2/28/2009 - A day at the Firehouse

Matthew got all dressed up today in his fire gear so we headed to the firehouse to play with the trucks and take some pictures. He had a great time and wants to visit some more firehouses.


Sitting in the trucks



Working the pumps


Meeting smoky, the rescue dummy.


Checking out the fire gear.

Matt with his new friend Jason



Time to go home

2/10/2008 - Miranda's Birthday Party

at Sprout Creek Farm

Sprout Creek Farm is one of Miranda's favorite places to visit. Last summer she attended summer camp at the farm and had a great time learning about the animals, making bread and doing fun projects. She asked if she could have her Birthday Party there this year.

Miranda and dad made this invitation to give to her friends.


The party stated with a tour of the farm. Before they started their tour they learned about what types our animals they would be seeing and how to act around them so no one would get hurt and no animals would get scared.



The farm fields were covered with ice. The kids had to navigate gingerly to the first stop, the chicken coups.






Inside the chicken barn they learned about the different color eggs the chickens lay. White eggs from white chickens, brown eggs from brown chickens and many colors from the multi color chickens. Some chickens at the farm even produced blue eggs. They also learned that each chicken lays one egg per day.


The next stop on the tour was an up hill skate to the goat barn.


Inside they goat barn they learn to use their "Barn Voices" so not to startle the goats. They then head into the goat pen to have some "up close" time with the goats.


Mirnada and her friends playing with the goats.


Just like their two legged friends, these "kids" were very excited because a snow storm was coming. A few got too excited and knocked Miranda to the ground. At the time she did not think that it was that funny, but looking back she is laughing about it and realizes that they were just playing. It will make a great story to tell her friends in school.



Next the kids gathered outside the milking barn for a calmer visit with the calves. One was born just two days before their visit to the farm. Another was on the way, but was not born while we were there.



Inside the milking barn the kids got to pet the calves.



At the milking station the kids learned about cows and where they are milked. They learned about the gutter where the cow does her business. That got a good laugh. This milking parlor had an automated gutter that would transport the waste to a cart outside the barn. The cart would then be hitched up to a tractor that would take it to the fields and spread it for fertilizer.

While the kids were taking their tour of the farm, the parents were treated to some cheese tasting and a tour of the cheese making process. The farm makes a number of fresh cheeses from the milk they collect at the farm.



After the tours, they all gathered in the big room for pizza and cup cakes.


And a round of Happy Birthday singing.

January 4, 2008

Matt Jamming to his favorite Laurie Berkner DVD.

Happy New Year

Matthew's Bunk Bed - Part duo

Today the mattress for the bed arrived. Looks like Matt will be able to kick off the new year with a big boy bed. Now we just need to get Pooh off the walls. Matt wants to do something in Green and Yellow with tractors.

Matt's Bunk Bed - 12/30/2008

Today Matthew's bunk bed was delivered. Later this afternoon we will be going to the store to get the mattresses.

The Family Photo - 12/28/2008

Aunt Stuffy asked if I could take a family photo since all 19 of us would be together. Now, I know better then to try and take a family photo. But since she asked nicely, I agreed against my better judgment. We decided that we would wear blue jeans and white shirts, so I picked a blue-ish background. I also knew that I would have about 2 minutes before someone would start crying (This is usually one of the adults, not the kids). To speed up the process I came up with a seating chart the night before and sent it to everyone in an email.


I was fortunate that I had a top notch crew to help me with the setup and lighting.


The crew taking a short break after the backdrop and lights setup

The crew checking to make sure the lighting was correct, no bad shadows or dead spots.

Since we would have tall and short people, the crew made sure no heads would get chopped off or stick up above the backdrop.

A final test shot to make sure we could see the blacks and the whites without any blowouts.

-- Time to call in the cattle --


Test shot one -

oops- the herd is a little bigger then expected, can everyone please take one step to the right.
(Sure you can guess how well that went over)

-- The final Result --