Our Life On The Hill

I'm crushing hard

I'm in love with vintage metal porch and lawn furniture.  I love the different patterns, the looks of the furniture, and I love that each piece has so much history.  I want to know who the family was that enjoyed sitting on their porch on these chairs and gliders, sipping their lemonade and enjoying a sunny afternoon. 

Here is my new glider that my dad found on a front porch.  He went to the door and asked if the man wanted to sell it and he did.  

I would love to find out what the name of this pattern is.  I've searched the internet and can't find anything.  I found one site where they called it wagon wheel, but I don't think that's right.  It doesn't fit with the retro look and the leaves.  I found one on another site and it's named after the paint color that they had painted it.   I can't find any books on only vintage metal porch/lawn furniture.  If anyone knows of any, I would appreciate the info.  

Here is my basket weave rocker

My pinhole matching chairs

Now I just have to decide what colors I'll use on all of them.      

Cade

Cade is our new dog.  We brought him home 2 1/2 weeks ago.  He's about 4 years old.  He's never had a home, and he's been in shelters and rescues all of his life.  He lived at the riding stable for a few months looking to be adopted.  We decided to try him out because we thought Marty would like a friend. He's worked out great!  He and Marty are best of friends and they and the 2 cats all lay together in the sun and sleep together at night. He doesn't care about the chickens roaming around.  He's becoming more relaxed and less nervous, which I'm so happy about.  He's found his forever home. 

Here he is...

  

A little spring break fun

Over spring break, I had a garage sale with my parents.  The kids were out of school and my mom and dad had the week off of work.  It was the week after Easter.  We spent everyday at their house getting stuff out and priced.  The kids love going to my parent's house, so they had fun, but I also wanted to have them do something different over our time off.  

I saw an ad in the local paper for a kids cake decorating class.  I signed them up for an afternoon class.  They had so much fun!  

Here they are getting their supplies together

decorating cupcakes

Hadleigh's cupcakes

Sawyer's cupcakes

Ashton's cupcakes

After the cupcakes, they decorated their own individual "pizza" cakes. 

Their creations were delicious!                        

Chicks

We picked up our 34 chicks last night.  They are so adorable and I can't wait to watch them grow to see how their colors change and what personalities they will have.   The kids were so excited and Hadleigh and Sawyer were with me when I picked them up.  They each "babysat" a box of chicks in the car on the ride home.  

Aren't they just the cutest things?  

In about 20 weeks, give or take, they will start laying eggs.  They grow so fast!         

Easter 2010 ~Part 2~

Easter Morning

Easter at my parent's house

Simon was enjoying the day too

                

Easter Egg Hunt

Uncle GT with the kids

My parents with the kids

                               

Easter 2010 ~Part 1~

I took the kids to breakfast at the preschool that Hadleigh and Sawyer attended.  It was a fundraiser for the school and we haven't been there at all this year.  We miss seeing Ms. Janet and it was so nice to see her.  They also had the Easter Bunny there for pictures.  

 

Coloring Easter Eggs

Sweetie couldn't be left out

                    

The Field Museum

Hadleigh and the rest of her class went to the Field Museum at the end of March.  I was picked to be one of the chaperones.  I was so excited. I haven't been there since Ashton went when he was in 2nd grade.  

Hadleigh was super, super excited.  I haven't been able to go on a field trip with her since preschool.  I wasn't picked for the Kindergarten trip.  (If too many moms or dads want to go, they put the names in a hat and draw names.  I wasn't picked for Ashton or Hadleigh for their Kindergarten trips, but I just found out yesterday that I was picked for Sawyer's.  I'm thrilled!)  Last year I was picked for her 1st grade trip, but I ended up in the ER that morning with appendicitis.  Luckily, Jerry was off so he was able to go with her.  

We had to take a sack lunch on this trip and they suggested that we bring a paper sack so we could dispose of everything.  I had to buy paper sacks because I use reusable lunch bags and containers.  Hadleigh kept reminding me for weeks to pick those up.  She also decorated the sacks with our names, the school name, and her teacher's name because she was so excited.   She couldn't wait to go to bed the night before, and she was up early.  

I think the class was most excited about seeing Sue, the T-Rex.  

I hung out with my friend Diane and her son and his friend, and I had Hadleigh and her friend. 

Here they are with Sue.

 

 

 

This is Sue's real head.  Her head was too heavy to put on her real body, so they made a replica for her body.  Her real head is displayed upstairs.  This was one of the exhibits that Hadleigh was most excited to see.  She had heard it was the size of a refrigerator, but thinks in person it looked smaller than she was thinking. 

The view from the area where Sue's head is located

acting like mummies

Hadleigh's class learning about how important the bison was too the Pawnee Indians.  This was before we went into the Pawnee Earth Lodge exhibit and learned more about how the Pawnee lived. 

The view from the dinosaur room upstairs.  You can see the Adler Planetarium, the Shedd Aquarium, and

Lake Michigan.

Hadleigh and her friend trying to see how many can fit into the dinosaur's footprint

A longneck...Hadleighs favorite

A few other dinosaurs

           

I thought this was cool

We had a great time, and I hope to go again when Sawyer's class goes when he is in 2nd grade.      

Ashton's soccer party

At the end of the indoor season, Ashton's coach has a pizza party for the kids.  It's such a nice thing for him to do.  

With his friend Josh

Getting his medal

    

Digits

Here is our new cat Digits. 

 My dad found him at one his stops for work.  This stop was in a bad area and there weren't any houses near.  It was on the intersection of 2 busy roads.  Digits was starved for attention and very hungry.

I told him to bring him to my house.  

He's such a good cat.  He follows us around outside and bosses the dog around.  He's a snuggle bug too. 

My dad kept telling me that Digits had huge paws.  I was hoping he was polydactyl, and when I saw him for the first time, I was so excited that he was indeed a polydactyl cat. 

He also has one extra digit on each of his back feet.  I couldn't get a good picture though.  

He's such a sweetie!         

My little slugger

It was a beautiful spring day and Sawyer wanted to hit some balls.  He loves it when we pitch to him, but when he's alone, he likes to hit off of the T.  

I love the determination on his face