I'm Baaaaaaaaacccccccccckkkkkkkkk!

Soooo, I am back to blogging!
I took a very very very long time off and I have missed chronicling our lives and sharing content that is uplifting and fun!
It would take way to long to update you on the last 15 months of our lives, so I will share the top 5 things from that time and we'll consider you all caught up.  Deal? DEAL!

1.  In August, (so just a year ago) I discovered that the major respiratory problems I had been dealing with for the better part of a year were because of an allergic reaction to my chickens.  Well, not my chickens.  Their POOP! The fatigue, chronic cough, pneumonia, all of it was because of POOP.  It was devastating to learn that in order to get better, the chickens had to go.  After fighting my HOA for months and falling in love with backyard chicken farming, this was a heartbreaking experience.  But, being able to breathe again and climb my stairs without losing my breath has been wonderful.  I miss my chickens every time I chop veggies and have to remind myself I don't need to save the scraps.  They are forever part of my heart.

2. PTO mom! My sweet friend, Rhea, recruited me to be part of the PTO powerhouse at our local elementary school.  Of course, I said yes because it sounded like FUN.  And it was fun being with my friends and doing awesome and exciting things for the students and the school.  What was NOT fun was the moms who decided they didn't like us and who said really mean things about us on social media.  That was NOT FUN.  It actually hurt a lot and knocked the wind out of my sails for awhile.  But being able to raise more money than ever before, finishing two huge projects at the school, bringing a BMX show in for students, putting on half a dozen awesome, family-friendly events with record numbers was definitely worth it.  But, I decided not to do it again.  It is my last year with a child home full-time and I wanted to have the flexibility to do whatever WE wanted when WE wanted!

3. Church service! For those of you who don't know, I am a member of the LDS Church.  We do not have a paid ministry, so all of the operation of the church is done by its members. Last August, I was asked to serve as the Primary President.  This means I have had stewardship over the children's program at church for a year now.  I am responsible for nearly 50 children, their teachers and other leaders in the Primary (about 30 adults).  Guys that is quite the MENTAL LOAD! It has been one of the most fun things I have been able to do for my Savior.  I love being with the children, but it is quite a process and responsibility.

ALSO, do you see a pattern?  All of these things happened/started in AUGUST of last year! Hahaha.  Let's just say last year was a whirlwind!

4. Energy Profiling! If you haven't heard of Carol Tuttle and her work, you need to look her up.  She is changing my life with her books, her social media content, and her knowledge that she is sooo willing to share. In a year of struggle, I have learned that I NO longer need to STRUGGLE.  That I have more power over my own experience than I previously thought.  I am learning to set boundaries and learning to bring my emotional wellness to where I want it to be.  To truly BE ME without apologizing for it! Seriously, look her up and let her guide you to some legit healing!

Okay, I got 4 and now I'm tired, so good night y'all! Please tell me what kind of content you'd like to see on my blog! I would love to hear from you!

Chicken Raising

Raising chickens is hard work! Stinky too! We had a tragedy a couple weeks ago when some sort of predator got in our hen house and killed and stole a chicken! It was so sad and Grayson was heartbroken. My dad came to the rescue and we spent some time fortifying the coop. Then, just last week we got our first eggs! They are delicious and so cute and little right now. We sure love our girls.

Chicken Woes

When I started to suspect I had two roosters, I panicked and went to the feed store to find they had 4 left and wouldn't be getting any more until next year! I didn't want to wait and couldn't bear to split them up, so I bought all four! These are Ameracuanas and will lay bluish/green eggs! How cool is that?!

They are pretty much adorable. They are different from the others and really enjoying staying close by me when we take them outside. They crawl all over us which is cute, but dangerous because baby chickens poop A LOT! Don't tell on me, because I should only have 5, but could possibly have 8 if that second chicken isn't a rooster.

The older chickens have met the younger ones, but they don't live together yet. It's a little cramped in the coop, so Jared is building an extension for them. It will allow more space to run and will house their newest feature: The Chicken Fountain. I actually WON the Chicken Fountain from the Chicken Chick's Blog Entry and that was pretty much the most amazing feeling ever!

Last week I said goodbye to our handsome Buff Orpington Roo. He went to a nice home on a farm and is making friends with the horses. Poor guy the older chickens are picking on him. He's used to being top dog around here, so I hope he is managing okay. This was actually Ethan's chicken, so he and I were both pretty sad to see him go. The gentleman who took him thinks that I potentially have 4 more roosters! He is not an expert, and wasn't 100% sure, so I wouldn't let him take them. We are going to wait and see!

Chicken Love

Okay, I love my chickens! I love my chickens way more than I ever thought possible. And, they haven't even laid a single egg! I love watching them. I love holding them. I don't love cleaning up the copious amounts of poop, but I really don't mind it at all. I am anxious because I think our beloved Zoe is a rooster. Some have told me it's too early to tell, but this chicken separates from the other four and has a bright red comb and bright red, large wattles. If Zoe is a Lenny, then we'll have to find him another home because roosters are a no go in the neighborhood.  I guess it is too early to tell, but I let my anxiety get the better of me. Because....

I went to the feed store and saw they had 4 Ameraucanas left of the final shipment of chicks. I couldn't just take one for many irrational reasons, so I brought all four home. That's right, I now have 9 chickens! I hope I don't get busted, because I think the Residential limit is technically 5. I'm just going to see how long I can get away with it. This is probably my most rebellious moment in my life.

The Ameraucana are so cool because they will lay BLUE eggs! How cool is that?! Also, they really love me. They think I'm there mom or something. Whenever we take them out to play, they crowd around me and jump all over me and don't venture too far. I really love that!