Pirated Away!!!

Yes, I've been AWOL.  I had hoped to write a post yesterday but as you can see... the farm has been overrun with pirates!  Arghhh!

This is the first full week of no school for all of our kiddos... so the week has filled up with all sorts of farm fun.  Elijah and Easton came up to the farm this weekend for a several-day sleepover (Grammie Camp).  Their sister is going to join us today.  

Also, Maggie has been with us for a couple days as well.

Here's just a little of what we have been up to...

Blueberry picking...

The first berries of the season.  

There is no berry more delicious than a just-picked blueberry (in my humble opinion - seconded by the kids!)

(BTW... the nest in the blueberry bush now has four eggs and Mama Mockingbird sitting on top of them). We give her wide berth so as to not disturb the incubation process.

Garden harvesting...

And garden snacking - nothing better than fresh veggies - right out of the garden!

Kale...

Sugar peas...

Forrest loves sugar peas!!

It's great to have garden helpers!

Everyone pitches in during barn chores... everyone has an age-appropriate job, in which they excel!

We took a few trips to the woods to see the newly emerged ghost pipes (aka: Indian Pipes).. we should talk more about these later!

The highlight of Monday morning was a campfire breakfast.

Bacon and eggs,

and pancakes!

The bacon turned into a conflagration, but we saved enough for all of us to eat!

Bedtime is always preceded by a tubby and some reading.  Then everyone quickly fell asleep - exhausted from all of the fun!

Building a fire and cooking outside makes for hearty appetites!

We also had a playdate with Forrest's brother Oakley over the weekend.  

These guys are two peas in a pod... so similar in their behaviors.

They are the sweetest pups.

And boy, do they love each other!! (despite the gnashing of teeth!)

They have played together this way ever since they were tiny puppies!

As you can see, this is a week of fun, fun, fun.  On Wednesday, I'll be spending the day with Tyler at Knoeble's Grove... a wonderful, old, local amusement park in the woods.  I may miss a blog or two along the way... but I will catch up with you when the week is over!