Two!

Our baby boy is TWO!! I can't belive it. We had a great time celebrating it numerous times. Enjoy some recent pics of Eli David Turanski!

"Who? Me?"

Our good friends the Konradys called and all sang "Happy Birthday" to him on our voicemail. He was so tickeled! He made us play it over and over again.

John came to me at 6am on Eli's big day and said he wanted to "pay for the books he picked for Eli"....Half awake....I said "sure" and so he went to his room and I am shocked at what happened next. He came back with a $100 bill and said "Will this cover it mom?".

I am not kidding.

What in the world!! He has a "bank" that is out of his reach in his room that I have put some money in since he was born. I save it up and get some out to use on special occasions for him. I must have, in my lack of memory, consolidated it at some point and didn't remember. Probably a good thing I forgot about it...who knows if it will still be there;). I am thinking, it is time to move it to a new location!...,maybe say... a savings account! I can't believe he is getting so big!

Needless to say, he was super excited for Eli to open the present. I hope you like the "Birthday" wrapping paper:)
Eli is a major "ball fan " to say the least. He loves any ball of any kind at any time. We got him a little soccer/hockey set with goals and hockey sticks too. He has loved it and will spend hours dribbling the ball around the yard. He also LOVES books and so we had sort of a "Balls and Books Birthday"!

We had the big family over a couple days after his actual birthday to celebrate all together. It was super fun and Eli loved the whole idea of doing it all over again!

He loves his lawn mower and he also got a big blowup ball game to play with. We haven't got any shots of that one yet.

What a hug to Auntie Carole!

Below are some pics of the day before Eli's Birthday. Grandma Mary came to visit and the boys certainly enjoyed the perks of her hotel pool!! They had a great time. Eli especially loves to splash!! He was hillarious!

So happy to snuggle up with Grandma Mary:)


It was a fabulous celebration and we surely do enjoy our little blondie!

Happy 2nd Birthday Eli David Turanski!

It can be a road hazzard!

I am just so in love with the blooming Dogwood Trees this time of year that I find myself looking all around while I am driving. I am laughing at myself because I just STARE at them. We planted one this year in our back yard that my sister in law let us dig up two years ago. It has been in a pot and this year we planted it. Although it didn't bloom, it does have leaves and I look forward to next year's hope that I can focus on the road and stare at the blooms from my own backyard!

The "Henthouse"

So this is definitely backdated, so many of you might be confused. We actually finished the coop at the end of April, but just haven't had a chance to put the pics up. I have to say that I learned something new about Alan. I was so impressed with his work. He really did such a good job. We had some "rough" plans, but for the most part, this was our collaboration of ideas, his handy work and my painting.
It's called a "Chicken Tractor". It is designed to be moved around the yard so that it doesn't get totally muddy and worn out. It also makes the cleanup a TON easier!
The basic framing includes three nest boxes and two roosts for the chickens to sleep on. The ladder below goes up at night by pulling the string one the one end. I was a bit over the top with my need for security....I think I was still in the mother hen phase. I even made Alan put little pieces of wood anywhere a sharp piece was.....I think I was a bit over the top;)




Here goes the primer!



As you can see the top part opens for cleaning and easy access to the top portion. We used a clear corrugated roofing so that more light could get in during those dark dreary winter months here in the Northwest. I must also note the very creative boards for holding up the roof and bottom run.
Great Job Alan!


I think they like it!
Note the super cool cedar shingles Alan added. I was serioulsy impressed with this! Right below is the little door for getting the eggs out from the nesting boxes.

First night out all alone! They had to have the light for a couple more weeks untill it warmed up. The chicks are about 7 weeks here. Alan was laughing at me a bit cause for the next week or so, everytime I walked by the window or door I was stare at them for a minute or two. I think I was having a bit of seperation anxiety:(

He just wanted to "help" me.....

He just wanted to "help" me.....he caught me in a moment and I gave him the brush the old trellis I found in our barn and we were INSPIRED!

I LOVE that twinkle in his eyes:) I am sure he helped me....but in more ways than I think he intended. It was a beautiful day for us.

Happy Birthday to my Nana! I wanted to post some recent pics of this special women. She just turned 87 at the end of March and no one would ever guess!!! I wished I could have been there to celebrate with her, but a phone call had to do again this year. She is just an amazing and gifted woman who has taught me so much through the years. So many of the things that I see myself wanting to create for my own family sprout from my memories with her. I thought I would just list a few of the gifts that she has shared with me that make her special and that make me love her so much and feel so blessed to be her granddaughter.

Cooking Thank you for sharing your gift for cooking. Some of my favorites include: energy cookies, crispies, fabulous holiday feasts and an amazing, beautiful and inviting table for her family and friends
Sewing Thank you for sharing your gift of sewing. Especially needle pointing! she spent so much time with me teaching me how to needlepoint so many things. I hope today I can still remember and make some of the wonderful things she did)
Painting Thank you for sharing your gift of painting. Still to this day have a vision of her "painting table" that was set up in the basement and was open to all of us kids....yet some how we knew we shouldn't touch it. It was so difficult to not stick my fingers into those tubes of colors and I am guessing that I wasn't always so good at restraining myself. I still have and see many of her paintings in various places in even my home and my family's home. This too is something I would love to learn someday.
Boat trips Thank you for sharing this boat with me. My Nana and Papa owned an amazing sail boat that I have so many memories from. Thank you for sharing this with me and allowing me to spend time with my family every summer for a week on Lake Huron. I know I am not alone when I say that those are some of my best memories as a kid in the summer
The House on Roslyn Road Thank you for sharing this home with me. I have referred to this house over the years as the "castle". Of course it was not a castle, but it had a magical sense about it to me and many of the other grandchildren too. It was so fun and all ten grandchildren created so many memories there. I will always treasure Christmas Eve's were my Nana let us "sleep" in her sitting room that was attached to her bedroom. It was a very cozy and magical room where I can say that I really believe I saw Rudolph one year through the window while waiting for Santa to come.
The Famous "naughty chair" which I of course have only "heard of" from the other grandchildren because I rarely spent time there
Special Birthday and Christmas Presents Thank you for even to this day always remembering my birthday. You have always made my Birthday and Christmas special with your special gifts and generosity. Many of my favorites were the little treasures you have passed down to me including the goblets, antique plates, aprons, napkins, cute little salt and pepper shakers to just name a few. I always think of her when I use them.
Her Faith Thank you for sharing the Lord with me. Words can not express the blessing I feel that we can talk and share our faith with each other. I treasure those talks with her and look forward the next time we get a chance.
I love you Nana and I hope you get a chance to see this. I hope you know how special you are to me:)

Ten on Ten

I took my first shot at is photo journal project that a friend of mine started! One snapshot every hour for ten consecutive hours on the tenth of every month. I had so much fun learning how to do this! Hope you enjoy

6 little chicks went out one day....