Joni comes to visit

Joni came into town in April for a visit. Here are a bunch of pictures she took while she was here!

Been a Fun Week Here

There has been a TON going on around here. As you've seen from previous posts, JB took a trip from Portland back to TN with two of the four kiddos (Abigail and Sidge). I stayed home with Isaac and Hannah. Grama Joni came to hang out with me during the time John was gone, but she purposefully overlapped with John returning so she could see the other two kids for a day or two. 

John returned on Friday late-afternoon. Joni flew back today (Sunday afternoon).

Joni AND JB overlapped with one of the biggest events we've been able to celebrate here on our farm. Our dear friend Anni officially became a Mama. Her adoption of little Trin (whose name will now be Tristan -- although I think, with Anni's permission, she'll still be "Trin" to me) was official on Friday. Here's a picture of them after the Judge signed all the stuff!

Anni was planning to have a party at the pavilion of a church down the road. However, the weather did NOT cooperate and at the last minute, we shifted it to my house. Forty or more people at the last minute? No biggie! Especially when my amazing housekeeper, Julie, agrees to SWOOP in and help get the house looking fantastic. 

Life on the Bauernhof is NEVER boring. And I am NEVER lonely.

Happy 29th Birthday to Joni!

I found this video of my kiddos singing "Happy Birthday" to Joni two years ago. Man have they changed a lot in two years. 

Here are a few other special pictures I have found of our Joni:

There's my Mom. There's my mother-in-law. And there is my Joni. These three women will all be "my Mamas" forever. 

She has held a special place in my heart since I was a tiny little baby and they lived next door to my parents. I babysat her son. I stood by when they buried him at seven years old. Then I started babysitting Bri. She was in my wedding. And then she had Isaac, and we became his parents. 

And Joni became a grandparents to my kiddos.

I have learned that there is no problem with extra people who love your kiddos. I'm so honored my kids have three Grama's and that my Mom and mother-in-law have allowed the three of them to equally pour out love on our family.

Happy Birthday Joni. I am so blessed to have you in my life and in the life of my kiddos. I love you!

We Bought a Farm: Some Farm Pics from Joni

While Joni was here she did her usual awesome photography, and I got some fun pics that I wanted to share. First up, Isaac wants Joni to have an opportunity to feel the softest duck head ever on one of our crested ducks. So, he caught the duck as illustrated in the photos below: 

Next up, a photo series showing our guinea fowl steal food from all the other animals on the farm: 

Next up, an attempt at getting some pics of the girls in their Tuesday homeschool gymnastics class:

Back from Vermont

We are back from Vermont. There are so many pictures to post, but I wanted to take just a moment and share a few of my favorites: