Baby Chicks and the ZOO!

 A week filled with warm afternoons and evenings allowed for plenty of play time outside after dinner.  During the weekend, we gardened, helped friends with a chicken coup, went swimming (the pool is already 80 degrees!), and Addie and Amy went to a zoo for a Girl Scouts event.  We hope that our family and friends are doing well!

Ayson relaxing on the tire swing

On Saturday, we (Adam) helped a friend (and neighbor) move a chicken coup.  So of course while the men were working, the kids and ladies played with the baby chicks!

LOOK at that smile!

Too cute!

More smiles

A chick relaxing with Ayson

Addie wanted to see how many chicks she could hold at one time - her max was three :)

The view of our valley from our friend/neighbors house.

A neighborhood cat, Special Agent Cooper, stopped by our yard Saturday evening - the kids LOVED it...our cats - not so much:)

On Sunday, Addie's Girl Scout Troop went to The Wild Animal Park

Baby pigs!

The girls had a fabulous time!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all of our 2 and 4 legged moms!  We hope that everyone had a relaxing day!!!

Amy was on Grand Island NY for the week working on purple martin structures - a sunrise and Niagara River picture.

Addie working on a Girl Scout activity: drawing an animal picture on a t-shirt using her hand as the pattern - a trumpeter swan.

Meanwhile, Ayson and Adam were at the fishing derby.  Addie started out at the derby but got cold after an hour and wanted to go home.  Ayson and Adam "hunted" for night crawlers (worms) Friday night and they had massive success with the worms!  Participants came by to ask Ayson what type of bait he was using :)

Ayson caught a total of 6 rainbow trout and 1 sunfish:)  He won 2nd place, for the 6th grade for the longest fish - 12 1/2 inches.  His prize was a new fishing pole (last year he won a tackle box).

TaDa!

Ayson wanted to eat the fish - so Adam showed Ayson how to clean and prep the fish.

Then the fish were cooked on the grill.

We have Baltimore oriels and humming birds!!!

On Sunday, we spent the day gardening - Addie helping Adam plant the front planters with flowers.

The kids and Adam made two new bird houses to replace the broken bird houses in our yard:)

Amy and her pretty Mother's Day flowers: three hanging baskets and three potted flowers :)

Goodbye April!!!

Monday was gorgeous like last Sunday and then the week went downhill (temperature wise) until the weekend.  We still made the most of our time outside.  Amy and Addie did wear winter coats on an Wednesday evening outing but we ended the weekend with lots of gardening and a chimenea and smores :)  We hope that everyone is happy and healthy!!!

A little basketball on Monday afternoon

Followed by a little football...

while week walked around the yard looking at the garden blooms.

On Wednesday evening, Amy, Addie , and Leena (a friend in Addie's class) went to Syracuse to see the Broadway musical, Cats.  All three girls enjoyed the show.  Thanks to Mrs Anthony for the three FREE tickets!!!

The kids wanted to join a book club/contest (hence the emails) so that they could win the little USB speakers (Addie is holding hers), wall crawlers (a ball that moves down a wall instead of falling), and a color changing light that can go underwater (Ayson is holding his).  Thanks to Grandma Pat, Grandpa Roger, and Grandma Collene for donating towards their book goals and prize choices.

A morel from our garden!!!

More football on Friday afternoon.

On Saturday we went for a walk in the orchard "hunting" morels.  What a gorgeous day!!

Spring flowers

Planting seeds (zinnias and tomatoes)

Our FIRST chimenea and smores of the 2022 season!!!

Addie insisted on a close up of her smore.

Of course we had to get a picture of Ayson too!

Addie play "fetch" - Amy would throw a stick and Addie would run and fetch it like a dog...note her tounge sticking out.

Snow Day and 80 Degrees

 A crazy week of weather with over six inches of snow on Tuesday and then temps over 80 degrees on Sunday!  No matter, A^4 still had fun:)  We hope that all of our family and friends are enjoying Spring! 

The kids had a snow day on Tuesday!  WHAT?!?  Our valley received about 6 inches of snow while Amy's colleague (that lives 15 minutes east) received over a foot of snow - eek!

SO, after Adam and Amy got done with work for the day, we went for one last "winter walk" at Tracy Lake. 

There is a little finch (either house or purple) nest in our wreath outside of the Boys Room door.  It will be fun to watch nestling progress!!  

By Friday, spring was back :)

Amy went for a walk in the orchard on Friday and heard Peepers

On Saturday, the kids and Amy caught up on house chores and then picked up trash at the "little park" across from the house while Adam was volunteering with the Optimist Club at the "big park" :)

The kids having fun with Ayson's Tesla coil.

Sunday was crazy warm (in the low 80s) so of course Addie requested the sprinkler be turned on underneath the trampoline:)