith!

Happy dogs!!

We were so happy to have Aunt Myrt join us! :)

Hamburgers.

Love our Aunt Myrt so much!  Most of the gardening and canning that Faith does she learned form Aunt Myrt.

Between dinner and dessert we took a tour of the gardens to help us digest.

Our Firework Faith!

It was a simply lovely day, celebrating both our nations independence and Faith's birthday!

~Chs

A Blessing's Birthday

She is a major part of the family here at home, an enormous blessing.
 
 I am not sure if we (here at home) could survive without our Faith Ann.  And I am absolutely positive that we don't want to.

Faith is the motivation, brains, and muscle power behind so much here at "the farm".  She cans like a pro, has the greenest thumb, is an expert seamstress and takes great care of all sorts of animals.  She can make do with (or without) lots of things, and is super speedy.

But more than what she can do, and does, more than that, we truly love and need/want Faith for who she is, not what she does.

She is brave and willing to take on the dirty jobs that no-one-else wants.  She is ardent in her beliefs, knowing just what she thinks and holding to it.  She sees things in black and white and therefore is able to make needed quick decisions.  But she isn't obstinate in ignorance, she is constantly looking up, studying, searching for wisdom.  She is passionate and whole-hearted about everything, but most about her Savior, His love and what He requires of her.  She doesn't take her Christian walk lightly.  She loves the misfits and the ones that are left out.

She has a special place in her heart for special needs people, and a unique gift for working with them.  She is dedicated and fervent.  She would rather serve and give, then be served and given to.  She loves to work behind the scenes.  She sees the humor and beauty in life, and isn't blind to God's work in creation.  She is protective of her family, always wants the best for us, and is willing to research and work hard to make that happen.

Faith... well she is so hard to adequately describe, because she is (and does) so much.  I think though, that her name does truly fit.  Faith:  she knows what she believes, even when she can't see it, and holds to it with a hopeful tenacity.

In and through Faith we see God work.  He has given her so many raw talents, and has molded her throughout the years.  As her little sister I have so enjoyed being able to spend more time with her the past few years, talking, working, laughing, thinking, and I cannot wait to see the people and places she is able to bless as she follows God's will for her in the years to come.

Happy Birthday Faith Ann we LOVE you, truly we do.

~Chs