The Haner Farm Update

Corn, sunflowers, and squash
Rosemary, Basil, Fruit Salad Tree
Peas, eggplant, tomatoes, and corn
First ears of corn forming
Green Beans, peas, and squash

Baby chicks before their house is lined with newspaper, straight from The Round Up.
The babies after being lined with the news and introduced to their new feeder and waterer.
Blueberry patch

Strawberry and Tomato gardens
Another tomato planter
The first cucumber flowers
Zuchini plant

We got our first chicks today. We got two Rhode Island Reds which are "all purpose" birds. They are solid in color and very sturdy. Hens are fantastic brown egg layers and can lay up to 255 eggs per year. We got two Americaunas which are known as the "Easter Egg" chicken. They lay green, blue and pink eggs! They are energetic and very easy to raise. Every Americauna looks different as an adult, so you never know. And finally, we got two Black Australorps which have shiny black plumage with a purple-green sheen as adults. They are fairly large birds with a great egg laying record. As many as 300 a year per bird. They also make good fryers though we'll never know. ;) They won't need a coup until they are several months old and ready for laying, but Scott is already busy designing his masterpiece.

Lucy Barbie Joins the Haner Fam

Today we picked up our new baby kitten from our friends the Wentworths. They had already named her Lucy, and although we gave Kya the option of changing her name to anything she wanted, she chose Lucy. "Lucy Barbie" to be exact! :) L.B. is such a love. She is very patient with the kids and enjoys playing as well as cuddling with us. She has yet to be introduced to our whole zoo (we are waiting to see what the dogs and Cliff the cat think until after Lucy settles in). She is scared of Wyatt because his approach is a little aggressive--he screams at the top of his lungs in a very high pitch and runs toward her like he's been shot out of a cannon. I'd be scared too! This will be a good lesson in gentleness for him, eventually.

She is the spitting image of Cliff when he was a baby with her fluffy fine grey and white hair; this unfortunately violates the entire purpose of getting another cat, which was to have a cat who didn't leave hair everywhere and who we could allow on the furniture from time to time without getting out the vacuum. Oh well. The more fur the merrier! (Is that how the saying goes?)

First Night with Grandparents McQuerrey at the Beach House

The kiddos quickly made themselves at home at this fabulous beach house rental on the water in Morro Bay. Kya lounged on the beautiful leather couches and Wyatt began to feast on the myriad of treats Mom and Dad bought at the grocery store. Grandpa Mac rejoiced in teaching, loving, feasting and cuddling with the kiddos.

Some photos from the Beach Trip

As the sun was setting, the kiddos began wanting to "put their toes in the ocean." Soon, it was more than just toes and Grandma Susan, being the everwilling helper and loving Grandma she is, plunged in as well. The men supervised from the shore and helped construct sand castles for Wyatt to destroy. Such a wonderful time!

Thoughts for the Day

As we arrived home today from our second beach trip of the summer, my husband and I pondered our many blessings. We had the great opportunity to go to the beach twice in the past two weeks, once with his parents and sister's family and once with my parents. Both were outstanding. We feel so blessed that our children are so close to their grandparents and that everyone gets along so well. In addition, both sets of parents paid for our accommodation and food while we were there. Amazing. As the children frolicked on the beaches and parks of the Central Coast, I often sighed deeply at the peace and serenity of a family knitted together by love, patience, tolerance, and flexibility. We are all different and yet the same in that we value the connection of family ties and what each person can offer to the group.

We lost great grandma Dee a week or so ago. I had not communicated with her in 20 years or so. The loss of relationship I experienced with my grandparents will not be revisited on my kiddos. Scott and I have the tremendous advantage of loving, patient, accepting parents, who will never be separated from their grandchildren (if they have anything to say about it!!! LOL!). But seriously, as I have very few memories relating to Grandma Dee, I have very little feeling of loss realting to her passing. It has just been more of an overwhelming reminder of our mortality and the shortness of our time together here on earth. It reminds me to cherish each moment, to say the loving things I feel more often and to slow down, let the dishes sit a few more moments while I read my kids another book, and relax about the things that just won't matter when I'm gone. I am thankful for this reminder.

On a completely different note, Scott and I have decided to expand our animal family. He is in the process of building a chicken coup and we are picking up a kitten tomorrow as well. With these new additions to our menagerie, we look forward to new adventures and some yummy eggs from our new hens! :)

Switching gears only slightly, there are 145 days left until baby number 3 arrives. We will know in a few weeks the gender of the baby at which time we will begin preparing the house, rooms, clothes, name list, etc. As I sit here, he or she is reminding me he or she doesn't like when I sit for long periods in this computer chair (my back is reminding me as well!) so I must sign off now as a long bubble bath is calling my name. Sweet Wyatt is already sound asleep with his arms stretched over his head in the "touchdown" position! What a cutie!

More beach pictures will post in the next few days! :)

The Family at the Beach

From back left (relationship noted is to Kya): cousins Matt and Sierra, Uncle Sean, Aunt Julie, Daddy w/Kya, Mommy, Papa Haner, and Wyatt at Cayucos Beach. What a GREAT trip!